STATEMENT REGARDING THE VISITS OF MESSRS. SLAGHT AND LITHCHILD OF THE NEW YORK WORLDEditorial Note: The New York World was a newspaper owned by Joseph Pulitzer. During this period the paper was in a rivalry with the New York Journal, owned by William Randolph Hearst. Both papers published increasing sensational stories to attract readers and became known for "yellow journalism." AT PLEASANT VIEW.
I first encountered Messrs. Slaght and Lithchild on Saturday, Oct. 13, 1906. Between one and two P.M. I was returning to Pleasant View from a walk in the direction of St. Paul's School, when I was stopped just to the westward of the Pleasant View cottage by a man who asked if all the property near there belonged to Mrs. Eddy. I told him the extent of Mrs. Eddy's estate. Later I learned that this man was Mr. Slaght.
Perhaps half an hourAs Written:half-an-hour later, when I was sitting in my room which faces Pleasant Street, I saw the man, who had spoken with me, come from Prof. Kent's house opposite with another man, who I afterward learned was Mr. Lithchild. They got into a hack and drove toward ConcordEditorial Note: Concord, New Hampshire.
At noon the next day, Sunday, Oct. 14, two men called at Pleasant View. Mrs. Sargent interviewed them at the door. They asked for Mr. Frye, said they wanted to see him on business and added that Mr. Fred N. Ladd had sent them. They gave no names. Mr. Frye spoke to them and made an appointment with them for three o'clock that afternoon. After Mr. Frye had showed them out, he called me to look at them and I saw that they were the same two men whom I had seen the day before.
Between one and two, therefore, I drove over to Mr. Ladd's house and found out from him that they were reporters of the New York World. Mr. Ladd said that he had talked with them until very late the night before and that they had asked many foolish questions regarding Mrs. Eddy and had refused to credit anything that he said in regard to her being alive.
At three o'clock Sunday afternoon, these men returned according to their appointment with Mr. Frye, and at Mr. Frye's request I was in the room during the interview. Most of the conversation was carried on by Mr. Slaght and the story he told was in its main features as follows:
Mr. Slaght said that he and his companion, Mr. Lithchild, represented the New York World. He said that the World has received many letters declaring that Mrs. Eddy was dead, that Mr. Frye was the real head of Christian Science movement, and that money was being received--in short, that a fraud was being conducted.
Mr. Slaght continued that these letters had interested Mr. Pulitzer to the extent of sending them here to find out definitely whether or not Mrs. Eddy was alive. They were not after a story. Their purpose was not such as that of McClure's Magazine. They were here simply to prove conclusively that Mrs. Eddy herself was alive.
Mr. Slaght further stated that in pursuit of this mission he and his companion had visited many places on their journey to Concord and had interviewed many people. Some of the names he mentioned were Spofford, Kennedy, Mrs. Rice of LynnEditorial Note: Lynn, Massachusetts, Dr. Murphy of MaldenEditorial Note: Malden, Massachusetts. From these they had secured affidavits or statements, but he added it was not Mr. Pulitzer's purpose to use this material provided they could satisfy themselves that Mrs. Eddy was alive.
Mr. Lithchild questioned Mr. Frye in regard to a deed for the Pleasant View propertyAs Written:peoperty, which Mr. Lithchild claimed Mrs. Eddy had given Mr. Frye. Mr. Frye explained that this was a trust deed and that Mrs. Eddy had taken it back. Mr. Lithchild said that no such action had been recorded up to June, 1901. Mr. Frye sent for a copy of the record the next day and the date of the recording of the deed was September, 1901.
Messrs. Slaght and Lithchild were told by Mr. Frye and myself that Mrs. Eddy was alive and could be seen driving in her carriage every day. They replied that ours was interested testimony and not satisfactory to them, and that they were informed that the person in the carriage was not Mrs. Eddy but a dummy.
Mr. Frye asked them what they would consider satisfactory testimony, and they said that they were would be satisfied if Prof. Kent, who lived across the way, would identify Mrs. Eddy in their presence. Mr. Frye said that he would bring the matter to Mrs. Eddy's attention and let them know the day following by noon what her decision was. This closed the interview.
On Monday, Oct. 15, Mr. Frye did not speak to Mrs. Eddy about Messrs. Slaght and Lithchild until after she returned from her drive--about two o'clock. She immediately sent John Salchow, one of the men on the place, to see Prof. Kent and arrange with him to identify her. Mr. August Mann, Mrs. Eddy's coachman, was sent down to the Eagle Hotel after Messrs. Slaght and Lithchild. They reached Pleasant View about three o'clock. I received them, and while we were waiting for Prof. Kent, Mr. Slaght remarked that he was glad that their business was to end in so satisfactory a manner, again As Written: againing emphasizing the point, which they desired us to believe, that a positive identification of Mrs. Eddy was all that Mr. Pulitzer and the WorldEditorial Note: New York World were after.
As soon as Prof. Kent arrived, the three men and myself went at once upstairs to Mrs. Eddy's office. She arose and stepped to the middle of the floor to meet them. She spoke to Prof. Kent, saying that she was sorry that he had lost the Principalship of the Concord High School and that she hoped that he would be reappointed. I introduced Mr. Slaght first. She shook hands with him and he said that he was very glad to see her. I then introduced Mr. Lithchild. Mr. Lithchild's name escaped me for the moment, and he was obliged to prompt me. Mrs. Eddy shook hands with him. She explained in a few words that her duties made it impossible for her to receive visitors and that this accounted for her seclusion. She signified that this ended the visit, though I believe that she shook hands again with Prof. Kent before he left the room. I know that Messrs. Slaght and Lithchild proceeded me out of the room and down the stairs. Mrs. Eddy remained standing during the entire visit, and as the men left, turned and walked back to her desk in the bay window.
When we were going down the stairs, Mr. Lithchild said to me with apparent conviction, “ She is certainly a well-preserved woman for her years.” Mr. Slaght also gave me to understand that he was thoroughly satisfied as to the soundness of Mrs. Eddy's physical and mental condition. They furthermore led Mr. Mann, who drove them back to the hotel, to understand that they purposed leaving town that afternoon, the inference being that they intended to return to New York, thus carrying to the very conclusion of our experience with them the intimation that their sole purpose was the positive identification of Mrs. Eddy.