Leonard 1929

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LEONARD AND SOULE EXPERIMENTS
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LEONARD AND SOULE
EXPERIMENTS IN
PSYCHICAL RESEARCH
Also Experiments with Sanders, Brittain,
Peters and Dowden
By
LYDIA W. ALLISON
H
Supplementary Material by
THE RESEARCH OFFICER
OF THE
BOSTON SOCIETY FOR PSYCHIC RESEARCH
February, 1929
Boston Society for Psychic Research
346 Beacon Street
Boston, Mass.
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\
Copyright 1989 by
Boston Society for Psychic Research,
346 Beacon Street, Boston, Mass.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Investigations by Lydia W. Allison
PAGE
Mrs. Allison's Introduction 7
Experiments with Mrs. Soule 11
Experiments with Mrs. Sanders 31
The Sign "X" 33
Experiment with Mrs. Brittain 40
Experiment with Mr. Peters 52
Experiments with Mrs. Leonard 60
Experiments with Mrs. Dowden 162
Concluding Remarks by the Research Officer 174
Investigations by W. F. Prince
Dr. Prince's Introduction 199
Experiments with Mrs. Soule 205
748780
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INTRODUCTION
This printing of mediumistic material may be justified in either of
two ways: by casting new light on the problems involved, or by
at least adding new evidence to the mass which has already been scien-
tifically presented and critically discussed. But rarely, I suppose, is
the first to be expected. Yet so long as the sources of apparently
supernormal knowledge continue to be a matter of debate, the addition
of fresh collections of facts will have its value. Only, however, when
there is satisfactory proof that these facts must have been acquired
through supernormal channels. Personally, I am convinced that a
large number of statements made by psychics were so obtained. My
grounds for this conviction lie, on the one hand, in the nature of the
statements themselves, and on the other, in the precautions taken and
the mode of investigation employed, both of which will be shown in
later paragraphs of this Introduction and in comments on the texts.
My concern not to be deceived by any lack of precautions, or by a
will-to-believe, is, I hope, apparent in the method of approach to the
various mediums which has been stated in each individual case.
Once my interest was aroused in the possibility of communication
from intelligences formerly incarnated on the earth, or what at least
presents strong claims as being such, I was drawn on by the first
apparently confirmatory evidence and made fresh attempts to satisfy
my critical sense. Nor will I say that I have yet been entirely satisfied
perhaps it is human nature to expect too much. Or perhaps one
demands more kinds of evidence than the nature of the phenomena
presented renders possible.
These records were not assembled with any expectation of future
publicity. Having, for my own satisfaction, consulted Dr. Prince to
obtain his estimate of the value of the evidence under the conditions
of its accumulation, I have been asked to permit its publication. In
consenting, I have stipulated that the Research Officer of the Boston
Society for Psychic Research shall edit and finally appraise the
records as a whole. I should prefer Dr. Prince's evaluation to any
other and I cannot adequately express my indebtedness to him for his
untiring patience and help. I insist on this slight recognition in spite
of Dr. Prince's expressed protest that it should not appear in print.
7
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.8
.. My interest in psychic research dates from the passing of my hus-
. band; in June, of 1920. Throughout this paper I shall refer to him as
"E. W. A." He was a physician and greatly interested in psychic
research, and favored the theory of the survival of personality after
death, an attitude which I did not share. My activities began subse-
quent to E. W. A.'s passing. After two years, during which there were
a number of sittings with several mediums,1 at the majority of which
E. W. A. purported to communicate, I began a series with Mrs.
Osborne Leonard, the celebrated English psychic. In 1924, Dr.
Hyslop first purported to communicate through her, thereafter ap-
propriating a large share of the time. E. W. A. had met Dr. Hyslop
on one memorable occasion, but I was not acquainted with him. As-
suming survival, it seems that my own sincerity of purpose and intelli-
gent guidance from the very first of my sittings, combined with Dr.
Hyslop's knowledge and E. W. A.'s characteristic enthusiasm when
interested in any subject, as well as the emotional starting-pointby
so many considered essentialwhich we both must have had, provided
exceptional opportunity for communication.
The first part of this paper is concerned with verbatim reports of
anonymous sittings with various mediums whose work is more or less
familiar to readers of the current literature on psychic research. In
the interest of space, I have omitted a number of sittings with other
mediums, obtained during this general period, that must be set down
as total failures, although these same mediums are known to have given
excellent evidence to other sitters. These failures include two at-
tempts with Mrs. Sanders, see Proceedings A. S. P. R., 1924, pp.
1-177; three with Mrs. Bowden, see Journal A. S. P. R., Oct., 1922,
pp. 556-582; Nov., 1922, pp. 604-650; Oct., 1924, pp. 585-616; and
four with Mrs. Elliott (Violet Ortner), the last in London. In the
1 This clause leaves the door open for a possibility, and a possibility becomes a
theory with a determined skeptic. Might there not have been many sittings with
professional mediums, with the consequence that correct statements might have been
passed on from one medium to another, affecting the character even of these re-
ported records? I inquired of Mrs. Allison, and found that she had, during those
two years, about ten sittings with Mrs. C, a private person with whose good stand-
ing and character I am myself well acquainted, besides the sittings with other
mediums as stated by her farther on. Mrs. Sanders is a lady also without financial
motive or professional affiliation, likewise well known to me. Mrs. Bowden is also
a private person whom I know. Very little, besides the fact that Mrs. Allison's
husband was supposed to be communicating, came through any of these which
could have assisted the statements in the records here printed. It is hardly neces-
sary to add that the regularity of Mrs. Soule's conduct is protected by the critical
scrutiny of many years, and that any medium would have had to possess seership
to foresee what psychics Mrs. Allison would visit abroad and furnish them informa-
tion. So the door is sufficiently closed.W. F. P.
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INTRODUCTION
9
Sanders sittings I am bound to admit that the quite competent recorder
furnished by the A. S. P. R. affected both the medium and myself
unpleasantly, appearing to act as a barrier. I had felt this before
the medium mentioned the fact to me after the recorder had left.
Curiously enough, several years later, after my friend, Mrs. Helen
C. Lambert, telephoned me one evening to ask if I would accept
her sitting with Mrs. Sanders the following morning, since she was ill
and unable to go herself, I received a very interesting veridical com-
munication concerning Mrs. Lamberta communication describing
conditions of which I was unawarealthough the sitting, which lasted
two hours, yielded nothing for myself. On this occasion I took my own
notes. See page 32.
Several sittings in July, 1927, with Mrs. Elliott, who is undoubt-
edly a psychic of exceptional gifts, were a disappointment, as I ap-
proached them with great expectations. Mrs. Elliott herself could not
understand the cause; she remarked later that she had had the feeling
that she would be successful with me. The next year I accompanied a
friend to Mrs. Elliott as recorder. After the close of the sitting, which
was a failure, Mrs. Elliott agreed with me that I might have acted as
the barrier. A week afterward my friend went alone and reported an
excellent sitting. With Mrs. Bowden, also, the negative result remains
unexplained.
Conscious attempts at telepathy have never been successful with
me. Before my 1923 sittings, Dr. Gardner Murphy suggested that
some hours before a seance I concentrate on four veridical communica-
tions which had purported to come from E. W. A. at previous sittings,
and then forget them; and also directly preceding or during a sitting,
that I think of four other facts concerning E. W. A. which had not
been given by any medium. Although I faithfully followed Dr.
Murphy's suggestions, at half a dozen sittings, nothing mentioned by
the mediums had any relation to the eight items on which I had concen-
trated. On the other hand, where no conscious effort was apparent, I
have frequently experienced what might be regarded as spontaneous
telepathy.
The feature, common to all my sittings, which impresses me as
being of some significance is the selective accuracy evidenced in placing
only those individuals appropriate to my own background and that of
E. W. A. I am in the rather unique position of having no immediate
relatives living. My father, mother and E. W. A. were my only close
relatives, and they have all been repeatedly placed as communicators.
No other close relative, as for example a sister, brother or child, none
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10 LEONARD AND SOULE EXPERIMENTS
of which I have had, save infant children of my mother who died
within a week of birth before I was born or when I was a child, has
been described by any medium as belonging to me. In the same manner
E. W. A.'s three close living relatives have been correctly placed, as
well as the two others who have passed on. No one in his immediate
circle has been omitted or erroneously indicated. In short, none of
the mediums with whom I have sat has made a single mistake in identi-
fying the members of my family and E. W. A.'s.
My verbatim records include a mass of material of which certain
omitted passages are either irrelevant to the particular problem in-
volved, too confused for annotation, or of too personal a nature. In
no case have I omitted any factual matter which belongs to the same
integral group of which I am printing a part. In preparing these
records I have tried to include specimens characteristic of omitted
portions, but space and the patience of the reader do not admit the
repetition of long passages that lead nowhere.
Throughout all of my sittings I habitually encouraged the mediums
by frequent responses to whatever they might happen to say. The
usual expressions, such as, " yes," " I see," " tell me more," and " I un-
derstand," were given in a non-committal manner merely to keep the
ball rolling. It seems pointless to record them in each instance.
Whenever my responses had any significance I have set them down.
At none of the sittings did I wear mourning.
These sittings have all been recorded in shorthand.2
2In response to queries, Mrs. Allison wrote me:
"At no time have I mentioned anything in my sittings to Mrs. Leonard. Occa-
sionally I have asked a question, as, 'What do you know about the A. S. P. R.?'
[reported in Section IXl, or, after the chess sitting, 'What did you call the thing
you played on?' [reported in Section XIXl. I am careful not to comment on the
answers. After the sitting of June 4, 1927, I for the first time referred to my com-
municator [p. 134l. Mrs. Leonard's reply to my first question brought forth a
virtual admission in my next question, ' I see. Have you any idea of what his occu-
pation was?' But I did not enlighten her about the Dr. Bertrand Allison [reported
in Section XXIl. I always let Feda rattle along without illuminating comment,
which she is perfectly willing to do, so long as encouraged."
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I
PREFATORY STATEMENT
In June, 1921, I had four anonymous sittings with Mrs. Soule, the
well known Boston psychic, going from New York for the purpose.
These were booked for me by Miss Gertrude O. Tubby, then Secretary
of the American Society for Psychical Research. My instructions had
been to go to Mrs. Soule's address at the appointed hour and wait on
the porch until the recorder, Miss Crawford, admitted me. Miss
Tubby had also arranged that Miss Crawford would take my notes.
My acquaintance in Boston at the time included no one interested in
psychical matters, so far as I was aware. Miss Crawford did not
know me and said she thought I was Miss Hyslop. I did not enlighten
her as to my identity. In the subliminal stage at one of these four
Imperator 1 sittings, Mrs. Soule had said, " I will call her (the sitter)
Mrs. Star," by which name I was subsequently booked. In all the sit-
tings recorded by Miss Crawford I did not enter the seance room until
after Mrs. Soule was in trance, leaving before she awoke. The chair
for the sitter was placed directly behind Mrs. Soule's armchair, so it
seems reasonable to conclude that, even had her eyes been open, she
could not have seen me.
The sittings were disappointing, although a number of statements
applied to me in a general way. I should have preferred the Sunbeam
control. Imperator very seldom gives evidence and spends much time
in moralizing. This also seems to be the case with Mrs. Piper's Im-
perator control.
Early in July, 1922, I again had several sittings with Mrs. Soule,
booked by Miss Tubby, under conditions similar to those of the pre-
vious year, so that I have every reason to believe my anonymity was
preserved. Much to my disappointment, I was informed that the sit-
tings would again have to be Imperator. This time Miss Tubby
recorded. The results were not impressive; the medium rambled along
about things I was not interested in. From the beginning I had been
clamoring for Sunbeam control. Finally several sittings were ar-
ranged, the first being booked for July 27, 1922.
I stopped with a friend who lived in the suburbs of Boston and
1 " Sunbeam " and "Imperator" arc Mrs. Soule's principal "controls."
11
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who had no connection whatever with Psychic Research. I do not see
how there could possibly have been a leakage through normal channels.
The many evidential hits seem beyond the range of chance coincidence,
even had there been a leakage.
SITTING WITH MRS. SOULE, BOSTON, JULY 27, 1922 1
Verbatim Notes by the Sitter, L. W. A.
Sunbeam Control
Mrs. Soule admitted me. I did not take notes of the conversation
before this sitting, but maintained a strict guard on my remarks, which
consisted merely in acknowledgments to the various topics she intro-
duced as she conducted me up-stairs to prepare for the sitting. She
spoke of having no maid, and kindred subjects; nothing which called
for any especial comment from me. Shortly after we sat down in the
seance room she went into trance with Sunbeam in control.
Sunbeam: Hello! Hello! (Hello! I'm glad you're here.) I will tell
you about the people you want to hear from, but first I want to
speak about yourself.
Note: About a dozen statements followed concerning myself, which
were true enough, but might have applied to many other sitters, or
might easily have been sensed by Mrs. Soule. Therefore, I discount
them as evidence, more especially since I have learned of other bereaved
sitters with this medium whose sittings began in the same general way.
As late as February, 1928, a bereaved sitter after a first sitting with
Mrs. Soule repeated some of the very phrases that occurred in the
opening of my own sitting.
Sunbeam: Now about the people you want to hear from. There are
three men and two women. The men look like a little boy, your
father, and your " friend."
Note: This might refer to a baby brother, my father, and E. W.
A. The word "friend" is a substitute for the actual word given by
the medium, which was the term frequently used by E. W. A. both in
writing to me and in personal conversation when referring to his rela-
tionship to me. The word was not an uncommon one.
Sunbeam: Two women, look like a mother and the other like a
grandmother.
1 In this record, and those which follow, answers or questions uttered by the sitter
during the sittings are put in parentheses. The briefer comments upon the text are
put in square brackets.
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LEONARD AND SOULE EXPERIMENTS 13
Note: Both my mother and grandmother had passed on. It seems
rather interesting that the five were correctly placed, of whom three
were the closest to me. To place five people quickly and accurately as
the medium did would seem a hazardous guess.
Sunbeam: Now the " friend "; he will give you some evidential things,
but first he wants to say
Note: I here omit twenty words which constitute a very personal
and appropriate message from E. W. A. to me, exactly expressing
what I believe would have been his attitude of mind were the com-
munication genuine.
Sunbeam: There were things he wanted to finish. Often he had great
stacks of paper he worked with. [Totally incorrect.] In contact
with men, lots of men. [True, but his social and professional in-
terests included both men and women. He readily made contacts
with people in general, therefore I consider this statement weak.]
He loves women. [Emphatically true. Perhaps this weakens my
previous comment as to men.] He went out quickly. [He passed
from the very prime of life with less than fifteen minutes warn-
ing.] He could write a good letter. [He wrote a very witty let-
ter.] Small writing. [In common with many big men, he wrote
a very small hand.] He realized the possibility of his going, but
didn't expect it. It's as if he said, " I found the jig was up."
Note: This would have been a characteristic manner of expression.
E. W. A. actually warned me of his unexpected going just before he
lapsed into unconsciousness. Being a physician, he no doubt recog-
nized the symptoms.
Sunbeam: [A characteristic comment on his passing is here omitted.]
He had some knowledge of psychic things. That's why he takes to
it so naturally. [E. W. A. had been greatly interested in psychic
phenomena.] He has the psychic research group at his con-
venience. They like him, they help him, and he tells them a few
things. He laughs and says, "I told them a few things." [This
would be very characteristic.] He did what he could to make these
things different to you. [From time to time E. W. A. had tried to
interest me in the subject, only to meet with repeated rebuffs.] In
some ways you are old enough to be his mother, in some ways young
enough to be his child.
Note: While this, of course, applies to many married people, it
seems especially true of us. E. W. A. was old enough in years to be
my father, but with such a boyish spirit and impractical nature, that
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he called forth a protective instinct, and developed a practical sense
in me.
Sunbeam: EddieNeddie, that is what you called him. [Correct
that I called him "Neddie "or "Ned."] He is the kind that
doesn't give up his ideas easily. [Emphatically true, with refer-
ence to his ideas on both professional and other topics. Character-
istic personal message here omitted.] He loves music. [He was
passionately fond of music and was a constant attendant at con-
certs and recitals.] He makes a noise in the mouth; not singing
not a humnot a whistle [This is a good hit. E. W. A. had a
habit, while otherwise occupied, of making a " noise in the mouth"
just as described. To be exact, he would blow a tune.]
Note: A number of communications follow which fit the facts, but
are of such a personal nature and might apply in so many other cases
that I omit them.
Sunbeam: He is funny. [Every one who knew E. W. A. appreciated
his exceptional sense of humor.] He read indiscriminately. [E.
W. A.'s interest covered a wide variety of literature.] He had
no love of newspapers. They are just as bad now, they have not
improved since I left. [This is amusingly true, as E. W. A. habit-
ually railed against the newspapers.] He is not as dark as you.
[Correct.] Something about a ringhe has handsome hands. He
could do almost anything with his hands.
Note: The ring may have suggested hands. Friends and ac-
quaintances frequently commented upon the shape and beauty of E.
W. A.'s hands. He wore one ring, a wedding ring.
Sunbeam: He had lots of neckwear, like bushels of neckwearall
colors, all kinds, all varieties. You think, " I wish I could do some-
thing with them." Have given it a good deal of thought. He was
fussy about necktiessome sporty ones. He could be sporty. Not
always sporty. A few sporty ones, the rest for all occasions.
Note: E. W. A. actually left hundreds of ties, all kinds, all colors,
all varieties, some very "sporty" ones among them. He was con-
tinually being teased about his fondness for neckties. At the time of
the sitting, I had about two hundred of his ties carefully put away, on
my closet shelf, and it is true that I had given them a "good deal of
thought." I had considered having a couch-cover made of them, and
had gone to the Flambeau Weavers in New York, who had advised me
to have the silks woven instead of patched. I rejected this suggestion,
preferring to keep the patterns, as they recalled shopping excursions
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in London, Paris, Italy, and so forth. I did not wish to destroy these
reminders.
Sunbeam: He was a boy to you, just like a boy. I do not attach the
same significance to things that I wear that I used tothat you
do. If I had stayed on they wouldn't have meant much to you.
[This last sentence strengthens the fact that E. W. A.'s things do
mean much to me now, although I was hardly aware of them while
he was here.] Do you know if he loved vasesbeautiful chinaold
vaseshe loves potterybeautiful things. He loves Oriental
colors.
Note: This is especially true. E. W. A. frequently picked up odd
and beautiful bits of china or pottery at auctions, and took the great-
est delight in displaying his "finds." He was very fond of Oriental
coloring.
Sunbeam: Waterloved natureout-of-doors, loved out-of-doors.
Could stand and listen to bells. He had wonderful hearing.
Note: At intervals, we lived close to nature for months at a time,
and he loved nature. But when we lived in the city, he never went to
any particular inconvenience to seek nature. The listening to bells I
do not place. It is true he had a keen and accurate ear.
Sunbeam: He loved dogsloved them. [Emphatically true.] In his
life he had more than one. [True.] As a boy walking through
woods, he used to go with dog, long hair, curly, dark. Was it a
spaniel?
Note: E. W. A.'s sister remembers such a dog, a stray which
followed E. W. A.'s father home one day, was adopted by the family,
and of which E. W. A. was very fond. The family lived in the country
near woods.
Sunbeam : Bell? Ship bell?
Note: For a long while E. W. A. had a ship's bell in his office, an
interesting object to him because the gift of a friend. Also, we lived
on a motor-boat for five months at one time, when this ship's bell was
our timepiece. Perhaps the mention of the bell earlier was in an at-
tempt to combine the reference to nature and bells.2
2 It occurred to me that perhaps Mrs. Allison, in saying " The listening to bells I
do not trace," had not sufficiently synthesized several utterances in this sitting and
the next, relative to "water," "nature," listening to '' bells," "ship's bell" and
"clock." Therefore I addressed her several questions, and elicited the follow-
ing facts:
1. Dr. and Mrs. Allison lived on a houseboat for five months and "cruised in
Eastern inland waters, and were continually enjoying the delightful river scenery,
therefore 'waterloved natureout-of-doors' with reference to 'ship's bell ' would
apply."
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Sunbeam: He thinks he got a lot out of college life. He thought there
was a lot of foolishness about it. [Very characteristic. He would
on occasion refer to college life as "a lot of nonsense" or "a
place where to learn what not to do." But I always thought he
was only half serious.] Do you know his father? (Tell me.) He
is all right, but he and the older man didn't always agree. No
trouble, but the older man didn't understand him.
Note: I never knew E. W. A.'s father, but gathered they had not
been sympathetic, although there was no real feeling. His father did
not understand him.
2. The " ship's bell," used as a timepiece on the boat, was a nautical clock which
rings the hours and half hours. The nautical terms for 12 o'clock, 12:30, 1:00, 1:30,
etc., are 8 bells, 1 bell, 2 bells, 3 bells, and so on to 4:30, which is again 1 bell.
3. Dr. and Mrs. Allison employed this nautical custom of designating the time
by " bells," " first in a spirit of fun, later as a habit. Living on a boat was an excit-
ing experience into which we entered with unbounded enthusiasm, and we were as
nautical as possible in every way."
4. "The length of the boat was 38 feet, therefore the striking of the ship's bell
could be heard equally well in the cabins or on the after deck. We must have
listened to the bell hundreds of times." Well, then, the statement in the text,
' Could stand and listen to bells," is quite congruous.
In the following sitting occur the words, "Looks at movable clock," with no
apparent relation to what immediately precedes and follows. On this Mrs. Allison
remarks: "No discovered pertinence." Possibly this is a belated reference to the
"ship's bell," which was taken from the boat when the latter was sold, and kept in
E. W. A.'s office until his death, and afterwards to Mrs. Allison's office in her place
of business. A little after this reference in the record to a "movable clock," Mrs.
Allison asks, apropos to Sunbeam's mention of his profession, "What teas his pro-
fession?" When matters are coming favorably, as they had been here, the sudden
interjection of a question into the spontaneous flow is rather more likely than not to
bring something unsatisfactory. The first sentence of the response was decidedly
untrue in connection with his profession, though everything else following in the sit-
ting was true or suggestive of the truth. "Always hitched to a clock" is incorrect
as it stands, and has to be reckoned so on the evidential ledger. But, psycho-
logically, the explanation may be that " Looks at movable clock " was a valid but
delayed impression related to the ship's bell, while "Always hitched to a clock"
was an invalid inference of the medium's subconscious from its impression of the
communicator looking at the clock. We must constantly bear in mind that if there
are communications from the intelligences of deceased persons, they consist of
various kinds of impressions produced on the submerged consciousness of the
psychic, and have to contend, as it were, with the tendency of that subconscious to
mix in with its own inferences and associational automatisms. If there is a spirit
intermediate (" control "), a sort of expert at the "machine," then the process is
further complicated, and what we finally get is analogous to a story told at third-
hand, and warped in the retellings.
I hope that every* reader sees what I mean, that on the one hand, "Always
hitched to a clock" in the place where the phrase occurs and the sense which it
implies, is evidentially wrong, but that, on the other hand, it is psychologically
explainable, as possibly the compound result of a previously valid impression of
the communicator frequently looking or listening to a clock (ship's bell) and of an
invalid inference that the clock had to do with his profession. Were an alleged
communication a farrago of nonsense or a mere hit-or-miss affair, no psychological
explanation of any particular statement would be demanded. But if in one such
evidentially protected record or several taken together, the true statements (taking
into account both number and quality) exceed in weight the untrue ones, enor-
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Sunbeam: [Personal message omitted, evidential.] He takes knife out
of his pocket, old, brown bone knife, with a bit broken off near the
metal end. You look for it; you'll find it. [This last sentence
was given with almost indifferent assurance.]
Note: I remembered no such knife. When I returned to New York,
a month after this sitting, my first thought was to look for the knife.
I searched in the drawers of E. W. A.'s chest, desk, and bookcase, and,
though I found several knives, none answered the description. His
personal things had remained undisturbed. On arriving home, I had
telephoned Miss Gertrude Tubby and she came up later in the evening.
After some time we went to the kitchen for ginger ale. Miss Tubby
looked for a bottle opener. I said, " Pull out the drawer," indicating
the drawer where the kitchen cutlery was kept, and where E. W. A.
had also kept certain small household tools. Miss Tubby left the
drawer open, and when I happened to glance into it I was almost
petrified. There, in a corner of a knife-basket, lay a pen-knife with a
piece broken off near the metal end. I picked it up. It was brown,
bone, and very old, a knife that I was surprised had not been thrown
out long ago. I do not remember ever having seen it before. I could
not even assert that it belonged to E. W. A., though it could not have
belonged to anyone else, there being no other man in the apartment.
Of course it is barely possible that it had belonged to a servant who
had left it there. But even had this been the case, it fitted the descrip-
tion given and was in a drawer with other things that E. W. A. had
occasionally used.3
mously beyond the credible reach of chance, then both a major and a minor
explanation are called for.
The major explanation required is, of course, that relating to the source, the cause
and process of the production of true statements not due to normal knowledge and
inference, and enormously transcending the calculus of chance coincidence. Once
forced to concede that some supernormal source, cause and process are involved,
then, as a corollary, a minor explanation is demanded, of the fact that misstate-
ments are found in the record at all. If the cause of so much truth is to be found in
discamate intelligences with the will to communicate (plus occasional infiltrations of
telepathy from the living), then the cause of the errors is probably to be found in
the difficulties inherent in the process. Granting communication, and that it is
essentially a telepathic process, then we ought, on psychological grounds, to expect
that errors should occur, much as they occur in an evidential series of experiments
for telepathy between the living. But there should be traces from time to time dis-
cernible in the records, suggesting the psychological reasons for aberrations from
fact. In this place and elsewhere in this book and in other publications I have
analyzed passages which to me strongly suggest psychological processes to account
for their factual inaccuracy. These processes are seemingly consistent with, and
incidental to, spiritistic communication. Indeed, it would not surprise me if the
time should come when the peculiarities of the blunders and confusions which crop
out in mediumship of high evidential grade will be so analyzed and shown to be
consistent with the spiritistic theory above all others, as to be one of the greatest
arguments for its espousal.W. F. P.
3 Let us make an estimate of the chance expectations.
1. "Brown" (might have been white, black, yellow, etc.). Say 1 chance in 3.
2. "Bone" (might have been wood, metal, tortoise shell, etc.). Say 1 chance in 3.
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Sunbeam: Keys in small drawer, five or eight metal keys. [There
were several rings of keys in the shallow drawer of E. W. A.'s
chest. Three small shallow drawers ran across the chest above the
larger ones. Unfortunately, I did not count the keys; the number
had escaped my attention.]
An hour had now passed, and as Mrs. Soule had instructed me to
awaken her at the end of that time I did so, and the seance ended.
SUMMARY OF STATEMENTS IN THIS SITTING
Correct
Five spirits, sitter's father, "friend" (husband), mother, grand-
mother, and a little boy (congruity gives some evidential value).
The " friend " wanted to finish some things (no value), had contact
with many men (little value), loved women, died suddenly, wrote a good
letter, his handwriting was small, he had some knowledge of psychic
things, tried to influence Mrs. Allison's views in regard to these things,
in some ways was young compared to her, in other ways old enough to
be her father (rather unusually true), his name, "Eddie-Neddie, that
is what you called him," did not give up his ideas easily, fond of
music, "makes a noise in the mouth, not singing, not a hum, not a
whistle" (characteristically correct), was funny, read indiscriminately
(true in the sense that he read many kinds of literature), had no love
of newspapers (characteristic), not as dark as Mrs. Allison, had
handsome hands, implication that he wore a ring (little value by itself),
had "lots of neckwear, like bushels of neckwear, all colors, varieties
. . . .fussy about necktiessome sporty ones" (strikingly and un-
usually correct in every particular), loved old vases and beautiful
china and beautiful things, loved Oriental colors, loved water and
nature, would stand and listen to "bells" (the very nautical term he
used for the time of day on his house-boat), had wonderful hearing,
3. "Old" (might have been quite or nearly new in appearance). Say 1 chance in 2.
4. " Piece broken off." (Chances surely as good that it would not have been broken
at all.) Say 1 chance in 2.
5. "Broken off near the metal end" (at least as likely to have been broken at the
other, or on the edge of the blade). Say 1 chance in 2.
This would mean 1 chance in 72. But suppose that on the average three pocket
knives will be found. We have now 1 chance in 24. [I have three pocket knives
about my house and office together. One is brown, one yellow (gold) and one white.
One has a bone handle (not the brown one), one a handle of metal, and one of
wood. Two are old (including the brown one), and one new. One has a piece
broken off (the brown one). None has a piece broken off at or near the metal end.
That one knife of the three should combine the three particulars named but lack
the other two, just about exactly coincides with the chance expectation as estimated
above. So " the long arm of coincidence" would not have touched me, had I been
the sitter.]W. F. P.
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19
loved dogs, had more than one dog in his lifetime, thought he got a
lot out of college lifea lot of foolishness, had no trouble with his
father but was not understood by him.
"Ship's bell" (coincides with the fact that he had a ship's bell
which he prized).
The sitter is giving much thought what to do with his many ties,
she thinks more of his things than she did when he was living, she will
find an old, brown knife with a bit broken off near the metal end.
Nearly Correct
There are keys in a small drawersix or eight of them. (Keys
found in a drawer, their number not counted, but probably more.
Value of this item very small.) As a boy he went walking with a dog,
long-haired, curly, dark, and probably a spaniel.
Known to be Incorrect
He often worked with stacks of paper.
Left Out of Account
Expressions which sound like him, as " the jig is up " and " I told
them a few things," an omitted not uncommon term he was accus-
tomed to apply to himself, several omitted commonplaces, true but
perhaps capable of inference, several omitted true but too personal
statements of slight value, and one omitted too personal statement of
evidential weight.
II
SITTING WITH MRS. SOULE, BOSTON, JULY 28, 1922
Verbatim Notes by Sitter, L. W. A.
Sunbeam Control
Mrs. Soule chatted for some time before going into trance. Among
the things she mentioned was a horse named Silvertail, and how she
disliked talking to people after a church service about trivialities,
saying she could worship equally well under a tree. She told me how a
sitter had on one occasion brought a list of about twenty-five Indian
words of the Comanches as a test and asked their meaning. Although
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she did not know a word of the Indian language, every definition her
guide gave to the sitter was correct. As has been my custom with all
mediums with whom I have sat, I tried to show a sympathetic interest
in anything she chose to say, my only response being such non-
committal phrases as, " that is very interesting," "yes," or "I under-
stand." When she paused, I said, " Sunbeam gave me the first name
of a friend, yesterday. Do you think she could get the last name?"
I was referring to the correct name, " Neddie," given by Sunbeam the
previous day. Mrs. Soule answered that if I asked Sunbeam she might
be able to give it to me at once, or, more likely, at a following sitting,
when she would have had time to get in touch with the communicator.
She went on to say that reporters had occasionally bothered her
by masquerading as sitters, and I inquired, "How can you guard
against this?" She replied with perfect confidence, "Oh, Sunbeam
always knows, and she won't give them anything." This seemed to me
a very striking indication of Mrs. Soule's sincerity.
Sunbeam: Hello, hello. It seems we are friends. Spirit of Neddie is
trying to say[then a few unimportant preliminary remarks].
When he was interested in anything, went in all over. Investi-
gated how to do things. [undecipherable word] times even
though you tried not to be.
Note: When E. W. A. was interested in anything he certainly
"went in all over," sometimes to an alarming degree. I frequently
pretended indifference when I thought his ideas impractical.
Sunbeam: [Personal matter which is both evidential and very much
in character, omitted.] I don't know what he means. (It's very
good, I understand.) Very light, thin suit of clothes, seems to be
light gray. I see him as though he is walking around.
Note: E. W. A. wore gray a great deal, because he liked it and I
preferred it, and he usually had one very light gray suit. He wore the
summer weight the year around, so the word " thin " is appropriate.
Sunbeam: He wasn't a great sporting man. Didn't enter much into
sports, but he played a good game, whatever it was. Click, like
golf. Good shot. This was in the old days, with a ball. Good
shot. [This is correct, except that he played billiards, not golf.
He had in his boyhood been an enthusiastic baseball player.]
There is a girl in the family. [Four correct statements concerning
the girl follow, too personal for recording. They are the only four
statements concerning her, and she is the only girl in the family.
No errors.] Lots of men quibbled. He couldn't. He was born
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21
that way. [Specifically correct. He couldn't quibble, even when
it was undiplomatic not to.] A tooth troubled him at the back
of the mouth. Seemed looking in glass at tooth. Not as good
as yours.
Note: E. W. A. had had some dental work done at the back of the
mouth shortly before his passing. His teeth were not as good as mine,
but I am struck here, as in so many cases, by a missed opportunity.
In a few words Sunbeam might have given me a very evidential state-
ment concerning his teeth, which had been a great joke between us.
Sunbeam: Very fond of delicate china. Takes them up with love
handles themuses them, not only looks at them. Takes things
in a delicate way, handling them almost with affection.
Note: E. W. A. was very fond of beautiful china and insisted on
having the choicest we possessed used daily.
Sunbeam: Houselike seeing you out of a window. He is so polite to
you. [We always watched for each other from the window. E.
W. A. was naturally polite and courteous to everyone, and no less
so to me. Several personal messages are here omitted, appropri-
ate, but not weighing evidentially either way.] He had two
watches, one bigger. Glancing at wrist. Fob.
Note: E. W. A. had two watches, one old-fashioned large one and
one smaller thin one. No wrist watch. He had a fob of which he was
very fond.
Sunbeam: He kept his trinkets, the things he had when he was a lad.
Great hand to keep things.
Note: This is emphatically true. Anything anyone had given him,
he kept, and among them trinkets of his boyhood which he treasured
highly.
Sunbeam: There is a song-book with his namea board cover. That
page has several things written on it. Kind of loose, out of its
cover. You will laugh when you see it. [I have been unable to
locate this.] He uses everything. [E. W. A. never set aside new
things and saved them, but used them at once.] He has a house-
coat, pretty, soft. You can't bear to give things away. I would
have wanted to do the same thing.
Note: Naturally, E. W. A. had a house-coat, and at the time I
would not have thought of giving his things away.
Sunbeam: He has a beautiful nosegood size, aristocratic. I am
fascinated to look at him. [E. W. A. had aristocratic features,
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his nose was well formed, good size.] Looks at movable clock.
[No special discovered pertinence.] Do you think he ought to
have lived? (Yes.) They weren't quite sure of the causes.
[True.] He was conscious of doing something with his body
autopsy? I said, "No." And I am glad.
Note: In the ordinary course of events, there would have been an
autopsy. A medical friend of ours averted it. The coroner paid only
a formal visit. This impresses me as being an unusually significant
detail, as autopsies are infrequent, and Miss Gertrude Tubby, who is
familiar with Mrs. Soule's work, does not recall, offhand, any other
reference to an autopsy in the published records. She recalls one
implication of a reference, but no direct mention of one.
Sunbeam: Was he in a hospital? [Much to my regret, I answered,
"Yes."] I thought so. I see a white arm. (Wait a minute. Do
you mean, was he sick in a hospital?) [Of course, my question
was a very bad blunder. While Sunbeam was apparently on the
right trail, I may have suggested the answer.] No. Did he work
in a hospital? All round people in uniforms. Hospital experience,
hospital practice, hospital work.
Note: This is, of course, correct. After all, my bungling question
may be interpreted to strengthen the evidence.1
Sunbeam: Did he wear white? He does some of that work now.
Note: E. W. A. wore white coats in his office when seeing patients,
and frequently around the apartment, when I did not object.
Sunbeam: Nuns. Connected with his profession [E. W. A. was
very fond of the nuns at the Sacre Coeur Convent, where he had
been attending physician.] (What was his profession?) Always
hitched to a clock. [True of doctors in general, not so true in his
case.2] Took him to lots of different people. He studies over
drawings, diaphragms, I suppose that is diagrams. He knows
about diaphragms. Lots of little bottles and glasses, to see how
1 If it be thought that the question, " Do you mean, was he sick in a hospital?"
may have given a hint, the reference to nuns does much to suggest a supernormal
source of information, since a majority of physicians are not attached to hospitals
at which nuns are in attendance. Besides, his special liking for the nuns gives em-
phasis to this particular. And, " Do you mean, was he sick in a hospital? " had he
actually been sick in a hospital, could be as easily regarded a hint to that
effect.W. F. P.
- What goes before and comes after indicates to me that all along the hospital
practice is being indicated. Of course at that period of his life he was '' hitched to a
clock." There is no reason to take out this one phrase and apply it to the later
period of his life which was not associated with a hospital.W. F. P.
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they developgermsyeshe knew germ theorygerms laid on
glasses. [Having been a physician, E. W. A. naturally knew
about these things.] (Sunbeam, are you tired?) No, ma'am, I'll
stay longer. He thinks he can get things over to you. I never saw
such beautiful hands as he has got. [This has already been com-
mented upon. The repetition, however, emphasizes a fact that par-
ticularly identifies E. W. A.] I see thermometer you put in your
mouth when I had fever. Morgue. Was he ever in a morgue?
(I imagine so.) He wanted a greater . He had accomplished
a lot. [Control leaving, then returned.] Was he awfully fond of
asparagus? Never heard that before. [Asparagus was E. W. A.'s
favorite vegetable.] Wheeler.
Note: If the last letter had been "n" instead of "r," the name
would have had special significance. Miss Wheelen had charge of the
sanitarium presided over by E. W. A.'s physician. She was also a
personal friend of ours. But had she been meant I think E. W. A.
would have said " Josie," the name by which we always addressed her.3
It is of interest that I recently learned that the " Wheeler" as given
by the medium is more or less constantly misapplied for " Wheelen " in
the case of this friend, both in conversation and correspondence.
As the sitting was closing, I asked Sunbeam whether she could get
me the last name of "Neddie." She said it would be pretty difficult,
but that she would try.
Control ceased.
Correct
First naming " Neddie " and thus identifying the person described;
when interested he went in all over; he wore light, thin suit of clothes,
seemingly light grey; he could not quibble; his teeth were not as good
as the sitter's; he was fond of beautiful china (a repetition, emphat-
ically true); " Houselike seeing you out of the window" (character-
istic to watch for each other at the window); so polite to sitter; had
two watches, one bigger than the other; had a fob; kept trinkets he
had as a boy; uses everything; has house coat (little value); sitter
cannot bear to give his things away; had fine, good sized and aristo-
3 If we assume, as Mrs. Allison does, that what comes through does bo by inten-
tion, it is by no means clear to me that E. W. A. "would have said 'Josie'" by
preference. Had his object been simply to chat, this doubtless would be so, but aa
the object was to give evidence, it would be intelligent to prefer the surname to the
given name, if he thought he could get it transmitted.W. F. P.
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cratic nose; " movable clock" (if interpreted to refer to removing the
boat "bell" or clock to his office); they were not quite sure of the
causes of his death; conscious of doing something to his body
autopsy? I said "No" (if interpreted to mean that whatever was
done it was not autopsy) ; intimation that he had had hospital experi-
ence and practice, and wore white; nuns associated with his profes-
sional work; further designation of his profession by "always hitched
to a clock" (if the meaning is when he was in the hospital), "dia-
grams" (temperature charts, etc.?), "bottles and glasses" for
"germs"; he had beautiful hands (repeated and emphatically true);
intimation that he was "awfully fond of asparagus."
Nearly Correct
Played a game, "click, like golf." Good shot (correct, if the
meaning is that game was like golf in that balls were used and good
shots made); tooth troubled him at back of the mouth (had dental
work done there shortly before decease); Wheelen (occurrence of
name explainable by association of ideas. The chain may runbroken
only by "asparagus," which itself may be an indeterminable link
thus: hospital, his own illness, his physician, his physician's private
hospital, the lady who presided over this hospital).
Wrong
If " glancing at wrist " signified that E. W. A. wore a wrist-watch,
it was incorrect.
Unverified
A song-book, with his name, and several things written in it, loose
cover; "Was he ever in a morgue?"
Omitted
Personal matter, characteristic and evidential; four correct per-
sonal statements regarding " a girl in the family "; several personal
messages without evidential weight.
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III
SITTING WITH MRS. SOULE, BOSTON, AUGUST 2, 1922
Between the last sitting and the one here recorded, it had been
more or less constantly on my mind whether Sunbeam at this sitting
would give me the name " Allison," which was the surname of " Neddie."
Sunbeam: Hello! [Usual responses.] Somebody almost came [un-
decipherable word]. You will cross water to do interesting things,
bring them back.
Note: This prediction was fulfilled one year later, and not at my
own initiative. The passage to Europe was actually taken for me
before I was consulted, and I had no interest whatever in the journey,
not even sufficient to oppose it. I brought back records of Brittain,
Vout-Peters and Leonard sittings of extraordinary interest to me.
Sunbeam: You could make a very excellent experimenter. You first
want to know your subject. All the buttons have got to be on your
waist. [This is amusing, as I detest slipshod methods.] Five
years from now, you will say, "what a long way I have come."
[Certainly the past few years have seen a complete reversal of my
former interests. Six lines follow of very personal communica-
tions from E. W. A., which are appropriate and evidential.] He
brought several things today. Two things I do not know what they
mean. One looks like the back of a machine, a thread that turns
like operating table. Refers to operation he was interested in, the
first operationmust have been very nervous. Just same way I
came into this experience, but I would not have given up for any-
thing. Never lets people get round a point by ignoring anything.
Cultures. Do not forget to say cultures. He was up in his
profession.
Note: E. W. A. was not a surgeon. He was a general practitioner.
I interpret these statements merely as placing him in his profession.
Sunbeam: He expected to go [undecipherable word]. I have been so
glad I had just the professional training I had. [E. W. A. exulted
in the fact that he had received his medical training under Dr.
William Pepper and Dr. David H. Agnew, who were his chiefs at the
University of Pennsylvania, and for whom his admiration was un-
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bounded.] And it gave me an inside idea of the physical body and
mental characteristics of those who most needed help, and it has
been of the greatest use to me since I died. And I have been able to
see where I sometimes failed to make contact with someone whom
you desire me to communicate through to you. And also I have
been able to help so many who arc over here who are bewildered by
the new scenes and new people of this life. So many come here so
unwilling to let go of the life they are familiar with, and yet when
some of us try to give them a helping hand they become as docile
as if they had taken an anaesthetic. I tried the method of mental
anaesthesia, so my life-work does go on, and I feel grateful for
every hour I gave to it. So much better than mere money-making.
Note: This last sentence is characteristic, as E. W. A. firmly be-
lieved money and the practice of medicine ought not to be associated,
that clergymen and physicians ought to be provided for by the State
Treasury, and that no one who wanted to acquire wealth ought to take
up medicine. The practice of medicine, however, was only a part of
E. W. A.'s life, certainly not his life-work.
Sunbeam: Know anything about far West? Travels [E. W. A. had
for a short period lived in California. This was before I knew
him.] I am pretty nearly always ready to jump and go. He lived
as much in his years as some people would to eighty.
Note: E. W. A. had a chronic case of " Wanderlust." The phrase,
"ready to jump and go," is difficult to interpret. He was always
ready to consider burning his bridges and trying some new and novel
scheme of living. Before I knew E. W. A. he had at various times lived
in England, France, Italy, California, Wyoming, New York and Penn-
sylvania, his native state. By "living" I mean he had settled down
for an indefinite time. He was distinctly not ready to " jump and go,"
however, at a moment's notice. He did everything deliberately. These
peregrinations continued all through our married life, but everything
was decided in an exceptionally leisurely fashion.
Sunbeam: I do not think I have much of a protest to make. My years
were doubly filled. I felt as if I had made a get-away before I was
quite ready. Refers to [undecipherable word] he had. Fond
of gems.
Note: E. W. A. was very fond of gems. An acquaintance was the
expert on precious stones with one of the largest jewelers in New
York, and E. W. A. greatly enjoyed looking over the collections and
talking about them at length later.
Sunbeam: Certain kind. What do you think it is? (What is it?)
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Pearls, sapphiresliked diamonds. Some association with
sapphires.
Note: I do not know of any association with sapphires, except that
they are my birthstone, but I have not the slightest notion that E. W.
A. was aware of the fact.
Sunbeam: I do not think he knew he was going to die. He knew the
possibility. It was a surprise when he found himself dead. He
went quick. It seems there was no chance for him.
Note: This is true enough, as I was alone with him and was igno-
rant of the proper stimulant to administer.
Sunbeam: If I had done this or thatbut there was no chance. I
was [undecipherable word] before this happened. He was up
against it. He couldn't get back. It seems as if you said, "You
ought to have a fur coat." He didn't want one. [I had often
suggested E. W. A.'s having a fur coat. He disliked them for
men.] He is quite tall. [Correct.] Letter K. [Unidentified.]
I think he was very fond of pictures, beautiful things. He doesn't
like everything. So much is trash. There is a picturecolored
photograph. Colonial things. Your Neddie loved these. Not pre-
posterous paintingsColonial types, that is what he loved. So
clean and white and artistic, like Wallace Nutting houses.
Note: E. W. A. preferred Colonial things to any others in the way
of furnishing. The Wallace Nutting type of cottages was much to
his taste. At least half a dozen colored photographs were hung on the
walls of our apartment, but none Colonial subjects.
Sunbeam: Did he love horses? Did he have one? I see country place.
I see horse, and was sticking nose out of a stall, black, white nose,
great pet.
Note: E. W. A. was brought up in the country, his family had
horses and his mother had a little black mare which was a great pet.
His sister thinks this mare probably had a white nose. All this was
before I knew E. W. A.
Sunbeam: He has got a lot of romantic notions in his head. Always
going back to when he was a boy. [E. W. A. loved to reminisce
about his boyhood.] I see a man, apparently his father. He seems
a good, jovial man, as though everybody would like him. He is the
type of Squire. Everybody knows him. He's like a town father.
When he died everybody around felt badlya good man gone to
the other side. Very liberal unless someone walks on his feet, then
they get right off. Fought a thing out on its merits. He had
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done a lot of good to people. He wouldn't have believed in this.
Note: I did not know E. W. A.'s father. His sister told me he was
not the jovial, Squire type, but very quiet and retiringdistinguished,
reserved, severe looking. He was very firm, able to assert himself. His
manner carried weight. No one would venture to tread on his toes.
He fought things out on their merits. I know he had done a great
deal of good. His daughter told me he would not have believed in
psychic things.
Sunbeam: The mother, is she on this side? (What do you think?) I
think she is here. Mother, different type. Quietnever mind kind.
Harmonized everything. She thinks there never was a boy like
Neddie. She had been gone a long time before him. There is a
picture of her. [There is.] Good, sensible, true woman. If she
had troubles, she kept them to herself. The father different. [E.
W. A.'s sister told me all the above statements are correct, except
that the father talked very little.] Both Christians, not in name.
All that's good. Congregational. Belonged to a church a long
time. [True, but it was the Episcopal Church.] You didn't know
his mother. She was gone before you came. [Correct.] Silver
and china. Queer old blue teapot or pitcher, with handle low, fat.
Piece very simple, but broken. They keep it.
Note: I neglected to verify this last item for three and a half years.
When on a visit to E. W. A.'s sisters, in Philadelphia, I took occasion
to inquire. I was taken to the china closet where old family pieces
were kept. Among them was an old cream pitcher of blue Willow-
ware. It is queerly shaped, fat, with handle low, very simple, the
handle being broken. I asked, " Why do you keep this?" E. W. A.'s
sister replied, "For the pattern."
Sunbeam: Silverdivide up between two or three people.
Note: Wrong, the silver remains undivided. There were three chil-
dren among whom the silver might properly have been divided. E. W.
A. told me in his lifetime he had never cared to have the personal prop-
erty, preferring that his two sisters, who have always lived together,
should keep it.
Sunbeam: They were not poor. The father had a fat big money-
wallet. Bill folder. [The sister says probably the father had a
wallet. They were not poor.] Lots of things in bill folder. Clip-
pings, trinkets. [E. W. A.'s sister does not think so.] Father
carried a lot of money. Never afraid of anything. Carried what
he wanted. [Probably. He was not a timid man.] Now about
the name: W. Does that belong to Neddie? [Surprised and hesi-
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tant] (Yes.) Next is a little letter"i"? No, a little letter?
(Yes.) "o." Two, couldn't be two " o's "yes. Next letter like
"d." Is there more to it? (What do you think?) Wood. Think
there is another letter. I want to put another "w" down, con-
nected with him. [Sunbeam seemed puzzled.]
Note: "W" was the first letter of my maiden name. E. W. A.'s
full name was Edward Wood Allison. "Wood," also, curiously
enough, was the married name of one of his sisters. As I was quite
satisfied with the result, and Sunbeam continued to grope ineffectually,
I said,
(Do you want me to tell you the name?) O, no. Imperator,
they do you know something about birds when he was in college?
There was a place that had heaps of birds. I did some dissecting.
[Control ceased.]
Note: E. W. A. attended college before he studied medicine. He
naturally did dissecting, but the "birds" would be almost impossible
to check up nowthis having been over forty years ago. "Wood"
may have aroused a memory of bird-thronged woods near the college.
Correct
Prediction that sitter would cross the ocean, and do some interest-
ing things to bring back; statement that sitter could make a very excel-
lent experimenter, and is careful in her method (inferable) ; prediction
implying that sitter within five years will have advanced much in some
way (little value) ; references to operating table, cultures, etc. (if in-
tended as further indicia of E. W. A.'s medical training) ; was glad he
had just the professional training which he did have; his professional
work was so much better than mere money-making (not weighty but
coincides with views emphatically held by him); mention of "Far
West " in connection with E. W. A.; " Nearly always ready to jump
and go" (correct in that he had often made a "jump " to go and live
indefinitely in some other State or country; but if " jump and go " is
interpreted to mean that he would do so without previous consider-
ation, it is so far incorrect); fond of gems; "some association with
sapphires " (weighs little, but as the sapphire is Mrs. Allison's " birth-
stone," it is impossible to deny the statement) ; he did not know he was
going to die, but knew the possibility; "he went quick "; he did not
want a fur coat; he was fond of pictureshad a colored photograph
(little value, but true, there were a number of colored photographs on
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the walls of his home); liked Colonial things; liked cottages of the
Wallace Nutting type.
A group of statements apparently relating to E. W. A.'s boyhood
home, to his relatives, etc.: a country place; a black horse with a white
nose, a great pet (only that the white nose is not certain) ; " always
going back to when he was a boy "; his father deceased, did a lot of
good to people, allowed no one to tread on his toes, fought things out,
did not believe in psychic claims; his mother deceased, was quiet, never-
mind kind, a harmonizer, very fond of E. W. A., died a long time before
he did, a picture of her exists (little value), good woman, sensible, true,
kept her troubles to herself; parents belonged to the church a long
time; sitter did not know E. W. A.'s mother; the mother died before
the sitter came; silver and chinaa queer old blue fat teapot or
pitcher with low handle, simple, but broken, they still keep it; the fam-
ily was not poor; the father was not afraid of anything; intimation
that "W" belonged to E. W. A.'s ("Neddie's") name, and spon-
taneous spelling of it, W o o d; he was in college (already stated) ; he
did dissecting (no value after previous disclosure of his medical
training).
Possibly Significant
"I want to put another W down, connected with him [Sunbeam
seemed puzzled]." (W. was the initial letter of his wife's name, also the
first letter of a sister's married name, likewise " Wood.")
Probable
E. W. A.'s father carried plenty of money; had a fat pocketbook.
Improbable
E. W. A.'s father carried trinkets in his pocketbook.
Wrong
"First operation" (if the implication is that E. W. A. performed
it, and was a surgeon. But there is not necessarily any such implica-
tion) ; intimation that his life was devoted to his profession; he loved
pictures of Colonial type (at least no proof of this is offered) ; E. W.
A.'s father the jovial Squire type (rather the opposite) ; "the father
is different" (if it means that he talked out his troubles it is incorrect;
if it means that he was different from his wife in some of the particu-
lars named, the statement has little force); parents belonged to the
Congregational Church (no, the Episcopalian) ; " silverdivide up be-
tween two or three people" (the word is not "divided." However,
neither had the silver been divided, nor was it in the least likely that
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31
E. W. A. would counsel that it should be divided, since the sisters who
own it live together).
U nverifiable
E. W. A. was very nervous at the first operation [attended?];
statements regarding what he is doing in his present life; intimation
that there was a place with many birds, associated with his college life.
Omitted
A personal statement, appropriate as from E. W. A., and eviden-
tial. Also omitted from the summary several statements which it is
impossible to gauge, since their meaning is unascertainable. For in-
stance, " My years were doubly filled " might mean that he was excep-
tionally driven with work, in which case it would be untrue, or that he
led a sort of double mental life, part of his time being devoted to his
profession, and part to other matters, in which case it would be true.
IV
SITTINGS WITH MRS. C. G. SANDERS
In February, 1921, I had two sittings with Mrs. Sanders which
were booked anonymously for me by Miss Gertrude Tubby, then Secre-
tary for the American Society for Psychical Research. Both were
very disappointing. Mrs. Sanders is well known as a medium of high
standing in America. Both Dr. James H. Hyslop and Dr. Walter
Franklin Prince have published lengthy reports of their experiments
with her. See American Society for Psychical Research publications.
During my entire sittings Mrs. Sanders seemed to be occupied in
futile groping that led nowhere. It is only fair to Mrs. Sanders to
state that she told me after the sittings that the personality of the
note-taker annoyed her excessively. It may have been merely an eccen-
tricity of the medium. I was, however, too discouraged to make any
further attempts with Mrs. Sanders.
On the evening of March 24, 1926, my friend, Mrs. Helen Churchill
Lambert, telephoned me and asked me if I would like to take her sit-
ting with Mrs. Sanders the following morning, as she was not well
enough to keep the appointment. Mrs. Lambert explained that she
would telephone Mrs. Sanders to say that another lady who had been
to her before would come the next morning.
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I went as requested, and the sitting, which lasted two hours, was
quite on a par with my two previous failures, save for one very striking
instance, which the following note by Mrs. Lambert explains. I took
my own verbatim notes at this sitting.
NOTE BY H. C. LAMBERT, OCTOBER 15, 1926
In the spring of 1926 I had a series of sittings with Mrs. Sanders,
to whom I went anonymously. My health was bad, but I made no
mention of this to her, nor was it touched upon during any of my sit-
tings by the control, although a great many evidential and personal
facts were given. I was being treated for heart trouble, but the doctor
was also afraid of diabetes. My ankles were swollen, and a foot that
once had been operated on pained me very much.
On March 25 I felt so badly that I asked Mrs. Allison to take my
sitting with Mrs. Sanders the following morning. She was kind enough
to do so and lunched with me afterwards. As she was leaving, I said I
would go with her to my chiropodist. She seemed quite startled, and
asked me what I wanted done. I explained to her, and she said, " Well,
I think I had better show you a page of the sitting; I had not intended
to read it to you, as there seemed to be nothing worth looking at."
The notes read as follows:
"Either the lady that was to come today, or someone around her,
has a condition with her leg or foot. The guide says she must not pick
or cut in any way that foot. Maybe the doctor wants to do that. The
guide says there is something about that foot or leg that must not be
picked or cut. Whatever the condition is, it can be eliminated."
As I had had trouble enough with the foot years ago, and had been
in Dr. William T. Bull's sanitorium for two weeks on account of an
operation on it in 1907, I was inclined to heed this warning, and, to
Mrs. Allison's great amusement, I decided to omit my visit to the
chiropodist, especially as at a previous sitting, I had been asked if I
recalled a sanitorium, either at number 33, or on 33d Street, which I
remembered as having been where Dr. William T. Bull's sanitorium
was, in those days, 1907. The name, " Dr. Bull," had also been men-
tioned at the same sitting, but for the moment I thought it referred to
his cousin, Dr. Titus Bull, whom I saw frequently.
Later in the week I told both Dr. Bull and my family physician of
the incident in Mrs. Allison's sitting. They were quite shocked at the
idea of my having contemplated going to a chiropodist, and said they
had not thought of warning me, as they supposed I had had enough
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experience to know that in my condition it might mean the risk of
losing the leg, if not my life. They added that I must not even allow
a manicurist to touch me. As predicted, the condition was eliminated
and I completely recovered my health. By no normal means could
Mrs. Sanders have known of the trouble with my foot or my intention
of going to the chiropodist.
V
THE SIGN "X"
It is well known to many American students of psychic research
that a sign purporting to represent Dr. Hyslop has been given through
various mediums. It seems almost incredible to me, however, that a
scholar of Dr. Hyslop's knowledge and experience should have chosen
the simplest and easiest of all signs, easier even than a circle, for he
must have known that it would impress the average person as puerile.
On the other hand, Dr. Hyslop might have selected this very symbol
because it is almost the last one he would be expected to choose. The
above statements are only my personal impressions, and I should like
particularly to have Dr. Prince express his views. I had discussed the
sign with Mr. Eric Dingwall, in 1922, before either of us knew what
it was but were aware of its existence. Mr. Dingwall said at the time,
"Of course, it depends on what the sign is. If it is anything as simple
as a cross or a circle it wouldn't have much weight." The theory of
telepathy could easily be applied to explain the two incidents that
follow.
