The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-06-04
PSYCHIC HEALING TEST
Methodists Grant Rev. A. T. 0s-
bron a Year For His Plan.
COMPLAINTS LED TO ACTION.

Will Pass Judgment on Missouri
Clergyman at End Of His Test--camp
In Ozark Mountains viii Be Opened
For Patients.
An Ozark mountain beauty spot. near
new town named Mount View, IN
Howell county, Mo-. Is to be the scene
Of prolonged test of the value Of
psychic healing for the use Of min
listers of the orthodox churches. If
the test is successful Methodist min
listers throughout Missouri may be au
thorized to practice psychic healing
whenever they see TT The Rev. Dr.
Andrew Il. Osbron, pastor Of the Ben
niugton Heights Nj. Il. church of Kan
sas City, Mo-, is to make the expert
ment. The decision of the conference
was to suspend judgment upon DR.. Os
bron and his methods until the next
annual conference.
The conference did not indorse Dr.
Osbron's endeavors to mix metaphys-
les and preaching. He had not asked
for Endorsement - only chance to
make test. and that was granted. AL
ready seventy-ive patients have ap-
piled to him, and in less than month
the Ozark camp may be opened.
The Emmanuel movement In Kan
sas City as led by Dr. Osbron had
reached such proportions few months
ago as to cause complaints that the
leader could not take care of 1t and
his church routine at the same time.
So. actuated by complaints made to
him In mass meeting held In his
church and by the warnings of certain
Of his colleagues in the ministry. Or.
Osbron handed in his resignation, and
when the state conference met at Sc
dalia In last April he asked that body
just what attitude the church was 60
ing to take toward mental science and
its allied branches The ministers and
leading laymen of the church answer
ed in effect, I'VE do not indorse you,
but we will stand by you as interested
spectators and watch you for n year
before we render judgment"
In 1908 this same minister while
stationed at jackson, Mo-. stirred the
M. e. Church South with a similar
question and was censured, then vim
dicated. His own account of that af-
fair is that ever since his boyhood he
has been student of psychology,
psycho-therapy. mental science, spirit
ualism and even Of the tricks of the
conjurer and that he prepared lec-
ture on Mind and Mystery" embody-
ing the results Of his studies and CIV
ing practical demonstrations of the
fakes that are often practiced
He announced that he would give
the lecture and set the date. The
board of directors Of his church asked
him not to do so, saying that they did
not wish to antagonize a strong COM
munity Of spirituaists living near
Jackson. In the town Of Millerville.
DR.. Osbron's answer was brief. II will
give the lecture"
He did and Immediately afterward
was asked to resign With the con-
sent of his bishop he left his charge.
then spent the summer continuing to
give the lecture that had caused the
trouble In September he had tired Of
dress suits and Kerosene footlights and
asked to be given II charge This was
refused. So when the NJ. e. Church
South met in conference at Birming-
ham. Ala, he went there to petition
the committee on episcopacy. Though
he tried several times to get hear
ing. he was shut ont What to do next
under such circumstances puzzled him.
The problem finally was solved for
him by q reporter. who called in half
dozen other newspaper men and told
DR.. Osbron to detail to them the cir
cumstances Of his case. The follow
Ing day the minister got a hearing
without delay. The bishop who had
been most prominent In the attack
was censured. and DR. Osbron was
given the desired credentials He used
these papers to gain entrance to the
main body Of the NJ. e. church.
He went to Kansas City in August.
1907, after two years In southern Mis-
souri,. In the spring of 1908 he again
began giving the lecture on Mind and
Mystery" and made. 1t is said, a num-
Der of cures by psycho-theraphy and
suggestion. His fame spread until
the patients-by his own confession
took up almost as much time as the
pastorate.
Then trouble began. Some of the
congregation pointed out that In their
day Methodist ministers didn't study
conjurers tricks or dabble in hypnotism
or expose the 'act" of the Bangs sis.
tiers. and they said they didn't intend
side to keep insiders in. The occupant
Of the hotel cell is afraid that some
thing will be done to him or that some
thing will be taken from him by some
one who ought to be in a prison CELL
That is the theory of it.
Lock your door and leave your val
uables at the office" cautions the oblig-
ing innkeeper IF you had valuables
you wouldn't be here" observes the
witty prison keeper. That is to say,
the question of valuables seems to en-
ter largely into the matter.
1t would be great to have civiliza-
ton which considered valuable only
those things which could not be stolen,
such as mental and moral equipment,