Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-04
EXPRESSES GREAT CHAGRIN
AT FAKERY
p. A. Jensen Believes That chicanery
of Alleged Mediums Has Harm-
fuI Effect on Legitimate
Spirituallsm
ny L. A. JENSEN

spiritualists and grating mediums
were indeed shown up in their true
light. All those who were present, with
the exception of The Herald's repre-
sentative, put themselves on record as
mere children in reasoning powers
when II came to deciding upon issues
concerning their own belief.
This test reading. which was called
at the request of e. u. Webster, who
claimed that Mrs. Sanford johnson
was faker and that she could not
disprove his charges, was held several
weeks ago in the Office of Arthur Howe,
president of the spook association of
California and publisher OF the Occi-
dental Mystic, a monthly publication
run in the interest of the spooksters
Mrs. Johnson appeared at the office
and there met a committee composed
OF number of men who were supposed
to be Investigators. Instead. with one
exception, they all proved to be her
friends and ready to assist her in any
fakery she wished to unload upon the
public
After she had gone through a number
of strange notions after the light had
gone out and been relighted, after the
woman had held the slate in her own
hands for nearly fifteen minutes, both
slate and hands concealed beneath a
shawl, three tiny microscopic marks
were found on the slate. With the ex-
ception of The Herald reporter all the
members of the so-called ''investigat-
ing committee" at once pronounced the
marks as genuine slate writing.
Knows Fake and Faker
/ am well acquainted with Mrs. San
ford-Johnson and the art" which she
dubs spirit slate writing" Years ago
when getting my education in spirit
phenomena 1 had several sittings with
this alleged medium to test her So
called spirit power The manner in
which she receives the writing, to say
the least, is suspicious. Holding the
slate in her lap, concealed beneath a
shawl, while the spirits do the writing,
may be all right, but when the medium
puts her own hand underneath the
shawl in a position where she may do
the writing if she chooses, that surely
is evidence enough that she herself
does the writing instead of the spirits.
Her exhibits show traces of being writ
ten under great difficulties. The letters
are generally i'll formed, and the words
of a whole sentence are sometimes
Joined together in one word, zigzagging
all over the slate, and is often unread
able. This is no doubt because the
medium cannot see what she is writing
and also because of fear of being de-
tected by moving her arm and hand.
The longest messages that l have ever
seen upon her states have been made
VI Dul h lGN NOlNlS'
Has Bad Associations
There are other reasons which show
plainly that Mrs Johnson's medium
ship is Of a doubtful character. If she
is really honest and in communication
with the other world is ii at all likely
that she would associate with the worst
takers on the coast? This, however,
she does. l have seen her on various
occasions acting as "plugger" for Ed
s.,-1 To, ,.Ia toll g1
writer of San Francisco. The fact is
there is abundant evidence to show
that she belongs TO the Los Angeles
takers, but no reliable evidence to be
had that her mediumistic claims are
valid
The universal safeguard now adopted
by intelligent investigators into the
phenomena of sprtualism is that the
phenomena, whatever their nature
shall prove their source by the internal
evidence they contain. When we con-
slider all the deception and fakery as
sociated with spiritualism at the pres
ent day, it is essential that every. in
Vestigator be not deceived by the eX-
ternal form of the phenomena; for they
may be merely legerdemain trickery.
II is now known by several intelli-
gent spiritualiStS that some of the phe-
nomena we have believed were pro-
duced by spirits are purely of medium
origin. Such. for instance, as loud raps
emanating from the soles of certain
individuals feet when walking over
carpeted floors are now known to be
electrical discharges emanating from
the persons who have a superabund-
ance of vital electricity in their Sys-
TENS Such discharges are known to
have broken window panes and to have
caused articles to move near the per-
son. But if, in addition to movement
without visible contact, intelligence is
associated with the phenomena, then
we call them spiritual phenomena.
No Evidence of Spirits
Now if we apply the above mode of
reasoning to the Sanford-Johnson test
seance, we find no evidence whatever
of spirit Intercourse. There is no more
evidence to prove that the three or
four letters We're put on the slate by
spirits than there is evidence to prove
that the astral form Of MiZZnananda
the bogus Hindu who was exposed by
The Herald, put them there. The COM
mittees statement that it was a piece
of genuine Independent slate writing"
is just an CpiniOn-an opinion which the
facts in the case VIII not by any means
prove.
Arthur Howe would not allow Mr.
Webster to bring anybody but we'll sea-
sOned spiritualistS to act ON the COM
mittee; he wanted the address and
pedigree of each individual. Mrs. John
son, however was allowed to bring
anybody. What for instance, was there
to prevent her German friend Jumbo"
who held her hands, from performing
this friendly act for her? The three or
four letters could have been stamped
on the slate in less time than it takes
to say Jack Robinson" There was
nothing to prevent the medium herself
from doing the act in the dark. She
was among friends, No fake medium
would desire a better opportunity.
Some of our clever fake mediums per-
form wonders i'm the dark, while their
hands are apparently held. Shall we
fling reason and common sense to the
wind and become fanatics? Shall we
say, when something happens that we
cannot Immediately explain, 1T is done
by spirits? This is the profound logic
of the SanfOrd-J OhnSOn test committee.
! - IL L.