The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-07-19
LIKE SCHLATTER.
Strange But Well Authenti-
Gated Cases of Healing
Performed in Topeka Daily by
a NegreSs.
Best People in the City Are
Visiting Her.
SOME FROM CURIOSITY
But They Find That the
Woman Is Gifted
With a Hidden Power Of Help
ing Sickness.
SOME FROM CURIOSITY

A new and rather startling "fad' has
struck the 400 of Topeka. 1t threatens
TO bankrupt the physicians of the city
and carry society back to the 18th CEN
tury as far as the treatment of all the
Ills that man is heir to is concerned.
Whether from amusement or profit, the
400 appears to be thoroughly interested
In the forlorn looking settlement of
Pleasant Valley, located about a half a
mile east of the Santa Fe shops, is a
tumble-down frame building of two
rooms, and in this particular ha bitation
the chief luminary of the new fad" re-
sides.
She is a colored woman-a Mrs.
ThOmpsOn-and occupies the proud pO-
sition of a seventh daughter of sew
enth son.
The satellites are at least 200 people
who visit her almost daily for treat
ment, and among this number can be
found scores of the most prominent
names of Topeka.
Mrs. Thompson is not prepossessing
in appearance. She is short and heavy
and has all the distinctive features of
the negro race. She can neither read
nor write, but according to her own belief
and the belief of many who have been
treated by her, she has marvellous mag
netic power, sufficient to overcome dis
ease and work almost miraculous cures.
lie de Sebenth daughter of de seb-
enth son, and dats whar I gets NAH
power says Mrs. Thompson proudly
and after making this statement she
generally subsidies into silence and al
lows her husband to do the talking.
This member of the family is unlike
his wife IN the fact that he is tall, lean
and ungainly. He is fairly we'll edu-
Gated and looks after the business end
of the healing part
1t was over a year ago that Mrs.
Thompson came to Topeka. Up to that
time Mrs. Thompson had not exercis-
ed her healing power, and they were in
do
took the little shanty in Pleasant Val
ley and Thompson secured work at
wages of 81 a day 1t was long, how
ever, before he had to give up his en-
ployment and devote his time to the
management of his wife'S trade.
The first cure accomplished by the
woman was in the immediate locality
of her home 1t was of a chronic nature
and the patients case had been pro-
nounced hopeless by some of the TOpe-
ka physicians. Under the care of the
cOlOred doctor the woman regaiued her
health, according to the statements of
her neighbOrs, and from that day Mrs.
Thompson never lacked for work. Her
fame as a healer first circulated in the
vicinity of her home, progressed through
Parkda1e into the city proper. and at
last reached the most prominent fami-
lies in Topeka. Now the narrow street
in front of the little frame Shanty is
thronged with carriages every day. At
present the number of patients receiv-
ing treatments daily is 102.
MSQlC1nG, magnetism ana mystery is
combined to form the treatment of the
cOlored doctor. 1t may not be voo-
dooism, yet she claims to have power
to diagnose cases by means of charmed
phialS, to read the future and to work
miracles.
She invokes the aid of no spirits in
her treatment, yet she says the air is
full of spirits while she works. that a
mysterious light burns in her house all
night long, and that if absent from
home spirit forms will answer the ques-
tions of patients who call People in
the neighbOrhOOd bear out the state
nlent of the light by stating that at all
hours of night the house is illuminated
as by lamp, although no lamp is in
sight.
There's a woman that can neither
read nor write and yet has the power
to heal, said the doctors husband in a
proud sort of way, as he pointed to his
wife at work sorting herbs of her own
gathering for the little medicine which
she uses. 'She is the seventh daughter
of the seventh son, and she can lay her
hands on you and make you well. Her
fame is going out over this city, and
every day we have more patients than
we can take care of.
They are the leading people of the
town, too" he continued. They are
the most prominent people of your city.
Here, right next door, with the family
what lives next to US, is a Topeka lady
that came down here to stay because
my wife could cure her when the other
doctors were only making her worse.
That's Mrs. S. L. Sea brook When she
came down here she was powerful sick.
Now she is pretty nigh healed"
Funny how 1 done come to got
Missus Seabroox,'' interposed the doc
tor herself, stopping her work of sort
ing herbs, and laughing good natured-
ly. You know dat Mr.. Seabrook. At
torney Seabrook dey call him. Well,
he wasn't a goin' to let his wife cum
down here at ALL He said dat he
knowed dat 1 couldn't do n0thin' for
her, and ne wasn't a goin' to spend
no money foolishly. Well, you know
dey stoled her away from him-I mean
Mrs. P. l. Bonebrake and Mrs Cooper,
and dey brought her down here caise
dey said he was gofn to take her away
to some place. And when dat pore
woman cum in dat door she couldn't
We'll, Mr.. Seabrook cum down here
gone. Mrs. Thompson says he, Mrs
Thompson, let my wife out'n your spell
and I'll pay you for it Go way says
!, L haint got your wife under no SPELL
Mr. Seabrook. 1ze simply givin' her
treatment and Ize a goin' to cure her
I is Well, he fused aroun' for BIT.
but pretty soon he cooled off, and now
tell you he's powerful glad he let her
stay"
''Oh, tell you, we got the people of
this here town." chimed in her hus-
band. why, there's General Man
ager Frey of the Santa Fe. I'll tell
you what's an actual fact, that man
couldn't have an ingrowing toe nail
without coming down here. And there's
County Attorney Jetmore and his