The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-03-26

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called OR" by his friends and patients,
though he modestly dlsclaims the title
Twonty-thr years old, he already has a
wife and child, and how to support them
without posing as a sordid money maker
Is a subject that is just now receiving his
prayerful consideration.
Stories Of miraculous cures have been
circulated through Boone and De Kalb
counties with the result that the doctor"
is overwhelmed with requests for aid, and
there nre scores Of people hitherto noted
for probity and truthfulness, who stand
ready to swear that the cures are bona flde,
and that they are the living witnesses OF
the efficiency OF the healer's power There
Is no doubt that some OF them, few
months or weeks ago, were either bedrid-
den, or, as regular physicians declared, on
the point Of death Many of them had
been pronounced incurable. They are
walking the streets today attending to
business, and they place the credit for
their happily changed condition upon
Hammond's shoulders. The latter takes
his honors with becoming humility, sim
ply saying he Is the instrument of one
greater than he. His control, he says,
Is a certain German doctor in the spiritual
but calls himself DR.. John"
Hammond does not claim to be Mes
siah and does not pursue the methods used
by Schlatter, who in Denver merely touched
his patients for moment and asked them
to pass on. He uses the passes" of the
hypnotist and goes into trance like all
trance mediums. While at work he goes
over and handles the patient much as does
regular physician making a diagnosis.
Much time iR consumed, and if he attends
to % patients in day he is doing we'll.
Hammond treated an old man who is q
victim of dyspepsia in the presence Of a
Chicago Tribune reporter, who thus de-
scribes the operation: The healer spent
few minutes in going into trance and
putting himself in communication with
DIR. John Of the other world. Gradu-
ally his eyes closed, and soon he arose and
seized his patients hand. Throughout the
proceeding, though his eyes appeared to be
tightly shut, he moved about with perfect
freedom and precision Of movement. He
| began to speak in broken English. He
told the man his stomach was the seat of
his troubles, and that he would be we'll in
! three months If he obeyed few simple
physical hygienic laws.
Fifteen minutes were spent on this
patient, during which time the little
healer had wrestled with the tall subject
in an unexpectedly active and forcible
manner. He rubbed him vigorously,
| passed his hands over him, and snapped his
fingers as the hypnOtist does, sunk his fist
in the small of his back, massaged his
stomach, and bent his shoulders back un
til they creaked. 1t was really hard work
but he showed no signs of firing. Wher
II was over, somebody brought him 9
basin of wateg, in which he dipped hii
hands, and in two minutes he opened hii
eyes and arose smiling to greet those whr
surrounded him."
Then he told his story.
Il am 23 years old" he said, "anC
have been in this work only a few months
A peculiar power has been given me and
want to exercise 1t. Others can do tht
same thing, and am willing to talk free
ly and be advertised so that those to whom
this power has been vouohsafed may dis
cern 1t and bring it forth. takeno none!
because do not think it right-my call i
a holier one than that of making money
and besides my control forbids it. WheI
leave here, shall take from all thes
people just the amount Of my railroad far
home. My meals have been provided"
But how will you liveP'
81 am praying for guidance, l have
family, and how TO provide for it Is sor
trial TO me at this time. / cannot wOrl
the farm and do this work at the sam
time; so have abandoned the farm.
My parents are American" he contin
ued, "and was born near Belvidere; so
ain not unknown to the people about here
My grandfather was Methodist preacher
Early in life l developed marked reli
gious tendency, and was unhappy becaus
Of the religion | was taught and knew wa
not soul satigfying-something was lack
ing l studied, but to no purpose, until
became impressed with spiritualism, an
l prayed for power from above to do goo
and set about TO make myself worthy c
the power. 1t first manifested itself 4
} nervous twitohings Of the hands, arm
and legs, that grew SO violent as to b
! positively painful. Not long after that
could hear voices speaking In man
, tongues.
From the first the German doctor cam
to me often, and he suggested that
treat the suffering through me. baV
/, done SO, and | consider the cures accom-
. plished as miraculous have cured cor
I sumption, feVers, abscesses cancer, sur
j. | pose, rheumatism and almost eVerythin