The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-06-23

He is a VeritabIe Human Battery,
Fairly Alive With Electrical Magnetism
w. Lloyd Keyser is His Name and IL
He Works His Graft Right He VIII
Make a Fortune Among the Ignorant
Chambersburg, Pa, June 2l.-The
whole Cumberland valley has sudden
iy awakened to the fact that it has in
its midst what many believe 10 be a
genuine healer. He does not claim TO
be gifted with divine power TO work
miracles; nor TO be q spirituaustic heal
er; but an entirely new kind, who
claims that his touch has cured or re-
heved over 100 people, OF all kinds OF
ailments, from rheumatism 10 diptheria
and salt rheum. Although only %
years of age, feet, inches tall and
weighing 130 pounds, w. Lloyd Keyser,
with no education whatever beyond
that gained in an iron foundry, and
without even long hair or whisker5,
has in one short month jumped into in
significance that gained here by even
Henry Rife, the Rocky Spring Pow
wow man." or Mrs. Woodwork, the
trance medium. In fact, in communi-
~ where college boys are almost as
thick as bicycle riders, yet where ex-
lists superstition in some sections as
dense as u1fltered Schuyikil water,
this young man, who never saw the in
side OF a college, has in thirty days be-
come the mast talked-of-man in the
valley from Hagerstown TO Harris
burg.
Unlike Slater or MoHenburg. or
Rife, young Keyser does not profess to
nave any supernatural power, and he
performs his work in as simple and
businesslike manner as a doctor would
feel a patients pulse
METHOD OF HEALING.
There Is no incantation; no mum
bling, and no public exhibition; but the
healer goes right UP TO the patient,
clasps his or her hands for a few min
utes, then touches the parts affected.
After that the patient claims to ex-
perience a feeling of rest and relief
from pain. Just what il Is that causes
this feeling neither they nor the header
knows. The healer thinks il is cleo
tr1cfty generated in his body which
"lubricates the JOINTS and the pa
uents say that at his touch, which Is
warm and moist, they experience a
tingling sensation throughout the en-
tire body, followed by a pleasant and
reStful reaction.
FAITH IN HIS TOUCH.
Whether or not Keyser is a human
battery that can shed electricity like a
trolley wire, or whether his alleged
cures are simply the working of the
inagtn9ions Of the patients, who, as a
class, are not educated people, he has
undoubtedly magn6tized this valley.
While the intelligent hold aloof from
him, as a class. and the physicians
laugh at his claims. the dame, the halt.
the paralyzed and even the blind, are
seeking his touch with an abiding faith.
This is one of the inoongTuities of this
famous country. which Historian John
NJ Cooper claims has produced more
great men who have held Office than
any other rural country in the Union.
COMPARED WITH POW-WOW MEN
Who and what is this young man who
has set the whole valley 10 talking and
the doctors TO laughing? The doctors
claim that he is simply one OF the peri
odical healers which this valley has
become accustomed to receive with
open arms-that is, the superstitious
part OF the valley. They say that for
there were thousands who believed in
the efficacy Of his touch and incanta-
tons, which We're always performed
right after shutdown or Immediately
preceding sunrise. They point, also. 10
the alleged cures by Mrs. Woodwork,
the trance medium, and argue that
Keyser's popularity viii not last long
after the novelty dies out
keyser, however, has many staunch
adherents, who discuss his merits even
with the doctors. One well known citi-
Zen or this borough, VINO will argue for
a week that the Bible is not a Divine
inspiration and who is q great admirer
OF Bob lngersoll, has the greatest faith
IN heyser and is "a firm believer in the
efficacy OF faith cures. He saws he
knows OF two permanent cures Of her
MIA right in this town through faith.
The victims, he says, in obedience 70
the instructions of a pow-wow man.
simply looked at the new moon and
placed their hands on the affected
parts, saying softly three times: What
L see increase What feel decrease"
and the hernia was immediately and
thoroughly CURED.
Against such faith as this the doc
tors here have indeed little influence,
but the faith is so far confined almost
entirely 10 the superstttfous, although
there are Intelligent men who admit
that here is something about young
Keyser that they do not understand.
and it is claimed some OF his alleged
cures have been remarkable.
1t is quietly whispered among some
of the doctors here that some one over
in Mercersburg played a joke on Keyser
and made him believe ne could cure.
with no idea that the matter would as
sumo such serious proportions. This,
however. IS laughed at by Keyser. who
says that he has had a feeling that ne
could cure people ever since he was IL
years of age. Since then his life has
been quite ordinary. At Il years of
age he was messenger boy in Super
intendent McCfellan's Office. IN Harris
burg, and since then up 20 a year ago
he worked in iron and brass foundries.
For the last year. he says. ne has been
"a gentleman of leisure
STARTED ON HIS BROTHER
With this feeling OF ability TO cure
rowing on him, he. about month ago.
concluded 70 practice on his brother,
who had 2 sick headache. and the head
ache immediately disappeared. III.
MercerSburg people heard Of the cure
and the young healer next essayed his
powers on the little daughter Of David
Staffer. whom he claims 10 have i'm
medistely cured Of neuralgia. Elated
with his success be started IN 10 cure
by the wholesale. and tackled with con-
hdenee rheumatism, lumbsgo. scIssica
and what he terms big head" This
latter disease appears from keyser's
statements 70 be quite prevalen; in
MERGERS burg. where Keyser says Two
distilleries are located.
~ - nSsEua