The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-30
wHEEING DAILY INTELLIGENcER MONDAY AUGUST &c. 1881
AKIN o'DELIA DIss DzBAR
She Has Entsrrd on Another Crusade 10
Trsi the crsdnllty Of People.

TEST the crsdnllty Of People.
Philadelphia Pressi Ann o'pella plss
DeBar is supposed to have come to
Philadelphia for a temporary soiourn-
temporary because the circumstances
arc such that Nine. Diss DeRar does not
ind permanent residence In any one
city either agreeable or convenient, In
fact, one OF the longest visits she has
paid to any place during the last decade
was year spent as the guest OF the
state OF New York IN the l3lAckyell's
Island penitentlary, She has been In
Boston for several months, but she has
disappeared from that city, and, rs she
did not stop over In New York, II Is con-
jectured that she came through to Phil
adelphla, Nine, Dlss Depar claims to
be a clalrvoyant, or trance medium,
through whom the great masters whose
atellerH are now In the beyond transmit
fresh and fine oil paintings TO earthly
patrons--for an earthly consideration.
She also poses on occasion as a theoso'
phist -, =.
the Princess Lolita, daughter or Lnn-
wig, the mad king OF Bavaria, and Lola
Monteg, the beautiful dancer on her
trial in New York for swlndling Luther
r. Marsh out OF properly worth upward
OF 500 600 testimony was given to show
that her real name was Sullivan and
that she was born In Kentucky, She
bears no resemblance to the portraits OF
the syiph-llke and lovely MonteA, al
though it may be that she at times OK
hlbIts traits similar TO those Which
Characterized the late years OF King
Ludwig She weighs something less
than 800 pounds. which extraordinary
amount OF avoirdupots she carries very
well, Herr eatures are regular ana her
eyes are as black as Jet and many t''nes
as full OF glitter, At this time she must
be between 40 and so years old, pnl she
is exceedingly active and vigorous TOT
one of her weight ana years
Luther r, Marsh was an abe ana
wealthy lawyer. The death OF ms wire
was severe mental shock. he became
q reeluse and devoted himself 70 splrlt-
ualistle research II was While ne was
in this frame Of mind that Nine, plss
DeBar met him and placed him, as ne
supposed, In communication Win tne
spirit II his late wife, by means OF let
tiers written on the inside OF ordinary
paOst huCu ub Cul NC pRoNhNSN w N"s
stationery store. Then, as he was FOND
of art, she began to produce works n
oil by the old masters. She would hold
n blank canvas over his head; he would
close his eyes, and, prestol instead OF u
blank there was a masterpiece by Rem
brandt, or Raphael, or any other painter
who had been dead 100 years or more.
And Luther r. Marsh, keen lawyer as
he had been, believed that the painting
came straight from the Great Beyond at
Ann O'Delia's bidding. And the letters!
Mr.. Marsh received nicely written
eplstles every day from julius Caesar,
Marc Antony, Brutus, Pharaoh, Cleo
patra, Confucius, Shakespeare or any
other old shade that he might select as
his correspondent Nine. Diss DeBar,
of course, acted as the letter carrier.
When Nine. Diss DeBar suggested to
the old lawyer that he make over his
fine residence OF Madison avenue to
her, as q temple OF sPlFltualismt OF
which she should be the high priestess,
he consented and gave her the deeds
to the property, together with $1,000 In
cash for temporary running expenses.
After q large number Of paintings from
spirit land had been accumulated, Mr..
Marsh proposed public exhibition OF
his treasures. Nine. Diss DeBar OBJ
jected, but consented to sending invi-
tatIons to q few friends. Mr.. Marsh
wrote the Invitations and addressed one
to each of the editors OF the daily pa
pers, many OF whom he knew person.
ally. The editors did not go, but sent
shrewd reporters in their places. The
next morning the papers were full OF
the exposure of Nine. Diss DeBar's
scheme, one OF the features OF which
was q studio on the top floor where
General" Diss DeBar was engaged IN
flllng canvases with rapidity that
would do credit to q "three-portraits-in-
en-minutes artist"
The New York Bar Association held
meeting and manifested the esteem In
which Mr.. Marsh was held by'appoint-
ing q committee to look after his in
terests. General and Nine. Diss DeBar
were arrested and indicted. She was
compelled to give up the deeds to the
real estate, under the alternative of a
long term in prison, and was tried only
on the charge Of obtaining a sum OF
money under false pretenses She was
convicted and was sentenced to year
In the penitentiary. An incident OF the
trial was very interesting. Mr.. Marsh
was seated on the bench by the side OF
Justice Kilbreth, now deceased, who
was afterward collector Of the port of
New York. A slelght-of-hand perform.
er handed TO Mr.. Marsh two writing
pads exactly alike and told him to mark
one OF them. so that he could Identify
It. Mr.. Marsh did so. having first ex-
amined 1t to make sure that 1t was
blank. In twtnkting the pads were
changed without Mr.. Marsh's knowl-
edge and when he opened II he found
not only his mark, but painfully sar-
castle letter from Benedict Arnold.
Then the prestidigltateur showed Mr..
Marsh how the trick was done and he
seemed to become thoughtful. When
Nine. Dlss DeBar was released after
serving her term she declared that she
would leap from ferryboat and drown
herself. As nothing was heard OF her
for time many people thought she
had executed her threat, but n few
months later she hobbed up serenely In
the west, where she Travelled from city
to city, and then she gradually made
her way back to the east. If she con
templates remaining in Philadelphia as
long as she stays anywhere, anybody
with the proper amount OF confidence
and eash-ean obtain fresh specimens