The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-27
Author of Vera, the Medium,' J
 Tells of Work
HE INVESTIGATED STOCKS
Interviewed Dozens of Alleged Spir- itualists in Cleaning His facts. Naturalization of Anyone
 While You Wait
By RICHARD HARDING DAVIS.


 When I decided to write play which would have for it's theme the spiritual 1 istic charlatans who infest all our large l cities, 1 did not have much information 1 to go upon, and consequently it became necessary to visit some 20 or 30 of these practitioners" and get material at first ] hand. At the beginning I knew, of course, that "faking" was the chief reli- i anee of these people and that their ellen l tele was composed of the superlatively l emotional and comparatively ignorant l class but the extent to which their hyp- l ocritical and even dangerous calling was piled surprised me. The question at the beginning is not whether I do or do not believe in spiritualism. but the manner in which investigated the "falxirs" at their trade My newspaper experience has been sufficient I think, to enable me to sift out the true and the false, and l did not have to sift very hard to dis cover that truth in this particular instance not only lay at the bottom of well, but was buried completely out of sight.
 In all I investigated some 20 mediums, weighed their claims to psychic con- trol," etc.. and then wrote my play. One of these so-ealled mediums was en- sconeed in house opposite the Garrick theatre, in New York, and I have made use of the interior of that abode of char latanry in the play. Others were scat tered over the city, even in Brooklyn, where, by the way, the fake medium, is like green bay tree. ISam not pre- pared to say whether the inhabitants of Brooklyn are more susceptible to psychic influence it is doled out at a dollar a reading" or not but mediums over there can be found in every block My experi- ments, If l may so call them, were made in the guise of bookmaker whose "sheet-writer" had decamped with the 'bank-roll." ]" In this way I managed to create for myself an atmosphere that seemed to call for feeling of safety for the medium, presumably because in New York at present the bookmaker is also "outside'' the law, and apparent erimi- nality creates a semi-brotherly feeling. The first medium l went to wrung from me the details of my sad story and then regretfully confessed that he was unable to do much for me, as his "control" was not working just right However, he suggested that I see another worker in H. over there. I took particular pains to note that the moment I appeared my bus mess was known. Presumably the first man had thoughtfully telephoned to the second the gist of my trouble, for the second man read my mission at sight I was a bookmaker who had lost a trust ed co-worker and some cash. Sad but true. The spirits should be consulted at once, and they would probably yield up inform a n ha urIaa of the missing "conferer"
 Quite early in the pursuit of information l discovered something I had already been morally certain of, and that was that an absolute free masonry exists among all the workers of the spiritual istic graft There is published blue book which gives more or less reliable infor- nation of all those who have fallen vic- tims to the fakirs from time to time. And this volume is not confined in it's circulation to New York, by any means. It goes wherever the medium goes, and 1t contains descriptions not only of the seeker after departed friends, but whole family histories and mass of detail
 One of the principal sources of harm these people do is to be found in cases of illness. Any one who has gone into the question is aware of the num- Der of so-called functional diseases-dis- orders caused by the nerves alone and which are in the main purely imaginary. A person suffering from one of these in- numerable ailments consults the Spirit ualist'' for advice, and the crafty spirits" immediately recommend some unspeakable practitioner who will admin ister all the drugs in the pharmacopia in order to keep the deluded patient still patient. Few people have any idea of the extent to which this sort of thing is carried, and the harm that Is done is in calculable.
 In my investigations I wanted to see, of course. a 'materializaton' seance, and would not be satisfied until I had. I wished to observe for myself just what tricks these people had up their sleeves, and I was thoroughly satisfied with what I saw. They will materialize any one on the slightest provocation for you, for a very small sum. The procedure is distinctly impressive-for the time and Is laid out with great care. Having made the necessary arrangements, a "circle' Is formed with the cabinet in one end or corner A semi-crcle of chairs is arranged in front of it at re- spectful distance. The inquirer is asked to seat himself and other "believers'' are placed one on each side. Always there is a believer" to hold your hands, and this is done because one might in the moment or excitement try to unInaSk the pretend CT. Incidentally, should you attempt to leap to your feet for any purpose what ever, you will be firmly held down by the "belieyers."
 In all the places I investigated there were friends of the workers who re- mained in the room. If I objected to this I was informed that they were only friends; that they were naturally inter ested, and that they could possibly he Of nc danger or harm to either myself my spirit friends. The regular ma terialzation fakes are too well known to require an extended description. The star is a frequent visitor of all seances. 1t Is worked with an extension rod, some thing on the principle of a fishing pole. and the phosphorescent star is waved about by one of the operators or friend Naturally in the dark one can not see the rod. Masks, gauzy draperies and bits of silk that are rubbed together to produce a swishlng effect are some of the properties of every seance.
 When I first began 1 was taken for a newspaper man, and then when they get to know me better-as they did, for