Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-04-23
A MAD MEDIUM.
Slater Raps the Press Over the Knuckles,
and Gives Some Pulling Tests.

Slater Raps the Press over the hnuckies,
and Gives Some Puzziing Tests.
Slater. the mind reader and as he insists,
the spiritually influenced had good
house last night. He exbioited good deal
of feeling over the criticisms of the press,
| forgetting that when person poses as a
Snowman or fortune-teller exhibiting for
coin, he is legitimate subject for criticism
and description, and that the press is justi-
| fed in telling its readers how he appears
and what impression his performance
makes. He renewed his challenge for any,
! one to clean up some thousands of dollars
by exposing him.
The performer gave better entertain
! ment last night. He made many mistakes.
| and was cornered by several witnesses, but
| insisted in each case that he was right that
| he was influenced by magnetism" to re-
veal, and could not be in error. and that he
could deal only in generalities, for reasons
personal to his subjects. 1t is common
justice to say, without modifying the opin-
ion already expressed, that he gave some
tests altogether remarkable, and leaving
scarcely any room for suspicion Of collision
or indirect previous ascertainment of facts.
Yet it Is true that the 'crysta" fortune
tellers sometimes make as close predic-
tons and reyealments.
| These tests were, in brief, as follows: A
young woman, very innocent, retiring and
modest in appearance. was told that she
was alone in this country; that she was in
great doubt about taking an important
step-engaging herself to her escort; that
she was anxious about not hearing from
home, fearing death or illness in her fam.
lily; that certain of her relatives were dead,
Late sc ,rh, nh {1o LODI
| firmed. Finally he told her that she
would receive letter from home on Thurs
day morning; that it would come from
over the sea, and bring satisfactory news
about a sister, concerning whom she
| worried" that the letter would be in
| strange tongue. The witness confirmed
his statements and the prophecy as to her
expectation of news. She gave RECORD
UNION reporter her name and address, and
| stated that she is Norwegian and is alone,
| as far as relatives are concerned, in this
State. The test" was recognized by the
audience as something beyond shrewd
guessing.
Mrs. w. G. Farnsworth was reminded
that she knew some one named Martin in
her early life. She denied it. Slater in
sisted, declared the man was dead, but that
| long before she became Mrs. Farnsworth
Martin had paid her warm attention and
desired to link his life with hers, but she
refused. Mrs. F., with a start, exclaimed
| that it was true, but she had forgotten it.
Several other revelations" he made to her
as to her wishes, aims and experiences the
| lady emphatically denied.
George w. Stafford, by nod, admitted
that Slater had sized" up certain perplexi-
| ties of his mind and traits of his character
An Englishman was told that he had
| friend, the initials of whose name were II.
P. The Englishman denied it stoutly.
Slater insisted, said the man lived at the
| time in Melbourne, and his name was
| Hervey Phipps. "Oh, yes" exclaimed the
| Englishman, that is SO he passed out of
| my life years ago, and is in England now"
Slater then made him confess that he had
come distance to attend the show" and
had hurried to the train "like thunder"
Slater added that he had come from the
north, from Red Bluff or Redding He
was told he was in error as to the direc-
ton. Subsequently the Englishman, who
| declined to permit his name to be pub
| lished, said that he had come from Stock
ton, had hurried to catch train to reach
here, and was going to Redding. 1t de-
veloped that he is well-known San Fran
cisco insurance man. that he had attended
several of Skaters seances in San Francisco
and had received tests, but he insisted that
Slater does not know him, and declares
that the Phipps referred to is Lord Hervey
| Phipps, an old chum of his youth, and
that Slater nor no one in California could
have known of him.
| The operator pointed out lady and
asked her if she had not in the afternoon
been talking of marriage. She denied it.
Slater insisted. She reiterated her denial
so far as she could remember. But you
did, retorted Slater, land you talked with
| the lady two seats from you on the right
about marriage, this afternoon at home"
| The second lady thus appealed to stated
| that Slater was correct.
| Another lady admitted that Slater's de-
scription of her fathers family as to num-
Der and sexes was accurate. Mrs. Wallace
confessed that his revelation of the subject
of her thoughts at 3 in the afternoon was
| right A railroad man was told his occu-
patton, and warned to beware of Thursday
week. as on that day a railroad accident
| would occur and he would be related to it.
An elderly woman adpitted that the
operator correctly described a scene of
hurry and some words at home
about coming to the SHOW" at
a given hour. Proposals of marriage
were forecast. some ludlcrous advice given,
some mimicry INDUCED in, and as said
numerous guesses made wide of the mark.
| but tne tests reclted were apparently sat
| isfactory and suggest that some better ex-
PLANTATION than guessing be given of them.
The mind-reader expressed the belief that
he would be able to still more puzzle his
auditors tonight, and emphatically an
nounced that he would make ii his last
night in Sacramento-this evidently in re-.
Spouse to what he deems harsh treatment
by the press. Slater reiterated last night
that he had foretold by some days the loss
of the steamer Queen City and the explo-
sion or the steamer Julia, and San Fran
cisco newspaper men say that his state
| ment in that respect is true. He would be
in better favor with his audience if he
would not point out ladies and attempt to
tell what physical ills sfflict them. The
| Spirits" should be more considerable.
| SERIOUS ALLEGATION.