During the winter of 1922-23, I was one of a small group who
attended a series of sittings at the home of Dr. Titus Bull. Among
the sitters were Mrs. Bull, Miss Muriel Bull, and a friend of Dr.
and Mrs. Bull, Mrs. Gertrude Ramsey, all of whom have exhibited
evidences of psychic force. There was no professional medium
at the sittings. It was customary to report any psychic impressions
to the group. I seemed to be the only person present who never had
anything of sufficient interest to comment on. Dr. and Mrs. Bull had
been among the first persons to receive Dr. Hyslop's sign, but had
taken special precautions to keep the symbol a secret. After the sit-
ting in February, 1923, which I am about to describe, they both de-
clared that none of the group had received any knowledge of the sign
from them. We had been sitting in the dark for some time and the
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others had been reporting their impressions. I grew inwardly dis-
couraged, as I was very eager for direct evidence.
Mentally I earnestly and repeatedly urged Dr. Hyslop, if he really
survived, to give me his sign. I knew there was some sign, but I had
not the slightest idea of its nature. Almost immediately after I had
made this urgent mental request, Muriel Bull said, "It seems very
silly, but I keep seeing the letter X, like the mark after a lesson that is
wrong. I have been seeing it again and again, but I haven't the slight-
est idea what it means." She was just completing her college course,
and examinations had been in the air.
Mrs. Ramsey, who was sitting on the opposite side of the room,
replied: " It seems so silly that I hate to say it, but I get a feeling of
Dr. Hyslop in connection with that X." Then I said, "Well, that is
all right. Perhaps it isn't as silly as you think." Dr. and Mrs. Bull
said nothing. After I returned home, I telephoned Miss Tubby. It
was about 11:30. I asked her to tell me Dr. Hyslop's sign. She said,
"Did you get it?" I replied, "I don't know. What is it?" Miss
Tubby replied: " You tell me." Naturally neither of us wanted to give
the information first. Finally I said, " An X? " and she said, " Yes."
Fkom a Sitting with Mrs. Osborne Leonard, August 4, 1924 1
About half an hour before the close of the sitting:
L. W. A.: [Changing the subject.] Feda, is the older gentleman [Dr.
Hyslop] there?
Feda: Yes.
L. W. A.: Has he ever given a sign of himself?
Feda: Yes, he has given it to some one.
L. W. A.: Could he give it to me?
Feda: Yes, he points his hand. Look! [Drawing in air.]
L. W. A.: Could you draw it, Feda?
Feda: I'll try.
1 Again there is reason to regret that material of considerable length and com-
plexly evidential character, in the record of August 4th, cannot be used, on account
of its relation to two living Americans, uncomplimentary to one of them. The
remarks about one of these, the correct initial of whose first name is given, are too
various and fitting to mistake their application, and the attitude of the other, the
initial of whose surname was given (as his complete first name had been in an earlier
sitting), is correctly stated. A prediction was made, somewhat vague as to its pre-
cise meaning but the fullest sense of which the future justified. At that date there
was no appearance that what came about would do so. No one would be better able
to make the above affirmation, regarding the omitted pages than myself. It is in-
credible to me that Mrs. Leonard could have possessed the knowledge displayed in
those pages.W. F. P.
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Note: L. W. A. gave pad and pencil to medium, who very rapidly
drew a hand pointing to a lopsided X.
Feda: As if there is something missing. Directly you asked for a sign,
he put his hands up, as there is something else he wanted to do, and
yet he's contented. As if there is something else I want to do, too.
I don't know what he means, but he says, " I have given that sign
recently."
Note: As far as I know, there is nothing else connected with the
sign, and Feda's enlargement weakens the evidence. It may be due to
her frequent custom of padding.
COMMENTS BY W. F. P.
Mrs. Allison says that it is claimed that X has been received by
various mediums as the sign chosen by Dr. Hyslop to indicate his
presence. It becomes, because of this portion of her record, and of
her invitation, my duty to say why I think that this proffered evidence
should be regarded with caution.
1. It is incomprehensible that Dr. Hyslop, with his analytical
mind and his vast knowledge, should have chosen the crossing of two
straight marks as his sign. He must have known that the cross and
the circle are the most common graphic symbols everywhere and in
every age. Not only this, but he was very familiar with the fact that
one type of a cross was the well-known symbol for " Imperator," that
the cross, alone or in a circle, was given by some mediums as a sign
supposed to be associated with William James, and that the cross had
come through other mediums unconnected with either Imperator or
James. His own publications had made these facts very familiar to
him. (See Journal A. S. P. R., V, 644, 646; VI, 314-315, 318; VII,
36, 618, 628; IX, 512-523, 559; Proceedings A. S. P. R., Ill, 147,
363; V, 99-100, 533; XIII, 174, etc.) The difficulty here is psycho-
logical. How could Dr. Hyslop, knowing how common this sign is,
how nearly instinctive it is to include it among the marks jotted down
even in reverie, and the danger of confusing it with the signs purport-
ing to be those of Imperator, William James, etc., select the crossing
of two lines as his symbol? While living, he would never have done so;
the Greek character for psi he might have selected, the elementary
cross-mark never.
In regard to Mrs. Allison's ingenious remark that "Dr. Hyslop
might have selected this very symbol because it is almost the last one
he would be expected to choose," I have only to say that it amounts to
the suggestion that he might have done a ridiculous thing because he
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knew that he would not be expected to do a ridiculous thing! What-
ever the motive, it would still be true that, as Mr. Dingwall said, " a
cross or a circle wouldn't have much weight." No one would have
known that better than Dr. Hyslop, and it is to me incredible that,
deliberately and knowingly, he should have vitiated his purpose to give
evidence in order to disappoint expectations that he would show
common-sense.
2. But if it can be conceived that Dr. Hyslop would select this
sign, the fact remains that a plain cross is extraordinarily likely to be
produced by accident, or rather by certain trends of the human mind,
and only under a number of ascertained and certain conditions can it
be regarded as an evidential sign. (1) It is one of the universal sym-
bols. As the Encyclopedia Britannica says: "From the simplicity of
its form, the cross has been used both as a religious symbol and as an
ornament, from the dawn of man's civilization." In India, Persia,
Egypt, Europe, America, everywhere the cross is found from prehis-
toric times. (2) Its use has become enormously increased in Christian
lands by its well-known significance in relation to the death of Christ.
In and on churches and in connection with religious objects and litera-
ture, the sign is continually forced upon our attention. (3) Similarly
derived, various forms of speech increase the frequency with which we
think of or visualize a cross. Any trouble is a "cross," any enthusi-
astic movement a " crusade," etc. (4) Heraldry and military decora-
tions still further increase the tendency. (5) A cross is the common
sign for anonymity. When we refer to a man whose name must not be
mentioned, we most generally call him " Mr. X." (6) It is the alge-
braic sign for an unknown quantity. (7) It is the mark used by a man
who cannot write his name. (8) It is a sign signifying the figure 10.
(9) It is a sign frequently employed in marking examination papers.
(10) Not long ago, at least, containers of flour, and beer-kegs, were
marked with crosses, etc. (11) Crosses are constantly meeting the
eye, by the accidents of construction and location. In the room where
I sit the beams above and the panels on the walls and doors form
crosses, two folding-chairs each show crosses beneath the seat, behind
me three file-boxes whose labels are to be changed are marked with
crosses, and on my desk a pencil, dropped upon a pen, results in
a cross.
From such considerations it would be psychologically certain, even
if not demonstrated, that both abnormal and psychic persons would
often see a cross and such would often draw a cross, as a mere auto-
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37
matism, since the subconscious is so stocked with memories associated
with crosses.
3. But actual inspection shows how frequent the cross is in the
impressions of mediums. I do not mean that this is proof that such
impressions never originate beyond the subconscious. The point here
is that the sign is exceedingly common; I think the most common of all
in this connection. In about two hours, impeded by the fact that most
of the records consulted have no index, I found the cross occurring in
the following cases, besides those already cited. Mrs. Smead (this time
not in connection with Imperator), Proceedings A. S. P. R., VII, 507;
Miss Ritchie, lb., VII, 508; Moriarty, lb., XII, 175; Mrs. Rathbun,
lb., Ill, 147; Mr. Thompson, lb., Ill, 363; medium of "I Heard a
Voice "; medium of "Across the Barrier," p. 71; a Boursnell "spirit
photograph," Coates's Photographing the Invisible, p. 96; a Wyllie
"spirit photograph," lb., p. 168. It would be a matter only of time
and patience to add to this list indefinitely.
4. Certain alleged instances of the supposed Hyslop X cannot be
taken seriously into account. It is not to be taken as an indictment of
Mrs. Helen C. Lambert's interesting General Survey of Psychical Phe-
nomena that I find the crosses on the plate opposite page 124 uncon-
vincing. The plate shows various rough scratches supposed to have
been made by a supernormal process. What these scratches represent
is a matter for opinion in which imagination can play a deciding part.
For instance, what is interpreted to be "a large V intersecting an
ellipse " could as easily be seen as two overlapping Vs or as a rude W,
or, looked at the other way up, aV (or a T or X) and an F. There
are in three instances what are termed Xs. One of them could as
easily be an F or an f, it is so distorted. Another is composed of a
crooked line extending half across the plate, crossed by a curved line
nearly as long. If intended for an X, it was an extraordinarily bad
one. The third one consists of a long line crossed near one extremity
by a short one. What is interpreted to be an H is made of two short
lines lying across the long curved line of a supposititious X, and has to
borrow from the "X" to be made an H. Now, any two lines not
parallel, if sufficiently prolonged, will cross. Try making a lot of
rapid and random lines in every direction on a small sheet of paper.
If they are rapid and random several crosses are sure to result.
I once saw a number of Xs produced by different mediums and sup-
posed to refer to the same individual. One of these, a private auto-
matic writer, had himself first received it from another medium, to-
gether with the revelation of its significance. Of course, such a case
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must be set aside. Another produced it, both in Latin and St. An-
drew's form, but also a number of other signs in the same connection.
Equally, of course, it would be illegitimate to pick out one of these
crosses and exhibit it as though it stood alone.
5. Suppose that a deceased Mr. Brown (I suggest such a presum-
ably uncritical Mr. Brown in order not to embarrass our thinking at
this stage with the feeling that Dr. Hyslop could not have made so
unintelligent a choice and continue for a long time blissfully uncon-
scious that it was unintelligent) should be said to have given his sign
X through a number of mediums. That sign is so common a one, so
likely to come as a mere automatism or in response to any expressed
wish that a sign should be given, that the critical reader, before reach-
ing any degree of conviction, would have to demand the following guar-
antees: (a) That the mediums unmistakably connected X with Mr.
Brown, (b) That they did so without being assisted by any unin-
tended hints on the part of the sitter, (c) That none of them were
in a position to borrow from another of the set of mediums. (d) That
the secret of the sign and its significance was so preserved that no
medium in the series could have heard of it prior to her being added to
the number. One leak in the course of experiments occupying a long
time might partially vitiate results in a manner hard to trace. (e)
That the experimenter did not suggest to the mediums or any of them,
that some kind of a sign was wanted, since to do so would have a
tendency to bring forth this most common automatism, and certainly
do so in a large percentage of cases. (f) That in any case where X
was but one of the signs given by the medium, the other signs shall be
reported, and if the medium finally settles down to X only, the process
by which this result was achieved shall be set forth fully, (g) That
together with the list of Xs given by a stated number of mediums there
shall be reported all other signs appearing to be related to the deceased
person by a stated number of other mediums.
Now let us turn to the instances presented by Mrs. Allison. I have
not the least doubt that everything occurred exactly as she states, but
think that the facts are well within the reach of coincidence, telepathy
and the tendencies I have mentioned.
We know nothing whatever about the circumstances under which
Dr. and Mrs. Bull received the sign. We are told that they had in-
formed no one, but not that no hint of a "sign " had been dropped to
them previous to their getting it. They were " among" the first per-
sons to get it. Mrs. Allison knows that some one has been collecting
instances. How long has she known this? Answer: By the record she
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has known this, and even what the sign was as long ago as 11:30 p. m.,
of some day in February, 1923. How many more persons were told in
the course of the process of gathering X cases? How early were other
friends told? I myself learned of the sign and what it was, in the most
casual fashion, at least as early as 1922, though I do not think that
my informant realized I was being informed. We have to set aside Dr.
and Mrs. Bull so far as this publication is concerned, for lack of
knowledge.
Next we have the case of Miss Muriel. During the winter a series
of sittings had been held, at which persons sitting in the dark would
report their impressions, quasi-sensory, etc. At this sitting various
impressions had been recited. It is not strange that among them this
young lady had the hallucinatory image of an X, since this is so com-
mon a symbol that it was liable to crop up any time, and had probably
done so, with different persons, repeatedly in the course of the un-
recorded series of dark sittings. More than this; it is highly probable
that the innocent remark by Miss Muriel that the X she saw was "like
the mark after a lesson that is wrong," is revelatory, that the visual X
was a reaction from her dread of seeing Xs on her examination papers.
Her seeing the mark soon after Mrs. Allison mentally urged Dr.
Hyslop to give his sign would be merely a coincidence, and so simple a
coincidence as this is not infrequent.
Mrs. Ramsey's impression that Miss Muriel's X was connected with
Dr. Hyslop is not evidential apart from assurances which it would
hardly be possible now to supply. Had Mrs. Ramsey heard nothing
about the Hyslop sign? If she had not, how can we now know that
there had been no mention of Dr. Hyslop in previous conversations of
that evening, which at the same time would account for Mrs. Allison's
thinking to mentally ask for the sign, and for his name coming to Mrs.
Ramsey's mind? Dr. Bull was Dr. Hyslop's friend, and Dr. Hyslop's
name was in the air. And, at any rate, the conditions were excellent
for the transmission from one member of the company to another of
telepathic intelligence.
Now, for the Mrs. Leonard deliverance. Its force as evidence for
a sign from Dr. Hyslop is weakened on two accounts. (1) Mrs. Alli-
son intimated that she wanted a sign from Dr. Hyslop. This would
evoke from the medium's subconscious some response to meet the de-
mand, with the likelihood that one of the "universal" signs would
appear, and X seems to be the most frequent of all with "sensitives."
(2) There were ideal conditions for telepathy, for two reasons.
(a) Mrs. Allison now had her mental attention centered on X.
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(b) The emergence of X in the medium's mind would probably be the
easier since whatever force proceeded from Mrs. Allison's thinking X
would reinforce and direct the natural tendency of the medium's mind
to produce one of the universal symbols. Of course, so far as Feda,
by saying that "there is something missing," damaged the reference
for the telepathic theory, she damaged it for the spiritistic one also.
VI
SITTING WITH MRS. ANNIE BRITTAIN, LONDON,
ENGLAND, JUNE 6, 1923
Two days after my arrival in London I called on Mrs. J. Hewat
McKenzie, the Secretary of the British Psychic College. It was about
twelve years since my last visit to London. I had had no contacts in
England with any one connected with psychic research, so far as I
was aware. I presented a letter of introduction to Mrs. McKenzie
which gave no information about me of a personal nature, and I was
careful not to mention anything concerning myself in our short inter-
view. Mrs. McKenzie asked me some general questions about the
American Society for Psychical Research and I inquired whether she
could recommend any mediums. She wrote down two names for me,
those of Mrs. Brittain and Mr. Vout Peters. This terminated our
interview.
On the following evening, at 9 o'clock, it occurred to me that it
might be an interesting experiment to try a sitting the next morning,
which was the anniversary of the passing of E. W. A. I looked for
Mr. Vout Peters' name in the telephone directory, but could not find
it. Then I tried Mrs. Brittain with more success, and called the num-
ber. A gentleman answered. I asked if an appointment would be pos-
sible for the next morning, giving no name at all, but saying that I
could furnish credentials. He asked me to wait while he consulted the
appointment book, and reported that 10 o'clock would be convenient.
I told no one of the engagement except the friend with whom I had
gone abroad, when she returned to the hotel about midnight. Leakage
of information through this friend is entirely out of question for sev-
eral reasons aside from her character, one of which is that she was off
for the Derby early the next morning.
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41
Mrs. Brittain answered my ring when I arrived at the appointed
hour the next day, conducted me to her sitting-room, one flight up, and
prepared to sit at once. She has a quiet, refined personality. This
sitting was undisturbed, and the only one I have had with Mrs. Brittain
at which there were no interruptions due to domestic demands. She
went into a secondary state.
Mrs. B.: [A few unimportant preliminary remarks, then] I see roses
of the spirit, curious small red rosesnot expensive onesthe
kind that might grow in a cottage garden, hanging over a fence
they come only at the anniversary of a birth or a death.
Note: June 6 is the anniversary of the passing of E. W. A. He
preferred garden roses to the hothouse variety.
Mrs. B.: Do you know Walter? [Not that I remember.] Long time
ago, connected with your childhood. I am coming a little nearer
to one you have around you, who was killed flying. Rather tall
very nice buildit seemed he was everything to his peoplea boy
who had never been crossed. It was connected with the sea.
Note: An English relative of E. W. A.'s was killed flying over the
sea, during the war. This much I knew from the papers. When, after
this sitting, I met the family in London, I saw his portrait, and he
appeared to be tall and of fine build like his father, who showed it to
me. I purposely mentioned Margaret Bancroft, a family connection,
who was a well-known psychic researcher, to the father, hoping it
would open a channel for pursuing the verification of this communi-
cation. It did not. I was obliged to drop the subject like a hot coal.
Mrs. B.: There's such a nice mancertainly likes youhe is rather
vainsort of fumbling with his collar, as if he wants to look nice
before you see him.
Note: This may well serve to introduce E. W. A. He was very
fastidious and particular.
Mrs. B.: He is quite tall, I am sure six feet. [He was six feet in his
stockings.] Nice broad shoulders, wonderful build, so strong.
Such a nice clear skin. Face rather long. A nice forehead, high
and rounded at the temples. Hair very smooth. I would call it
brown.
Note: While E. W. A.'s face was not long, it was "rather long,"
and the other points of the description are excellent. His hair, which
still gave the general impression of being brown, had been white at the
temples long before his passing.
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Mrs. B.: The eyes rather blue.
Note: Incorrect. E. W. A.'s eyes were brown and dark. In this
connection, I have been impressed with the difficulty people seem to
have in remembering the color of other people's eyes, even when they
have been closely associated with them. I asked two friends who had
known E. W. A. as long as I had, one of whom had on two occasions
spent several weeks with us: "What was the color of E. W. A.'s
eyes?" One of them answered, "Gray." The other, "Dark blue."
I asked them separately, so they were not influenced by each other's
reply. Both were at least ordinarily observant. I have amused my-
self a number of times since by asking friends the color of the eyes of
mutual acquaintances, and have been surprised at the fumbling and
hesitancy of the average person when endeavoring to recall the color
of the eyes of living friends. Mrs. Brittain's statement at the begin-
ning of the sitting, "I see," and the following up of the description
appears to be clairvoyance. Perhaps she experiences the same diffi-
culty that my friends do.
Dr. Prince, however, points out that my analogy between the cases
of my friends and the case of Mrs. Brittain is not exact. They were
remembering what perhaps they had never particularly observed, she
is supposed to be describing what she sees and examines. It does not
follow that my friends would have made the same errors had they
described the color of the eyes with the person before them. Dr.
Prince finds that women, at least some women, often cannot remember
whether a male caller has a moustache or is clean shaven, but they
could tell, if asked, when the man was present. It may be, after all,
that Mrs. Brittain receives her impression telepathically from an inter-
mediary and the " I see " is a mere routine phrase.
Mrs. B.: He was rather retiring, although he knows how to get on
with people.
Note: E. W. A. got on exceptionally well with all sorts of people,
but he was retiring in the sense that he rarely sought them. He was
always on the edge of the crowd, never of it. But this word " retir-
ing," like so many statements of mediums, seems open to almost any
interpretation the sitter wishes. His was not an aggressive personality.
Mrs. B.: He is as stupid as a donkey. You could lead him, you
couldn't drive him.
Note: This is excellent, if " stupid" is here equivalent to "stub-
born." E. W. A. could not endure direct opposition, but was most
amenable to suggestion. Four years after the date of this record I
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43
recorded a sitting with Mrs. Brittain for an acquaintance. While the
medium was in a secondary state I made an opportunity to inquire,
"What do you mean when you speak of a person as being stupid?"
"Why, stubborn," she replied.1
Mrs. B.: He has a very strong sense of justice. [A marked character-
istic.] He is very jolly. [Anyone who knew him would testify to
this.] He had the heart of a boy still, although not so young, the
heart of a boy. Sort of happiness in his heart.
Note: People often commented on E. W. A.'s youthful disposition.
"Heart of a boy " is excellent.
Mrs. B.: About forty-five.
Note: E. W. A. was sixty-two when he passed over, but hardly
anyone thought him more than fifty. Two years earlier he proposed
to give his age as forty-five, in connection with war work, where he
would have been barred by the age limit. He felt himself in a much
fitter condition to undergo strain than many a younger man. He
asked advice of several friends, who assured him that his statement
would never be questioned. Therefore if "about forty-five" is based
on the medium's visual observation, she is correct.
Mrs. B.: I wish he would come nearer. [Pause.] Do you know
George? A man who seems more like a father. Took a wonderful
interest in you. A man engrossed in things. [I cannot place
George at all. Pause.] I have a sorrowful feelingwas the other
man called Ted? (No.) Well, it's a short name like that. Was
it Fred? (No.) [Both "Noes" were non-committal, although
the names given were very close. E. W. A. was always called
Ned.] You have a darling mother. She died with[unhesi-
tatingly the medium named the cause of my mother's death]. She
has a little Aunt Mary with her.
Note: My mother was very fond of her Aunt Malie [Amalia], who
was tiny and usually called "Little Auntie" by the family. When, a
year later, I questioned "Feda" at a sitting with Mrs. Leonard,
"Feda, do you see it or hear it?" she replied, "Sometimes I see it,
and sometimes I hear it." The same may be true of Mrs. Brittain.
If she got the name clairaudiently, there may have been merely an
1 In a number of instances it has been found, on inquiry, that the medium used
a word in an unusual sense, as in this instance, where to Mrs. Brittain "stupid"
meant "stubborn," a sense not authorized by the dictionary; and that her sense
suited the external fact. But it must not be left out of account that there may be
instances where the incorrect sense has been set down as fitting to the external fact,
whereas the true or usual sense, had it been ascertained, would not. It is probable,
then, that errancies on both sides would about balance.W. F. P.
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auditory error of " Mary " for " Malie," especially as one would dis-
trust " Malie," since it is so uncommon a name.
Mrs. B.: Lots of love from Tomwith an H in it. I don't know what
the H means. [Neither did I.] He inspired you. (Who?) He
brought the roses. [Compare page 41.] He is wearing quite a
nice ring. I don't know if he wore it here. [Said in a puzzled
way.]
Note: Ring associations are, of course, very common, but the re-
mark, " I don't know if he wore it here," is of interest. E. W. A. very
much wanted a ring of unusual design, to be made from my father's
wedding-ring and his own. Several designs had been submitted, but
none decided upon at the time of his passing.
Mrs. B.: I wonder if you are wearing his watch. (No.) Quite a lot
of Eastern influences. Do not know if man was interested in East;
I am picking up Eastern things.
Note: E. W. A. was especially interested in Eastern metaphysics
and philosophy, and his most treasured possession was a Japanese
wall-carving.
Mrs. B.: The spirit of home as the world to him.
Note: E. W. A. was at his best and happiest in his home, wherever
that home happened to be. He infused the atmosphere of home even
into temporary hotel quarters.
Mrs. B.: Everything is on the balance with you. Some day you will
have a home again. Something will happen to put you in the
right direction.
Note: I had dismantled our home three weeks previous to this sit-
ting, and felt very unsettled. It was the first time in my life that I
had been without a home.
Mrs. B. [slowly]: I would call him a lazy manas if he had abso-
lutely abandoned himself to leisure. He knows how to take a
holiday.
Note: No one knew better how to enjoy or employ leisure, of which
E. W. A. had a great deal.
Mrs. B.: I wonder who is Winnie? [I do not place Winnie. Mrs.
Brittain did not wait for my confirmation or denial of statements,
but went on almost oblivious of my presence, and I responded only
where absolutely necessary. Her eyes had been closed since the
beginning of the sitting, but at this point she went under control.
I later learned the control called herself Bell.]
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Bell: [A few unimportant, but appropriate statements, then] He
says May or Mary to let you see he can remember. She is not very
well, and she isn't like you. Rather fragile, very sensitive.
Note: Mary is his sister. She is called May a great deal. She had
not been very well during the spring. The rest of the description
is good.
Bell: CharlieJack. [Of all E. W. A.'s acquaintances, the two men
he was fondest of were named Charlie and Jack.] He calls you
anything, just what he feels like. [True, E. W. A. had innumer-
able nicknames for me.] There is a lady with you a lot in spirit
life. She died in connection with a child. She is a spirit a long
time. Connection with you on mother's side.
Note: My maternal grandmother died at my mother's birth.
Bell: Perhaps it is your wedding day, because he gives you orange
blossoms. No, not todaythe 14th. The happiest day of his life.
The one great happy day. Not Thursday, not Tuesdaybetween
you know.
Note: This was astonishingly accurate. I do not believe anyone
of my entire acquaintance remembered that I was married on Wednes-
day, June 14, eighteen years previously. I can properly stress this,
because the four witnesses to the ceremony had died before the time of
the sitting. To the best of my knowledge, I had not been thinking of
Wednesday, June 14. My thoughts were concentrated on the anni-
versary date of this sitting. In his lifetime I feel quite certain E. W.
A. would have remembered both the June 14 and the Wednesday,
although E. W. A. and I were not given to anniversary celebrations.
Dr. Prince points out that only once in seven years does Wednesday
coincide with a particular calendar date.
Bell: [I here omit a number of sentences which were very personal
messages, given with great intensity of feeling, and stressing this
particular day and what it had meant to me and presumably to
him. If the remarks had not entirely fitted the day, they would
have been absurd.] Just wants you to know today, roses are his
best and dearest love to you.
Note: "Today," as stated on page 41, was an anniversary and
the particular variety of roses mentioned "came" only at an anni-
versary of a birth or death.
Bell: Awful sometimescurious, sudden tragedyyou had, he
didn't [It was a sudden tragedy. Pause. Then Bell burst
forth spontaneously:] He loves doggies. [E. W. A. was devoted
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to dogs.] Bungalowlong walks in spasmodic way.
Note: We spent one winter in a Southern bungalow where two dogs
were great pets. All the years I knew E. W. A. he took long walks
spasmodically. He might do so every day for a month, and then omit
walks for months at a time. While at the bungalow he followed his
usual custom.
Bell: He has met your mother. She still has convictions and ideas.
She doesn't know much about spirits.
Note: In her lifetime my mother had been the victim of much teas-
ing, as she was given to adopting new ideas and interests foreign to
the conventions of her environment. Her determination was unshak-
able. She was not, to my knowledge, ever interested in "spirits."
Bell: One little friend you called Winnie passed out quite long time.
[I do not place Winnie. A few unimportant remarks, the control
slowly withdrawing.] God bless you.
Note: This expression, "God bless you," was characteristic of E.
W. A. on the few occasions when we separated for any length of time.
In his lifetime it impressed me particularly because I was unaccustomed
to its use. It would be interesting to discover whether it is usual for
Bell to withdraw with the words, " God bless you."
Mas. B.: [Coming out of trance, still dazed.] I saw " Edward " writ-
ten as I wokewritten like little diamonds or lights among the
red roses.
Note: E. W. A.'s name was Edward.
Mrs. B.: Did you ever have a doctor friend named Anthony, that was
so kind?
Note: The doctor whom I called directly after E. W. A.'s sudden
passing, and who made all necessary arrangements, and was "so
kind," was named Anthony.
After the close of this sitting, I arranged for two further dates
with Mrs. Brittain, still anonymously. The first one of these took
place four days later. Save for one strikingly evidential communica-
tion, too personal to recount, the result was entirely negative. Mrs.
Brittain seemed hopelessly lost in a maze of impressions which did not
apply in my case. The third sitting was a blank. I have been told by
several acquaintances in a position to judge that this procedure is
quite characteristic of Mrs. Brittain's work; that while she occasion-
ally gives a brilliant first sitting, she is unable to carry on.
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The conditions under which this sitting was held seem excellent.
Mrs. Allison in England after about twelve years' absence, her interest
in psychic research new and it is believed unknown abroad, met the
intermediary only two days after arrival and told nothing about her-
self (and if it be conceived possible that information would leak from
the British Psychic College if known, I will mention that I also secured
Mrs. Brittain's name there in 1927 and the sitting was a complete
failure, although many facts about me were known to the persons in
the office of that organization), made her engagement with Mrs. Brit-
tain anonymously and told no one of the engagement save a friend from
America who is beyond suspicion.
It was the anniversary of E. W. A.'s death. Almost at once Mrs.
Brittain saw red roses, with her a symbol of death or birth. Later,
after identification by many particulars, comes the dawning of recog-
nition that the day was an anniversary, at first surmised to be of the
sitter's wedding, this surmise instantly corrected, and then, with
further emphasis upon the day, the symbol of roses again, and " Awful
sometimescurious, sudden tragedyyou hadhe didn't," which
surely implies death and not birth. Finally, at the end of the sitting
the psychic saw "Edward" written like little lights among the
red roses.
Dividing the last references, came the unmistakable claim that on
the 14th of the month (June), also on a Wednesday, the sitter was
married. In fact, her marriage occurred on Wednesday, June 14, 1905.
It seemed worth while to measure the value of this extraordinary
hit as to the marriage date. I submitted the matter to Alan S.
Hawkesworth, F.R.S.A., one of the ablest mathematicians m the coun-
try. Let us have it in mathematical language.
"On the surface of things she had one chance in 2,550 of guess-
ing correctly the date and week-day of that client's marriage. Since
to accurately guess the exact date, June 14, she had one chance in
364%; and that, whether we consider the straight chance of one date
in the year, or figure the 'chance of a chance' of the correct month
(one in 12), and the correct date in that month (one in 30+); since
%64-25 = Yi2 x %o+. And so, having triumphantly passed the first
gate (1 in 364.25), she now has one chance in 7 to guess the correct
day in the week. This ratio of % being cyclic, remains the same;
whatever the length of the marriage, or the occurrence of leap years,
since the lengthening the number of years merely multiplies in the same
ratio the number of cycles, and the dislocations of leap year cancel out.
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So the final 'chance of a chance' is %G4-25 x 14 x V,5ty.-5, or say
one chance in 2,550."
But, Mr. Hawkesworth truly adds: "If, however, the 'psychic'
knew that her client was a staunch Churchwoman or a Roman Catho-
lic, to whom marriage during Lent (43 days), or during Advent
(average 28 days), was interdicted, this would reduce the possible
364.25 days to a possible 250.25. The common preference for a June
wedding would, in turn, give that month a double value, say; while a
common unwillingness to be married on a Friday or on a Sunday
would reduce the week-days to say 5.5. All of which, cooperating,
would raise the chance of the correct guess to say one in 1,270."
The medium knew nothing about the church connections of the
sitter, who in fact had no such inhibitions in regard to marrying in
Lent or Advent. But, all the same, since her marriage did take place
outside of those seasons, if the medium had even incorrectly supposed
the sitter to be a Roman Catholic or staunch Churchwoman, her
chances of hitting the actual date would have been increased. Several
of the factors which entered into Mr. Hawkesworth's calculation were
too theoretical for me. It occurred to me to see what the actual
statistical facts were in large numbers of marriages in the order of
their listing in Who's Who. I leave the mathematician to state the
result.
"Dr. Prince, by a painstaking computation from Who's Who, has
determined from a list of 600 persons that 32 were married in Janu-
ary; 21 in February; 19 in March; 45 in April; 27 in May; 129 in
June; 45 in July; 42 in August; 67 in September; 65 in October; 56
in November; and 52 in December. So that the chances that any
marriage took place in the favorite month of June is 12%oo; or a trifle
better than one in five. A surprisingly high expectation; and quite
double what one would primarily anticipate.
"Similarly he found that of 300 marriages listed in Who's Who, 22
took place on a Monday; 54 on a Tuesday; 98 on a Wednesday; 73 on
a Thursday; 12 on the unlucky Friday; 32 on a Saturday; and but 9
on a Sunday. So that the chance of a Wednesday wedding is 9%oo;
or say one in three. Again a surprisingly large ratio; and double
what one might ' a priori' anticipate.
"The order of both months and week-days being cyclic, or recur-
rent, the length of the marriage does not enter into the problem. For
the elapsed years multiply all the several factors alike; leaving their
inter-ratios unaffected. Nor do leap years make any difference. For,
although each, by adding an extra day, shifts the week-day sequence to
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49
that amount, this cancels itself out in a few years, and, in any event,
has no effect upon the deliberate preference that is apparent for June,
and for a Wednesday.
"Finally; there are 30 days in the favorite June. So that the total
probability that some wedding, of unspecified length, occurred on
Wednesday 14 June of an unspecified year, is 12%oo x 9%oo x Vzio =
1264%40oooo = 210%ooooo; or about 21/-j chances out of a thousand;
or one chance in 427."
But the matter did not stop here. There was also recognition that
the very day of the sitting was an anniversary. The most natural
interpretation of the remarks would be that the man described, almost
solely the subject of this sitting, died on June 6. In that case the
chance of both guesses, in conjunction, that regarding the date and
day of the wedding and that regarding the date of the death, would be
(427 x365) 1 in 155,855.2 If one disregards the intimations of trag-
edy, as possibly not referring to the day of death, then, if one is con-
vinced that the man is referred to, the day would be either that of his
birth or his death, and the chance 1 in 77,927. If one thinks that the
tragedy of death is meant, but that the death of any person so nearly
related to Mrs. Allison that the death would be a tragedy to her, would
sufficiently fit the language employed, then the chance is increased by
say 10 times, to 1 in 7,792, or what you please. All we can say is that
the odds of 1 to 427 regarding the wedding are indefinitely but very
greatly increased by including the fact that something memorable
occurred on June 6, in some way related to Dr. and Mrs. Allison,
probably a death, but at any rate a birth or a death.
Physical Description, as Applied to E. W. A.
Correct particulars Particulars correct with
Quite tall . . . six feet. qualification
Broad shoulders. Hair brown (generally speaking).
Good build, strong.
Clear skin. Incorrect particular
Face rather long. Eyes rather blue.
Nice forehead, high and rounded
at temples.
2 Let us test this:
In a random list of 500 deaths, 45 occurred in January. 49 in February, 40 in
March. 50 in April. 30 in May, 40 in June, 47 in July, 33 in August, 31 in September,
45 in October, 37 in November and 47 in December. The chance of guessing that
the death of an unknown person occurred in June was about the same as the average
for all the months, or 1 in 12+. If one were to guess on the basis of acquaintance
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Other Items of Description, as Applied to E. W. A.
Correct
Careful as to personal appear-
ance.
Rather retiring.
But got on well with people.
Could be led, not driven.
A very strong sense of justice.
Very jolly.
Youthful in spirit.
Interested in Eastern things.
Fond of his own home.
Had much leisure and enjoyed it.
Called his wife by many names.
Loved dogs.
Took long walks spasmodically.
Miscellaneous Statements
Correct with qualification
About forty-five (in looks, 62 in
fact).
Correct
The disease Mrs. A.'s mother died
of.
Fact that Mrs. A.'s home was
now broken up.
Woman connected with Mrs. A.
on mother's side died long ago
in connection with a child (her
mother's mother).
Mrs. A.'s mother a woman of con-
victions and ideas; knew little
of spirits.
Bungalow pertinent to E. W. A.
Names
Correct
The man whose description and
characterization, almost with-
out error, is that of Edward
W. Allison, is first called
"Ted," then "Fred," then
(after two noes by the sitter,
since what she called him was
"Ned"), following a break,
"Tom "; finally, while coming
Plausible
Reference to a ring.
Doubtful
Reference to an aviator, killed.
Wrong
Intimation that Mrs. A. was
wearing E. W. A.'s watch.
Nearly Correct
Mrs. A.'s mother has little Aunt
Mary with her. (She had a
favorite "little" Aunt Malie.)
Unknown
"Walter," connected with sitter's
childhood.
with mortality ratios, he would not select June, which is among the more healthful
months. Multiply 12+ by 30, the number of days in June, and we again arrive at
one chance in 365 for guessing that the death came on June C.W. F. P.
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Correct
out of trance, "Edward" seen
written among red roses.
"He says May or Mary to let
you see he can remember. She
is not very well, and she isn't
like you. Rather fragile, very
sensitive." (All applies to E.
W. A.'s sister.)
"Charlie-Jack." No statement in
text who they were, but the
coupling of the two names
merits note, since E. W. A.'s
two favorite male friends were
Charlie and Jack .
"A doctor friend named Anthony,
who was so kind." (Mrs. A.
called in a doctor named An-
thony directly after her hus-
band's death, and he took
charge of arrangements with
much kindness.)
Unknown
"George," like a father, etc.
"Winnie," long gone.
Wrong
"Tom," as name of the communi-
cator described.
It is worth paying attention to the fact that a following sitting
was negative in results except for one personal piece of evidence, and
that the third and last sitting with Mrs. Brittain was a blank, so far
as evidence is concerned. Why the difference?
If, in spite of what is asserted by Mrs. Allison and what is known
of her cautious and critical disposition, it is supposed that she blurted
out information unconsciously at the first sitting, what prevented her
from doing so at the two subsequent ones?
If it be supposed that Mrs. Brittain had a detective bureau in
operation which had its network over America(!), why could it get no
more when Mrs. Allison was in London?
Mrs. Brittain had little success in the second and third sittings
because she was merely guessing about a stranger? Yes, it did look
that way. Then how was it that she "guessed" so astonishingly
better at the first sitting?
Will it be credited that such a number of true statements, ranging
in value from naming the wedding date and day downward, making
due deductions for errors, and cancelling unknown particulars, resulted
from chance?
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VII
SITTING WITH A. VOUT PETERS, LONDON, ENGLAND,
JULY 3, 1923
Mrs. McKenzie, of the British Psychic College, had given me the
name of Mr. Vout Peters at the same time she gave me that of Mrs.
Rrittain. Since Mrs. Brittain's first sitting had proved so very satis-
factory, and at that particular period I preferred to finish with one
medium before attempting experiments with another, I did not give
Vout Peters another thought until the afternoon of July 2. About
4:30 p. M. of that day I called at his residence. A gentleman answered
my ring, and in answer to my inquiry for Mr. Vout Peters, introduced
himself as such. I did not enter, but merely asked if a sitting the next
morning would be possible, and he gave me an appointment at once. I
arrived at 10:30 a. m., on July 3, as arranged. Mr. Vout Peters ad-
mitted me, conducted me to a very small sitting-room at the rear of
the house, produced a cloth from somewhere, and began to dust the
room. He explained that he liked everything scrupulously clean at a
sitting. He then dipped his hands into a bowl of water, remarking
that he always touched water before beginning a sitting. He blind-
folded his eyes with a silk handkerchief, saying that he is apt to awaken
suddenly, even when in trance, and that the light strains his eyes. I
had said nothing at all, except " Good morning," when I arrived. Mr.
Vout Peters went under control very easily.
V. P.: I am glad to see you. Hope I'm going to help you. You have
lived a full, active life. You have never wasted much time.
[Purely introductory, and might mean anything. Wasting time,
to my notion, is entirely a matter of interpretation. As for the
full, active life, I might say both "yes " and " no."]
V. P.: [Suddenly exclaimed] What a wonderful woman you are to
make plans!
Note: Rather an amusing hit. I expend so much enthusiasm in
making plans that half the time my interest wanes before I begin to act.
V. P.: You generally manage to get what you want. You try to put
yourself in other people's places. That is the secret. [I try to
see other points of view and am generally able to follow my
preferences.]
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V. P.: You can write. If you haven't, you will. You have a fluent
pen, a clear pen. You will write. [Pause.] Do you write? Be-
cause I see proof. It is not newspapers? It is a journal, or maga-
zine. (I see.)
Note: I edit a weekly publication. The word "journal" appears
on the cover.
V. P.: You draw on your imagination. You ought to write clearly.
You picture people's lives.
Note: My work is a presentation of facts, not of imaginative
material.
V. P.: Didn't you suffer much with your head, especially neuralgia
left sideintense paingot better, but still little turns? It's a
slight displacement of one of those vertebras below the axis bone,
back of head. A little lower. When you were a girl you had a
nasty fall or were knocked down. You were at a big school that
time, lots of children, boys and girls. Nasty tumble. No appar-
ent damage. Likely to get serious. Go to a chiropractor in your
own country. That's the cause of the trouble.
Note: For many years I have been greatly troubled with neuralgia
in the head. When a girl I went to a co-educational boarding school.
I had plenty of rough tumbles while skating and tobogganing, but do
not remember a particular " nasty fall."
V. P.: There's an old gentleman, not very tall, rather broad, face
round, eyes dark, hair gray, eyebrows thick, nose fairly long, lips
full. One time he wore a beard. Figure a little fullcheerful
suffered much before passing. Heart bad. Pain in chest bad.
Was it your father? (I think so.)
Note: This is an approximately correct description of my father,
although he did not give the impression of being " an old gentleman."
The medium was correct in saying, "not very tall" [my father's
height being about 5 ft. 8 in.], " eyes dark, eyebrows thick, nose fairly
long, lips full, at one time he wore a beard, figure a little full, suffered
much before passing, heart bad, pain in chest bad." The "rather
broad" hardly applies, I should say average; the face was not
"round," but more oval, the hair not entirely "gray." My father's
disposition was temperamental rather than "cheerful." He died of
angina pectoris, which explains "suffered much before passing, heart
bad, pain in chest bad." A heavy moustache was the most conspicuous
feature of my father's face; no reference was made to it but the beard,
which I only knew from old photographs, was correctly described.
G
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V. P.: A contact with a lady, about your own build, little shorter, face
rather long, eyes dark, hair growing gray, nose not large. Previous
to passing knew how to hold her tongue. How she suffered before
passing. Somebody she was anxious about, somebody is here who
died of . [Name of illness omitted.] Was it your mother?
(You tell me.) She on one side, condition of [same name
omitted] on other. At one time there was going away to get her
better, going away to other city for an opinion.
Note: The medium was correct in describing my mother as " being
about my own build but a little shorter" [3 in.] "face rather long,
eyes dark, hair growing gray, nose not large." It is also correct that
my mother knew how to keep a secret and that she suffered much before
passing. "Somebody she was anxious about " is obscure. The medium
correctly named the malady of which my mother died, the same as the
one given by Mrs. Brittain. It is also correct that my mother was
taken to another city for the opinion of a specialist.
V. P.: There was something tried that was not altogether orthodox
treatment, really eased her, made it less painful.
Note: My mother became interested in Christian Science, which
both my father and I and her physicians encouraged. These treat-
ments considerably benefitted her mentally, and undoubtedly eased the
pain for a short period.
V. P.: She's come in three manners of communication.
Note: If three manners may be interpreted as three mediums, the
above would apply.
V. P.: She and you understand each other better now than in the flesh.
You didn't understand your mother and she didn't understand
you perfectly.
Note: My mother and I were temperamentally quite different, but
greatly attached to each other.
V. P.: There is a man here, fairly tall, longish face, not bald, but hair
a little thin on top of head. Forehead high, lips somewhat full.
Previously this man suffered much difficulty with breathing. I
like him so much. Do you know him? (I think so.)
Note: My reply was calculated to encourage the medium; my
thoughts were naturally centered on E. W. A. "Not bald, but hair a
little thin on top of head, forehead high," apply, as well as " previously
this man suffered much difficulty with breathing," which was true of
E. W. A. under the slightest physical exertion. "Fairly tall" does
not describe six feet, the " longish face " was relieved by a square jaw,
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"lips somewhat full" is not correct. This medium is disconcerting in
his frequent application of qualifying terms such as fairly, rather, a
little, about, etc. It appears like an attempt to save every situation.
V. P.: He is enwrapping you. This [leaning forward, touching in-
taglio ring on the little finger of my right hand] had something
to do with him. [I drew off the ring and gave it to the medium.]
He wore this as a tie.
Note: The intaglio had formerly been a scarf pin which E. W. A.
treasured particularly. It represented Mercury.
V. P.: Your man belongs to something only in connection with men.
[Too general to warrant comment.] After passing, there was
something in your affairs you couldn't understand. He tells me
he wasn't able to leave what he wanted. Affairs a little muddled.
Somebody helped, straightened out the muddle, helped you in your
affairs.
Note: E. W. A. did not leave what he expected to and believed he
had a definite interest in. I did not understand this for a while. A
certain person did help me in every possible way, straightening the
problem, unsettled at the time of E. W. A.'s decease and for some
time after, relating to an old will.
V. P.: Your man is very clever. Things he did he carried through
and finished well.
Note: I never knew E. W. A. to undertake anything that he failed
to carry out.
V. P.: He had a tremendous sense of humor. [This was a predominant
characteristic.] He would always see through people's pretensions.
[E. W. A. particularly disliked pretentious people and inwardly
recognized their foibles.] Was he interested in Mexico? Old peo-
ple of old civilizationsfeel I am tapping a side line. I'll drop it.
Note: E. W. A. was especially interested in old civilizations, al-
though as far as I know, not particularly in Mexico.
V. P.: I'll go back to your man. He is quiet in his manner, not excit-
ablestrong willdeterminationknows what he wants. [This is
all emphatically true.] Whatever he will do, he will do well, and
you and he agreed because he was companionable. He treated you
as his wife, his friend, his chum. You didn't always agree, but it
didn't matter. [Entirely correct.] William is coming in connec-
tion with your man. [William was his father's name.] I get
George and Harry. [George I do not place. His brother-in-law
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was called Harry.] Great deal of laughter. Now I get a man
younger, somewhat fair, tall, youngish face, eyes not large, lips a
little full, the hands fairly long, tremendously active. He comes
close to you, but again comes this feeling of laughter. This man
passed away suddenly when he did go. This man passed away
through accident. Have you got a friend lost in an accident, con-
nected in country and town, lived in both? Possibly in war. He
came with your man. Your man wanted you to get in touch with
his people. (I understand.) Do you want to ask a question
quick. (What was the nature of the accident?) Connected with
machinery. I get machinery vaguely about it. He was clever.
Two people mourn him very much. A little prejudiced to get in
touch through spiritualistic means. Tremendous excitement at
time of accident.
Note: The preceding paragraphs have some interesting points.
Several items indicated that this might be a cousin of E. W. A.'s, a
young aviator, who was killed in an accident involving machinery,
during the war. His father maintained homes both in the country and
in town. When I met his father, subsequent to the sitting, I purposely
threw out a strong bait by mentioning Margaret Bancroft, a cousin,
who had been greatly interested in psychic research, but I met with no
response. A similar effort seems to have been made at the Brittain
sitting.
V. P.: After your man passed out, a photo was taken or copied. [A
photograph was copied, but this, of course, is a usual procedure.] 1
It seems you are in close touch with his people. [I am in touch
with them.] Coming back to your man: before his last illness, he
had been ill before and he got better. [E. W. A. had had one
very serious illness and recovered, but there was no "last
illness."] At one time he was in an accident while he was moving.
May have been accident on a bicycle or car, while moving. Curious,
marked him for the time being.
Note: E. W. A. had once been in a surface-car accident while the
car was moving. It was curious. There was a sudden collision. E.
W. A.'s head had been forced through the window-pane, in which posi-
tion he suddenly found himself, at the instant he became aware that
the accident had taken place. He had to use great care to extricate
himself. His head was cut by the glass in a number of places, and " it
marked him for the time being."
1 A not infrequent, but I doubt if "a usual" procedure. Of the persons who
lived in my boyhood home and that of my uncle near by. nine have died. Follow-
ing the death of only one of these was the photograph copied, so far as I know
or believe.W. F. P.
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V. P.: He was fond of dogs or dog. [E. W. A. was exceedingly fond
of dogs.] Large brown dog, not very good breed, intelligent,
faithful, loved them.
Note: Unable to verify. E. W. A. had owned dogs before I knew
him. But we had owned at least half a dozen dogs that I distinctly
remember, and were devoted to. Why not mention some of them?
V. P.: Your man had three periods of life: earlier boyhoodsecond
periodand when he met you.
Note: E. W. A. was forty-six years of age when we met.
V. P.: He was not fond of being photographed. [I begged him for
years to have a new photograph taken, but without success.] You
had to have some photo copied after he passed out. [Correct.]
Made larger from the original negative. [I had an enlargement
made from the original negative.] Yours was a curious marriage.
You were distinctly different in individuality, yet you were chums.
[True.] He was very young for his age.
Note: E. W. A. always retained his youthful spirit, and took a
spontaneous pleasure in quite unimportant things.
V. P.: He was an extremely fastidious man. [Marked characteristic.]
SeptemberJuneJulyturned out to be anniversaries.
Note: My birthday came in September. We were married in June.
We met in July. But as E. W. A. thought anniversaries a nuisance,
I doubt if this communication could have come from him.2 He usually
discharged his anniversary obligations to me about a month ahead of
time, to get them off his mind. But he remembered the dates when
asked. I distinctly recall challenging him to tell me my birthday and
wedding dates, and he was correct in both.
2 If E. W. A. had returned from a long journey and had no need to identify him-
self, his lack of interest in anniversaries would indeed probably have prevented his
mentioning them in a chat. But if he is conceived of as a spirit desirous of giving
evidence for his own identification, then anniversaries might occur to his mind as
useful for the purpose quite regardless of the fact that in his lifetime he thought it
a nuisance to be obliged to observe them. It seems that he had remembered the
dates of some, including those of the marriage and his wife's birthday. There is no
reason why he may not, while living, have remembered the month of their meeting.
June lith, as the precise date of the wedding, had come in the Brittain sitting.
But what weight shall we give to the occurrence of anniversaries in the months
named? Could not anniversaries be found in others just as well? I asked Mrs.
Allison what significant anniversaries she could find in February, October and De-
cember, for example. She answered that her father was born in February, her
mother in December, and she could think of none in October. Now not only does
she fail to make one of these three months arbitrarily suggested fit anything, but
those which do fit, have to do with events which would not be of the same interest
to E. W. A. (and probably not ever in his memory) as the three events of "Sep-
tember, June, July." These three were directly personal to the sitter, her own birth,
her first meeting E. W. A. and her marriage to him.W. F. P.
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V. P.: [Control leaving.] One time he hurt his knee and walked a little
lame for a while [Coming out of trance.] Hugh.
Note: At Gibraltar, while descending a ship's ladder, E. W. A.
snapped a tendon and walked lame for a month or more. But this was
many years ago, and my impression is that it was the foot or leg rather
than the knee. I do not place Hugh.
Sitting closed at 11:45. A few days later I had a second sitting
with Vout Peters which proved to be a total loss, as the medium
fumbled aimlessly throughout the session.
Correct
"You generally manage to get what you want" (acknowledged by
Mrs. Allison, while many would deny it in application to themselves);
"you try to put yourself in other people's places" (I see sitter, from
my acquaintance with her, as she sees herself, in this particular); inti-
mation that sitter writes, not for newspapers, but for a journal or
magazine; sitter has suffered much from neuralgia; when a girl, sitter
attended a co-educational school (little value, as it would apply to a
vast majority of Americans).
Description of person, implied to be sitter's father, correctly said
to have "passed"; "not very tall . . . eyes dark, . . . eyebrows
thick, nose fairly long, lips full. One time he wore a beard, figure a
little full, . . . suffered much before passing, heart bad, pain in chest
bad" (considering the incorrect particulars listed under Wrong, the
absence of reference to a heavy moustache, and the chances of a parent
resembling his daughter, this is not so impressive as it might be. But
"at one time he wore a beard," and the symptoms in illness, have
weight and were not inferable).
Description of woman, implied to be sitter's mother, correctly
alleged to be deceased; about sitter's build but shorter, face rather
long, eyes dark, hair growing gray, nose not large, knew how to keep
a secret, suffered before passing, taken to another city for an opinion
as to her physical condition, name of malady; an unorthodox treat-
ment cased her (yes, to a degree for a little time).
Regarding E. W. A. [" Your man "]; longish face, not bald, but
hair a little thin on top, forehead high . . . had suffered much diffi-
culty in breathing [See under Wrong]; Mrs. Allison's intaglio ring
had been worn by him in a tie (the intaglio was of Mercury, which
might possibly hint it had belonged to a man) ; not able to leave what
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he wanted (few are, but true with him especially), his affairs a little
muddled, some one helped to straighten out the affair (this particular
would be exceedingly probable, granting the others) ; carried out what
he undertook; had great sense of humor, saw through pretentious peo-
ple, interested in old civilizations [see under Wrong] ; quiet, not excit-
able, had determination, treated his wife as a friend and chum, didn't
always agree but it didn't matter, a photograph of him taken and
copied after death (little value) ; sitter in touch with his family (very
little value); once had accident while moving, maybe on bicycle or
car, curious one, marked him for the time being; fond of dogs; not
fond of being photographed; an enlargement made of a photograph of
him, after his death; distinctly different from his wife in temperament;
very young for his age; was extremely fastidious; anniversaries in
September, June and July (debatable value).
Nearly Correct
Sitter did not understand her mother nor did the mother under-
stand her perfectly (much attached but temperamentally different);
one time hurt his knee and walked lame for a little time (probably it
was not the knee he hurt, and perhaps few men have not at some time
been lamed by some sort of an accident to some part of the leg).
Wrong
Sitter's father broad (really average), with round face (near
oval), hair gray (only in places), disposition cheerful (tempera-
mental); E. W. A. was "fairly tall" (tall), lips somewhat full (em-
phatically not); intimated that he was interested in Mexico (not
enough, apparently, to warrant special mention of this "old
civilization ").
True or Not, According to Sense
Sitter's mother has come in three manners of communication; he
had been ill before his last illness and got better (Mrs. Allison says
there was no last illness; I think there was, even if it lasted not more
than fifteen minutes. But the medium's statement amounts to little, for
it would be true of nearly all who have died) ; E. W. A. met Mrs. Alli-
son in the second out of three periods of his life (questionable, as first
period is called that of "earlier boyhood." One would suppose that
the second period, then, would be that of young manhood, and third
the longer one of later years. He met Mrs. Allison when 46).
Unverifiable or Unverified
Sitter's neuralgia caused by "displacement" of a vertebra; sit-
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ter's mother was anxious about somebody (would be of little value);
a described man died in an accident with machinery, lived in both town
and country, comes with E. W. A. (Might be a cousin of his who
lived in town and country, and who was killed in an accident with
machinery, but too little known about him to prove anything); had
had a large, intelligent brown dog.
Names
"William is coming in connection with your man. I get George
and Harry." (" William" was the name of E. W. A.'s father.
George, so far as is known, is irrelevant. Harry is the name of a
brother-in-law.)
Omitted from Summary as Non-significant
Several introductory remarks to sitter which she finds ambiguous,
also that she is "a wonderful woman to make plans " because, while
true of her in a sense, it would be held by most women to fit them, in
one or another sense.
VIII
SITTING WITH MRS. OSBORNE LEONARD, LONDON,
ENGLAND, AUGUST 6, 1923
I am greatly indebted to Lady Troubridge and Miss Radclyffe-Hall,
who very generously gave up one of their own sittings with Mrs.
Leonard, thus affording me an opportunity which I craved above all
things. The appointment for the sitting was made by Lady Trou-
bridge, who told Mrs. Leonard she was sending a friend who had had
a bereavement. Lady Troubridge was well aware that this was the
surest approach to obtaining Mrs. Leonard's consent to the change, as
Mrs. Leonard's desire to help bereaved people outweighs any other
consideration. ^When I arrived at Mrs. Leonard's she admitted me
before I could ring and took me into her sitting-room.) After a few
perfunctory remarks we sat down, and she said, "You know it is
Feda who controls me." I replied, "Yes." I was quite familiar with
Mrs. Leonard's procedure and really felt as if in Feda I should meet
an old friend, as I had so carefully read various reports of Mrs.
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Leonard's mediumship. In a few minutes Mrs. Leonard went into
trance and began to make whistling sounds, then short whispered sen-
tences. I listened sharply and caught, "I like him," or "her," and
"then there's the old lady, too." This was repeated several times.
During this sitting whenever the occasion seemed to require a response
from me, I generally said, "I see," or sometimes, "Yes," in a non-
committal manner. These incidental remarks I have frequently
omitted to record.
Feda: Good morning. (Good morning.) There are two people, a
gentleman who looks in his prime, fine lookingactiveenergetic.
He was fine looking, fine brain, fine mind.
Note: This again might well serve to introduce E. W. A. Every
point applies.
Feda: His head was shaped round, not oval. Face longish, jaw square
firmlong and square.
Note: Every point correct. His headcraniumwas round, his
face " longish," his jaw square and firm.
Feda: The mouth not small. [Wrong; the mouth was medium.] Lips
a little full. [Again wrong.] Bridge of nose shows a little.
[Correct.] Skin pale. [Wrong.] Eyebrows well markedfirst
straight, then arched. [Exactly right.] Good forehead, straight,
not receding. [A fine straight forehead.] Temples show plainly.
[Correct.]
