Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-04-22
WHAT rs IT?
SLATER AND HIS Shows IT FRAUD
has HE C0NFEDERATEsi
A Rattling Talker Puzzles Some, Con
vinces a Few and Amuses
Many.

| Hauo, working IN collision with others,
or is possessed of powers beyond the
knowledge men have of mental capacity;
or whether he is aided, as ne claims, by
familiar spirits; or whether he is shrewd
guesser and keen-witted physiognomist
bis auditors were not able to settle last
night. They went away about equally d.
vided between these theories.
Slater was sensation" in San Francisco
some years ago. and the newspapers did
their utmost, by following up the people
to whom he gave TESTS, to prove collision,
but failed, though unearthing some things
| that appeared suspicious. Since then he
has given weekly exhibitions to large
audiences, who divide:in opinion as to the
| HsupernaturaP' in his performances, and
the charge that he is only clever guesser.
Whlle he gave some very pu.zling tests
| last night, there was not produced any evil
| dence that would be held sufficient for the
establishment of any alleged fact in every
day life. As he himself says, if he is q
fraud he Is clever one, and sets the peo-
pie debating the question, and thus fattens
his treasury.
He is tall, angular, small headed, keen
eyed, shrewd-featured, wordy youth, who
is full of egotism to the brim. He claims
to have revelations from influences" about
him, whom he addresses as if they were
servants, and he rattles away to the au-
dience at the rate of some hundreds of
words minute.
u don't understand how 1 read your
thoughts. do it. don't ask you to be-
lieve it.. You are judge and jury in my
case. I've been five years in San Francisco
giving tests. If Pm fraud they haven't
caught me yet. If / am a fraud Pm a
clever one, eh; catch me if you can. If
am in collision with any people here find
it out. How could l be? l got here at
half-past IL, and have been resting ever
since.
''If tell you truly say so-speak out
like men and women; if speak falsely
tell it, too. We want the truth. There is
no hokey-pokey biz about me. 1t Sam.
Mott has fixed things for me, then he's
fool to do it and let me take rs per cent. of
the proceeds. am influenced; it is given
me to see you. Like that mirror reflect
you, If you like it. well and good; if you
don't, well and good. The more YOU talk
about me the more people will come to see
me for themselves-see ~"
Then Slater seated himself at the piano,
with one thin leg struggling back on the
stage and his slender body stiff upon the
stool. He sang "Beulah Land" in a pretty
tenor voice, and suddenly springing to the
front of the stage began. We can give
but few of his expressions, of course, for
| he is ceaseless talker, and rains the
Kings English, somewhat butchered, upon
his auditors in an interminable downpour.
He twlrled his handkerchief and spun
about upon his thin legs and talked and
strided and chartered and laughed, alter.
| nately defying and coaxipg his audience,
in his nervous, jerky, half hysterical way,
| which, if studied, is fine dramatic work.
Its given me to see one whose thoughts
| are far away; his body is here He's
thinking what fool I've been to let oppor-
| tunities slip. You, l mean Ito H. c. Meg
erle); you with eyeglasses. What men,
| DRY you've got. You are inventing and
thinking how you'll get out of the place
you are in, or shall you do so, eh? That
right. Well, you're all right. Stick where
you are until November and you'll come
out all right"
Megerle nodded yes to all this generaliza-
ton and Slater danced about and knotted
his handkerchief.
You, that lady in black, you've been
talking about photograph in your pocket
No? Well, that lady next to you has; she
gave you photograph. (Yes.) l saw It :;
| you didn't like it. The nose turned up
too much" Then he went on to tell the
lady what she did and said at quarter
| past 10 in the forenoon, and she nodded
yes, and he wound up with advice to her
| that appeared TO give her great satisfaction.
He next turned to Foreman Tubbs, of II.
| S. Croker q Co.'s establishment, and told
him his life was monotonous, that two
parties were bothering him, and he was
thinking whether to make change and
cast them off. (Mr. Tubbs nodded concur
rence.) Slater then read Tubbs a chapter
of good advice about pluck, and pointing
| his bony finger at 8 young man next to
Mr.. Tubbs, told him he'd just been talking
about watch yes, but when he charged
him with having been Tilted the gentleman
responded mo" emphatically, and Slater
laughed off the reply.
You, that elderly lady in black; yes, you
You have two you call dead. (Yes). A,
645 this evening you were at home; you
had cup in your hand somewhat broken
| (Yes.) Your father was tall, dark, heavy
man. (Yes) There were eleven of you
his children. (Yes) Six girls and five
boys. (Yes) You are too sensitive; put
your foot down. In len weeks you'll be il
happier condition. There is something
about you about forged will (yes) anc
perjury (yes). You have had photograph
enlarged recently. (Yes) And so he rat.
tied on, evidently surprising the lady
greatly.
He next told young man in the gallery
that he was bothered" about his work
(yes); that he spent his money too freely
right" replied the youth.
II am impressed that some one here is in
much tribulation about mine, whether to
sell or nowhere, where ?n-swinging hi.
arm around wildly-"there, you-that lady
over there; you, madam; it is you. Am
right?" (Yes.) Your husband is tall
man (yes), wears glasses (yes); he is q
matchmaker or jeweler (yes); has habit
of losing his glasses when they are on his
head yes. They tell you-ah, 1 see
two holes in the earth; are they
the mine is full of water (yes)
They have it on shares with you (Iight)
Yes, see it. They tell you it will take
most of what they can mine to get the water
out (yes). Don't let 'em fool you. You
can have it done yourself and save the
mine, and there's money in it, and you'll
get it and be able to go back, back where,
Oh, to Sweden (yes). To Christiana, your
old home" THAT is right" said th,
woman, evidently much moved. II see
more. Your husband is in trouble (yes)
He gave watch he had for repair to tn,
wrong man, who got hold of the check
l
demands it (yes)." And the audience ap
plauded
Slater here took breath and told of Ger
tain prophecies he had made that were full
filled, and at the same time took occasion
: to snap his fingers impudently at the audi
ence and to tell the people if they did no
believe him he didn't care''
To one lady he declared that she enter
tanned friends too literally, and that he
companion had just told her so (right). Tt
the latter he gave general description o
her house. To the first he returned, say
ing: You are trying to push claim
: against the Government (yes); you'll ge
the money; youth be happier now than fo
seven years past. Connected with that Il
; name, the initial is w (correct). Yo,
knew James Carter (yes). He is what vol
,, call dead (yes). He stands behind yo,
now" But the woman did not NANTES
surprise at this contiguity of a ghost.
To lady he did not indicate, he CAV
assurance that she'd have the desire of he
heart and become mother-a bit of coars
wit that he clinched with the prophec,
that it would be boy.
He charged gentleman in the paraue
l with being in trouble about lands, but go
. a fiat denial. A lady in the gallery wa
e | told that she was thinking of one far AVA
and would he return? (yes). "Well, vol
D know the adage-good radiance to bad rub