The Detroit times., 1913-08-09
SPIRITUALIST
FAKIR EXPOSED
BY THE POLICE
Flash Light During Seance and
Reveal Medium" Delivering
Messages in Trumpet
WEAK AND NOT EVIL" HE
WINES WHEN CAUGHT
Tragedies Barred in Queries
Seized by Detectives and In
tended for "ThOse Beyond"

When Detective Michael Horrigan
flashed his electric searchlight in the
face Of. Rev. Dr." Andrew O.. NJ.
Wheeler at the height of spiritual
istic seance III an lnAy black room at
No. 81 Adams-aye. west. Thursday
niSht, and found that a wrinkled Old
woman was receiving a message from
her dead daughter. through a three
foot tin trumpet neld in the me
diums mouth, and carrying the mo
dium's voice, the eight men and four
women in the awed little circle leaped
from their chairs, and some seemed
about TO plunge through the windows,
so startling was the relaxation from
the tensity OF the situation resulting
from supposed contact with the world
beyond.
The discontinue OF the fakir. the
way it was accomplished. the COM
ments of the devotees, and the anti
climax TO the weird scene were excru-
ciatingly funny In spots. And again:
Orphaned children, believing, in i'm
plicit faith, that there was a mode OF
communication with dear ones. dead
advice from departed husbands; hus-
bands, longing for the sound of dear
ones voice, and the assurance that the
dear one was happy, there beyond
this was the other angle Of the opera
ton of an effeminate, senie fakir,
who says he has been lin the bust
ness" since he was 10 years old;
who says that maybe he has been
...t. a
doesn't remember exactly what time
or what for; who protests that he is
weak, and not evil; physical wreck,
and not a fakir, an unfortunate man,
led wrong by his controls who de-
ceived him. and made him deceitfui
against his will"
He says he Is 81 years Old. He does
not look more than so. He talks in a
falsetto voice, that is a constant whim-
per.
He poses as a minister of the gos-
pei and exhibits certificate, with
a gold seal, and many signatures, the
certificate reading:
Minister'S certificate. Church OF
Spirit Communion Louisville, Ky.
Issued Jan. /, 1908. Reposing
special confidence in DR.. A. NJ. G..
Wheeler. and believing him to be
we'll qualified to dispense Spiritual
Truth we recognize him as a reg
ular minister of the Gospel, with
power to solemnize marriage in
accordance with the law and
with all other privileges allowed
ministers of other churches, and
to teach Spiritualism according TO
the Bible: Paul, ! Cor, Chapter
u
AS to the method of this reverend
gentleman, he has his devotees write.
on slips of paper, their names, the
names of those with whom commun-
ication is sought, and the message TO
be conveyed. These slips are placed
In an urn. A fire in the urn destroys
some papers, but the -faKir holds out
the other papers. takes them into an
adjoining room, and reads them and
their messages. often pathetic to the
point OF sacredness
That was his game when Detectives
Horrigan and Dibble caught him with
the goods
Further proof OF his taking was
contained In an envelope. containing
original slips deposited in the burn
ing urn" in his seances. Tie envelope
was dated Aug. 5.
! The slips bear the sacred secrets OF
persons wishing TO communicate with
those who had gone beyond Moth
ers sought word from dead babes
Children begged for message from
mother. Widows pleaded for news
that all was we'll with their dear ones.
Here are some of the messages,
supposed to have burned in the urn:
Miss Alexander and Miss Perry.
| No 1884 Jefferson-ave. west. Sara
f. Perry: do you think you
would advise me to marry" Mar
tin w. Perry: Papa, did you see
mother. and are you happy with
herr Oh, father, will you sing
Where the water-lilies grow?
Mother said you had such beau
tiful voice, and L never heard you
sing"
l. F. Reno. to Francis and Char
ley Reno: will my son come
home? Will | go to him.
Petro Vito, to his brother, Nj
colo Vito: "Religione Verito?" Us
this religion true?)
w. j. Amlinger, TO Mother and
! Father: rs brother Frank with
you?"
Paul Detloff; Clara, are you
| happy"
| Mollie: Robin, how is Willie?
Father: What is best TO do?
| Marjorie: Have you message -
| for your mother?"
Benjamin +. Lester: Mary j.
Lester: Wi | make up and live
again, with my wife? Will | save
money In the next IL months?
Will succeed"
Benjamin F. Lester to George
w. Lester: will my friend be
successful in getting a place in
Washington. and appoint me-"
One dollar stood between the Rev.
DR.. Andrew VI. G.. Wheeler" and a
pTison term, when he was arrested
BY Horrigan and Dibble. He had ac-
cepted no money He was to get a
dollar apiece from the "communi-
cants" after the seance. Quite nat
urally lie received no dollars when
the fiashlight showed him up.
On the wall he had a yellow sign
reading:
/ NOTICE: Persons visiting
seance should not anticipate any
thing. as NOTHING CAN BE
PROMISED. Simply make your
selves passive and YOUR
! FRIENDS WILL COME IF THEY