The sun., 1919-04-29
MAY PEPPER NOW
IN SPIRIT LAND
Woman Who Conjured Up
"Littlc Bright Eyes" Is
Dead.
FLOURISHED AS MEDIUM
Brooklyn Seances Called Thou
sands Of the Curious to
Her Meetings.

Mrs. May S. Pepper-vanderblt. the
medium who was once subject OF
spirited controversy, died Sunday in
Boston. Little Bright Eyes" was the
name given by the medium to the spirit
through whom she said che communi-
Gated with the dead.
Mrs. Pepper-Vanderbilt exploited
spiritualism for many years, but her
hourishing period came between the
years 1905 and 1907 in Brooklyn. People
who were willing to pay 25 cents for
admission throngcd the meeting place.
the old Aurora Grata Cathedral. in
Bedford avenue on Sunday nights. Most
of these were devoted believers In the
mediums powers; others were scoffers
whose Interruptions made occasional
services take on the nature OF a rough
house apateur night at n cheap vaude-
vile theatre.
The controversy over the medium up
set Brooklyn and echoes of 1t extended
countrywide. Friends of the woman
waxed warm In her defence against dis.
tinguished mon who said she was q
fakir. The medium did not say much
herself. She went on holding her meet
ings regularly and taking toll from the
publicity that maintained interest in her
affairs. She called herself the Rev
May S. Pepper and later Bishop May S.
Pepper.
In June. 1907. Mrs. Pepper was mar.
ried to Edward Ward Vanderbilt, lum-
Der dealer. With her marriage. she be.
came inactive as n medium. Publicity
continued to follow her. however, be.
cause OF domestic situation that was
the outgrowth of her marriage.
Vanderbilt was IS years old. His
bride was less than 40 He was a wild
over who had lived with his daughter
Minerva. Following her fathers remar-
riage. the daughter brought a suit In
partition to recover a part of her moth
er's estate. The suit was dismissed.
The daughter then began an action
TO have her father declared an incom-
petent. Then she caused the Indictment
OF her stepmother. alleging that she had
by fraud induced Vanderbilt to deed to
her house at 5S7 st. Marks avenue
The indictment was dismissed
When Mrs. Pepper-Vanderbilt with
drew from active direction Of the Aurora
Grata Cathedral its attraction rapidly
diminished and services were discon-
tinued. 1t had been a meeting place for
Riritualists for long time. When she
took charge the attendance was usually
about 100 persons. When she quit the
place held thousand people every Sum
day night and long lines of those unable
to get in extended down the street Al
though the meetings did not begin until
s o'clock. the audience began to assem-
Bile before O'Clock. 1t was charged by
those who attacked the authenticity OF
the mediums spirit messages that per-
cons among the first Corners were
marked by efficient aides as subjects to
whom revelations should be made and
that data relating TO them was as
sembled before the medium appeared.
Little Bright Eyes" was said by
Mrs. Pepper-Nanderbilt to have been a
half breed Indian girl. The medium as
serted that she had power to summon
her at will and communicate through
her with the dead friends of persons in
her audiences. During the early days
OF the association of the medium and
Little Bright Eyes. 1t was pointed out BY
sceptics that the spirits use of English
as repeated by the medium was ex-
ceedingly ungrammatical. After the
spirits poor use of the language had
been made the subject of much iestin<z II
was noticeable that 1t improved greatly.
Mrs. Pepper Vanderbilt was about 55
years old at her death. She was sue
cessful through all the time in which
her anairs were n centre OF interest in
Withholding details Of her early life
She was said to have been dairymaid
on farm near Providence r.. l., adj
mltted II and would say no more.
She was born Mary Ann Scannell. She
was married to George William Pepper
When 10 years old. He had n wife and
the marriage led 10 his arrest and con-
Viction on a bigamy charge.
She is supposed to have acquired a
knowledge of spiritualism while en-
ployed on a Massachusetts farm OF
which the owner and his wife were
epiritualists. She practised as a medium
In an obscure way In Providence and
brooklyn until the swift turn OF fortune
that made her the most noted spiritualist
In the country at the time and made
the Aurora Grata Cathedral the leading
centre OF that cult