Note: Dr. Prince inquired if I had a portrait of E. W. A. in
England which might have been seen by others. I had a portrait of
him with me, also a number of snapshots, but these had been shown to
no one, and I had brought no guests to my room at my hotel. Mr.
and Mrs. Dingwall, who must frequently have seen pictures of E. W.
A. in my apartment in New York, were the only two persons in London
connected with psychical research with whom I had anything but the
most casual acquaintance. There could hardly have been a leakage
of any kind.
Feda: He passed quickly. [Correct.] It was a bit unexpected when
he got on other side; wasn't pleased at having passed over just at
firsthad not calculated on going.
Note: A few sentences omitted not bearing either way as evidence.
E. W. A.'s passing was entirely unexpected.
Feda: Not very well for little time before passing.
Note: Three weeks earlier E. W. A. had told me of the first repeti-
tion of certain symptoms experienced before a serious illness ten years
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previously. He had said, " I had that queer feeling in my chest today,
the same as I had in London." Several days later he remarked, "I
listened to my heart today and it's all right." Greatly relieved, I
dismissed the matter from my mind.
Feda: He's been to you before today.
Note: E. W. A. has purported to communicate at many sittings.
Feda: Been getting very near-writing is difficultas if he isn't going
to bother with writing.
Note: Automatic writing has not with me yielded any definite
results.
Feda: You have got another journey to go, you are not going to new
conditions. Knit up with old, quite soon.
Note: Mrs. Leonard must have recognized at once that I was an
American, therefore these remarks cannot be considered as having
weight.
Feda: He was connected with places over the sea, two places.
Note: New York was E. W. A.'s home, and Philadelphia his birth-
place, where his family still lives. He sojourned in a number of coun-
tries and towns, but these were his two homes.
Feda: If he hadn't passed over he should have gone to the place
called C.
Note: We were planning to go to Siasconset for a holiday at the
time of his passing. This is an instance of correct sound and wrong
spelling, an occurrence I have occasionally experienced. If the com-
munication were auditory it explains itself.
Feda: He was interested in places, had talked about all kinds of
changes if he hadn't gone.
Note: E. W. A. loved change of environment. We were planning
to live abroad.
Feda: His mind was set on living, not dying, on what he was going
to do.
Note: E. W. A. was very enthusiastic about the future. His sister
had remarked a few weeks previous to his passing, "I wonder if he
thinks he will live forever."
Feda: It is an important time for him as if it is an anniversary time,
July important time for you and for him, as if it brought him close
to you. He looked upon this as a kind of special time; looking
back it would be rather important for him and you, too.
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Note: July meant nothing special in either of our lives, even though
it was the month in which we met.1
Feda: Just before he passed was thinking very much about a journey.
He believes you will remember.
Note: E. W. A. was probably thinking about it, because he was
annoyed at the notion of leaving his comfortable apartment to go to
the seashore, but, aided and abetted by a friend, we left him no
alternative.
Feda: " H " very important to himvery fond of him. Man on other
side now.
Note: This may refer to Dr. Hyslop, but it is a very far-fetched
supposition. E. W. A. had one memorable evening with Dr. Hyslop.
It was during Palladino's visit to New York. E. W. A. called on Dr.
Hyslop and they talked for over three hours. E. W. A. was very
much impressed, but, to the best of my knowledge, this is the only time
they ever met. About twenty statements follow here, which are very
personal. By a stretch of the imagination, all might apply, but they
are much too general to weigh evidentially. Then follows one definitely
wrong statement.
Feda: There's a ringone you are wearing, one I am trying to remind
you of.
Note: I was wearing a ring made from E. W. A.'s intaglio scarf pin.
Feda: You have got something here that was quite a personal link with
him when he was on earthinsideinsidesomething to do with
marking. (No, I don't think so.) Yes, marking, he says you'll
laugh when you see it. (Can you tell me what it is?) Leave it
until Feda is not thinking of itsomething hard, rather cold to
the touch, smooth, there's something else you haven't got with you,
a duplicate of this, packed upnot exactly a duplicate, yet
linked up.
Note: I had brought E. W. A.'s eye-glasses, well wrapped, and laid
them quietly in the corner of the large armchair in which I sat. There
were two or three other pairs of his glasses among my things, which
might explain "duplicate." I had taken a pair to the sitting in the
1 Again it seems to me that Mrs. Allison pays too much attention to what she
and her husband were accustomed to dwell on in his lifetime, and too little to the
actual facts which he might now think it worth while to mention for evidence. I do
not think that finding some anniversary in July is weighty evidence, by itself. But
undoubtedly the trance remarks apply aptly to the one which exists. If Dr. and
Mrs. Allison first met in July, that was the month which drew them " close " to each
other, and, as the harbinger of what was to come, it was " a rather important time"
for both.W. F. P.
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event of Feda's asking for an object to psychometrize. I do not un-
derstand " marking."
Feda: There's a little picture good of him. After he passed over you
got one done from one he had on earthas if he liked itone photo
taken out of doorsnot so goodnot a splendid portrait, but
characteristictaken outside. The place where taken a separate
pictureyou may not rememberthe picture of place without
him.
Note: I possessed one good photograph about three inches by five.
After E. W. A. passed I had an enlargement made. I also particularly
liked a kodak picture of him, taken outside a bungalow, with our two
dogs. It was very characteristic, but not a "splendid portrait." I
have several other pictures of the bungalow and grounds.
Feda: He was familiar with other language that wasn't English, two
that he had been used to hearing beside English, one more than the
other. Shows me a letter, not much foreign languageone or two
words in letter this other language.
Note: E. W. A. was familiar with French and Italian, more with
French.
Feda: You haven't got all your things in one placeall separate.
Note: My belongings were scattered in half a dozen places.
Feda: Haven't got your home.
Note: I had broken up my home about three months previously.
Feda: Only for a little while. As if you would be making two moves.
You have been unsettled, worried, not knowing what to do differ-
ently. Unsettled condition not knowing what is best to be done.
Note: I felt very unsettled and undecided about living in a hotel
or finding a new home.
Feda: Although he is so kind and very patient in some ways, very
determined if he wanted to do anythingno good arguing with
himyou would have to let him do it. No good telling him it was
wrong until he found out for himself.
Note: It is true that E. W. A. was habitually kind and patient,
but, once aroused, his determination was like a steam-roller. On such
occasions I never opposed him, it would have been futile.
Feda: If he made up his mind he carried through. Didn't break his
word. You could depend on him. [Emphatically true.]
There was something he ought to have writtensomething he
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6.5
had to neglect. He thought it might make difficulties. If he had
been sure he would have arranged this. [True, and applies to a
personal matter.]
He didn't quite realize he would go. [I do not think he had
any suspicion of it.]
No more could have been done for him. [Two physicians have
expressed that opinion.]
Do you remember he passed near to an anniversary? [One
week before our wedding anniversary.]
He was sorry you would have the two things to remember. I
mean every year to think of them together. One would make the
other sad. That annoyed him. Like spoiling the other one, too.
[This is self-evident.]
You were reminded a little while ago. [Less than two months.]
Something, something you are holding would remind you of
it. [I was wearing my engagement and wedding rings, but not
holding anything.]
LillieLillieLillieso near I keep slipping into Lilliethe
end's not quite rightthey are building up. [Draws letters in
air.] (Say the letters, Feda.)
LI LidiLidiLidican't get nearer, very near-not
quite rightsomething wrong with the last letter, can't waste time.
[My name is " Lydia." E. W. A. called me " Lidi " half the time.]
Ssomeone he had to do with. [I do not place " S."]
This doesn't refer to some one in Englandabroadplace with
a bridge, the place is where he used to know the people began with
"S "financial things.
Note: This might have occurred before I knew E. W. A., but why
would he mention it to me?
Feda: Ought you to have done something about the bank? (I don't
think so.) He still feels he wants to look after things for youto
do them. [This would be only natural.]
You have changed your plans a little. I had an idea you were
going to go to a place you have dropped, but he thinks it is a good
thing. It doesn't matter much.
Note: When Lady Troubridge wrote, offering me Miss Radclyffe-
Hall's sitting, for a date five weeks later, my acceptance necessitated a
complete change of itinerary. Quite a number of statements follow
that apply in a general way, but, from my observation, are character-
istic of Feda to any sitter when she is sparring for time just before
making a good hit.
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Feda: AmyI think some one passed over a good while. I think you
will be able to find out.
Note: Amy was a name E. W. A. liked above all others, but I
know of no particular Amy.
Feda: He is just the same and he laughs. You have said something
special to him about his eyes. Do you remember saying some-
thing, "Not quite the same?" [I do not remember.] They are
both the same. You said it about a picture and he is looking
funny. You had teased him. Do you know something that an-
noyed him about a tooth? [See page 21.]
Note: E. W. A. had been troubled and visited the dentist shortly
before his passing. "Tooth" suggests a great joke between us, and
again demonstrates a missed opportunity.
Feda: No matter to worry now. Tells you how nice his teeth are.
Little while previously teeth had been on his mind. [Correct.]
As if he rather begrudges the time he wasn't with you. As if he
might have been with you earlier. [E. W. A. was forty-six years
of age when we met.] As if you might have come together earlier.
You will know what I mean. There are three other peoplethree
particular ones he is interested in. They are not with youin a
little groupone older ladynot quite well latelyhe is not satis-
fied with her health condition. He is fond of her.
Note: E. W. A. had only three immediate relatives living, two sis-
ters and the daughter of one of them, who live together. The older
lady, which might mean his older sister, had not been well recently. He
was attached to her.
Feda: Of course you have got people, but you are alone.
Note: I have many relatives, but live entirely alone.
Feda: He is going on the journey with you. There is a bit of delay
about it, as if not now and may be a delay.
Note: My return passage to America was booked for two days
later, and unexpectedly deferred for eight days.
Feda: When you get to the journey's endas if you may go on other
journey. See a little group, water there, going over watermore
spaceairlots of fruitfeeling and talking of fruitsomeone
psychic there he's got his eye on.
Note: I was expecting after landing in America to go within a day
or two to Atlantic Highlands, the summer home of friends. This meant
a trip over the water. There was, of course, more space and air. The
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"fruit " is a curious prediction. One morning, a day or two after my
arrival, a daughter of the family called to me, "Do you want to drive
over to the farm for eggs?" When we arrived I saw a large basket
of fine peaches on the stoop, and remarked that I didn't know such a
good variety grew so far north. My friend said, " I'll take you down
to the orchard if you like." So I went and found myself among " lots
of fruit," a very unusual experience for me, as I do not recall having
been in an orchard for years. I had completely forgotten Feda's
statement, and was greatly surprised some time later when reading
my notes to find the mention of fruit. I do not know of any one
psychic there.
Feda: Jean, some one he is interested in.
Note: Since his passing I have met and been very friendly with a
woman whose name is Jean, in whom I know E. W. A. would be
interested.
Feda: Hears some music and likes it. He likes music. Fond of music.
Not many men that like it, but he does. [E. W. A. was extrava-
gantly fond of music.] There was something Saturday. He was
trying to make you feel he was with you.
Note: I had been in an awkward predicament the previous Satur-
day. I crossed from Ostend to England and discovered that I had lost
my passport. As the English regulations were very strict, I doubted
being allowed to enter, and as the purpose of the journey was the sit-
ting with Mrs. Leonard, I had felt greatly worried.
Feda: He is going from Feda.
Control ceased.
Correct
Male spirit represented as present was fine looking, had a fine mind
(True of E. W. A.); head (cranium?) round, face longish, jaw square
and firm, . . . [See under Wrong], bridge of nose shows a lit-
tle, . . . [See under Wrong], eyebrows well-marked, first straight,
then arched, good forehead, straight, not receding, temples show
plainly; he passed quickly, a bit unexpected when he got on the other
side (at least true that his death was not in the least expected a half
hour before it took place) ; not well for a little time before passing;
has been to Mrs. Allison before (in the sense that he has purported to
communicate) ; been getting nearwriting is difficult (rather implies
that sitter had tried automatic writing, which she had, without any
satisfactory results); sitter going on another journey, etc., (not evi-
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dential) ; he was connected with two places over the sea (to two places
especially, true) ; if he had not passed over, he would have gone to a
place C (corresponds to the initial sound of the place he was planning
to go to) ; he was interested in places, and talked about changes; his
mind was set on living, and what he was going to do (little value, as
this would be true of the vast majority) ; he is trying to remind sitter
of the ring she is wearing (this is evidential only in that the intaglio
was familiar to E. W. A., whereas it might have been purchased since
his death) ; sitter has brought something which is a personal link with
him when he was on earth (this would be most highly probable), some-
thing hard, rather cold to the touch, smooth, a duplicate of something
she has packed upnot exactly a duplicate but linked up [See under
Wrong] (applied to the glasses she had brought, so far as the very
poor description wentthe object might have been of cloth or other-
wise have been quite unsuited to the particulars given) ; a good little
picture of him, one made after his death from one he had, one charac-
teristic but not splendid portrait taken out doors, also picture of place
without him (all particulars true though fairly likely in conjunction);
familiar with two languages besides Englishwith one more than the
other; sitter's things not all in one place; sitter has no present home,
and has been unsettled, not knowing what it is best to do; he was kind
and patient in some ways, but determined when he had made up his
mindno use to argue then; his word could be depended on; he
neglected to write what should have been written, fearing it would
make difficulties, otherwise he would have arranged this (recognized,
but too personal to report, therefore value of the item cannot be esti-
mated by another than sitter); didn't quite realize he would go,
nothing more could have been done for him; his death was near an
anniversary (one week before that of the wedding)two things to
remember together every year, like one spoiling the other; you were
reminded [of the conjunction of the anniversaries, the context would
imply] a little while ago (less than two months); something sitter is
holding would remind her of it (as the engagement and wedding rings
were visible, the value of this is only in indicating what that anniver-
sary, which the one of the death tended to "spoil," was); "Lillie
LillieLillie . . . the end's not quite right . . . LidiLidiLidi
. . . very near, not quite right" (sitter's name is Lydia, and E. W.
A. very frequently called her "Lidi "); sitter has changed her plans
about going to a place (little value) ; "something annoyed him about
a tooth . . . Little while previously [to death, is probably meant]
teeth had been on his mind "; his teeth were " nice "; an intimation [by
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6!)
reasonable interpretation] that communicator married late; three
other people [other than sitter] in whom he is particularly interested,
making one group; "one older lady," of whom he is fond, not well
lately; sitter has relatives but lives alone; there is to be a delay in the
journey sitter is to make.
Probably Correct
He was thinking very much about a journey just before passing.
The name "Amy," although it is not possible to tell if E. W. A.
knew a person of that name who died long ago, was his favorite name.
The statement that he "is interested in Jean," while it cannot be
proved, is probable, if indeed he is communicating and at all conscious
of his wife's present relationships.
True or Not, Depending upon Interpretation
July was an important time for E. W. A. and Mrs. Allison, " as if
it brought him close to you . . . looking back it would be rather im-
portant" to both. (If this means that any date in the month was
kept as an anniversary or regarded with sentiment, this is not correct,
but if it signifies that historically the month marked the time of their
meeting and was an anniversary on that account, it is correct);
"There was something happened Saturday. He was trying to make
you feel he was with you." (If the meaning is that something im-
portant happened on Saturday so that he was trying to make her feel
that he was near in sympathy, then the first part of this was true and
the last part may have been. But if the meaning is simply that he was
trying to make his presence felt and that something happened which
indicated this to her, then the statement appears to be not correct.
But at any rate she is not able to say, "Nothing in particular hap-
pened that day, and there was no special reason connected with that
day why he should want me to feel his presence." If he is communi-
cating in this sitting, he would presumably have been interested in the
attempt to reach Mrs. Leonard.)
Wrong
The mouth [of E. W. A.] not small (To me the mouth, as seen in
portraits, looked small when closed, average size when seen open and
smiling.W. F. P.), lips a little full, skin pale; no recognized meaning
of "marking" in relation to the pair of glasses; intimation that
sitter should have done something about the bank (at least she knew
of nothing she should have done).
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Unverifiable
People he used to know, S , in a place abroad with a bridge
financial things; Amy, who passed over long ago; sitter once said
something to him about his eyes" Not quite the same" (not
remembered).
Impossible to Gauge
Intimation that sitter would make two moves (no time limit set.
Sitter has made two moves at least, to my knowledge.W. F. P.);
"When you get to the journey's endas if you may go on another
journey, see a little group, water there, going over watermore
spaceairlots of fruitfeeling and talking of fruitsome one
psychic there he's got his eye on. (While it is to a degree impressive
that Mrs. Allison, almost directly after her arrival in America, un-
expectedly visited an orchard the first time for years, and of interest
to know that she thought of going to Atlantic Highlands, which would
have fulfilled other parts of Feda's intimations, I find this mingling of
objective and subjective in the interpretation, and cutting the group
in two in order to apply it, doubtful.)
Omissions
A few sentences without evidential significance; about 20 very
personal statements, too general to weigh evidentially, except one,
which is definitely wrong; some statements which apply in a general
way as they would to most people.
IX
STATEMENT ABOUT MRS. LEONARD
Following my first sitting with Mrs. Leonard, I inquired if there
were a possibility of another within a few days. Mrs. Leonard
thought there was a chance, as she rather expected a cancellation
from a gentleman. I was so interested in the development of Mrs.
Leonard's mediumship that I asked her if she would be willing to tell
me a little about it, at any time convenient to herself. Mrs. Leonard
said it might be managed, and inquired where she could communicate
with me, as she had no telephone. This put me in a quandary. It was
August and all my friends had left London. I had come over from the
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Continent purposely for the sitting. After some hesitation, I sug-
gested that Mrs. Leonard write a note to a friend of mine, a Mrs.
Allison, at the Victoria Hotel, who I was sure would see that the note
reached me. Two days later a note arrived from Mrs. Leonard, ask-
ing me to call the following evening for a little talk on her develop-
ment, regretting that she would be unable to "sit," as the gentleman
whom she expected to cancel had written, saying he was coming.
I called on Mrs. Leonard at the stated time, and she very kindly
gave me a most interesting account of her experience. I was very
careful to say nothing about myself, and only evidenced my interest in
all she said. I also arranged for some sittings for the following sum-
mer. As Mrs. Leonard could not give me the exact dates at that time
I asked her to write to Mrs. Starr, which I explained was not my real
name, c/o the American Society for Psychical Research, and that I
would leave instructions that her letter be forwarded to me.
Some months later a letter from Mrs. Leonard came with my
dates, for which I thanked her, still preserving my anonymity. She
replied, c/o the American Society for Psychical Research, "Do you
know, I think you are really Mrs. Allison, and I thought I had better
tell you." I could see no reason for further attempts at anonymity,
and wrote her she was correct.
It is regrettable that I could not think of a more clever subterfuge
than Mrs. Allison, Victoria Hotel, at the time, although it does not
affect my own opinion of the value of any of the communications, nor
will it, I feel certain, affect any one who knows Mrs. Leonard and is
convinced of her scrupulous honesty. Fortunately, many of the most
evidential communications do not in the least depend on what Mrs.
Leonard might have known about me. As for the probability of Mrs.
Leonard having any knowledge concerning the American Society for
Psychical Research, I give the following notes of a conversation which
took place after a sitting on June 11, 1924.
L. W. A.: Mrs. Leonard, may I ask you some questions? They are
very important and concern a number of Feda's statements.
Mrs. L.: Certainly, anything you like.
L. W. A.: What do you know about the American Society for Psych-
ical Research?
Mrs. L.: Very little. I think there is a Miss Tubby connected with it,
and Mr. Bird is the editor. Then a lady came here last year for a
sitting who said she was a member.
Note: At that date, Mr. Bird had no official connection with the
American Society for Psychical Research, and Miss Tubby's resigna-
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tion had taken effect June 1, 1924. Mrs. Leonard probably confused
the fact that Mr. Bird was an editor of the Scientific American, which
made a noted investigation of mediums. Mr. Bird had been in England
about a year previously.
L. W. A.: What have you heard about the American Society since
March?
Mrs. L.: Well, there, I can truthfully say, nothing at all, nothing for
a long time before that.
L. W. A.: Nothing since January?
Mrs. L.: Oh, no, nothing for a long time.
L. W. A.: Thank you, that is very interesting.
Note: I neglected to ask whether Mrs. Leonard had ever seen the
A. S. P. R. publications (although nothing concerning the "breaking
up of conditions" described by Feda had been published). A notice
regarding Miss Tubby's resignation was published, but not until the
Journal of July, 1924. I met, in the course of that summer, twelve or
fifteen prominently active members of the S. P. R. in London, none of
whom had even an approximately correct notion of the problems of
the A. S. P. R. following Dr. Hyslop's death, whereas Feda plunged
headlong into an intimate discussion of the details, exhibiting a
knowledge of the status quo.
Mrs. Leonard's reliability and scrupulous honesty are vouched
for by all her regular sitters whom I have met. Miss Radclyffe-Hall
and Lady Troubridge employed a detective agency after their early
sittings, to ascertain whether Mrs. Leonard might have acquired
normal knowledge covering Feda's evidential work for them, with
results entirely favorable to Mrs. Leonard. See Proceedings S. P. R.,
Part LXXVIII, Vol. 30, pages 342-343. I was nonplussed by Feda's
knowledge, and wrote a letter of inquiry to Miss Nea Walker, Sir
Oliver Lodge's secretary, to which Sir Oliver replied directly. A copy
of his letter is appended.
"Normanton House
"Lake,
"Salisbury.
"2nd July, 1924.
"Dear Mrs. Allison:
"Miss Walker has sent me your letter about recent sittings to see;
and I congratulate you on getting good results.
"You ask my opinion concerning Mrs. Leonard's trustworthiness
in disclosing any normal information which she may have acquired. I
write therefore to say that I have absolute confidence in her complete
and transparent honesty; and if she definitely says that she has not
read a book or a publication, her statement may be depended upon.
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"Whenever any leakage has occurred through a previous sitter or
otherwise she has been careful to tell me of the fact whenever it has
come to her conscious knowledge. She is very careful about her read-
ing and abstains from reading a good deal of what might interest her,
for fear of thereby spoiling evidence. She is quite alive to the im-
portance of her statements in this respect; and I regard her as an
exceedingly honest and straightforward woman. I feel sure that her
statement is true, that she knows practically nothing about the Ameri-
can Society for Psychical Research. It is not the kind of information
that would be likely to come her way, and she would almost certainly
abstain from reading its Proceedings.
"Yours faithfully,"
"(Signed) Oliver Lodge." 1
X
RECORD OF SITTING WITH MRS. LEONARD, JUNE 4, 1924
Notes by Sitter, L. W. A.
Feda: Good morning. Your gentleman is here again. (Good morn-
ing, Feda.) Good morning, good morning. He is glad to talk
again. Do you know he was disappointed because he thought you
were getting in touch before you came. It was very naughty of
you. He didn't mind reallyhe just wanted it as it happened.
Note: A week before sailing I had seen Mrs. Piper socially while
visiting in Boston, and she had voluntarily given me some impressions
which I thought fitted E. W. A. in a general manner. During the same
week-end, I had telephoned Mrs. Soule requesting a sitting which she
was unable to give me.
Feda: Do you know a little while he had a rather uncomfortable feel-
ing about this journey, he calls it trip. He thought it was going to
be difficult. He had a feeling that something was going to prevent
it and he didn't get that feeling just before you started. Things
were happening not to you, but he thought it was going to upset
things; he was annoyed, he wanted you to come, he tried to impress
you to come, he kept saying to you to take no notice, but there was
1 At the beginning of my third sitting with Mrs. Leonard, in 1927, she asked:
"Are you Dr. Walter Prince?" On my acknowledgment she remarked that as she
had heard, since the last writing, that Dr. Prince was in England, it occurred to her
that I might be he, so she thought she had better tell me.W. F. P.
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something happening to other people that was very disturbing.
He got a little bit cross about it, but he knew all the time it would
be all right for you to come. It doesn't mean so much different
things had been happening, it's in the indefiniteness that kept you
from easily making plans for the future.
Note: The friend who had expected to accompany me to England
had been prevented from so doing by the ill health of her mother. It
was the "indefiniteness " that was disturbing, and for a while I con-
sidered cancelling my passage also, as the series of sittings with Mrs.
Leonard was my only objective and I disliked the idea of crossing
alone. Only the difficulty of securing another series at a future date
made me decide to carry out my original plan.
Feda: It has been rather specially difficult for you this year. It will
be all right, but do not be surprised if things go rather differently
than the way you have been expecting. Wait a minute.
Note: I had been greatly interested and concerned in a "special
difficulty" which involved the principal members of the A. S. P. R.
staff, all of whom were my friends. As Feda's next statements ap-
peared to be an attempt to describe Dr. Hyslop, the "special diffi-
culty " seems to be the introduction to much that follows in this and
subsequent sittings concerning problems in which Dr. Hyslop would
have been especially interested.
Feda: He has another gentleman today. He has been to you before,
an older gentleman. This man looks as though he might be 65 or
70, quite grey beard, not long, a moustache, too, eyes deep set,
not light, eyebrows well marked, high forehead, sloping a bit, hair
thin on top. He had been when on earth a very grave man, he had
been ill some little time. He only just gave up at the last when he
had to. This man is not a relative, he is only some one that comes.
He calls himself a friend, but when he said a friend he smiled, he
has not passed over a very long time. I get a feeling he has only
passed over three or four years. Wait a minute.
Note: Dr. G. H. Hyslop states that these particulars are correct.
His father's beard was "quite grey " in the sense that it was grey to
a considerable degree (a sense of " grey " common in England as well
as in America), the beard was somewhat short, he had a moustache,
deep-set eyes, a high and slightly sloping forehead, with hair thin at
the top. The color of his eyes was not light but medium. He was more
generally serious in manner, although capable of expanding and laugh-
ing heartily. He did give up only "when he had to." Of course, Dr.
J. H. Hyslop was a public character, had been in England, and his
portrait easily accessible.
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Feda: He is interested in your work. He said you know two or three
people very well that he also was intensely interested in. One a
woman has not been at all well, she has been worried. I don't
believe she has told many people, it has been trying.
Note: This, I assume, refers to Miss Gertrude O. Tubby, Dr.
Hyslop's secretary for many years, as the details concerning "a
woman " fit her accurately.
Feda: You have seen two or three portraits of him, one large, one a
smaller copy, though you may have forgotten this one. You have
seen another with print on it, not in a framein book or paper.
I am turning over leaves, it's still there in an accessible place.
Note: Naturally I had seen various portraits of Dr. Hyslop, among
them a smaller copy of a large one, and others in books. The "ac-
cessible place" might refer to the offices of the A. S. P. R., where I
had seen the other pictures.
Feda: [Sotto voce.] Did you live in an office? [Aloud.] I don't get
it quite, but feeling in an office. Didn't work dreadful hard in
this place, sat there, talking was work.
Note: According to Miss Tubby, a minor portion of Dr. Hyslop's
time was spent at the office of the A. S. P. R. in order to dictate his
official correspondence, confer with his assistants and occasionally to
interview others. Thus "talking was work." All Dr. Hyslop's other
work was done elsewhere.
Feda: The red book is still there, though they could well do with the
other ones. This is a place, an office place, that you can verify,
particularly verify about that book. It will not be gone when you
go back, string near it, feeling some long pieces of string. This
book has become a kind of institution in that room, he is laughing,
you can examine it, something more he wants you to look at, page
55, a little near the top, a name there, significant for you in view
of the fact that he is communicating just now, he is smiling just
now, it is a test you will appreciate, he is wanting you rather to
send a line, asking that the book shall not be removed. He doesn't
suppose for one moment that they will be removed, but it would be
so annoying. Close at the beginning something about irons and
metals it will be an interesting point.
Note: (Made May 18, 1925.) By W. F. P. It is unfortunate that
this passage was not communicated to me at once. Two months after
the date of the sitting, the A. S. P. R. office was removed to 15 Lexing-
ton Avenue. There seems to be a hint of danger in delaying to send
to me and inquire, and the danger has to do with the removal of books.
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There certainly is no knowledge shown that the removal was, as a
matter of fact, to take place, but it is interesting that there are hints
of removal of the books at all, and of the advisability of making haste
in verification. Only May 18 (the day of this writing) have I seen a
copy of the script, though I think that the matter was mentioned to
me some time ago.
Note: Several days after my return to New York, late in August,
1924, I called on Dr. Prince and left copies of all my Leonard sittings
with him, requesting that he kindly look them over at his convenience,
adding that there was no special hurry. This is regrettable. The
removal of the A. S. P. R. was a sudden decision of which I was quite
unaware, or I should have sent Dr. Prince a copy of my records
directly after the sitting.
Note by W. F. P.: Of red books in the office which most appropri-
ately could be called by the term "institution," Who's Who? last
edition, had the best title. I have no copy of this here. The next was
an Atlas of the World, in which is nothing pertinent.
The book in the office best answering to the name "institution," I
should think would be Muirhead's London, which from the date of my
visit to England, I had consulted so much, especially its maps of
streets, in reference to certain psychical writings related to them.
But this is not red, but blue. Page lv has in the first line a reference
to St. James's Park, and one-quarter of the way down a reference to
"the brothers Robert and James Adam." Farther on James Adam,
St. James Street and St. James Square are mentioned, but the last
references arc toward the bottom. The references are relevant when
we consider the words of the message, "significant for you in view of
the fact that he [Hyslop] is communicating just now x x x it is a
test you will appreciate." Of course, Dr. Hyslop's name was James.
In the Soule script he was often called "St. James," whether Mrs.
Allison was acquainted with that fact I don't know. [I was not. L.
W. A.] He also had a brother Robert, so that "the brothers Robert
and James " are oddly relevant. It is also an odd coincidence, in view
of what the text says, that on the same page are mentions of " iron fan
lights and stair balustrades," and of "iron gates." But these pas-
sages arc not " close to the beginning," but in the last half of the page.
Before I obtained this London guide-book I had an old one (which was
still kept somewhere in the office and left when I came away) which I
used to consult for the same purpose, and this was red. Also I kept
the blue book together with the bright red book about Malvern which
I consulted in relation to the same topic. And both of these were kept
in a stack of large pigeon-holes, not far from the pigeon-hole where
string was usually kept.
So the book which I should unhesitatingly pick out as the " institu-
tion," though not red like its immediate predecessor or the other book
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77
kept with it and consulted for the same purpose, did contain on page
lv and near the beginning, as well as elsewhere, references pointedly
relevant to the alleged communicator of the messages, because his first
name, and also references to iron, though not in the part of the page
specified, also "Robert," the name of Dr. Hyslop's brother, and "St.
James," an appellation given him in Mrs. Soule's trance work, occur.
The case is dubious; it cannot be denied that coincidence could
account for the correct points and the various relevancies. But why
not as well find coincidences and as striking ones, I asked myself, on
the next or foregoing page? In fact, I made up my mind to examine
the five following and five preceding pages. This is what I found. It
should be understood that by "no relevance to Dr. Hyslop " I mean
that no name or other verbiage occurs which calls him to mind by its
associations.
P. 50. A reference to "James," but near bottom, none to iron or
metals.
P. 51. No relevance to Dr. Hyslop. No mention of iron or metal.
P. 52. No relevance to Dr. Hyslop. Three references to "bronze,"
one near top.
P. 53. No relevance to Dr. Hyslop. No reference to iron or metal.
P. 54. No relevance to Dr. Hyslop. A reference to iron near top.
P. 56. No relevance to Dr. Hyslop. A reference to iron near top.
P. 57. A reference to " St. James," but in lower half. None to iron
or metals.
P. 58. A reference to "James," but in lower half. None to iron or
metal.
Suppose we allow one point for a relevance to Dr. Hyslop, one for
its correct location, one for a reference to iron or metals, and one
for its correct location; the account stands thus:
P. 50, 1 point; p. 51, 0 point; p. 52, 2 points; p. 53, 0 points;
p. 54, 2 points; p. 56, 2 points; p. 57, 1 point; p. 58, 1 point; p. 59,
0 point; p. 60, 0 point.
P. 55, 3 points, were it not for the additional pointed expression,
"the brothers Robert and James," which deserves another point,
making 4, which is a little more than four times the expectation roused
by the average of the other ten pages immediately preceding and fol-
lowing the page designated.
Feda: I think this gentleman's heart was bad, condition of heart bad,
very, only a little while before he went. I keep seeing a great
big J. [Dr. G. H. Hyslop says this was not the case with his
father.W. F. P.] Some one he is interested in, name sounds like
G
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Walter, he keeps saying Walter, very near him, very close to him,
Doctor also. [Sotto voce.] Doctor that gives you medicine?
But the name Doctor in connection with him. The reason I'm not
sure being an ordinary medicine doctor, if he is a medicine doctor,
he hasn't been practising, this doctor is still on earth.
Note by W. F. P.: Of course, "Walter" is the name of a person
that stood close to Dr. Hyslop, and of course he is a "Doctor" and
not a medical doctor. There is no reason why Mrs. Leonard could
not have known these facts, so the only evidential value is in their
utterance to Mrs. Allison, whom it is presumed that she could not have
known to be in any way concerned with or interested in me, whereas
Mrs. Allison knew me very well and visited me in my office to talk over
these very proposed sittings, etc., before she sailed.
Note by L. W. A.: According to Mrs. Leonard's own statements,
as explained in the introduction to this sitting, her information con-
cerning the A. S. P. R. was very hazy, and she did not mention Dr.
Prince when telling me what she knew. Feda, however, frequently
mentions Americans who have sat with her to new American sitters,
sometimes to the annoyance of the latter when they are not interested
and resent spending the precious minutes on strangers or mere ac-
quaintances. I have happened across a number of such instances.
The majority of messages given are generally delivered, as most of
Mrs. Leonard's American sitters are more or less connected through
the Psychic Research Societies.
Feda: There is a breaking up in the conditions, that he was so inter-
ested in, and he says he has been distressed, but it couldn't be
helped, like people splitting up, altering conditions. He thinks
you already know this, he thinks there is more splitting up that
you will hear further about, even while you are here.
Note by W. F. P.: The expressions about breaking up of condi-
tions in which Dr. Hyslop was so interested, "people splitting up"
and "altering conditions," were very relevant indeed. One of the
members of the staff had just resigned. All sorts of changes had been,
were being and were to be made, and we were about to move to another
office, with arrangements which were bound to cause difficulty. These
changes led, seven months later, to my resigning also.
Feda: This other gentleman who has come today with your gentleman
I seem to know his face, I feel as though he must have come to a
lady, as if he must have tried to communicate through one, he has
been here to Feda, he has also been to some one else in America.
Note: According to Miss Tubby, Dr. Hyslop had purported to
communicate through Mrs. Leonard to Miss H. A. Dallas, a member of
G
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the S. P. R., in October, 1923, and through various psychics in Amer-
ica to a number of sitters.
Feda: He has made a very good communicator through a woman. He
says I have also communicated through a man, but not to the same
extent as through the woman. But he says I have been to the man,
but it is the woman with whom I have been more in touch.
Note: A series of sittings had been held for Dr. Hyslop's communi-
cations with Mrs. Soule and Mrs. Sanders.
Feda: You know he is a good kind man, but he is just a little bit im-
patient, his energy wants him to get things done.
Note: Characteristic of Dr. Hyslop, according to a number of his
friends.
Feda: I see a snaky letter [draws in air] looks like S, G (Say the
letters, Feda?) [Feda spelt out Gertrude.]
[Sotto voce.] Have you missed something? No, I haven't
missed anything. [Aloud.] Gertrude, and he has been to her.
He seems to have been to her a good deal. Wait a minute.
Note: Gertrude is Miss Tubby's first name. She had held a long
series of sittings at which Dr. Hyslop purported to be the principal
communicator.
Feda: Now he is getting Walter again. Oh dear! Is it a joke?
Who's afraid of getting stout, and he laughs. I don't know what
he means. These words are quite significant if you could only get
the meaning. Some one you know, he says you will remember
later on, some one you will be seeing, directly you go back. Do not
tell any one, wait for it to be mentioned. Just remember what he
says. (Will you repeat it?) Some one you will be seeing.
Note by W. F. P.: Mrs. Leonard could not have known that the
reference to fear of getting stout had any meaning for me. But it
emphatically had. For several years I had dreaded the tendency,
which was being checked at the very period of the sitting. I was some
one whom Mrs. Allison was sure to "be seeing " when she returned. I
don't know whether or not she waited until I said something about it,
but I was in a state of satisfaction that I had lost weight. While I
had dreaded getting stout, I had not been morbidly concerned about it,
and in my few references to it always treated it humorously, so that
the tone of the passage is exactly correct.
Note by L. W. A.: It had never occurred to me that Dr. Prince
was "getting stout." I naturally followed Feda's suggestion and did
n> mention it to him.
G
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d

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2
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4
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0
3
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0
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Feda: He has been getting through in some writing, getting through
automatic writing. This is some one connected with Gertrude
again, and he says I also tried to directly control. I also tried to
control to get hold of.
Note: Miss Tubby's series of sittings with Mrs. Soule were largely
automatic writing in trance, and occasionally there was an attempt at
direct control. . . .1
Feda: This Gertrude is somebody he knew when here, he knew her quite
well, and she has still got things to remember him by. What does
she use, he used to write with, she uses something when writing that
he has used. (I'm sorry, I know it.) A nuisance. Isn't it a
nuisance, a perfect nuisance. (I'm sorry, Feda. Tell him I've
used it, too.) He's laughing. A bond of union between the three
of us, occasionally a weapon of defence.
Note: This refers to one of Dr. Hyslop's much-used penholders,
now in Miss Tubby's possession and which she had handed me one day
at her office to sign a paper, mentioning the fact that it had belonged
to Dr. Hyslop.
Feda: There's a second article you've used as well. I've got you there,
you don't know that. (I'm afraid I do know it.) [I was thinking
of Dr. Hyslop's chair.] It isn't exposed, I have a feeling it's un-
derneath something, something of his that you have used, that has
little lines, not one or two or three, many little lines all parallel
you have used it, looked at it often. (I do not remember
that.) No, he says he hopes you don't. He's afraid you do it
unconsciously.
Note: This, according to Miss Tubby, may refer to a glass recep-
tacle for clips, kept in a desk drawer at the office, which had many
small parallel lines. But I do not remember ever having seen the
article. It seems to be a characteristic of mediumship to follow up a
successful hit, like the "pen," by enlarging along the same lines, a
practice that appears to me to be merely padding.
Feda: He wants T when he goes there. T to drink?
L. W. A.: When he goes where?
1 Mrs. Allison wrote: "I particularly desire to exclude everything that might
seem in bad taste, although much of my best evidence has to be scratched." In
pursuance with this resolve, and with my concurrence, 187 words at this point are
omitted. I can testify that a number of facts in a very complex situation which
then existed in America, and which it would be absurd to suppose could be known
to the psychic, are correctly stated, as I believe, from what I think would have been
the attitude of the alleged communicator. It is a peculiar and striking statement,
so that I much regret that it must be omitted.W. F. P.
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Feda: He expects to have some T ready. I don't know if that is some
joke. He is always looking for T. He says you are thinking of T
like this [drawing in air] there are two T's. I think of a person
and a beverage. Later you will understand. He wishes that you
knew how often he is there and joining in the conversation though
he was not there.
Note: T is evidently an allusion to Miss Tubby.
Feda: There is a noise that annoys him sometimes in that place.
Clang. Very disturbing, not all the time but at intervals. (Is it
there now?) It is there specially now. Do you know something
will have to be done to the door, something renovated or mending
the door. Do you know someone's speaking about having a new
chair lately, because he could see strong thought about a new
chair, having a new chair rather specially in that room. Looking
down. Can you look down when you look out of the window? Go
to window, want to look down out of window. Have to leave that
a bit. I can't quite explain what he means. Do you know someone
who has been taking shoes off in that room? He's laughing, taking
shoes off in that room. He thinks that will amuse Gertrude.
Note by W. F. P.: A new lock had just been placed upon the door
to the office. I should say about June 2nd, but am not sure of the
precise date.
I do not remember at this date about any " clang " which annoyed
me, but am not able to say that nothing existed to justify this
statement.
I do remember that we had several new chairs somewhere along
that time, but cannot by my own memory fix the date. I procured a
special chair for my desk. (See Mrs. Guinan's note.) The office was
on the third floor, so one could "look down." I often did so "in
that room."
Even the reference to taking shoes off "in that room" is remem-
bered distinctly. A lady who used to come in and with whom I had
experiments for telepathy, used sometimes to have a painful cramp
in her foot, and she would discreetly slip her shoe off until the
spasm passed. I, of course, did not put down the dates of such occur-
rences, but have no doubt that there had been at least one within
the month.
Note by Mrs. C. B. Guinan: About June 2nd or 3rd, 1924 (at
which time I was employed as Business Secretary for the American
Society for Psychical Research), I received instructions from the
President to have the lock on the door changed and new keys made.
The lock was actually changed on June 5th, but the order for having
G
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same done was given to the superintendent of the building the day
before, June 4th [date of sitting].
Also, the latter part of May I purchased for the Society six new
chairs and then sent away to be repaired three chairs, two revolving
chairs and one armchair. One of the revolving chairs was Dr. Prince's
desk chair and the armchair was from his room also. On June 5th the
chairs were brought back, repaired, and on trying out the two revolv-
ing chairs that had been repaired, Dr. Prince decided that the chair
other than the one he had been using was more comfortable, and he
kept that chair until he left the A. S. P. R.
Feda: [Sotto voce.] What about the message from the South? He
keeps talking about some message, something from the South. He
is building up a large letter C in America. Some important mes-
sages are being gathered and in which he is himself interested in,
they I think will be looked into and prove to be of importance in
providing evidence that cannot be explained as telepathy. Some-
thing going to turn out very important.
Note: This may refer to Miss Belle Cross, a southern psychic in
America who has received messages purporting to come from Dr.
Hyslop.
Feda: [Sotto voce.] What was that? Prince, Prince, Prince. 'Tis
Prince he says, must be someone he is very interested in. I have
given that before. (Given what?) That name, as if it has been
important to give it. He says that when he himself was on the
earth he was very interested in this subject, and that he knew a
good deal about it.
Note: The reference to Dr. Prince and the communicator's interest
in " this subject " appears to definitely place Dr. Hyslop.
Feda: He says I see Harry sometimes. Harry, someone he is very
interested in on the other side.
Note: Harry was a deceased brother of Dr. Hyslop. This fact
had been published. According to Miss Tubby, there are especial
reasons why he would be interested in Harry, a younger brother who
had presented certain psychological problems of interest and concern
to Dr. Hyslop during his lifetime. These facts were unknown to me.
Feda: I wonder who it is, definitely thinking of us this morning and
wondering if I shall communicate seems so strange to him, but he
senses that and senses it rather strongly, you may be able to find
out later. He almost feels as if someone was trying to sense that.
Isn't that someone who is thinking of the journey themselves quite
G
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2
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1
9

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soon, that is the thought he gets, he is feeling that, he feels that
strongly.
Note: Miss Tubby knew that I was to have a sitting with Mrs.
Leonard about this time, and later told me she naturally wondered if
any reference would be made to Dr. Hyslop or the problems of the
A. S. P. R. Miss Tubby had determined within a week of the date of
the sitting to go abroad herself, sailing about three weeks later.
Correct
Intimation that E. W. A. was disappointed because Mrs. Allison
failed to get in touch with him before sailing (the facts support the
statement, though the latter is not definite); things happened not to
Mrs. Allison but to some one else which was disturbing, as it threatened
to break up the sitter's journeythe indefiniteness made it difficult to
plan (exactly right) ; things have been difficult for sitter this year (in
one respect and the sitter's interpretation is supported by the con-
text) ; Dr. Hyslop older than E. W. A.; a number of particulars re-
garding Dr. Hyslop's appearance and last days, all correct (subject
to the discount that the facts have gone more or less abroad); sitter
knows two or three people well whom Dr. Hyslop was much interested
in, one a woman who has not been well, and has been worried (prob-
ably recognized); sitter has seen several pictures of Dr. Hyslop, a
large one, a smaller copy, one in a book or paper (would be rather
likely) ; Dr. Hyslop did not work so hard in his office, and intimation
that talking was part of his work there (last particular likely, former
one probably not likely, though true); interested in a Walter, very
close to him, living, a doctor, not sure he is a medical doctor, not prac-
tising if so (though true, not protected statements); breaking up of
conditions in which Dr. Hyslop was so interested, people splitting up,
and more to come (unlikely to have been known to Mrs. Leonard) ; Dr.
Hyslop has communicated before both through Feda and to some one
in America (last likely in the extreme), has made a very good com-
municator through a woman (some might think so), and has done less
through a man (would apply to more than one man, but hardly evi-
dentially) ; is a good, kind man, but a little bit impatient from ener-
getic desire to get things done (a nuance very unlikely to be known to
Mrs. Leonard) ; Gertrude (name of " worried " woman earlier referred
to)he has been to her a good deal; Walter is afraid of getting stout
(could not have been known) ; he has been getting through automatic
writing connected with Gertrude (Mrs. Leonard knew Gertrude's last
G
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d

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2
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9

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name, and probably her first, and there were so many persons informed
about the large series of scripts purporting to be from Dr. Hyslop
that the statement here is not scientifically protected), and tried to
control directly (little evidential, for the statement could not be
denied even had there been no appearance of such an attempt) ; Ger-
trude uses in writing something that he had used; something was used
by Dr. Hyslop, having many little lines all parallel, kept under some-
thing [See under Wrong]; something done to renovate or mend the
door at the A. S. P. R. (an order had just been given to change the
lock, and the new lock was actually fitted on the day following the sit-
ting) ; having a new chair rather specially in that room (several chairs
had lately been repaired and Dr. Prince selected what was to him a new
chair for use at his desk) ; some one has been taking shoes off in that
room, that will amuse Gertrude (it might have done so, had she heard
of it, for the lady who took off her shoe was a rather stately and fas-
tidious one); intimation that one can look down from the window;
messages from Dr. Hyslop, from the South, letter C.; Prince is some
one Dr. Hyslop is interested in (of course the same as " Walter," but
it is not easy to suppose that Mrs. Leonard did not know both names);
Dr. Hyslop is much interested in Harry on his side (corresponds with
the fact that he had a brother Harry, deceased, a fact which has been
published); intimation that some one is thinking of us this morning
nd wondering if Dr. Hyslop will communicatesome one who is
tnuiKing oi making the journey soon (corresponds with the facts, save
the unverifiable particular of thinking that morning).
Wrong
Dr. Hyslop's heart was bad before he went; Mrs. Allison has seen
that which has little parallel lines (unless it means that she has a
similar one. In fact, she also has a " glass receptacle " of clips).
Book Test
The book at that period most deserving the name " institution " did
have near the top not only one but two references (" St. James " and
"the brothers Robert and James ") ; " Significant in view of the fact
that he is communicating just now," and did have on the same page,
but not " close at the beginning," " something about irons and metals."
And the book was kept near " string." But the book was not " red,"
but blue. A book consulted much less frequently for the same purpose,
and kept beside it, was red.
Unverifiable
A very disturbing clang heard in the office of the A. S. P. R. at
G
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2
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0
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0

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85
intervals (not very likely, but, owing to the time elapsed before the
record was seen, cannot be denied with entire certainty. Possibly the
clock in the Madison Square Tower close by); prediction that mes-
sages are gathering which will be looked into and be important in
opposition to the telepathy theory.
Omissions
One hundred and eighty-seven words, embodying some of the most
evidential material, on account of its delicate nuances regarding a situ-
ation in America of which Mrs. Leonard could hardly have known.
XI
FROM A SITTING WITH MRS. LEONARD, JUNE 6, 1924
Feda [after preliminary greetings] : Yesterday he [E. W. A.] was try-
ing to let you know he was with you, trying to let you know he was
there, 'fraid I wasn't very successful, not getting through Feda,
making use of someone's power, trying to get through person he
did not know very well or you know well, but trying to make use
of their power. But he's going to try again, that is if I get an
opportunity. Something he was a little disappointed about to do
with yesterday, something I feel he wanted to do yesterday and
couldn't quite do. You might not quite understand what it was he
was trying to do.
Note: Miss Underhill had dined with me the previous evening, June
5th. She has done much inspirational writing. At her own initiative
she told me of certain impressions concerning myself, though nothing
very definite. I knew Miss Underhill only slightly at that time. The
points of interest are that at the date specified I was with someone I
knew, but not well, and E. W. A. had not known at all, and who was
purporting to use her " power."
Feda: Do you know if the older gentleman who is speaking, has he
been made a member of something since he passed over? It's funny.
Must have come for him since he passed over. Something like a
diploma, a recognition of his work in a sense, but it actually came
after he passed over. He was pleased about it. It may afterwards
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prove a fact that you were supposed to know, so it may not be a
watertight test. Though you may not know it, he is afraid other
people will say you ought to have known it.
Note: According to Miss Tubby, when Dr. Hyslop became seri-
ously ill the Board of Trustees of the A. S. P. R. passed resolutions
of appreciation of his services to the Society and to Psychical Re-
search, which greatly pleased him. An illuminated copy of these reso-
lutions was presented to his family after his death. All of this was
unknown to me, as I had no active interest in psychic research until
about five months after Dr. Hyslop's death.
Feda: Do you know if he had been very fond of something, not tulips,
that is wrong. I see three flowers. I said tulips because there is a
little cup shape, he is showing a design or patterns. Something
he used it a good deal. You have seen it, too. (I do not remem-
ber.) No, but you will some time. So often used. Design with
3 flowers. That you can verify in the office room. I do not know
if original.
Note: Dr. Hyslop's favourite flower was the tiger lily, which grows
three or more blossoms on a stalk. It is a very " little cup shape," but
more so than scores of garden flowers.
Feda: I get name James near him. I feel name James important in
this connection with him. As I get James he says, yes, but there
is James with me, too. James that he likes being with on the other
side, and the James he is speaking of now passed over before he did
himself. Then he says Walter knows the James he is speaking of
now. He says the Walter he means is on earth. Walter has got
good reason to know the James he speaks of now because he has a
book with his signature in.
Note by W. F. P.: If the " James" referred to is William James,
I have a number of letters by him in my autograph collection, but no
signature of his in a book. "A book with his signature in" has a
squinting relevance to me, as my pet hobby is collecting books and
pamphlets with the signatures and other inscriptions by noted persons
in them. Dr. Hyslop knew this fact when living. One at least of the
James letters was given me by Dr. Hyslop. I have, however, three
books with the signature of the first " James " mentioned in the para-
graphDr. Hyslop himselfgiven me by him. It might be that in
the rush of ideas about two men named James, Walter, a book and a
signature, Feda became a little confused. These are merely sugges-
tions of a possible explanatory value; evidentially, they do not alter
the fact that there is an error in the paragraph.
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87
Feda: Then he says we are both going to speak to you through writing
soon. They are -both going to someone you will be taken to soon
through whom they will be able to get some very good writing.
Your gentleman too. I feel it is a condition you already know.
You are not going at once, a little later on. They think you will
not get that writing until after these few sittings with Feda. They
want you to know that. They are going to bring you in touch with
a person who will do writing. You will not be alone. Someone with
you, same condition. You are going to have other sittings of a
different kind to Feda's. They have an idea it is more of a
physical sitting than this one. As if they will be able to do voice.
One more for what they call physical phenomena.
Note: Prediction of Dowden sittings [see pages 162 seq.\, where
there did not occur what is usually called physical phenomena, but
where the mode was more physical in the sense that apparatusthe
ouija boardwas used.
Feda: This older gentleman makes sounds like Derrick. Not quite
right the very beginning. Eric. Eric, on the earth. He says I
am interested in him, even though he is not at present in the con-
dition which I should be most interested in. But he says Eric was
connected with the condition that he was interested in. Eric is in-
terested in a place, a place that this gentleman was interested in
when he was on earth. He says Eric is not old, rather a young
Eric. I do not think a little boy. He is a man. I tried to com-
municate with him, I tried to get through to him, as if it might be
only a few weeks ago. Eric knows. He will probably try to get
in touch with him. As if Eric is expecting him to try and get in
touch with him. He is in some ways in the same position as in
yours, about knowing and trying to know, he wants to know. Full
of difficulties and complications for both you and Eric. But you
will both be sure in time. Eric is going away somewhere, very long
journey. There is something I want to help him about. Making
a change in condition. This Eric has been a bit uncertain as to
what he will do in the future, as if he may go to a new condition.
We want to help him. I know he is worried. I am going to help
him. Eric is doing two different kinds of work at the minute.
Eric worked at something recently a bit which is rather a side line.
Does he do writing? I feel he must do more of that, therefore he
will work more at writing. Not automatic writing, more out of
his head. Eric will be taking down the minutes. Taking down
some notes soon at a meeting. But he keeps on saying, I tried to
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communicate twice not long ago, since very recently.
Note by Mr. Eric J. Dingwall: Assuming the identity of the com-
municator, this paragraph would have some significance. I know of no
attempt on the part of the communicator to communicate recently,
although at sittings I often have him in my mind as a possible
communicator.
The long journey might be a visit to the United States [taken in
the fall of 1924], or possibly one to Poland.
The uncertainty mentioned is correct and has been mentioned
before by Feda with another sitter. The "two different kinds of
work " is also correct, and at the moment I am trying to arrange for
the publication of the first volume of a work wholly unconnected with
psychical research.
I do not remember having taken down notes at a meeting for some
very considerable time.
Note by W. F. P.: Mr. Dingwall was to "make a change in con-
dition," if this means a radical change of the species of his work, but
not until the spring of 1927.
Feda: Did you know he tried to say something, say something through
S? (Where was this?) Not here, back in America. I have tried
to communicate through S. Soul. Soul. Soul. I have been to
her. I have been to her. I have communicated through her.1 I
know who he means. A lady. She has got a little girl like Feda,
very like her in many ways. [Sunbeam, one of Mrs. Soule's con-
1 The purported Dr. Hyslop says that he has communicated through Mrs. Soule.
He does not say with what success, unless there is an intimation in "I have tried."
It is true that a mass of material was accumulated as the result of a particular sit-
ter's desire to get communications from Dr. Hyslop. It might well be that he
"tried " and that he even succeeded in getting some thoughts and a very few evi-
dential items through, but his success was certainly very small. This fact is one of
great interest and probable significance, since Mrs. Soule had so long known the
purported communicator, had such a fund of knowledge in regard to him, and could
so easily have faked from her memories a set of " messages " which would present a
prima facie appearance of great evidentiality, however unconvincing it might be,
owing to the circumstances surrounding the experiments, to critical minds. The
fact that, despite all her resources of knowledge and inference, Mrs. Soule's trance
utterances contained a proportionally far smaller factor of correct statements re-
garding Dr. Hyslop than she often gets when both communicator and sitter are
unknown to her, is an overwhelming indication of the integrity of her work. But its
significance extends farther. It points to the conclusion that when a genuine
medium has a fund of memories from personal association with a person since de-
ceased, as well as of facts from other sources regarding him, these memories, together
with the emotional reactions and subconscious inferences arising therefrom, tend to
build up a pseudo-communicator which may actually, for the most part, block the
way of the real one. Illustrations of this seeming fact may be found in the work of
other genuine psychics. I am strongly of the opinion that, while to a scheming
and faking " medium " the possession of normal knowledge regarding a " communi-
cator" is of course of great advantage for the purpose of presenting prima jacie
evidence, it is a distinct disadvantage to a genuinely psychic medium to possess
such information.W. F. P.
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trols, has many points of similarity to Feda.] One you have been
to, not once or twice, but many times. [True.] He knows her and
he has tried to say something about Eric through that woman. I
get the feeling someone you know, that he knows, too, has been to
that woman and has heard him mention Eric. He has spoken
about Eric to that woman. He is giving this as a kind of test.
Someone you know quite well. He wants me to tell you, not that
he is interested in Eric because you happen to know him, but he is
interested in him personally. Eric took away with him something
that had belonged to this gentleman. He had a perfect right to
take it away with him and he has taken it to the place where he is
now. Something that belonged and was handled by this gentleman
when he was on earth. And again I am getting [undecipherable
word] again. He is wanting you to find out about this same Eric.
He doesn't mind him having it. He just wanted him to know that
he knew he had it. I do not know what this means but seems that
is not quite complete. It seems as if it needs something more to
make it whole. That is rather an important point.
Note by Mr. Dingwall: I have never had a sitting with the lady
Feda designates as S., but I am told that I have been mentioned by
the same communicator in seances with other sitters.
When Mrs. Allison first gave me these notes I was unaware that I
had anything belonging to the communicator. It is true that I should
have liked to have something, but I had no recollection that I had
succeeded in obtaining anything. On Thursday evening (31/7/24) I
saw Miss Tubby, who asked me in this connection if I had got some
forms that the communicator had had prepared for certain experi-
ments in mental phenomena. I said that I had, but had no idea that
they were the communicator's, thinking that they were the property
of the American Society for Psychical Research. Miss Tubby then
told me that the forms came from the communicator's house and that
a set of cards completed them, which I had never seen, as far as I
can remember.
Note by L. W. A.: At the time of the sitting Miss Tubby was in
America. About a month later she arrived in London. Subsequently I
asked her whether she knew of anything Mr. Dingwall might have that
had belonged to Dr. Hyslop. Miss Tubby had been the secretary of
the A. S. P. R. the year Mr. Dingwall had been on the staff.
