Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1908-08-15
WOMEN PRAY
BESIDE CORPSE
Philadelphia Physician Found
Dead in His Home.
POLICE FORCED AN ENTRANCE

TWO Women. Believed to Be Spiritual.
lists, Were Found Praying For His
Resurrection and Muttering Strange
Incantations-He Had Been Dead at
Least Forty-eight Hours-One Of the
Women Said She Worked Over Him
All Night When She Got a Message
From Her Spiritual Controller.
Philadelphia. Aug. ID. Emerson
Wheat, a physician. aged forty-fve
years. was found dead in his home at
Nineteenth and Diamond streets. in
one OF the most pretentious residential
sections OF this city. under most start.
ling circumstances Beside the body OF
the dead man, which lay upon couch.
two women were found praying for his
resurrection and muttering strange in
carnations. though physicians say the
condition OF the corpse indicates that
the man had been dead at least forty.
eight hours Mrs. Fannie Soult a pro
fessed spiritualist. and Miss Florence
Beckman who were arrested by the
police. are the women, With them in
the house was a five-yearold son OF
Mrs. SOult.
Or. Wheat. who was we'll known in
the northern section of the city. had
been living alone in his home during
the absence of his family. who are in
the country for the summer He was
last seen alive on Saturday. when he
called AT drug store in the neigh.
borhood In consequence OF his having
failed to make certain visits the police
were asked to investigate. They forced
the door of the house and found the
physician lying half clothed on
couch in his office. Lying PROSTATE on
the floor. they say they found Mrs.
Soult and Miss Becliman. The former
on hearing the police is declared to
have cried in fervent tones: Here
comes our spiritual controller Wei.
come and restore to MS the departed
soul of our martyred brother"
The police took the women 10 the
station house. whore Mrs Soult made
n statement in which she said that
she had known DR. Wheat for about
seven years. and that since last April
she had been treating him by rubbing
him with her hands giving him what
IS known as the magnetic treatment.
On Sunday last she said the physician
came TO her house and asked her to
come 10 his home, as he felt as though
something were going 10 happen.
When she went to his Office and house
h. was smoking He got mp. staggered
and started TO go from the room. when
he seemed TO be stricken and sank
down on the couch where he was
found He could not say what he want
ed. and Mrs Sout says she tried TO
take OF some OF his clothing and be
gan rubbing his chest. She worked
over him until morning when she got
a message from her spiritual control
Ter. Or Miller. and at the time the
police came In she was waiting for
him to instruct her as to what she
should next do in the case Miss Beck.
man, she said. was simply a friend
who had gone to the house with her.
Mrs. Soult. according to the police.
has advertised as fortune teller and
medium and Is well known as a spirit
ualist DR. Miller whom she refers to
as her spiritual controller. died about
two years ago.
DR. Wheat was graduate of one OF
the best medical colleges in this city
and well regarded as a practitioner
So far no cause of death has been as
signed in the case. but It is believed
20 have been natural.