On a blustery day in March of 1897, a bearded man in a robe rolled up on a bicycle and set up shop in the Masonic Hall in Dutchtown. Although no advance publicity had heralded his arrival, he was nevertheless recognized at once, and crowds started to gather around him. This was Schrader, the Divine Healer. And if you ask how he was recognized at once, it probably helped that he wore a bright sash across his chest with the words “DIVINE HEALER SCHRADER” printed in big letters.
Although his arrival was unheralded, the wire services had been playing John the Baptist for him for more than a year. Everywhere he went, Schrader was news. He attracted crowds; and the more news he generated, the larger the crowds; and the larger the crowds, the more news he generated.
And so we will allow the Press reporter to take it from here, and old Pa Pitt will return afterward to wrap up the story.
SCHRADER THE HEALER
BIKED INTO ALLEGHENY TO PRACTICE ON THE PUBLIC.
HIS COSTUME AND LOOKS.
He Gives an Illustration of His Alleged Miraculous Powers—Clergymen Opposed to His Methods and Describe His Subjects as Weak-Minded and Impressible.
Schrader, “the divine healer” from the west, arrived in Allegheny yesterday and this morning opened a mission for the healing of the sick and the lame, in the barroom of Masonic hall on Washington street. His coming was unheralded and the divine healer slipped in from Parkersburg on a bicycle.
The opening of the mission is being met by an avalanche of opposition from the North Side ministers. Schrader has been denounced as a fraud and an imposter by Rev. W. J. Robinson, of the First United Presbyterian church on Union avenue. In addition to the denu[n]ciation Assistant Superintendent Glenn, of the Allegheny police department, has ordered a watch kept on the alleged apostle’s movements, and Detective P. M. McDonough was this morning sent to investigate Schrader and the character of his meetings.
Schrader is a remarkable man. Personally he bears all the earmarks of being a sharp fakir, and is almost repulsive to look upon. His mouth is large and sensual, the forehead blotched and the nose and eye unattractive. These defects in his personal beauty are covered by a beard and long, curling hair, worn after the style of the old-time master’s conception of the Holy One. His clothes are old and worn, but over these he wears a long robe of cheap material and a cheap red sash.
In spite of the inclemency of the weather this morning, there were a number of people present when Schrader arrived at Masonic hall. He did not wait for any preliminaries, but started to work at once in his muddy shoes and bedraggled clothes.
His first subject was J. F. McBride, of 7 Monitor street. McBride is a believer in spiritualism, and for years has been a sufferer from nervous troubles. Schrader laid his hands on his head, and after shaking his brow gently, made the sign of the cross upon his breast. McBride’s handkerchief was then taken and blest, after which the stamp bearing the words “Schrader, the Devine Healer” was put upon it. McBride is an educated man, and thoroughly versed in hypnotism. He claims that there is no hypnotic influence excited by Schrader, but there is an undefinable feeling during the period the hands were left on the head. His nervousness entirely disappeared. Others were not so fortunate and left the room without receiving any relief.
Schrader, who is but 25 years old, said to a Press reporter this morning that he would remain in Allegheny for several weeks. It is his intention to hold meetings dally, but a sufficient number of people were not present to-day. He claims that since he was 13 years of age he has been practicing faith cure. He has been through the entire west, but unlike Balaam, who in Biblical times rode about on an ass, Schrader rides a bicycle. During his visit to Mexico he practiced the deception that he was Christ, and, according to his own story, was besieged by thousands, among whom he performed many cures.
In Allegheny his work will not be confined to his mission in the room, which has been the scene of many disgraceful orgies, but he will visit houses of the sick. His first public appearance was in 1895. From that time he has created a profound sensation in all parts of the west. He finally suddenly disappeared, and when he turned up in Denver he claimed he had fasted for 40 days on the Holy Cross mountain. Last spring Schrader came east and wandered through the south until he reached Galveston, Tex. He also spent considerable time at Chattanooga and Lexington. At the latter place he held services in the united brotherho[o]d church. He is accompanied in his wanderings by one man, who claims to be a believer. Schrader claims to have come to Allegheny at divine dictation.
Rev. W. J. Robinson, when seen by a Press reporter this morning, said: my mind Schrader is a most pronounced fraud. From the accounts the newspapers have published of his wandering, he is undoubtedly a man who has lost all moral sense of right and should be ostracized from a religious community. Every indication points to the fact that the man is a fraud. He claims to be gifted with the spirit of God. This alone should condemn him in the eyes of right thinking people. In addition to the fact his alleged cures are performed upon people who are nervous and physically weak and who are liable to great excitement.”
Rev. Robinson is not alone in his stand against Schrader, but a number of other ministers are indignant that such actions should be tolerated by the police. In defense of the position in which the police department is placed Assistant Superintendent Glenn said that as long as Schrader did not charge for his services or hold disorderly gatherings, he could not interfere. He ordered Schrader watched, however.
And now old Pa Pitt will wrap up with just a few more words. It seems as though Schrader’s visit to Allegheny followed the usual pattern. You may have noticed that a hall was prepared for him—the old German Masonic Hall at the intersection of Washington Street (now Pressley) and Madison Avenue, a location that is now under a pile of expressway spaghetti. Someone had planned the visit in advance. An article at the SangamonLink site describes Schrader’s visit to Springfield, Illinois, in 1896. It includes that card reproduced above. According to that article, Schrader was sponsored by local businessmen and railroads, who found it profitable to exploit the crowds he drew. The article is entertaining reading, so Father Pitt will send you there instead of filling in the details here. Another article at a Pittsfield news site tells us more about Schrader’s background.
Schrader continued in the faith-healing business for some years longer. Did he believe in his own divinity? It’s possible, but people who knew him before he became divine remembered him as a con man. In later years he grew more openly mercenary. He sold those divinely blessed handkerchiefs, the ones stamped with his name that he was already handing out in Allegheny, through the mail—a poor decision, because mail fraud was a federal crime. He was indicted, but died of natural causes while awaiting trial.
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