Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1905-11-24
CHASED JOE LACnANCf
Story of the "Healer's''
':*.,.:, Adventures at 49,.
<:.~s
Esparto


hesler.'' tor ) ears 4 citi4en of Little
Falls, the following, which appeared
in the Los Angeles Examiner, viii be
of interest:
+ Woe dland, September s0.-A divine
agency. according to Joseph Lschance.
eelf-sts led ':healer.'.'' induced him to
locate at Esparto. near this place, two
years ago. An earthly agency and
perhaps more potent one inspired
his hurried departure from these re-
eions. The sanitari1m oper ated by
Lachanoe in Yolo county was even
more profitable than the ~one now be-
ing conducted by him at San Rafael.
HE career here however, was short.
because it developed that in the earth
ly mold Of the man there was room TO:
more than the healing spirit which be
claimed to possess. There was roo,o
for mortal fear. and it was this feel.
Ing that sent him flying one night
from the wrath of one whose ven.
geance he dreaded.
Sr ectacnlar in the extreme was the
sudden lesvetaking of the mystic
from bis ''healing hospitai' on the
bill Barehaeded and coatlees. with
his long beard streaming in the night
wind, Lachance fed across the fields
bis ''hypnotlc" eyes were filled only
with wild fear, and be turned fire.
quently as be ran to see If be was
pursued. But darkness covered his
nig ght and bis friends furnished him
hiding place until the man who
soDebt him had given up the hunt.
1t was an enraged brother Who
drove the divine healer from Esparto.
He sought the mystic. to seek redress
for an insult that bad been offered
his sister, who was one of Lachance's q
patients. The young woman was
prominent in this town, and it was
rumored tHat her brother Intended to
kill Lachance. The latter feared and
fed. though the young man stated
that be meant only to administer q
thrashing to Lachance. g
The advent of Joseph Lachance to
Woo )lsnd was unheralded. He arrived
here during the latter part of 1902,
and after remaining several days went
out to the little town Of Capac. BE
tolo the residents of the hamlet that
he had received a spiritual call in
Minnesota to come to California. He
said that the spirit had pointed to him
the very hill on which he should
build a sanitarium. where he would
effect marvellous cures by the mere
laying on of hands But the divine
prompters that urged Lachance to
build q sanitarium did not counsel
the owner If the hill to cell his pro-
petty, and, though Lachance opened
up negotiations for the site, the deal
fell through.
In the little boom town of Esparto
nachance found spot to practice his
faith cures. He established himself at
the hotel. which he converted into q
ssnitarium. The countrywide first
heard of him as having effected the
complete cure Of crippled girl in the
town. The strange man, with the
strange eyes: the long beard and the
crooked walkin9 stick soon became
the talk Of the county. Patients
docked to his sanitarium by the score.
The halt, the deaf and the blind of
the county all journeyed to Esparto.
They lived at the hotel They paid
for their board and lodging No
charge was made for the treatment
given by the ''doctor.''
For eight weeks the sanitarium
fourished, but the reports that came
from the inmates of the Institution
were not favorable. In the first place
no cures were effected. Then the
mystic wac in the habit of gathering
his flock together and expounding
strange and unheard of doctrine to
them. He was against matrimony
and denounced the present social Gus
toms. People prominent in this town
and in other parts of the country were
numbered among the inmates of the
Esparto hostelry.
The power of Lachance waned as the
days passed. and he was being de.
nounced everyw here ss q fraud and a
faker, when the affair happened that
caused the "healer' to leave. He
left on the night Of the 18th Of Feb.
ruary. Some cay he went to the
with him near San Rafael. Bis dis.
appearance was lengthy, but he later
came back to Esparto and remained
here quietly until May, when he again
departed. 1t is said that his second
leavetaking was caused by an irate
father This, however, is denied ty
the friends of Lachance.
The young man who drove Lachance
from Esparto resides in Woodland.
and when seen by an Examiner
representative he said:
"Lachance insulted one who is
closely related to me while she was
being treated at his ssnitarium.. I
warned him. ] meant to thrash him.
not to shoot him. / went to seq him,
but he fed. He came back some time
afterwards and l understand that
another man went after him with a
shotgun
T. 81. Kitto, who formerly lived
at Capac, states that one patient, 3
consumptive. died at the ssnitarium
while Lachance was in charge there.
The "hesler" took several followers
with him when he left this vicinity.
~ Mrs. Jos. Lachance and children
returned from California Saturday
and are for the present staying with
Mrs. Lschance's mother, Mrs. p.
Burke. They will occupy their home
on First street after their furniture
arrives The bill, Of sale by Lachance
to Mast and Mcclure, his assistants,
was declared void, and ( the property
released. Lschsnce has not been
heard Of. but will probably establish
~ ,r.aolf. I = sov,na o%Ier 1,no1i% SS:ssIs