The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-16
WORKER OF MIRACLES
Is WHAT SOME PEOPLE CLAIM
TOR FRANCIS sCHLATrER.
Claims to Have been Called by n
Voice While at His Bench-He IL
Kept Busy Blessing the Ailinx.

Denver Letter. in Pittsburg Dispatch.
Three months ago a story came from New
Mexico Of astonishing cures performed by a
strange man through some agency which
none seemed to comprehend. These stories
were Believed by the ~credulous and scofed
at by the intelligent.
Day after day passed and the stories Of
marvellous cures continued to come from
doubted integrity vouched for the astonish-
Ing cures Of various physical ailments. and
people began to wonder if there might not
be some truth in the stories.
few persons so far believed that the
strange man, who claimed to be the Mes
siah. was able TO perform miracles that
they left their homes to journey down to
Albuquerque to see with their own eyes If
such things could be. Among these curious
visitors was Edward Fox, a fairly intelli-
gent business man of thirty-five years. who
has been an Alderman in the town of High
lands. the part OF Denver lying over the
Platte.
Fox said he was suffering from defective
hearing. He witnessed the work Of Schlat-
ter in Albuquerque, and, believing in him,
took the treatment and returned home
greatly benefited. So pleased was he with
the result of his visit that he secured a
promise from the healer that should he
ever come to Denver he would accept the
hospitality of the Fox home.
OF Schlatter's work in New Mexico little
is known positively. That Schlatter per-
formed remarkable cures there among the
Mexicans many believe
A photographer of Albuquerque, who fol-
lowed Schlatter to Denver, and who is
making a comfortable revenue from the
sale of photographs of the healer. told the
correspondent that he could v0uch for only
one case which came under his personal
observation. This was of a child so lame
as to require the aid of a crutch.
When the photographer left for Denver
he saw the child playing with other chill
the aid of a crutch. All he positively knew
was that the child had once used a crutch,
and now it did not.
nently disabled people hope for perfect
cures at the hands Of this man." said he.
pointing to the long line OF waiting per-
sons. they will have to stay waiting a
cure till Gabriel blows his trumpet. He
may cure some troubled with nervous dis
orders and those whose Imagination has
kept them i'll, but / do not expect to see
the lame walk nor the blind to have their
sight restored"
Francis Schlatter. therefore. did not first
to Denver. He had been. well heraided in
advance.
CALLED WHILE At HIS BENCH.
Upon Schlatter's arrival he retired from
public gaze. asking to be excused from
talking until he had rested from the ex-
haustion Of his s~elf-imposed fast Of forty
days in New Mexico and the fatigue of
long walks across the desert lands of
that Territory. He became the guest of
Mr.. Fox, where he still remains. Occa-
~sionally he ministered to some people who
appealed to Mr.. Fox for an audience. On
Sept. 1s he began his public work in this
city. and he will continue In his work here
until Nov. is, when he viii retire for a rest
of two weeks before going to Chicago.
Francis Schlatter was born in Alsace-
Lorraine thirty-nine years ago. of German
years and a half ago, he claims, he was
working at the bench cobbling shoes In this
city. when, one day, after he had finished
his work, a voice called to him that a letter
written to a friend living on the north side
Of Long island would result in q cure for
paralysis. with which that friend was af-
fected.
Schlatter doubted his voice and did not
write. Again the voice admonished him to
write, and he believed. The letter was
of a complete recovery. For eight months
Schlatter continued at his bench, when the
voice again came to him urging him to go
out and heal the afflicted He closed his
That is the story OF his conversion as
told often by himself in response to the
QucstiOuS VI IcpOTtcTS duO OlutTS.
Since Schlatter's temperance in Denver
as a divine healer many people remember
him as the crazy shoemaker who used to
live the life of a recluse out on Welton
religious subjects. His first journey from
here was westward along the line of the
Union Pacific. but the details Of his journey
are not known. He talks little and does
not seem inclined to give a detailed narra-
tive of his life.
AS he Travelled alone and entirely on foot,
what happened to him during almost two
years is known only by occasional Incl
dents related by him in conversation In
June of last year he was healing the af-
ficted by the roadside near Throckmorton,
Tex, when he was arrested as a vagrant
and thrown in jail. The judge who tried
his case gave him three days to leave the
town or be sent to Jail. He chose the
former.
In Hot Springs. Ark. he was confined in
Jail for five months. For his apparent &C.
centricity the prisoners there "kangarooed"
him and gave him fifty lashes. He say he
often tasted for many days, once going for
Mexico he Travelled about the desert country
in bare feet and without a head covering.
administering to the afflicted in many OBJ
scure places.
CLAIMED TO BE THE MESSIAH.
After attracting considerable public at
tention in the neighborhood Of Albuquer-
que, he tasted there for forty days. This
fast is well authenticated, and when he
arrived in Denver his frame showed
plainly it's effects. He came to Denver by
rail, a ticket having been sent him by Mr..
Fox. After two weeks Of rest, and having
begun again to eat freely, he emerged for
public work, looking exceedingly vigorous
and strong.
Schlatter makes no boastful claims as
to his power to heal the afflicted. He
often repeatedly declares that all his power
comes from the Father" Whence its
source, how long ii will remain, what its
nature may be. he declines. to say, but
contents himself with the one assertion:
Il do as the Father bids me-"
To those who appeal to him for relief
Have faith" To some he promises that
relief and a permanent cure will come
within certain hours, days or weeks. To
others he mak no statement. He takes
no thanks to himself, and continues to re-
peat without variation: THANK the
Father"
The New Mexico reports indicated that
Schlatter claimed to be the Messiah, the
Christ. In Denver he has not asserted
that. He prefers not TO discuss the sub
ject.
why do they ask me that question: he
has several times replied in response to a
doubter declaring that he is a fool to make
such a claim. II I'm sent here to heal the
sick; when the Father tells me to go else
where ! shall obey: Come with faith, 6eliev,
ing in the power Of the Father TO heal, and
II shall be done as He wills"
On the last Sunday in September he was
the guest Of one of the best-known citizens
in a palatia1 residence on Capitol Hill He
sat in the richly-furnished parlor and talked
freely. modestly and quietly answering all
questions put to him. To many questions