Los Angeles herald., 1909-06-21
WORK
OF SPIRITUALISTS
JOHN D. SLATER CRITIClSES
ACTION BY POLICE
PREDICTS THAT HE SOON WILL
BE TAKEN TO JAIL
Laws of Country Are So Poor, He
Says, That American Flag
Should Be Hidden Un-
der Ground

THE American nag, lOplSSOheiAAS
what it does, should be buried ten feet
beneath the ground. The laws of this
country are poor ones"
These were the words with which
John D. Slater opened his test reading
yesterday afternoon at Semi-Tropic
park, referring to the arrest OF several
mediums yesterday. Walking rapidly
across the platform and wildly gesticu-
iating he continued:
81 am going to be arrested. come
down to Temple and New High streets
tomorrow and see me behind the bars.
Slater continued in this vein for
some time and told of an experience
in Portland where aged women were
thrown into Jail because, as he stated,
of their belief In their religion.
He then urged the people to con-
tribute a generous Offering.
This is the first time" he said,
that l have ever given readings when
the door was free"
He stated that he lost everything in
the San Francisco fire, although he
claimed to have known sometime be-
fore the catastrophe OF the impending
disaster to his house and belongings.
Fifty thousand dollars to me- he
said, "is nothing. l earn more money
in a week than many of you persons in
the audience can accumulate in a year.
1 am in a good humor this afternoon
for giving some fine readings, but the
length of the tests will depend entirely
on the amount of the collection.
Defends His Religion
"Spiritualism, he said, lis our re-
ligion, and under the constitution of
the United States no one has right
to prosecute us for our belief in it. 1t
must be genuine or there could be no
counterfeits of it. 1 will give $500 to
anyone in the audience who will prove
that l have had any assistance in per-
forming the tests"
The women in the audience were
then requested to remove their hats.
Several musical selections were con-
tributed while the audience was al
lowed to write questions, seal them in
envelopes and place them on a table
before him.
Slater mixed up the huge pile of
questions which had been placed on
the table, seized a small yellow en-
velope in his hand and paced UP and
down the platform. Il see him now,"
ne said. His initials are b. S. and his
last name is Jones. He is standing
behind the lady with the double chin"
Everybody jumped.
Then Slater proceeded to explain
that it was merely spirit he was re-
ferring to whom he could see as plainly
as if it were flesh and blood. He told
one elderly woman that the question
he held in the envelope was in refer
ence to real estate transfer do not
sell the house, he said. wait three
months and you will receive $2500 for it
and all will be WELL"
Answers Numerous Questions
So many were the questions handed
to Slater that he was able to answer
only a small proportion of them. At
times he would break off in the mid
die of a family history to tell persons
in another section of the hall what
they had wanted to find out, saying
that the revelation had just been made
to him and that he could not wait to
impart the desired information
No person received any sad or dis
couraging news throughout the after
noon although no questions were
taken from the table by Slater which
fered vast sums of money to any one
who could prove that he knew the per-
son whose question he was answering
or could duplicate his performance
Several Of the mediums now operat-
ing at the park are out on $3.50 bail,
They announce, however, that readings
will continue even If they are placed
behind the bars.
The afternoons program was preced-
ed by a lecture on 1.-THE Value of Spir-
itualism to Humanity by Mrs. Emily
Kratz. No rappings spooks or other
manifestations of the spirit world were
noticeable during the performance.
Resolutions Against Arrests
A committee of twenty, of which
Rev. F. Grimshaw was chairman,
adopted the following resolutions:
Whereas, Religious liberty is one of
the foundation principles of our gov
eminent and our constitution guaran-
tees the right to all to worship God
according to the dictates of their own
conscience: and
whereas, This right is from time
to time being infringed in the case of
the Spiritualists of our community;
Therefore, Be it resolved, that we, a
body of representative Spiritualists in
mass-meeting assembled this Goth day
of June, 1909, do protest against this
infringement of our religious liberties.
wherein certain of our reputable work.
ers and mediums have been placed
under arrest for no crime other than
the practice of their religion. Be it
further
"Resolved, That we call for the moral
support of all lovers of religious lib
erty in defense of our rights as citi-
zens of the United States.
COMMITTEE OF TWENTY.
REV. F. GRIMSHAW."
A%S--