The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-11-16
His Place of Hiding Said to He known
Only to Two Citizens OF Denver, Who
Are Guarding His Secret.
CAREER OFTHESTRANGEM MAN
HIS DIvINELY INSPIRED PILGRIM
AGE THROUGH THE FAR WEST.
Once Arrested at Hot Springs, Ark.
as a yagrant-Wanted at Omaha
DIR. sziIburn's Views.

generally believed tnat the WHEREABOUTS oi
Francis Schlatter, the healer is known
TO mis- closest friends in this city. the fed
eral authorities have not succeeded in To-
eating him. The case against the men who
advertised to sell through the mails hand
kerchiefs which, they claimed, had been
blessed by Schlatter, and would cure all Ills.
has been continued until Saturday. In the
meantime the efforts TO find Schlatter, who
is wanted as witness, will not be abated.
A great crowd of afflicted persons seeking
treatment at the hands of the healer as
sembled again this morning at the residence
of ex-Alderman Fox, where Schlatter lived
from September last up to the night OF iis
unannounced departure, and many were
sorely disappointed because he did not put
in an appearance and resume his labors. 1t
is generally believed that Schlatter is with
friends in some quiet retreat not far away
and IL is not unlikely that he has begun an
other long fast. The following note was
found on the mantelpiece of the room occu-
pied by the healer" and 1t was read by
Mr. Fox to many who called at his resi-
dence:
.'Mr. Fox-My mission is finished. Father
takes me away. Goodbye.
FRANCIS SCHLATTER."
If Schlatter slipped out during the night
| it is singular that some Of the many thou
sands did not recognize him. as every child
in Denver and vicinity is familiar with his
picture. and he could not have gone dozen
feet without recognition. Yet no one saw
| him, and there is absolutely no trace of his
whereabouts. Commissioner Capron ordered
| the marshal to bring the defaulting witness
into court forthwith. but a diligent search
| failed to reveal any clew. Thereupon the
case was postponed by common consent.
FEARED A TRIAL FOR LUNACY.
To an intimate friend the healer said last
| week, in answer to inquiries about the offer
Of free transportation on private cars to
Chicago. that when the Father told him to
| go he would leave for Illinois, and that he
would walk the entire distance. He pre-
| faced this with the remark that he would
have to fast before undertaking healing in
another city. In Albuquerque Schlatter
spent forty days in fasting and preparation
| for his Denver treatment, and many OF his
| followers claim that he has gone into con-
cealment for the better execution of his
plans. Others think his past experience led
| the United States Court as a preliminary to
a trial for lunacy, with the result of spend
Ing ing, another snr;h long term in jail as he did at
pretensions as a healer were scoffed at.
In the first shock of the news Of Schlat-
ters disappearance Indignation had master
| of many IN the big crowd which had assem-
bled for treatment, and denunciations of
the man and all connected with him could
be heard on every side. In the steady
stream of sufferers which sought the former
shrine all forenoon, numbering thousands
5he It WAS WAS grief and dsap
| inffammatory and excited talk was seldom
heard Most Of these people had come
they or those dear to them were to be bene-
fitted. If not wholly healed
II still can't believe it." said an aged
cripple from eastern Nebraska as he was
helped on Welton-str4et car after insist
ing ing, that ne must see for himself that the
Reee Saa The ring IN his
crowded car that he did believe it in spite
of himself. Tears trickled down his cheeks
as as his daughter s; sat down % beside him and
der. '.Oh. my. God" he said. 'it can't be
true that he has gone for good. He must
But no one had single word of comfort
to gye. They had gone to the Fox house
with Just a glimmer of hope that the
strange man might have reappeared. but a
single look at the surroundings left them
without a single barrier to lean upon. The
and disappointment instead % % Of the ioDs ne
of patient, hopeful people waiting for a
grasp of the healer's hand, crowd which
block there was only a knot of a couple OF
hundred in front of the place where Schlat-
ter used to stand.
who have come in contact with him. Once
upon a time he worked at a cobber's :
bench in this city. That was in 1892 OF
communications-vague 1t is reported, but
positive enough to induce him to swing In.
every day and walk from five to ten miles
when the hardship of the. training led him
to earyl rest. II did not know why / die
it afterward, but / know now. / was s moi Of
very strong and Father was preparing me
told ns me to sel out my business Say atneI
to take anything with me, but to CO. and
HIS INSPIRED" PILGRIMAGE.
This was the beginning of what he re-
CARDS divinely inspired pilgrimage,
which lasted two years and covered the
States of Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas, CAL
ifornia and Nevada and the Territories of
New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and the Indian
reservation, while he touched Missouri at
Kansas City and Texas at various points.
He never begged during the two years of
his wanderings, and after getting fully on
his way avoided the larger cities, because
tbs. healing power had not manifested it
weni those 3S ailng who had had faith tn, and INC re-
terial benefits to their bodily comforts.
When arrested as a vagrant at Hot Springs
and unjustly used by those who had him in
custody, he never complained. and pursued
the even tenor OF his way under the in
Huence OF wndt ne Insists was divine rev.
elation.
On leaving Denver, according to his own
story, SchlatterS course lay eastward
through Colorado and Kansas. and he
touched Clay Center. Topeka, Lawrence and
Kansas City, Mo. Food was given to him
without the asking as he proceeded. From
Kansas City he took a southerly direction,
passing through Paola and Fort Scott, Kan,
into the Indian Territory. At Tahlequah he
was taken sick. He was prostrated for two
days, but was treated kindly by the IN
dians, and in return healed those OF them
who were ailing.
on the night OF the second day of his So
journ there he saw a vision in which he
was told to start In the morning." and
when morning came he arose refreshed and
| with no symptoms of debility. bade his In
diar friends farewell and resumed his Jour
| ney south. In due time he arrived at Hot
| Springs. to use his own expression. lin his
bare head and bare feet, begrimed with
travel stains and presenting the appearance
| of demented person ] suppose / looked
tough." he added. There his troubles began
The sheriff arrested him on the suspicion
that he was insane and kept him In Gus
. tody for five months. though he was never
brought before judge. During the time he
did all kinds of menial services for tho
sherin's offices. At the expiration OF tia
. time he had another vision. In which he saw
a canary bird escape. That evening he imi-
tated the canary bird and took walk
very fast. for was glad TO be free" he
said. until he reached the top of the noun,
~ q. -