"DOPES" AND DUPES.

NZ Truth, Issue 240, 12 February 1910, Page 4

"DOPES" AND DUPES.

"Truth" has been approached by the Chxistchuroh father of a family "about the malign influence exercised over his daughter by the local spiritualists' body, and their imported spook-raiser. Since the girl's weakness has been preyed upon, a hitheirho happy family has become the coliecfatve victim of bitterness and strife, and distrust and uncharitable-ness reign where all were once satisfied with the religion of their childhood. The uufeapi<y lather is tortured m mind concerning the future of the unfortunate girl, aud, has haunted the local spookcry with thaj object of preventing her from entoringj He is convinced that an unhealthy influence is exorcised over her impressionable mind so thorough as to suggest hypnotism, and is of opinion that no young girl, for her own good, should be allowed to remain m mental and moral subjection to any male person. The agitated parent states that one Wednesday night he counted si^ty-oue females and eight males who entered the ghost emporium, and mentions the disparity of the sexes to show that the weaker vessel is the credulous victim where the virile, hard-headed man rejects the morbid religious quackery with the contempt of t a healthy mind and body. This paper's informant states that private inter-

views with the spirit-monger ate paid for with a special fee, and as "information" is imparted about the past and the future and about matters allegedly beyond the ken of the human mind, : the ljghteously-indignant father wants to know why the boss boodle-maker isn't prosecuted as a common fortune-teller. The attention of the Christchurch.potlce is directed to the matter.