Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-06-02
GOLD BRICKS.

The searchlight of judicial inquiry
has been turned upon Spiritualists, ana
seances have been probed into ana
fraud has been discovered. People VS..
Miles, 125 Pacific Reporter. $50. This Is
a prosecution for larceny. Defendant
is a "Spiritualist" who, with others, MI.
and Mrs. Arnold and one Emma smith.
conducted seances at which as was
represented to the patrons. voices from
the spirit world audibly spoke to the
circle of the living which attended. Inc
seances were held in small apart
ment in which was placed music ooN
and a trumpet The room was hung
with curtains apparently against the
walls and was Illuminated by artificial
light. During the seanceS this was
turned down so as to give but very
dim light and the music box Was set
running so as to give forth strains OF
music The voices apparently came
from the trumpet. One of these caieo
himself Or. Winthrop and claimed TO
be the guide and control" of Mrs.
Arnold while the other called himseif
"Abdewater, and claimed to he the
guide and control" of one Mrs. Griesse,
who. with her husband. had become IN
terested in the .seanceS and had made
visits at frequent intervals. Al one OF
. these visits TO the spirit, after defend
ant and his confederate Spiritualists
had learned that Mr. and Mrs. Griesse
were the owners of a lodging house. the
voices" advised and urged the two to
sell their lodging house to the end that
money could be invested under the
directions of Or Winthrop" and Alb
dewater' BY means OF urging and
bullying repeated at frequent seances
the GrieSSes We're finally induced TO
dispose of their lodging house for which
they received $1,000 Shortly after
wares they attended another seance at
which the voices urged and advised
them to invest their money in a Won
derful invention. originG by an
honest man" whom they had been
''developins" as an inventor. At the
conclusion of this seance the Griesses
" ere introduced to the defendant as the
inventor who told them the merits of
his fountain tooth brush" and the
" onderful business prospects of the
american Fountain Tooth Brush Com :
pany' to De organized TO market and
exploit this invention. The Griesses
" ent home without coming to a de-
cision Later they visited Mrs. Arnold
again and were treated to another Sc
anCc at which they We're urged To in
/ vest in the stock of the company. AT
the seauces some sort of incerse was
burned. but at this one more than
usual and Mrs. Griesse was urged TO in
hale of it 50 as to more fully come
under the control" This she did 70
such an extent as to become dizzy. At
the conclusion of the seance she signed
and delivered to defendant check on
the bank for $1,000, the purchase price
| Of 10 900 shares of capital stock. De-
/ PENDANT and his confederate.s were
Jointly indicted for Ian ceny Defendant
was tried separately. and by the jury
found guilty as charged. The district
court of appeal of California holds that
the evidence is sufficient to show tina,
defendant was follow conspirato1
f., with his codefendants and an active
participant in the entire scheme by
which the larceny was committed The
! conviction is affirmed.