Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-10-19
DIVINE HEALER DIED
Of HEMORRHAGE, SAY
DOCTORS IN AUTOPSY
Police Seek Woman Who Was
With Francis Schlatter
When End Came.

st. Louis, Oct. 1S-(By The Asso-
ciated Press).-The death of Francis
Schlatter, alleged divine healer" in a
rooming house here Monday night was
caused from hemorrhages superinduced
by tuberculosis, it was announced fol-
lowing an autopsy Wednesday. The
autopsy was performed following an
assertion by Mrs. Schlatter, who ar
rived here from Kansas City, Mo-, last
night that she believed her husband to
have been the victim of foul play.
The police expressed the belief that
Schlatter's death was induced by pneu-
monia but are searching for a woman
who was with him when he died. The
woman told a physician that h was
Schlatter's nurse.
Suspected Foul Play
Mrs. Agnes Schlatter, a lecturer for
a church publication, arrived here
Tuesday night and declared she be-
lieved her husband had met with foul
play.
She said her husband had a follow
ing of s~piritualists who opposed Schlat-
ter's contemplated confirmation into
the Episcopal church, of which she is a
member.
Mrs. Schlatter asserted she received
word in Kansas City of her husbands
death after waiting several days for him
to meet her there, saying they had
planned to go from Kansas City to Salt
Lake City. Utah, where her husband
was to enter the church.
Miss Evelyn Hartmann, Schlatter's
landIady, told the police that the wom-
an living with him once gave her
name as Mrs. Madelyn Black" and
again as Mrs. Schlatter."
Schlatter attracted national attention
by his so-called cures at Denver,
Colo, in 1895. He was reported to
have been q cobbler by trade and to
have told his audiences that he had
been born blind. but that his sight was
| restored by the prayers of his mother
| and that Christ appeared to him in a
'baIl of flame" as he sat at his last in
the cobbler's shop.
Thousands of persons attended the
lectures which followed the alleged ap-
parition. In 1895 he is said to have
.'healed' a child of an incurable NAL
! adv at Albuquerque. N. NJ, earning the
title of "the Messiah" there.
Became Nationally Known
AT the meetings presided over Dy
Schlatter. handkerchiefs and other
| tokens were blessed by the "healer''
and were given to his followers. In a
short time his fame had spread from
coast to coast and he was heralded as
"the miracle man" and king of heal
ers."
Schlatter was pictured as preaching
from the hills in the Rock mountains
and multitudes flOcked to hear him,
He wore a picturesque. long black
beard and was attired in black robes
After disappearing several times, he
finally dropped out of sight and the
local police several times received tele.
grams from his wife, who formerly
made her home in Chicago, asking ait
in searching for her husband. She sale
he suffered from forgetfulness caused
by the strain of his leadership, ant
that often he wandered about the coun'
try. Mrs. Schlatter said she had pros.
ecuted several persons who imperson
ated her husband and that they were
found guilty and sentenced to prison
lat one time Schlatter was given nation
wide publicity as the man who "cureC
Mrs. Mckinley" mother of Presiden
Mckinley.