The record-union., 1898-08-06
DOWN ON SPIRITUALISM.
MRS. JULIA SCHLESINGER RE-
JECTS HER OLD BELIEF.
The Wife Of Prominent "Me-
dium" Induces Slate Writers
and Others to Confess.


published an interesting account OF
spiritual seance given by a medium
known as DR.. Schlesinger, at the Office
of the Mayor of San Francisco, and in
the presence of such men as District
Attorney Barnes, Chief of Police Crow
ley, ex-Judge Robert Ferral, and many
| other citizens Of like standing.
All who participated in the seance
wrote accounts of what took place
which also appeared in the Record
Union" of the date named-and all
seemed mystified by what they saw.
Now Mrs. Julia Schlesinger, wife of
the old medium, comes forward with
a marvellous story to the effect that
many of the brightest mediums OF the
Pacific Coast are frauds, and that she
has succeeded in obtaining the con-
fessions of several and in inducing
them to abandon their calling for the
good of humanity.
More than usual importance attaches
to Mrs. Schlesinger's remuneration of
the belief, because she has been known
all over the world for many years as
the wife of the greatest of all test me-
diums and as the editor of the Carrier
Dove" a Spiritualist paper of wide cir
culation. The details of her revela-
tions are of general interest, ana are
somewhat as follows:
II write to your paper" she says in
a letter dated last week, because l
have for a number of years been we'll
known as a Spiritualist One year ago 1t
would have given me pleasure to have
seen that article (the one about the
seance in the Mayors office in PRINT,
but now it is different. While l Go not
repudiate Spiritualism as a religious
belief, or as a philosophy of the future
life, of which we have some fairly
we'll l-establshed evidence still my in
vestigations of the past twelve months
have demonstrated that most, if not all,
| the so-called phenomena are fraudu-
| lent.
For twenty years l accepted trust
| ingly the pretensions Of mediums
| especially the mental and inspirational
and on their Endorsement the physical
manifestations, although l discovered
| much that was palpably fraud in TINS
line 1t puzzled me, and 1 determined
| to find out and know for myself, and
the only way to know was to join the
! ring. and I Joined. I soon came to be
on confidential terms with the slate
writer's. materiaIizing, and even plat
together. and by system of exchange
tests were enabled to do wonderful
things The enorn1ity of the work
shocked and disgusted me. 1t is the
most diabolcal system of sWindling
that can be ina gined, for there is not
one particle of spiritual truth or psychic
phenomena about the whole matter.
Il am prepared to say that If any
medium will produce one line of inde-
pendent writing on a slate, or produce
one materialized form under test con-
ditions. he or she will be paid Sl,FO
therefor 1t cannot be done and never
has been done Since coming into pos
session Of this knowledge | have IN
duced some of those who were prom
inent in the swindle to come out and
explain their methods and give up the
whole horrible business Among these
were A. B. Coonley, slate-writer, ana
Bishop S. Garrison, a slate-Wrlter ana
materializer. Coonley is now travelling
and exposing the work, and Garrison
has prepared a full statement, giving
details of the way he deceived the pub
lie He held seanceS for Timothy Guy
Phelps and Alvinza Hayward, ana ne
has an affidavit signed by DR.. n. &.
Ravlin, formerly a well-known MINIS
ter. to the effect that his work was
genuine Now. it is a fact that there
is some inexplicable power of the mini, !,
and this results at times in peculiar
situations and is a delightful study,
but it is not the doings of spirits.
Mrs. Schlesinger says she can name a
dozen prominent mediums who are
complete frauds. Continuing, she says:
&c. V Miller / know to be humbug,
for / once held up a dummy for him at
the cabinet window during my investl-
cations and while / was member OF
the ring. / have also been in the con-
fdence Of Mrs. ]. ]. Whitney. She told
me how she fooled Captain White, the
cattle king, for twelve years by herself
appearing as a spirit. Timothy Guy
Phelps and Alvinza Hayward We're de-
ceiyed by Bishop Garrison, who has
written details Of how he gave them
messages purporting TO come from
Abraham Lincoln, who advised them 10
make a donation to the cause. one or
these messages to this couple was cop
led from a book called Edwin Drood,
supposed to have been written by the
spirit of Charles Dickens. Ii these gen
| tlemen desire to see the original Oh the
message they priced so highly they VIII
! find it in that book. The messages were
written before the seance began on
small silicate book states, and were con-
cealed in the clothing of Mrs. SWasey.
Mrs. Kate Griffith and Mrs. Garrison
are. both living at my house now and
helping to expose this business. Fred
Evans and Edward K. Earle have made
regulations in this city as slate writ
ers. with the aid of confederates, and
Mrs. NJ. Francis. the well-known Old
lady medium told me she did the same
kind of work that those men do"
Mrs. Schlesinger declined to express
herself concerning the methods of her
husband. though there is former
friend Of the doctor who says he can
prove that his tests are done by collu-
sion and sleight Of hand. 1t is said that
DIR. Schlesineer memories his platform
tests. copies of which are extant in his
own handwriting. He gives them as
coming clairaudiently in his deaf ear,
while he stands on the platform, al
though he has learned them thoroughly
days before his appearance In public
Bishop r. Garrison has made full
confession. wherein he duplicates Mrs.
J. J. Whitney and dozens of well-known
mediums all over the country. He says
that before coming to California from
Oregon he was supplied with an abun-
dance of what mediums call stock tests.
They were forwarded by Hatfield Pet
tibone. DR.. Wood and other well-known
mediums When he arrived in San
Francisco he soon Joined the ring and
was given a list Of the names of the
prominent mediums and their patrons.