Feda: Gertrude might be interested a little in Eric, too, but not dread-
fully interested. [Sotto voce.] Does she love him? No! [Sharp
answer.] I just wanted to know if she loved him. But he drew up,
looked like that [making stern face] No! He said it in awful sort
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of joking way. No! He said No. Then I could see as if he were
laughing inside himself.
Note by Mr. Dingwall: This is quite good. Miss Gertrude Tubby
and myself are, I hope, good friends, although I disapprove strongly
of her spiritualistic propaganda, and she, I think, disapproves
strongly of what she thinks is my ultracritical attitude. The picture
drawn by Feda is excellent. When asked, I would try to look stern
and unbendingly " scientific," but all the time I would be rather laugh-
ing, because I am really fond of Miss Tubby, and the world is too
small for differences of opinion to mar personal friendships when
views are held honestly on both sides.
Note by Miss Tubby: The joking "No" would be appropriate
from one who had overheard the tilts between " Gertrude " and " Eric"
in New York, when both were on the staff of the A. S. P. R. "Eric"
was of the ultra-skeptical on the matter of the evidence for the super-
normal and, especially, for survival; "Gertrude" was a staunch sup-
porter of the accumulated evidence for both, with which she had much
greater familiarity by experiment than had "Eric." His point of
view, therefore, was more amusing than otherwise on these matters,
and to him her comparative lack of interest in the physical phenomena
of mediumship was equally a source of amusement and astonishment.
There were, therefore, numerous friendly tilts between the two.
Note by W. F. P.: I, too, am struck by the verisimilitude of Feda's
picture of the relations between "Gertrude" and "Eric." Her re-
actions to his coldly critical thinking were such as to make, "Does
she love him? No! " ludicrously apt. He said little to me about the
warmth of her devotion to what she esteemed a cause, but would some-
times utter a dry remark which derived its significance mostly from his
manner and facial expression, sometimes of exaggerated solemnity.
Feda: Horseshoes, horseshoes. Never heard a name like that. Keeps
seeing a sign like horseshoes. Are only saying horseshoes all the
time. I'm sure it's a kind of symbol, not for Eric, for you again.
Your own gentleman is showing this horseshoe I think. Is it for
luck? Your own gentleman wanted to say it's for you. He says
of course, afterwards you may remember something with that. /
had a horseshoe [impressively].
Note: E. W. A. and I both indulged in the superstition that horse-
shoes brought good luck. I had carried one about since my boarding
school days, and one of the first things we invariably did when settling
a new abode was to hang this horseshoe over the door. The winter
previous to E. W. A.'s passing I had happened to descend from a
street car in a pouring rain and saw a huge horseshoe lying in the
mud, evidently lost by a truck horse. I hurried to a newsstand, pur-
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chased a paper, and with it picked up the horseshoe and carried it
home. It was hailed as a great treasure, especially as several nails
remained in it. Each nail, E. W. A. laughingly explained, signified
one year of good fortune. I merely state the above facts, I do not
wish to emphasize them as evidence. Horseshoes are much too com-
mon.2 If it could be ascertained that this is the only time Fcda has
ever spoken of horseshoes that would strengthen the evidence. On the
other hand, horseshoes apply particularly to E. W. A., and "I had a
horseshoe," to the one he owned.
Feda: He meant to speak last time. Had come again. Important
time. An anniversary time. He had been thinking of it, lately, on
the anniversary. Must be sometime very near now, very close.
He tries to remember anniversaries, though he has not time on this
side. He has to remember the time by coming to you. Remember
by the things you are doing. And he says he has been astonished
to see how the years are going on. When first he left he wouldn't
have liked to look forward to so many years.
Note: This sitting was held on the anniversary of E. W. A.'s pass-
ing, but not at my request. It was one of several dates assigned me,
the period suggested by me being between June 1st and August 15th.
L. W. A.: How many years, Feda?
Feda: As though he had only been gone a little while. But it seems
years. Sometime before you came to Feda first.
Xote: This is an instance of Feda's clever parrying. She evi-
dently was not able to tell the number of years. But what she said
spontaneously before I asked the question was correct so far as it
went, as four years had passed since E. W. A.'s death. I "came to
Feda first " ten months before this sitting.
Feda: Do you know there is something you put on one side, something
he used a lot, and you used it a lot, for a little while. But you had
used it again lately. It's not a ring. It's not the ring. Some-
thing different altogether. It's something, feeling of something
here [taps chest]. He nods his head and says that is quite right,
you wear it here [patting her chest at just the place where brooch
21 will do the emphasizing, since I think that this passage has considerable
weight. Were it only a reference to horseshoes as a symbol it would not be so,
but "afterwards you may remember something with that" bids Mrs. Allison to
search her memory for something definite, and "I had a horseshoe" is a precise
statement. I doubt if among the class to which Mrs. Allison evidently belongs, the
superstition of the horseshoe, even half in joke, is now at all common. I never
nailed up a horseshoe or treasured one, and cannot remember of any relative or
friend doing so, although I have seen a horseshoe or two nailed over doors, some-
time in my life.IF. F. P.
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is worn]. You used it a lot. Put it away for a while. Do jTou
know there is something else, too, something you wear at your
waist.3 Fasten on rather carefully here [indicating belt buckle].
That doesn't interest him quite so much.
Note: This might apply to E. W. A.'s monogram watch fob which
he had used a great deal and which, after his passing, I had made into
a brooch. For many months I wore it constantly, then put it in my
safety box, where it remained for almost two years. Only shortly
before going to England I had taken it out and again worn it, and
always at the place indicated by Feda. Mrs. Leonard had never seen
it. The something else worn at the waist might refer to E. W. A.'s
monogram belt buckle suggested by the fob. But I had never worn it.
Correct
Dr. Hyslop has communicated through a Soule lady in America (as
already stated, that a series of purported communications from Dr.
Hyslop through Mrs. Soule existed might have been known to Mrs.
Leonard, whatever the fact was) ; this lady has a little girl like Feda,
like her in many ways (a published fact); the sitter has been to her
many times; Dr. Hyslop said something about Eric through Mrs.
Soule; Eric has something that had belonged to and been handled by
Dr. Hyslop, and what he has is not complete but needs something else
to complete it; the sentiments of Eric and Gertrude in regard to each
other (remarkable for exact shadings of meaning indicated by the
terms employed); sitter's husband shows a horseshoe, as something
which should arouse memories, and says, " I had a horseshoe "; an im-
portant time, an anniversary, must be very near now, very close (it
was the very anniversary day of his death. Perhaps there is an inkling
of the kind of anniversary in what follows regarding the year since
"he left ") ; something that he used a lot, and sitter used a lot for a
3 While "something you wear at your waist" evidentially makes a black mark,
it is quite possible that "you " here has the indefinite sense frequent in speech and
recognized by the dictionaries, and that the expression means something that one
wears at the waist. The first article referred to is unquestionably associated with
Mrs. Allison as well as with her husband. "He used it a lot, and you used it a lot,"
etc. There is no such statement referring to the second article, but only the am-
biguous clause "something you wear at your waist." Or, on the theory that com-
munication is essentially the coming through of a portion of a spirit's thoughts, the
indefiniteness of the clause is explainable. E. W. A., thinking of the fob, is reminded
of the monogrammed buckle and pictures its position at the waist near the fob.
Feda gets the impression of an article worn at the waist, whether inferring that
probably Mrs. Allison had worn it there, or simply employing a locution indi-
cating the place where it is customarily worn.W. F. P.
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little while, then put away, but used it again latelynot a ring, some-
thing she wore on the chest.
Nearly Correct
Yesterday sitter was with some one she did not know very well,
trying to make use of that person's power, with intimation that it was
somewhat disappointing (only statement not exact is that the com-
municator, supposed to be E. W. A., did not know her well. He did not
know her at all) ; something came for Dr. Hyslop after his death, like
a diploma, a recognition of his work (came for him is not the correct
expression) ; intimation that Dr. Hyslop was fond of something, seen
as three flowers, not tulips but "a little cup shape" (his favorite
flower, the tiger lily, grows three or more flowers on a stem, and is a
"little cup shape," not nearly so much as the tulip, but much more than
a host of flowers) ; there is a James who passed over before Dr. Hyslop
did, whose signature Walter has in a book (No, in a letter given by
Dr. Hyslop) ; Dr. Hyslop has communicated through a Soule lady in
America (as already stated, the fact that a long series of purported
messages from Dr. Hyslop through Mrs. Soule existed, might be known
to Mrs. Leonard, whatever the fact was).
Mixed Evidentiality
The statements about "Eric" of a character to be presumably
protected from normal knowledge of Mrs. Leonard are these: Dr.
Hyslop tried to communicate with Eric lately and Eric knows (Mr.
Dingwall did not know); Eric is expecting him to try (yes, in the
sense that he often had Dr. Hyslop in mind as a possible communi-
cator); Eric is going away somewhere on a very long journey (he
went to America, some months later) ; Eric has been somewhat uncer-
tain what he will do in the future, as if he may go into a new condition
(correct, and the time came when he turned his attention chiefly from
psychic research to anthropology); Eric is doing two kinds of work
now (correct) ; Eric will work more at writing (not known, might be
still in the future); Eric will be taking down the minutes soon at a
meeting (apparently this did not take place).
Prediction
Mrs. Allison's husband and Dr. Hyslop are going to get her in
touch with one through whom they will get some very good writing.
This will take place a little later, probably after the present set of
sittings with Feda is done. Some one will be with you. The sittings
will be different from those with Fedamore of a physical sitting. As
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if they will be able to do voice. One more for what they call physical
phenomena. (The Dowden sittings, then unforeseen, and coming about
by seeming accident, took place after the Feda sittings were through.
The material proved remarkably good, and did purport to be from
E. W. A. and Dr. Hyslop. The sittings were different from the Feda
ones, in that ouija-board and pencil were used, which made them
"more physical." But no one went with Mrs. Allison, and there was
no " voice.")
Wrong, But of Possible Significance
"Something you wear at your waist. Fasten on rather carefully
here [indicating place of belt buckle]. This doesn't interest him quite
as much." (Possibly a reference, from association of ideas, to his
monogrammed buckle, wrongly interpreted by Feda as worn at her
waist. This would explain why it did not interest him so much, since it
had not been worn, like the other article, by her also.)
XII
The sitting opened with a few preliminary remarks of no particular
import, several of which were approximately correct, but not enlarged
upon sufficiently to merit inclusion. Then Feda went on to describe a
sitting at which I was supposed to be present. I was entirely unable
to place this event, and said:
(Feda, I think you are mistaken, I haven't been at such a sitting.)
Feda: He [E. W. A.] is very persistent. He says do think back. I
keep seeing a great big capital B. Something very much to do
with the condition. He says do you remember? (No, not at all.
[Then, attempting to change the trend.] Feda, do you see him?)
When he's wanting me to feel something then I can't hear or see
him. (When can you see him?) I see him better when he stops
talking. The first time you ever came here he stayed still a longer
time. Do you remember? (Yes.) Keeping himself steady. (Now,
what has he done this time?) He talks a lot this time, but he says
he has had to be an assistant, though the older gentleman [Dr.
Hyslop] has been giving a lot, your gentleman has helped a lot. I
couldn't have got to the older gentleman without your gentleman.
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95
(I understand.) [Sotto voce, to communicator.] But what are
you trying to do? [To sitter.] He holds up his hand in front of
his face. Have you teased him about his nose? (No.) [Sniffing.]
You know he is younger, a lot younger than the other gentleman.
He looks younger. What you call the prime of life. He says he
had got a bit tired looking just here [touching lower part of face
with hand]. Feda knows he passed over quickly. He didn't know
he was going to go. With him, you understand, it was a cutting
off, like a blind coming down. With the older gentleman it was
different, but with your gentleman it was cutting off, and he told
the first time when you come to Feda that he didn't suffer.
Note: E. W. A., having passed suddenly in the prime of life, must
have looked younger than the " older gentleman" [Dr. Hyslop]. Dr.
Hyslop was only about five years older, but died after a severe illness,
and is said to have looked his age when well. The sudden passing of
E. W. A. has already been given by Mrs. Soule, Vout-Peters and Mrs.
Brittain. The words, "didn't suffer," were followed by an elaborate
description which I think would apply to the passing of most people.
It seems characteristic of mediums, when describing death, to say
those things that would console the sitter, although there are, of
course, exceptions. The description could not be disputed, neither
could it be verified.
Feda: I feel, though, up to that time he had been doing things and
thinking things out; he had been close to an open window, conscious
of air, only a little while before he passed over.
Note: E. W. A. and I had been sitting at an open window just
before retiring, planning a summer holiday. The unverifiable descrip-
tion referred to above was here resumed, and continued for some
little time.
Feda: I feel exhausted suddenly. That unconsciousness didn't come
gradually, came quite suddenly.
Note: The transition from speaking to me in a strong voice to
unconsciousness was instantaneous.
Feda: He said he told you something in the very first sitting you had,
but he expects you would have to look it up again to compare it.
Note: In my first sitting with Mrs. Leonard, on August 6, 1923,
Feda said, referring to E. W. A., " He passed quickly." Feda's mem-
ory is amazing. Although hundreds of sittings may have intervened,
she will correctly refer to a statement of minor importance made in an
earlier sitting.
Feda: He is saying he thinks he said it before. He doesn't like me to
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suggest. Do you know there was something he could smell he
didn't like. It is a condition you should know about. That is why
he was doing that to his nose, because he would get the smell. It is
a very peculiar condition, but he thinks you will be able to look
back and see.
Note: The only smell I could think of would be whiskey, for im-
mediately after E. W. A. lapsed into unconsciousness, I poured whiskey
down his throat.
Feda: He is not short, he is on the tall side. He holds himself straight.
[Sitting up.] Like that. I always see shapes of people better
than colors. His face and head neither round nor oval. He is not
pointed [touching chin]. Too broad across here. Rather strong.
His mouth a little more than medium. Good shape and rather
straight. A firm mouth, firm but not hard. Nice straight lips,
kind look about it. The upper lip goes in a bit. I told you
straight. His nose not aquamarinenot aquiline, sideways view it
doesn't go in at bridge, not sunken, it comes out rather straight,
the tip not pointed, a good shaped nose, but not what you see on
statues. His forehead not full, not bumpy, not like Sir Oliver's
from his eyebrows. His forehead you would notice, rather straight,
squarish, good. His hair shows the temple. Mrs. Lydia, he's got
it parted as if he brushed it up a bit and back, it shows forehead
very distinctly. It gives what you call an open look to that part
of his head. He has a habit of looking serious, but not like that
always. The hair at back very short. I think he keeps it rather
too short. He likes it that way. Top hair a bit longer, because
I see it come over shorter. From neck at back good line, doesn't
bulge at back.
Note: Regarding this description: E. W. A. was six feet tall, and
carried himself exceptionally well. His face, as Feda said, was neither
round nor oval; his jaw was square and straight. I would say Feda
was wrong in describing the mouth as a little more than medium; if
anything, it was less so; but she was right in describing it as being a
good shape, straight and very firm, with a kind look about it. The
upper lip was well marked. The nose was good shaped and straight,
but not Classic; the tip not pointed. The forehead was broad, " squar-
ish," and rounded at the temples, with well-marked eyebrows. As Feda
said, his forehead was frequently noticed. E. W. A.'s hair showed the
temples, and was brushed exactly as described. An excellent point is
made by Feda in describing the way the hair was cut at the back.
E. W. A. habitually had it cut very trim and close for about two
inches above the neck, with the top hair longer. The neck line did
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not bulge. Certainly he looked serious, at times, but this was not a
marked characteristic.
Feda: Do you know one of his ears comes a little bit more out than the
other. Perhaps you could look at a photograph. I think he must
mean it was one more than the other. He is showing a photo, not
quite full face, rather more what you call three-quarters, as if he
was looking straight out. It is turned towards you a bit. He
says, yes. He thinks you can see the ear, but not so well as in the
small one. I have got a feeling in this last one you might have to
ask someone else. It shows full face as much as possible. But I
think you may have to ask someone else.
Note: This remark lends itself to ambiguous interpretation. I do
not think one of E. W. A.'s ears came out more than the other, but the
connection with a photograph is striking. At the time of this sitting
I did not know of any such photograph, but several months later E.
W. A.'s sister sent me an old photo she had come across, a photo taken
years before I met E. W. A. Feda seems to have surpassed herself in
the description of this photograph. It is not made full-face, but
rather more than three-quarters, as if he was looking straight out.
The face is turned toward the camera a bit. The ear is conspicuous,
and the other one cannot be seen at all. The reference to "the small
one " I cannot explain; it again throws the description into confusion.
The fact of a curious coincidence remains, however, in the other photo-
graph having been sent me in which the ear is unduly conspicuous,
corresponding to Feda's impression of an ear sticking out.
Feda: He is fond of animals. He is mentioning that because he is
thinking of a place where he would have been very much with
horses and dogs.
Note: E. W. A. was very fond of animals, and grew up with horses
and dogs. He especially liked dogs, and had owned many. Feda went
on to make a few remarks about dogs he may have possessed before I
knew him. I have been unable to check them up. Feda repeated the
name, " ' Lollie ' more like 'Larry,' " which meant nothing. Since he
was mentioning dogs, it seems curious that he would not speak of the
one he had been most attached to and also the last dog he had owned,
the name being a very simple one, " Teddy."
I pass over a number of pages in this sitting, some of them devoted
to a book test drawn from Miss Isabel Newton's flat, where Mrs. Leon-
ard had never been. Miss Newton is the secretary of the Society for
Psychical Research in London.1 Immediately after the book test Feda
made the following statements:
1 The record of the book test is not worth printing in extenso, but following is a
faithful abstract of it.
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Feda: He expects Mrs. Isabel will be amused when you tell her this.
He gets some newly washed things in this room. [Miss Newton's.]
He got feeling thoughts, those have just come from the laundry.
He says he is interested in the book tests. In America where you
work didn't get many there, so that's why he was anxious to get
some while you were here.
Feda described a room to the left of the door of which were said to be book-
shelves. In fact, the one of Miss Newton's two rooms answering the description was
not the one with book-ihelves so placed. Feda said that on the 33rd page of the
third book from the left on the shelf about the height of a piano would be found,
"at the top 01 the page, very near tlie middle, words there suggesting light and
growth, development." In fact, the book so placed on the shelf nearest the height
of a piano had on the 33rd page about one and a third inches above the middle, the
words, " we should meet again, when your opinion on Death and the philosophy of
Revolutions might be different." Some would think that this expression, implying
that the person addressed would come to have more light on certain topics (one of
them relevant to the sitter's experiments), and would undergo growth and develop-
ment in his thinking, sufficiently meets the prescription.
Feda went on to say, " And he [the spirit] turned over one, two pages, and on
the third page an allusion for the purpose for which you've come to England, I
think this is quite right, but there is a little bit of a joke, too. . . . You will laugh
when you see what is written and you will at once apply it to your visit and say,
'That is quite right. That is why I am here.'" Miss Newton reports: "Turning
over two pages, Mrs. Allison and I saw on the third, the 37th, the sentence, 'she
found the physician.'" 77its would indeed be particularly apt. But, literally, the
passage was found on the jourth following "page." Still, "turned over one, two
pages" may indicate that Feda meant that two leaves were to be turned over.
The statement of Feda that some books on the same shelf were "much newer
than others," while correct, was most probable, although not a certain one.
Feda declared that touching the book last specified there was one in which was
"right at the beginning mention of a place that he used to be at." One of the two
adjacent books, Eugene Aram, mentions at its beginning, Italy, also several other
countries and cities. E. W. A. had lived in Italy for a time.
The second book from the right on the same shelf was alleged by Feda to have
for the subject of its first chapter something in which Dr. Hyslop had been much
interested on earth. "It refers to some work he was particularly doing himself when
he was on the earth. In the first chapter it seems to speak of other books and
writings," and in this chapter "different things are spoken of, different style alto-
gether liom the rest of the book.'' Miss Newton reports that the second book to
the left did not fit the allusion, but that the preface of the third book, Conrad in
Quest oj His Youth, was in the same type as that of the rest of the book, so that it
could easily be mistaken for a chapter, and this preface fits in several respects. For
the preface, by Barrie, "' speaks of other books and writings,' c. a., Hardy's, Mer-
rick's, The Quaint Companions and The Aclor-Managcr, Hudson's The Purple
Land; and 'different things [are] spoken of, different style altogether to what came
after.'" The subjects treated of in the preface are novels and novelists, Merrick's
art of telling a story, his warning against authorship and the stage as callings. Pass-
ing over the fact that this book was not the second but the third book (yet remem-
bering that Feda has said that the visualization of the location is not always exact,
which qualification may be true but when taken advantage of increases the possi-
bility of mere chance coincidence), what of the statement that the discussion of
"other books and writings," etc., interested Dr. Hyslop on earth and referred to
"some work he was particularly doing himself"? If this implies that he was cus-
tomarily doing such work it is wrong in any sense that would have significance. It
is just worth while, perhaps, to mention that Dr. Hyslop was at one period much
interested in the Homeric controversy, . e., the question whether on stylistic and
other grounds the Iliad must be ascribed to multiple authorship. So much interested
was he that he wrote a long paper in which he subjected Paradise Lost to a similar
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[Later in the sitting.]
Feda: Would you mind asking Mrs. Isabel, why she wants to know
would the one key open two things, two locks? This is from your
gentleman. She was a bit puzzled about a key. She kept saying,
wonder if this will do as well as the lock it was meant for?
Note: This incident, in which Feda so ingeniously fixes the time of
Miss Newton's trying the key by the advent of the laundry, has been
published under " Cases in which the Communicator Purports to Give
Information Concerning Recent or Contemporary Events, Unknown to
the Sitter," in Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, Vol.
XXXVI, pp. 202-3, from which Miss Newton's note follows:
"When Mrs. Allison read the above note to me, I was at once re-
minded of the following incident. I have a small locked hanging cup-
board in my flat which, having lost the key, I have not used for some
years. For the last two or three weeks I have had it in mind, for,
having found a use for it, I decided to hang it, if I could get a key to
open it, and I have been intending to go to a locksmith and borrow
some small keys. Last Thursday eveningor it may possibly have
been Friday morning, but I think notI was getting ready to go
away for the week-end, and putting away an attache case I had just
bought for a birthday present for a friend, I caught sight of the key
and wondered if it would fit the cupboard lock. It did not, and I then
thought of the key of my own attache case, and tried it, and then the
keys, one after the other, of four or five writing and other small cases,
wondering in each case ' if this will do.'
"Feda said earlier in the sitting that a visit had been made to my
homeby either Dr. Hyslop or Dr. Allisonand she referred, in con-
process of analysis, leading to the reductio ad absurdum that this poem was the
work of a number of writers.
Feda's statement that there was poetry near the book was correct, but a very
likely one.
The statement that near the book was another book containing "a peculiar
drawing which has a special significance to me'' [apparently Dr. Hyslop is meant!,
"an outline filled in with little lines like a pattern. . . . This meant something he
also had when he was on earth," gives a wide range for coincidence, in that a num-
ber of books, every part of the books, and various interpretations of the description
of the drawing would come within the purview. In fact, says Miss Newton, "un-
derneath this same book, about two inches to the left, is Scott's Fair Maid oj Perth,
on the four end papers of which is a design of double lines broken by conventional
thistles, on which is superimposed on each page a medallion, 4V4 x % inches, outlined
in bay leaves and filled in with little lines reproducing a portrait of Sir Walter
Scott.'' Dr. Hyslop's paternal grandfather came from Scotland, of which the sym-
bolic flower is the thistle.
Several of the above declarations by Feda are good hits, but others, to be re-
garded as good, require too much departure from the literal terms, and a too subtle
and elastic interpretation, to be convincing. Only as viewed against the background
of the numerous better tests of this species in Mrs. Leonard's trance work is one
warranted in the opinion that the peculiar aptness of some of the points here made
probably indicates something beyond chance W. F. P.
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nection with it, to the delivery of my laundry. The delivery of the
laundry takes place on Thursday evening.
"I tried the keys either on Thursday evening or Friday morning.
I think it was probably Thursday evening, for on Friday morning my
cousin called before I left for the S. P. R. and consequently I was
pressed for time.
"(Signed) I. Newton."
Note by L. W. A.: Miss Newton is correct in thinking the incident
occurred on Thursday evening, for when I showed her the record the
day after the sitting she told me of the incident, as occurring on the
Thursday evening, and later sent me the following note:
"My things come from the laundry early on Thursday evenings.
"On the Thursday evening preceding the sitting I was preparing
to go away the next morning for a few days. I was putting away a
new attache case, when, catching sight of the two dangling keys, I
wondered whether they would fit a small hanging cupboard of mine
which had been locked and the key lost for some time. I tried them,
but they would not fit the lock. At intervals other small keys occurred
to me. and I wondered if they would fit, and I tried them.
"(Signed) I. Newton."
Feda: Just by your gentleman, someone looks too, in an awful inter-
ested way, a man not young. I think you would say about 55. I'm
not good at ages. I passed over young. English and Western
people is so old before they grows up. Where Feda came from
people has children at about 12. He's turned gray and dark in
color. Not very straight in build, shoulders stoops slightly, eyes
dark, rather full, a bit heavy, his nose long, fairly full at tip, lips
full, rather curved. Chin rather long, his face fallen a bit from
cheek-bones. His forehead broad. I should think at one time he
would have had a very good head of hair. Fine looking face, large
mouth, well made man. Not gone over lately, gone over some
years. And it's someone you have known very well. Did he have
some internal trouble? Not well two or three years before he
passed over. Little bit sallow looking. I wonder if he had some
breathing trouble. His lips slightly bluish, trouble here [patting
chest] heart and lungs. I feel he knew you when much younger.
Note: This description indicates my father. He was 63 years old
at the time of his passing, but looked younger. His hair had turned
grey from dark, but not entirely so, it was mixed. My father's build
was good; he stooped slightly. His eyes were dark and full, the nose
long and full at the tip, the lips full. He wore a heavy moustache; I
am not sure about curved lips. I really cannot remember if it is cor-
rect to say " his face fallen a bit." In his last years it was certainly
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101
not full, and, on the other hand, not emaciated. The chin was neither
pointed nor round-more round-the face oval. The forehead only
fairly broad, nearer average. He was bald during my recollection,
but, from photographs taken in his twenties, I believe it to be literally
true that " at one time he would have had a very good head of hair."
Fine looking face, large mouth, well made man, apply. My father
passed over about six years before the date of this sitting. Internal
trouble is correct, as is "not well two or three years before he passed
over " and " little bit sallow looking." My father suffered from angina
pectoris, great difficulty in breathing and pain in the chqgt; being the
principal symptoms. .
Feda: I see a great big letter A. (Do you see it 6r gel the-sound?)
Your gentleman says I heard it. Get sound like of A. Your gen-
tleman says be careful. The sound of A is right. E. He showed
me an E very plainly. Ebel, Ebel, Ebel. Don't get the
end part. Ebel, Ebel. [Feda repeated the word very rapidly,
over and over, giving E the sound of a long A.] You keep getting
one letter wrong. That spoils the whole thing.
Note: The letter A is wrongthe sound of A is right. My ques-
tion may have influenced Feda. My father's name was Emil, the E
pronounced like long A. In Feda's frequent repetition of Ebel and
struggling for the right name I thought I caught Emil once or twice,
but as I was naturally listening for it, I do not like to be too certain.
Feda: He wants to come again. Once I practically got it, about the
second time he was whispering it. It was practically right. He
wants to send his love, too. He will come again. Ebel. Better to
leave it. Oh, dear, the power is going.
Control ceased.
Correct
E. W. A. passed quickly (so stated at first sitting), like a blind
coming down (lived less than half an hour after the attack); "he
didn't know he was going to go," and did not suffer; "he had been
close to an open window . . . only a little while before passing over ";
unconsciousness came quite suddenly; E. W. A. was on the tall side,
"holds himself straight," face neither round nor oval [see under
Wrong here and for other details], chin not pointed but broad and
strong, mouth good shape, straight, firm, not hard but kind looking;
nose well-shaped, straight but not like those of statues nor pointed at
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tip, forehead not bumpy but rather straight, squarish and good, hair
shows the temple, parted as if brushed up a bit and back, cut very
short at back, top hair longer and coming over the shorter, neck not
bulging at back; had a habit of looking serious but not like that always
(yes, but only such as is most common) ; he was fond of animals, was at
some time very much with horses and dogs; person described: you
would say about 55 years old, hair turned gray from dark, not very
straightshoulders stooped slightly, eyes dark and rather full, nose
Jong and fairly full at tip, lips full (whether "curved" not known on
account-of "his' moustache), . . . [see under Wrong], firm looking
face, /large - mouth, well-made man, a little bit sallow looking; some
person dead some" years, known well by sitter, had an internal trouble,
not well for two or three years before passing, intimation of breathing
trouble, trouble with heart and lungs, knew sitter when latter much
younger, some one with a right to " send his love," (all the above par-
ticulars correct for sitter's father).
Highly Suggestive of Name of the Last Described Person
Feda sees A, gets sound of A, sees E [possibly influenced by sitter's
query], repeats " Ebel " several times pronounced as " Abel," but says
that the last part is not right. (Sitter's father named Emil, the first
letter sounded like the English long A. The sitter thought that
"Emil " was actually pronounced amid the many attempts, but is not
certain.)
Right or Wrong According to Interpretation
E. W. A. " a lot younger" than Dr. Hyslop. He looks younger.
What you call the prime of life. (Actually, E. W. A. was less than
five years younger. But he looked, it appears, much younger, as if
under fifty.)
Wrong
Description of a sitting, B connected, which Mrs. Allison was sup-
posed to have attended; intimation that sitter had teased E. W. A.
about his nose [but see under Possibly Significant] ; head neither round
nor oval (if cranium is meant, it was rather round; if "head" is
synonymous with " face," statement is correct) ; "mouth a little more
than medium, upper lip goes in a bit." In description of father: his
chin rather long (no), forehead broad (about the average).
"Do you know there was something he could smell he didn't like
[said after details about E. W. A.'s death] . . . That is why he was
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doing that to his nose" (Mrs. Allison poured whiskey down his throat
after he had apparently become unconscious) ; a photograph described,
about which, it is intimated, the sitter may have to ask some one else,
emphasis laid on ear (description accords with a portrait produced by
E. W. A.'s sister, except that " the other " car does not show at all).
Clairvoyant (?) Tests
Book Test: suggestive, but not demonstrative of more than chance.
Newly washed things in Miss Newton's room, just come from the
laundry, she wants to know would one key open two locks, puzzled
about a key, kept saying, " Wonder if this will do as well as the lock it
was meant for" (all happened the previous Thursday evening).
Omitted from the Above Categories
Remarks about E. W. A.'s death which would apply in most cases,
and which in his case could neither be disputed nor verified; remarks
about dogs, including a "Larry" (may have been true during the
many years before Mrs. Allison knew him).
XIII
FROM A SITTING WITH MRS. LEONARD, JULY 30, 1924
Sitter, L. W. A. Notes by Gertrude O. Tubby
Because some of Feda's statements seemed to apply to Miss Ger-
trude Tubby and since she was about to sail from New York, I asked
Miss Newton's advice about inviting her to a sitting with Mrs. Leon-
ard. Miss Newton suggested that Miss Tubby accompany me as
recorder, thus eliminating any explanation to Mrs. Leonard, who is
accustomed to the presence of note-takers at sittings. I mentioned
Miss Newton's suggestion to no one, nor did I ask Mrs. Leonard's
permission in advance for fear of refusal.
On July 30 Miss Tubby accompanied me. Leaving her a little
distance down the road from Mrs. Leonard's cottage, I went in alone.
Very casually I remarked: " Mrs. Leonard, I've brought a note-taker
today, but if you prefer I'll send her away." Mrs. Leonard replied,
"O, it's quite all right. I think it's a good thing to try that way for
a change, it leaves you freer." I returned to the gate and beckoned
to Miss Tubby. We went in together, and I introduced her as Miss
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Crandall. Miss Tubby merely mumbled, "Good morning," in order
not to betray her American accent. Mrs. Leonard arranged the chairs
in a slightly different manner. I faced the medium and Miss Tubby
was on my right side forward, and out of Mrs. Leonard's range of
vision.
Some months later I wrote to Mrs. Leonard, asking whether she
had any idea as to the identity of the note-taker who had accompanied
me on this date. I quote from her reply: " I have not the faintest idea
as to the identity of the lady who came with you."
Feda began the sitting with a few rambling statements and predic-
tions purporting to come from E. W. A., and then continued as
follows:
Feda: Wait a minute. What do you mean by that? I don't know.
Oh, he expects you will almost have forgotten this. It was only
a silly little thing. But did you think you defended someone a
little while ago? (Yes.)
Because he said it wasn't worth bothering aboutit didn't
mattersomething that you thought, "O, dear, now I have upset
them." And he says, you had done so, a little, you had done so.
Can't say you hadn't, 'cause you had, but he didn't want you to.
(Feda, did you say offend, or defend?)
Wait a minute. [To communicator.] Is it offend, or defend?
[To sitter.] He says, "Not offenddefended." He says you
thought it was offend, he says defend, but it was something that
was worrying you. (I see.)
Offend means annoying peoples a little, like they smacks you,
see? (Yes.)
Not like this, standing up, like that way [drawing herself up].
But yet, you know, he didn't want you to exaggerate the cause for
it, exaggerate, do you see? (Not quite.)
Now waitnot exaggerate. Let it drop. He didn't want
you to do too much of it. He says it was right for you to do,
but there was something in it that he didn't want you to go too
much in it. (I see. You can't tell me whom it was connected with,
or give me an idea?)
Yes. Wait a minute. It was what you mean, an attack, unfair.
This is what he says, "Unfair attack, unfair." (Could he give
me an idea on whom?)
Yes, wait a minute. He's trying to build up a letter. (Are
you seeing it?)
It is a G. I,just look. [Drawing capital G in air.] (Yes.)
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The attack didn't" I just want to talk about it for a mo-
ment," he says. It is something that you had to defend about,
didn't come just from one quarter only; it came from he would
call two or three sources. (I see.)
Though one person appeared to be the active party in it.
"There was one person specially," he says, "but there were sev-
eral people at the back of that one person making a kind of like
attack." This is not a long time ago, Mrs. Lyddie. (No?)
It is something he's speaking of lately, and he says, " I haven't
mentioned the actual fact at a sitting before." Do you see? (Yes.)
"That you had done it, but," he says, " I have touched on the
same condition in a previous sitting with Feda." (Yes?)
He says, " I have spoken of the same conditions, but I haven't
put it in these words," do you see? (I see.)
And he says, "You will find an allusion to this on looking
through your notes." [See VIII, p. 74.] And he says, " I 'spect
you remember something about it now." He says, "It is quite
clear in the notes. Now you will wonder why I am touching on this
again today." He says, "There is a reason for it. There is
something coming up very quickly again, about it." (I see.)
He says, " The line you took was the right one, the line, but "
0, dear, he's wanting you to be a bit careful. He says, " There is
a complication arising now, something fresh,fresh." And he
says, "I want you just to examine the thing carefully before you
speak about it or do anything about it much, will you?" (Yes.)
See, it is a G. [Drawing it in air with forefinger.] It is a G.
Wait a minute, I must be careful. He says, " We must be careful,
because, though your attitude has been right about it and is right
about it, there is some element coming in that will make it a little
difficult for you to stand by your previous attitude." Isn't it a
nuisance? He says, "I know I am right and you will know I am
right, very soon, now." (I see.)
But he says he will stand by you, do you see, and will impress
you what to do. But he says, "Examine it carefulbe careful
before you say anything this time. You will soon know, quite soon,
so," he says, "I will just leave it like that." If he hears[Sotto
voce] Not too quick! If he hears any more information about it
before your next sitting, he will tell you. But he thinks he will just
leave it at what he said. And, you know, the older gentleman, the
very clever one that comes with him, he's interested in that, too,
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Mrs. Lyddie. [The older gentleman is, of course, Dr. Hyslop.]
(Yes, I am glad he came.)
He's interested in it. It concerns him in a way, he says; or at
least, he says, he's interested in the circumstances. Your gentleman
is more interested because you're getting yourself mixed up in it.
That is more how he is. He's afraid it is the personal interest he
feels most. "But I like G, you know that. O, but then," he
says, "I like G." (That's good.)
Look! G. [Drawing in air.] I see what he's writing again.
Do you know, he's writing the Gertrude name. (Yes?)
Yes, that's what he means. He do like Gertrude, do you see,
Mrs. Lyddie, do you see, but he can't get terrible excited about
her; he can't do that, but it is through you that he likes her. O
well, he says, you are just to look out for some more developments
about what you do.
Note: I have felt deep concern over how much of the intimate in-
formation Feda seemed to have of the problems of the A. S. P. R. after
Dr. Hyslop's death, I can properly include in this paper without jolt-
ing any one's feelings. I am, therefore, confining my report to what is
common knowledge. Much that is. strikingly evidential, in fact the
most evidential parts are omitted. It, however, seems unfair to Mrs.
Leonard's mediumship to suppress all the veridical material given
by Feda.
Consequently the above statements are loosely annotated. It is
sufficient to say that I very strenuously defended G, and that E. W.
A.'s characteristic advice in such an instance would have been "dis-
cretion is the better part of valor," while my own impulse in any like
case would be to plunge in headlong. Also, as E. W. A. said, the situ-
ation was so involved that I found it extremely difficult to maintain my
position in view of new developments. Feda's differentiation of Dr.
Hyslop's attitude and E. W. A.'s is amusing and clever. It was rather
embarrassing that E. W. A., who was by nature both courteous and
tactful, should say in a diffident way, "Oh, I like G, but I couldn't
get terribly excited about her," with G. taking the notes. I have never
known Feda to step on anyone's toes before. The "circle" she de-
scribes a little later on in this sitting may explain the occurrence.
Feda: Now, Mrs. Lyddie, you remember just the end of your last
sitting there was another gentleman came. (I would like to hear
about him.)
Well, he's come again. (Good.)
You see, he makes like a third one that comes to you. (Yes?)
Do you see, it makes the three of them. And he wants to send
his love to you, too. (Good. Give him mine.)
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Isn't it funny! It doesn't seem many womens with you, it
doesn't, not ladies, you know it is always men's spirits that comes.
But your gentleman says that is perhaps because of your work, a
good deal. (I see.)
Yes, mens is more used to work and doing important things
than ladies is, much more. Now, he says he too has tried to get
in touch with you since you were here. [Sotto voce.] I don't
think you did, but I will tell her. [To sitter.] He says that he
built it up before. But I can't remember everything he did before,
Mrs. Lyddie, do you see? But he built up a big A. [Drawing in
air.] A great big A. [See page 101.] (Do you see the letter A?)
Yes, big letter A, and I see it right at front of him. I feel it is
awful 'portant to him, do you see? (Yes?)
It isn't short. 'Tisn'tO, short name; and he says he did
build it last time. (You did, Feda.)
By the sound. (You gave the sound.)
He says he did that last time. (You did, Feda.)
He says that Feda always begin with an A, but it is the sound,
he says.1 (I understand.)
Mrs. Lyddie, can I explain something to you now? (Do.)
People's awful puzzled sometimes about how I gets things, do
you see? (Yes?)
Well, sometimes I sees a thing that I ought to hear, but I can't
hear it, so I sees it, do you see? (Yes.)
And sometimes I can only hear a thing and I can't see it at all.
Some sittings I just happen to be in what you would callpeople
on the other side call it the seeing vibration. And if I gets into it,
then it is easier to see whatever has been told me; it is easier to see
it in pictures or in symbols. But another time, if I happen to get
into a hearing vibration, do you see, then it is easier to hear. And
if they wanted to show me a picture it would be much easier for me,
that sitting, to explain it, do you see? (By hearing?)
By hearing. So when they want to give me the sound of a name
beginning with an A like that, it would be easier sometimes for
them to show me an A. (Yes?)
It might not go on that way for all of a sitting, but like a
portion. (Yes?)
But[to communicator] wait a bit, while I tell her! Some-
1 " It is by paying special attention to the mistakes and the obscurities and the
oddities of these curious trance-phenomena that the most advance, as I believe, has
been made."Richard Hodgson, in Proceedings S. P. R., XIII, 309-10.
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times a sitter suddenly says to me when I am describing a picture,
"Can you see it?" And they is awful surprised when I says,
"No," 'cause I am describing it, you see. (Yes.)
But I haven't seen it, but the spirit on the other side is telling
me what it looks like. (Do you see the spirit with you?)
Not always, Mrs. Lyddie. Sometimes I sees them very dis-
tinctly and I don't hear them; and sometimes I hears them very
distinctly and I don't see them; and sometimes I hears them a bit
and sees them a bit. (Wait a minute, Feda. Wait a bit.)
[Note-taker catching up.] (All right.)
Yes. So, you see, I can't see them all the time. I don't see
them all the time. And there is another thing that they do; what
people here don't understand. They gets outside the circle some-
times, the circle of power, do you see, so then they becomes faint
to me. You and her [pointing to the medium], the medium, you
sets up a condition, do you see? (Yes.)
That is kind ofit is like a circle. And when the spirit can get
right into that[to communicator] what do you call it? Oh, all
right. [To sitter.] Your gentleman calls it the emanation of
power that forms the circle. If they gets into it, then it is easier
to communicate with them, do you see? (Yes.)
If one gets into it, Mrs. Lyddie, and gets into it very strongly,
it is difficult for another one to get in at the same time unless the
first one, they kind of give way to them. (Yes?)
Wait. Mrs. Lyddie, when the older gentleman came, you know,
the clever one, that's when he gets into the power, he sticks in it a
bit, and then I can't get hold of yours so well, do you see? (Oh!)
It is like this stuff what you call glue. It is like what the flies
sticks on, on paper. And it kind of holds them and they is afraid
to move, you see, Mrs. Lyddie, 'cause it may disturb it and then
perhaps another spirit might not be able to get in, so they sticks,
do you see? (Yes.)
The gentleman said it didn't sound dignified, 'specially! Isn't
it a nuisance! But they can't help it, 'cause that is what it is like.
Do you know that I can see this third gentleman that comes, and
he has got sort of in, now. (He got what?)
He's got into it. (Oh, good!)
This is the dark one that I told you about last time, and he
says I did get quite a detailed description of him last time.
Note: A series of statements about " the gentleman" [my father],
follow which are too general to warrant inclusion.
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Feda: I don't know if you will remember, but I don't think he had very
good health for some while before he passed over. (I remember.)
Note: Unfortunately, this admission is in the nature of a clue.2
Feda's disarmingly casual manner in recalling facts is likely to trap
the sitter unless on guard every moment. Feda went on to describe
an occupation totally foreign to my father.
L. W. A.: (Feda, why does he come to me?)A
Feda: [Sotto voce.] Why do you come to her? That isn't any an-
swer! [To sitter.] 'Cause he wants to. (That is all right,
but )
Feda: That is all right. Mrs. Lyddie, I get a funny feeling with
him that there's someone else, somebody else that he goes to
more than he does to you, but I don't get it quite, but that he
would go to really, that he would want to go to quite as much.
I feel somebody else on the earth that he would want to go to quite
as much. But he says you gave him the opportunity to come and
he wants to come. (I understand; only I thought perhaps you
could place him exactly for me, do you see?)
Wait a bit. (I am quite sure I know who it is, but I want you
to place him exactly.)
21 do not think Mrs. Allison's admission can be criticized seriously. Not only in
the previous sitting had her father been described in detail and with approximate
accuracy, and a near approximation of his name given, but it had been distinctly
affirmed that he was well known bv the sitter, and that he knew her when she was
much younger, and he expressed his " love " for her. The very expression, " I don't
know if you will remember," signifies that she was in a position which would render
remembering likely. At this point it was not improper to admit, "I remem-
ber." W. F. P.
3 I think this query, together with "That is all right, but," was more likely to
furnish "a clue," but a misleading clue. We must remember that Feda does not
claim to speak from absolutely determined data. She has said "sometimes I sees
them [the spiritsl very distinctly and I don't hear them; and sometimes I hears
them very distinctly and I don't see them; and sometimes I hears them a bit
and sees them a bit." And sometimes "they becomes faint to me," appar-
ently meaning to both sight and hearing. Now, if this is true. Feda would naturally
have to use her own intelligence at times to interpret faint or incomplete impres-
sions. And if she does to some extent pass upon them by her own judgment, that
judgment, if her mind remains human, would be liable to influence through impres-
sions received from another quarter. Mrs. Allison's question, "Why does he come
to me? " sounds as though his coming to her was strange, although that was not her
meaning. Directly from, that impression Feda might, like any human being who
did not wish to blunder, have been caused to say that there was some one else that
he goes to more than to Mrs. Allison, purely as her own inference or guess. This
would be the human tendency from which we have no right to demand that Feda
should be exempt, unfortunate though the result may be. If, however, Feda did
draw the momentary inference that the communicator could hardly be expected to
come to this sitter, it is soon corrected, spontaneously, for she says, "He comes
because he is fond of you."W. F. P.
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Well, he doesn't come just for evidence, Mrs. Lyddie. (No?)
'Cause he is fond of you personally. It isn't like only an in-
vestigator; just only to get some evidences through. (No?)
He comes because he's fond of you, 'cause there's some tie, do
you see? "'Cause I want to speak to her." O, dear, wait a minute.
[To communicator.] Does she belong to you? [To sitter.]
'Cause, he says, you belong to him. (Well, that is what I wanted
to know.)
He belongs to you, and you belong to him. And he comes
around you now quite different to the clever gentleman, and he puts
his hand under your face here, like that, patting you under your
chin [doing so], like that way. [To communicator.] You can't
kiss her! [To sitter.] Yes, he would kiss you, Mrs. Lyddie.
(Good.)
Perhaps any nice spirit would like to kiss you, but he would
have the right to. (Yes.)
As if he knew you when you was younger, Mrs. Lyddie, but he
has a way like that, he thinks of you when you were younger. And
I think his thoughts go back to when you were younger, and that is
why he treats you more like a girl, do you see? Wait a minute.
She is a girl, she hasn't got white hair. But he's trying, he says,
to show the time, more. And what are you taking her by the hand
for? Do you want to take her for a walk? Yes, and it is as if
he wanted to take you by the hand and take you for a walk.
(I see.)
And tell stories, telling tales. Did he tell you tales? (Yes.)
'Cause he says when you come over he'll be telling you some
more tales. (Good.)
And not just imaginary tales, but about things around you.
Yes. Like he did, he says, here, not just stupid tales that never
happened, but tales suggested by what he could see around him.
Mrs. Lyddie, I am sure this gentleman was fond of a place outside
of the big town where you are now. More like a big country place,
a nicer place altogether. 'Tisn't like that, you know, New York
place. It is away from there, it is not in the wilds, though. He
doesn't mean to say it is in the wilds, he says. (No?)
But it is not that place. Mrs. Lyddie, when he was here do
you know he was very fond of,like nature. (Yes?)
And very fond of birds, trees, things like that. (Yes?)
You know, he'd got a sort ofhe's clever in his own way, and
yet he'd got what you call a very simple sort of mind, too. (Yes?)
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Notc: My father's home was in a city, small compared to New
York, and his house had a good-sized garden. He was exceedingly
fond of nature, and especially of birds and trees. Feda then went on
to speak of a person whom my father was very "closely related to,"
but with whom he was out of harmony, and added,
Feda: It wasn't your mother, Mrs. Lyddie.
Note: This last sentence rather points to the "gentleman's " iden-
tity. Feda then went on to place the person as a man, which is correct
as far as it goes. Considerable material pertaining to my father is
here omitted which is rambling and disconnected, except for the
following:
Feda: I see a letter W. (Yes? Who is that related to?)
Wait a minute. Well, he's building that up, Mrs. Lyddie.
(That's it, yes?)
He's building it up, a big W. (Yes, that's right.)
I don't know why he didn't build it up before, but he just hap-
pened to be able to do it then, do you see? (Yes.)
Note: W is the initial of my father's surname.
Feda then went on to discuss the problems of the A. S. P. R. from
an intimate standpoint which might be considered as purely telepathic,
as her remarks reflected my own opinions.4 Some of the best evidence
I have ever had from Feda it unfortunately seems wise to omit. I do
not wish to include it for reasons already mentioned. The communi-
cator in these and the following remarks was Dr. Hyslop.
Feda: What did he say? What a nuisance! Wait a minute. Who's
B, to do with that?
Note: "B," I think, refers to Dr. Weston D. Bayley, of Philadel-
phia, a friend of Dr. Hyslop's and of mine. At the time of this sitting
Dr. Bayley was a trustee of the A. S. P. R. Several of his friends,
myself included, are in the habit of addressing him as B. Dr. Bayley
writes: " Hodgson, during life, always called me B, and Hyslop wrote
me as ' Dear B.' " 5 (B?)
Feda: Now he's building up a big B. (Yes, that is interesting.)
And he says, " B was very much concerned in that." He means
on the earth. (Yes?)
B was very much mixed up in that, and on the wrong side;
4 But I am certain that they would have been the opinions also of the purported
communicator, Dr. Hyslop, so that the telepathic theory can derive no special sup-
port from the coincidence with the opinions of Mrs. Allison.W. F. P.
5 This can hardly be said to count, since Feda often gives an initial of a person
who was not addressed by it only.W. F. P.
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"do you see? Right on the wrong side." (You mean the side
that didn't win?)
He says, " All the" He says, " Don't mean "I am not go-
ing to say it. He says, "How can I put that just in words to
make it right? The weak side, the weak side," he says. (Yes?)
He says, " I called it the wrong side," he says. (I thought you
meant that.)
"I don't mean the wrong side in the sense of the wicked side,
but the weak side."
Note: " It is correct to say that B was very much mixed up in the
affair, and especially do I feel that I was 'right,' but on the wrong
side, i. e., the unpopular one." Signed, W. D. Bayley.
Feda: Isn't it funny, isn't it? It seems as if he's speaking to that lady
a bit, too. [Pointing to Miss Tubby with a sudden and dramatic
gesture.] You see, he talk to her not as if she was an ordinary
note-taker, you know. (Yes?)
Like, you know people does bring note-takers. (Yes.)
That have got nothing to do with the spirit, Mrs. Lyddie.
(Yes.)
And he's trying to explain to me that you wasn't just giving
her twopence to come and take the notes, you see, like some people
do. (I see.)
But that she is sort of linked up to the work, too, and his
work. (I see, Feda. Would he like to talk to her?)
He says, " I am talking to her." (I see.)
He says, "I have been talking at her nearly the whole time."
[Sotto voce.] But you were talking to Mrs. Lyddie! "Well,"
he says, " I was sharing it out," he says, "like the news what you
have been sharing." What a nuisance. Wait a minute. O!
[Whispered.] Mrs. Lyddie, this isn't the first time he's tried to
get in touch with her. (I see.)
No, he's been to see her. He's sort of impressed her, as if he
has sort of been around her a bit. (I see.)
But it isn't just what she has done, but it is that she's going to
do a great deal with these things that he's interested in. He
feels that.
Note: In view of the fact that Miss Tubby's presence at the sitting
was known to no one and that her only remark had been a mumbled
"Good morning" to Mrs. Leonard, the communicator's recognition of
her was rather startling. As Feda states, it was not the first time
Dr. Hyslop had purported to get in touch with her, as there were
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what claimed to be communications from him to her through many
mediums.
Feda: Now he's jumping back again to what he was speaking about,
you know. (Yes?)
Now he's speaking again about B. (Good!)
And b y (Say the letters, will you, please?)
I can't see them distinctly, yet, wait a minute. [To communi-
cator.] Show me the next what comes after. An "e"? No.
(Please, can't you do it a little better?)
After the Bwait a bit. Ba-ber-bro-ber-ber-ba-berI can't
hear that. Bary-ber-bri-bur-bir-ber-bern-bernino, I can't get
that quite yet, but he says he will try. (Well, what about it?)
Wait a minute. Ber-ber-bim. Wait a minute! He's worried
worried. Worried. He keeps on saying worried. (Yes?)
Worried. The B one is, do you see? (Yes?)
And sort of worried and uncertain and can't see. Can't see
ahead. Very worried. I get awful undecided feelings with the B
one, do you see? (I see.)
Very, very undecided. Like someone that if I could just look
ahead and see what I could do, it wouldn't be so bad. But I get a
kind of helpless feeling like that[leaning back, hands dropped
loosely in lap]a helpless and a worried feeling. Callingwhat
about devils and deep seas, do you see? (Yes?)
Mosthe says, "This has been a very difficult position for
B." (Yes?)
"Very difficult," he says, " difficult and delicate," he says, " an
impossible position." Wait a minute! There was a good deal
pushed onto B, too, there was a good deal pushed onto B. A good
dealyou know, like nastiness. (Yes?)
Like being piled onto B. Very hard luck, the gentleman says,
"very hard luck."
Note: "As a member of the Board of Trustees, I was very much
dissatisfied with certain policies of the President, felt helpless about
the matter, and contemplated resigning from the Board, which I did
later." Signed, W. D. Bayley.
Feda: "Now it was fortunate for B that it never rains but it pours,
'cause troubles come also from another direction." He's not sure
if you know of that, Mrs. Lyddie, but there has been a sort of
sort of second lot of trouble, do you see? (Yes?)
On B. So that it is as if B is getting it all around, like that
way. The second trouble isn't connected with the other one at all
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with the first. He says, " I only mention that because I have been
following B up, trying to help."
Note: What Feda describes as the second lot of trouble, and of
which I knew nothing at the time of the sitting, was explained to me
the following October by Mrs. Bayley and exactly bore out Feda's
remarks. Dr. Bayley writes: "This may refer to existing business
problems which had been out of the ordinary at the time of the sit-
ting." Signed, W. D. Bayley.
Feda: And he says, "Tables may be turned." That what he feel.
Wait a minute! Bhe say he felt as if B had got another plan, a
little while ago, and he didn't want B to carry it through. He
thought it would be a pity. He thought it would be a great pity
if B was pushed into a different course. He doesn't think there is
a danger of that now, but he thinks after he will understandin
talking it out and thinking it out, you will understand why he says
that. (I see. I will ask him about it.)
Yes. But he says he was almost pushed into a line of action
that would be a pity a little later on if he had done it. (I see.)
He felt inclined to and then he felt impressed about it. And
he says, " We impressed him." (I see.)
"We impressed him." Of course, you know, B has been kicking
himself a little bit about this. You know, a bit annoyed with him-
self, a bit, over something, as ifhe wouldn't undo. He doesn't
think he was in the wrong, do you see?
Note: " Not understood unless it relates to my contemplated resig-
nation. I had no other plan in mind." Signed, W. D. Bayley.
Note by W. F. P.: It would be very congruous for Dr. Hyslop to
refer to Dr. Bayley, and especially in connection with the matters re-
ferred to, since they had been friends for many years and Dr. Hyslop
would certainly have sympathized with Dr. Bayley's trying position.
It was also most congruous to break off and connect the note-taker
with the matter, since he was in sympathetic official relations with her
at the time. The final remarks purporting to be from Dr. Hyslop
could, I think, be shown to be quite applicable, but I must refrain from
explaining, for no reason to which Dr. Bayley would take exception.
It is difficult to summarize this sitting according to the method I
have hitherto employed. The impressiveness of those parts, particu-
larly, which relate to Miss Tubby, Dr. Bayley and the A. S. P. R.
depend largely on the cumulative effort of many allusions, and the par-
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115
ticular tone of expressions employed. This impressiveness is consider-
able with anyone minutely acquainted with a certain set of facts, and
can hardly be conveyed to another, especially as reticence must be
observed in the notes on several passages. Even at that, the most
evidential matter is omitted entirely.
I. A. S. P. R. Affairs
Relating to the Sitter: something had been worrying her, which
caused her to defend some one, E. W. A. showed a curious fitness in his
remarks advising the sitter not to go too far in that directionfitness
to the characteristics of E. W. A. and to the peculiarities of the
actual situation (it would not be difficult to locate the " complication"
soon to come) ; the reason or occasion of the sitter's defense is cor-
rectly indicated (see under " Relating to Miss Tubby ") ; the kind of
interest that Dr. Hyslop would take in the matter is aptly distin-
guished from the kind of interest that E. W. A. would take.
Relating to Miss Tubby
"Unfair attack" on "G," from what he would call two or three
sources, though one person appeared to be the active party in it (in my
judgment all this is correct, including the " unfair," and meaning by it
the irode and degree of "attack "); "a complication arising now,
something fresh" (there was a complication then threatening, which
may well be the one meant. The " person " seemingly referred to had
begun to talk of requiring me to pass upon a mass of manuscript ma-
terial of interest to Miss Tubby in a certain way. This task, which
for a long time I had tried to avoid, was imposed upon me by authority
on October 9, occupied several weeks and resulted in an unfavorable
judgment. All these matters were interwoven). "He's writing the
Gertrude name." [Later, after " Dr. Hyslop" had told how "B "
interpreted to mean Dr. Bayleywas "mixed up" with some affair,
on "the weak side," Feda pointed at Miss Tubby.] "It seems as if
he's speaking to that lady a bit, too . . . she is sort of linked up with
the work, too, and his work." . . . He says, "I have been talking at
her nearly the whole time . . . this isn't the first time he's tried to get
in touch with her . . . he's sort of impressed her, as if he has sort of
been around her a bit" (she was indeed linked up with the Bayley
matter, and with Hyslop in his lifetime, also there had been consider-
able appearance of his trying to get in touch with her).
