Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-09


ing on In the state. Nettie Howell. who
runs the spiritualists' halls, is fighting
the camp at Edendale, while the state
society is fighting BOTH Nettie Howell
is said to represent branch of the
takers, while the Edendale camp repre-
sents another clique. The camp was
formed by a Swede named Johnson, who
some years ago bought at small price
eight or ten acres, split the tract into
lots and sold them at $3.50 to 5000 each to-
spritualists. Nettie Howell rents halls
takers, and this prevents difficulty with
the owners.
The Anti-Faker society believes the
license imposed on persons practicing me-
diumship. etc, should be great deal
more than the $50 charged at present
Mrs Reynolds it is said, cannot secure
a license under any circumstances in Los
Angeles.
Faker Meets Waterloo
Four years. almost to a day, have
passed since Elsie Reynolds was first ex-
posed in her work of taking in Los An
geles. 1t was on Sunday night in Oc-
tober, 1903, while she was doing her
famous Aunt Betsy stunt in the home of
G. A. Cherry, S33 Wall street, and her
downfall was caused by Cherry's love
of fun and high sense of the ridiculous
Mrs. Reynolds, masquerading as Aunt
Betsy, had been making her ghostly
parades and swapping osculatory greet
ings at the home of Robert Hale, then a
believer in her work but now one of the
strongest opponents of all fakes, inside or
outside of the spiritualistic faith She
had many followers and they were added
to until the crowd became too large for
the house, and Cherry the unbeliever Of
fered the Use of his hnrna
Cherry had two friends in the attic
above the place where Mrs. Reynolds
spook cabinet was to be located The
friends, two yuong fellows with sur
plus of energy and a willingness to en-
ter upon anything that promised sport
cut long slit in the ceiling paper, ar
ranging the paper in such a manner that
1t could be lowered and lifted back into
place. This gave them a full view of the
woman and her operations.
Spook Wears Whiskers
The main object of the seance, taking
up collection, was then accomplished
and Mrs. Reynolds took her seat in the
cabinet and asked the crowd to sing.
Through the gloomy shades of the al
most completely .darkened room the spec
tators watched her, almost reverer tly,
and through the same gloom the men in
the attic also watched, but without rev.
erence.N They saw her pick up a white
rag lying inside the cabinet and dangle
it before the watchers. All they could see
was shapeless white object but the
thing was said to be a baby and Mrs.
Reynolds limitations OF childish wall
impressed them.
Then the spook of little darky girl
was exhibited. 1t was the same white
rag, but this time it bobbed up and down,
while Mrs. Reynolds tapped the wall
with her fingers. This was supposed to
De dance to rag-time tune. 1t had
the wiggles and the sound, and that
seemed to satisfy the crowd, and whisper
ings of dear thing" cute creature" and
other expressions of sympathetic endear-
ment were heard
The first tall "spook" was that of
Peter Buffet" and he was kissed by a
number who said they knew him. Then
came DIR. Monroe" This was accom-
p1ished by Mrs. Reynolds with false
whiskers. which the young men in the
attic saw her put on. The whiskers were
ticklish, but many in the crowd appar-
emily liked them.
Elsie Is Exposed
Then came Aunt Betsy fat ard jolly
spook. Betsy's arrival was the signal
for general kissing, and o. c. Watson, one
of the young men in the attic, became
SO excited he yelled through the rip in
the ceiling Go to it, Cherry, who was
sitting well up in front, made dive for
the cabinet, which he pulled down. Mrs.
Reynolds tore off her makeup and stuck
it in large pocket in her underskirt, let
down her overskirt and stood before the
crowd in embarrassment. One of the
women wanted to search Mrs. Reynolds,
but the latter denied this privilege
angrily.
And that ended her work in Los An
geles for the time being.
Two years and a half later, or to be
exact, March 90 1906 Mrs. Reynolds was
again exposed as a faker. She had been
doing stunts at Sawtelle, but the place was
too small and she took up quarters at
the Grand Pacific hotel in this city. She
was dragged from her cabinet by Mrs.
Savoy, who had, a year before, exposed
H. Crindle. Mrs. Reynolds son, and his
wife. Mrs. Savoy was aided by friends
in the gathering and at the call of "Po-
lice" officers waiting outside battered
down the door and rushed In, followed
by large crowd The long web of
cheesecloth which repres ented the ghost
ly robes of departed spirits. together with
a tin megaphone, which had taken the
part of Uncle Joshua" were captured.
Letter DiscIoses Fraud
Because of difficulties in the way of
convicting alleged takers the woman was
not placed under arrest, but the prosecut-
ing attorney instructed any of the duped
ones who might wish to see the faker
prosecuted to swear to a complaint.
At the time of the above expose let
ter of instructions from Elsie Reynolds
to Laura H. Hyland of Sawteile was
made public Mrs. Hyland was former
assistant of Mrs Reynolds but later be-
came an unbeliever and turned the let
ter over to the Anti-Faker society of Los
Angeles. The letter follows:
Dear Laura-Yours only received yes
terday evening almost at the beginning
of your Saturday night seance. l really
don't know what to say. Don't black.
1t Is dangerous, but If you can't do any
batter you will have to, but for Gods
sake be careful. Why don't you get Mr..
Allan? Have your seances in the even
ing. He can be there, and give him a
dollar every time He is perfectly safe.
little short one always comes to him
(Minnie Williams) and calls him her big
uncle, then she steps back. draws the
lace over her hair and makes herself
look tall by standing on her tiptoes. ooh.
God If anyone should see this) and