The Topeka state journal., 1905-11-13
w. E. Hart Had an Easy Time
With Women.
Under Guise of Spiritualism He
Gained His Point.
NOW UNDER ARREST.
Held in Indiana for Practicing
Fraud.
Hutchinson Family We're Among
His Victims.

A story Of almost brutal imposition
upon the faith of two women in spjrif-
ualism, entailing the desertion Of one
from her husband and family, and the
robbing of both, comes to light in the
arrest of W. E. Hart, alias W. E. Har-
vey. at Richmond, Ind. on Saturday.
for whom the Topeka federal offieers
have been hunting ever since his indict-
ment at Wichita last September on the
technical charge of using the mails in
aid Of a scheme to defraud.
There were two chief victims, Mrs. NJ.
A Price of Greenup, Ill, and Mrs. B. S.
Rexroad of Hutchinson, Kan. The kan
sas woman suffered by far the worst.
Not only did Hart work her for d
sum over S40o, but on two different oc-
casions did he cause her to leave her
husband. Mrs Price is the loser OF
about $3.50. Hart borrowed considerable
money in Hutchinson and Larned be-
sides, Which it is said he has not Vet
paid back. His opera tions in other towns
have not been traced. Unfortunately
for Hart, Mrs. Prices son is a United
States postoffice inspector, and it was
through his interference that an end
was put to Hart's career.
Hart is supposed to hail somewhere
from Indiana. He passes as a spiritual
medium" He went to Greenup, H.
about one year ago and started to give
| tSeances.n He took quite a hold on the
town and one OF his clients was Mrs
Price, a widow about 81 years Of age
Hart is thirty years old, dresses we'll
and in general makes q good appearance.
I He made up to Mrs. Price and before
long was playing the part OF a wooer.
In fact he ingratiated himself into her
confidence to such an extent that when
he got ready to leave Greenup, he sue
ceeded in borrowing $50 with which he
4ErsrSI 4 7-a Afael ~
Kan, and hold meetings. He wrote let
ters to Mrs. Price after leaving and his
missives were very tender, beginning
usually with words like Dearest and
Sweetheart.
Prospered at Hutchinson.
At Hutchinson the fates still seemed
| to be with him. for it was not long un-
til he had the town by the ears He
gained patronage from some OF the
very best citizens there. Among the
, visitors at his meetings was Mrs Rex
road. She is about 80 years old and
had a husband and family. That was
during last June and July. About
. | three years ago. nine year old daugh-
ter of Mrs. Rexroad had died. and the
whole family, especially the mother
| was heart broken.
Meantime Hart was writing resu-
larry to Mrs. Price and telling her that
. her guide which he claimed to be
her father, was still appearing regu-
/ larly to him, and telling him that
every thing was all right, and that the
''guide" was advising that she spend
. money for land in Oklahoma. Incl
dentally Hart got small loans, also
claimed to be seconded and endorsed
by the f'guide." Mrs. Price did not
: buy Oklahoma land because about
J this time her son, a postofce inspec-
) tor, became acquainted with Hart $
Vaccinations.
The younger Prices real suspicious
) became aroused, however, when Hart
! I-rRfca hi
, he was sick and needed money to pay
7 his doctors bill. and that he needed a
) new suit of clothes, the old one being
? shabby and worn out and unfit to give
seances in. The living guide in the
shape of the son, began to interfere
very strenuousIy at this point with the
dead guide alleged to be his grand
father.
Hart's business at Hutchinson was
prospering, however Mrs. Rexroad
gained great faith in him. He secured
from her a little silver cup, a keep
sake belonging to the dead child. A
Rexroad that her dead daughter had
appeared to him as her guide This
caught Mrs. Rexroad's entire atten-
[ ton. for heZheart had all but been
| broken over the little girls death.
Told to Leave Family.
your child's spirit tells me- said
Hart to Mrs. Rexroad one day, "for
! You to leave your husband and family
: and run away with me. Get all the
{ money YOU can and come"
) The woman did not hesitate, but went
{ with him. The pair got as far as
: Wichita when they were intercepted by
officers at the husbands instigation
, and were brought back to Hutchinson.
The woman pleaded penitence and her
I husband took her back into his home.
The officers told Hart that if he would
: pay the costs that the case would be
: dropped.
He turned again to Mrs Price for
help and succeeded. He wrote to her
that he needed $50 Immediately to pay
for fine which had been imposed upon
him by enemies to their faith. He got
the money, and in that way was reIeas-
ed by the Hutchinson officials.
} But he had not yet relaxed his hold
over Mrs. Rexroad. Again he induced
her to run away with him. This time
she managed to get $500, which she
2 gave to him, and together they were
} supposed to have gone to Nebraska.
That was the last of them both so far
5 as Hutchinson was concerned Mrs.
= Rexroad did not return and her hus-
Z band got divorce. It Is not known
: where she is now. The federal officers
suppose that Hart deserted her as soon
/ as her money was spent The telegraph
+, ic advices from Richmond, Ind. where
: he was arrested Saturday. do not say
whether she was with him. He will
: have to face a charge Of using the mails
: in a scheme to defraud before the fed
? eraI court. The Indictment drawn
8 against him at Wichita last September
( made the charge in the specific instance
s. of Mrs. Price. His letters to her make
! the evidence. Mrs. Rexroad does not
3 come into the case.