Telegram-herald., 1889-11-30
SPIRIT P0STalSIER
Dr.. Reds Attorneys Have Thslr
EVldeDcs Al N
Ths Coart Eefasss - Aanllt the Test
Ea1Ay % IAezs y ~ Haze Resolved
Lsrters--Ihe Esldelee Ia

The u ted STATES Court room yesteE-
day morning cout4 ned "a unusual
number of visitors, mosE u whom were
spntuaEsts. Iae hrs Iang ia orier
sas tie Opening statement Tor the de-
Tease ia the Rsld case, ~ Attorney
Donaldson. The hrst witness latro-
dueed vas J B. staDseA lie Rad SEM
a sealed letter 10 be answered by the
defendant. It VAS not, however, a.
lowed % testify as - the answer lac re-
ce we'd. The dlslEle. attorney objected,
AID The judge susts aed the objection,
saying tlaE tie question As % whether
sp'rlt communications were received
was not involved.
The defense argued that tbe
defendant was on tral for false
III pretending - receive COM
municatl0ns from spirits, AMI that
c would b. proper % show that he
believed that be eid receive suca COM
munlcauons, and that other people nad
had proof satisfactory 70 them Jhat he
received them.
This question" !" sad the Judge "has
been passed upon heretofore. II it IS
shown Reid was acting n good faith the
Government would have nO case, bat If
. Reid was securing the communications
only for financial purposes, the ease =
made out. The evidence offered must
De IN a legal line, of an earthly nature,
and the jury must apply TO the entire
question a robust common sense
spirit of charity for the faith OF others.
The testimony lt 5 proposed u offer
j. IN no sense legal evidence. The
Government has put IN testimony
upon certain points, the defendant
may offer evidence upon the same
point; he may show how the spirit COM
muncatiOns We're secured, and hc may
offer himself a q witness IN hIs own be-
half. But 10 Introduce particular IN
stances when spirit answers have been
secured would lee improper and lrrele-
want. man way be- accused of steal
ing horse, but it would be- no defense
20 show that this man upon some other
occasion purchased a horse or secured
a horse III an honest manner. The
objections 10 the testimony are we'll
taken, and the evidence Is ruled out"
The defense were somewhat staggered
by this ruling and asked Tor a recess IN
which 20 rearrange their plans. Court
accordingly ad ourned until afternoon.
Miss Annie French, who was for four
teen months stenOgrapher IN DIR. Reid's
Office, testified that she assisted IN the
answering of the letters and that she
directed the envelopes and inclOsed the
lettes IN answer TO the C correspondents
whose sealed questions the doctor
could not answer. This was done about
March %, after the postal inspector had
called upon them. She did not inclOse
the money, bat the doctor did that
part OF the work.
Hon. l.. V. MOultOn, Lyman II. Aus
tin and John Lindsey swore u having
assisted in mailing the unanswered
letters and TO personally depOsitlng
them in the mail box.
Charles c. Howell sworn. He saw
the ClaflIn letter with the sealed en-
velope incloscd. The doctor showed
It to him. He took the letter and
answered 1t for DR.. Reid. Witness said
the Clafiin letter contained an envelope
sealed with three seals. On March 10,
W. J. Hurley, Ed E. Smith, w. J.
SprOat, Mr.. Lindsey, Mr.. Parks, DR..
Reid and himself met together TO Open
the Clatiin sealed envelope. 1t had
never been Openod before that time.
The letter was placed in his handsin Fen
ruary. 1t was impossible TO open the
letter without breaking the seals. The
| doctors answers to the questions in the
sealed envelope were given TO the wit
ness about February 23. The doctor
also gave the witness n COPY of the
queries before the envelOpe was opened.
The witness then read the questions
contained in the envelope 10 the court.
lie said the answers were given long
before be gave the queries. The
answers We're g so read by the witness.
\ large number of witnesses had been
summoned, and were on hand 70 show
tnat they had received spirit COM
municatiOns through the doctor. but
as their testimony was inadmss'ble
under the ruling Of the court, the de-
fendant's attorneys announced that no
further testimony would bc introduced.
"What" asked Mr.. GOiwin, "are you
not gong 10 swear the DOCTOR
"No." thuudorod Mr.. Richmond.
shaking his fst at Goodwin. "YOu have
no business % ask s.ch . question, and
YOU know 1t. The courts have decided
that you have 10 right To prejudice u
/ deiouGau, bv such questions. such
questions have freed more than one
| prisoner"
Mr. Richmond shouted this out with
great v,Aem,uce, and as ne closed the
/ doctors adm srs set up loud and pro-
| i9ugod applause.
After 0uIct w0s restored. Judge Scv
eraus. evidently laborng under great
excitement. salG that Il any further
outbreaks Of the knd occurred ne
sluuld order the cCuri-~00m cleared.