The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-10-22
SAW The Esprit"
Something Not on Bills at Mrs.
Wagner's Seance.
Some One Touched off a Flash
Light.
THE MEDIUM TAINTED.
Members of Audience say She
Had the Trumpet.
An Attempt was Made to Secure
A Photograph.

"A HOGOSE dpH.
There is considerable agitation il
sDiritualistic circles in Topeka today.
At a seance given last night by Mrs
Wagner, a spirituaiistic medium who
lives on West Sixth avenue near Van
Buren street. d hashlight fiend took
hand in the performance in an effort to
get picture of the spirit.
One of the specialties of the spirits at
Mrs. Wagner's seances is talking
through a trumpet resembling a small
megaphone. The spirit who controls the
trumpet is that of an Irishman who an
SWerS to the name of Pat" Pat" ar
sWers questions put to him by those III
the circle and summons other spirits to
talk if the conditions are right
Preceding the seance last night the
trumpet was placed in a pan of water i'll
the center o1 the room The pan Of
water. it is stated, is necessary for the
spirits to drink, because they become
very thirsty. There were about twenty
five people present, most of them believ-
ers III spiritualism, though a few skep-
ties were in the crowd.
When the seance commenced every
body was required to sit so as to form
circle, either holding hands or with arms
touching. 1t is claimed that if the circle
! is broken it interferes with the workings
of the spirits. The lights We're turned
out and every window darkened. so that
not a ray came in from the outside
Pat was then called up by the ms
| dunn and there were q number of spi1f
manifestations. Pat called up other
spirits and answered questions for those
in the circle.
How is the Kansas election going this
fall?" finally asked John White. wnc
lives on West Fifth street near Van
Buren.
Il think it is going --' Pat started
in.
/ Tnst +hav, +5,a,. ,,-,x- . 1,1;~,s;,,-~. +4,-t,
The whole room seemed ab1aze. The
smoke was almost sitting. Mrs. Wag-
ner tainted but came to few moments
later Women screamed and men shout
vanished. Finally lights were secured
and people began to ask what had hap
pened. Somebody suggested that a sky
rocket had gone off. Somebody else
thought a bomb had been thrown into
the room. Both of these suggestions
were, of course. ridiculous.
Mr. White had asked the question
which had brought the explosion
and suspicion was directed toward him.
as he was known to be a skeptic. He
declares though, that he had nothing to
do with it. and persons who sat near
him in the circle corroborates his state
ments. The flash had come from some
other part of the circle. Mr.. White had
his skepticism confirmed. however, for
he says he saw Mrs. Wagner the medi-
un1. talking through the trumpet, and
that there was no spirit in sight.
4 don't believe in spiritualism.' Mr..
White told a State Journal reporter to-
day, "and what 1 saw last night con-
frmed me in my belief. or rather lack
of belief. l was looking directly at the
medium and saw the trumpet to her
mouth. 1 think the whole thing is a
fake. I asked the question about how
Kansas is going this fall and 1 guess
Pat must have been q Democrat and
took a shot at me because he knows the
state is going Republican and didn'
want to say so. I left pretty soon after
the racket took place."
It is rumored that the flash was shot
by a woman who is a believer in spirit
ualism but who doubted the reality of
Mrs. Wagner'S seances and took this
method of finding out. 1t is reported
also that she had a camera with her
and tried to take picture by the light
of the fash but whether or not the eff
fort was successful cannot be ascertain
ed.
MRS. WAGNER'S STORY.
Mrs. Wagner was seen by a State
Journal reporter this afternoon but did
not want to discuss the occurrence un-
til she finds out to a certainty who per-
petrated it.
TT was one of two people" she said.
would do such a thing. We had just
twenty five persons here. / don't want
to say much about it until 1 find for
sure just who did it.
let this matter rest. I have had two
pictures ruined by it and I propose to
find out who is responsible and make
them pay for it. I don't solicit people
to come to my seances and they must
behave themselves if they do come. Ny
seances are private and 1 undergo every
test that could be asked for. Somebody
touched off a fiashlight, but instead OF
it's doing what they expected it to do il
exploded"
The two pictures which Mrs Wagner
referred to hang on the east wall of the
room south of the center. The glasses
over the pictures and the frames were
considerably smoked
Il went there with my cousin last
/, night" said another man VINO was pi 80
ent 1T was the first seance 1 have beer
! to for several months. l went with =
: private crowd last winter and sat mex
to Mrs Wagner, and 1 will confess tha1
I was greatly mystified by the perform
ance 7 sat next to Mrs Wagner tha-
and / am positive that the voice which
spoke through the trumpet was no
hers. III wager any amount on that
but it might have been somebody else
At any rate. we all agreed that it wa.
very mysterious, and confess l did no
know what to think about it.
Last night 7 was the second Dersoi
from Mrs. Wagner. We had been there
1 suppose an hour and a half, and tn
Iseance was nearly over. Pat th'
spirit who was what they call the trum
o pet control. said Wait minute now
! and we will see if we can't distribute
q these flowers There was Iarg
bouquet of flowers. I felt somethin
: touch me, and thought it was one o
: the flowers which had been thrown to me
STOPPED over to find it. and had jus
Q partially raised up when the flash wen
: off was greatly surprised. I neve
o saw such a flash. Mrs. Wagner jus
collapsed back in her chair and SAID
'tOh, my! Oh. my Who did that
Somebody strike a light
Il struck a match as soon as 1 coul
: and the room was full of smoke. Strans
: TO say there wasn't near as much con
!: motion as you would suppose I though
it was part OF the programme-so man