Telegram-herald., 1889-11-27
SPWGS C0CgI
The Trial Of DR.. Reid Begun Yes
terday Morning.
A Jary Secured Wsthout Troabie-.f he
Jaags ksfasss ~ Ers SPtrltasiis1.
-Iestllasny Iatrod seed.

The ease 0f Dr. E-.i, the - t post
master a4s called yesterday morning
IA tae United states Court. A jury Was
seyred in about Al hour and = half
W4Ih comparatively Gtts a. -hcl-,y, a.
taoaga the defendants attorneys at
tempted 10 object " s1eh Ot the panel
a. dsbeleyed ia splr.ualsn. The
court refused t0sustaln such objections,
stating that the question Al issue MAS
not tie truth OF ialslty OI Sp.rtuaAsm,
though possibly the jury might be
cal.cl upon 10 decide whether or nOt
Dr. Red actually believed ne could
communicate with spr.Gs, a. ne adNef-
used he was able 10. In other words, Il
Was simply d question a. 10 the defend
ants good falIn.
After securing the jury, Mr.. GOdwn
made nls opening statement 10 the jury,
and tne taking Ot testimony Was post
pOned until afternoon.
The nrst witness called was Postal
Inspector John l.. Leach, VINO testified
IN regard % the advertisement con-
tanned III DR.. Reds publication, IAs
Banner of Llts, aud that Il was clrcu-
lated through the mails. Besides ad-
vertslng the cure OF diseases, lie adj
vertsed the reading OF sealed letters,
reading OF character, and the past or
future ife OF applicants upon the pay
ment OF Sl.0O and sending a lock OF
hair. A commission of 40 per cent.
was offered 10 all who, acting as agents,
would procure such applicants.
Mr.. Leach called upon the doctor
and inquired INTO his methods OF doing
business Or. Reid told witness that hc
had fitty-hve or sixty letters that he
could NOT answer, and ne would be glad
! 20 turn them over 10 witness. With the
! letters would be lnclCsed a fee OF Sl.OO
or less, which he retained. The rush
of business prevented him from an
| swerlng them. He afterward gave
witness list of the unanswered letters,
containing about thirty names. Some
/ of the letters were five or SIX months
! old and some OF recent date. He said
| he had used the mail TO circulate ms
advertisements.
! The United States Attorney read the
/ list Of names TO whom unanswered let
ters had been returned with a fee OF
| sl.OO each. Among the names were
Hon. Vim. l.. Avery, of Mt. Clemens,
Mich; j. III. Wade, president of the Cit
izens' Loan and Savings Bank, Cleve-
land, OHIO; Dewitt c. Curtis, DOwag.ac
| Mich; DR.. Palmer COvll, Belding.
Mich; :. \. Whitman, Paw Paw, Mich.
and John Rutledge, Montague, Mich.
James Vincent, of Tabor, Iowa, testl-
fed that he wrote DR.. Reid a letter, in,
closing a 80 cent postal note. He IN
closed a sealed letter containing a mum.
ber OF questions and also a lock of hair
The paper on which the questions were
written was sewed through and through
| with thread.
The witness then read letter he had
written to his son IN spirit land, asking
him # he is with his mother, and ask
ing for her name, date of birth, mar
riage and death, if she wa.
happy or knew who had passed
over since she had done so
also asking where his father was, etc
This was the scaled letter to the doctor
"DO you communicate with yoW
wife in spirit land" said Donaldson.
"Of course, do" the witness an
swered, with much emotion.
The court ruled this out, and said
we snail not try the question of the
truth or error of the belief in Spiritual
ism. 1t Is beyond the power of the
court to try"
The witness read a letter from him
self to DR.. Reid; receiving no reply wit
ness wrote again asking him why die
not hear from him. He either wanted
the paper or something else for hll
80 cents. He did not inclOse 81 as the
advertisement required, but followed
his own direction in the matter.
Dewitt c. Curtis, Of Dowagiac, one OF
the doctors correspondents, was pu
upon the stand. He identified a lette
received from DR.. Reid, returning 8
receipt for 81 instead of the money
| The questions Mprn unnnsWered