Los Angeles herald., 1906-09-23
RUN FAKERS OUT
OF SALT LAKE
SPIRlTUALISTIC TEAM TRIES
OLD TACTICS
Brothers Who Imposed on Los An
geles Public Get Rich Quick In
Utah, Then They Take
French Leave

Ine Arnold Dickson Spif1tualiStS,
whom many people in Los Angeles will
remember as materiallzing their. dead
friends about four years ago, have just
had their methods exposed In Salt Lake
City, where they have been these last
four years.
The spiritualists were exposed and
skipped Salt Lake all in three short
days.
The Arnold Dickson Brothers, as they
style themselves, have built themselves
a beautiful home and furnishings In
Salt Lake, all from the money they
have received from trusting people.
A room in this beautiful house was
fitted up as a seance room. Here spir-
its, swathed i'm filmy gauze and speak
ing In whispers, with a strangely ma
terial air about them, have appeared to
believers. Dead sons and daughters
have spoken to mothers, and parents
long in their graves have appeared to
their chlldren's eyes.
Spook Assaults Woman
But their schemes came suddenly to
an end Saturday evening. when Mrs.
Mary M. Brandon, woman of 73, tried
to embrace a gauzy individual supposed
to be a dead relative of hers. The
spook, which turned out to be grossly
material, struck Mrs. Brandon with his
fist in an attempt to get away.
The assaulted Immediately swore out
a warrant and consequently Judge
Whitaker. who wasn't disposed to be
lenient, sentenced the assaulter to
ninety days at hard labor.
The prisoner, who had expected moth
ing more than reprimand and a slight
fine, gave notice to the court that he
would appeal the case. Pending the
appeal the prisoner left on $500 bond
and since then he hasn't been heard
from.
The brothers sold their house and
belongings, forgot all about their cred
itors, forsook their friends and skipped,
no one knows where.
One Victims Plant
Mrs. York, a trusting little woman
who has deposited much hard earned
money in their hands the last two
years, says of them:
81 first heard of the Arnold Dickson
brothers about four years ago this fall.
was investigating spiritualism then.
1t was Immediately after my sister
died. My heart was filled with grief
because of this loss.
Friends told me that 1 could speak
to the spirit of my sister, and 1 said
that l would investigate. Some one
gave me the address of the Arnold
Dickson brothers and l went to see
them.
Every Sunday and Thursday night
went there. Sometimes my husband
and sometimes my daughter went with
me, Someties all of us would go. They
held two naturalization meetings
week then and they were so cents for
each meeting.
II thought that everything 1 saw
there was real. 1 trusted fully in these
men because of the way they talked,
and because of the masses of people
going there.
At So Much Per Talk
81 talked with the spirits there and
got very enthusiastic. Sometimes it
was my sister, sometimes my dear chill
dren and my relatives who appeared
and talked to me.
"This went on all winter. I had pri-
vate materializations for which 1 paid
SO each.
"After the winter had passed and
spring was coming we found that our
daughter was mediumistic. She de-
veloped an unusual nervousness. We
asked Dickson what was the matter.
He said that she was under the bad in
fiuence of evil spirits.
CHOW can she get such an in
fiuence?' I asked him.
He said that children got that way
at times.
"What can we do for it?' I asked
him.
1--WE have some charms we can SELL
and the children wear them and they
ward off the evil spirits, Dickson
told me.
Sell "Charms" Next
81 asked them how much they would
sell these charms for, because l wanted
the evil spirits driven away from my
little girl. At this time, you see, l
thought that all of what they told me
was real and true. ] looked upon these
men as holy men. l fully believed all
they said
dickson did not know what to
charge for the charm, and called to
Arnold.
GEORGE he said, how can we sell
these charms against evil spirits?'
"Arnold said: They are so scarce.
They have sold rapidly. and l do not
know if we have any left Then l asked
Dickson what they were and where they
came from. Dickson told me that they
were picked up in Egypt. They were
genuine charms, stones that had been
magnetized by some powerful Egyptian
spirit.
'"I thought that was all right, of
course. and asked how much they were.
Discuss the Price
George, do you think we can sell
ner one for $15?' Dickson asked.
"'Oh, my. I don't think 1 can pay
that much,' / said
"Then Arnold said:
1--WE will let Mrs York have one
cheap because she has been good Gus
toner
"What do you call cheap?' I asked
him.
"I guess we can give you one for
s1O,'
II told him that was too much, and
then he cut the price to IS, complaining
that the price was too low. I bought 1t
for $S and paid him the money The
charm was about as big as pea, 1t
was sewed up in red silk bag. When
| got II Dickson said
"'You must never open this and look
at it., and you must not let the person
wearing it know that he or she is
wearing it
81 was so anxious then that when
ever I changed the child's underwear |
ripped a seam In the undergarment and
sewed the charm in it.
Tried to Become Medium
Then after that we took developing
circle work, me and the girl. There
were such great things going on i |
would take long time for me to tell
ahOut II The room was in absolute |