The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-06
Mrs. Lease In a Ghost Trust.

CFrom the Chicago Inter-Ocean.1
Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Lease is to be
the central figure in a new trust which
will be completed in Chicago this fall.
1t is a trust to control ghosts. Commun-
icatiOn with the spirit land is to be tied
up in mOnOpOlistic style, and ''independ-
ent' mediums are to be crowded out
Trust prices for connection with the
hereafter will rule, and those who do
not maintain trust prices will be placed
under the ban.
Spiritualist mediums Of the Missis-
sippi valley have been holding a con-
ventlon in Richmond, Ind, during the
past week. They propose to organize
each state convention into a trust, with
the purpose of forming a grand COM
bine, at the national Spiritualist con-
ventiOn, which meets in Chicago, OctO-
Der 9.
Mary Elizabeth Lease, of Kansas
fame, has been converted to spiritual
ism, and this ghost trust scheme is
believed to have originated in her fer
tile brain. There Is no doubt that pro-
badly this fall, or next year, at the
latest she will be elevated to the lead
ership of the national body Her efforts
will be along the line of purging the
mediumship. Mrs. Lease has become
so enthusiastic that she expects to give
the work all of her time, even to the
exclusion of her political hobbies. She
will make her first debut as a spiritu-
alist lecturer at the Indiana state
camp meeting, and will later be heard
Onset bay camp Massachusetts
These are the three great meetings,
though in all there will be 56 state and
district camp meetings this year. She
will also appear before the national
convention, which will convene in Chi
cago.
There is no doubt that the new organ
izatiOn will control all camps this sea-
son. The mem bership includes the best
mediums and the most reputable spirit
ualists in the work. They propose to
shut the gates against all others, and
SpiritualiStS of the better classes are
favorable to this at least though they
may not favor the trust prices. They
organize under the caption of fighting
frauds in spiritua1ism and 1t will be one
of their first moves.
During the last two or three years
since the medium business has become
so extensive-there has been a frightful
SlaShing of Seance prices. until now
any one can get a glimpse of mater
ialized form of what is reputed to be
passed over ancestors or friends for
the nominal sum Of % cents. CONVEX
satiOn, through trumpets, with departed
ones is placed on the same basis, and
written messages go for the same. There
is to be a revival of the good old days.
when the mediums lived on the fat of
the land and got 81 for even the slight
est of manifestations. The scale which
may be expected to prevail this year at
the state camps will be: For material
fzatiOns, 81; for trumpet seances, 81; for
slate writings, 81; for other manifesto
lions, 81.
The trust proposes also that the
| line of --latest novelties shall be cur
tailed and no great effort shall be made
to spring something new. Fraudulent
mediums have been invading the camps
during the last three or four years and
have virtually taken the business away
from the old ones, because they always
had something new in spirit manifesto
lions. People are always looking for
something new in every line, and ghosts
| anx NTa
who claim to be genuine have found it
impossible to keep up with their smooth
er rivals in the novelty business, and
they have been supplanted. They now
expect to bar out the tricksters. These
tricksters, they say, have been fmpos-
ing on the people, and urged on by nee
essity many good, reliable, genuine med
iums have been led to perpetrate fraud
These good mediums, therefore, well
come the com bine which has been form
ed and are more than ready to turn the
camps over to the trust. They are will
ing to pay good prices for genuine man.
ifestations, but are decidedly opposed
to paying anything for being imposed
upon There is no doubt that the trust
will have a good effect upon spiritual
ism. which has suffered beyond all pos
sfbIe conception because of the frauds
which have been carried out in its
name.
It is advocated by some that national
and states associations should Ordain
good mediums the same as churches do
prea cheers. These mediums, it is sug-
gested should be sent to the different
associations and temples, and under
their direction and auspices give free
seanees They should also, it is claim
ed receive all Of their remuneration di-
rect from the state and national asso-
Citations, and those funds should be free
| " given by those who keep up the pres
ent system by attending the seanceS
where they pay at the door.
Mrs. Lease is expected to formulate