Relating to Dr. Bayley
The identification by " B " by, and by the attempts at the name
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including one so auditorily similar as "Bary " would be quite insuffi-
cient, but taken together with the various observations about this per-
son (only a part of the significant ones follow, since the significance of
some of them cannot be here stated), is fairly certain; "B was very
much concerned in that" (apparent A. S. P. R. matters omitted from
the record), "right on the wrong side"meaning "the weak side"
(this would have been Dr. Hyslop's opinion), "devil and deep sea
difficult and delicate, an impossible situation ... a good deal pushed
onto B . . . a second trouble not connected with the first," etc.
II. The Father of the Sitter
Referring to the person described at the end of the last sitting,
Feda sees a big A again, but again explains that this is the sound.
But she incorrectly says the name is not a short one (correct if the
whole name were meant; the last name had twelve letters). The fact
that he had poor health for some time before passing is repeated, less
definitely than before. He comes to the sitter because he " wants to,"
says Feda, and then, after a little seeming vacillation, perhaps caused
by doubts raised by the sitter's inquiries, "'cause he's fond of you
personally . . . 'cause there's some tie ... he belongs to you and
you to him [indicative of very near relationship, certainly] . . . pat-
ting you under your chin ... he would kiss you ... he thinks of
you when you were younger . . . and that is why he treats you more
like a girl." Then came bits about taking the sitter by the hand for a
walk, telling her stories (which she acknowledges as correct. These
expressions in their totality are strongly suggestive of a parent or at
least of a person in loco parentis). Further identification is found in
locating him in a place unlike London or New York, yet "more like a
big country place," but not in the wilds, and in saying that he was very
fond of birds, trees, and nature generallyall true. Referring to
someone he was "closely related to," but who "wasn't your mother,"
is a strong hint of his identity, and the "building up " by him of " a
big W " is still another, as Mrs. Allison's father's surname began with
that letter.
Omitted
Some statements about the person supposed to represent Mrs.
Allison's father, too general to count; a statement about the father's
occupation, quite incorrect, some rambling and disconnected state-
ments about the father, various statements, of a generally evidential
character, apparently relating to the internal affairs of the A. S. P. R.
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XIV
The sitting began in the usual manner, with one interruption, when
Mrs. Leonard was aroused by a disturbing noise in another part of
the house. She excused herself to ask the servant to be quiet, explain-
ing to me that Feda had grumbled about noise the previous day. Feda
is very sensitive about noise of any kind. On one occasion before the
sitting began Mrs. Leonard put a small clock under a pillow so that
its ticking might not be heard.
The first part of the sitting was very uninteresting; its general
trend was along the line of advice about psychic development. I could
see it was leading nowhere. I have noticed that it seems to be charac-
teristic of many mediums to first tell the sitter he possesses psychic
power and then enlarge on its development. I became impatient, and
interrupted with a question. Feda is invariably affable and obliging
if approached in a tactful manner.
L. W. A.: Feda, will you do something for me?
Feda [animatedly clapping hands]: Yes. Yes. (Some time will you
let him [E. W. A.] control directly?)
Yes, Yes, Mrs. Lyddie, I will. (I don't mean today, or even
this summer, but some time when you feel just like it.)
It won't be when Feda feels like it, but when he can get in.
(You won't forget, Feda?)
He may not tell you he's going to do it. It takes long time,
takes more powerlike cutting materials for a dressthe more
you do it, the better. He'll wait his chance and slip through.
[Pause.] Was he interested, when on earth, in people and places
in England, more as if I'm going north of England. He's met
people on other side connected with those conditions. He doesn't
mean just one person, but like several people connected with those
conditions, that he would meet when he passed over. I feel people
very much linked up with him, people in a way associated with
him. Some of them lived in England, but towards the north more.
Some went to live in a place away from England, but not America.
The place they went to not in direction of America, but south-
wards. I get southern and hot. I feel someone to do with his
family. But one he is speaking of has passed over. One has
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passed, and one still on earth. He says you couldn't think of it,
you will later.
L. W. A.: I can place them, Feda.
Note: E. W. A. was more English in feeling, more sympathetic to
English customs and traditions, than any other American I have
known. His family had been in America for two generations only.
Assuming survival, he might well have met "people very much linked
up with him," as there were many deceased English relatives. Some of
his relatives lived in London, others "toward the north more," in
Manchester, and still others "north of England," in another sense,
that is, in Edinburgh. The "some one to do with his family" who
went to live "away from England" southwards, where it gets hot,
might be certain relatives who have a home in London, but also a
winter home in Cannes, in the south of France.
"One he is speaking of has passed over, one has passed, one still
on earth," might indicate Mr. Duncan McLaren, of Edinburgh, who
had passed over, and his wife, who survives. We had visited them many
years previous to the date of the sitting. The occasion had been a
memorable one, and was recalled with pleasure by E. W. A.
The material given in the next half hour of the sitting was vague
and wandering, with some definite and correct allusions to what Feda
herself had given a friend of mine in a recent sitting.
On fhe morning of this seance, while preparing to go, I was feeling
very discouraged over the prospect of getting anything evidential, as
I had now known Mrs. Leonard for three summers, and we had occa-
sionally corresponded. I have, however, always been careful to give
her no information concerning myself, nor have I ever mentioned my
communicators to her. Since we have several mutual acquaintances,
it would be impossible to judge just what she may or may not have
heard about me. It was for this reason that I especially desired some
evidence that I myself could recognize to be beyond her normal
knowledge.
Feda: Will you remember that he has a strong impression that you
are going somewhere, you will be compelled to look at a statue and,
he says, I feel as if this statue in itself will not be so important,
but in looking at it you will see quite close something that will
remind you of our lives together. I do not think he's awful inter-
ested in the statue. It is something round it, close to it, that is
interesting, that will remind you of a condition in your life. He
doesn't want you to go looking about for statues. He says he
feels you'll just go somewhere without expecting to and find out
what he means. My difficulty is that when he tells you, I've also
got to help you to avoid looking for it.
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Note: On the afternoon of the same day, Mr. Frederick Bligh
Bond was coming to tea with me at a club. After tea, as we were leav-
ing, I offered to drop him at his station on the way to my hotel. The
driver turned into Hyde Park. Presently Mr. Bond mentioned a new
piece of sculpture in the park which he would like very much to see,
and which had attracted widespread attention. It was Epstein's
"Rima," a memorial to Hudson. The press had been full of excited
comments, but I had arrived in London only two days previously and
had not happened to hear of it. Mrs. Leonard had doubtless heard of
the statue, but in what manner it could interest my communicator she
could not possibly have known. I suggested 1 to Mr. Bond that we see
the statue, Feda's remark being in my mind, and my interest keen. I
said nothing of Feda's prediction to Mr. Bond. We made the neces-
sary detour, during which Mr. Bond described the statue, saying it
was symbolical of " birds in the Park." That phrase immediately re-
called a time in Paris when E. VV. A. and I went almost daily to watch
the famous bird man in the Champs Elysees, arranging other engage-
ments to make our visit possible. A bird sanctuary in Hyde Park
adjoins the Epstein statue and Feda had said, " it was not the statue
but something close to it," that would remind me of our lives together.
However, I am not at all certain that I should have been so forcefully
struck with the association by the statue and its surroundings as I
was by Mr. Bond's phrase, "birds in the Park." I mention this be-
cause a friend asked me whether my mind leaped to the association at
once, as it did, or whether I had to search my memories for it.
Arrived at the statue, we found that "Rima" was surrounded by
birds carved in the stone, as well as by live birds splashing in the bird-
bath which is a part of the setting of the statue. I could hardly have
failed, in any case, to place the association, but Mr. Bond's remark
en route had positively electrified me.
I append Mr. Bond's note:
"On the 6th June, I met Mrs. Allison at the club and she subse-
quently drove me back in the direction of her hotel, this being on my
way to a Metropolitan station. We entered Hyde Park and the
thought struck me, this would be a good opportunity to see Epstein's
sculpture (about which there was a hot newspaper controversy). Ac-
cordingly, I suggested to Mrs. Allison that we should make a slight
detour, in order to inspect this work, and she agreed, asking me to tell
her something about it. I explained that there was a mythical female
1 Mrs. Allison says that she suggested that the cab should drive around to the
statue, while Mr. Bond says that he suggested it. Apparently both are right, the
gentleman taking the initiative. She writes: "Mr. Bond made the initial sugges-
tion by mentioning that the statue, in which he was much interested, was only a
little out of our way. Whereupon I agreed, and said, 'Let us drive around.' "
W. F. P.
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divinity, 'Rima,' who, I believed, was supposed to be the genius of
birds in the park, or bird-life in the park, and that the sculpture was
a memorial to Hudson, who was a lover or student of bird life.
[Signed] Frederick Bligh Bond. June 21st, 1925."
Feda: He also had a feeling you were going to be shown some rather
curious pictures. I see one picture particularly, which I do not
think you will like, yet I suppose it is very clever, and he says, "I
see some very peculiar lines in it, very distinct and exaggerated
lines." You know, in most pictures the artist tries to disguise the
outlines. Well, this one, the outline seems to be brought into ex-
traordinary prominence in a very curious, not altogether pleasing
way. [To communicator:] I don't think she ought to see this. It
is a lady without any clothes on. [To sitter:] He says other peo-
ple look, and I look at it as a test. He knows you will notice this
peculiar drawing. You are going very soon. It's only a matter of
days. It's supposed to be very beautiful. I believe it's symbolical.
I do not think there ought to be a picture of a lady with no clothes.
I would rather have them in a pink dress or blue and gold ones. I
do not think no clothes are interesting, because you could have
trimmings and things.
Note: An invitation to the opening of the Ridley Art Club Exhibi-
tion was in my purse, lying about six feet from the medium, with my
other things, but the purse had not been opened since my arrival. The
date of the opening was that of the sitting. A luncheon and tea
engagement to follow this sitting might have led me to forego the
Ridley Club opening, had it not been for this remark of Feda's. The
exhibition was to continue for a week. I had only about half an hour
between engagements, to see the exhibit. On entering the gallery, I
saw a friend, Mrs. de Crespigny, walked over and greeted her, and
explained I was looking for a picture which Feda had described, briefly
recounting the description. Mrs. de Crespigny, indicating a picture
facing us across the room, said, "There it is!" Mrs. de Crespigny,
herself an artist and an exhibitor on this occasion, gave me the fol-
lowing note:
"On June 6th, Mrs. Allison came to the Suffolk Street Galleries
where the Ridley Art Club had an exhibition of pictures. I did not
expect to see her. I recognized the picture described by Feda as the
only drawing of a female nude figure on the walls. It was of Adam and
Eve, with pronounced outlines, more like a drawing than a painting.
[Signed] Rose Ch: de Crespigny."
There were over two hundred paintings in the collection, and only
this one nude, symbolical, and not altogether pleasing, as it represents
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the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden.
The fact that correspondent incidents occurred so soon after the
predictions seems a strong feature. If I had gone on a week or more
looking for statues and pictures, I certainly could have found cor-
respondences and reminders. It is fortunate also that my seeing the
statue was brought about by a cause not initiated by myself, and that
I already had the ticket to the exhibition in my purse. The finding a
nude was rather to be expectedit is almost a coincidence that there
was only one in two hundred pictures. The pronounced lines in the
picture, however, give some weight to this correspondence.
Correct
E. W. A. interested in people and places in England, and north of
England; there are deceased persons very much linked up with him,
some of them had lived in England, but to the north more; some one
to do with his family went to live away from England, southwards,
where it gets hot.
Prediction 1: That sitter is going to some place where she will be
compelled to look at a statue, and quite close to it will be something to
remind her of her life with the communicator. (That afternoon she
was driving and another person mentioned a statue near at hand, which
he wished to see. Thus she was prompted to make the detour to see the
statue. A bird sanctuary was found to adjoin the statue, birds were
splashing in the bird bath which is a part of the setting of the statue,
and birds are carved in the stone. These, as well as the previous re-
marks to her about Rima, powerfully reminded Mrs. Allison of the
many times she and E. W. A. went to watch the bird man in Paris.)
Prediction 2: That sitter would very soonnot a matter of days
see a nude symbolical female figure in a picture, peculiar in that it
would have extraordinarily prominent outlines. (Such a picture found
in the exhibition to which the sitter had an invitation with her but
concealed from the medium. As Mrs. Allison says, this coincidence has
some weight, not great weight.)
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XV
Feda: They are both here, your own gentleman and the test gentleman.
Sent their love. They has been very naughty. They laughed
awful much at what "Edward" [pseudonym] said. They said
they never enjoyed themselves more. They were so amused. I
couldn't see he was funny. I didn't think it was so awful funny.
They said a lot underlying, that Feda didn't grasp, and the test
gentleman says he won't be able to make evidence for it. Ain't it a
nuisance? He didn't think you would be able to. He didn't think
it would be appreciated. It does seem to amuse him awful much.
He thinks it was just as well to give it, because if it was true why
not give it?
Note: On June 8 I had invited Mrs. George A. Sagendorph, of
Boston, as a spectator, to my sitting with Mrs. Leonard. Both of us
were hoping for cross references to Mrs. Sagendorph's recent sittings
with Mrs. Piper and Mrs. Soule. Feda's remarks turned out to be
addressed entirely to the visitor. Through a purported communicator,
"Edward," evidence of an exceedingly personal nature was given,
which greatly amazed and amused us and would no doubt have also
amused the two communicators, who were said to be standing by,
assisting Edward. See " A Vision and Its Sequel," by Jane H. Sagen-
dorph, Bulletin IV, Boston Society for Psychic Research.
Feda: Mrs. Lyddie, ought you to have been thinking of your gentle-
man, because I feel as if it is rather an important time, bringing
you to memory of him. He is rather glad your sitting happened
this time, because it helps you over what might make you look back
and feel a bit sad. Not a bit sad, but very sad. So, he says, he
feels he always likes you to have it just now.
Note: This sitting took place on my wedding anniversary, June 14.
The date was not at my request, but had been assigned to me along
with others.
Feda : As a matter of fact, two different conditions you could be think-
ing about, just now, that are connected with him. It is like two
memories, two different times that happen to come the same time
of the year.
Note: E. W. A.'s passing occurred on June 6.
Feda: But they didn't appear in the same year. But the anniversaries
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123
falling due just now, I feel one happier than the other. I feel one
happy and one a sad one. It always seems rather curious to him
they should happen together like that. Does one of the anniver-
saries remind you of a time when you were away from home, in a
different place, for I feel as if you had been arranging to remove.
Going back a long time. In addition, I feel just about same time,
but some years ago, you would be away from home in a rather
uncomfortable condition in which you would be sort of wanting to
make plans to move, to change. Your gentleman said you won't
remember in a moment, but he would like you to think afterward.
He thinks it will come back quite distinctly. It's a third thing you
were feeling" 0," I must get out of this place!" The exact time
would be a little bit after one of the anniversaries. He wants you
to remember about it. I do not think he was with you. It was
after he passed over. I feel he was trying very much to help you.
You have forgotten now, but I know you will remember.
Note: This is an example of Feda's ambiguous statements which
frequently precede or follow evidential material. There are some cor-
respondences. "O, I must get out of this place," and " uncomfortable
condition," exactly describe my feelings a short time after one of the
anniversaries ten years before this sitting. "Wanting to move,"
"making plans to move, to change," had occupied my thoughts to the
exclusion of almost all other ideas, but E. W. A. was with me and in a
similar state of perturbation. The reason for the disturbance was
that after we had moved to the South to live indefinitely, we unfortu-
nately found that the region we had chosen was infested with snakes
and alligators. While these statements of Feda's recall a particular
experience to me, they seem much too vague to point definitely to what
I have associated with them.1
1 Although, theoretically, Feda may have made a mistake in saying that the
incident happened after E. W. A.'s decease, and her other remarks, though, as Mrs.
Allison rightly says, they are " much too vague," may have referred to the uncom-
fortable Southern sojourn, yet we must rate them as wrong from the evidential
standpoint, since it is positively declared that " it was after he passed over."
The correct references to anniversaries will be discussed in the Concluding
Remarks.
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XVI
FROM A SITTING WITH MRS. LEONARD, JULY 23, 1925
Feda: When he [Dr. Hyslop] was on the earth, sometimes when he was
talking he would seem to be such a simple, ordinary man; and then
the other times, when he got something to say specially, he would
speak very cleverly, with lots of very long words.
Note by W. F. P.: This is correct, according to my own recollec-
tion, and the more valuable testimony of the son, Dr. G. H. Hyslop.
If he were talking about philosophy, for instance, he would employ
many long and technical terms, but his discourse on ordinary subjects
was in simple language.
Feda: But sometimes when you saw him you would hardly realize what,
a clever man he was. He would sit in a room and talk so-so about
quite ordinary things, lots of people noticed how simple he washe
would just talk about ordinary things in such a simple way. Your
gentleman says that is right, he does that now. Can you find
someone to tell you if he had a habit of stroking the side of his
head, not top? He got rather a habit of having his hand up, side
of his face and head, stroking it. Lots of people scratches top of
their heads. That isn't what he would do.
Note by W. F. P.: Dr. G. H. Hyslop says that his father's habit of
speech was as described, and that he often stroked or scratched the side
or back of his head, rather than the top.
Feda: Do you know what I mean about wearing old-fashioned collars?
(No.) He would like you to ask somebody. Did he wear old-
fashioned collars? He did. He laughs. He wore rather old-
fashioned collars and ties.
Note by W. F. P.: This is correct, according to his son, Dr. G.
H. Hyslop.
Feda: Do you know, he's trying to show me the front of his boots,
showing me special shoes,toes, he wants me to notice. Most
people wears toe-caps, piece of leather with stitches; he shows me
peculiar fronts of shoes. They have got no stitching, like a plain
piece of leather. He says sometimes he was troubled with his feets
and legs, and he thinks a bit later on you can verify these details.
Note by W. F. P.: Dr. G. H. Hyslop remembers no trouble with
his father's feet or legs, and no such shoes used by him.
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Feda: Mrs. Lyddie, he always likes to give some little things perhaps
you do not know. You won't think of this now, but in a room he
was in an awful lot, used to work in, he's showing me something in
the room. It's rather square or perhaps oblong shape, and it's full
of holes like a honeycomb, full of holes. It's something he used and
had there particularly for his own use. He wishes to put things
into the holes, but he wouldn't use all of them. There was quite a
number of them.
Note by W. F. P.: On Dr. Hyslop's desk there was an oblong
cabinet "full of holes like a honeycomb," in exactly the sense that a
honeycomb is full of holes capped over. In each hole was a light carton
of stiff paper. There were perhaps thirty of these, five inches square
at the end and some ten inches long, as nearly as I remember. They
were for his own use only. When examined after his death, some of
the compartments were found empty. I myself helped in the examina-
tion of the contents.
Feda: Mrs. Lyddie, did you try to get a message from him in some
kind of writing, a little while ago? (Yes.) I do not think he
thought it was very successful. What you were trying to get,
what was a lot of writing, but just in order to get a sort of proof
that he was there. He doesn't mean when you were in America, but
in London. (Do you remember he gave me something here that he
was going to give elsewhere?)
Try and repeat a word. That's what I tried, but didn't get it.
It was difficult, but perhaps I can do it some other time. He says
he likes the conditions. He says there's a good deal of power there.
Note: Mrs. Dowden had tried unsuccessfully to give me cross-
references at a sitting several weeks previously.
Feda: He says it wasn't a sort of Feda sitting. That was what he
wants to make clear. Would you remember he tried to get some-
thing through about Feda? (I do not remember.)
He asked a guide to get it. There was a guide to give it.
(Does he remember anything else about that sitting?)
I was there. He thinks that is right. An old man was there.
He means spirit man.
Note: Mrs. Dowden's guide is Johannes, a patriarch.
Feda: He did it in two operations, as if he had two tries. And he says
he doesn't mean two separate times. He suggested an alteration in
the sitting, altering the modus operandi a little, as if the sitting
started one way, and then did it a bit different.
Note: Characteristic of my sittings with Mrs. Dowden.
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Feda: Did he want you to put your hand on something? Because he's
going over and lifting your hand. Was very quick in parts, very
quick, going like this, and then feeling a bit slow as well. Waiting
a bit. Mrs. Lyddie, were there two other people there beside you?
He felt two others. He was there as well.
Note: There were two others. Description in general applies to
Mrs. Dowden's method, pencil and ouija board.
L. W. A.: Yes. Does he remember anything about that? Anything
that was said?
Note: Here Feda incorrectly declared that F. W. H. Myers had
communicated.
Feda: Were you looking at some pictures particularly at that place?
He nods his head. Some picture that interested you. It was the
picture of a place. I said it is easier for him to think of things
not in your mind than things that are. He notices before and at
sittings to speak of things your mind is not thinking about. But
all the same, you will remember about the picture after. And also
someone's illness was discussed. Mrs. Lyddie, something about it
made him think more like a flat. Something about it he felt more
like it than an ordinary house. It may have been a house, but
something made him think more of it like a flat. I can tell it isn't
quite what he wants to say. Something he wants to say about a
flat. Sometimes when I say a thing I knows it is quite right. But
it is something connected with a flat and with the sittings where he
tried to write. Do you know there was a possibility of that medium
being in America? (No.)
Note: The general description points to Mrs. Dowden, with whom
I had on a number of occasions discussed her coming to America, but
knew of no definite plan. The allusion to "illness" I do not recall.
"Pictures, particularly at that place," might possibly indicate the
paintings by Mrs. Dowden's daughter, which I have not seen, but
often wished to and have discussed with Mrs. Dowden.
Feda: He says there was, and that is where he thinks he might link up
again. Can you remember if about the time you went there before,
if you ought to have been just about that same time where you
hoped to carry out an experiment. But there was some disappoint-
ment. Just about the same time you were disappointed about
another place, going to one instead of other, and as if you hoped
this one would turn out good. It wasn't an evidential sitting, but
he do think he might do very well. I did feel awful strong pull
toward where you were.
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Note: My last sitting with Mrs. Dowden fell late on the afternoon
of the only day on which I could get a sitting I very much wanted with
Mrs. Elliott. Unfortunately, I had already asked Mrs. Dowden to
change my appointment to this particular day, a request I rarely
make. Naturally, I did not want to make another change, so attended
both sittings, one at two o'clock and the other at four. There was
barely time to make the connection. Both sittings were disappointing.
Regarding Dr. Hyslop
Correct: Sometimes he would talk in a very simple ordinary way,
and sometimes "cleverly," with many long words; had a habit of
stroking the side of his head [and back]; wore old-fashioned collars
and ties; had in a room he used to work in something . . . perhaps
oblong, full of holes like a honeycombsomething he had for his own
use; he wouldn't use all of them [he didn't, at least].
Wrong: He wore shoes without toe-caps; had trouble with his feet
and legs.
Remark: If the correct particulars about modes of speech, stroking
the side of his head and use of old-fashioned collars and ties came from
information normally acquired, why did the medium's " secondary per-
sonality " go outside of such sources and affirm two particulars which
were risky, and in fact untrue? It is absurdly unlikely that Mrs.
Leonard had ever been told about the "honeycomb" cabinet. This
may be regarded as correct by chance, but it was a hazardous guess.
Apart from a desk, which, since its variously shaped drawers and
pigeon-holes hardly merit the comparison " like a honeycomb," my own
office has never contained an article which could be described as in the
text. And I am certain that the majority of offices have not.
Regarding a Sitting of Mrs. Allison with Some Other Medium
Correct: That a little while ago there had been unsuccessful at-
tempts to give cross-references; that the sitting was different from
those with Feda; that the guide was an old man; that there were two
methods of "writing" [Mrs. Dowden1 was accustomed to use pencil
and ouija-board] ; that sitter was asked to put her hand on something
[characteristic occasional request at that place] ; that there were two
others present; that it was at a flat; that there was a possibility of
that medium's going to America [partial plans had been made, as I
personally know.W. F. P.]; that about the same time sitter was
1 The name by which Mrs. Travers-Smith was later, and still is, known.
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"disappointed about another place, going to one instead of the
other "; that the sitting was unevidential.
Wrong: That Myers communicated, that sitter was looking at
some pictures particularly at the other medium's [but suggestive of
the fact that sitter was interested in paintings by Mrs. Dowden's
daughter, and had talked about them with Mrs. Dowden].
Doubtful: Mrs. Allison does not remember that any one's illness
had been discussed. But several weeks had elapsed.
XVII
TELEPATHY, SPIRITS OR CHANCE?
Students of the Feda phenomena are well aware of her extraordi-
nary faculty for acquiring knowledge of contemporary events concern-
ing sitters. My personal experience has been that Feda seems to
sense emotional stress, particularly annoyance. The explanation
might be deferred telepathy.
From a Sitting with Mrs. Osborne Leonard, June 14, 1925
Feda: Wait a minute. I do not know, Mrs. Lyddie, have you got a
frock that you'd been worrying about here [feeling around front of
neck]? Did you want something for the neck of a frock? You
must have been just thinking about it little while ago, got feeling
round neck, and I also saw something [pantomime of pulling dress
down at hips]. You'll be putting it on again and saying, "It's
wrong around here, in hips."
Note: The previous year I had purchased a dress [often called a
"frock " in England] in Paris. The neck line was very unsatisfactory
and worried me. I was taking it back to be altered. Two nights
before this sitting, wishing very much to wear the dress in London, I
had made a special effort to adjust the neck with all the odd bits of
ruching, maline, lace, etc., I could find in my luggage, but had only
succeeded in making it look worse. There was nothing wrong with the
hip-line. It may be well to add that the dress had never been worn
at a sitting.
Feda: What's she been wanting fruit for? Have you been thinking of
fruit? Something specially to do with fruit that you were want-
ing. Your gentleman and the test gentleman are always practising
tilings with you, to see whether they can get your thoughts right.
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129
It is not for what they are doing now. They are practising for
what they will do later on. We are preparing for much more im-
portant work on a scientific line.
Note: I had intended for about a week to buy some fruit to have in
my room, but as my intention was not carried out, the matter had
naturally recurred to me frequently.
From a Sitting on June 24, 1925
Feda: Mrs. Lyddie, this is only a silly thing: were you wanting to buy
something that you couldn't get? You keep saying, "I'll have to
get." You made a mental note: something for yourself to use.
(I do not remember.)
Not hat or clothing. More like something you could use. Not
something you would put on, like a pair of shoes or gloves. Some-
thing you would use, like soap, [hesitating], butnotsoap. You
would be annoyed if you haven't got it. You'll have to wait till you
think of it again, and then it will get to your mind.
Note: I have a decided preference for one kind of soap, and when
I travel, carry a generous supply. For several days before the sitting
I had been hoarding the remnant of my last cake, trying to remember
each day to purchase more. Feda's impression of soap was therefore
correct, and at the time I thought it a good hit, even though she con-
tradicted herself. Some months later a friend of mine showed me a
Feda record of a sitting that occurred a few weeks previous to my
own. In this sitting Feda told the sitter that she had been in need of
several articles recently, among them soap. The annotation substan-
tiated Feda's statement, but it seemed to me to apply only in so far
as the control's realizing that any traveler would be more or less
likely to run out of soap. In my own case, had Feda been more em-
phatically positive about my need of soap, it would have been an excel-
lent instance of supernormally acquired knowledge. There is, however,
no way of determining to how many other sitters Feda may have men-
tioned soap. On the other hand, Feda may seldom have spoken of soap
before. It is nothing short of a catastrophe that a complete record
of all sittings with a medium of Mrs. Leonard's genius cannot be filed
in a single place. It is not too hazardous a conjecture that more
valuable material is lost than is conscientiously recorded.
Feda: Your gentleman says, " Did you feel him near you last night?"
And impress you that he was there? Can you remember last
night? Did you alter the time rather late in the evening? You
thought of the time very particularly, more than usual, only as if
you were thinking a little bit out of the ordinary. It isn't quite as
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he explained, but that you did think of the time in a rather par-
ticular way.
Note: On the evening before the sitting I had guests. They left
about eleven o'clock, and I went to a friend's room and chatted until
midnight. This is entirely contrary to my custom, when I have an
early appointment the following day. I mentioned this to my friend,
and was rather anxious about the time. I am so afraid of being late
at a sitting that I habitually set my watch ahead a half hour or more
when one is to occur the next day. As the Feda sittings were of su-
preme importance to me, I have always been very careful to allow
plenty of time. I could not, however, recall the specific moment when
I had set my watch ahead, but it must have been well after midnight.
Feda: What wants cleaning? He got impression you wanted to make
something clean, late in the evening, something you noticed. It
was something a bit out of usual, but it was because you did notice
it that made him notice.
Note: I could not place this reference.
Feda: Have you been saying something about your pillow not being
right? (No, I have not.) [It did not occur to me that Feda
might mean that I had been saying this to myself, as indicated in
the following, " Oh, that's uncomfortable."]
I think it must be a pillow, something to do with your head, and
he felt as if you had not been comfortable. Wriggling your head.
"Oh, that's uncomfortable." He thought it must be your pillow.
Do you not have your head too high on your pillow? Felt your
head uncomfortably. He noticed several times as if you keep your
head too high on the pillow, or slipped down.
Note: My pillow was much harder in the bed I had been occupying
for some weeks than the kind to which I am accustomed. It also
seemed flatter and had needed considerable adjustment each night,
before I dropped off to sleep. Every day I had intended to mention
my discomfort to the housekeeper.
From a Sitting on June 17, 1926
Feda: And can you remember if yesterday did you want some buttons?
Within the last twenty-four hours? (Yes.)
He got a feeling of buttons, didn't see that, only got it from
your mind. Can you remember at the same time you thought of
the buttons whether you thought of something " I won't have time
to see to"? Try and think of that after. Like a sort of hurried
freling, about something. He got that very strongly. Very near
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131
that same time you had been thinking about writing. There is
three things in a way very close together, writing, buttons, not
having time. They didn't see you writing, it was only your mind.
Note: The morning of the previous day had been disturbed by
several complications which delayed me in my preparations for a
luncheon engagement of considerable importance to me. I was dressing
very hurriedly and was mentally in a ferment, as I had failed to send
some pressing business letters by the fast mail to New York, which had
just been closed. While I was dressing, deploring my unwritten letters
and nervous because I would be late for luncheon, I discovered that two
buttons were missing on my dress, a loss which irritated me to the
point of exasperation. Feda was therefore absolutely correct in con-
necting buttons, writing, and not having time.
Feda: Oh, dear, don't laugh. Your own gentleman is seeing such a
silly thing. Have you been thinking about badly cooked chicken?
It didn't make him laugh exactly, because he agreed with you.
Sometimes he says he just feels your thoughts, all sorts of little
things that do not matter. But he pays particular attention to
them, to enlarge my vision on the earth. I do not mean sight,
because sight and vision are rather different. But he says these
silly things that he gets from your mind are sometimes useful to
us, it is all practice, it's learning to strike the right notes.
Note: Three evenings before this sitting I was dining with some
friends. It was late and I was very hungry. The waiter brought me
some broiled chicken which was quite underdone. As I was debating
whether I could negotiate it, one of my friends answered my inquiring
look with a positive, " Why, you can't eat thatit's almost raw!" In
this instance also, my emotion was one of extreme annoyance.
BRIEFS OF A PARTICULAR CLASS OF STATEMENTS
These instances differ from those of June 6, 1925, in dealing with
the late past instead of the early future.
1. Statement that Mrs. Allison had lately been worrying about
the neck of a frock, wanting something for it, feeling about the
neck. Correct.
Also that frock was wrong about the hips. Incorrect particular.
2. Statement that sitter has been thinking and wanting some-
thing specially to do with fruit. Correct.
3. Statement that sitter had been wanting to buy something, and
has kept saying, "I'll have to get"; something to use "like soap,
butnotsoap." Incorrect in denial that it was soap, correct in say-
ing " like soap " and in the hesitation of the denial.
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4. Statement that sitter thought of the time very particularly
and altered it, rather late on the previous night. Correct.
5. Statement that the sitter, late in the evening, noticed some-
thing she wanted to make clean. Incorrect if not forgotten.
6. Statement that sitter had been saying something about her
pillow not being right. Correct if we allow that the " saying" on the
part of the sitter might have been to herself.
7. Statement that within twenty-four hours sitter wanted some
buttons, and at the same time had been hurried and thought, " I won't
have time to see to," and very near that time had been thinking of
writing. Correct of all particulars in conjunction.
8. Statement that sitter has been thinking about badly cooked
chicken. Correct.
These instances run from likely, in the case of " fruit " and " soap,"
to the unlikely combination of buttons, writing, and not having time.
But while wanting fruit and wanting soap, in themselves, were likely
enough, it appears that each want, in Mrs. Allison's case, had occupied
a prominent place in her consciousness, from time to time, for several
days. Also, every hit (whether or not we include No. 3) refers to a
fact that happened in, or to a state which continued to within the last
twenty-four hours, except in the case of the badly cooked chicken.
(Perhaps Mrs. Allison subsequently thought with disgust about the
chicken.) Finally, every hit was connected with something which
had caused, in her own language, "emotional stress, particularly
annoyance."
XVIII
THE HAT
Close of Sitting with Mrs. Leonard, July 21, 1925
L. W. A.: Feda, what would you like to have for yourself? I'd like to
give you something.
Feda: A hat. Not a big one, that is not what you call good style.
Green and gold. The test gentleman says, he thinks that's a little
loud. One that fits you would fit her. [Pointing to medium.]
Bright gold metal and bits of other color. Small hat. A big
crown. [Illustrating in pantomime.] That will be nice. A hat
would be nice. What you call ripping.
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From a Sitting with Mrs. Leonard, July 23, 1925
Feda: Good morning, good morning! Where's the hat?
Note: This came very quickly and eagerly, all in one breath, the
whole manner a striking contrast to Mrs. Leonard's innate and in-
variable modesty.
L. W. A.: You'll have it next time. % haven't been able to find what
you wanted.
Feda: I'd like a green hat best, with pink and blue and gold. (Feda,
she'll look like a Christinas tree.)
Sure, and get a bright one what does look like a Christmas
tree. Hurry up and get itit will be most ripping. No more talk
about hats. They has had quite enough about it.
From a Sitting with Mrs. Leonard, July 24, 1925
L. W. A.: Feda, I brought the hat. It's what you wanted, green and
gold. Can you tell me anything about it?
Note: The hat was wrapped in paper, inside an opaque paper bag.
The maid had admitted me when I arrived. I had gone straight to the
seance room and placed the bag under the large armchair I occupied,
which had a flounce around the bottom, completely obscuring what
might be under it. I had naturally not mentioned the hat to Mrs.
Leonard at any time.
Feda: It's not hard, not soft. A bit mixed ground. A motley ground.
Just one splash of trimming. Not trimmed all round. In one
splash. I knows more about it than I can say.
Note: The material of the hat was rather wiry, it had body. The
color was a mixture of green and gold, giving a mottled effect. The
hat was untrimmed, save for one "splash" of geranium red flowers
flattened against one side. Poor Mrs. Leonard was visibly embarrassed
when I explained to her about the hat after the sitting.
SUMMARY
Feda's Statements
Not hard, not soft.
A bit mixed ground.
A motley ground.
Just one splash of trimming, not
trimmed all round.
Facts
Rather wiry, it had body (appar-
ently correct).
Mixed green and gold (correct).
Giving a mottled effect (correct).
One splash of red flowers on one
side, otherwise untrimmed (cor-
rect).
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Considering that there was no "gold metal" as Feda prescribed,
and that since the " green hat . . . with pink and blue and gold " was
to make Feda look like "a Christmas tree," she probably meant for
the latter three colors to appear separately in the trimming, whereas
only two appeared on these mixed, the correspondences between her
description of the hat bought and the hat itself are impressive.
XIX
FROM SEVERAL LEONARD SITTINGS
The advisability of changing the trend of an apparently unsuccess-
ful sitting by introducing a new topic or putting a pointed question is
difficult to determine. Sometimes what appears to be meaningless
rambling results in valuable evidence, as though the control were
gathering momentum by keeping the machinery in motion. Interrup-
tions therefore seem a dangerous risk. When stimulated by a direct
change of subject, Feda will frequently seize and enlarge upon the
suggestion, giving considerable detail, none of it founded on known
fact. If Feda does not get anything and chooses to play about so
much the worse for the sitter. Once on a definite trail, right or
wrong, Feda is hard to divert. She becomes very positive and insists
that even if unrecognized at the moment, her statements will check up
later. In this way much valuable time is apt to be lost.
On the other hand, my interruptions have on some occasions met
with great success. In my own opinion, the symbol of Dr. Hyslop
[see page 34], and "Mitchell" reported in this chapter, are of suffi-
cient interest to outweigh the failures following the introduction of
"George," "Mr. Feilding," and "concerts." "Mitchell" came in
roundabout fashion. "Auctions" had been suggested when E. W. A.
purported to be in direct communication, on June 7, 1926.1 At the
following sitting, "E. W. A." recalled auctions to me, making it the
starting point for a striking hit [see toward the close of this Section].
Almost a year later, June 4, 1927, Feda reminded me of "auctions,"
and proceeded to give me one of the most interesting pieces of evidence
in my entire experience [Section XXI].
1I read the record of June 7th, and found that Mrs. Allison asked only non-
leading questions, and volunteered no information whatever. Many statements were
made by " E. W. A." which to a large degree corresponded with the facts.W. F, P.
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Feda had given me so many spontaneous evidential communications
concerning Dr. Hyslop that I was anxious to see what success specific
questions would have. Shortly before sailing, late in May, 1926, I
asked Dr. Hyslop's son, Dr. George Hyslop, if he would give me some
questions to which the answers were unknown to me, and which I
might put to Feda in the event of his father again communicating.
[The material following is so verbose, and its substance can be
given in so much less space, that I have ventured to make an abstract
of it, fairly representing the proportions of failure and success in the
statements made.W. F. P.]
Question by Mrs. Allison, June 7, 1926: "Feda, will you ask the
older gentleman [Dr. J. H. Hyslop] does he remember George?"
"He laughed . . . He thinks it very amusing. He ought to know
George as well as himself. [The amusement and the remark are fitting,
since George is his own son, though it is curious if that fact was the
reason for the amusement, that the exact relationship was not
stated.] 2 He says that you reminded him of George yesterday . . .
something was occurring that had a peculiar something to do with
George and a lady. [Mrs. Allison, the day before, had looked over the
questions George had proposed. She may have been the "lady," but
it is odd that he did not say " you," in that case.]
First query proposed by Dr. George H. Hyslop. "Ask him if
he remembers the time he went up Mt. Washington with George?"
"Dr. Hyslop" again "laughed," and said, "We separated, two
went one place and one went alone . . . after going up. . . . What is
he laughing about? . . . Was George rather fed up with it or tired of
it? Gives me a feeling of George wanting to go, rather tired of it.
Did he bring away a picture of the place? Because he keeps seeing a
picture. . . . Do you know what Harry or Henry is connected with
him . . . because Henry had been there, too, not at the same time,
but he had talked about it."
Dr. G. H. Hyslop reported that three distinct incidents should
have been implanted in his father's memory regarding Mt. Washing-
ton, "none of which was even approximately indicated. The first of
these concerned a trip up Mt. Washington in 1912, which Dr. Hyslop
had made with George and a young friend when they took the wrong
direction. Dr. Hyslop became greatly exhausted and was persuaded to
chew tobacco in order to keep up his strength. George and his com-
panion carried Dr. Hyslop the last mile. As Dr. Hyslop considered
2 Yet if there is spirit communication, and it is by a telepathic process, it is not
strange that only part gets through.W. F. P.
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smoking a ' dirty habit' and tobacco was especially obnoxious to him,
this incident would have left a strong impression. It seems almost
incredible that the association with Mt. Washington would not have
at once sprung to his mind. The slight correspondences seem purely
coincidental." True, were Dr. J. H. Hyslop actually talking with his
son it would be odd if he did not remember or recur to the tobacco-
chewing feature, although one is sometimes surprised when talking over
with a friend an incident of long ago to find a feature of it most promi-
nent in his own memory is slurred over in the memory of the other.
But we cannot declare that it is even odd if a given feature of
an incident, however prominent or bizarre, does not come out in a
telepathically-transmitted "message." If some other feature of the
incident happened first to recur to the purported Dr. J. H. Hyslop,
and to make him laugh, it might crowd out the feature upon which the
son lay emphasis. And it would be quite supposable that Dr. Hyslop's
memory might in after years have dwelt with amusement rather upon
his being carried up the mountain, and he might well have thought that
George must have got rather tired from carrying his part of the load
even though he had "wanted to go" on after his father gave out.
There were three persons concerned in the incident. Of course, as
evidence, the coincidences are too slight, especially with the incorrect
statement that the three climbers separated after going up.
Spontaneous. "There is also something he remembers connected
with George there [he had been speaking of the Mt. Washington trip
in New Hampshire],a raft, that must have been about the same
time. Get the feeling of crossing a river, not ordinary ship, but some-
thing flat, rather peculiar construction . . . more like a raft, but with
sides to it, something very flat." Sitting of June 13, 1926: "He
wants to say connected with George and baths. . . . He says he did
know that. Because I see it is a joke, something that amuses him.
There was a discussion about it, rather a long amusing discussion
about bath . . . something out of the ordinary altogether." Then,
after other matters, the following: "Will you ask whether something
reminds him of a sailing boat? Not steamboats or ships, rather small
*oats, the early days again?"
Dr. G. H. Hyslop says that there was an amusing episode concern-
ing a bath and a raft. About 1911 George and a friend were swim-
ming au naturel in a private lake in New Hampshire. To their con-
sternation a canoe filled with young people came along, George climbed
on the float and hurriedly dressed, while his friend attempted to put
on his trousers in the water.
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Now, on the telepathic theory of communication, there is enough in
the three passages regarding a raft, baths and a boat to suggest that
perhaps they are straggling parts of an effort to put through the
amusing incident as it had been told him by George. It occurred
"there," that is, in the White Mountain region about thirty-five miles
from Mt. Washington; at "about the same time," only about a year
earlier than the climb referred to; it was a funny incident, as indi-
cated; a raft, baths and a boat all had to do with it. Even had Dr. J.
H. Hyslop been speaking face to face, it would not have been strange,
considering that he did not himself see the incident, if he had said
"sail-boat " instead of " canoe." The son agrees to this remark, con-
firming my conjectures that the father heard rather than saw the
incident, and was amused by the story.
Spontaneous, June 16, 1926: Dr. Hyslop is represented as showing
"a letter that has been written a good many years ago and in which
there was a journey spoken of. Wait a minute. There's a name which
I can't see exactly, a rather longish name beginning with a letter
A: . . . With the letter but he is not sure whether it was inside the
letter or sent by the same post as the letter, there was some printed
matter which George would have gotten at the same time as the letter,
and both had to do with the name."
Dr. Hyslop spent eight months in the Adirondack Mountain region
in 1902, and shorter periods in many other years. Adirondack's fits
"beginning with A," and "rather longish." His son is unable to
identify the letter and printed matter, and it is difficult to see how
these two particulars, though true, could be evidential. Thousands of
people when visiting the Adirondacks both write about the region and
enclose printed matter about it.
Second query proposed by Dr. G. H. Hyslop. "Does he remember
visiting George at school, when he was at college in Indiana?"
The first part of the answer seems worth quoting as a succinct state-
ment of some of the psychological conditions attending communication.
"That doesn't come up to his mind very much. Probably when he gets
away from here, it may come back, then he can throw it into these con-
ditions. He's quite sure his memory is not a complete one when at the
sitting. My memory is perfect and complete in my own conditions, but
your conditions, the physical conditions, limit us. . . . He says,' I feel
more dreamlike here than I do in my own world.' He says, ' I can only
think of one thing at a time. The law of association is the easiest one
for me to work on in these conditions.' He says, 'You know what
Pelmanism means?' . . . He says, ' we work on a kind of system very
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similar to Pelmanism.' He says, '1 often introduce one fact or de-
scription in the hope that it will lead to a more important fact. And
that explains the introduction of important matter from a very trivial
beginning.'"
If true, what is said here finds frequent illustrations in these rec-
ords. Often important facts are preceded by trivial ones, and some-
times it is not difficult to trace the probable links of association which
lead from one to another. Where we can see no traces of connection
we of course are not able to deny that there may be some links in the
mind of the communicator.
Spontaneous. "He likes George very much. . . . When he says
George he hesitates as if his brain tried to catch some other name, not
George . . . Margie, Margieit is a name of some one he is interested
in. The test gentleman gets the name like Margaret, not exact, but
the nearest to it. Some one to do with George, and the person he is
speaking of has passed over now. She was much older than George."
[See below.]
An attempt followed to describe certain grounds, buildings and a
part of a building, but Dr. G. H. Hyslop can find no verification of
moment in relation to his query.
Then Feda got the impression that " soon after that time he visited
George some relative passed over."
The visit of Dr. Hyslop to his son was either in 1913-14 or
1914-15. In October, 1915, Dr. Hyslop's stepmother died. Her name
was not "nearest to" Margaret, but precisely thatMargaret. As
she lived with her stepson the last eight years of her life, she had "to
do with George" in more than one sense. Of course, she was "much
older than George."
Claim that Dr. Hyslop had tried to show his face. Spontaneous,
July 30, 1924. "He says, * I have been trying to show myself.'"
(He has?)
"Goes like that [drawing line around Mrs. Leonard's head] been
trying to show myself." (Just the head?)
"Just the face. He says, 'I wanted to say that before you said
anything [but making a circle around Mrs. Leonard's head was prac-
tically saving it. Mrs. Allison's query was strictly responsive to the
sign given]. . . . Face, no, wait a minutenot as good as it might be.
Not so successful as it might be.' ... I am sure he's been trying to
show his face somewhere. . . . 'Cause he made sort of a circle around
his face."
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139
Mrs. Allison says: " In the fall of 1924 Dr. Douglas,3 learning that
I had been receiving Hyslop communications through Mrs. Leonard,
called upon me in order to compare what I had with what purported
to be Hyslop material in his possession. Apropos of one of my sit-
tings he told me that through Mrs. Soule, Dr. Hyslop had said that
he had ' showed his face,' 'only the head,' and mentioned Dr. 4
in connection, but I have forgotten the exact details."
Inquiry of Dr. develops the fact that some years agohe
cannot remember what yearhe did see Dr. Hyslop's face, while in a
state between waking and sleeping, and that he is somewhat given to
hypnagogic visualizations, therefore this experience in itself was not
particularly striking. What is striking is the allegation by Dr.
Douglas that the same statement as Feda's had been made through
Mrs. Soule. Dr. having been a particular friend of Dr.
Hyslop, he would be as likely as anyone for choice if Dr. Hyslop, sub-
sequently to death, did make such an effort. I have not been able to
locate the utterance by Mrs. Soule; very likely Dr. Douglas himself
was the sitter at the time it was made.
Question proposed by the Hon. Everard Feilding and asked by
Mrs. Allison. "Does he remember where he met me?"
In answer there were references to persons present, the ocean, talk-
ing about the sea, two sides with divided opinions, a bell, etc. Mr.
Feilding comments: "I could trace nothing at all of any value in
the report."
Question by Mrs. Allison, June 13, 1926. "Feda, ask him [E. W.
A.] if he remembers anything about concerts?"
The answer was scattering and unsatisfactory: ". . . He's remem-
bering different things about concerts . . . not only just going to
them. . . . There's something to do with one particular concert we got
not mixed up, but we intended to be ... we took unexpected part in
a concert. . . . Now, then, his mind goes to periodical concerts, not
just like going to one but going to a few concerts quite regularly.
What are the concerts where there wasn't just one instrument at the
time, but I think of where many people played?" (Does he remember
what he liked best?)
"I get the feeling of strings. He's not showing one of those
[pointing to piano] I asked him did he like that, but he's thinking of
something different. Like strings that you rub and pull, something
he liked when here." (But he liked the piano.)
3 The Rev. Dr. George William Douglas, a distinguished clergyman of the Epis-
copal Church, now deceased.
4 Also a distinguished Episcopal clergyman, now living.
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"Yes, he liked the piano, but something he wanted to say about
strings, keeps on saying ' last, last.' ... I think he's thinking of some
particular music he likes." And so on, without an intimation that the
piano was his favorite instrument.
Mrs. Allison reports that " E. W. A. was passionately fond of the
piano. The last year of his life we attended over a hundred piano
recitals. I have seen him start off alone in a deluge of rain on the
night of a recital by a good pianist. While he was fond of the violin
and liked other music occasionally, the principal association that
comes to my mind when I think of E. W. A. and concerts is the piano.
Therefore, if he was communicating through Feda, the response re-
mains a riddle."
Pronunciation, Spontaneous. In the sitting of July 24, 1925,
nearly all devoted to an explanation of the alleged conditions of com-
munication, and the like, Feda, after happening to use the word
"either," remarked, "He [Dr. Hyslop] says either [eether]. We
always say either [eyether]. But every time I'm going to say I he
says E." Dr. Hyslop's pronunciation of the word is correctly stated,
but it is more generally the case in America, nor do we know how many
persons in England noted his pronunciation.
Auctions. Spontaneous, from sitting of June 13, 1927.
E. W. A. [Personal Control]: Do you remember last time I talked to
you we were talking about an auction? (Yes.) I was remember-
ing about your being taken ill at one, being taken ill at one.
[True.] Do you remember one place we went to there was a very
small room, quite a number of people crushed in. But a small
room. There was some other rooms near them, the room was
quite small.
Note: This does not apply to the two auction galleries E. W. A.
and I attended frequently. We had been to other auction rooms occa-
sionally, but my memory of them is not clear.
E. W. A.: Do you remember the name MitchellMitchell? When I was
talking to you about the sales, about the auctions, I was reminded
of the name Mitchell. The person isn't important to us at all, but
it was a name connected with auctions we went to. (I'll try and
find out about that.)
Note: The president of one of the two leading auction galleries in
New York is Mitchell , at whose rooms E. W. A. and I had bid
in many items. That was seven years before this sitting, and this gen-
tleman, as the control remarked, was of no importance to us at all.
We had both met the principal auctioneer and I remember his name.
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141
I am certain that I had not met the president. E. W. A. may have
known him; if so, I am quite certain he never mentioned him to me.
Both of us must have seen his name in print. There would be no more
reason for my remembering the name "Mitchell" than the name of
the president of any department store, for instance, where I am ac-
customed to shop. I therefore put down "Mitchell" as a blank.
About five months later I happened to see an announcement from these
particular galleries and read the name of the president, Mitchell
, in brackets under the name of the organization. It at once
recalled the " Mitchell " given by the control. That I subconsciously
connected the name with auction seems a likely explanation.
It would, I suppose, be regarded as a support to this theory that
on June 7, 1926, almost the first words relating to auctions were these:
"Do you remember we used to keep looking out for announcements?"
Of course, I have seen many announcements, and very possibly those of
Mitchell before I saw one of his five months after the sitting.
But if a spirit does communicate, it must be vexing to find it so difficult
to find any piece of evidence which cannot plausibly be ascribed to
telepathy from the conscious mind of the sitter, or from his subcon-
scious mind, or from the conscious mind of somebody at a distance, or
from his subconscious mind!
I inquired (1928) at the A galleries, and learned that Mr.
Mitchell K has been there over ten years, which covers the period
when E. W. A. and I attended auctions at his galleries.
EXPERIMENTAL AND SPONTANEOUS RESULTS COMPARED
In this section Mrs. Allison has given Feda's answers to particular
questions asked for evidential purposes, and also statements made
which are not responsive to those questions, but have the appearance
of being spontaneous utterances roused by the questions through as-
sociation of ideas. Mrs. Allison, in presenting these extracts from
several sittings, had in the forefront of her mind the fact that the
material came after particular questions had been asked, and seems
not to have thought of comparing the purely responsive factor with
the spontaneous factor in the responses. This is all the better, since
it frees the reader from any suspicion that the instances were se-
lected with a view of such comparison. They stand, therefore, as
representative.
I have long been inclined to think that it is generally better to let
mediumistic utterances go on without the interjection of special ques-
tions, if the object is to get evidence. This may be regarded as an
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unfortunate fact, but we must take the facts as they are. On the other
hand, it may be regarded as a fortunate fact, if one has on various
accounts come to favor the spiritistic theory. If evidence came more
readily from the asking of specific questions, the true answers to which
were in the questioner's mind, telepathy from the mind of the ques-
tioner would be strongly suggested, since the conditions would so
nearly approach those of standard telepathic experimentation.
However this may be, let us briefly summarize and compare the
results in this section, by classes, experimental (direct answers to ques-
tions), and spontaneous (by-products of questions).
Experimental
1. Mount Washington Question
Correct: Three persons; amusing incident; George in a situation to
be tired.
Incorrect: The three persons separated; " Henry," who had talked
about a similar trip (at least, "Henry " is not recognized) ; brought
away picture (at least, not remembered).
Defective: Ignoring of the principal and most bizarre amusing
feature.
2. Visit to George at College
All we are told on this is that in a number of particulars in regard
to grounds, gateways, buildings, church, avenue of trees, a room, etc.,
Dr. G. H. Hyslop " can find no verification of moment."
3. Mr. Feilding's Question
Mr. Feilding says: "I could find nothing at all of any value in
the report."
4. Mrs. Allison's Question Whether E. W. A. Remembers Anything
About Concerts
A lot of vague statements resulted which might possibly apply to
some concert or concerts not remembered by the sitter. But the in-
terest is centered on stringed instruments, while less interest in the
piano is distinctly intimated; whereas E. W. A.'s chief musical passion
was for the piano. His liking for music in general had been stated
spontaneously in a previous sitting.
5. Question of Mrs. Allison About Auctions
This elicited no satisfactory response on the date it was asked.
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Spontaneous
1. A By-product of the Mt. Washington Question (two parts; one on
June 7, 1926, the other on June 13" there is a little more I wanted
to say in connection with George ").
Statements
The same place.
Something . . . connected with
George, a raft.
That must have been about the
same time.
Connected with George and baths.
Something that amuses him.
A discussion about it; rather a
long amusing discussion about
baths.
This was something out of the
ordinary altogether [not an
ordinary bath].
Ask [George] whether something
reminds him of sailing-boats?
. . . the early days again.
Facts
In the same region, 35 or 40 miles
from Mt. Washington (com-
municator could not have meant
on Mt. Washington).
Correct.
Dr. G. H. Hyslop thinks the raft
incident occurred in 1911. The
Mt. Washington one in 1912.
Correct.
It was a funny affair.
George told his father, who
laughed over the incident.
It was not a bath in a tub.
Dr. J. H. Hyslop did not witness
the incident, but was told of it
and if living could have remem-
bered sailing-boat rather than
canoe. The fact that a boat of
some sort was connected with
the bath incident is coinci-
dental with the statement.
There are deviations from the exact facts, the principal one of
which was the float, or " raft " was not crossing a river. Both " river"
and "crossing" could have been inferences from a mediumistic visual
impression.
2. A By-product of the Mt. Washington Question, Following a Refer-
ence to the Bath Incident
"A rather longish name beginning with a letter A, a letter written
many years ago with printed matter, both having to do with the name."
This rather strongly suggests that thinking of the region of Mt.
Washington brought up the only other mountain region with which
Dr. Hyslop was very familiar by reason of many longer or shorter
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sojourns in different parts of itthe Adirondacks, which surely is
a "rather longish name." The letter and enclosure are not remem-
bered, but Dr. G. H. Hyslop thinks that his father may have written
to him from the Adirondacks in 1909 or earlier, and writing from such
a place about a "journey "some special mountain excursionand
sending something printed about the place, are very likely.
3. A By-product from the Question About Dr. Hyslop's Visit to
George in College
Before the seeming attempt to answer the question, it is declared
that the name George makes him think of another one, " Margie . . .
Margaret, some one Dr. Hyslop is interested in, some one much older
than George who has had much to do with George and is now dead."
Later it is said that a relative passed over soon after the visit to
George. Every statement fits Mrs. Margaret Hyslop (except the
vacillation about the name " Margaret ").
Why should the name " George " make Dr. Hyslop think of " Mar-
garet"? Psychologically, one would guess, because of the fact last
stated, that she died not long after the visit and so became associated
with the period of it.
4. Spontaneous
Statement that some one had lately seen Dr. Hyslop, in conse-
quence of his effort to show not all of his figure, but the face only
"not so successful as I might be." This corresponds with a similar
statement by Mrs. Soule, and with a not very impressive experience of
a friend of Dr. Hyslop.
5. Spontaneous
Statement that Dr. Hyslop pronounced the word "either" as
though it were " eether." Correct, but of little or no evidential value.
XX
The sitting commenced with the usual preliminary remarks, then,
Feda: They're both here, your own gentleman wants to know did you
feel him very 'tickularly yesterday? He felt so close yesterday, in
morning and afternoon. Two times strongly. [" Yesterday,"
June 6, had been the anniversary of E. W. A.'s passing.] One
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145
time were you thinking strongly about a book as if something in
the book made a link in a way? Keeps getting the word "book."
