The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-17
HEALER TRAPPED.
Kansas Postmaster Finds Him
self In Trouble.
Is a "Metaphysical Healer"
Whatever That Is.
UNMAILABLE LETTER.
Uncle Sam AgrieVed Because
Mails We're Used UnlaWfully.
Used an Assumed Name te De-
Iude the Officers.
UNAVAILABLE LETTER.

several weeks ago James WICK VINO IS
stenographer for Gleed, Ware & Gleed,
received &. number of manuscripts from
w. A. Redding, postmaster at Navarro,
Kansas, accompanied by a letter asking
AIr. Wick to copy the manuscripts for
him. Mr.. Wick did so. returned the
copies to Redding and received his pay
for the work.
few days later Mr.. Wick received
another letter signed BLAKE Wilson"
and purporting to come from Burdick.
Kansas. The writer stated that he un-
derstood Mr. Wick was prepared to do
copying and he requested that an en-
closed letter be copied, not on a type
writer but in a round bOyish hand. At
the close he said:
This letter is not intended to do harm
but good"
Mr.. Wick glanced over the letter that
was intended for copying and saw that
it was of an unavailable character. 1t
was an attack on the reputation of some
young woman and was directed to the
girls mother but no names were given.
Mr.. Wick promptly turned the letter
over to Assistant United States District
Attorney H. j. Bone. The Dostmark
on the envelope in which the letter had
been sent had been rubbed off, so that
it was impossible to tell at what office it
had been mailed. There was evidently
so much design in the preparation of the
letter that Mr.. Bone determined to
ferret the matter out.
Shortly after Mr. Wick received a
postal card from the same party inquir-
ing why the copy had not been made
and returned to him. This was followed
by another postal card, and that by an
other, until Mr.. Wick received six in
quiries concerning the matter. On each
of these cards the pOstmark had been
Obliterated so that it was impOssib BILE to
tell where the card had been mailed.
Mr.. Bone put POstOfice Inspector Full
ton at work on the case and instructed
Mr.. Wick to write to Blake Wilson at
Burdicz, saying that the letter had been
received and would be attended to in
due time. The same train that took
Mr.. Wick's letter also took Inspector
Fulton to Burdick, which is in Morris
county on the Superior branch of the
Santa Fe. The inspector inquired of
the postmaster at Burdick if any one
had received mail there addressed to
Blake Wilson, and was informed that
three orders had been received to for
ward all mail to that address to Ma
varre.
Mr.. Wick's letter was Immediately
forwarded and Inspector Fulton went
along with it to Navarro, which is three
stations north of Burdick. After giving
sufficient time for the mail to be dis
tributed Mr.. Fulton went into the post
office, and exercising his prerOgative as
mail INSPECTOR. he looked over the
letters in the general delivery and in
the private boxes. No letter to Blake
Wilson was to be found.
rs there such a party as Blake Will
son around here2" Fulton then asked
of Postmaster Redding.
Yes, 1 think sO,' answered Redding
People around town don't seem to
know him." said the inspector, who had
already made inquiries.
''Well, there is such a man gets mail
here" insisted the postmaster
Where is that letter that just came
for him?" demanded Fulton.
"I-he-I think he must have got it,
stammered Redding.
h..
your pOcket2"
That's nothing but private letter."
Let me see it, said the inspector
Redding could do nothing else than
hand it over, and it proved to be the
letter that Mr.. Wick had written to
Blake Wilson.
Redding Immediately confessed that
he was Blake Wilson himself, but in
sisted that there were "extenuating cir
cumstanCes'' for his writing the Obiec-
tiOnable letter and sending it through
the malls. Fulton had no warrant for
him but he insisted on coming to To-
peka and telling his story to the
authorities here. He arrived with Mr..
Fulton Saturday afternoon, and was
duly placed under arrest for sending
Objectionable matter through the mails
and for opening other peoples letters.
The explanation that he made to the
federal authorities here was that he IS
a metaphysical healer" and that the
young woman about whom he had writ
ten was his cousin. He insisted that he
only meant to do the girl good and
warn her parents of her actions. He
went into lengthy details of his meta
physical treatment, telling of cures
which he had effected. not only physi-
cal diseases, but mental and spiritual
as we'll
Mr.. Bone came to the conclusion that
Redding had wheels in his head" on
the subject Of metaphysics, but that
did not permit ReddinS to break the
postal laws He had an examination
before United States Commissioner
George. W. Clark, who placed his bond
at $500. John w. Breidenthal who is
well acquainted with Redding, signed
the bond.
Redding was at one time a well
known PopuIist of Morris county but
he has been affiliating with the Repub-
Hcans during recent years. He holds
peculiar views with regard to the prac-
tice of medicine, and for some time has
posed as a healer" not as a Christian
Scientist, however. He has written a
number Of books and pamphlets on the
subject
While the different medical bills to
compel all healerS and medical practi-
TONERS to pass an examination in medi-
cine were pending before the legislature
last winter. Redding wrote t6 Mr..
Breidenthal asking him if he would do
him the favor to distribute some of his
pamphlets among the members of the
legislature if he would send them to
Topeka. Mr.. Breidenthal replied that
he would, and in a few days large
package of the pamphlets arrived, and
were duly distributed around the legis-
lative halls.
1t is quite likely that there will not
only be a new postmaster at Navarro