The herald., 1895-08-14
DEFENDS DR.. SCHLES|AGER
Scion Lauer of Pasadena on
Mediums
SAYSTHE DOCTOR IS NOFAKIR
A Reply to Mr.. McClatchie and Pro.
fessor Clark
SAYSTHE DOCTOR IS NOFAKIR
Some Incdents1 of the Santa Monica Camp
Meeting Alluded To-Occultism
or nind-Reading

Mr.. Scion Lauer> of Pasadena. has,
with Professor Clark of Pasadena and
Professor McClatchie of the same place,
been engaged in controversy on spirit
ualism, particularly as shown at the re-
cent camp-meeting of that sect at Santa
Monica. The main question in the mat
ter seems to be whether DR. Schlesinger,
the "chief medium at the campm Getting,
was fakir or really truly spook sharp.
Tn following is reply to letters recent
1y published in The Herald:
Although I have written hundreds OF
columns for the press, l have seldom ap
peared in any article referring to my own
personal relations in any way. i do not
wish to occupy your space with any mat
ter in my own interests merely. Further.
| think that after my public exposure OF
Ben Barney. | shall not be suspected of
any particular bias toward fraudulent
mediums. But | feel that two articles
published in your issue of August 9th de-
mand some attention from me.
Mr.. James G. Clark. in an article from
the Santa Monica camp. alludes to my
connection with the Barney expose, and
makes some statements which are per-
fectly fair and justifiable from the
standpoint OF his own information. But
my friend Mr.. Clark is under some mis-
apprehe nsion concerning myself. which l
know ne will be pleased to have me correct.
J First, | have no prejudice whatever
| against Mr. Bowman, and have made no
referenceito him as Statesman out of
| job.' My expose of Ben Barney had no
| connection with either Mr.. Bowman or
| DR.. Schlesinger.
| am at work upon an article embodying
some Of my experiences among mediums
| during the past fifteen years, and intend
ed from the first to include in that arti-
| Gle whatever of value | might get at the
camp at Santa Monica. Mr.. Clnrk's
suggestion that | should give DR.. Schles-
| niger credit for my sitting with him
was good suggestions but | do not
think it was necessary that be should be
mentioned in the article by the Times
correspondent in connection with Bar
ney. The article by Professor McClatchie,
| in the same issue with Mr.. Clark's arti
Gle, offers me an opportunity to refer to
| DR.. Schlesinger outside my article now
| in course of preparation, and take plea
sure IN doing SO, with your kind permis-
| sion.
First. let me say that have not the
! pleasure .of Mr.. McClatchie's personal
| acquaintance, ana refer to his article
l only in the interest of truth, and in JUS
tice to a man who seems to me to De
| somewhat misrepresented in that article.
| The heading OF Mr.. McClatchie's article
exaggerates the contents of the article it.
self. Mr.. McClatchie does not in his ar
| ticle give any definite evidence that DR..
! Schlesinger is fdkir, nor is the article
IN any sense an expose. An experienced
| investigator IN the field OF pscyhic re-
search knows that mistakes on the part
of medium are not necessarily evidence
of trickery, in fact may be evidence that
trickery is not mployed. One W ho does a
trick usually succeeds in performing what
he sets out TO do. and does not attempt
to do more than he can. DR.. Schles niger
,ad inn amt
gentleman. jealous for the welfare of the
cause which he represents. feel quite
certain that if Mr.. McClatchie had non
estly told him that he was not satisfied
with the results of the sitting. the doctor
would have given him another, or any
mum ber, in the interest OF truth; and
by perseverance and fairness Mr.. Nc
Claiche would have found that the doc
tor possesses an occult power which re-
veals facts far beyond the power of trick
cry to perform. l do not say Mr.. Nc.
Claiche would be satisfied that the spirits
OF the departed were communicating
with him. bat he would be satisfied that
the doctor is far from being a mere fakir.
The phenomena of mind reading and
thought transference have rendered quite
credible all that DIR. Schlesinger per-
forms in his seances. although | do not
say that the doctor is merely a mind
reader. At my sitting with the doctor
" W NY llicHu Sldlh
received evidence that the doctor possess
es an occult power. L am tolerably famil-
lar with the tricks of bogus mediums, as
l could show Mr.. McClatchie in a few
moments conversation. and | did not de-
tect any attempt at deception. The mat
ter of revealing names written on slips of
paper is no test at all if the medium has
any chance to handle the slips or pellets
for there are dozen different ways of
doing that but when facts are revealed
which are not written. and which no
person present save the sitter knows,
there is something beyond mere trickery.
although in many cases it may be no
more than mind reading.
l will say of DR.. Schlesinger, however,