DR. SLADE THE SPIRITUALIST, A WOMAN.

Samoa Times and South Sea Gazette, Volume 3, Issue 115, 13 December 1879, Page 2

DR. SLADE THE SPIRITUALIST, A WOMAN.

About three years ago, one of the most famous leaders in the spiritualistic ranks was Slade, the medium and lecturer. Ho was very daring in his exploits, and became notorious throughout tho country for his audacity, and tho number of pel-sons whom he drew under his influence. He made a considerable amount of money in America ; and in the latter part of IN7O ho went to England, where he continued his career as a medium, and for some time was a rival of Home, the lucky medium who married a rich woman, whom ho had taught to believe in " spirits." Finally Shido was arrested, and was tried in London on 29th January, 11577, fraudulently obtaining money by means of the unlawful power he obtained from his occupation as a medium. It was charged that a spiritualism was not a belief sanctioned by law, it was a delusion and a fraud, aisi. that its use to extort money from the credulous was against public policy. The trial brought up the question as to whether spiritualism was a fraud or not, and tho casus, which became the talk of the day, gave Slade a world wide reputation. He was found guilty of fraudulent practices and sentenced to three months' hard labour, but his sentence was afterwards quashed on some technical ground. Sludu came to Australia, and then returned to San Francisco. A few days after the steamship arrived a conversation was overhead between the ship doctor and an intimate friend of his, in which the startling statement was made by the medical ' man that Slade, the medium, was a woman, and was as perfectly developed as any other of her sex. The physician gave the following account of the manner in which he made the strange discovery. The gentleman who occupied the state-room with Slade was a man well known in Pittsburg, Pa., where he has many friends. He was not an admirer of Slade or his doctrines, and did not have much conversation with him (or rather her). One day when in mid ocean, Slade was striken down with something like paralysis, when in his state-room. The other occupant of the room came in, and finding Slade ill and probably unconscious, began to remove ids clothing, and rub his (her) sides ami chest to bring back the circulation of tjie blood. It was then that the discovery of Slade's sex was mado. When Slade recovered sufficiently to talk she begged that the gentleman would not expose her. lie said that he would not do so publicly, if she would acknowledge tho truth to the physician of tho steamer Slade at last consented, and told the doctor all about it. He made an examination, which proved beyond doubt that she was a perfectly developed woman. One of the queerest pails of the story is that Slade wears a heavv moustache. She said that she had always wanted to he taken for a man, and had shaved her face daily when v.ry young. She had kept up the practice until sho had a very long heavy moustache, of which sho was very proud and which she took great care of. She could, sho said, have had a heard and whiskers had she dressed them. The physician, it may be mentioned, is a man who is well known in Sail Francisco, and stands well among his professional brethren. After tho story had been overhead, the person who heard it asked Slade's rooln-mate if it was true, and he said every word of it was correct. In corohoration of this story, the experience of a well known young Pittsburgcr, who now holds an important Government otlice abroad, may ho related. He had been reading" Footsteps on tho borders of another world," and other spiritualistic works, and was a partial convert, to spiritualism - He went to New Vork for the purpose of seeing Slade, just, before Slade started for England. What took place at the interview was never fully known, but enough was said bv the young gentleman to show that Slade hud said or done .something which was not to her credit, and which partially exposed her I sex.