SPOOKS AND SPOOKISTS.

NZ Truth, Issue 66, 22 September 1906, Page 6

SPOOKS AND SPOOKISTS.

The Christchurch spiritualists (or a section "of -them, for there are two. cliques) are .a peculiar push. The particular ' push which- is the subject of this paragraph are the crowd who bought the German church a while back, and who have been animated by .spirits arid sundry other things ever since. It has the reputation of being a great place for the unseen, and' the ghostly, anyhow. But these peculiar persons who toot along m the other, world, and who. call m at the 'German- "- church- 1 ': -occasionally, never bring \ ' any cash with them. That's the worst of '.coves •.and- cpvesses of that sort • they are habitually -' uhfinancial ' and -'.don't help 'their, earthly; cobbers to pay for the lights. Consequently,' like all • other churchy people/ some means- had to be devised to bring oof m. They, advertised .a meeting; charging a whole sprat " for admission, and after paying the nimble, co m you were presented with an envelope, giving an interest m the winning pi prizes consisting of drawings made by a Mrs Chapman while she was under the influence , of spirits. 'What sort, of spirits wasn't .specified/but at all events it may : be most .oharitably.,- supposed that; they were spooks, and that the pictures are of spooks m undressnimform,or such unearthly clobber as they are popularly supposed to wear. However, this irregular envelope affair was a breach of the Gaming and Lotteries Act, and spirits aren't supposed to break that Act, or any other Act, either. However, it transpired that there was also an oil painting offered, . but an .envelope (cheap envelopes with no gum on them worth speaking about) cost a bob. It happened that Constables Gibson and Ward (what queer places they drop into, these two chaps) were on duty as usual, and spent ome Government money on envelopes and made a case of it. right away. They had a cut at one Francis Moody, who acts, as secretary to the spook organisation; and Lawyer Graham, for the defence, said that theAct didn't aim at transactions of an innocent nature. Mrs Chapman, the spookist, had merely adopted the .envelope swindle as .the best s and simplest way of allotting two drawings . without exciting jealousy. Fancy J However, that wouldn't go down with Majgistrate Day, who fined moody Moody a quid and costs. Mrs Minnie Chapman was then charged With a similar offence to Moody, but was convicted and discharged, as she hadn't made any profit out .of the .transaction. Then came Alfred Emerson, the poor damned doorkeeper, who wasn't the originating genius of the show, and who made nothing out of it either, so. he was discharged and hoofed it out of court m a spiritual frame of mind. Writer wonders what «ame these hide-bound spook raisers will get up to next. ■■■