The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-07-25
Helen Cougar will Take stump
Against Kansas Woman

There is more trouble in store for Mrs.
Lease A dispatch from Anderson. Ind,
says:
Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Lease will have
strong opposition when she comes TO
Camp Chesterfield to address Spiritual
lists campmeeting. Mrs. Helen Cougar
and w. r. Covert, the medium Killer
will be here to controvert the teachings
of spiritualism and especially those ad-
vanced by Mrs. Lease.
Camp Chesterfield is the Western Chau-
tauqua of the Spiritiallsts. and one of
their three great gathering places, the
others being at Lily Dale, N. Y, and
Onset, Mass. Campmeetings Will be
opened at all three places today and will
continue until August g. During the six
weeks out of every year 1t is open Camp
Chesterfield is a complete little city hid
den away in the bluffs which line White
river. 1t has free mail delivery, daily
paper on the ground, complete water ana
lighting services, camp hotels, and the
bazaar streets is lined with stores of all
kinds from a grocery to a photograph
gallery. In the center Of the camp, cap
ping the highest hills, are the auditort-
ums, and of to the sides are the seance
houses, queer 2Ox2O foot structures, built
without even a window. The only open
ing in them is the door, and 1t is heavily
padded. so that when it is closed all light
is excluded, making a darkness conducive
to spirits, and also oppressive, and in
summer an ever ready Turkish bath.
The great interest at Camp Chesterfield
this year centers around the week begin
ming Sunday, August 6. 1t marks the
debut Of the new notable convert, Mrs.
Mary Elizabeth Lease. She will arrive
from Kansas on the 9Th, and will make
her first effort on a spiritualistic plat
form at 2:3O the next afternoon. She will
remain at the camp during the entire
week, and will be heard in many i'm
promptu talks. From Camp Chesterfield
she will go to Lily Dale, and from there
to Onset, and hNc next appearance WIN be
before the national convention, which
meets in Chicago, October 8. at which she
is expected to become the national leader.
The letters pouring in from all directions
asking for extra accommodations for
Lease" week, lead the officers to believe
that every state will have a good repre-
sentation present to hear her maiden ef-
fort 1t is thought the attendance will
run as high as 1900 people for the first
Sunday.
The National Anti-Spiritualistic associa-
ton proposes to try to knock this new and
lively tongued convert off her feet in the
first round. Elder w. R Covert the great
anti-spiritualist of st. Louis, who is
known as the medium killer has been
placed in charge Of the fight to displace
Mrs. Lease. He proposes to get an orii-
nary circus tent and erect 1t just outside
the gates. Across the road down which
all must pass to enter the grounds he Will
run a great red banner, on which. in let
tiers of red, he will post the National
Anti-Spiritualists $500 challenge to me-
diums. a challenge that has been standing
for several years. In very plain words It
says that spiritualism is a delusion and a
snare and that all mediums are liars,
frauds. knaves. fakes, or ignoramuses.
and it offers to any medium who will
produce any phenomena which the Anti
Spiritualist association cannot duplicate
and expose.
The Anti-Spiritualists propose to have
Mrs. Helen Cougar on the inside of the
tent. and she is to attack every tenet of
spritualism and every statement that
Mrs. Lease makes. Thus. on the most
touchy subject that could be found. 1t is
proposed to pit these two great women
takers against each other. Covert has a
number of converted" mediums to do
the exposing, principal among them be-
ing DR.. Becker of DAYTON. Ohio, and J.
d. Hagaman of Adrain. Mich.
The national associations as we'll as the
local having management of Camp Ches-
terrified. has issued a redhot edict to me-
diums. placing a ban on all fakes. and
threatening frauds with prosecution.
Every medium who enters the camp this
year will have TO pass a most thorough
examination on phenamena and also on
morality, and will have to attain a very
high PERCENTAGE or stay out. The Spiri-
tualists have no hesitancy in admitting
that over one-half OF the reputed medi-
uins In the country today are the ranke 81
sort Of fakes. and 1t Is they who are do
ing spiritualism the greatest damage. and
are giving the anti-Spiritualists ample
grounds upon which to justify at least a
portion of their fight.
Great interest centers In the camnrneet.
ings this year because they are n he the
preliminary battle-ground TO . hard fight
over the proposition To adopt n creed nj
the national convention in Chicago.
DID NOT SUE FOR DIVORCE