The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-05
SCHRADER IN NEW YORK
"DIvINE HEALER" FOUND AS MANY
DUPES THERE AS ELSEWHERE.
Avoided Conflict with Law by Exact
ing No Fee, but All Who Went to
Him Contributed Something.
New York Commercial Advertiser.

ings and the alleged cures OF Aueu
Schrader, the latest of divine heaters
unless that peculiar individual should I'M.
dertake to prescribe medicines in aooltlon
to his present methods. Charles IT, VII
son. president of the Board of Health, said
this forenoon that the department was pow
erless to take any action against Schrader.
and that if he was to be prosecuted for de-
luding the unintelligent i'll and crippled the
prosecution would have TO come from the
County Medical Society. The president OF
this body took the same view of the heal
er's'' case as did Mr.. Wilson
If one of the persons from whom Schrad-
er obtains money should make complaint
against him to city magistrate he could
be arrested for obtaining money under false
pretenses. So long as this does not happen
and Schrader let's medicine alone he is APP
parently safe from arrest and prosecution.
1t is not likely that the people who visit
him will make any complaint. They are
mostly of the uneducated and unintelligent
classes, full of superstition and credulous
to an extreme. Nearly all OF his visitors
are also persons VINO have been permanent
ly crippled are deformed or are suffering
from diseases which reputable medical men
have pronounced incurable. Schrader is
shrewd enough not to charge any one fee,
for that would Immediately place him under
the ban of the law, and the County Medical
Society would have ground to take action
against him. He simply accepts any gift
that visitor may care to leave behind, and
in return for the money he gives the visitor
a photograph of himself besides stamping
the credulous visitors handkerchief with
''Schrader, divine healer" in large purple
letters.
The divine healer is certainly an odd
parsonage, but odd in appearance only.
He has an unusually large amount of ma
tive cunning which among the untutored
who visit him serves TO hide many serious
defects in education. There is nothing or
the spiritual about him that one would eX-
pect to find in person making the claims
that he does. Having, however, an eX-
traordinary amount of vital energy ana
nervous force, he makes profound I'M
preston upon his less shreWd VISITORS, eS-
pecially when he is surrounded by what
theatrical man would uncharitably call his
properties.
UNPLEASING PERSONALITY.
He is Of a heavy, fleshy personality, tall.
with the powerful frame of a German peas
ant, undoubtedly an inheritance from his
parents, lightened and tempered little by
his birth in some part of this country, and
the different conditions from those under
which his ancestors were compelled to
large. His features are coarse and his huge
teeth, not particularly white are only part
ly hidden at times by thick lips. His hair
and beard is of the length usually shown
in pictures of Christ. In fact, it is apparent
that he has made himself as near like the
popular conception of the Savior pos
sible. While his eyes are large and Of a
peculiarly light blue color, they lack intel
figence and expression. They are usually
theatric attempts at creating an impression
by his appearance, he is decidedly careless
as regards his personal habits and espe-
cially his linen. His beard hair and hands
are unkempt to an extreme. CAD IN not
particularly well-kept garments made III
imitation of those worn in the time or
Christ, white on some occasions, with black
for street wear, he is typically more or a
dime museum curiosity than he is a person
to be taken seriously, except in the light
in which he is regarded by the health de-
partment officials and the County Medical
Society.
The Quarters occupied by Schrader on the
ground story of the brick tenement house
at 1853 Madison avenue are furnished in the
bV .for tune " felIers" "astroiogers' and
others of like character. The original store
has been divided into halves, one OF which
is vacant. Schrader has the other. Yellow
curtains in the windows and over the glass
portion of the door shield the interior from
the view of people on the sidewalk. Pasted
on the door is a notice, OF which the fol-
lowing is copy:
Motifs
Reporters and sick peple only admitted
Admitence is for sick peple and reporters
only
Office cures
to IL and to 4.
A new carpet of fair quality has been
fitted on the floor. Two discclored rail-
road maps Of the timetable variety are
pasted on the walls. The window is filled
with a litter of envelopes and newspapers
and copies of the "Divine Healer's Ga
Vaff of uyk1f nh Sob n iC ha obi tor
A few chairs and a kitchen table, over the
top of which green oilcloth has been tackled,
are scattered about the room. The store
IS divided again by a pair OF curtains,
which makes a reception room OF the fore
part and living rooms in the rear. re-
lgious tone is given to the curtains by an
altar cloth of discolored and ink-stained
white cotton, on which is fastened a red
flannel cross. A pile of photographs, two
worn prayer books, few tracts, q bottle
of ink, stack of pea green envelopes and
yellow paper and few odds and ends litter
the oilcloth-covered table. No attempt has
been made to decorate the coldly white
walls of the store, except with the marks
of unclean fingers. There is nothing to dis
tract the minds of the suffering visitors.
They are left to work themselves into a
state of nervousness 1t is easier to make
an impression upon them when they are in
ICES very we'll with the appearance of the
healer and his clothes and helps him con-
siderably in his business.
The wet weather of the last week has not
discouraged the unfortunate visitors. Suf-
fering from chronic rheumatism, blindness.
paralysis, accidents that have twisted
limbs. consumption in adj stages. incurable
kidney complaints and other diseases long
beyond the control of human agencies they
have crowded the sidewalk in front Of the
store in the drizze. Schrader lives up to
his office ''oures" like any prominent spirit
ualist
eve come all the way from Brooklyn.
and walked across the bridge and up here
said one unfortunate, whose tattered gar
ments were dripping wet, ito see him. i did
not know he had office hours"
This unfortunate's whole left side had
been paralyzed. and he had dragged him
self, weariy, seven miles to see the healer.
He had no power over either his left arm
or leg, but managed to get along with
crutch.
Doctors tell me I can't get we'll" he con-
tinued. but have heard my father tell of
an old woman in Ireland who could cure
any disease by laying her hands on sick
people. I thought this man might do it,
too"
eve had rheumatism twenty years."
said another, and a more aged man, whose
hands and feet had been twisted out of
shape and whose body was bent almost
double by the disease. II tried everything.
l don't expect the healer to cure me, but
am not going to lose any chance"
The speaker appeared to be about seventy
wears of age and is undoubtedly a laborer.
There were no Americans nor Englishmen
in the crowd. They were German, irish,
French and of other natiOnalitles. Two He
brew women were in the waiting throng
The crowd grew impatient as the chilling
rain penetrated their poor clothing. There
is no shelter in the neighborhood. On the
south side Of the tenement in which ScNra-
is opposite it across Madison avenue In
the rear vacant lots intervene between the
tenement and the New York Central Rail-
road causeway and tracks. There are more
IT, 10 H