New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-05-10
Spirits Fail in Contest
To Take SIS, 900 From Rim,
Woman Mediums Efforts to Convince Metropolitan
Psychical Leader That Dead Can Speak Up
Almost Cause Battle, but Do Not Bring In Cash

| mere Us another sOldler boy etanO-
ing near YOU. He looks like you His
sling. He says don't worry over it.
Everything is going to come out all
right This is in answer to mental
question by you"
81 didn't ask any question, mental or
otherwise" declared the army officer
after q moment of surprise.
The audience laughed more heartily
than ever. Madame staggered, q bit
carelessly this time, and then defed
the world with: What are/you laugh
ing ct? Think you're smart. dom
YOU"
The timekeeper tapped his bell twice.
! Madame McKenzie's fifteen minutes
had slipped into eternity. An usher
handed her an armful of red roses.
| The flowers were arranged in fat de-
ing t. funeral trade.
Next was Pastor Hill. He is red
head, a cockney who juggles his
'haitches" and his costume included a
white neckte, white waistcoat and a
black frock coat that hung about three
inches below his knees. As Mr.. Rim
hadn't offered to surrender his $4,000
check to Mrs. Mckenzie, Pastor Hill
seemed a bit surprised. re said:
"H'i believe there will come a time
when Mr.. Rim will h'up'old h'us: when
he will h'accept the h'evidence If
spiritualsm is devilism, then Christ
was the biggest devil that ever lived"
There was a gasp from that part of
the audience that had come in the
wake Of Pastor FRANKIE and then the
bell rang Pastor Hill into his seat and
Mr.. Rim cana forward eagerly. like
confident puglllst stepping into the
center of ring to deliver frst-round
knockout. Mr.. Rim wore evening
that $4,000 check doesn't represent his
entire fortune.
Exhibition Criticized
"In the course of my thirty-hve
years of psychic investi gation,i be-
gan Mr.. Rim. II never saw such a
miserable exhibition as that of Nine
Mckenzie; such drivel as you heard
and saw here tonight on this plat
form It is a disgrace to spirits to
have such people represent them.
i've seen some good ones. This
exhibition was an insult to your in
telllgence. The good ones have a sucker
list"
Mr.. Rim talked so fast in order to
crowd all his facts into fifteen minutes
that at times crooks" "fakirs,"
FRAUDS "charlatans" were so run to-
gether that they sounded like one
word
'I'll give Mr., Hill $4,000 If he'll
prove he has any power whatever"
Here Mr.. Rim fshed a wrinkled bit
Of paper from his left hip pocket.
Here it is. It's good check"
Mr.. Hill emoothed out tine skirts of
his trock coat but forebore to speak.
"N1nety-tlve per cent of all the me
dlums | have ever met could not get
five cents credit on their faces" con
tnued Mr. Rim, and when the bell rang
ne was still going strong, and calling
Prof. James Hyslop a liar in so many
words
Professor Hereward Darlington was
next, and in beginning admitted that
Mr.. Rim had a forceful, oogmatlc man
ner of speaking.
But he said, would Mr. Rim an
swer me with a yes or mo- if | should
ask him if he had left off beating his
wife?
Pastor Hill, who sat next to Mr..
Rim, applauded at this point bv rails
ing one hand above a bony shoulder
and lowering the other in the neighbour
MOOD of his ankles. bringing them to-
gether with a loud clap in the vicinity
OF his watch chain. 1t was one of the
Kim Grins at Professor
Professor Darlington exposed moth
ing more startling than the white edges
OF his cuffs, and he accomplished this
at intervals by catching them between
his tingertips and palms and extending
his arms outward. He also wore even
ing clothes Of recent vintage He said
he had encountered four genuine me-
diums and once held hand that dis
solved IS he held 1t. Mr.. Rim grinned.
Then came Pastor FRANKIE. He began
by saluting Mr.. Rim as an agnostic he
could admire. He said that he'd like
to confer on him the degree of pro
fessional spook pricker"
Suddenly Pastor FRANKIE staggered
and pointed at a sun Redeemed man in
the audience.
Il see a carpenter before me from
Irvington."
The man indicated snickered and
wlnked at Pastor FRANKIE
u have known him some time. ex-
planned Pastor FRANKIE.
! see grocer from Stllwell,
Then the minister was INTERRUPTED
by kissing. His supporters endeavored
TO drown out the Kisses by applauding.
Here and there in the boxes and CALLER
les men and women arose in their
seats to shout and gesticuate.
Spirits are demons" shouted Pastor
FRANKIE when order had been restored.
Here Pastor Hill rose up and said:
Don't call us devils, cause I'm Just
as good a man as yeu are"
i m giving you the Bible" replied
Pastor FRANKIE
old stuff" was shouted at him.
There were other shouts. Peoplo he
gan to leave. Pastor FRANKIE promised
more for next Sunday. His last words
were;
1--WE proved to you that there are no
spirits of dead humans The spirits
that talk 10 you are devils, demons.
| devils"
| He had the last word.