[Unverified.] Can you not remember if you were admiring some
flowers? He saw some near you. I can tell you the colorsnear
you, mauve, a sort of mauve, also yellow or goldish. Something
else, saw mauve, saw yellow, either pink or reddish. Pink and red
give me the same vibration so it's difficult to tell, difficult to tell
unless the red is a deep nasty color. As a matter of fact, certain
colors are easier for us to see. I notice yellow particularly and
pink or red, but mauve and pale blue are not so strong. Pale
colors and white are very difficult.
Note: Feda is right. The previous evening I called on a friend.
There were half a dozen bowls or vases of flowers in the room, but I
sat nearest and admired a bowl of mauve flowers and also some yellow
ones a little further away and paid no particular attention to the pink .
roses on the other side of the room. This was natural, as I greatly
prefer mauve and yellow flowers to pink or red ones.
Feda: He says it was a nice day yesterday. He doesn't mean nice
weather; he had a nice day with you, sort of happy day in which
he felt very close to you. He does want you to remember about
the flowers, 'specially wants you to think about them afterward.
Note: " Nice day " is very fitting, because the exact words, "what
a nice day it has been," had passed through my mind with almost a
shocked feeling about dinner time the previous day, which, as aforesaid,
had been the anniversary of E. W. A.'s passing. Although we both
discounted anniversaries in general, this particular one is an emotional
strain. Therefore I remained quietly in my room the entire day and
felt very serene. This was one of the rare occasions in my experience
when Feda's voice betrayed an intimacy and tenderness that is in
itself strikingly evidential, because so fitting.
Feda: But he is laughing. Will you try to remember as if something
didn't fit you right, somewhere round here [passing hands over
neck line of her dress], sort of a dissatisfied feeling he got with it.
He says sometimes he can get so close to you, very close indeed.
He thinks almost more so just recently.
Note: Feda is again right about something not fitting, something
unsatisfactory around the neck. I had spent over half the previous
day ripping out a poorly stitched neck binding of a dress and re-
sewing it by hand.
Feda: Do you know will you be meeting some one that is coming off a
journey very soon that you are evidently going to see almost im-
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mediately? The person is a lady, not a man. Some one who hasn't
come yet, who should be coming quite soon, because he has got a
feeling something interesting will arise out of that. He do feel
something interesting with some one coming off a journey of a ship
as well as train. He feels something important for the future will
come out of it.
Note: This is rather muddled. I was expecting to see a friend
almost immediately who had come from Paris to London a few days
previously, but she was already in London, although I had not seen her,
not "coming," as Feda said.1 Something very interesting did arise
out of that, as I subsequently took this lady to an anonymous sitting
with Mrs. Leonard which proved to be very impressive. I was hoping
to do this, as this friend is psychic herself and I looked forward to an
interesting experiment, but I had not broached the request to Mrs.
Leonard, nor mentioned it to anyone else, nor had my friend in question
spoken of it. In fact, there was nothing to mention. I had told her
that if I could arrange a sitting for her I would do so, and there the
matter rested.
Feda: Have you got to go on a journey when you leave here, when
you leave London? One rather long journey, not being there very
long, then going on another one. When you get back home you
won't be staying there. He gets a strong feeling of your going
somewhere else again before you settle down. He wants you to
know he knows about it and then I can help you with it. He says
it is nothing worrying, in fact he is rather pleased about it.
Note: After returning to New York I stayed with a friend for ten
days before " settling down." I had no idea of doing so on the date of
the sitting. On the other hand, I was rather expecting to visit friends
"somewhere else," but did not do so. The friend I visited lives in New
York, my own home city; the friend I was expecting to visit was in the
country at her summer home. If by "somewhere else" Feda means
away from my particular residence, she is right. If she was reading
my mind and meant a different place, she is also right, as that would
have corresponded with my general plans at the time. "Going some-
where else," however, seems to indicate a different locality.2
11 doubt if Mrs. Allison correctly interprets Feda's remark to mean that the
person has not yet taken the "journey by a ship as well as train." She is to come
"off a journey," which I think means away from and after the journey (according to
one of the definitions of off in the Standard Dictionary" away from, or from, so
as to be no longer on "). Feda does not say that the person has or has not taken
the journey by ship and train, but only that she is coming [to meet Mrs. Allison]
after having made that journey. And so it happened.W. F. P.
2 It does not seem to me that "going somewhere else" necessarily implies
another town. "Home" most frequently means one's own dwelling-place, and this
meaning may be implied by "settle down." Doubt would center rather about
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147
Feda: Do you know there is someone you have been seeing a little while
ago that the test gentleman [Dr. Hyslop] felt you with and seems
to be a link with him? (Since I arrived in England?)
That's right. He felt himself near someone " who is a link with
me." [Feda frequently changes from the third to what is appar-
ently the first person.] Somebody that you are going to see
again. (I will think that over.)
Some one you would soon connect with him and interested
as well.
Note: This is a reasonable guess, whatever the source. Mrs.
Leonard knows I am interested in Psychic Research. June 2nd, the
day of my arrival in London, I had attended a meeting of the S. P. R.
in the evening and seen several members who might be called " a link"
with Dr. Hyslop and whom I later saw again.
Feda: You know in the place, in the offices, do you know if they are
having something enameled or painted just now, as if they have
been talking about having something enameled or painted? What
about that? Was there a different lock and key and your losing
your keys and that he talked to you and blowed you up a bit?
Nothing to do with that [apparently referring to painting men-
tioned above]. Since then you had been fiddling about with keys
which ought to remind you of what he said.
Note: This is quite confused. I had misplaced my keys frequently
since arriving in England, but that is an almost daily occurrence with
me. I do not place " a different lock and key." Immediately preced-
ing this reference Feda spoke of the " offices." In connection with them
she had made an evidential and interesting statement in my sitting of
June, 1924, also purporting to come from Dr. Hyslop. Therefore,
"offices" may have suggested "keys." But it should also be men-
tioned that E. W. A., being of a very orderly disposition, had fre-
quently " blown me up " about that particularly careless habit. Last
fall, when three trunks needed to be opened, I was compelled to send
for a locksmith; later the keys re-appeared. The winter preceding I
lost my ring of keys in a cab. Keys are a great nuisance to me. Even
as I am going over these notes, May 28, 1928, my key-ring disappeared
some days ago.
Feda: Now the test gentleman, he says what I am talking about has
got nothing whatever to do with your own private keys, about
"going on another [journeyl," which one would be inclined to think implied a trip
longer than from one part of a city to another. Still, it was a journey, however
short, and Mrs. Allison did not settle down at once in her home, but "went some-
where else " first.W. F. P.
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arranging to fasten up better. Something's been done just re-
cently. Do you know a place beginning with "H " that was very
much connected with his earth life? That he was very well known
at and had a good many friends at? That was in his earlier days.
Then he had been back to it in later years. And under very differ-
ent circumstances. When he was first there like in the early part
of his life he would never have imagined that he would go back to
it in such a different way. In such a different position.
Note: Dr. G. H. Hyslop says: " This may refer to Hurricane, New
York. The family spent the "summers of 1897, 1898, 1900 to 1906,
inclusive, and 1908 at this place. We then were away until 1919.
During this last summer he was partly disabled with his sciatic pain,
which was symptomatic of his prostatic trouble."
This rather loosely fits the language employed. "A place begin-
ning with H " was "very much connected with his earth-life." This
was in "earlier days," but hardly what would be commonly called
"the early part of his life." When, after an interval of eleven years,
he went back, he went back "in such a different way," in the sense
that he was no longer a well man, but beginning the illness that caused
his death in 1920.W. F. P.
Feda: He say he had a certain position of his own when he was on the
earth. He was an important man, but if you met him in a room
he was so quiet and humble that you didn't feel he was a great man.
Lot of important people make you uncomfortable. He was so
homely, very simple. He didn't like dressing up much. He didn't
like dressing in smart clothes. Feda would dress up every hour.
He says he never liked it. I know there were occasions when people
remarked on me and wondered that I didn't dress more than I did.
He knew it had been spoken about, but he didn't care.
Note by Dr. G. H. Hyslop: "Correct in every particular. This
was probably general knowledge." [True, Mrs. Leonard could have
known these particulars, and I am accustomed to assume, arbitrarily,
in estimating evidence, that what could have been known was known.
But, to be fair, the source capable of yielding in the sitting of June 11,
1924, the flood of true particulars regarding the person pointed to in
the sitting of July 30, 1924, as Mrs. Allison's father, might well be
able to furnish the particulars about Dr. Hyslop.W. F. P.]
Feda: Do you know did he suffer from a sort of indigestion before he
went over? It worried him a good deal. It wasn't dangerous. He
say I am glad I haven't got it now. I remember when I first came
over I was very pleased to find I had no ailments, no little trouble
nf that kind.
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Note by Dr. G. H. Hyslop: "There was indigestion from time to
time during his last nine months of life. It was not dangerous, and
was a thing which in previous years had troubled him from time
to time."
Feda: That just reminds me. A little earlier your own gentleman
thought you had been bothered with a cold. It wasn't an ordinary
cold, but only a little while ago. He doesn't want you to get it
again. (I'm willing.)
Note: Three weeks earlier I had taken such a heavy cold that I
doubted being able to sail at all, and had to leave with a number of
things unattended to. About midocean my cold disappeared, and there
were no traces of it at the time of the sitting.
Feda: He says as long as you are here he wants you to keep in good
health. He says he's got hold of it now. He thought you would
have it again. But he keeps on saying it's not an ordinary cold.
He says you have been in a draft. He says a draft affects you
more than you realize; you haven't got wet. He always knows
more than he can tell Feda. (Why is that?)
He keeps on repeating it is not wet. It's been a draft, just be
a bit careful; don't sit by a window with a door open.
Note: I often sit in a draft, in fact I never pay any attention to
one, but rather enjoy it. It is also true that I did not contract my
cold by getting wet.
Feda: Wait a minute. What was that? Some people calls the test
gentleman the 'lessor. But he was a 'fessor, wasn't just called one.
Do you know that he is going with you immediately, the next day
or two, he means in London where you will be talking to more than
one person, like a group. He knows you are going into a room
where his picture is, where people would be interested. [True
enough. I go to the S. P. R. rooms frequently when in London.]
He says isn't it funny, he knows most people think it is so easy for
us to read information off your minds. He says it is most difficult
to do so. He says I myself find it much easier to speak of things
of which you have no present knowledge. Have you got to make
some arrangements to sleep in a different room? (I hope not.)
Your own gentleman only got it this morning. It wasn't what
you were thinking about. It was more what some one else was
thinking about. Your own gentleman says you may arrange some-
thing about it. He hopes you won't, because he rather likes the
room, that's what he calls it, a cheerful room. But he got that
feeling as if someone this morning got some arrangement in their
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minds and make a proposal, but I think he wants you to put your
mind against it. I hope they won't ask you and again I hope they
will. What's the sense in that? If they do you will know he is
right.
Note: No suggestion to change my room was made to me at this
period. Possibly prevision enters into Feda's statement. Several
weeks later, due to a misunderstanding and while I was absent from
the club at which I was staying, I returned to find all my things had
been moved to another room. A previous booking, of which I knew
nothing, had been discovered for the particular room I was occupying,
and as the guest was expected almost immediately there had been no
time to consult me. Feda may have received a correct impression and
then proceeded to spoil it by her own interpretation, which is no
uncommon proceeding with her.
Feda: The test gentleman says I would like to explain that we who are
often so close to you can intercept people's thoughts when they are
talking to you. If you were sufficiently sensitive you would feel
them. But we are more sensitive to thoughts, so we intercept them
and we pick them up out of your aura. The test gentleman says it
is a good thing you do not always pick them up, because they
would worry you, so many thoughts about you. Have you been
talking just lately about anything to do with bones? He says
you were having rather an interesting conversation about bone-
setting. You have forgotten; it will come to your mind agaiu.
The test gentleman is a great believer in that. Not only inter-
ested in it. He is interested in some one in America who can do it.
He's pretending to sort of twisting necks round. You will prob-
ably have a reminder that will bring the whole thing back to
your mind.
Note: I do not recall any conversation about bone-setting. Feda
seemed rather to have surpassed herself in trivial communications that
were evidential, and the sitting petered out from this point on.
Correct
Yesterday sitter admired some flowers, mauve, yellow and pink or
red; it was a " sort of happy day " with sitter, yesterday; something
[it is implied yesterday] about neck of sitter's dress didn't fit right, so
that she was dissatisfied; a lady is very soon coming [to Mrs. Allison]
after having made a journey by ship and train, and something interest-
ing and important will come from it [the meeting]; sitter saw some
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one since coming to England who is a link to Dr. Hyslop, and will see
him again (hardly evidential).
About Dr. Hyslop: Simple in his manners so that one did not feel
that he was a great man; didn't like dressing in smart clothes; people
wondered about it and he knew this, but didn't care; he had indigestion
before passing over.
Sitter had a bad cold recently; it did not come from getting wet; it
came from a draft (seems likely, if not certain) ; sitter will soon go to
a room where Dr. Hyslop's picture is (she was extremely likely to go
to the S. P. R. rooms, as she did, and his picture was almost sure to be
there somewhere, as it was).
Not Remembered
Sitter was thinking strongly, yesterday, about a book, that made
a link in a way.
Doubtful
After a long journey (likely, since Mrs. Allison was an American),
sitter will take another one (doubtful if going to another part of the
city should be called a "journey "); will go somewhere else before
settling down (correct); something being enameled or painted at the
offices now (if this means the A. S. P. R. offices, it is not known whether
this is correct or not) ; that some one was thinking of changing sitter's
room (if so, sitter was not informed of it. But later her room was
abruptly changed by the management).
Wrong
"A different lock and key" (not relevant to sitter); "fiddling
about with keys ought to remind you of when he blowed you up." (Dr.
Hyslop had never said anything about keys to her. But E. W. A. had
"blowed " sitter up on the subject) ; sitter has lately had an interest-
ing conversation about bone-setting, and has forgotten it (probably
not correct, and if sitter had forgotten it, no verification was possible).
XXI
After the usual greetings, Feda said, "Both of them are here"
[Dr. Hyslop and E. W. A.]. Then followed a rather lengthy refer-
ence to my poor health of the preceding winter, of which practically all
my acquaintances knew, and detailed advice regarding future treat-
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ment, this last being attributed to E. W. A. The advice might quite
properly be given by a physician, or equally well by any other sensible
person. No special or professional knowledge was evident.
L. W. A.: Feda, how does he happen to know what to tell me to do?
[Surely a broad enough hint.]
Feda: Because he has been asking on the other side. He thinks you
know what to do.1
L. W. A.: What is the channel?
Feda: The one in America.
L. W. A.: Tell me more definitely.
Feda: The 'fessor [Dr. Hyslop] has to prepare them at home for the
"A " one. He is trying to get something good. He got a feeling
that he will.
L. W. A.: Try to get the name.
Feda: Can't quite get it. [Prolonged attempt at name followed.]
Annesly, Anneson, Anneson, Annesly, etc. Anderson, Anderson,
Anderson, etc. (At the eighth repetition of Anderson, seeing that
Feda was certain, I replied, " That's right, Feda.")
1 In none of my sittings had Feda hinted at E. W. A.'s profession. After the
close of this sitting, the following conversation took place:
L. W. A.: Mrs. Leonard, have you any notion who my communicator is?
Mrs. L.: I think it is your husband.
L. W. A.: I see. Have you any idea of what his occupation was?
Mrs. L.: Well, I think he was a surgeon or a doctor.
L. W. A.: Why do you think that?
Mrs. L.: I used to read articles by a Dr. Allison in The Anlivivueclion Journal.
I don't know your husband's first name, but thought he might be connected with
that. This was Dr. Bertrand, or Bertram Allison. He was principally interested in
diet. He was trying to show the effect of the same foods on animals and men. I
haven't seen any for a long time, not since you first came, but I connected you with
this Dr. Allison. I thought he might be writing in America as well as in England.
At the time of this conversation 1 did not inform Mrs. Leonard that her con-
clusion was incorrect. On August 25, of the same year, Mrs. Leonard wrote me,
"The name I was confusing with yours was Dr. Allinson, not Allison."
Note: One might speculate indefinitely on the opportunity Mrs. Leonard's sub-
conscious mind had in influencing Feda in building up an intricate structure on the
basis of her inference or guess that I was the wife of this man. On the one hand,
she might, it is true, have made many remarks which I could neither have denied
nor acknowledged, since E. W. A. had never discussed the details of his practice with
me, but which taken together would have made a very pretty picture of a physician's
life. On the other hand, and a more likely supposition, perhaps, she might have
made statements implying that E. W. A. was a specialist in dietetics, which would
have been definitely wrong. But the dangerous pitfall was avoided. Feda had,
despite Mrs. Leonard's conjecture, never even hinted at his profession. I wonder at
that a little, too, if he was communicating. But I get no relief when I turn to the
telepathic theory. If the many true statements made were derived from my mind,
why. since the fact that E. W. A. was a physician was constantly before my mind,
should that fact not have been expressed also?
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Note: Here is an instance of the great difficulty the medium experi-
enced in getting a name in trance which she knew perfectly well in her
normal state.
Feda: But he does feel he will be able to get good things from her.
Your own gentleman, too. The 'lessor will rather concentrate on
her. He thinks she will be rather like the Souley one because he
used to get through your Souley one. He is hoping she will be very
much like that one.
Note: The " Souley one," of course, means Mrs. Soule. A few days
previous to this sitting an American sitter of Mrs. Leonard's had told
me that she mentioned Mrs. Anderson's name to Mrs. Leonard, as a
medium who was at present in America, adding that she had been
known in London as Miss Bacon. Mrs. Leonard was very much inter-
ested, as she knew and liked Mrs. Anderson. Of course, Mrs. Leonard
was unaware that I had been told Mrs. Anderson was mentioned to her.
Normally, Mrs. Leonard is very generous toward other mediums. In
trance she frequently suggests their names.
Feda: Now your own gentleman is going to take the floor. He wants
to remind me of something. Can you remember once when he was
controlling himself, he talked to you about auctions? 2
L. W. A.: Yes.
Feda: Do you know that something brought that up in your mind,
made you think of that very much, because . . . He made a mis-
take, you weren't thinking about auctions again, can you remember
you were looking at something?
L. W. A.: Tell him I did more than look.
Feda: He wondered when you were going to stop. He is laughing, he
was an accomplice. He hears you thinking so much with a word
beginning with C. Look! [drawing C in air] C.
L. W. A.: What is the next letter?
Feda: Looks like l, put a piece on like that [drawing h hook in air].
Ch, ch, ch, cheri, cheri, che, chin, can't get it yet. He will have to
say it suddenly. He knows it was in your mind. What were you
looking at to see a printed mark, a printed word, as if you were
looking carefully? Looking at a number, too. Because that is
what he says. He thought it very exciting. He thoroughly en-
2" Auctions" had been suggested to Feda at a sitting with Mrs. Leonard the
previous year, June 7, 1926, in order to try to stimulate the memory of the purport-
ing communicator. At the next sitting, June 13, 1926, the personal control, said to
be that of E. W. A., recalled the subject of auctions with a striking evidential hit.
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joyed it. Helped to get something. C, then long piece and hook,
Hnot Hell he says don't say Hell, say L. The Hell sound not
important [with mischievous satisfaction in having a legitimate
reason for repeating the H sound]. After H a small letter,
cheri, sounds like, sounds like chicken, no, not quite right, cheri,
ch, ch.
L. W. A.: Fcda, ask him, what is it for?
Feda: He wants to play something on it, carefully lifting and placing.
Could you have more than one thing? He is pretending to stand
back and admire. What's he trying to do? Open something?
Then he pretends as if he could put something in, in, no, not that,
not in but on. But there is something you can open. Wouldn't
there be something bright?
L. W. A.: Bright?
Feda: Bright and shiny. Oh, he is trying to make me feel something
awful nice and smooth, like polished, something round. The sur-
face something rather rounded, shaped and curved. What were
you a little bit dubious about? Thinking specially about the size.
Dubious, as if, will it be the right size? Fitting things. With your
mind's eye. [To communicator.] What did you think you would
have to move? [Turning to sitter.] Because I get a feeling some-
thing would have to be moved for it. You will think of that after.
But it was reminding him so much of the old days. Careful about
moving it. Careful about moving it. Lifting it up and moving.
Special precautions. Careful it didn't get knocked. A little mis-
take was made about the time you would do something about it.
He knows he is right. There was something, not much, a mistake
with regard to it, as a misunderstanding. You thought of it, you
were a little bit annoyed. But that something was arranged.
Something else he would have liked and didn't get. I can't see the
word. When I have forgotten it, he will suddenly say it. He says
there is something in this room that suggests it, not really like it.
L. W. A.: Well, I will look later.
Feda: That side of the room [pointing towards right corner]. Not
really like but suggests it. But he was awful interested. When-
ever you do anything like that takes him back to old times. He is
always in it with you. Do you know there was rather a curious
coincidence with a name. I think a proper name. Curious coinci-
dence connected with it. We were very interested at the time over
same circumstance. He keeps feeling there is a proper name that
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155
seems to remind me of a name that was very much used in the old
days when we did the same things together. He felt it, but perhaps
you wouldn't know how it would strike him. You knew it, too, but
perhaps you didn't remember, but he felt it at once in the " Ch"
name. A proper name connected with it.
L. W. A.: Oh, I know what you mean, Feda. It just occurred to me.
Feda: What's B. to do with it, too? Not either of the things he spoke
about. But there was something this same place. I am feeling the
name B. is short, a sound of o. Sounds like B o. The Bo will
come back very shortly, very soon. In the meantime Bo was con-
nected with that place, too. He is still trying for the C. name.
Che, Che, chersce, he can't quite get it. Was there something about
it that you thought might be a good thing to have done to it?
Something to do to perfect it? Like feeling it and saying, " I will
have that done."
L. W. A.: Yes, that's right, Feda.
Feda: Perhaps other people mightn't have thought it, but you said,
"I will have that done." And he wanted it done, he wouldn't like
to have had it left. To have neglected it would have spoiled it.
But he is laughing at you. Because did it make you want to be a
bit extravagant in other ways? Because he's teasing you about it.
L. W. A.: Tell him the tail usually goes with the hide.
Feda: I don't know what that means. Tails and hides.
L. W. A.: Well, you know very often when one has been quite extrava-
gant one feels there isn't enough left worth saving and one might
just as well spend that, too. That's called letting the tail go with
the hide.
Feda: That about describes it. Only there wasn't very much tail to
go. He felt somehow as if he wanted to keep things and he pre-
tended everybody would envy it. But although he is rather teas-
ing you he is pleased with it. He thinks you couldn't have gone
wrong. Not extravagant really, but an investment. It wasn't
really extravagant, it was an investment.
Feda's statements appeared to me to refer to a purchase I had
made in the Caledonian Market the day before the sitting, but anxious
not to read anything into them I submitted them to twelve persons in
the form of the following questionnaire, omitting only those details
which applied to the particular kind of article I had bought and not
to the article in general:
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156
Questionnaire
1. Begins with ch then small letter. Sounds like che.
2. To play something on it, carefully lifting and placing.
3. More than one thing.
4. Something nice and smooth, like polished.
5. Something round.
6. Fitting things with one's mind's eye.
7. What did you think you would have to move?
8. Careful about moving it.
9. Lifting it up and moving.
10. Special precautions.
11. Sounds like che . . . che. . . . chersce.
What does the above suggest to you?
What first suggested it?
Of the twelve persons to whom I sent the questionnaire, mostly per-
sons unknown to me and suggested by Miss Newton, eleven answered
Chess, and in reply to the second question, " What first suggested it?"
Two said 2.
Two said 6 and 7.
One said 4.
One said 11 and 6.
Two said 1.
One said, "More than one thing moving."
One said 1 and 2.
One said 8.
Mr. Piddington wrote: "I should guess that the answer to your
conundrum is a draughts-board, or as I believe you call it in the United
States, a checkers-board. 'Che. . .che. . .chersce' would represent
'checkers,' or possibly 'chess,' a chess-board being the same as
a draughts-board. 'Something round ' would represent the draughts-
man, as we call it, i. e., one of the twenty-four round pieces of wood or
ivory with which the game is played.
"If this solution is correct, it would be interesting to find out from
Mrs. Leonard what she calls a draughts-board. I think that it is pos-
sible that the term ' Checkers' or ' Chequers ' is used in some country
districts in England for draughts.3
8 At the sitting, following Mr. Piddington's suggestion, when Mrs. Leonard en-
tered the room and I was occupied in examining the objects on the cabinet, the
following conversation, of which I made notes at the time, took place:
L. W. A.: Mrs. Leonard, if this were used for playing something [indicating the
boxl. what does it suggest to you?
Mrs. L.: Do you mean chess?
L. W. A.: Yes.
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157
"You ask what first suggested checkers-board to me? 'Che. . .
che. . . chersce' first suggested 'Chess' to me; but chess would not
account for ' something round,'4 and so the game of draughts came into
my mind, and I thought I remembered that you in America call it
checkers."
The seventh question, "What do you think you would have to
move? " is subject to criticism, as it was immediately followed in the
text of the sitting by, " Because I get a feeling something would have
to be moved for it." The "something" might easily be an object
which would have to be removed in order to make a place for what
Feda was describing. However, " What do you think you would have
to move? " was addressed to the purporting communicator and subse-
quently interpreted by Feda. Sitters familiar with the modus operandi
of Mrs. Leonard's mediumship will, I believe, agree that Feda fre-
quently weakens good evidence by her own interpretations of her first
impressions. Furthermore, the dramatic way in which she makes her
observations is impressive. Leaning forward and away from the sitter
with her head raised, the medium appeared to be listening intently for
several moments, after which Feda inquired of the communicator in a
puzzled manner, "What do you think you would have to move?"
Again a few moments of "listening," when the medium resumed her
usual position of sitting straight back in her chair and inclining toward
the sitter, continued in rather an appealing voice as if hoping to be
understood, "Because I get a feeling something would have to be
moved for it."
The result of the questionnaire confirmed my interpretation of the
extract. Now as to the facts. On the previous day, June 3, I went to
the Caledonian Market with two acquaintances (first met on the boat
and ignorant of my interest in psychic research) and, after walking
about the place for perhaps half an hour, I became interested in a chess
set exhibited on one of the stalls. I asked the price, which seemed
exorbitant. I decided against the purchase and walked away regret-
fully and somewhat annoyed, remarking to my companions, " Oh, they
Mrs. L.: It's one of the few indoor games I have playedwe had a box some-
thing like that to keep the men in. Fancy your reminding me of that, I haven't
thought of that for thirty years, never looked at a chess board, or talked about it
since. I do not think I have seen a board or watched a game played in all these
years. Perhaps I've seen one in a shop without noticing. Perhaps I got fed up
because my father was very keen, so I had to play. My husband doesn't play
doesn't like draughts or anything like that; he's rather good at cards.
This seems decisiveMrs. Leonard does not employ the term "checkers," but
"draughts," and it is the more nearly certain that "che-chersce" means chess, and
not checkers.
*But chess men are round at the base. And it happened that, as I continued to
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always spot Americans and ask Bond Street prices." Subsequently
the dealer approached me several times, each time clipping off a few
shillings from the original price, until finally I acquiesced.
When the transaction was completed the man, reminded by his wife
of a box that went with the set, brought out from under the stall a
leather-covered box or case, the flap of which was torn. Seeing a
name, I said to my companions, "I can have this repaired," and I
looked more closely for a number. Finding none, I remarked that I
could find the address in the telephone book, as no one ever moved in
London (a common belief among Americans).
It will be seen already that there were several coincidences between
Feda's references and this incident. The following summary will show
further correspondences:
Feda's Statements
A word beginning with C, the next
letter looks like l, put a piece
on [draws hook of h] Ch...
che . . . chersce.
What were you looking at to see
a printed mark, a printed word,
as if you were looking care-
fully? Looking at a number,
too.
He wants to play something on it.
Carefully lifting and placing.
What is he trying to open?
He could put something in, no,
not in, but on.
Bright and shiny, nice and
smooth, polished, something
round. The surface rather
rounded, shaped and curved.
Verification
Chess.
I looked at the name on the box,
and particularly for the num-
ber, or address, so that I might
send it to the maker to be
repaired.
This was in answer to my ques-
tion, " Feda, ask him what is it
for? " as C and Ch equally well
fitted China and Chair, objects
frequently obtained at auctions.
The chess-board is hinged across
the middle like a box, and opens
out flat to form the board.
In this particular set the chess-
men are fitted with a screw in
the base which permits of their
being locked into the board by
pushing down four buttons.
The chess-men are ivory, with
round bases; half of the men
are bright red.
talk with Mrs. Leonard about chess, without giving my reason for so doing, she
spoke of " the round pieces you play on a chess board."
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Feda's Statements
Fitting things with your mind's
eye.
Reminded him of the old days.
Special precautions. Careful it
didn't get knocked.
A little mistake was made about
the. time you would do some-
thing about it. . . . There was
something, not much . . . you
were a little bit annoyed. But
that something was arranged.
He says there is something in this
room that suggests it, not
really like it. That side of the
room.
He was awful interested. When-
ever you do anything like that,
takes him back to old times.
A coincidence with a name, I
think a proper name . . . that
seems to remind me of a name
that was very much used in the
old days . . . He felt it . . . but
perhaps you didn't remember,
but he felt it at once in the Ch
name. A proper name con-
Verification
Chess.
This reference, and the one to
his being an accomplice, re-
mind me of the days when it
was customary for us to go
treasure-hunting, and to fre-
quent auctions.
There is a special device attached
to this particular set by which
the chess-men are locked in
their positions, thus preventing
them from being knocked off or
disturbed.
I did not buy the chess set for
some time after I had seen it
and inquired the price. I
thought the price exorbitant,
and it annoyed me, as I really
wanted the set. That some-
thing was arranged.
A cabinet placed against the
wall, toward which the medium
pointed, contained various or-
naments. I examined these
while waiting for Mrsr Leonard
before a later sitting. There
was an oblong, inlaid box which
I thought might quite suitably
contain a chess set. I opened
it and found it quite empty.
[See note above on Mrs. Leon-
ard's impression of the box.]
This applies to our custom of go-
ing to auctions and treasure-
hunting together. [See above.]
The name on the box is Jacques.
E. W. A.'s greatest friend, of
whom we saw a great deal ex-
cept for the last five years, was
named Jack.
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Feda's Statements
nccted with it.
What's B. to do with it, too?. . .
place . . . the name B. is short,
There was something this same
a sound of o, sound like B,o.
The Bo will come back very
shortly. . . BO was connected
with that place, too. He is still
trying for the C. name. Che,
che, chersce, he can't quite get
it.
Was there something about it
that you thought might be a
good thing to have done to it?
Something to do to perfect it.
Like feeling it and saying, "I
will have that done."
Perhaps other people mightn't
have thought it, but you said,
"I will have that done," and he
wanted it done, he wouldn't
like to have it left. To have
neglected it, would have spoiled
it.
Not extravagant, but an invest-
ment.
Verification
This suggests the box, which was
closely connected with the refer-
ence immediately preceding, as
it was on account of the dam-
aged flap that I looked closely
at the name Jacques.
Repairs to the flap.
The flap was only torn for about
two inches and many people
might not have minded. But it
would be characteristic of me
either to discard the box alto-
gether or have it repaired, and
equally so of E. W. A.
Afterwards, in Paris, I saw in a
shop window a chess set which
was almost a duplicate of the
one I had purchased. I en-
tered, asked the price, and was
astonished that it was more
than ten times what I had paid.
There are three possible sources of Feda's veridical statements,
viz., telepathy, clairvoyance, and the surviving personality of the
purporting communicator.
With regard to the first hypothesis. Although I realize that there
may have been some telepathy in connection with the details given
after I recognized Feda's references, and also that there may have been
subconscious telepathy throughout the sitting, the chess-board incident
is only one of many personally interesting incidents that had been
occurring every day since I came to London, at the end of May. I
may have subconsciously connected it with E. W. A. on account of the
associations between us in regard to our habit of going round together
to hunt for curios, and also in regard to the game of chess.
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161
Three definite associations especially flash to my mind at the word
chess; I learned to play at Capri, which I have always remembered as
the most enchanting spot where E. W. A. and I ever spent any length of
time together; the only East Indian I have met taught me to play; I
frequently complained during the following eight years that E. W. A.
could not be persuaded to take an interest in the game, and he would
generally reply that he was not "looking for a life sentence." The
crowd of associations that spring to my mind at the word " auctions"
are much more confused. I could remember dozens of incidents if I
thought about them, but there are no outstanding and spontaneous
ones, as is the case with chess.
Feda may, therefore, have telepathically read my subconscious
mind. But if this were so, I should have expected the intrusion of a
good many of those close associations, and it seems curious to me that
Feda should be able to ignore the crowd of associations which spring
up in my mind at the ideas of " auctions " and " chess," and select only
those that apply to the incident in the Caledonian Market. It is true
that there are one or two intrusions of the past, e. g., the name Jack.
My associations with " chess " do not include any special memories of
E. W. A.'s friend Jack, nor did the name Jacques remind me of him
until Feda suggested it at the sitting. I may have subconsciously con-
nected the two, but again this would show intelligent sifting of my
mind for an association particularly appropriate to put forward as a
communication from E. W. A.
With regard to the hypothesis of clairvoyance. The medium or
Feda may have seen clairvoyantly the incident as it occurred. In this
case, there must also have been telepathy, unless in clairvoyant impres-
sions of this kind the " seer " sees also the mind of the person concerned
and its reactions to the event. Again, there comes in the principle of
selection, for why was it my mind only that was read, and not the
man's who sold the chess-set, or his wife's, both of which must have
been intent on the transaction, or the mind of the gentleman or his
wife, who accompanied me, and the former of whom said as we were
leaving the market that if I had not purchased the chess-set he would
have taken it for a great friend of his in America at a higher price, as
he could think of no more acceptable gift for his friend.
The third hypothesis is that E. W. A. was trying to communicate
through Feda. In support of this hypothesis, the communication was
characteristic of him, the incident was a particularly appropriate one
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162
for his attention, and the reference to his old friend Jack was more
natural to him, than to meso far as I can see.5
XXII
EXPERIMENTS WITH MRS. DOWDEN 1
On Friday, June 6, 1924,2 at a sitting with Mrs. Osborne Leonard
near London, who, as usual, was working in trance and controlled by
Feda, the following prediction was made, and appears to have bearing
upon the Dowden sittings which form the substance of this report. At
the time of this sitting, I knew Mrs. Dowden only through her reputa-
tion in connection with the Oscar Wilde scripts.
Excerpt from Leonard sitting, Feda controlling:
Feda: Then he [the purported Dr. Hyslop] says: " We are both going
to speak to you through writing soon."
Note: The "both" referred to Dr. Hyslop, who purported to be
the principal communicator, and Dr. Allison, who purported to accom-
pany him. This excerpt is a fragment from a long series of many
veridical communications received through Mrs. Leonard.
Feda: They are both going to some one you will be taken to soon,
through whom they will be able to get some good writing. Your
gentleman too. I feel it is a condition you already know. You are
not going at once. A little later on. They think you will not get
that writing until after these few sittings with Feda. They want
you to know that. They are going to bring you in touch with a
person who will do writing.
Note: I had no plans whatever in mind for any such work with
anyone.
Feda: You will not be alone. Some one with you. Same condition.
Note: I was alone at the three sittings here reported, but at some
of the subsequent ones, others were present.
Feda: You are going to have other sittings of a different kind to
Feda's. This time automatic. They will be there and do the best
5 Mrs. Allison has furnished her own summary and comments, hence it is not
necessary that I should do so.W. F. P.
1 Reprinted from Journal of A. S. P. R., for February, 1925. Mrs. Dowden,
formerly known as Mrs. Travers-Smith, has resumed her father's name.
2 See page 87.
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163
they can. They have an idea it is more of a physical sitting than
this one. [It proved to be so in the sense that an ouija board or
pencil would be used, while no mechanical instrument is used for
Mrs. Leonard's work.] As if they will be able to do voice, one
more for what they call physical phenomena.
Note: This did not prove true. Feda, like many controls, is ad-
dicted to interpretations, erroneous and otherwise.
Two weeks later, at tea with Mrs. de Crespigny, in the course of
conversation, she casually mentioned Mrs. Dowden's name. I expressed
interest, and Mrs. de Crespigny volunteered to arrange an anonymous
sitting for me with Mrs. Dowden. Several days later, Mrs. de Cres-
pigny wrote me that I might telephone Mrs. Dowden and secure my
appointment by mentioning Mrs. de Crespigny's name and not my own.
I carried out these instructions. I append Mrs. de Crespigny's
statement:
"Artillery Mansions, Westminster, S. W. 1., Oct. 26, 1924.
"I made the appointment for Mrs. Allison with Mrs. Dowden with-
out mentioning her name,merely asking for it 'for a friend,' and I
knew nothing concerning Mrs. Allison's life in America nor of her
friends.Rose Ch. de Ckespigxy."
I further append the statement of Mrs. Dowden:
"London, Nov. 22, 1924.
"In July, 1924, Mrs. Edward Wood Allison rang me up one day,
saying that she had been introduced by Mrs. Champion de Crespigny
and did not wish to give her name. The first sitting with Mrs. Allison
was given under the condition that her identity was absolutely unknown
to me. I had not happened even to have heard of her before.Hester
Dowden."
Note: It will be apparent that Mrs. Dowden's memory of the first
sitting fails by a few days of the actual time. The bulk of her work
for me was done in July. It should also be especially noted that in my
entire acquaintance, living or dead, no other person than the communi-
cator could have given the correct answers to my questions. These
called for names associated with contacts of the communicator, widely
diverse in time and locality.
RECORD OF SITTING WITH MRS. DOWDEN, LONDON,
JUNE 27, 1924
Mrs. Dowden opened the door and invited me into her drawing-
room. I remarked I was greatly pleased to have the opportunity of
sitting with her, as I had been particularly interested in the Oscar
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164- LEONARD AND SOULE EXPERIMENTS
Wilde scripts. Thereupon she told me, at some length, the circum-
stances under which these scripts had been made. She then arranged
her ouija board and inquired if I had brought anything belonging to
the persons with whom I wished to communicate. I produced a number
of articles and selected a gray suede tobacco pouch, unopened but
containing a pipe and some small packages of tobacco. This was
wrapped in black paper, which Mrs. Dowden, by my permission, re-
moved in order to secure direct contact. She placed the pouch close
to the ouija board pointer and said: "Will you ask the name of the
person to whom this belonged?" I replied that it seemed too severe a
test and that I should be glad to hear anything the communicator
wished to say. But Mrs. Dowden preferred the definite question, so
I put it.
L. W. A.: Can you tell me to whom this pouch belongs?
Ouija: Edward.
L. W. A.: Correct. Can you give me the name by which you were
always called?
Ouija: Ned.
L. W. A.: That's right. Tell me who was married the other day. [No
response. I repeated the question.]
Psychic: I don't think they can answer that. I don't think they pay
any attention to the things that go on here. You'd better ask
something that he would remember.
Note: The name called for was secured at a subsequent sitting as
the answer to a question framed to awaken memory in the communi-
cator who, naturally, had no memory of the marriage here referred to.
See page 170. What is the bearing of telepathy from the sitter in a
case of this sort?
L. W. A.: Can you tell me who gave you the pouch?
Ouija: A n i t a.
L. W. A. [excitedly]: This is most astonishing. Where did she give
it to you?
Note: There were several unsuccessful attempts to give the name,
so we rested. Mrs. Dowden explained that it was never profitable to
continue after an apparent fatigue. The name "Anita" is correct,
being that of the friend who had given the tobacco pouch to the pur-
ported communicator about a dozen years previously. She was, at
this time, in her home, over four thousand miles away from the scene
of this sitting.
The above notes were taken partly in shorthand and partly in long-
hand and are essentially correct and unexpurgated. Full verbatim
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notes were intermittently precluded by the fact that the psychic fre-
quently requested me to place my hand on her own in order to add
power. However, my hand was withdrawn and in my lap in every case
before the ouija pointer began to travel. During these intervals I
caught up with my notes of what had been said. Ouija messages were
taken when and as given.
Section Two
In this part of the sitting we followed a different method, at Mrs.
Dowden's instance. She brought out some large sheets of paper and
pencils for automatic writing. Mrs. Dowden placed a pencil in my
hand and covered my hand with her own. She took up the thread of
the sitting at the point where we had broken off, and asked:
Psychic: Where did she give it to you?
Pencil: Ned Londan [*ic].
Note: The L was poorly formed, and the second o resembled an a.
London was the correct answer. I am perfectly certain that I retarded
the action of the pencil, which I held very limply, fearing to-give as-
sistance. The psychic's hand guided my own, in fact pushed it ahead.
L. W. A.: Can you give me your surname?
Pencil: All [scrawl].
Note: Imperfectly written, but recognizable.
L. W. A.: Can you give your middle name?
Pencil: Wood.
L. W. A.: Good!
Pencil: Edward.
L. W. A.: Will you try the last name again?
Note: A number of attempts followed that resembled the name in
general outline, but were too inaccurate, so we dropped it for the
time being.
Pencil: Lydia [indistinct and scrawly]. Lydia [very clearly].
Note: Correct name of sitter.
Pencil: Wood.
Note: Correct middle name of purported communicator.
These two spontaneous efforts, "Lydia" and "Wood," it will be
observed, represent a continuity of association.
We rested for some time and had tea. I was careful to say nothing
that might give the psychic a clue about myself. She evidently gath-
ered that I was interested in psychical research. She told me of having
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sent some of the Oscar Wilde script to America for an expert opinion
on the handwriting, and also spoke of her own early experiences in
psychic research, which antedated by some years the development of
her own automatism.
Section Three
We resumed with the ouija board. The psychic placed the pointer
in contact with the tobacco pouch, then asked me to put my fingers on
the back of her hand. I did so, very lightly, pulling back to some
extent, fearing to give assistance. [See comments following this
Section.]
Psychic: Will you ask a question?
L. W. A.: Ned, is it really you? [defiant and determined to push ques-
tions to the extreme].
Ouija: I should say it is.
L. W. A.: Well, then, whom did you allow to communicate in your place
at my sittings recently?
Ouija: James Hyslop. [Correct, in Osborne Leonard sittings.]
L. W. A.: Splendid! Whose name did he mention?
Ouija: Prince. [Correct, in Osborne Leonard sittings.]
L. W. A.: Whom else?
Ouija: B r u t o n.
Note: The action had grown feeble. The name " Bruton " was un-
known to me. However, I felt, and still feel, that it might mark the
high spot of the sitting, because in the Osborne-Leonard series the
purported Dr. Hyslop had described a number of persons unknown to
me and still unidentified. The verification of the name "Bruton"
would eliminate the application of the telepathic hypothesis here.
L. W. A.: Never mind. Try and give me your sister's name.
Ouija: A n n a.
Note: Correct Christian name, although not the one used by the
purported communicator in addressing her. This accords with my
experience, both here and elsewhere, in regard to baptismal names.
Even though the nickname was habitually used in life, it is seldom given
first and is often omitted. Compare " EdwardNed" above. I never
heard anyone address him by his baptismal name, though he regularly
used it in his signature.
L. W. A.: Good! And your other sister's name?
Ouija: Mary,
L. W. A.: Splendid! Now can you give me your surname?
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167
Ouija [slowly]: A ll e s n A ll i s n All i s o n.
Note: The last is correct.
The memorandum of names given in Section Three was made imme-
diately, both psychic and sitter agreeing on the order in which they
had been given. The psychic as a rule writes very rapidly. If, after
a question was put, the pointer hesitated, she would say encouragingly,
"Can you give just the first letter? Try the first letter." The result,
excepting in the case of "Allison," came like a flash. Mrs. Dowden
remarked that she had noticed my retarding her hand, but was quite
willing I should do so.
EXCERPTS FROM SHORTHAND RECORD OF DOWDEN
SITTING, JULY 3, 1924
Mrs. Dowden arranged the ouija board, rubbed the pointer against
the same tobacco pouch and said, addressing her regular guide:
Psychic: Johannes, will you call him?
Ouija: I can easily.
Psychic: Do, please.
L. W. A.: Do you think you could work entirely without my hand?
Whatever comes, if correct, will have a much greater evidential
value.
Psychic: I will try. [This left me free to take shorthand notes.]
Ouija: Edward Allison is here. [Pause.] She can perceive things.
Shall I bring Hyslop?
L. W. A.: Yes, if you will come back later.
Ouija: Sure. [Pause. This reply, if in fun, was characteristic of the
purported communicator.]
At this point, Mrs. Dowden, of her own volition, turned her head
away from the board and closed her eyes, maintaining this position for
the remainder of the sitting. She also requested me not to say
the letters out loud as they were given, as it might give her a clue, nor
to mention the completed word later. I followed her instructions.
During the entire sitting my hands remained in my own lap.
Ouija: James Hyslop is here.
L. W. A.: Thank you for coming. Will you tell me who has just
arrived in London in whom you are especially interested?
Ouija: Tubby.
L. W. A.: Good.
Note: Miss Tubby, for many years past closely associated with
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Dr. James H. Hyslop and the work of the A. S. P. R., had arrived the
previous afternoon from America, without announcing her visit to
any one in England excepting L. W. A., in order to have several
anonymous sittings first.
I here omit a number of communications purporting to come from
Dr. Hyslop, that might be considered appropriate to the occasion, but
without evidential significance.
L. W. A.: Do you think you could bring back Ned?
Psychic [to L. W. A.] : Could I ask a question?
L. W. A.: Certainly.
Psychic: Dr. Hyslop, I have been commissioned to write a special book
for America. Would you help in that way?
Ouija: I will surely help you. [Pause.] Edward Allison is here.
L. W. A.: I want to substantiate the above. Do you remember
Gretchen?
Note: My manner was rather defiant. I felt that if the names given
in this and the preceding sitting came from the source they purported
to come from, I ought to get a correct answer to any question, provid-
ing the question recalled an important association to the purporting
communicator.
Ouija: Yes.
L. W. A.: Well, then, give me her sister's name.
Ouija: E l s a [Pause] Elsie.
L. W. A.: That's right.
Note: Correct. Baptismal name Elsa, but regularly called Elsie
by her family and friends, including the purported communicator. She
was one of the closest friends of both the communicator and the sitter.
Two other sisters might have been mentioned, who were only casual
friends. Another instance of the giving of the baptismal name before
the familiar nickname. See earlier notes.
L. W. A.: Do you remember Jack? Jack and Marian?
Ouija: Yes.
L. W. A.: What was their last name?
Ouija: M a c k a y [spelled quite slowly].
L. W. A.: That's right.
Ouija [spontaneously] : M a c k y.
L. W. A.: Yes, but you omitted a letter this time.
Ouija: That's the way it's pronounced.
Note: This is a good point, especially as the psychic was still un-
aware from sight or sound, of a single word written by the pointer. In
England, I learned, subsequent to this sitting, the name is accented on
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the last syllable, with the "ay" pronounced as long "I," while the
name of our friends is accented on the first syllable and the " ay " pro-
nounced as short "i." The automatist, even were she aware of the
variation of pronunciation in America, was working blindly, accurately
and rapidly. What I interpreted as mis-spelling elicited pertinent
explanation from the communicator who, by inheritance and experi-
ence, must have been familiar with the alternate usage.
L. W. A.: Do you remember my mother?
Ouija: Lydia's mother.
L. W. A.: Yes. Well, give me her first name, the name we always
called her.
Ouija: Paula.
L. W. A.: That is excellent.
Note: I had been thinking of "Polly," her family nickname.
Paula was her correct name.
L. W. A.: But give me her nickname.
Ouija: M u d d e r.
Note: This is excellent. The communicator's particular nickname
for my mother was Mudder, and this answer actually recalled that fact
to me, after fifteen years' disuse. The communicator never spoke of
her in this manner, but addressed her in person as " Mudder." In his
life with me, subsequent to her death, the term has, to the very best of
my recollection, never been used up to the time of this sitting. I was
expecting to get " Polly."
L. W. A.: Splendid! But the other one, you know.
Ouija: Polly. Now do you think it is I? You are very amusing
to me.
Note: The communicator's pronounced reaction to many of my
interests was amusement, often and diversely expressed to my friends
and myself. The last phrase is therefore highly characteristic of his
temper of mind.
EXCERPT FROM DOWDEN SITTING, JULY 9, 1924
At ouija board, beginning of sitting, conditions the same as at
previous sitting:
L. W. A.: I am so sorry I forgot to bring the pouch.
Psychic: I don't think it will matter now. At the first sitting it
might have made a difference. [Pause.] Johannes, can you get
the gentleman?
Ouija: Edward Allison is here.
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L. W. A.: I shall only ask for one new name today, and we'll go on to
something else. Give me your sister's name again.
Ouija: Anna.
L. W. A.: Right. The other sister, now.
Ouija [fumbling about]:
L. W. A.: You rememberthe younger oneyou were particularly
fond of her.
Ouija: Mary.
L. W. A.: That's right. Now give me the name of the young girl
[very emphatically] your sister's daughter.
Ouija: T h m [very rapidly].
L. W. A. [interrupting] : Wait a moment, begin over.
Ouija: T helm a [correct].
Notes: Thelma would have been the correct answer to my question
as to a recent marriage, at my sitting of June 27th, above. But in
that case the continuity of interest appears to have been maintained
in the pouch and its associations, to the exclusion of this irrelevant
personality. In the present seance, the name found its fitting associ-
ations in the purported communicator's memory. As my original
question was not repeated, the giving of the name offers no ground on
which to judge of the communicator's ability to refer to events subse-
quent to his passing, and therefore unassociated in his memory.
The records reported above are accurate except for omissions as
stated. Mrs. Dowden's general conversational remarks after my ar-
rival and in the intervals when she was resting are not recorded. I held
my own counsel throughout, merely maintaining an encouraging inter-
est in her remarks.
The choice of the tobacco pouch and its contents for these experi-
ments may have been especially fortunate. I was not experienced in
psychometric work, but it has occurred to me since the experiment
that, of the three articles I had carried with me, only the pouch and its
contents had particular associations, other than the communicator's
constant use of them, which might have rendered them especially likely
to stimulate his memory and emotion. My choice seemed purely acci-
dental; indeed, I had at first picked up one of the other articles and
rejected it for no apparent reason.
The pouch had been seen and admired by the purported communi-
cator in a London shop window before it was given to him. It had
been in more or less constant use until the time of his passing, after
which it was carefully put away, containing the pipe and several small
packages of tobacco. This pipe, one of a dozen, more or less, was a
very handsome one which he had especially requested of me as a birth-
day gift. He always referred to it as the finest one he had ever owned.
The tobacco had been mixed by him to his liking and wrapped in small
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packages in waxed paper, each package containing about a pipe full.
The pipe is not merely something that belonged to the communica-
tor, but was the source of much genuine enjoyment and is vividly remi-
niscent to the sitter's mind of many happy, quiet chats in "the wee,
sma' hours."
COMMENTS BY THE RESEARCH OFFICER
The most surprising thing about this record is its transmission of
proper names, generally about the hardest facts to produce. The
theory of designed or accidental acquisition of these names by the
medium would be absurd. Even had Mrs. Allison announced her name,
it is unthinkable that Mrs. Dowden could have been prepared to pro-
duce the names demanded, not only of her mother and her husband but
of the woman who gave him the pouch, of his two sisters, of his sister's
daughter, of a particular friend, the surname of two other friends, the
name of the sitter's mother and her nickname. Mind you, names on
demand, of a stranger from over the sea. But we have the testimonies
not only of Mrs. Allison but also Mrs. de Crespigny and the psychic,
all ladies of standing, that the sitter's identity was not disclosed.
I am free to confess that, had all the work been done as in Section
2 or Section 3 of the first sitting, I should not have been convinced that
the delivery of correct names and other facts was not accomplished by
means of an uncommonly subtle species of muscle-reading. That is,
although admitting that Mrs. Allison's determination not to help but
rather to hinder was possibly effective, I could not have been certain
that it was actually effective. But the testimony is that in Section 1
of the first sitting, although Mrs. Allison's hand was frequently placed
on the ouija board "in order to add power," it invariably had been
withdrawn and placed in her lap before the pointer moved on. And,
best of all, the second and third sittings were accomplished quite inde-
pendently of her. This fact saves us from all speculations about the
first sitting, for the others produced with exactly the same facility
fully as remarkable results in the way of instant and correct naming
of designated persons.
Did the names come from spirits or from the mind of the sitter? I
am far from thinking that a definite conclusion can be drawn from one
brief case like this. But there are certain logical implications which
ought to be stated.
Mrs. Allison remarks, with some appearance of surprise, that her
experience with veridical communications has been that the proper
baptismal names, rather than familiar nicknames, or diminutives, are
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usually given. This makes it still more likely that "Ned" was in her
mind rather than "Edward " when she asked for her husband's name.
That is, since she had always called him Ned, she was looking for that
name, if any. We have her direct testimony that she was thinking
"Polly" when she got "Paula." And she would normally think the
familiar "Elsie" rather than the unused "Elsa," and whatever the
familiar substitute for "Anna" was. But in every case she got the
formal baptismal name. It is possible that she might have marginally
thought of the latter also and the marginal form might have come by
telepathy in a case or two. But it is contrary to the expectation es-
tablished by the records of experimental telepathy that the form of
the name marginally thought should have reached the psychic instead
of the form dwelt upon in the foreground of her mind in all four cases.
But it would not be strange in the event of a spirit communicating,
if the demand for a name was answered by it in its correct form, ex-
actly as it is not strange that the husband, although familiarly called
Ned, wrote his name Edward when living, or if asked what his name
was, customarily replied "Edward (not Ned) Allison."
Again, after the name " Paula" came, Mrs. Allison asked for her
mother's nickname. She was now fully intent on getting "Polly."
But instead came, purporting to be from her husband, his nickname
for the mother, "mudder," which had been almost forgotten by the
sitter, and was recalled to her upper consciousness by its appearance
through the board. On the spiritistic theory this has a personal
relevancy which is impressive, while on the telepathic theory, while
not unthinkable, yet it is not at all what we would expect from the
experimental records.
Finally, there is a singular fitness to the spiritistic theory in the
failure of Edward to give the name of the person lately married,
though it was later given when the name of his sister's daughter was
demanded. For he would remember the name of his sister's daughter,
but could not be expected to remember what had happened since his
departure, unless on the unreasonable assumption that spirits must
know all that takes place on earth. But Mrs. Allison had the name
"Thclma" as definitely in mind when she asked who was married as
when she asked who was the sister's daughter. Why should telepathy
between the living observe the consistencies appropriate only to a spirit
consciousness?
SUMMARY OF ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
The record is astounding not only for its accuracy in giving names,
but also for giving them in answer to questions, which, as I have re-
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marked, is usually not the way by which evidence can best be obtained.
If I did not know the experimenter and her cool, critical and consci-
entious mentality, it would be difficult for me to credit that there was
not unconscious or forgotten contact between the medium and herself
throughout. But such a solution is for me out of the question. If
Mrs. Allison says that only in Sections 2 and 3 of the first sitting did
she have any contact while the answers were being made, and that in
the second and third sittings throughout, she did not touch the ouija
board but occupied herself with making a record, these are facts. And
it avails not, in regard to Sections 2 and 3 of the first sitting, to appeal
to the contact with pencil or ouija board for what was produced under
these conditions, since this was no better than what came in the second
and third sittings, which were exempt throughout from contact on the
part of the experimenter. In fact, the only positive blunder in giving a
name was in the Third Section of the first sitting. There was none in
second or third sittings. But one new name was given in the third,
but only one was asked for.
In summarizing, I need not repeat the questions. It is enough to
say that every question was a definite one, and every answer was a
precise and correct reply to it, except as noted below.
In the first sitting, Section 1 (sitter's hand occasionally with the
medium's on the board, but always withdrawn before the pointer
began to travel).
Correct: 1. Edward; 2. Ned; 3. Anita.
Unanswered: 1. (Query for a name concerned in an event which had
happened subsequent to assumed communicator's death.)
2. (Name of a place. Answered at next sitting.)
In the first sitting, Sections 2 and 3 (sitter's hand together with me-
dium's in contact, sitter consciously endeavoring not to employ
impulsion ).
Correct: 1. London; 2. All(correct as far as it went) ; 3. Wood;
4. Lydia (spontaneous); 5. James Hyslop; 6. Prince; 7. Anna;
8. Mary; 9. Allison.
Incorrect: 1. Bruton.
In second sitting (sitter has no contact throughout).
Correct: 1. Tubby; 2. Elsa, Elsie (both right) ; 3. Mackay (cor-
rect pronunciation as well as correct spelling indicated, the former
differing from the English method) ; 4. Paula; 5. Mudder; 6. Polly.
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In third sitting (sitter has no contact throughout).
1. Thelma.
Cross-correspondence and fulfilment of a prediction.
