The Washington herald., 1912-04-01
Well Known Medium, in a
Trance, Hears "Spirits"
of Skating Victims.
TRIED TO TELL PARENTS
Tragedy of Chevy Chase Lake Ex
planned at spiritualistic Seance
in Pythian Temple:

While in a spiritualistic trance yester-
day at the afternoon services or the First
Church Of Washington. at Pythian Tenn
pie, Mrs. susannah A. Harris, a we'll
known medium, from Columbus, Ohio
astounded the audience by claiming &c
be in communication with the spirits of
Margaret z. Kaufman and Norman T.
Locke, the high school boy and girl who
were drowned while skaung on Chevy
Chase Lake on the night OF January II
last.
Mrs. Harris had been on the stage for
some time, and had communicated a
number of messages from spirits. some
of whom had been recognized by the
audience. Suddenly. speaking in a
changed voice from her Iast message, she
said:
II have the sensation OF drowning.
am drowning under the Ice" The mes
sage was given in a boys voice. the in
timation being that the spirit of a boy
was employing the medium to communl-
cate his message TO the audience. Mrs.
Harris asked IL any one recognized the
message, but received no answer. Just
then, a second spirit, associated with the
boy, said: .
II am drowning, too. The ice was too
thin, and we fell in the water
Recognized by Friend.
The connection between the two spirits
was at once recognized by Miss Thelma
Payne, OF 55 Rhode Island avenue north
west, and a close friend OF the girl, who
met a tragic death. Upon a second Ques-
ton by Mrs. Harris, IL anybody in the
audience recognized the message, Miss
Payne raised her hand, and through the
medium. a message telling Of the Incl
dents before and after the drowning
was communicated to her.
The message was to the effect that the
young couple had intended to join in
the skating carnival on the Tidal Basin,
on the night of January Il, but had be-
come confused as to the location of the
carnival and had gone TO Chevy Chase
instead. Unwilling to be deprived of
whirl on the ice by their mistake. they
fastened on their skates, and started TO
skate on the lake. The ice broke be-
meath their weight. and they fell into the
frigid water. The boy tried TO assist the
girl, but neither could swim. and they
went down to the icy embrace of the
water. struggling for life under the ice.
While no rsr1-F TH-e ~aned by the
Medium. the ChsrsSterz wera defined too
plslulv - DC mistaken Te spirit Of
tie girl explained thst her vSrldIy name
started with an ~" EnS "a boy was
tescta5s3 IS al only snr.
SpiISs yqF~S- E4p ain.
EoHowioE ths drownirs. the spir4t
g@iCss sEslsissI. th-o,-zh - medium
fhat b.fh she boy Sac rfrl nsd
cH5saVo-ef % make r1aaitestaIions 10
t'r~ parents % a6vtrs tHem OF their
aer.tH- u wss explained bv the spirit OF
The gu aiai srs rad been fond of play
~ the Eiaisn. nd tbs. IN the night
uf the dr0sTi1E her spir.. had entered
? room n her worldly residence in
~EiclI the violin was located, and where
her rsthsr wss ling.
The spirit in an effort to secure the
atff 1tioI of the father. TO whom it could
not speak. displaced the bridge of the
violin Il falling to the floor. Mr.. Kauff-
man is said TO have picked II up, repIac-
.Es II on the instrument. Twice more
the spirit displaced the bridge, the ia
ther attributing IL TO accident. The spirit
of the boy endeavored TO appear be-
fore his mother, through a window in
her residence. 1865 North Carolina avenue
northeast Nothing regarding what the
couple are doing in the spirit world could
be learned.
At the end of her trance Mrs. Harris
was unable to recollect any but frag-
ments of the message which had been
communicated through her.
''An I can recollect,' she said. els
that the spirits of the boy and girl en-
deavored to explain the incidents Of the
tragedy. How we'll they succeeded I do
not know, as am not aware what
messages I communicate in a state of
trance"
First Church Celebrates.
The First Church of Washington yes
terday celebrated the sixty-fourth ami
versary Of the establishment of modern
spiritualism. Addresses were made in
the afternoon by DR.. George B. Warne.
of Chicago, national president, and Mrs.
Zaida B. Hates, pastor of the local
Solos were sung by Miss Eliz-
abeth Slater. Miss Thelma Payne, Miss
Jeanette Buck. and Mr.. knight. Mes
sages were given by Mrs. Harris and
Mrs. E. K. Williams. The evening serv-
ices included an address by Charles r.
Schirm, OF Baltimore, national vice
president, and manifestations in slate
writing.
An English footwsmer for motorists takes its