The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-10-08
ADAMIClSM and EROTICISN
INVOKED TO BREAK "CELESTIAL
BABY" WILL.
plymouth Church Folk Hear Of Mrs. john
stOn's Demand for Massage by Men
and Women Doctor Says Her Mind
Was Sound--C Ontestant Is . Harrisite.

| rHWOutn Church FOLK Hear OF Mrs. John.
stOn's Demand for Massage by Men
and W0men-D0ctOr Says Her Mind
| Was Sound contestant Is HArrisite.
| Many Plymouth Church members were
In Surrogate Church's court in Brooklyn
yesterday while testimony was being taken
| In the suit to break the will of Mrs.
Charlotte Johnston Of 407 Cumberland
street, by which Miss Agnes De Monde,
principal Of Public School ZIG in Brooklyn
10 to receive $50 600, besides the house at
%0 Cumberland street, Brooklyn. Mrs.
Johnston gave the house to Miss De Monde,
but the contestant seeks to prove that
Mrs Johnston was not competent at that
time and that, therefore. the property
should be returned TO the estate.
Miss De Monde s designated a. the tesla
tors celestial baby" Throughout the testi-
spirit with whom Mrs. Johnston commune
Gated. through her spirit child" Miss De
Monde. was frequently mentioned. s. V.
White and many younger members Of the
church were in the front row Of spectators.
| and many women who had been fellow
| communicates OF Mrs. Johnston and her
celestial baby" in Beeoher's church gave
fashionable and churchlike background
to most peculiar case
- The contestants are Miss Emma Sawtell,
niece Of Mrs. Johnston, who il seeking to
show that the celestial baby" who Is made
the sole beneficiary under the will, used
undue influence and occult methods to
induce the testator to leave property to
an tall hn fro Nh oil
mits that she il believer in Harrisism
and a few other -isms." of which many
kinds were mentioned and dilated upon,
by the witnesses.
The testimony was mixture OF dis
| closures OF hypnotic influences, strange and
weird ideas OF the right to live in accord
| with the personal desires, mixed in with
occultism and more than a hint of eroticism
! as encouraged in schools in which various
participants OF the suit and Mrs. Johnston
In particular. were interested, under the
guise of an effort to reach physical and
spiritual purity.
! In connection with the theme Of physical
purity, testimony OF startling kind was
brought out in the examination of wit
| nesses who were detailing the account Of
an alleged trip by Mrs Johnston and her
~.
they had attended an Adamitic conclave,
| where man addressed the meeting Of men
and women, all of whom, including the
speaker, were arrayed as our first parents
were originally Witnesses deposed that
Mrs Johnston declared that she was dis
gusted. but added that 1T did her good.
The fondness Of the testator for massage
| and that she compelled her friends Of both
sexes to serve her by it, was also one Of
the points brought out to prove that Mrs.
Johnston was not capable OF making
rational disposition Of her property.
The defendant, the spiritual child" OF
tho will, Miss Agnes De Monde, is a middle
With no hint Of the ethereal or the "spir-
ituelle.' Her determined chin and her
bearing as she sits beside her counsel and
suggests questions that bring out points
In her favor are in striking contrast to the
theme Of the case-the proving that the
Celestial baby. Of the tests II, pr. is entitled
adoption. 1t Is this woman who IL sup
posed to have talked baby talk with the
aged woman.
In explanation Of the gift of her spirit
ual child" to comfort her In her old age,
had repeatedly said she believed that twas
the purpose Of the Celestial One that the
child should be the me dunn by which COM
nlunication should be held with Henry
Ward Beecher," with her dead husband
and with her own spiritual father.
Miss sawtell is a white haired spinster.
She admitted to a belief in Harrissm,
hypnotsm and spiritual affinity" and that
she was awaiting that affinity. which she
believes is somewhere. Beyond and above
all other beliefs, however is the firm one
that Miss De Monde used an occult influence
to induce her aunt to make will in her
favor. She has one other belief-that the
will should not stand.
1T seems to mo-" said Surrogate Church.
yesterday, that, so far az the occult in
fuences go and the different phases Of
spiritualism, Harrisism and the other
isms' are concerned, there is an even break
between the two sides in this controversy"
William F. Flave, the blind attendant
of the testator, who testified on Tuesday
to his confidential relations with his mistress
and to his alleged power 10 interpret dreams.
told OF the constant desire Of Mrs. Johnston
to be massaged
Il massaged her many times" he said
always under instructions"
Counsel insisted on a detailed account
OF the method OF massage and an anatomical
descri6tion, which the wit answered
with reluctance.
Continuing he said: "She said, The
spirit told me to give this house. over to
reform work My house and myself, all
l have and am. ! want to give over to the
work She said she wanted to give her
home for home and refuge"
The witness told OF dreams he had had
and which she asked him to interpret. He
said she had told him repeatedly that she
believed that dreams were sent by God to
tell us what He wanted US to do
-She had a dream Of white horse and
black one, which troubled her greatly"
ne said, she told me that she dreamed
she was sitting beside white lake when
a white horse and black horse came along.
She wanted to mount the white one, but
man advised her not to. She finally got
on the black one and black shadow en-
yeloped her. Wherever she travelled the
! black shadow was about her. | told her
the dream was easy to interpret, said
the white lake, pure as crystal, and the
white horse were purity. While she sat
by the lake and the white horse her soul
was safe. But the black horse led her
into sorrow and the shadows.
"You and she believed in spiritual COM
munications, didn't your was asked,
spiritual experiences, not spiritual
communications,
The witness went into long, rambling
account of the difference between spiritual
communications and the spiritual expert
ences that lead one into the future and to
a clearer light.
It was brought out that the aged wit
ness had been ordered by his mistress
To leave the house when he had expressed
his surprise and opinion because Mrs. John
ston had changed her mind about dedicat-
ing the house and her property to the cause
and had announced her intention OF leav
ing It to her celestial BABY" Miss DE
Monde.