Mrs. Leonard's Feda had predicted that "soon "" a little later
on "Mrs. Allison would be brought "in touch with a person who
will do writing "" sittings of a different kind to Feda's "" more of
a physical sitting than this one," in which both E. W. A. and Dr.
Hyslop would communicate, with "very good" results. The Dowden
sittings seem to answer to all these particulars.
Mediums of a certain class do bring about by collusion, "cross-
correspondences " and " fulfilments of predictions" (one must be cold-
blooded enough to discuss such possibilities, even in the case of ladies
so highly reputed as Mrs. Leonard and Mrs. Dowden). But the meet-
ing with Mrs. Dowden was brought about by another reputable person.
Andwhich is the absolute refutal of such a theory in this caseMrs.
Leonard could know as little as Mrs. Dowden what questions Mrs.
Allison would ask, or the names of the most of the American persons
whom those questions defined.
CONCLUDING REMARKS
By W. F. Prince
Mrs. Allison has presented a summary of the material of Section
XXI, and I have done the same for all the other Sections which can be
said to need one. Some critics will think that I have underrated the
evidential matter, others will (perhaps without patient study) declare
that I have egregiously overrated it. Let the judicial and fair-minded
reader form his own opinion.
Scattered through footnotes there has been considerable discussion
of curious and knotty points. No general concluding discussion is
proposed; only a few remarks under several heads.
Of course, both the footnotes by myself, and these concluding re-
marks are conditioned on the accuracy of the mediumistic records sub-
mitted and of the statements regarding the conditions under which the
experiments were held. For that accuracy and for those statements
Mrs. Allison is solely responsible. Yet I have no hesitancy in empha-
sizing what I have already said regarding her unusual qualifications
for an experimenter, and, in addition, it is only fair to say that a
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protracted and vigorous examination of the records in relation to the
circumstances and dates of the sittings, severally, has only resulted in
increased respect for them as apparently guarded and authentic
material.
Are Not the Later Sittings Liable to Suspicion?
The first experiments here reported took place in 1921, the last in
1927. I frankly admit that, had there come through one medium
material significantly like what had earlier come through another, I
should discount it, regardless of the reputation of mediums, unless the
supposition of communication from one to the other would in itself
involve a psychic marvel (as seership, to find out to what mediums out
of hundreds the sitter would go).1 Likewise, if in a series of sittings,
after the sitter becomes known to the medium, the later ones should be
richer in material, of the kind which could be gathered by profitable
inquiry, than the earlier ones, I should seriously discount those later
experiments.
The four sittings with Mrs. Soule, in 1921, and the four early in
July, 1922, were indeed far inferior to the three later ones of 1922
herein reported, in fact had very little evidential weight. BUT, Mrs.
Allison, a stranger from another city, was not only unmentioned by
name but was unseen by the medium, entering after the latter was
entranced, sitting behind her, and leaving the house before the termina-
tion of trance. I should not insist that even these precautions were
absolute guarantees if Mrs. Allison's were the only case. But many
others who have received evidential material, often in the first sitting,
have been required to observe the same precautions, yet in all these
years there has developed no instance, to my knowledge, giving grounds
for suspicion that Mrs. Soule had tried to gather information about
a sitter.2
The change from unimpressive to impressive results coincided with
the change from an "Imperator" to a "Sunbeam" control, that is
from the cloudy sage purporting to be the expert in charge "on the
1 The correct statements of Mrs. Soule, for instance, were not parroted by the
English mediums. There is no international "blue-book," and to know that
Mrs. Allison would pick out Mrs. Brittain and Mr. Peters from the numerous
mediums of London, even assuming that she normally knew that Mrs. Allison was
going there, would imply that she was a prophet. To those who have known Mrs.
Soule. to be sure, the supposition that she would be sending information derived
from her own trance utterances, the truth of which she did not know, is grotesque.
3 In 1925 I had a sitting with Mrs. Soule, not intending to go on farther, with
myself as sitter. The reason that I did sit many times was because she appeared to
be giving many correct statements regarding my boyhood, which are nowhere in
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other side," to the vivacious child personality (whatever she is) claim-
ing to be in charge. Why such an alteration in arrangements, which
most psychologists would assume is a mere piece of subliminal drama-
tization, should make a marked difference in the veridicity of the trance
statements, is a pretty problem for those same psychologists which the
most of them, after the manner of the parable, will pass by on the
other side.
The evidential sitting with Mrs. Brittain was the first one, held
under conditions which have been stated, and which I think will puzzle
even the most resolute to dispose of. It was the later sittings, those
after enough time had elapsed to give scope for conjecture that some
normal information could be acquired, which proved almost barren.
The sitting with Mr. Peters (not at all equal to the Brittain one)
was followed by a total failure.
The sittings with Mrs. Leonard are scattered through several sea-
sons. Here would be the greatest likelihood of the seeping in of normal
information. To be sure, Mrs. Allison appears to have exercised pecu-
liar pains not to give the medium any information, before or after
sittings, which could be utilized, and with the same care, addressed to
her (as she informs me) only perfunctory notes at any time. But it
would be impossible, with Mrs. Allison going about in London, and
other persons knowing and coming to know her, to guarantee the later
sittings, if their contents were of a nature to be so derived.
So far as they relate to Dr. Hyslop's physical and mental charac-
teristics the trance statements cannot be so guaranteed, scientifically.
Even Mrs. Leonard's conscious memory could not inform her of all she
may have heard regarding him.
Butand here is the vital pointin the later Leonard sittings is
almost nothing about Mrs. Allison's late husband, his relations, Mrs.
Allison, her relatives, or their affairs, of such a nature that Mrs. Leon-
ard is at all likely to have heard it. Had the description of E. W. A.'s
physical and mental characteristics, such as any acquaintance would
know, come only in the later sittings, they would be suspected, but they
print and which it is unthinkable that she could have heard. If she had told of
things in print, or things which any one whom she could have met, knew, or things
which she could have inferred, I should have given them no weight. But there was
no appearance in the series of profiting in the least from normal knowledge, or
opportunities for picking up normal knowledge, about me.
It is often the case that out of a number of experiments with Mrs. Soule by a
particular person the first ones are the best. So it was in the published series, " The
Mother of Doris." And so it was in the records before me of a half dozen sittings
by a physician. The first is startling in its accuracy through many particulars. The
physician was a stranger.
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began to be given in profusion (not entirely, but prevailingly correct)
in the very first one, while the later ones contained very little material
of any sort which was at all likely to have been so derived.
Had there come in the sittings, say of 1926, a statement clearly
implying what Mrs. Allison's professional work was, or indicating the
fact that her husband had pursued his profession only in a desultory
fashion, or describing her apartments in New York, or the one formerly
occupied by both, however genuine it might have been as a communica-
tion, it would have been such as an acquaintance could innocently have
told either to some one in the hearing of Mrs. Leonard or to some one
who could have repeated it. But we find in the later sittings very
little which is easily conceivable as so derived. Rather, the material
tends to turn in the direction of indicating knowledge of what Mrs.
Allison was doing, saying and feeling in various situations, and even
when alone, and in like predictions. Thus in this case there is not
apparent to me those objections which often cause me to lay aside a
mass of later material in a series as scientifically inadmissible.
The Anniversaries
Records of experiments with six psychics have been presented.
Three of these psychics, namely, Mrs. Brittain, Mrs. Leonard and Mr.
Peters, made statements regarding anniversaries. Both the unusual
proportion of attention given to this theme, and the degree of con-
sentience with each other and the historical facts attained, call for
explanation. Let us collate the passages, in order to have them under
one view.
Mrs. Brittain
June 6, 1923, the anniversary of E. W. A.'s death.
At the beginning, Mrs. Brittain sees "roses . . . they come only
at the anniversary of a birth or death."
Toward the close of the sitting: "Just wants you to know today,
roses are his best and dearest love to you." Besides, Mrs. Allison has
suppressed several sentences uttered with much feeling and stressing
the particular day. I have been permitted to see them and say that
the word "today" occurs thrice, and that one of the sentences is
"today he knows what it means to you." Directly after the above
came: "Awful sometimescurious, sudden tragedy."
It seems difficult to escape the conclusion that there is a clear inti-
mation that somebody near to Mrs. Allison, and probably the com-
municator, died on that very day, June 6.
In the same sitting it is positively and correctly declared that the
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wedding of the pair took place on a Wednesday, June 14. "Perhaps
it is your wedding day, because he gives you orange blossoms, no, not
todaythe 14th. The happiest day of his life. The one great happy
day. Not Thursday [14th near at hand was to fall on Thursday], not
Tuesdaybetween, you know." [Directly following this passage came
the sentences stressing the importance of "today," June 6, and by
"roses " and " sudden tragedy," distinctly implying its significance.]
Mr. Peters
July 3, 1923.
"SeptemberJuneJulyturned out to be anniversaries." This
is indefinite, in that it does not intimate the nature of the anniversaries.
It is also true that one could by hard thinking find an anniversary of
more or less importance in every month. But it can hardly be said
that only by ingenuity could a spirit E. W. A. make the months named
significant as anniversary months. One was the month of his marriage
to the sitter, and in his lifetime he remembered its exact date. Another
was the month of his wife's birthday, and in his lifetime he remembered
its exact date. The first of these anniversaries he was accustomed to
celebrate, even though in advance, by presents. The third was the
month when he first met the lady who was to be his wife, and no one
is competent to say that in his lifetime he did not remember that.
(Compare with what is said of the significance of a July anniversary
below. Leonard sitting of August 6, 1923.)
Mrs. Leonard
August 6, 1923.
"It is an important time for him as if it is an anniversary time
July important time for you and for him, as if it brought him close to
you. He looked upon this as a kind of special time, looking back it
would be rather important for him and for you."
This second reference to July emphasizes the first one, through
Mr. Peters, although it is indefinite and ambiguous. We do not know
whether it means that something brought him closer on the anniversary,
or that it originally brought him closer, at the time it occurred.
"Do you remember he passed near to an anniversary? [only eight
days before his wedding anniversary]. He was sorry that you would
have the two things to rememberI mean every year to think of them
together. One would make the other sad. . . . Like spoiling the other,
too. You were reminded a little while ago [wedding anniversary less
than two calendar months past]. Something you are holding would
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179
remind you of it [sitter was wearing her wedding and engagement
rings]."
June 6, 192b., anniversary of E. W. A.'s death.
"He meant to speak last time. Had come again. Important time.
An anniversary time. He had been thinking of it, lately, on the anni-
versary. Must be some time very near now, very close. He tries to
remember anniversaries, though he has not time on this side. He has
to remember time by coming to you, remember by things you are doing.
And he says he has been astonished to see how the years are going on.
When first he left he wouldn't have liked to look forward to so many
years."
"When he left" may be taken, very uncertainly, as a hint of the
nature of the anniversary.
June H, 1925, anniversary of the wedding.
"Ought you to have been thinking of your gentleman? Because I
feel as if it is rather an important time bringing you memory of him.
He is rather glad your sitting happened at this time, because it helps
you over what might make you look back and feel a bit sad. Not a
bit sad, but very sad. So, he says, he feels he always likes you to have
it just now. As a matter of fact, two different conditions you could
be thinking about, just now, that are connected with him. It is like
two memories, two different times that happen to come the same time
of the year. But they didn't occur the same year. But the anni-
versaries falling due just now. I feel one happier than the other. I
feel one happy and one a sad one. It always seems rather curious to
him they should happen together like that."
This utterance is in perfect harmony with that of the first sitting,
August 6, 1923. In that it is explicitly stated that the communicator's
death occurred near another anniversary date, which, it is unmistak-
ably intimated, was of a happy character; in this it is declared that
two different anniversaries come the same time of the year, though not
the same year, and that one is a sad anniversary, the other a happy
one. In the first it was correctly said that the reminder came " a little
while ago "; in this it is correctly stated that the anniversaries are
"falling due just now." But in this another fact is intimated, that
the happy anniversary is later than the sad one. Else why is he glad
of a sitting "just now," on June 14? Because "it helps you over
what might make you look back and feel . . . very sad."
How did it come about that through Mrs. Brittain came the posi-
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tive declaration that the sitter married on a Wednesday, June 14, and
the unavoidable implication that her husband died on June 6; and
through Mrs. Leonard the intelligence that her husband died near the
date of another anniversary of a happy character, with the composite
implication that the two events commemorated occurred along the first
half of June, and the plain intimation that the happy event was dated
after the other? Whoever invokes "the long arm of coincidence" to
explain these two sets of deliverances, on the background of all of the
other correspondences with fact, surely possesses a long leg of
credulity.
Let us unmercifully propose and test the theories.
1. The sitter carelessly and unwittingly gave away the facts.
She says that she was always careful to be non-committal before,
during and after the sittings. Such declarations cannot by any means
always be taken at their face value, but I again assert my confidence
that in Mrs. Allison's case they may. She is a notably cool, well-
poised and intelligent woman, well-instructed as to precautionary
methodology. She has the advantage of knowing shorthand, and
declares that she set down all her own utterances save for an occa-
sional " Yes," " I see," or such utterance meaning nothing. There are
mediums who assist themselves by watching unconscious facial changes.
But Mrs. Brittain closes her eyes during delivery, and Mrs. Leonard
generally sits at right angles to the experimenter, and seldom appears
to be seeing the latter at all. It would be interesting to know, also,
what sort of a facial expression would be interpreted to mean, for in-
stance, that the sitter was married on Wednesday, June 14.
Besides, if the sitter is still imagined to be an emotional, impulsive,
credulous and careless person, all which those who have known her for
years declare is the opposite of the reality, why did she get nothing
which impressed her in experiments with several American mediums
named in the Introduction? One of these " fishes " considerably, when
credulous or careless persons yield to her, but she got nothing, evi-
dently, from Mrs. Allison.
2. The mediums chanced upon the information regarding the anniver-
saries of marriage and death, etc.
To state the circumstances is to refute this theory, which had it to
do with Mrs. Soule in Boston, though still unlikely, would be a possible
one (I am discussing the matter academically, disregarding knowledge
of the tested character of mediums). Mrs. Soule, however, got nothing
about anniversaries. It was in London, where Mrs. Allison had not
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been for twelve years, that through stranger psychics, these facts
came. They were not to be found in any Who's Who or any biograph-
ical dictionary. Mrs. Allison could not think of any one (save mem-
bers of E. W. A.'s family, of course) anywhere likely to know the date
of the marriage at the time of that visit. Her appointment with Mrs.
Brittain was made the evening before the sitting at 10 a. m.; and no
name was given. The appointment with Mr. Peters was made nearly a
month later, the day before the sitting. Still a month later came the
first sitting with Mrs. Leonard, and not even Mrs. Allison's name was
furnished the medium. In the meantime in what registry office of
Great Britain, in what newspaper, in what other quarter were the
peculiar facts given in that sitting (as well as the greater number in
the others) to be obtained?
3. One medium informed another.
It is true that certain professional "mediums " give each other in-
formation, a fact regarding which I am well informed. This is espe-
cially likely to take place where tricky professionals congregate in a
camp, or take turns to "demonstrate " in a meeting. But no medium
in America could have sent to a medium in England facts which she
was not able to bring out herself. And any such theory grasped to
avoid falling in the dread ditch of " occultism " on one side, would land
one in as bad a ditch on the other side, for it would require seership for
a medium in America to know what mediums Mrs. Allison would see in
England. Thus Mrs. Brittain, the first medium visited in England,
and visited soon after arrival, is left high and dry. To imagine Mrs.
Leonard, in her beautiful home in a country village many miles from
London, with her carefully guarded experiments going on systemat-
ically, receiving tips from mediums in London, or furnishing tips to
them, is amusing. But let us waive that. A tricky medium who ex-
changes tips, makes the most of his tips, usually at the first oppor-
tunity. He may disguise and dress up the information he has received,
but that information he brings out to the limit of his knowledge. Let
us imagine Mrs. Brittain giving tips to Mrs. Leonard( !). Mrs. Brit-
tain has discovered (by a process unaccountable except by telepathy
or "communications ") that Mrs. Allison was married on June 14
and a Wednesday. But we do not find that most valuable of all single
hits brought out in Mrs. Leonard's work through the whole range of
sittings with her. But more, to confine our attention to the anniver-
saries, Mrs. Allison declares that she never acknowledged the hits
regarding these to any of the psychics. No medium ever circulates
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unconfirmed impressions of her own; she would be in much hot water
if she did.
4. The mediums drew inferences from the sitter's mourning garb, from
the time she applied for sittings, from her silence meaning assent,
and gradually built up an appearance of success.
The sitter did not wear mourning. Two of the three mediums whom
we have in mind now were not told even that she was bereaved, one,
Mrs. Leonard, was told, by Lady Troubridge. But telling this gave
no information as to what person had died. It might be a parent or a
child. And it gave no inkling of the personal characteristics of the
deceased person, nor (more to our present purpose) when that person
died or was married. An American more frequently than otherwise
visits England in the summer, because that is vacation time, therefore
applications for sittings in that season was no hint that or when some
one had died. Mrs. Allison chose, as an experiment, to have her first
sitting on the anniversary of her husband's death, but any medium
who proceeded with strangers on the supposition of their selection of
a death anniversary would come to grief in the vast majority of cases.
At the end of two years two other sittings had taken place on anni-
versaries, one of the death, the other of the marriage, but through
chance assignment by the medium herself. When a sitter is silent to
nearly everything which is said, whether it be correct or not, the
medium is unable to infer anything from any particular moment of
silence. And there is no appearance of building up. Each experiment
proceeds to give quite new particulars with a few repetitions. The
most of what is contained in Mrs. Leonard's later utterances regarding
anniversaries is stated or implied in the utterance at the first sitting.
Mrs. Brittain, after one experiment yielding remarkable correspon-
dences with the facts, faded out into insignificance in the experiments
which followed.
So far, the theories discussed are such as are sought to exclude any
supernormal causation. When it comes to discussing the claims of the
telepathic theory against the spiritistic, to account for the anniversary
statements, we are in quite another arena. Taking these statements by
themselves, and admitting the phenomenon of telepathy between the
living, they might well be instances. There do not exist difficulties in
its way like those in the " Margaret " passage (and others) discussed
elsewhere. The conditions as regards the anniversary hits were very
close to what they are in those of the usual experimental tests for
telepathy. One could hardly attend a sitting on or near one of these
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anniversaries without her mind more or less dwelling on it, and upon
the other, too, since they were so near each other. On a June 6, the
sitter would surely be thinking more or less about her husband's death
as having occurred on that date, and less rather than more about the
anniversary to come on the 14th. So telepathy from the sitter would
be a likely explanation in regard to this particular group of state-
ments, if one does not profess blank agnosticism.
On the other hand, if one has by virtue of the sum of his studies in
this field, come to think the argument rather better for telepathy from
spirits than for telepathy from the living, to account for much of the
authenticated material of psychic research, then it is as easy to apply
it to the anniversary mediumistic statements as it is to explain them
by transmission of the sitter's thoughts. For the spirit of E. W. A.,
if it survives with its memories, might well be interested in anniver-
saries, if only because his wife had expected recognition of the anni-
versaries while he was with her, or because he as an intelligent
experimenter on his side, thought that they would furnish good evi-
dence, if only he could get his recognition of them expressed.
A Question by "George," and Its By-product
It may be worth while further to discuss two associated episodes in
Section XVIII. The purported Dr. Hyslop's response to his son's
query regarding the visit to the latter while he was in college, utterly
failed in furnishing any recognizable details worth mention. And yet,
as a seeming by-product of the question, the following details were
given: Margaret, some one whom Dr. J. H. Hyslop is interested in,
some one much older than George, who has had much to do with
George, a person now dead; a relative died soon after the visit referred
to. It seems to me that this combination, which so well fits Mrs.
Margaret Hyslop, stepmother of Dr. J. H. Hyslop, who lived in the
family with George from the time he was fourteen and who died rela-
tively soon after the visit and perhaps within a year after it, is very
unlikely as a chance result. Of course, if it stood as the only instance
of the kind, it would unhesitatingly be pronounced such, but there are
too many such accurate or near-to-accurate combinations in this
record, and too many carefully tested and analyzed cases containing
too many such combinations, for me, at least, to entertain any doubt
whatever that they cannot be the work of chance. How, then, did they
how did this particular combination come into existence, from the
mouth of Mrs. Leonard?
Again, if this particular combination stood by itself, if there were
not others as remarkable or more so, relating to different persons, and
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to circumstances of a private character in different parts of the world,
I would say that, if not the result of chance, the particulars in it were
gleaned through avenues of normal information, unlikely as that might
be. (How many people in the world knew that the death of "Mar-
garet " took place not long after Dr. Hyslop's visit to his son, and how
would Mrs. Leonard have come into contact with one of them, in order
to prepare herself to give an answer relevant to a question afterwards
unexpectedly asked?) But this is not the case. Surely no one will
credit that Mrs. Leonard learned by gossip or inquiry the particulars
of Mrs. Allison's father's physical description, the particulars of his
last illness, etc., with almost unerring accuracy. And about the anni-
versaries, intimated so significantly at the very first sitting with
her, etc., etc.
To such as agree with me so far, I ask, how did Mrs. Leonard get
the facts, then? Take the "Margaret" statement. Was it by
telepathy from Dr. George H. Hyslop, the one who asked a certain
question and knew its answer?
There is a quantity of compelling evidence for telepathy between
the living, and even some for telepathy at a great distance. The most
of the evidence of prime quality concerns persons consciously engaged
in experimentation for it, each knowing that the other is so engaged.
There are other cases, apparently of spontaneous telepathy, mostly
between persons in emotional relations with each other. Between Dr.
G. H. Hyslop and Mrs. Leonard, who had never had any relations of
meeting or corresponding, was no corde sympathique, and he had no
idea when the sitting was to be. The rule in experiments for telepathy
is to fix one's mind on a definite thing, and usually, if there is any
result which is at all impressive, it consists of the thing thought of
or something recognizably like it. While Dr. G. H. Hyslop did not
intend an experiment for telepathy, yet so far as he fixed his mind
upon anything it was upon the visit to him, in Indiana. Nothing rele-
vant to the visit came through Mrs. Leonard but, instead, some true
particulars concerning a woman relative who died not very long after
the visit.
But, we are reminded, sometimes, in experiments for telepathy,
results have been such as to suggest that the percipient got, instead of
the thought intended, some other thought which had been in the
agent's mind just before. May we not apply this consideration to
the case?
It does not seem likely that George, at the time he proposed the
question for Mrs. Allison to ask, thought all those particulars" not
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long after the visit Grandmother, whose name is Margaret, who had
a great deal to do with me, died." If he did, is it to be supposed that
this thought composed of a number of particulars shot at once across
to England, impinged upon Mrs. Leonard's brain, there to remain
latent until it popped out a week or two later in the sitting? Or are
we to suppose that to this very busy man, who probably never gave
more than a passing thought to the question after he proposed it in
response to Mrs. Allison's request, at some time in the interval there
happened, in the midst of his thousands of thoughts, to occur the com-
binationgrandmother's name was Margaret, she had much to do with
him, she died not long after the visit,and that this combination con-
tinued as an entity somewhere, ready to dart over the sea and pounce
upon Mrs. Leonard when Mrs. Allison should come? We can hardly
be audacious enough in speculation to suppose that George happened
at the very moment that Mrs. Allison asked the question at the sitting,
to be thinking the Margaret combination of particulars, and thus to
approximate the conditions of the only successful long-distance experi-
ments for telepathy of which we know. He did not know when the
sitting was to take place.
Prove telepathy between the living (and experimentation has, in
my judgment, proved it) and I know not, and no one else knows, the
process by which it is achieved. But I can at least see that the con-
ditions for such a process may be favorable when two persons are at
the same time consciously taking part in an experiment or two persons
are in strong emotional rapport with each other. Thus far I can see,
but cannot follow or easily conceive of casual and faint thought-
combinations being kept in storage for future delivery, or scraps of
past thoughts becoming resurrected and combined around a common
center and then flitting across the ocean. Nor do I know that anyone
has been adventurous enough to think that perhaps the medium herself
is so powerful a telepathic magnet that she stimulates thoughts in
people then unaware and engaged about their business at hundreds or
thousands of miles distance and brings their thoughts back to herself
for utterance.
These may sound like terms of ridicule, but if this is so, it was not
from intent. While it is easy to say, as a bare proposition, that evi-
dential incidents too complex and too many in a record to be accounted
for by chance may be accounted for by telepathy, it is hardly possible
to take a step farther in the direction of suggesting how telepathy
could account for them, when the conditions are as in the Margaret
incident and many another. We come up against difficulties and be-
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come involved in seeming absurdities at every attempt. In cases of
experimental telepathy, where both parties are aware and cooperating,
we can imagine brain vibrations which reach from one to another
(although we have not an atom of evidence that there are such vibra-
tions). We can imagine such vibrations occurring between sympathetic
people sporadically, even when they are not consciously experimenting.
But there is an ocean between these and the cases we have in mind as
wide as the ocean between Mrs. Leonard and Dr. G. H. Hyslop. To sup-
pose that she, a stranger and one who probably never heard of him, at
the moment when she was asked a question in England, could set up a
vibration which would arouse in him, busy and unaware that an experi-
ment was then in progress across the sea, a response which would be
brought back to her, is a supposition so stupendous that the spiritistic
hypothesis is tame beside it, and as an alternative to such a dose one
would be tempted to invent the spiritistic solution, if he had never
heard survival suggested as a possibility.
And if telepathy from George is, after all, responsible for the
Margaret group and for other by-products which are approximations
to the truth, how was it that none of the questions which he asked, the
answers to which were certainly in his mind at least at the hour of
proposing them, elicited convincing responses? Had they done so, in
a larger measure than did the spontaneous utterances, there would
indeed have been produced the appearances of telepathic action.
But, if Dr. J. H. Hyslop was communicating, why did he not
answer the questions? Why did he produce such a farrago of irrele-
vancies in answer to the question as to the visit to the Indiana college?
First let us note that these objections weigh against the telepathic
theory as much as against the spiritistic. The former cannot be
allowed every advantage going and coming. It cannot be true that
both better success in answering questions proposed by a living person,
and less success, argues for telepathy as against spirits.
Certainly, if "communication" is conceived of as a conversation,
the spirit uttering sentences which are transmitted word for word as
they were intentionally framed by him for transmission, such replies
are fatal to the theory. But if communication is telepathic in its char-
acter, the " replies," to use that term, are understandable. They are
the clothing in the words of the medium's subconscious, of telepathic
impressions of ideas, assisted by quasi-visual and quasi-auditory
imagery. They are, in other words, the medium's interpretation of
impressions, with all the possibilities of error from erroneous interpre-
tation and wrong inference, and other seepings from her own mental
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content. If this is the case, we must expect errors and confusions and
contradictions. There can be evidence only in proportion as true
statements emerge from the welter of words outweighing the mis-
statements and incoherences and chaff convincingly and mathematically
beyond the limits of chance, in a multitude of experiments.
In answer to this very question there first came, apparently as the
"answer of Dr. Hyslop (and yet, ex hypothesi, not necessarily exactly
reflecting his thoughts): "That doesn't come up to his mind very
much. Probably when he gets away from here it may come back. . . .
He's quite sure his memory is not a complete one when at the sitting.
'My memory is perfect and complete in my own conditions, but your
conditions limit us.' . . . He says, 'I can only think of one thing at
a time. The law of association is the easiest one for me to work on in
these conditions.'"
This sounds like dodging, yet whoever can keep cool enough to look
upon survival and communication, in some sense, as possibilities, will
see that it may not be that, but an adumbration, probably a very
imperfect statement, of the truth.
I have suggested that on the spiritistic-telepathic theory, the ques-
tion about the visit to George, both on account of the name " George"
and the fact that not very long after the visit George's grandmother,
who had lived in the same house, died, caused Dr. J. H. Hyslop to think
about " Margaret " and that some details of his thoughts were caught
and uttered by " Feda." On the same theory, it is conceivable that in
some state of reverie, or condition similar to that of Mrs. Leonard
herself, necessary for conducting the mutual experiment for com-
munication, Dr. Hyslop was caused by the question regarding a visit
to George's college, to think of one of the colleges with which he had
been associated,3 so that more or less correctly details regarding
grounds, buildings, etc., came through, and that Feda or the medium's
interpreting subconsciousness inferred that the details referred to
George's college. This supposition would involve what I have long
thought, on the spiritistic hypothesis, is surely the case, that a com-
municator is only very imperfectly aware what is delivered by the
medium's voice or pencil. Indeed, such a claim has often been made,
as in the trance utterances of Mrs. Piper.
8 It may be asked why I do not test this conjecture. Dr. Hyslop was familiar
as student or teacher with a half dozen colleges. If a list of the stated details was
sent to a representative of each of these, experience warns me that it would be with
utmost difficulty that replies could be extorted in all cases, and that some of the
replies would be such as to suggest possible emotional disgust and inattention. It is
obviously impracticable for me to visit them all and make a detailed inspection.
G
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Of course, the most of these suggestions are conjectural in the
extreme, but when we are groping amidst phenomena which must have
some explanation, it is proper to give consideration to one which at
least explains, consistently with psychological facts and principles.
If the records did not furnish many examples of utterances which
seem to imply supernormal sources of knowledge, then such passages
as that describing buildings and grounds would not constitute a
special problem, but would be part of the common mass attributable
to guesses or subliminal dreaming.
The problem may be put in two ways: either why alongside of
complex passages indicating supernormally acquired knowledge should
be found other passages irrelevant and so far as is known untrue, or
why along with passages made up of irrelevant and apparently untrue
details there should be other passages which strike one as correspon-
dent to the truth quite beyond chance, inference or normal sources of
acquiring information.
The Brittain Sitting
It is impossible for me to understand how any thinking person, not
utterly blinded by prejudice, can read the verbatim notes of the Brit-
tain sitting, for example, reflect on the conditions under which the
experiment was made, and not realize that in whatsoever direction he
looks, there is no "normal" mode of explaining the almost uninter-
rupted stream of literally correct or nearly correct statements. I do
not mean merely no crack for leakage in sight, but no crack which may
reasonably be imagined, short of imagining that the reporter, known to
many to possess a critical mind and an unusually sensitive intellectual
conscience, is on the contrary a liar or imbecile, whose record is not
verbatim as she says it is, but is substantially forged.
She comes to London after twelve years' absence, without previous
contacts with persons there interested in psychic research. For this
very reason, she takes a few letters of introduction to persons like
Mrs. Salter and Mrs. McKenzie, interested in this species of research.
She presents the letter to Mrs. McKenzie and in response to request
receives the names of two mediums.
In the interval between getting the name and securing an appoint-
ment with Mrs. Brittain may not some one in the McKenzie establish-
ment, say a naughty clerk overhearing the conversation, have supplied
Mrs. Brittain with useful information? In my own case, when I, in
1927, also applied there for appointments with mediums, this could
have been done, since quite a number of things were known about me
in that office. I did not in the least care for that, for, while I of course
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189
had not belief or suspicion that this would be done, I was prepared to
discount, in any case, mediumistic statements which could possibly have
been derived from knowledge possibly possessed by any one into touch
with whom the medium could possibly come. As it happened, my one
experiment with Mrs. Brittain happened to disclose neither anything
convincing which could be so derivable, nor anything which would more
call for any theory of derivation than does the phantasmagoria of a
dream. But about Mrs. Allison, the stranger, there was nothing
known in the McKenzie office.
No one knew of the appointment except Mrs. Allison's friend from
America who went on the boat with her. Her character, her oppor-
tunities and the absence of motive forbid any suspicion from resting
on her. Not until midnight did she learn of the engagement with a
person unknown to her. She was off early the next morning, and the
sitting took place at 10 a. m. And it is inconceivable that the friend
knew all the particulars stated. But imagine a lady, without assign-
able motive, calling up a stranger psychic after midnight from the
hotel where the intended sitter was, to betray her friend by giving
information, even if it had been all at her command!
Let the reader turn back and read the summary of this sitting, and
ask himself if, despite a few minor errors, the record, including the
declaration that the sitter's wedding took place on Wednesday, June
14, the intimation that her husband's death occurred on the day of the
sitting, with many true particulars of E. W. A.'s physical and mental
description, etc., etc., can be purely fortuitous. Even if this one ex-
periment were all that was laid before him, could he point to it and
use the language which I quote from the letter of a correspondent:
"I have never known or read of an experience that seemed seriously to
suggest any occult explanation as even to be looked for"?
Mrs. Allison had two more sittings with the medium and, with the
exception of one episode, both were what my single one was, devoid of
evidence of anything more than chance could supply. That is to say,
impressive results were achieved at the first experiment when there
could have been no opportunities for acquiring information, but later
experiments, when the sitter could have been " shadowed" to her hotel
and facts obtained about her by a detective (however unprofitable such
expenses would have made the medium's business), were practically
barren. This is often the case with Mrs. Soule also, that the very first
sittings with a stranger are the best. And yet it is not the poor results
which demand explanation, for poor results are according to the
normal expectation.
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But there is one point which needs to be mentioned in this connec-
tion, for I find that the logic or the mathematical faculty of many
persons trips here. They think that the lack of results, beyond
chance probabilities, in the second and third sittings, detracts from
the value of the results obtained in the first. This is not the case. If
in an hour on one day a person was able in 22 out of 25 trials exactly
to name playing cards selected unseen by another, the fact that in
neither of two similar sets of trials on two subsequent days did the
result vary markedly from chance expectation, would not affect the
impressiveness of the first series at all. If the second and third re-
sulted approximately according to the average of chance, they would
cancel themselves.
If a Spirit, Why Did He Not Say?
Near the beginning of Section II, Mrs. Allison wonders why E.
W. A., if he is communicating, and thinks it worth while to mention his
teeth, did not take the opportunity to say a certain something about
teeth which would have been characteristic and evidential. Perhaps he
was aiming at the opportunity but did not succeed in "getting it
through " via first Sunbeam and secondly Mrs. Soule.
But more and more I am impressed with the demands we make upon
purported spirits and under which the credit of the same persons, if
living, would break down. For often one of two associated persons is
strongly reminded of something which he thinks should as readily come
to the mind of the other, but which docs not spontaneously do so. We
will all agree that such a conversation as this could occur, on a return
of Dr. Allison to his wife after a long journey:
Mrs. A.: " Speaking of teeth, do you remember something that we
said about your teeth before you went away?" Dr. A.: "Yes, I re-
member that you kept urging me to go to a dentist and have my teeth
fixed, and that I did so and then said to you, 'You see that I have
obeyed orders.'" Mrs. A.: "Oh, that isn't what I mean at all. Don't
you remember how we used to say ... ?" Dr. A.: "Yes. Funny I
didn't think of that!"
Or, suppose a certain Aunt of mine testing out my purported
spirit with a medium. She asks, "Do you remember a drive we took
from Kents Hill when you were young?" My spirit: "Yes, I do,
through Fayette." Aunt: "Where did our journey end and what was
its purpose?" Spirit: "Isn't it strange? I cannot remember."
My Aunt would probably comment: "We went to visit the an-
cestral home of his family. He was much interested in genealogical
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and historical matters and the visit delighted him. Of course, he
would have recollected seeing the old log house of his grandfather if
he remembered the comparatively unimportant detail of our passing
through Fayette to get there." But had I been living I should have
made exactly the same replies. I remember driving with Aunt, and
even her pointing out a road at some distance on which at one time
she had lived, but the picture of the log house and the fact that the
journey was for the purpose of seeing it, have entirely gone from
memory. These facts were, however, proved to me about thirty years
after they took place.
This case can be used to further advantage to illustrate the prob-
lems which are inevitably bound to arise in regard to communications,
granting there is such a thing as communication from spirits and that
it is always or in general of a strictly telepathic nature. If I remem-
bered enough about the journey through Fayette to say, " Yes, I do,"
there would certainly arise in my mind the mental picture which rises
in my mind at this moment, and which is in fact the only distinct mem-
ory I have of that journey. It is a picture of a road lying at a con-
siderable distance, on higher land than the road where we are driving,
a road with tall elm trees and occasional cottages, with my Aunt
beside me and pointing, saying that she lived in a house in that neigh-
borhood when her husband was minister there.
Now, then, I being a spirit, the same picture and memory of my
Aunt's remark, come into my mind. Whether I want it to happen or
not, a telepathic impression is received by the medium, which comes
out, we will say, thus, warped somewhat in the passage by subcon-
scious efforts to interpret and make coherent:
"\ve went to see some one in a parsonage. The parsonage was on
a hill, surrounded by high elms. I heard you talking about it."
My Aunt, having quite forgotten pointing out the elm-shaded road
where the old parsonage stood, and having told me that she once lived
there, since this was but one of a hundred episodes of the journey, is
naturally not favorably impressed by the " communication." She has
no means of knowing that one scene of the journey and one utterance
of hers remained to me from the trip through Fayette, hence she has
no key with which to unlock the cryptic utterance. Therefore she
might well comment like this:
"We did not go to see some one in a parsonage. We went to see
the old house where his grandfather once lived. It was not on high
but very low land. There were no elms or any other trees around it.
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'Talking about' sounds like nonsense. We did go to a house, which
would be most likely, anyway."
True, the "communication" would be utterly unevidential, and
would constitute a problem, the key to which was forever lost, and yet
it would be historically and psychologically valid. Had my Aunt
remembered that little incident of stopping the horse, pointing out the
scene and making a certain remark, and could she have surmised that
possibly I remembered those details, she could have verified the com-
munication, making allowances for a little secondary elaboration of it
in the medium's subconscious.
We have experiments to test the memories of purported spirits,
and test them by the very imperfect standard of our own. If spirits
communicate, and if by telepathic processes, I should say that the
proportion of false, apparently false and unverifiable material, owing
both to seepings and warpings from the medium's mind through which
the spirit's thoughts must pass, and the experimenter's failure of
memory, would be about what we find it.
Alleged Sensory Impressions Just Before Death
In Section XII it is said of the purported communicator: "he had
been doing things and thinking things out; he had been close to a
window, conscious of air, only a little while before he passed over."
In the same sitting Feda said, in the tone and with the manner she
employs when she purports to address a communicating spirit, "But
what are you trying to do?" and then she explained to the sitter,
"He holds up his hand in front of his face. Have you teased him
about his nose?" The sitter denied having done so, and later, after
the remark about being close to the window, Feda says, " Do you know
there was something he could smell he didn't like? It is a condition
you should know about. That is why he was doing that to his nose,
because he could get the smell." In the same connection it is declared
that "unconsciousness didn't come gradually, came quite suddenly."
The facts were that E. W. A. had been sitting by an open window,
planning a summer holiday, on the night of the attack, that when
unconsciousness came it was with instantaneous suddenness, and that
immediately afterwards Mrs. Allison held a vessel containing whiskey
up to his face and poured some down his throat.
But "unconsciousness," relatively to the onlooker, is not always
entire unconsciousness in fact to the subject. There are many recorded
cases of recovery from an apparently completely unconscious state,
even one so profound that physicians pronounced it death, with after
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19.3
ability to describe what had been said and done by persons present
during the interval.
"Conscious of air"what a curious phrase to be derived tele-
pathically from the sitter!" A smell he didn't like "still more
curious. Surely, Mrs. Allison would think "open window," "gave
him whiskey," and not of the sensation of air on the skin or in the
lungs, or the sensation of smelling the whiskey, which her consciousness
in that tragic moment would hardly have heeded. But supposing that
the last recollections before death should be exceedingly tenacious,
then, if the spirit talked about the hour of his death, it would be
psychologically verisimilar that memories of the last sensations should
be revived.
Such appearances, as of memories of last effects upon the senses,
are not uncommon in the work of psychics who have been deemed
worthy of study. Thus, in " Five Sittings with Mrs. Sanders" (Pro-
ceedings A. S. P. R., Vol. XVIII), the purported spirit of a lady
rightly declared that "to others it was the unconscious state" when
she was dying, and, together with a number of literally true particu-
lars which happened during the last minutes, mentioned one of much
interest. "Do you know the bell that was ringing . . . something
that sounds like a belldon't seem to be a church bell . . . something
of a clang when this spirit was going over ... it sounds like a muffled
iron being strucklike a bell hit, not as clear as bell." All this does
not sound as one would think a telepathic impression received from the
sitter would sound. Nor does it sound like anything that would have
been likely to have made any deep impression upon his consciousness.
When the above words were spoken in trance by Mrs. Sanders the sitter
remembered clearly that about five minutes before his mother's death,
the electric bell of the front door downstairs was rung by a relative of
the family. He could remember the fact that he went down to let his
cousin in, but perhaps never since his mother's death did the incidental
and commonplace fact that he was summoned to do so by the bell come
into his mind. But it may be possible that in the consciousness of the
dying, though beyond speech or visible reactions to the outer world, the
primitive sensation of something heard, or tasted or smelled, looms up
and becomes important, enchaining attention and exciting wonder.
And if consciousness survives bodily death, no one can know whether
or not the last sensations tend to become fixed in memory. It would
be deemed absurd to suppose anyone in what appears to be deep coma
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could hear and understand what is being said in the room, if there had
not been instances of survival of such a state with proved memory of
conversations during it.
I do not think that the numerous mediumistic utterances which im-
ply memory of last impressions before death are conclusive in and by
themselves, but I do think that many of them deserve consideration for
something beyond their mere factual validity, that is with reference to
their peculiarities and a psychologically satisfactory explanation of
those peculiarities. Judging by the results of experimental telepathy,
if the fact about the bell came into the mind of the medium by telepathy
from the sitter, we would have expected an utterance like, "There was
a door-bell rang just before I died," or "a sound like a bell" simply.
On the contrary, what we find is likethis we must admitwhat we
would expect if a consciousness was trying to describe a sensation
which at the time made a powerful and lasting impression in a state
where the reasoning powers were too feeble to understand the true
nature and source of that sensation. Just so, after more than thirty
years, the strange impressions which dominated my mind for hours in
illness which produced near-delirium still remain in memory, but to
describe them I should be reduced to a series of ejaculatory efforts no
sentence of which nor all together would be adequate. The series of
ejaculations about the bell-like sounds, not half of which have I
quoted, appear as if they were genuine results of such efforts.
An Experiment with "Chance"
Just before going to press it occurred to me to see how the state-
ments in a sitting, which in the main are applicable to E. W. A., would
apply to me. Of course, such a test will not at all rank with the com-
parison which I made with respect to the statements in "The Mother
of Doris" on the basis of a questionnaire answered by fifty women.
Nevertheless, it will have some interest. There are plenty of persons,
even of high professional standing, whose dislike of studies in psychic
research is so great, or whose sense of mathematical values is so small,
that they are capable of declaring that there is nothing in these records
but the blind work of chance. Well, then, " chance" should have just
as good a chance if I am put in the place of E. W. A.
I have tried out the test with but one sitting, that of Mrs. Soule in
Section II. The reason for this selection is that most of the state-
ments therein relate to one person, the presumable E. W. A., and few
of them have to do with his deathsuch statements being, of course,
impossible to apply to a living person.
Turning to the Summary of Section II, I find that, disregarding
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what is said of "diagrams," "bottles," "glasses" and "germs" as
implied in the earlier statement regarding hospital experience, there are
26 affirmations and intimations.
Of those reckoned as "Correct" and "Near Correct" as re-
lated to E. W. A., the following I regard as Correct for me:
(1) "When interested went in all over," (2) could not quibble (at
least, I think I do not), (3) has house-coat, (4) "always hitched to a
clock " (but only at certain former periods of my life), (5) teeth not as
good as those of his wife.
Applying to me but in no special degree is: (6) "very light, thin
suit of clothes, seems to be light gray." (But / had no special liking
for it, my wife did not prefer it, I have not worn gray one quarter so
much as other colors and seldom have worn light gray).
Applying to me by forced construction: (7) "he had two watches,
one bigger." (I have only one watch which has been in use for some
years. I have two other old, unused watches, three in all. Their sizes
all slightly differ.)
Wrong for me: (8) "Neddie" (not my name), (9) fond of beau-
tiful china (not more than the average person), (10) "houselike
seeing you from the window" (my wife and I had no custom to explain
this), (11) "so polite" to wife (I do not think that the emphasizing
"so " would be correct for me. I fear that too much work and a mind
abstracted in thought often caused a deficiency in outward politeness
in fact, I am sure of this), (12) "fob" (I have none, never wore one
in my life, so far as I remember, except for a short time many years
ago), (13) kept trinkets had as a boy (I have not one), (14) uses
everything (on the contrary, I have the New England propensity for
keeping some things "nice" for special occasions), (15) "fine, good-
sized, aristocratic nose" (not one of these adjectives applies to my
nose), (16) "movable clock" (no special sense in which this could
apply to me), (17) intimation of hospital experience and practice
(never, nor was I ever even a patient in a hospital), (18) intimation
that nuns were associated with my professional work (never, save in
one year long ago, and then my contacts with them were very few),
(19) beautiful hands (mine could not correctly be so described),
(20) very fond of asparagus (I can only tolerate it), (21) "played
a gameclick, like golfgood shot" (I have not played any game in
the least like golf since boyhood, when I sometimes batted a ball; and
I was never a good shot at anything), (22) "trouble with tooth in
back of the mouth" (no intelligent significance, have had no
trouble with teeth anywhere for many years, whereas E. W. A. had
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dental work done in the back of his mouth shortly before his decease),
(23) "Wheelen " (neither as Wheelen or Wheeler or any similar name
would there be any plausible relevance to me that I can imagine).
(24) The intimation that E. W. A. had a wrist-watch was Wrong,
it is Wrong for me, alsoI never wore one.
Reckoned as Unverified in relation to E. W. A. were (25) the
reference to a song-book with his name on it and writing in it, also
with a loose cover (I remember nothing of the sort related to me, but
cannot be certain; again Unverified is the word), and (26) "was he
ever in a morgue" (in my case this would certainly be wrong).
I have racked my brains to find more items for which an excuse
could be found to classify them as Correct. The item about a light
gray suit is so reckoned, because I happen to be wearing one at this
writing, not because it has been at all characteristic. So with a rather
guilty intellectual conscience the three watches I own are counted as
correct for " two," since three includes two, and " hitched to a clock"
is included, since there was a time twelve years ago when my work was
entirely regulated by the clock. Outside of school days this has not
been true for two years in my life. And yet, with every effort to swell
the number of coincidences between the sitting-statements and the
facts concerning me and my affairs, here are the returns on the record
of Section II.
Correct and near correct Wrong Unverified
For E. W. A 23 1 2
For W. F. P 7 18 1
If we take into consideration the respective weight of the medium-
istic statements, as well as their number, the disparity, I think, would
be greater. But so far as numbers are concerned, the first line of fig-
ures represents what some persons derisive of psychical research sup-
pose that chance can do, while the lower line of figures shows what
chance actually did.
Following this, I put the same points to a lady in reference to her
husband, asking her to do all that ingenuity could do consistently with
truth, to make the points apply. This was the result.
Yes: numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 14, 21, 24, 26.
Yes, by forced construction: numbers 7, 22 (had tooth midway
back fixed six years ago).
No: numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22,
23, 25. Yeses 8, Noes 18; or by forcing, Yeses 10, Noes 16.
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FURTHER EXPERIMENTS WITH MRS. SOULE
Reported by
THE RESEARCH OFFICER
Of The
BOSTON SOCIETY FOR PSYCHIC RESEARCH
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INTRODUCTION
Dr. Hodgson's first Report on Mrs. Piper furnished abstracts of
and extracts from sittings, founded on longhand notes because he had
not funds to employ a stenographer. A part of the sittings of his
second Report were stenographically recorded, and a few of these are
given practically in full, but the most in the form of extracts and
abridgements.
Dr. Hyslop reported every sitting in a series, stenographically in
full, including the sittings which did not profess to furnish evidence,
and including all contained discussion and irrelevant chatter. His
longest report, aside from the introductory discussion (88 pages)
filled 846 pages. Undoubtedly his course in this respect approached
the scientific ideal, but it had the unfortunate result that few even of
the most scientifically inclined had patience to read the sitting records
through. It is an ideal which no other species of inquiry attempts to
approach. If Darwin's Origin of Species had contained all his ac-
cumulated data, pro and con, it would have been ten thousand pages
long instead of a few hundreds.
This Report steers a middle course. Every experiment was
stenographically reported. Some are given in full except for parts
which have no bearing on the evidential issue, and the locations of these
are indicated. Others are presented in part by extracts together with
careful abridgments. Still others are summarized throughout, the
utmost pains being taken to indicate the respective quantity and qual-
ity of the correct and incorrect factors.
Some of the best are presented in full, and summaries of some of
the worst are also shown. A number are omitted entirely, but solely
because funds would fail to print and patience would fail to read too
large a mass. Some of the omitted numbers are little occupied with
evidence, in others evidentiality hardly rises above the level of chance,
and in still others it decidedly does so. It is a pity not to present some
groups of statements here entirely omitted, but the planned space has
been exceeded, and to use them would have required the exclusion of
"horrible examples."
The only liberty taken with the stenographic text is to omit mere
repetitions of words, occasioned by the reader's inability to decipher
them as first written. Such repetitions have no value.
In Dr. Hodgson's Reports the notes are sometimes bracketed in the
text itself, sometimes put on other pages than those of the text to
199
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200
INTRODUCTION
which they refer. In Dr. Hyslop's Reports, the notes are put in
smaller type at the bottom of the page. I think they deserve as much
prominence as the text of the sitting itself, since only in the light of
them is that text worth anything. In order to secure the minimum of
effort to the reader, in this report they immediately follow the passages
of the text to which they respectively relate.
It was far from my intention, in beginning this series of experi-
ments, that I or my daughter Theodosia should continue to be sitters.
Data regarding my public or professional life, data derivable from
what is in print or what available living persons know regarding either
of us, together with however shrewd remarks which might, nevertheless,
be deductions from such material, would have impressed me not at all.
But when it appeared that data of my youth and childhood, which were
nowhere in print and which few living persons knew (and those un-
available), were being brought forward, when the childhood of Theo-
dosia began to be similarly explored, and when all sorts of things
relating to my late wife in her earlier years, and in her last illness,1
which could never have reached Mrs. Soule's ears, commenced to pour
forth, it seemed the part of good sense not to abandon mines which had
begun to yield so richly.
It must be understood that as the medium's hand wrote, some one
present read the words aloud. I did so when present. When I was not
present the stenographer did so. The reader made the responses.
"Yes " in response seldom means much. It is to be found where state-
ments are correct and when not correct. I often acknowledged the
truth of statements made, yet it will be hard to find instances where I
gave away details not already fully announced. Sometimes I ad-
mitted that a statement was wrong, but went no further. There are a
few instances of responses which may be regarded as leading, yet if
what followed in the text had been different, the response would prob-
ably by the same critics be regarded as leadingin the other direction.
I do not regard my method of making responses as faulty. If no
responses at all are madeif facts plainly and unequivocally stated are
never acknowledged as correct, this medium's subconscious is appar-
ently put into a state of perturbation and more or less disabled to per-
form its part in the experiments, whatever that part may be. If one
were engaged in examining a man who professed to have lived as a boy
1 Certain details of the sickness, such as references to pain and the abdomen,
were in or could have been inferred from passages in the Proceedings A. S. P. R. for
1924, beginning with page 179. But the great mass of details could not have been so
derived. There is no sign of any dependence upon those passages, no indication of
the exact location of the malady, for instance, no reference to an operation.
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INTRODUCTION
201
in a certain town, and if the examiner occasionally said, "That is
right," or " That is wrong," according to what the stranger claimed to
remember, while a stenographic record was being made of all that was
said, provided he gave the claimant no gratuitous information I do not
think that the most exacting lawyer would find fault with the method.
A friend of mine holds that sometimes Dr. Hyslop made leading
responses. If so, there they are in the printed record, and the student
may make all due allowance for such. But my friend also suggests
that after Mrs. Soule's years of work with Dr. Hyslop she may have
learned to interpret all sorts of unconscious signs given by him. These
could not be visible signs, since her eyes are closed, so that I suppose
vocal inflections, hesitations, breathings, gurgles and it may be little
squeals of delight on his part to be implied by the theory. This is
somewhat amusing to one who has been present at any of his experi-
ments, seen his sphinx-like demeanor and heard his monotonous diction.
But there were no years of acquaintance with me prior to my experi-
ments herein reported. These were my first with Mrs. Soule. Preced-
ing them I had once been a sitter, unseen and unheard. My first seven
sittings are given without a break in the series. Did the medium have
the unparalleled genius instantly to comprehend my code of "uncon-
scious" tokens? And what could have been the signs, unconsciously
given by a rather careful investigator, signifying, for instance, that I
had once owned a cat named Mephistopheles? When Theodosia was
the sitter she was both unseen and unheard. Sometimes Mrs. Guinan,
who then made the responses, looked to the sitter for a nod or shake of
the head, but frequently her "yes" or "I see" was merely a formal
one, with no knowledge on her part. "Unconscious signals " from her,
at least, would have been as likely to mislead.
There has been no attempt to summarize the results obtained as in
the case of Mrs. Allison's records, but the reader is left to form his own
impressions of the evidential weight, whether of single sittings or of the
whole combined.
Such discussion as is contained in this report will be found mainly
following the passages which call it forth. There has been, in previous
Reports, so much explanation of the conditions under which Mrs.
Soule's work is done, and so much discussion of the questions involved
in that work,2 that perhaps the reader will welcome being for once left
comparatively to himself and the evidence.
3 See prefaces in Proceedings, VI, of the A. S. P. R. (pp. 1-92; Ibid., XI (pp.
5-231), both by Dr. Hyslop; also much discussion in the Journal. See prefaces by
W. F. P. in Proceedings A. S. P. R., XV (pp. 1-43), and Ibid., XVII (1-27). Mrs.
"Chenoweth," it must be understood, is the same person as Mrs. Soule.
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202
INTRODUCTION
I will, however, indulge in a few remarks on themes elsewhere little
touched in this report.
As the series of experiments was drawing to its close, and more
attention was given to what had been accumulated, it dawned upon me
that several sets of statements very markedly bore the appearance of
proceeding from a different viewpoint than any occupied by the sitters.
This was so in the Stephen story, in which what happened between my
father and Stephen, when I was not present, is dwelt upon in much
more detail than is what happened in the following interview between
my father and myself. I had never thought much about the episode in
which father and Stephen had been alone together, and knew almost
nothing of its details, whereas all these years the features of the episode
in which my father and myself were the characters had been burned
into my soul. This is not as we, antecedently, would expect of telep-
athy from me. But it was the peculiar selective character of the de-
tails purporting to come from my wife and relating to her last weeks
on earth which most impressed me when I realized it. These details are
such that they decidedly do not seem to have the stamp of my mind
upon them. They do not appear to emanate from my viewpoint or
that of Theodosia. To us, the prominent points in mind during that
last period and in memory since, were the dreadful internal cancerous
growth, the wound in the abdomen growing daily larger, the absolute
hopelessness and horror of the situation. Considering her pathological
condition, we had given very little heed to her belief that she had been
visited by spirit relatives. But in the alleged communication there is
no hint of the features of the case which to us stood out so promi-
nently, and in fact she never knew what her malady really was, she
never realized that there was an open wound, and she expected, up to
her last five minutes, to get better and to return to her home. On the
contrary, what we do find is a multitude of true little details, her back
being rubbed, her head rubbed in a particular way, the trouble with her
foot and knee, continuing sensations of hunger, the sensitiveness of her
head when her hair was washed or combed, feeling that she would be all
right again, trouble with her back toward the last, yet not being per-
mitted to lie on her side, the chicken broth which Theodosia brought
her, the trouble her " store" teeth were to her, a sensation of fulness
in the chest and of bad pain in the abdomen, pain stopping all at once
(from opiate), comforting visions of her relatives, sense of rebellion
associated with death, etc. It came to me as I scanned this list that
it was these details and others like them that loomed large in my wife's
sick mind, although occasionally she asked about my work or her
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INTRODUCTION
203
flowers or other things at home, all of which figure in the communica-
tions. I, Theodosia, or both of us, knew all the above details, but
some of them were but wan and fading images in our minds, luridly
overshadowed by the memories I have mentioned and others. Nothing
that we know or think we know of telepathy would lead us to suppose
that it acts otherwise than after the analogy of a mechanical force,
gives ground to suppose that it dramatizes, intelligently adopts the
viewpoint of a third person, and selects to suit the characteristics of
that person. It appears as though there were the stamp of Mrs.
Prince's mind upon the details alleged in the text to be connected
with her.
In several of these records the factors of identifiable statements and
false or unidentifiable statements reveal a curious arrangement. In
the sitting of November 17th, for instance, the details describing the
home farm and its immediate surroundings are, almost without excep-
tion, either correct or recognizably near the truth. But the moment
that attention turns to the village, which was a mile and a half away,
the scene is unrecognizable. It may be suggested that the reason for
this is that the features of the home farm and its immediate surround-
ings were more familiar to me, and so were reflected more accurately
from my mind by telepathy. I reply that the main features of the
village are as clear and fixed in my memory as those of my own home.
