Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-15
LIVELY TIME AT A sEANcE
British Army and Navy Omcers Catch
Fakir who Impersonates
Spirits.


LONDON, April 14-Light, the official
organ Of the spirituRlists, continues It
exposure Of spirituallstic fakes" This
time the exposure is made by Lieutenant
Colonel Mark Mayhem and Rear Admiral
w. Osborne Moore. who have caught Mr..
Craddock one Of the best known mediums
in the spiritualistic world. impersonating
spirit forms.
The story, told graphically by Lieuten-
ant Colonel Mark Mayhem, is fol-
lows:
Being anxious to witness the phenome-
non Of naturalization my wife and
Mr.. CraddoCks house at Primer, to take
part In a seance. We went in perfect
confidence and without shadow OF sus-
picion, but by the time the seance was
over we were forced to the conclusion
that the whole thing was unauthorized
fraud.
The room in front of us was pitch dark,
and behind the circle 1t was slightly H.
Illuminated by red Photographic lantern.
posed trance voices Of an unquestionably
'ventriloquial" character began. They
could easily be recognized as the
After somewhat lengthy intervals,
forms, purporting to be relations of sit
ters, came round the circle Illuminating
their faces with luminous screens. Most
of these bore a striking resemblance to
one-another and were fakes" of the most
obvious characteristic false beard, mus
tache, etc, being badly stuck on-and
would have done poor credit to a fourth
rate mariOnette show.
One or two forms pretending to be
relations had never had came to me,
and little child TO my wife, calling
My wife and l were forced to agree that
the performance was a fraud.
We went again the week after and the
same characters were impersonated, l. e.,
Dr.. Green, Dr. Arnold Sister Amy, La
Belle Cerise and Joey. Grimaldi Again
which could only find its parallel in the
gullibilhy of some of the sitters, one
lady remarking to her husband as a form
came to them, why, it's your father!"
and he-the husband answered, why, so
II is-no IT isn't; It's mother"
Joey" informed me that one of the
spirits present was my mother, who, l
am glad to say, is alive, and for her, very
well. | therefore determined to expose
what 1 was convinced was fraudulent
and having obtained an invitation for my
Carleton date Ninth Lancersj, we at
The usual approximations were made.
Joey" announced that Mr.. Carleton's
mother was present-Lady Dorchester be-
mirror was handed round and we were
asked to believe IL was spirit light.
beard went to one and then another and
then there came to me a form with a
turned-up white collar evidently stage
Immediately seized him by the arms. He
struggled violently and unable to get
away threw himself backwards into the
cabinet, pulling me with him.
| called for light from Mr.. Carleton,
who carried small electric lantern. and
Craddock himself Some confusion FOL.
lowed and the medium was recognized
A Mr.. Rodd, who was present, saw him
remove the false mustache and place 1t
IN his pocket. / then released him, and
his wife concealed him behind the cur
then IN 90
control of Dr.. Graen, who expressed dis
approval of the proceedings.
Rear Admiral Moore, who was in charge
now, assumed command. with the ap-
prevail of all, and appointed a search
committee to search the medium and his
The door was locked and the key given
TO Admiral Moore. The lamp was
lighted, and ! found a small electric
In drawer in the cabinet, which, when
examined by several. before the seance,
had been empty. The medium, however,
refused to be searched and ordered us
out
Mrs. Cradock attacked Admiral Moore
the key from him. Admiral Moore again
demanded search from Craddock who
placed himself in lighting attitude and
threatened to set about" any one who
Everything possible was done for some
time to get the medium to submit to a
search, but although the admiral begged
him for the sake of his wife and child
and his reputation, he absolutely refused
The admiral then told him we could only
said: Call me what you like, you shall
not search me now The medium offered
Mr.. Carleton, Mr. Rodd and my wife
concur in every way in the Remuneration
have been, may be now a medium, but
1 say. without doubt that on this occa-
sion he was caught red-handed imper-