Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-11
LOSANGELES MEDIUMS
CLUMSY, AMATEURISH
ANDLACK CLEVERNESS
EXPERT CRITICISES CRUDE METHODS
Says Elsie Reynolds Should Not Be Able to Delude
Child-Marvels That Anyone Should Be
Duped-Laura Hylands Writes of
Notorious Charlatan

single rapping table he may pay any
where from $50 to $500, and If he cares
to have many of these articles his fur
niture bill will not be a small one"
Was Hypnotlst's understudy
! When asked how he first became in
terested in the work of exposing medi-
ums, Mr.. Hazel said:
when L was 18 years old 1 was in
Buffalo and saw DR.. Seybourne, who
was then a hypnotist give an exhi-
bition. 1 was interested and thought
l would like to do something like that
I went to DR.. Seybourne and told him
] wanted to be his assistant. We talked
It over and he said / would do. I used
TO stand round and look wise, listen to
everything that was said, and soon I
could hypnotic people as easily as he
old. Eight months later the doctor was
retired and took his place, and since
then 1 have taught hypnotism in all
parts of the country. There are fake
tricks In that as well as in spiritualism,
and 1T only goes to prove the old say
ing that there are tricks in all trades.
MY work brought me in contact
with mediums and with people who
claim to be able to read the human
mind. / watched them as 1 had
watched DIR. Seybourne, and soon I be-
gan to catch on to some of their tricks.
1t was not long until 1 could do them
as well as they could, and 1 began to
take delight in fooling them at their
own game"
Toys with Stool Pigeons
| Mr.. Hazel says after he has seen a
medium do any sort of trick three
times he can duplicate 1t.
II have already seen some mediums
work in Los Angeles, but 1 expect to
see some others before L leave" said
Mr.. Hazel.
| IT went into one meeting and as /
entered the door 1 made the remark
that I would like to have the spirit of
/ my mother come to me.
| 81 knew there would be some stool
! pigeons or confederates near the door,
so thought 1 would give them a test.
! Later the medium told me there was a
light over my head and asked me to
stand. n tt} fttl@ .i
Your mother is here and wishes to
speak to you,' he said
| Il stood and he remarked: L get the
name of NM Yes, Mary Is her
name,: I interrupted.
| He gave me the message, but need
less to say my mothers name Is not
Mary and she is very much alive. My
sisters spirit also came to me, and for
the first time / learned that 1 had a
sister.
IHCIC dIC SOllC WTO Sdy
have no right to say do my work by
trickery, for 1 am a great medium.
They say that have no right to take
the stand l do, but should come out
and say honestly that my work is really
done by the aid of spirits. They do
not believe that 1t is trickery. There
is no end to the amount of credulity
which some people possess.
There is one woman in Los Angeles
who takes this stand, and nothing
could change her idea"
Since last Sunday 1 have continued
my investigation of mediums methods
and though l found the few 1 visited
more cautious than those upon whom
1 first called, they were none the less
ready to take my fee and give me
their advice, when they became suf-
ficiently convinced that 1 was a poor,
foolish, innocent maiden, seeking only
to kneel at their feet and listen to the
words of wisdom from the oracle.
l accumulated more relatives in spirit
land of whom / have never dreamed
and before finished I actually learned
that 1 had a husband floating some
where around in the great beyond.
''It is pity that you should have a
tragedy in your life and you so young,
too" said one of the fifty-cent kind.
L went to her in a black dress and
wearing wedding ring, so she evident
ly drew her own conclusions.
When / gave few heart breaking
sobs she consoled me, asked to look at
my hand, and said:
"Dearie, you have another marriage
In your hand" At this I pretended to
be very angry and then curiosity got
the better Of me and 1 permitted her
to tell me about the other husband.
She even went so far as to give me
message from the one in spirit land,
saying that he was happy and wished
me to be happy.
you see, dear, he wishes you to be
happy and he would not mind at all If
you were to marry again, for he real
ICES that you are lonely and that you
need a soul mate" AS she gave utter
ance to the soul mate she turned her
eyes heavenward and gave a most af-
fecting sigh. I grew fearful lest she
should tell me of some soul mate wait
ing somewhere for her. and hurried
to leave.
Mediums credulous Dupes
black dress and wedding ring are
quite sufficient to bring sobs into the
voice of almost any medium. There is
hardly one of them who will refuse to
find a husband In spirit land for a
woman with a black dress.
He is always happy. and sometimes
he asks your forgiveness for the little
harsh words he said. What man would
not ask forgiveness under such condi-
tions? And 1t would be a strange spirit
who would admit that he was not
happy. The mediums story on this
point never varies. He is always happy
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