Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-02
TRUMPET TRICK
IS EXPOSED BY
FORMER FAKER
WITNESS IN WILL CASE Ex-
PLAINS FRAUD
CONCEALED WRITING HUMRUG
SHOWN UP
Bishop Garrison Says Some Mediums
Are Honest and Believe What
They Profess, but Most
Are Quacks

Bishop S. Garrison, once exponent
and now exposer of mediumistic hum
buggery and the quackery of spiritual
ism, was again the principal witness In
the probate court yesterday during the
hearing of the contest over the will of
the late Richard Crawford smith,
whose relatives say he was unduly IN
fiuenced to bequeath large sums OF
money to members of a spiritualistic
organization with which he was al
filiated.
Bishop Garrison gave further details
of the methods used by fake mediums
to procure money from guliible per-
sons and declared the So-called phe-
nomena of spiritualism can be pro-
duced by anybody who is expert in
the matter He paid his respects to
John Cunningham, named as executor
under one of the contested codicils OF
Smiths will, stating he was present
and took part in sitting at 1922 South
Hope street, several years ago, when
Cunningham did the trumpet talking,
those present in the circle believing 1t
to be a voice from the other world.
Garrison described the manner in
which the trumpet fake is worked, as
follows:
"The slips containing questions
are placed in the cup end of
the broomstick, which is lowered to
the man in the basement. He reads
the questions, dictates the answers to
the medium, who, in turn, utters them
through the trumpet, which rests on a
chandelier above the cabinet and is
connected with the latter by a piece
of black hose.p
Reading Through Pocket
The bishop also explained the man
ner in which writing concealed in
nnrxnt he read DX
faker. One of the witnesses in the
present case, he stated, told him about
a visit he made to supposed medium
named Kahra in San Francisco and of
her apparently endowed power to read
concealed writing.
'He told me he had written his name
and a question on piece of paper,
sealed the paper in an envelope and
placed it in his pocket" said the wit
ness. "He alone was in the room, yet
when Kahra was called she told him
what was on the paper.
THAT writing was as plain to Kahra
as a grocery sign across the street,
continued the bishop. 1.-The placing of
that envelope and writing in my
friends pocket didn't bother Kahra a
trifle. The things necessary to play TINS
trick are a small table covered with a
smooth coating of paraffine, some thin
note paper and envelopes. When per
son writes on the paper an impression
is left on the paraffine-covered surface
of the table, and the supposed medium,
by standing in a certain position, can
read everything as clearly as If the
paper was before his or her eyes"
Laughs at Dupes
The witness said his idea of sue
cessful seance was one where the sit
tiers believed they were controlled by
denizens of the spirit world without any
SUGGESTION or effort on the part of the
medium himself
Il have sat in the darkness and
laughed heartily at the antics of these
people," said the bishop. "One would
be controlled by an Indian, one by a
negro, another by a Chinese and
so on
Bishop Garrison said he once attend
ed a meeting in San Francisco of what
is known as the Inner circle" Eleven
persons, he said, We're present, men ana
women, all in a state of nudity, their
clothing being discarded in order that
the spirits would experience no dlfn-
Guilty in communing with them. The
witness named several OF those pres
ent. 1.-THE room was in utter dark
ness" he said land several of the old
er men had their spirit brides material
lied that night"
Bishop Garrison told of his exposure
of fake Spiritualism in Astoria, Ore,
since which time, he said, it has been
impossible for a professional Spiritual
list to work in that CITY.
when 1 went 10 Astoria Henry Al
len a boy, was doing some apparently
wonderful things, and everybody was
impressed" said the witness. Il Of
fered to give seance for $40, and eX-
pose Allen. The seance was given and
next day 1 was famous There are mo-
fake Spiritpalists in Astoria now"
did you continue your seancesY'
asked Attorney John T. Jones.
81 did," responded the witness.
"Took the peoples money just like
those you say you exposed?' suggested
the attorney.
Owes Career to Exposure
"Certainly, and they could have paid
me $4,000 and still be ahead. Senator
Fulton of oregon told me he owed his
career to my exposure at that time
Bishop Garrison concluded his testi-
mony by stating that all mediums are
not frauds and takers. "Some are hon
est and really believe they are con-
trolled by spirit agencies, and they will
continue to believe this until they land
in the insane asylum or some one comes
along and shows them their mistake"
Tho ease Iyac continued until Tues