Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-27
TRYING TO EXPOSE sLADE.
HOW the Reporters of the Boom At
tempted the JOb-It wa
Not S~uccessfuI.

From the Washington Post.
+ SHADE. the spirftualistic medium, came to
washington one day, a few years ago. and
advertised a series of public seances. On
the morning of his arrival the city editor
or the Morning Boom called Willie Wheel
er TO him and said:
Il am convinced that this man Slsde ia
a fraud-a fakir to the last decree-and 7
want you to get on TO his tricks and show
MIN up. 1t will make a fine story"
WINE wheeler was the bright particular
reporter OF the Morning Boom and he ac-
cepted the assignment with much satisfac-
Iion. he also received with quite as much
expenses"
Siade was stopping at one of the leading
noLeis. Willie Wheeler called on him there.
and told the medium that he was n SIN,
dent who was searching for the truth. He
and said so. '"
SHADE said that he had no doubt of IT. as
he had often had reporters among his mar
people" ' eN'"
Willie wondered how Slade knew that he
Was a newspaper man, but drew forth a
20 note from his role OF expense money.
which he handed to the medium in aymen
OF ms fee for the sitting.
Slade declined the money, saving: 81
mat: however. is entirely conhdmtial be
tween you and me. 1 will give Vi 1.-THE sit
VIII charge your paper my usual fee,
which, likewise. of course. you will keep
IN your own pocket. You certainly de-
serve more than space rates for showing
me up"
Willie Wheeler was greatly surprised.
gnu MS impression was that Slade was no
Idhi5 AT an, Out Il genuine medium and
mind reader.
But young Mr.. Wheeler was on his met
tte; ana ne resolved to detect the medium.
II he could. in some sort of jugglery that
would show him to be d preStidigitateur
rather than the possessor of supernatura
poWers. 10 that end he made a careful
examination of the room in search of wires
or other mechanical contrivances. He found
nothing OF a suspicious character. The
room contained only the ordinary bedroom
a handicapped table.
The first exhibition Slade gave Willie
was to produce a couple of states full Of
personal communications from Shakes
peare. Milton. Luther. Goethe. and other
shades. Willie was gratifed at receiving
these letters. and especially so. as Slade
gave him the states 20 keep as souvenirs.
II was the city editor who discovered later
the remarkable similarity in the chirogra-
ply of Shakespeare. Milton. and others.
The next feat of the medium gave Willie
a genuine fright. He was seated in the
arm chair. slade placed the palm of his
hand on one of the arms of the chair,
which instantly rose two feet from the
foor. with no muscular effort on the part
of the medium. When Slade Withdrew his
hand the chair fell to the floor with a
NiNAt iuh - t'tltl iii
Slade then told Willie to watch the lapel
of his coat and he would see it move as il
some one We're jerking at it with consid-
cradle force. 1t did move, as he was told
it would. and the young man was COM
pletely mystified: He then returned to the
office with his states and reported hat he
was unable to explain any of the alleged
tricks. He could not say even that they
were tricks. He simply did not understand
them at all.
The chair story interested the city editor
greatly. He had on his staff a reporter
who weighed in the neighborhood of 200
pounds. Calling the fat reporter to his
with Slade and to request that the medium
lift him and the chair. The fat reporter
did as he was told and came back declar-
ing that the shock when the chair fell had
shaken several pounds of fat from him.
The effort to expose Slade was then
abandoned. Slade died In New York sew
eral years ago. He was always suspected
of being a fakir. but to the last he pro-
tested that he was a genuine medium.