The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-19
COMMERCIALISM
Is Creeping Into Spiritualism,
Says Mrs. Jerry Simpson.
Takers Desire to Use the So
ciety Along These Lines.
MENTIONS INSTANCES.
Wanted Her to Pay $50 to Get q
Messages From Spirits.
She Grows Indignant and Re.
signs the Presidency.

A"AA o OC1iy SIMPSON mas Withdrawn
from the First Spiritual society of this
city. and has resigned as its president.
She intimated that takers wanted to
use the society along the lines OF
commercialism. She would not stand
for it. and after watching things care
fully for some time she decided to de-
nounce them in open meeting. She did
so and it is said that quite a scene
followed.
Mrs. Simpson is a sincere believer in
scientific spiritualism, but she does
not go much on mediums who try to
make people believe that they can get
messages from friends in the spirit
world through a trumpet She said
some time ago to learn the trick for
$50 but she would not listen to it.
MRS. Simpson declares that she
watched medium in this city very
closely during her Investigations and
that it was case of ventriloquism.
Mrs. Simpson still belongs to the
state society that will hold a conven-
ton here the first week in June-a
convention which she herself secured
and is an active and earnest worker
In IT: Her eyes snapped as she indig-
nantly told reporter that it was a
shame and a disgrace to see such
splendid thing as Spiritualism CONNER
cialized, and therefore degraded.
Mrs. Simpson has written the follow
Ing explanatory note to the Eagle on
the subject:
Feeling that both myself and my
subject are entitled to a word of ex-
PLANTATION, avail myself Of this oppor-
tunity of addressing the public AS
an advocate of the theory, or rather.
the facts. Of spiritualism, I find myself
subject to more misunderstanding and
often. too, Misrepresentation, than
would seem possible. have now been
an observer, investigator, student. and
happy participant in these most won
derful phenomena for a number of
years. My Investigations have cost me
much time and considerable money
During the earlier years 1 always
saw this subject dismissed from dis
cussion with wave of the hand, bit
of cutting ridicule, or a superstitious
dangerous, let it alone.'' But as 1
grew older and saw many of the
worlds best scientists and thinkers
Drawing the ridicule in order to help
investigate, my attitude toward it
changed. And it is a most startling
fact that none Of our wise men has
ever quit this Investigation after once
getting thoroughly into 1t without
pronouncing it the greatest wonder
and new world of fact to be ex-
plored. Even Gladstone said of it:
THE greatest, by far the greatest
work now going on in the world" And
it has won. Crookes, whose investiga-
lions in electricity and other science
has made him a world leader and elect
ed him to the presidency of the English
Royal Society, the greatest scientific
body of men in the world, has written
a book Of his spirit researches that
shows him as sure of the facts Of
spiritualism as he Is of sunshine. Alfred
Russell Wallace, the co-discoverer with
Darwin Of the laws of evolution, has
full spiritualistic facts discovered by
him during years of earnest study.
In our own country we have the
two books, the Widows Mite and the
Psychic Riddle, by 1. K. Funk, D. D.,
a man whose scholarly rank is best
attested by the fact that his stand
ard dictionary is in many places sup
planting our loved Webster. Rev. r.
Heber Newton. of the Episcopal
church, and Minot ]. Savage, D. D.,
of the Unitarian, are American relig-
ious leaders who have taken an open
stand for the study of Spirit Return.
DR.. Richard Hodgson spent over
fifty thousand dollars for the Ameri-
can Psychic Research society investi-
eating various mediums. He was one
of the worlds most skilled psycholo-
gists and began as a materialist, ex-
pecting to find it all fraud, but ended
his years of work with a full convic-
ton of immortality and spirit return.
His scientific certainty of future life
is best evidenced by his saying: IT can
hardly wait to die" And since his
death he has identified himself to
scientific men in many ways and says,
Things are even better than 1 ex-
pected." And there are hundreds of
others of the brightest, the best and
the greatest of men whose writings
and sayings on this subject are truly
enlightening, but space forbids their
mention. The public press is slowly
opening up to the subject for the peo-
pie begin to demand it. A good illus
tration Is Hamlin Garland's article on
1.-The Shadow World" lately begun in
Everybody's Magazine.
Much of my life has been with the