The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-03
CREDULITY AND FRAUD.

CREDULITY AND FRAUD.
A number of scientists, including tho
astronomer schiaparelli and Prof. Lom-
broso. have recently investigated the 90
called supernatural powers of . young
Italian woman in Milan. The ''phenom-
ena" produced seem to have greatly i'm
pressed these scientific Investigators, but,
As Subscribed in detail. they include nothing
that was not produced by the once famous
Eddy family" This Eddy family, after
several years Of successful imposition ct
Chittenden, VT, were exposed and COM
PEELED to scatter. John Eddy was exposed
and mobbed in Illinois about six years
ago. and his sister, Mrs. Brown. has been
repeatedly exposed in New England. The
performances of the Milan medium are
almost identical with those executed
nearly twenty years ago by this mounte-
bank Eddy family" in their so-called
clark CIRCLE" whose story was eloquently
told by the infatuated Col. Olcott in the
New York Graphic. Olcott and the famous
Nine. Blavatsky visited esprit Vale" as
it was called. together.
The fact that ten years after the expos
ure of these performances in America q
cunning italian woman is able to repeat
them in Europe and mystify an investi-
eating committee of scientists need not
surprise any intelligent observer of the
history of humbug. These frauds seem to
grow fat on exposure, just as gross quacks
in medicine and surgery seem to grow
popular on the very notoriety of some
outrageous case Of malpractice. When We
remember that darkness is necessary to
the production of these modern miracles;
that the full exercise of the test senses
OF sight and touch are denied in
vestigators. 1t seems extraordinary
that any intelligent man should
be credulous to believe in the genuine su-
pernatural quality of deeds of darkness
that are certainly not moro inexplicable
than Prot. Hermann's deeds OF light,
which he advertisss a. impositions upon
the senses. and executes them in broad
daylight. Nevertheless It IL true that
very intelligent and intellectual men are
sometimes superstitious and exceedingly
credulous.
The Cock Lane ghost that fooled the
great DR.. Johnson in the last century was
freakish girl. type OF the fasting WON.
en- frauds that have existed in every age
Of the world. The Fox sisters initiated
her in the invention of the famous
spirit rappings at Rochester, N. Y. in
IN Df To- u,h
ried DR.. Kane. the famous Arctic explorer,
confessed in public lecture a few years
ago that they were mere jugglers. From
the first days OF spiritualism in 1sa7 down
to date the exposures have been continu-
Gus. Diss Debar, who fooled Luther r.
Marsh with the so-called spirit" por.
| traits, which she ralmed off on him as
the works of Raphael and Rem
brandt in the disembodied state, was
completely exposed in New York city, but
Mr.. Marsh is still believer in Esprit
photography" whose trickery has been
exposed over and over again during the
last twenty years. Mr.. Marsh is a man of
legal ability and learning, but when it
came to spiritualism he accepted as indis-
putable evidence Of truth the baldest and
cheapest fraud and most obvious delusion
that would be rejected by men of ordinary
intelligence. Judge Edmonds, a very able
New York lawyer, was among the early
converts to spiritualism, and so was Prof,
F, Hare, of Philadelphia, and so have been
number of intelligent. educated men in
this country, whose credulity on this sim
gle topic seems remarkable. NAPOLEON
Bonaparte was superstitious: so was the
great DR.. Johnson, and so vas Abraham
Lincoln. When he was in Washington
City as a congressman he would not be
one of thirteen st table, and Robert
Toombs. another OF the company. told
him he would rather diethan be so SUPER
stitious.
We are not surprised that the medium"
in Milan is woman. as Was tie case in
the Eddy family. These receptions are
generally morbid psychological manifesto
tions pe-petraied by hysterical women in
whom an insane desire for notorie,y has
been developed until their will power is
gone. and iInpos.ures OF this sort may be
| expected of them at any time. Such de-
captions begin in the weak desire of hys.
terical seniimen;alIsts TO confuse and
nysiiiy relatives and friends, and they
grow with the increased no,oriety, the
love o: which originally prompted
them. until 81 last long indulgence
makes them involuntary. These antics
which begin in mere freakishness and
hys,ericai fs!sehoods are finally svs,em-
affixed into fraud ios professional gain.
This WAS the history Of the original Fox
sisters imposiure; it began IN deception
for sport. but expanded into fraud and
impos,ure for gain. Tha, is the history Of
all these modern miracle workers.
The hysterical female freak and fraud is
. common figure in life and literature.
Every doctor knows that hystericai
women are no; only prone TO self-delusion
but TO the practice of deception upon the
public. The excessive use of opium and
alcohol often reduces men TO the same con-
dition of the aysterical woman who plays
impcstor fo- the sake of notoriety In
both cases We find these phenomena
OF fraud. falsehooa. deception and i'm
posture associated with = weakened will
aud shattered nervous system. Tbs type