The evening times., 1896-12-24
.HARD TINES FOR HEALING |
Schrader's Manager Says Christ
mas Keeps the Crowds Away.
NO MONEY In THE SCHEME
The "Layer-on-of-Han -Hands"-Began
When Twelve Years Old, But His
Parents Didn't Believe in His
Power and the Neighb0rs Perse-
cuted Hin-Story of Eis Life.


thronged with callers to test his powers.
He came in yesterday afternoon, and in
| spite of advance notice of his arrival, he
had comparatively no attention. He does
not profess to have effected any cures here
| as yet, but tells what he has done elsew here.
1 Mr.. Berriman, his manager, who became
| acquainted with him recently at Spring
| field, H., said when Times rep porter called
| this morning:
Not many are coming in. It's Christmas
Eve, and they are busy getting ready for
| tomorrow. There'il be crowd here after
| Christmas.''
''Oh, expect good many yet today"
said the healer. They told me they were
| coming l was out on the street W hile this
morning."
/ Schraoer has brown hair, falling to his
shoulders, not glossy, nor yet dead; his
| beard nd mustache are little too red to
! be called a true auburn, and yet not the
| hue that Titan loved. Hair and beard are
| so cut and trained as to give a resemblance
| to the best known pictures OF Jesus of Naza-
| reth.
| The healer's eyes are gray, his nose
large but not aquiline, his lips rather full.
| his teeth white and sound. In stature he
| is rather above the medium. Heis clothed
| in a long robe OF black stuff like alpaca,
and Il band, with silver cross below bear
| ing the Christ in the agony Of Crucifixion
| runs across hisbrcast, with alegend announc-
| ing his self-appointed mission of relieving
! the phi yical miseries of men.
Not Like Christ In This.
Schrader, while he processes to be nearer
| to the Divine Power which controls the
| universe, than all Ibis brother men, and so
| in a degree a successor OF his elder brother.
| Christ, lays claim only to the power OF
| curing bodily disease. He does not say as
Christ did that this gift is merely proof
OF a higher mission, the salvation of the
world by curing spiritual maladies that
destroy human happiness in spite OF health,
wealth, fame, high position or any other
temporal good.
Schrader talks freely OF the question
whether he is 4 fraud or not. He seems
to have fully convinced himself that he is
not. His manner is straightforward and
his face open and honest. He looks direct
ly into the eyes OF his tnterlocutor, with an
air in which 1t is difficult to trace any
line OF insincerity.
Charles Scbrader his father, native of
Berlin and a soldier of the late war, the
healer says. never would believe in the
alleged divine gift. To the day of his
death he denied it, and his widow, who
now lives at Dodge Center, Mimi, only re-
Gently became convinced.
The mother and father came from Ber-
lin about the same time. The father helped
build the first American railroad, laid up
considerable money, bought a farm near
Green Bay, Wis, and got acquainted with
John Hager in that town. To him Scnrader
mentioned that he wanted a wife.
Singular Marriage.
why, there's my youngest sister.
Minnie is a good girl, and isn't married."
said John.
And together they went to see her. John
told about his friends farm and money and
his loneliness out in the pine cieanngs.
As he talked the young couple were pleased
with each ether. and when he had con-
cluded Schrader said
And, now, Minnie Will you be my wife
and help lie take care of the farIn?''
She consented and within an hour from
the time they met they were married and
sooon after on their way to the log cabin
in the woods.
There was an even dozen of their children.
of whom eight were boys and four girls.
Five OF the brothers and three sisters still
live. They knew nothing of schools, only
hard work on the farm,
When the healer was twelve years old he
discovered his power by curing neighbor,
whose hand was crippled with rheuma-
tisIn. His IN other asked him how he did
it, but he couldn'ttell She wouldn' I believe
it was his power that made the change.
Neither brothers nor sisters nor neighbors
would believe it, and he was prosecuted
and driven away. He has since wandered
through the country, claiming to heal as
many as came to him.
But whether lie has Divine power or
not. Washington is not overwhelming him
with callers or gifts. He doesn't ask pay;
only accepts it. He says times are hard
nowadays.