The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-03-11
sPIRITUALIsT TEMPLE.



People passing the Crawford theater
yesterday were attracted by a lurid
hand-scrawled sign announcing Spirit
ualfst mass meetings hear"
The meetings were held in the morn
ing and both afternoon and evening.
Less than 100 people paid 10 cents to gain
admittance in the afternoon. Although
the advance notices stated that Harrison
D. Barrett, president Of the National
Spiritualist association, of Boston, and
editor of the official spiritualiStS' organ,
and Mr.. and Mrs. G.. W. Hates, of Min
apolis. Mimi, and others were to be
present, it seemed that the l0adstone was
not sufficiently strong to draw a stand
ing room only" crowd.
And it must be confessed that the
manner of opening the Sunday after
noon meeting was something novel and
usual, to say the least. When Mr. Bar
rett entered the house several persons
were seated on the stage. Mr. Barrett
and Mr.. Hates went directly to the
stage, where a couple of bundleS-f of
papers and some letters lay or the table
in the center of the stage These they
proceeded to open, and during the time
Mr.. Barrett remained standing in the
center of the stage reading his letters
Mr. Hates opened one of the papers and
began a. perusal of its columns The au-
dience was evidently a patient and long
suffering one and sat through these pre-
liminaries with good grace.
Meetings similar to the three days
COnNEll1Qu III 4OPGkdl Id FG DECAA 44EAQ III
many other cities, and the meetings here
were of unusual interest to the members
of the local society, of which there are
about 100 members. During the conven-
ton some talk was heard of building
$40 900 temple in Topeka A wealthy
spirituaIist sympathizer Of Minnesota
offered a liberal donation And several
Topeka people offered donations of $50
and $100 each, but it seems a sufficient
sum could not be secured, and it is likely
the project will fall through
The burden Of Mr.. Barretts work is
the warning of the public against falSlrs,
the false prophets as they are other
wise termed. While in Topeka he said:
1.-The cause of spiritualism is sadly
misunderstood by the majority OF peo-
pie and the SpiTituallsts are not gen
era1y recognized as among the best and
wisest people. 1t is commonly thought
that spiritualism is only Recommendation,
and not as we find it, an organized sys-
tenn of ethics that relate to the philosophy
of life, and hence is taking place
among the religions of the world. There
are people trading as do show people,
for the display of wares, that usually
partalxe Of the kind common to fak1rs-
and these are fakirs. The clairvoyant
advertisements in daily papers include
persons who as common fortune tellers'
add the claim Of being mediums in order
to attract attention.
Such persons are not nlediums-they
have taken an honorable title in order
to whitewash their nefarious conduct
The organized associations of spiritual
lists are drawing the lines between the
frauds and genuine.
THE trance medium is controlled TO
speak under direct influence Of a spirit
rot only for personal messages bat for
discourses of learned merit The clair
voyant is a seer of spirits and proves
it by describing the relatives Of persons
who are strangers to them The clair
audient hears and repeats messages of
accuracy. The physical mediums obtain
bodies. often seemingly contrary to the
law Of gravity.
The Undertaking. medium claims to
have the phenomena of personal appari-
tons of friends and relatives of persons
who may attend their seances-
"All Of these stand upon their merit,
and are certainly being judged or
tested by even the spiritualists. We
are not a credulous people What we en-
dorse is the result Of proof We accept
nothing by hearsay or testimony.
The genuine is produced under condi-
tons diametrically opposed to that OF