The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-16
A RIVALRY IN GHOSTS
TWO SPIRIT PRODUCERS HAVE 4
CONTEST At MANsUR HALL.
and Is Much Discomfifed-Ri-
diculous Scene.

The spiritualists of the city for some
time PAST have known that Henry Kroe-
ger had boosted that he could TO anything
that any of the mediums could do, and ex-
plain all the tricks to the satisfaction of
the most sincere believer Mr. and Mrs.
Rowland, mediums, challenged him, and
last night the test took place in Mansur
Hail. Air. and Mrs. Rowland conducted the
usual seance, in which the room was dark
ened SO that only dim outline of the peo-
pie could be seen. A committee of ladies
took Mrs. Rowland to another room and
furnished her complete suit of black cloth
ing, so as to be sure that she took nothing
white into the small cabinet which con-
sisted of but two small upright pieces of
wood near the wall with black cloth thrown
over them. She was then conduct
ed to the cabinet and the lights turned
down. After singing few songs the black
curtain was drawn back and a white form
appeared. The lights were then turned up
and Mrs. Rowland stepped out of the cab
met dressed in black. An examination by
the ladies revealed no white about her and
nothing white could be found in the cab
met.
1t then became Mr.. Kroeger's time to
show what he could do. "A committee of
men took him to an ante room, where he
took off all white clothing and appeared
ready to enter the cabinet The lights
We're again turned down. but there was no
disposition on the part of those present to
give him fair chance to materialize a
ghost Hoots and yells went up from all
parts of the room, Mr.. and Mrs. Rowland
Joining in the general racket; but in few
moments Mr.. Rowland realized that his OPP
ponent deserved common courtesy. and
asked those present to accord Mr.. Kroeger
the same treatment he had received His
w N lin hpn iS
ally believed that ghosts will not walk UNI
less they hear the soothing strains of a
church hymn, at least such music is always
used in coaxing them out of a cabinet.
When Mr.. Kroeger entered the cabinet Mr.
Rowland began to sing Marching through
Georgia., burt the music could barely be
heard on account of the general laugh of
derision that went up from all parts of
the hall. In few moments grooming was
the grooming soon developed into a most
unearthly wall. getting louder. and louder.
until a person would almost imagine that
he was listening to the cries of one of the
tortured in the realms of his satanic maj
esty. The wailing slowly died away. and
then q hand appeared on either side of
the cabinet thrust out between the folds of
the black cloth. Later face appeared at
the opening in front, and then for mo-
ment the folds parted and glimpse was
obtained of figure. which, in the dim light.
appeared to be the form of a nude man, or
at best a attired only in his neither
garments.
At this unusual appearance silence had
sway. Inc nSure disappeared ana the spec
tators waited anxiously, hardly drawing a
breath, to see what would appear next.
Has any of you gents out there got a
match?' came from the cabinet in a voice
which evidently belonged to the earth.
.'He has lost his spirit and wants light
to enable him to find it, said some one in
the audience. A match was handed into the
cabinet and in g. moment Mr.. kroeger could
be seen cropping around on the floor i'll
search of something The lights were then
turned up and Mr.. Kroeger was taken TO
the ante room to be again examined by the
committee. After the examination a MEM
Der of the committee made report. He
pulled from his pocket a roll of white mus
lin probably four or five yards, and handed
it over to Mr.. Rowland. Another and still
another roll was produced. Then came the
statement that a bottle of phosphorus had
also been found in Kroeger's overcoat
pocket. He acknowledged that he had
brought the things into the room, hoping
to get them into the cabinet with him.
Kroeger was not at all disconcerted by
these discoveries but took the platform to
make speech. 1t would be impossible to
reproduce his speech in print. lie ex-
planned that his study of spirituaiism had
convinced him that it was simply mesnler-
ISM and that the witnesses imagined they
saw ghosts walking about, when. in fact,
they saw nothing. He wound up his talk
by saving: IF you had given me time
enough / could have mesmerized every one
of YOU and YOU would have seen all the
spirits in this world and in the world to