The morning call., 1893-05-12
SPOOKS OR ART !?
Annie Eva Fay Tries a
New Field.
HER '.TALKING HEAD" AGAIN
The Nimble Telegraph Invoked to
Dispose of Her Mystic Preten-
sions With Sad Effect.


make a wooden head left by Nine. Blavai-
sky talk. This she proposes to do in order
to complete Blayatsky's unfinished Sc
cret Doctrine"
1t is a wild, weird tale according to DR..
Jerome a. Anderson. one of the leading
followers of Blavatsky in this city.
So also says William Q. Judge, general
secretary of the Theosophlcal Society in
the United States. The two have been
comparing notes.
Miss Fav says Franz Hartman, one of
BlaVatskY's private secretaries, took
charge of the head upon her death and
sealed it up sacredly and securely in a
house in Calcutta
manuscript. upon which the great
iheosophist was working, remained incom-
plete at the time of her death, and no one
has been found able to finish the last vol
ume of the Secret Doctrine.
Is the world to be deprived of the benefit
OF the great priestess' wisdom?
Oh, no; Miss Fay will attend to that, and
boldly steps in and undertakes 10 set the
wooden head talking. like phonograph
under the influence OF nickel dropped in
the slot.
This lady has been before the world as
spirluaiist for more than twenty years.
but 1t is twelve years since she last APP
peared in San Francisco.
She Is the same Miss Fay whom Chi
cagO paper pronounced a fraud in March
last, and of whose methods it undertook to
make complete expose. 1t was explained
that little boy concealed under her dress
performed all the feats in the secret cabi-
net, but upon seeking to expose the trick
they found they hsd been mistaken.
A CALL reporter had chat with the
lady az the Palace Hotel last night, and
found her quite willing to talk about her
intended experiment with Nine. Blavat-
sky's wooden head.
when | was in Buda-Pesth a few
months ago" she said, 81 met Franz Hart
man, who was once a secretary of Blavat-
sky, and has since become known as the
writer OF several theOSOphical works,
among them Black and White Magic
and the Talking Head of Irma' He
thought l was sufficiently spiritual for his
purpose, and suggested that l should try to
make the head talk. and so assist In finish
lug The Secret Doctrine of Blavatsky'
THE undertaking is too great for
spiritualist, so l consented TO cooperate
with him in putting speech into the mouth
of the dummy.
Il 20 west and he goes east, and we are
TO meet IN Calcutta IN July and put the
matter to the grand test
Il firmly believe that the feat can be
performed, and | AN determined to do it,
The idea is not a new one" exclaimed
Miss Fay, as she dived into pile of scrap
books containing press notices oil herself.
Here Is some mention of similar mani
festati0ns which occurred few centuries
ago." She then drew attention to an ex-
tract OF vague nature, which did not 60
to prove much.
The ladY's scrapboOks are quite a feat
ure, and she is mourning heavy charges
for extra bagga age on account of her un-
quenchable desire TO preserve clippings
from every newspaper which has noticed
her.
She is fair-haired, nervous little woman.
constantly moving about ike d restless
bird. She has considerable stock of
valuable jewelry displayed upon her per-
son, which represents enough capital to
buy farm with.
She has rather q penehant for farms by
the way. While in Los Angeles recently
she decided to purchase some OF the beau
THU climate. with mile square ranch
thrown in, and is now completing the sale
through her lawyers. She already has
real estate in England, France and
America, and accordingly speaks with a
French, English or American accent by
turn.
There seems to be considerable doubt In
the minds Of the best local tbecsophists as
to the genuineneSs Of this head of Bla-
vatsky's.
A prominent theosophist, who spent
four years in India at the headquarters of
the cult, says that he never heard of
Blavatsky's wooden head, and does not
believe that such a thing ever existed
Among the adopts and Indian fakirs who
make life study OF the split world and
natures hidden laws he has seen things
done that no unbelieVing modern public
would credit for one moment. Still, with
all his faith in spiritualism and kindred
matters, he does not think that such a
lining as causing a wooden head to talk
can be, and surely never could have been
entertained by such wise woman as Nine.
Blavatsky.
The local headquarters of the Thesophi-
cal Society were visited and opinions taken
haphazard from those who happened to be
present. Not one of the students had
ever heard Of the head or credited the
story.
One particularly intelligent lady, the sec
Rotary, advanced the opinion that, suppos-
ing such thing existed, 1t would be pos
sibie for any highly developed theosophist
or splrtualist 10 derive an Inspiration
from Bavatsky, through the influence of
anything she had chosen as a medium, but
she did not credit for an instant that speech
could be obtained from ii.
gentleman we'll read in authentic spir-
itualistic lore cited the instance, which he
stated as an undOubted facts of Friar Roger
Bacon and his brass head. The Friar
made this himself, and as the story goes
succeeded in making it speak in the pres
ence Of several witnesses. The brass head
Is said to have distinctly uttered. thine
was. time Is, time will De-" and then fell
to the ground never to speak again.
DR.. Jerome A. Anderson is perhaps the
leading theosOphist in town, and the au
thor of some good works on the subject.
his last being "Reineagnation."
Ills opinion was sought on this matter
and he gave il most emphaticallv.
Il never heard of it." said he, land l
don't believe in it. Franz Hartman was
certainly at one time a secretary of
Madame Blavatsky, but since her death
he has come TO be regarded by good
theOsophists as an Outsider He seeks
to profit by the notoriety his connection
with Blavatsky has given him and make
money out OF his undeseryed prominence.
HE is simply working the thing for
what there is in it and his books are not
recommended to students seeking To learn
the great truth. Whether he has ar
ranged with Miss Fay TO use this so-calltd
Blafatsky head or not l cannot say, but
you can quote me as saying most emphati-
ca!ly that the thing is all nonsense and an
absolute fraud.
William 9, Judge. the general secre-
tary OF the Iheosophical Society In the
United States. is an intimate friend of
mine. He was for many years Blayat-
sky's secretary and right-hand man. II
any one knows of the existence of this
head he would and | will telegraph him
Immediately to see il there is anything in
it,"
The following telegram was sent by DIR.
Anderson:
TO Wnliam Q. nudge, General Secretary
1heosoptfcdt Society, IA Madison avenue,
Nea0 York: Miss Fay, the spirituallst, claims
that Madame Blavatsky left speaking wooden
head. Fay and Hartmann intend using as
medium 10 complete secret doctrine. Wire
statement for press. JEROME A. ANDERSON.
Wednesday evening DIR. Anderson re-
eeived reply to his dispatch. L is in the
following words:
Dr, Jerome 4. anderson: Fay's story claim
utterly false, piece Of absurd nonsense, char
lalanTY ana fraud. WILLIAM Q. JUDGE
General Secretary of the American Section OF
the 1heosOphical Society.
The Bauer Symphony Concerts.
Adolph Bauer gives the first of his sum-
mer series Of symphony concerts at the
IiYOlL at 3 o'clock this afternoon His