Nothing could be more remote from my consciousness than to picture
that hamlet as a "city," to imagine there a building with "a big
rounding tower " which " looks like a government building," or to place
there even an old building built of something that " looks like very dirty
old granite." Again, nearly every one of many items in the record of
November 3rd, about a "clerical" gentleman, are correct for my
uncle, and he is rightly located relatively to Casco Bay, while the
reference to a " shower" is reminiscent of the only time that the pur-
ported communicator ever visited him in my company when he was
living on an island in the Bay. But the moment that the narrative
turns from him to the description of a place, with the expectation
roused on my part by certain remarks that the place would be that
where I went to a school and lived in his house, the description is at
variance with the facts. In an after sitting (not printed) there was
an attempt to describe the place where the school was, but it is wildly
erroneous. Shall the contrast in evidentiality be ascribed to my having
clear memories of my uncle and dim ones of the school buildings? I
remember the latter with photographic vividness. It would be difficult
for me to imagine a clock in a steeple there, or Doric columns or a
railroad station nearby (the school was on the top of a long high
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204
INTRODUCTION
hill). Again, on December 17th, I got a multitude of details, prevail-
ingly correct, descriptive of another uncle, the interior of his home and
its relation to the town, the very name of which was given. But
when attention apparently turned to the larger features of the town
itself, the description became unrecognizable. If my mind was being
tapped, why should it suddenly shut up and refuse to yield, when the
scene changed by the distance of from a quarter to a half mile?
There is no " small foot-bridge " in my mental picture of Fairfield, no
"Monument Square," or anything like it, no railroad station located
as described. I have no explanation, on any theory, for the puzzle
which these examples present. But it is worthy of future study.
In the course of these records there are presented a number of
mathematical computations relating to names, some of which will
doubtless appear ludicrous to many. These are not selected, that is,
no computation was made the result of which is not printed.
I desire to assure readers, with all possible emphasis, that neither
to the conscious Mrs. Soule nor by anything said by way of responses
in the sittings unprinted for lack of space, was information given
which would, if known to the reader, lessen the problems which the
printed sittings present. All the stenographic records are carefully
preserved, and are open to inspection.
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EXPERIMENTS WITH MRS. SOULE (" CHENOWETH ")
Words spoken by a sitter are put in parentheses; interpo-
lated INFORMATION FURNISHED THE READER IS PUT IN SQUARE BRACK-
ETS. A SHORT ROW OF DOTS IN BRACKETS SIGNIFIES THE OMISSION OF
MATTER OF NO BEARING UPON THE EVIDENTIAL ISSUE.
Throughout, notes prefaced by "W" or unprefaced by any
INITIAL, WERE WRITTEN BY W. F. PRINCE. PREFATORY " T " SIGNIFIES
AUTHORSHIP OF NOTES BY MlSS ThEODOSIA B. PRINCE, AND "G" BY
Mrs. C. B. Guinan.
OCTOBER 15, 1920, 11:30
(Period of W. F. P.'s Boyhood, and Death of Brother)
Present: W. F. P. (Sitter), Miss Crawford (Stenographer). Mrs.
Soule was entranced before the sitter entered, and he sat back of
and to the right of her, and made the responses. This was the
second time he had ever seen the psychic, the first time being a
year or more earlier when Dr. Hyslop took him to be a sitter, at
which time he was both unseen and unheard.
Abstract of All Statements Bearing on Evidence
1. Communicator announced to be W. F. P.'s mother. She was indeed
dead, a likely but not by any means certain fact.
2. Three spirits announced, " Charles of long ago," "J more recent,"
and " a lady who is very active and vivacious. It is a pleasure for
her to come but the larger part of her existence has been on this
side. Is there a sister who would be anxious to come to him? (No,
not a sister.) This was a child who came to this side some time
ago and seems very eager to come to him."
W.: I had an Uncle "Charles" and an Uncle J , of both of
whom I was fond. But the death of J was the more recent. The one
person liable from intimacy to be mistaken for a sister was a cousin
who was my daily playmate and who died at fifteen.
3. It is correctly stated that my father is dead.
4. "J. H. H." is said to be present, "much interested in this experi-
ment," " for his emotion is awakened as he comes here today."
W.: This would be pertinent, since I had been Dr. Hyslop's assist-
ant, but I do not urge it as evidential.
205
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206 FURTHER EXPERIMENTS WITH MRS. SOULE
5. Also a " David " is mentioned as present, with my father.
W.: A boyhood schoolmate, who lived on land adjoining ours, is
dead. I decidedly should not have expected him to be in father's com-
pany, unless he has improved.
6. "And there is one who has a very bald head rather short man with
stocky build who has blue eyes but what hair he possesses is dark
brown with a bit of white mixed in it and the lady who is appar-
ently the mother of the sitter is with him"
W.: This reminds me of an uncle of my mother who lived rather
near on the same road. He was short and stocky and had dark brown
hair mixed with white. As I remember him, he had only a bald spot,
but he may have become balder later, for he lived many years after I
had gone away. I do not know the color of his eyes, but think that the
prevailing color in that family was blue. (See "David" and
"Joseph " on map.)
7. "There is one other lady who is very anxious to return not the
mother but a lady who shows me some things which may help to
identify her She is a very [sighed] patient and very quiet person
but must have suffered much before her death as her face is rather
drawn and it seems to have been a relief to her when it was all over
but this idea of spirits returning is quite new to her"
W.: My sister, Mrs. Louise Prince Freeman, was shown this letter
and wrote:
"There is one other lady who is very anxious to return." The de-
scription which follows this quotation applies very accurately to Aunt
Miranda, mother's sister. She was notably "patient" and "quiet,"
and she certainly "suffered much" before her death, not only in her
last illness, but in previous illnesses, and suffered, too, not only phys-
ical pain, but throughout her married life much mental disquiet on
account of her husband's continual ill-health and their financial per-
plexities. She was only 35 when she died, but a picture of her that I
have shows her face very " drawn " and worn-looking, much older than
her years. It certainly was " a relief to her when it was all over."
8. "This friend [the sitter] must have many people in his family who
were Christians, as there seems to be a general air of expectancy
concerning heaven and hell"
W.: Most of them were, and had been for generations, Christians
of " orthodox " pattern.
9. "And it was with some degree of perturbation that they accepted
the proposition to communicate"
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FURTHER EXPERIMENTS WITH MRS. SOULE 207
W.: So far as I know, I had not a single relative for the last three
generations who did not think claims of " communication " nonsense.
10. "The sitter has no such qualms. He is out for truth wherever it
may lead him."
W.: True, I had no scruples about studying everything imaginable.
11. (a) "There is with the woman spirit I take to be the mother a
small boy"
W.: The only one of mother's children who has died was a small
boy at his death.
11. (b) "I see the mother place a small picture of him which must
have been taken some time ago here on the table,"
W.: No picture of him was ever taken. But see under (e).
11. (c) "and with the picture there is something which looks like a
toy. It is made of wood, but is like a small cart or sled . . . was
kept for some time for sentimental reasons"
W.: I do not remember of a cart or sled being kept for a time, but
cannot be certain. I possess one wooden toy which belonged to him,
but it would have been a sad telepathic error to call it a cart or sled,
if my mind was being read.
11. (d) "And there is a very small bit of something which looks like
hair. I see the soft paper around it and as it falls away I see this
bit of hair and then I see a large letter T"
W.: Many years ago mother unwrapped a tissue paper packet of
the dead child's hair, and gave me a part of it. One of his names began
with T. and he was sometimes called by both names, though usually
only the other was used. The other was a very uncommon one.
11. (e) "And there is something which is like a picture produced here
which is a small stone in a cemetery. Strangely enough it looks
like a little figure of a lamb on it. I am not quite clear whether her
effort is to reproduce the actual stone or whether there is some
word on it which suggests lamb"
W.: A great many children who die have no separate stone erected
to their memory. Where there are separate stones, the majority have
no figure of an animal or a bird on them. There stands at the grave
of my brother a " small stone " with, not a lamb, but that other symbol
of innocence and peace upon it, a dove.
Mother often called the little boy her "lamb," and after his death
kept in her room a poem entitled, " The Shepherd and the Lamb," re-
ferring to the death of a child. One might theorize that the uncer-
tainty in the text as to whether a lamb on the stone or " some word"
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was meant came from fusion of the memories of the figure on the stone
with that of her name for the child. But this is highly conjectural.
Note the doubt whether the " picture " was an " effort to reproduce
the actual stone." This would be a mental picture. Then the "pic-
ture " under (b) might be a mental one of the child, supposed to mean
an actual one.
11. (f) [Still referring to the little boy] "a record of a sad sad ex-
perience [ ] (Can you tell more about that sad experi-
ence?) Yes indeed. It was a tragedy for it was so sudden,
(Yes; go on more, if you can.) and it was almost unbelievable how
it could have happened, but joy cometh in the morning."
W.: Death is generally a sad experience to the friends left behind.
But is there not emphasis in the repetition "sad sad"? As though
this was a specially sad one? It was, for the child died an unnatural
death, which nearly drove the family frantic. We must not press the
words, "it was a tragedy," too far, as it is added, "for it was so
sudden." But it was an actual tragedy. And it was fearfully sud-
den. "Almost unbelievable" expresses the feelings at the time. At
one moment all was peace, with no dream of danger, the next, from no
culpable agency doom had fallen.
12. "Do you know anyone by the name Edward (Yes.) who was some-
times called Ned or Neddie? It seems like a pet name."
W.: My sister wrote me: "Ned was always my pet name for Ed-
ward in the early days of our married life. I think no one else ever
called him this."
The transition to Edward would not be difficult to account for con-
jecturally, on the theory that my mother's thoughts are, in part, being
caught. She thinks of her little boy whose death almost killed her, a
fragment of the first name given hini because it was that of her father
comes through, her name for the child occurs in connection with the
thought of the little stone which she often visited, the manner of his
terrible death flits through her mind and is transmitted, this recalls the
fact that it was in her daughter's room that the tragedy occurred
without that fact getting expressed, and this bridges the way to "Ed-
ward," who paid court to the daughter in the same house, and to
"Ned," the daughter's familiar name for him.
13. "Before I go there is an R. (Well, I knew more than one.) It
seems like the name of a lady Rhoda Rhoda Do you know Rhoda
(No, that name is unknown to me.) I think I have it right."
W.: It is odd that the girl I associated with particularly in the
country school and of whom I was a friendly rival in studies, had an
unusual name which sounded exactly as Rhoda is usually pronounced
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by country people, except for the first letter. At a later date she chose
to be called by her other name, but the first one is very familiar in my
memory. My mother liked her, and well knew our friendship for each
other. She died when a young woman. But against this identification
is the statement that " there is an R."
OCTOBER 16, 1920, 10:00
(Mostly Relevant to W. F. P.'s Paternal Grandmother)
Present: W. F. P. (Sitter) and Miss Crawford (Stenographer). Pro-
cedure same as on the previous day.
Abstract of All Statements Bearing on Evidence
1. [Purported communicator my mother.] "I wonder if you will re-
call one or two things which I think of One is a garment which I
wore long ago Black silk dress which I kept rather carefully for
some years and it was finally used for a special occasion and was
my best cared for dress I am not making it quite plain yet but at
my death there was some discussion about its use for a shroud I
use the old-fashioned word but mean it only in the sense of its use
but it was not done a lighter and thinner one was used at last
You may recall it by some jet jet ornament on it (I will inquire;
I don't remember clothes well.)"
"I gave mother material for a silk waist (black with hair line
stripe of white), which she kept carefully several years before it was
made up. Finally she had this silk made into a waist to wear on the
occasion of Harold's wedding. She kept it carefully as her best waist
till her death. It was used, with her best black skirt, ' for a shroud.'
I remember no 'discussion ' about it. C and I were agreed from
the first about it. I don't remember that she owned a thinner one with
a jet ornament. If she did, it certainly was not used ' for a shroud.'
"Louise Prince Freeman.
"Nov. 23, 1920."
W.: There are wide discrepancies; it was a waist, not a dress; there
was no discussion; the black silk was used at the funeral; no garment
with jet on it is remembered. And yet one hesitates to pronounce the
passage quite without impressiveness in its parallels.
2. Reference to an " Uncle William." I disclaimed any uncle by that
name, and "G. P." came and said, "The W. is an old gentleman
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and I think is her uncle, not the sitter's." I cannot be certain, but
think that mother had no Uncle William.
3. "Did any of your people follow the sea or have any connection
with water (At one time.) I see some influences that point to
such a group."
W.: This was true of my paternal grandfather, and probably of
two or three generations before him.
4. A " Lou" or "Lucy" is mentioned and in connection with her " a
large black dog," with the implication that the woman is dead.
W.: My sister Louise is extravagantly fond of dogs and has had
dozens of them, but she is living.
5. (a) "I see another person who is apparently a close relative of
yours a large lady I mean rather a stout lady who is very active
and good natured and full of energy about this particular matter
but an energy which would be used against it and not for it I
think she is a grandmother who would have nothing whatever to do
with such nonsense as spirits and she laughs excessively as she re-
calls her own limited understanding of the manifestations for she
knew such things were supposed to happen but they were all so
unholy she could have no interest I think she belongs to your
father"
W.: My paternal grandmother was "a rather stout lady" (this
would not have applied had she been designated as my other grand-
mother), and all the other items of description are correct.
A cousin, Mrs. M. J. K , older than I, writes: "She was very
active, very good-natured, energetic, and bossed the farming. I never
heard that she believed in spirits returning; such a notion would be
against her views, or perhaps her religion."
She was a Free Will Baptist, and a member of that sect, if any-
thing "spooky " happened, would be pretty sure to ascribe it to the
devil. She lived through the palmy days of the Spiritualistic cult,
when its converts were supposed to number some millions.
5. (b) "She shows a hand that has marks of hard work as though
she did many things with her hands."
W.: And well she might.
5. (c) "And on her finger is a small gold ring which was never re-
moved even at her death."
W.: Two cousins assure me that she wore a gold ring. One of
them, Miss N. P. G., writes: "I think grandmother's gold ring was
buried with her."
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5. (d) "And she also has a chain, it looks like a chain of beads, gold
beads and she was very proud of them and they of course were left
and some one else has them and is quite as proud as she was of
them."
W.: I myself remembered the gold beads, which descended to a
granddaughter, my cousin, Mrs. H. G. S. It is to me certain that
grandmother was proud of the beads, for in her primitive way of living
they would have been what a chain of choice pearls are to some others.
She always wore them when in " company " clothes. And I am witness
to the pride my cousin takes in the curious old string of gold beads,
the only one I ever heard of among all my kindred.
5. (e) "And she holds in her hand two pieces of old china. They are
perfectly white with gold bands and she says 'a part of my gold
banded china set.' Only a little is left of it now a piece or two."
W.: As to description, this seems to be wrong. Three cousins re-
member a blue china set, only a few pieces of which are left; but none
know of any white gold-banded pieces.
But here is a curious thing. Everything that I remember or have
been able to learn about, which came down from the grandmother and
is known to be now in existence, is named in the course of this series.
1. Gold beads (said to be from this grandmother) ; 2. Pieces of a china
set (wrongly described, said to be from this grandmother) ; 3. A flax
wheel (associated with a grandmotherI remember when it was entire,
but only the wheel part is left now) ; 4. An old desk (said to be from a
former period).
5. (f) "And a queer little cake or cookie beside the china. It is a
funny thing to see but she speaks of it as a seed cake which he
may remember her making or having."
W.: I was but seven years old when grandmother died, and only one
living person who knew her is much older. The " seed-cake" is uncer-
tain. I remember only that I liked her food, especially her delicious
home-made cheese.
(s) [Here I said: " If you could only remember where you used to
go for the cheese." This I said because my most vivid memory
image associated with eating in that house was of grandmother
coming up a trap-door from the cellar into the kitchen, carrying
cheese for the table.] "That is funny too for she had just
begun to show me a house with so many doors so many rooms
opening out one from the other and yet all somewhat connected
and I hear a sound like a creaking of boards as if up stairs instead
of down and then I see her with a plateful of cheese did I say
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plateful I mean a sort of board flat board or platter I cannot
see which it is but she is as proud of her cheese"
W.: There were not, in fact, "so many rooms." In the combined
dining-room and kitchen were only three or four doors besides the trap-
door. But the correspondence between my memory picture and "a
creaking of boards as if up-stairs instead of down, and then I see her
with a plateful of cheese," etc., is so exact that it looks unusually like
telepathy from me. My older cousin reinforces my memory by saying
that the stairs to the trap-door were " old and creaky." Superficially,
the sentence sounds as though a stair to the second floor was meant,
but that cheese would be kept up-stairs is an unlikely implication.
5. (h) "as of her apple sauce which was made up in quantity and
dark color oh yes it is the cider [read color color] cider apple
sauce remember it"
W.: My older cousin is not certain about this, but thinks it likely,
as it was common in that region at the period.
6. "Now to return to a man who is with her who is not very aggres-
sive but has a quiet little smile on his face as he stands here beside
you he has been long gone also and he speaks of you as the little
chap He remembers you as a child so well when you used to take
up everything on that old bench where he kept tools for his own
use and you always tried to do everything the rest did Great boy
you were and how you have grown I think he must be the com-
panion husband of the grandmother"
W.: My grandmother's second husband was a Mr. N., a man de-
cidedly "not very aggressive." He was a very old man, I should
judge, as I remember him. I only retain a recollection of his sitting in
a chair, and something very hazily about his playing or talking
pleasantly with me. I do not think I was more than 5 years old, cer-
tainly not more than 6, when he died. I was between 7 and 8 when
grandmother died. So he would " remember you as a child," if he re-
membered me at all. No one now remembers whether he had a bench
with tools. From what I have heard, I judge that I would have acted
as described. It is interesting that while the man is termed " compan-
ion" and "husband of the grandmother," he is not said to be my
grandfather, and in fact was never called "grandfather" by me or
the others.
7. "and he shows me two things which he thinks you will recall
[pause] A letter H which is for a name Henry or Harvey I won-
der if you know one by that name (Yes, Henry is relevant.) con-
nected with him and also a large family Bible which was not opened
often but gave the air of respectability to the parlor"
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W.: "Henry" was one of the names of a nephew usually called
"William Henry." He lived in our neighborhood.
There almost certainly was such a Bible, but this reference has
little evidential weight.
8. "yes yes and here is the name of JO it sounds like Joseph or
Josiah the first sound is of Jo Jo Jo"
W.: His son was named Joseph.
9. "And there seems to be one who is connected by marriage with you
with the name of Emm Emma or Emily Do you know an Emily
Emmeline"
W.: A brother of my grandmother's husband had a stepdaughter
named Emily. Literally, then, she was " connected by marriage," but
remotely, by two steps. She lived in a house near my own home and
visible from its back windows, and she was the only Emily I knew in
my boyhood.1
1 In a sitting not printed in this book, the control seemed to think I ought to
have known a Nancy. I did, one, and she lived in the same house. (See map.)
JULY 24, 1925, 11:05-12:30
(Professes to Relate to Theodosia's Father)
Present: W. F. P., Miss T. B. Prince (Sitter), Mrs. Guinan (Secre-
tary). Miss Prince did not enter until Mrs. Soule was entranced,
and sat behind her and preserved silence. Responses by W. F. P.
It is really surprising that more statements in this sitting did not
fit by chance. Not by the greatest stretch of imagination, had she been
inclined to such an effort, could the sitter have made more than two or
three statements fit, nor would they have fitted in my case any better.
The communicator purported to be her father.
Twenty-two statements are made, purporting to describe the
father's characteristics, acts and relations, articles possessed by the
family, etc.
Of these, 17 were definitely wrong, 2 wrong unless referring to a
remotely past period (no sign of this in the text), 2 correct, and 1
doubtful.
Actually the statements would apply better to the father and
family of W. F. P., but again no more than would be expected from
guessing; 14 definitely wrong, 3 partly wrong and partly right, 3
correct and 2 doubtful.
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If there were but one or two sittings in this series which were as
overwhelmingly correct as this is overwhelmingly wrong, I should un-
hesitatingly conclude that this sitting represented the lowest ebb of
chance results and the other one or two represented the highest flow of
the same. But there are too many which are overwhelmingly, alto-
gether too many which are preponderantly correct to make such a
conclusion possible. And those not accustomed to mathematical cal-
culations should be reminded that if we went through a series of sit-
tings, counted up the " hits " and the " misses," perchance found them
even in number and then concluded that they balanced each other in
weight and hence the scries were unevidential, representing only what
should be expected of chance, we should be making a gigantic and ludi-
crous error. And yet, judging from certain utterances, this is exactly
what many do. For in every instance there can be only one right,
where there may be from one to thousands of wrong alternatives. One
correct statement may be of such a nature that, since the antecedent
expectation is mathematically very great against its being correct, it
will cancel forty incorrect statements, since the antecedent expectation
is mathematically very great that they shall every one be just what
they prove to be, wrong. Let us put two cases side by side. Suppose
a medium gets a name " George Harvey " and says he is related to the
sitter. The sitter acknowledges that the statement is correct, but
gives no information. The medium then says that George Harvey is
dead and is wrong. Again the medium (as in one of Mrs. Allison's
sittings) correctly names the day of the week and the day of the
month when the sitter was married. Does the error about George
balance the hit about the wedding date and leave the score on these
two statements, unevidential? By no means, because from the stand-
point of the medium, who knows nothing whatever about George Har-
vey, the chances of his being alive or dead (since every one is first
alive and then dead and the medium has no normal way of applying the
time factor) are equal. But besides the combination of day of the
week and day of the month named by the medium there are more than
2,500 other possible combinations representing the marriage date, but
owing to several factors the actual chance of being right is 1 in up-
wards of 400. If it were practicable to calculate the weight of every
statement made throughout this series of experiments by that stand-
ard, which is the only right one, I have no doubt that the grand balance
would be against chance by astronomical figures.
Nevertheless, such a barren sitting as the present one is an interest-
ing problem. Why should it and the following one be barren, up to the
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point where there is a change of "communicators," and why then
should there be a flow of evidence? I am not prepared to solve this
problem. On the theory of telepathy from the sitter, it would be an
ingenious suggestion that the announcement of the change was an
antecedent subconscious recognition on the part of the medium that
her telepathic machinery had got into working order, a suggestion
more ingenious than probable. On the spiritistic theory, this blank
sitting might represent an illusion on the part of an unknown com-
municator that it was his daughter who was present; possibly a hang-
over from an earlier sitting when she was present. If one conceives of
the communicator as actually in the room, invisible but seeing every-
thing perfectly, and talking with utmost ease although unheard, then
the puzzle, in relation to the spiritistic theory, would be insoluble.
But if spirits, generally speaking, should happen to be conscious of
us somewhat as some of us think we are conscious of them, only by
apparitional glimpses and telepathic impressions of various kinds, even
though they possess greater facility in these directions than we, it could
be that an authentic communicator was manifesting at this sitting, but
at the wrong time and to the wrong sitter.
RECORD OF JULY 28, 1925, 11:15-12:05
(Before and After Mrs. Pbince's Death)
Present: T. B. P. (Sitter), Mrs. G. (Secretary). Same procedure.
Responses by Mrs. G.
1. . . . [Long pause]
T.: Nothing relevant up to this point.
W.: That is, there is nothing recognizably relevant for the first two
pages. But from the moment that the purported communicator
changed recognizable points came thick and fast. I do not under-
stand why the telepathic faculty should be inhibited as long as one
"communicator" professes to occupy the stage, but operate freely
when another pretends to come on.
2. "[Writing now becomes very slow and looks as if painful to medium
to write] May I try May I try [long pause] you do not answer
(Yes.) My dear I will come I am [scrawls] [pause] I am
Mother Mother Mother [P. L. D. and medium begins to talk]
[ ] You know -[pause] you know any any E connected
with the Mother (Yes.) [Sitter had nodded indicating ' yes ']."
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T.: My own mother's name was Emma, and I thought at first it re-
lated to her.
W.: Suppose in spite of the fact that I had brought other unseen
sitters than this one, who was also concealed from sight and unheard,
the medium had guessed that the present sitter was Theodosia, and
suppose that " Mother " and " E " were brought over from the sittings
of 1914, either by subconscious memory or by conscious consultation
of the printed record of those sittings. Then, on either theory, she
should have described the illness as in the old sittings the illness was
correctly though imperfectly described for the mother Emma by nam-
ing the symptom of chilliness. But, no, quite a different description
is given, one which fits, so far as it goes, the last illness of Mother
Prince exactly.
Mrs. Prince had an Aunt E , but in any case the initial is of
little value.
The sitting of July 24, almost wholly irrelevant, did not place the
sitter in an attitude of expectation. "E" would certainly fix her
thoughts upon her own mother, and if on any one's illness, upon that
of her own mother. Instead, there came particulars fitting her
foster-mother.
3. "because [pause] and you know a [sighs] oh, was she dreadfully
sick before she went awayterrible pain you know [medium rubs
stomach] you know (Yes.)"
T.: Two weeks before mother died the disease had eaten into her
stomach and she had terrible pains.
4. "because there is such a terrible pain in the stomachjust all thru
thethru the body is pain and then all at once it stops like you
knowlike as though something was done to stop itI don't know
whether it is awhat would you call it (Anassthetic?)"
T.: She was given morphine. This was given to her sometimes as
many as three times a day to relieve the pain.
5. "Yesto release from the painsomething like thatyou know
isn't that right (Yes.) and then pretty soon after that is death
you know (Yes.)"
W.: None of her relatives were with her when she died in the early
morning at a hospital. But it is practically certain that morphine
was administered on the morning before she died, as usual.
6. "and then immediately after death such a strange sense ofof
[pause and sighs] aits almost like rebellionyou know. Oh, I'd
give anything if I was back again! (Yes, I know.)"
T.: Up until the morning she died mother had no idea that she
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would die. On the morning she died, at 8 o'clock, a nurse in the hall
whispered to one of the doctors not to leave the floor, as Mrs. Prince
was dying. Mother heard her and started to scream that she was not
dying, that she didn't intend to die, and that they were to send for
Theodosia, who wouldn't let her die, and kept this up until, exhausted,
she died.
G.: During the three years I knew Mrs. Prince, when I used to visit
her in the hospital after an operation, the most striking thing she used
to say to me was, "Oh, I'll get better and have to come again." She
never seemed to think of dying, even though her illness was such that
one would rather expect that she would welcome death. The last time
I visited her, she showed me her arm where it was sore from so many
injections of morphine or whatever it was they gave her to ease
the pain.
7. "I don'tI don't care anything about anythingthat is over here
or anything that's beautifulI don't want to knowI want to get
backisn't that right (Probably that's all right.)"
W.: Mrs. Prince was possessed by an extraordinary will to live.
Even after her ninth operation and at the last time I saw her the day
before her death, when her condition was almost indescribably terrible,
she expected to live and return to her home. The final scene was so
extreme that if consciousness immediately survives death "rebellion"
would probably be a fitting term.
8. "and itthere has been a constant desire to say so muchit is
love, love, loveit is not that I want to do so much except to say
that I love herlove her and oh! such a feeling of almost bursting
with joy that I can say these words and you know I couldOh,
wait a minutedon't get so excited (Yes. All right.)"
T.: Although mother was very devoted to me, yet her upbringing
was such that she was taught to suppress all emotion and never once
since I came to live with her had she told me that she loved me, although
I had repeatedly told her so, and many times tried to kiss her, but
without response.
W.: She was undemonstrative in the extreme in regard to her affec-
tions. But in her last days, and particularly toward Theodosia, this
strange restriction was somewhat loosened, and her dependence upon
her daughter and longing for her was very apparent. There is no
question of her love for her during all the years. She first brought
the girl into our home and spared no time or pains to help her, laying
the first foundation of the cure. If ever the expected hour of Theo-
dosia's return was delayed, her anxiety was great. If the approach of
death loosened the bond of expression, it seems likely that death itself,
if there is survival, might remove it entirely. In that case the love
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which had never expressed itself clearly in words might burst forth
fully.
9. "Oh! it's she that's excitedwait a minuteit's sheyou know
every single thing was done that could be done both before and
after (Yes.) and yet there was such a feeling of regret that some-
thing more wasn't done (Yes, I know.) I mean by those here
do you know (I know what you mean.)"
T.: Two weeks before mother died in a hospital fifteen miles from
where we lived and in the early spring, I would go to see her and stay
as long as I thought was possible. But every time I started to go home
she would beg me to stay a little longer and I would do so, just a few
minutes, and then it would be the same thing over when I again started.
But I had to go on account of the furnace, etc., and would say that I
would come back as soon as I could. When she died I had never told
any one, but in my own mind I regretted that I had not hired some one
to tend the furnace and stayed with her as long as she wished.
W.: Everything that could have been done for her health and com-
fort was done. My means were slender, but she had her physician at
home, one of the best surgeons in New York, and was ten times in the
hospital.
10. "It is over nowjust this minuteoh, oh, that thatwhy there
is no such thing as being separated you know (I know.) and I
seeyou knowyou know the person who's heredo you know
that person very well (Pretty well. Yes.) You know that person
would love and love and it is a person full of affection (Yes.)"
G.: Theodosia most certainly is a person full of love and affection,
and any one who knows her well I am sure would say the same thing.
11. "You knowdon't you (Yes, I know.) Well I want to take some-
thingit's not a picture but it is something that was connected
with that motherthat it is not very long ago that it seems to
be taken up and kissed and kissedyou know almost like aI don't
know how to express itOh, dear! I wish I could give youkind
of a little passionate kissyou knowand it seems something that
was come across by accidentit wasn't anything like one would go
and take a thing out and kiss it with memories but just like
coming across it and this little sweeping emotion, oh! if I could
only see you [ ]"
T.: About two years before mother died she took from a drawer a
little mother-of-pearl card case which she showed me and told me that
papa had bought that for her on a trip that he had taken and that he
had given it to her in such a lovely way. As she said this she took the
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case up and kissed it, a thing which I had never known her to do. She
showed quite a little emotion, saying she had always loved to look at
this case and to think of that day. The day before I went to the sit-
ting I was clearing out a closet when, among some curtains, this little
case fell out. I took it up and looked at it, thinking of what mother
had told me, and then put it away.
W.: This card case I put in Theodosia's room a few weeks earlier,
thinking she might wish to keep it because of its association. The
script seems not unlikely to blend the two incidents, kissing the article
connected with " that mother" by the mother herself, "not very long
ago," and "coming across it" by accident and thinking of the one
who kissed it. I do not mean that one would so interpret it without
knowledge of the two incidents. But it seems remarkable to find these
sentences in view of the fact that only the day before the sitter found
the only object the mother was ever seen to kiss.
12. "It'sI just want to say, you know this is the motherI just
want to say it'sit's better than I thought it wquld be and yet I
thought it would be goodas though there must have been some
idea about this life over here before she came (Yes.) and that idea
waswell it was pretty well fixed and it wasit wasit's better
it's better than the idea was (Yes, I know what you mean.) Well
do you know whether that mother did have ideas like that before
she went that it was something like it isa real life. Probably she
had in the beginning ideas of heaven and hell but that was gone
awaygrowth brought new changes so the new ideas were like a
new heaven and a new hellit is difficult but it is there and oh, she
found so many people to meet herso many people who were in-
terested in the same thingsyou know (Yes.)"
W.: She was a religious person, but seldom gave any expression to
her views about a future life. Having been bred in orthodox churches
and being somewhat conservative and conventional, I am nearly sure
that when young she believed in the conventional heaven and hell, and
judging from her interested reading of certain books, although she
commented little on them, it is highly probable that these conceptions
considerably altered.
13. "These same things you and all are interested in and oh! you
know that mother must have loved flowers like anything (Yes, I
think she did.) Oh! it's as ifit's a weed she'd like anything that
grewshe has flowers that she brings hereI'd say tons (Yes.)
You don't mind a ton if you don't have to lug it (No.) Flowers
and flowers and flowers and shewait a minute(All right.) yes
there is something like a lilyit seems to be a long, long slender
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flower and it is very much like lilies that come up in the garden in
the spring (I know what you mean.) and something like irisonly
it's not purple, it is light color, more like white and at her side she
has some of those liliesas if they had a special significance. I
think she loved especially lilieslike easter lilies and like those
you knowshe loved those"
T.: This is certainly true. Mother had one of the most beautiful
gardens in Montclair and tended it up until she was not able to stoop.
She had all kinds of old-fashioned flowers, but she was specially fond
of iris and a new kind of iris which was white with lavender center.
Also in our garden were two or three clumps of what are known as day
lilies, which are the first lilies up in the spring and have a delicious
odor. Mother would watch for these when the snow began to melt and
was always glad when they came up. Two weeks before she went to the
hospital, with great pain and great labor, she planted one hundred
bulbs in the garden for next spring.
W.: The love of flowers was one of the ruling passions of her life.
She walked and did little jobs in her garden as long as she had strength,
returning to the house exhausted. I could not remonstrate, since she
loved to do it, and the physician said it would not affect her mal*dy.
14. "and then there has been something donesomething like a pic-
ture of herI would call it a portraitlike a picture of herI
mean the mother (Yes, I know who you're talking about.) because
I see a whole lot of them together as though they had been either
refinished or reproducedit is something like having someI'm
looking at a whole lot to seeoh, they're so goodthey look just
as though she would speak and then they're good and there has
been one either replaced or it is put in a place wherewhere I see
it all the timeseeand I love it (I know what you mean.) and it
seems it is a very sweet faced lady and she's not so beautiful she's
not sowell, it isn't like a handsome stunning person so much as it
is a beautiful lovely"
T.: Before mother died I expressed a wish to make a collection of
her's and father's pictures from the time they were married. She
hunted up a few and gave them to me, saying she would keep the rest
for a while. After she died and we removed to Boston papa gave me
altogether fourteen pictures of mother. On the day before the sitting,
as I was transferring the things from my old writing-desk to the new
one that had just been received, Mrs. Guinan and I were looking over
these old pictures. After Mrs. Guinan went down-stairs I sorted the
pictures according to their age, tied them up and put them in a drawer.
W.: In spite of the " refinished or reproduced" twist, the mention
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of a lot of Mrs. Prince's portraits next day after such had been looked
over is striking. But the after reference to an old oval picture of hers
(see 16) in an old-fashioned dress which "would make you laugh,"
when exactly such a picture had caused laughter on the previous day,
makes the identification of the incident surer. And it becomes un-
avoidable when we come to another sentence a little farther on, " Make
a collection of these little pictures, and putting them all together to
represent different periods," considering that this is just what had
been done, the photographs of the mother had been collected and ar-
ranged chronologically.
In "there has been one [picture of the mother] either replaced or
it is put in a place where I see it all the time . . . and it seems it is a
very sweet faced lady and she's not so beautiful," the description re-
minded me of the last photograph of Mrs. Prince, which has a specially
sweet expression. I went into Theodosia's room and found it hanging
over her new desk. On inquiry, I learned that it was hung there where
it is visible whenever she sits at her desk, also the day before the sit-
ting. So it had just been "replaced," and likewise put in a place
where it is more frequently seen. The portrait does indeed show, not
"a handsome stunning person," but rather a face which is fine and
agreeable.
15. "you know there are clothes of hers left (There are?) Didn't you
know it (No. Maybe the sitter does.) Well does she? (Yes.)
[Sitter had nodded head.] I see some things some are not put
awaythey're aroundthey're sort of hung upa few things that
areyou know it's the funniest thingI see somethingthat is
something like aI can't get itit's like a robe or awhat do you
call those things that are loose (Kimono?) Is that like a dressing
gownwell it's something like thatthat hangs right on loose
wasn't used very much and its around (Yes.) It's around as if
somebody else sees itthey have it around (Yes.) I like to have
a few things around that remind me of the past so I feel as though
I am not lost."
T.: After mother died I divided most of her clothes among her
sisters, but I thought perhaps I ought to keep a few things for myself,
so I decided to keep the kimono and a number of other little articles
which I could use. The day before the sitting I came across the
kimono in a drawer and thinking perhaps it would be better if I hung
it up, I hung it in a closet in my bath-room, where I certainly would
see it every day.
16. "Now wait a minutethere is a real old picture taken sometime
agothat's small, like a small one (Oval?) [Medium had been
making motions of oval] it seems to beit's kind of old-fashioned
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thoughI think in a book, more like an album (Yes.) a book of
that sortit's something like a little cardphotograph-round
looks kind of funnywould make you laugh but youngerlooks
like herit is with the clothesit is with the clothes of other styles
either the clothes or the style would make you laugh because it is
kind of queerisn't so ancientI suppose styles change often
(Yes, they do. Too often.)"
T.: The oval picture especially attracted the attention of Mrs.
Guinan and myself on account of the old-fashioned dress, which looks
queer now, and we did laugh. Papa did take the pictures out of an
album to give to me.
G.: As explained by Theodosia, when her new desk came she started
clearing the things from the old one into the new one. As she was
sorting the things in the drawer of her old desk she came across these
pictures of Mrs. Prince and showed them to me. We both laughed
heartily over some of them, and this oval one especially, as it showed
Mrs. Prince with a shirtwaist with big sleeves, a full skirt and a little
hat on her head. I think she was sitting on some steps. It was very
funny.
17. "Something like that and it seems that there has been almost
has she got a man alive connected with herseems like a man's
handoh!I can't move my arm."
T.: Yes, her husband.
18. "Make a collection of these little pictures and putting them all
together to represent different periodsyou know (Yes, of her
life.)"
T.: True. (See notes under 14.)
19. "She loved poetrythis womanshe had several little poems that
would be favorites that they would find in different placessome-
times tucked in a booksometimes in a place where she would tuck
it in or kept togetherbut she loved itwell she had a lot of
sentimentdid you know that (I know. I think she did.)"
T.: After her death I found a number of poems in her Bible, in
drawers and in books she had read.
W.: She had plenty of sentiment, but was reserved in the expres-
sion of it. Putting poems she liked in books, etc., was characteristic.
20. "Isn't that true. (I don't know, but we can find out about that.)
Now do you know anybody that begins with M It looks like
[pause] it's queerbut it looks like M as a last name (Yes, I
knowbeginning of the last name.) and it looks just like the name
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of that great spirit Myers and as though he had sometimes been in
touch with this womanyou knowas a spirit that she admired
himsee (Yes. I don't know.)"
T.: I bought papa F. W. H. Myers's poems for a Christmas gift
and I think mother read every one of them and admired them very
much.
W.: Note that the reference to Myers and her admiration for him
comes directly after what is said about her liking poems. Note also
that it was in the last months of her life that she read the poems of
F. W. H. Myers.
21. "I don't know eitherwell, we don't have to know, do we. I have
another nameKate"
T.: She had a very dear friend by the name of Kate. Toward the
end of her life she would talk about the kindness of this friend.
22. "I just have to leave that there and a Wyou know WI mean
a name (Yes, beginning with W.) Name begins with Wcon-
nected with heryou don't know it, do you (No, I don't.)"
T.: W is the initial of papa's first name. [G.: My reply here was
made without thinking.]
W.: She and W. lived in the same house with Kateat one period.
Thus an association of ideas might be involved.
23. "Do you know this spirit (I think I do.) Do you know why I
asked thatbecause she put her hand right down on yours and
looked at you as much as to say 4 good morning'it was just like
a greeting to you and I'm so gladI'm so glad you are hereI'm
so gladit's like you stood byI'm so glad you stood byI don't
knowit's like you stood by (' You stood by 'I know what you
mean.) I'm so gladthat you stood by (I know.) That's it
and all of it."
G.: I can imagine Mrs. Prince greeting me with "Good morning,"
since as near as I can recall she never added my name. The "stood
by " I believe refers to the trouble in the when I most certainly
stood by Dr. Prince.
W.: The meaning might be that Mrs. Guinan stood by the com-
municator in visiting her in her illness. But on two accounts I think
Mrs. G.'s theory preferable: (1) Because the name James occurs di-
rectly afterward, and this with little doubt means Dr. Hyslop, who
would be deeply interested in the crisis the organization to which Mrs.
G. refers was going through. (2) The reference in the same connec-
tion to the communicator's sense of humor. She had been sensible of
the grotesque humor of some aspects of the situation.
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24. "but I have just as much love and just as much sense of humor
she had thatkind of ayes really sense of humor [pause] and
[pause] I h-a-v-e s-e-e-n J-a-m-e-s [spelled out]that's a person
she's seen over here (Yes.) That's all. Goodbye. [Sitter left
room here.] Are you gladyou're Blessing, aren't you? (Yes.)
[This was Mrs. G.'s maiden name, known to the psychic.] That's
my name for you (Well, that's my name. I've only added another
one to it.) You must be a blessing to him (I hope I am.) Oh, I'm
sure you are. I hear that door close [sitter had gone out down-
stairs] Is she medy (Whothe sitter?) Is she mediumistic?
(Yes.)"
W.: She is. See The Psychic in the House.
25. "I thought so because I saw spirits all around hershe's smart
isn't shethey tried to keep everybody away so that mother could
speak that was their anxietyshe has too many people around her
anxious to come (Yes, I know.) Give my love to Doctor [doubtless
meaning W. F. P.] (All right. Thank you, I will.) I think that
spirit wanted to send the love to himyou know as though (Yes,
I know.) It's not his mother though (No.) Is the sitter coming
again? (She may.) Some day (I don't know who's coming next.)
[Long pause and just before coming out of trance she says
'PrincePrince and Princess.']"
W.: There can be no doubt at this point that the sitter had been
identified by some one, yet she had certainly not been seen nor heard
to speak by the medium. Nor is there any appearance of fumbling
toward that identification, for at once the term " Mother" comes, pro-
ceeding the determinative descriptive points, " I love her," so the sitter
must be a woman. (As men seldom wear cowhide boots and women's
skirts no longer " swish," it is doubtful if the sex of the sitter could
have been determined by hearing.) Finally, after the mention of " the
Doctor" the spirit is said to be sending love to me, and in emergence
from trance the significant words, " Prince and Princess," are uttered.
Six times the spirit is by an intermediary termed " that mother." I
have looked through the sittings of 1912-1913, where the same person
was sitter, so far as to find twenty-five references by miscellaneous
communicators to her own mother, and they consist of " her mother"
(7 times), "the mother" (11), "mother" (3), "the mamma" (1),
"mamma" (2), and "that child's mother" (1), not once "that
mother." It looks decidedly as if there were in the expression
"that mother" a recognition of the fact that the sitter had had
another mother, as in the old series the expression "her mother
her heavenly mother" {Proceedings of A. S. P. R., Vol. XI, p. 363)
there may be a similar recognition, Mrs. Prince being then living.
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RECORD OF AUGUST 5, 1925, 11-12:10
(Relating to Mrs. Prince)
Present: W. F. Prince, Miss T. B. Prince, Mrs. C. B. Guinan (Steno-
graphic Recorder), Same preliminary procedureMiss Prince
entering after Mrs. Soule was entranced, sitting behind her and
uttering no word. All responses by W. F. P.
* *
[Omitted page has only generalities which would apply in most
cases, as in this. The communicator, however, affirmed that she was
the same as the one of the last sitting.]
1. "I am somewhat excited of course but I am trying to be steady for
I know it is most important to do that and add to what [Oral:
'Oh! Oh!'] we both believed and tried to find explanation for
what was not clear at first"
W.: If interpreted as applying to her acts and customary speech,
this is hardly true of Mrs. Prince. She had her own occupations and
took no part in psychic research except occasionally to read a book on
that subject with silent apparent interest, and sometimes to tell and
set down an incident witnessed by her in the house,the latter at my
urging. (See The Psychic in the House.) We seldom talked on the
subject. She was a singularly reticent person, even on some subjects
which interested her. Yet I gathered that she came to believe in the
supernormality of some incidents, and she did make efforts to find an
explanation for the raps and other phenomena in the house. Nor do I
think that she realized how reticent she was, for if I ever intimated that
she was uninterested in a subject which was absorbing my attention,
she repudiated the intimation with an appearance of surprise and some
indignation. So the statement in the text accords with what I should
expect to be her state of consciousness regarding the past.
2. "I am not in a place where I am unconscious of one of your
thoughts and I say a prayer so often that only the best shall come
to those I love who are left now with the memories of many efforts
and some hopes that the truth might be given to the world (To the
world?) [uncertain of the reading] the world Yes I wanted to
live longer" [ ]
T.: This is very true. Mother Prince not only wanted to live
longer, but believed she would live.
W.: As has already been stated, her clinging to life was extraordi-
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nary. What is unusual in dying from disease, she intensely wanted to
live up to her last moment.
3. "I must try and recall some of the past (That is right. Take it
calmly and take your time.) [medium murmurs] There were so
many changes that came to us in the [sighs and says, 'Wait a
minute.'] experiences we passed through"
W.: True of very many people, and especially true of us. There
were several abrupt and radical changes in the character of my profes-
sional work, involving changes for her also, also many long moves in
place of residence.
4). "And I sometimes think of them with a smile at the burdens we
assumed so lightly as enthusiasts may but only too soon to learn
that the more we did the more was expected but that did not deter
us for we had given ourselves [sighs] to a service which we loved"
W.: Quite true, but too common experiences and too inferrible to
be evidential.
5. "['Just a minute. Will you wait a minute. Just a minute,' said
excitedly. Long pause.] (That's good. Go on.) I know that it
seems to both that if I were only here now I would feel glad of the
new work"
W.: Undoubtedly this refers to my coming to a work in Boston.
Now, it might easily have been that she would have disliked the move,
but I happen to know that it would have been welcomed (she died eight
months before it took place) both because it would have brought her
nearer relatives and on another account.
6. "But I am a part of it for I am not dead even for a moment I
want you to know that I hear you talk about me and to me and
that I hear words like these If Mamma were only here she would
love this"
T.: True, since coming to Boston I have said many times how
much mother would like this or that and have said it to Mrs. Guinan.
7. "[Medium rubs back of neck with both hands, takes her head off
pillow. Then fingers around for pencil which she laid down when
starting to rub neck.] and if she is here now she must know that
we miss her It is rather hard to give the response but )rou do feel
it in your heart Wait a moment I do not want to lose my
thought (Take your time. Be calm.) you know how hard you
tried to make everything as quiet as possible about my death I
mean as far as having the public [Pause. 'She lost it.'] know (I
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think that's true. Go on.) for it was important to insure your
evidence you understand what I mean (I think so.)"
W.: Literally true. No funeral service was held in the town of my
residence, but the body was taken for service and burial to a hamlet in
another state. No publication was made except a brief notice of death
in one newspaper. Details were kept as quiet as possible, partly for
the reason assigned in the automatic writing.
8. "I want to refer to two articles which were mine (That's right;
do so.) one a small ring of no particular value as money goes
(Correct so far. I understand. Go on.) [Dr. Prince had turned
to sitter, who nodded head indicating, 'Yes.'] but a sentimental
value which is greater sometimes (Yes.) I wear its counterpart on
my hand today as a symbol of love and the old one is not or was
not left with me (You mean on your body?) yes (Correct.) [As
sitter had nodded] for it was decided after (I don't get that.)
after a little talk to take it off and I am so glad for it is a keepsake
(You appear to be on the right track. Go on.) [Sitter had
nodded, indicating that what was being said was true.] forever
now and it would have done me no good as a part of the service
to the body"
T.: She had a sapphire ring which she valued very highly. One of
the small stones fell out and she grieved very much about it. It was on
her finger in the hospital, for I had it mended the first week of her
going to the hospital before she died. The last week before her death
her fingers were so thin that I removed both this ring and her wedding
ring. After she died the wedding ring was replaced, but after talking
to the undertaker about it we did not put the set ring on.
W.: She wore a wedding ring, and I know that she had another one
with stones which I had given her which I think she generally wore in
the last period of her life, but I am singularly unobservant of clothing
and jewelry. Theodosia would be the one to remember exactly.
[Written after reading Theodosia's note.] The sapphire ring is the
one to which I refer.
The other of "the two articles " may well have been the wedding
ring, though attention then centered on the sapphire one, perhaps
because she had prized this so many years, while the wedding ring she
wore at the time of her death had been purchased recently.
9. "I want to write about [pause and sigh] another thing connected
with my body which no one knows I think but the one who did
it There was a [pause] bit of something put close to me with a
whispered request that I see see and remember and tell about it
sometime It was a little rust [pencil not lifted but medium sighs,
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'Oh, dear!'] ling thing that is it made a slight [' Just a moment.']
rustle as it was placed there (I understand. All is correct.) [Sit-
ter had nodded, indicating that what was being said was so.] and
no one knew but the one who did it (Yes.) and /"
T.: After mother was laid in her coffin the dress I had selected was
very low in the neck and did not look well. I left the undertakers and
went in search of something to hide her neck. All I could find in the
neighborhood was a ruffled piece of chiffon. I returned, and no one
was in the room, so I put it on. It certainly rustled, and I said half
aloud, "There, you will like that much better."
W.: Theodosia went to the undertaker's and saw the body. I did
not, as I did not want to carry in memory her looks after death of a
wasting disease. I was not informed of this incident.
10. "Yes I knew and I stood there I was not lying dead but stood
there and was as clear in mind and I think more so than I was
during the last hours [' Oh, dear!'] [Writing begins to get more
rapid and heavier] of my breathing life Oh it was wonderful to
know that at that moment I was experiencing ['Oh.' Murmurs.]
(Try and tell it.) the the reality of consciousness after death and
I must try and tell you of the things I saw at the service Yes
(Yes.) [P. L. D.: 'Oh, dear. Oh, Oh, Oh,' as if in pain. Arms
folded over breast.] (Do hope you will.) [Pause. Rubs face and
smiles.] [Sunbeam control speaks] Hello. I had to come.
(That's right.) to help that spirit. (That's good so long as we
have a stenographer to take down what is said.) I've got to
help her get away. She got stuck. (In what way?) Got stuck
in there. She got so anxious she went too far. (What made her?)
She got so anxious; she went right into the whole business; she
got stuck; she laughed about it afterward but not then. She's
splendidshe's a splendid spirit, she's bound to, she's bound to
get through the things she wants to get through. She has a lot
of determination. (I understand she has.) Yes, she has. You
know how much she has? Well, she just walks right up to all these
spirits, these big fellows, and says ' see here, we did a lot for you,
now you have got to do something for us.' (That's the way to
take it.)"
W.: She was a woman of very determined will.
11. "They lovelike that sort of a person. She had an awful head-
ache before she died and she did just as if I want to put all my
hair back [medium illustrates pushing hair back from forehead
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while she talks] and please, as though if somebody could rub her
head it would help her so much"
T.: This is very true. Two weeks before her death she wanted her
back rubbed. But the last week it was her head, and I bathed it by
stroking the hair back.
W.: I remember that she had trouble with her head, and that Theo-
dosia spent much of her time in her visits rubbing her head and back.
12. "So when she got stuck she got that feeling and she can't help it
nobody can help itit's just one of the laws. After a while she'll
get over it. I don't get anything like that. (Are you Sunbeam?)
Yes, I am. That's why I said hello to you. I know you. (Yes,
we've met before.) There is something I want to tell you about
that lady. She had a lot of books around her and she was a great
hand to read a little here and there and another place, as though
she had half a dozen books she might read"
T.: She would tire very quickly of one story and start or go on
with another.
W.: If this means that it was characteristic of her to have several
books immediately around her, it is not correct; if it means that she
lived in a house surrounded by books it is correct, but highly likely
to be true.
13. "And she had a wonderful memoryI guess perhaps you don't
know but she did."
W.: It is a curious thing to say, but I do not know whether she had
an unusual memory for what was in books or not, she so seldom talked
about what she read. As stated by "Sunbeam," I do not know that
she had.
14. "She's heard about book testsshe heard about them before she
died and she wants to try and do some things like other folks and
she's going toshe will!"
W.: I used sometimes during her illness to bring down a book on
psychic research, and she usually read it. Some time during the last
year of her life I brought a book relating to Drayton Thomas's book-
tests, which she read.
15. "There's another thingshe had a lot of her own people there
before she died. (That's true.) And they were very kind and
made her feel at home."
T.: The last week of her life, in response to my question how she
was, she said, "All right, my mother is taking care of me and R
and 0 and S [the omitted names are those of two sisters and
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a brother, all deceased] have been here." She spoke as unconcernedly
as if they were all living people. (Orally, Theodosia told me that she
thought this was about three days before Mrs. Prince died.W. F. P.)
W.: I distinctly remembered, when I read this, that not many days
before Mrs. Prince's death Theodosia came home from visiting her in
the hospital and told me that the invalid told her that some of her
(dead) relatives had been there, and that they had fixed her pillow.
16. "And goodness she loves flowers as she loves her God. (Very
true.) You know what I meanthey are an expression of God to
her and a littlelittle jonquil coming up in the spring would mean
so much to hershe'd watch it and love it and oh! you should see
her garden when she got on the other side."
T.: Her flowers were the talk of all who passed our Montclair home.
W.: The emphasis put upon her love of flowers is quite warranted.
It was a veritable passion. I remember that she had jonquils, and am
nearly certain that she had some the last spring of her life.
17. "They had it all ready for her, just as if everything was there
so she didn't miss the flowersthey were all there as though bend-
ing and nodding to her, like a gracious greeting to a lovely soul.
She comes to your house. (Does she?) Oh, yes, I guess she does
and she is all the time trying to do something there and she does
do quite a lot but and she doesn't want to disturb anythingwants
to keep everything poised and right."
W.: Two incidents occurred a few weeks after Mrs. Prince's death,
were told me at the time, but not recorded promptly, and the exact
dates are uncertain. Theodosia thus wrote them out:
"Fifi [a cocker spaniel] and I were in the kitchen of 27 Forest
Street. I was washing dishes, she in a basket which we called her bed.
Everything was quiet when, all of a sudden, I heard mother calling,
from up-stairs, 'Theodosia,' once very sharply as she used to when
she wanted me to hurry. I made no sign at all that I had heard it, and
Fifi jumped out of her bed and ran to the foot of the stairs, then came
back and looked inquiringly at me and went to bed.
"About a week later we were in the kitchen again and I was baking,
when again I heard mother call, 'Theodosia,' twice sharply. Fifi
jumped out of her bed and ran up the stairs, yelping all the way up,
and then I heard her feet pattering into every room on the second
floor. Finally she came down with her tail between her legs and went
to bed."
In June, on several nights Theodosia woke and was impelled to go
to the window. Each time she saw some luminous wavering appearance
in the garden. She did not recognize it as a human form, nor suggest
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that it was, but "Frank," in automatic writing, declared that it was
Mrs. Prince in the garden, where she had spent so much of her time.
This incident is, of course, of less value than those which precede it,
whatever value readers may respectively assign to them. There is no
evidence for the statement that "she does quite a lot." But I should
not know how to disprove the statement that a spirit could do things
which would not evidence themselves, such as bringing influence to
bear upon human consciousnesses.
18. "And she's quick as ten flashes and I think she wore herself out a
lot of timesyou know what I mean? (Yes.)"
T.: I have seen her bake when her head was aching so she could
scarcely see.
W.: She may be quick now, but she was not especially quick in life,
though she was laborious and thorough. It is emphatically true that
"she wore herself out lots of times." The tendency to do this began
when she was young. Nothing that any one could say would stop her
from overdoing at times. She would often work when it seemed un-
necessary to do so and when she was not at all well, and suffer for it
afterwards.
19. "She worked like anything and then she was downjust like that
[medium indicates a person 'all in' after hard work.] (That's
true.) And then she's down. So she wants to get over that.
Working on her nerves. Think of a spirit working on her nerves
[laughs] but they have nerves you know. (Yes.)"
W.: Many a time she worked " on her nerves " and will-power. It
was very characteristic.
20. "They have something just like them. If they have emotions they
must have channels for emotions to run in and that's the nerves
and there is another thingshe loves petsshe loves dogs and
birds, not all together but she loves them as she comes but she has
the most beautiful canaryI know it's a canary because it's yel-
lowseems almost like it was a pet at one time that she could look
up to it and talk to it. It sounds like Dickhello Dickit's a
bird though, not a man. I think it's a long time ago, not right
now and it's funny."
T.: Mother told me of two canary birds which she had; one before
she was married, which her sister's cat ate; one she had when she mar-
ried which had such a shrill song that she had to dispose of it. I do
not remember their names, but they were both yellow.
W.: Mrs. Prince had a canary before marriage, and afterward,
before Theodosia came to live with us, we had at least two canaries and
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several after that. One of the birds was named "Dick" (a common
name for a canary), but it was a rather greenish-yellow. I do not
remember the names of former canaries. She certainly was fond of
canaries. We had a dog that she liked, but he did not live long. We
also had a dog the last year of her life which she liked, except that it
made her nervous by jumping up and by sitting before her and moan-
ing out of sympathy.
21. "Did anyone ever take your hair and give it a little twist in front
like that [indicates curl] (I don't remember.) Somebody did.
You used to be a pretty little boy, didn't you? (I shouldn't have
thought so.) Well you're probably too modest but you were.
(Probably my mother thought so.) It was likealmost like a
little curla little something (Yes, yes. Well, I had that. Don't
you know the name of it?) Wait a minute. No. (You mean a
boston?) I don't know what it is but I see some one doing that
[all the while she is speaking of this she indicates a curl in front
top of head]. You can't do it now, can you? (No.) Haven't you
any hair up there? But you haven't any mother to twist it for
you. But she'll always remember you just that way. I would call
it a topknotlike a little topknot, isn't that cunning? [Laughs.]"
W.: I remember my mother saying I was a pretty baby, though I
got bravely over it. I certainly had, at the time of my earliest recol-
lection, a curl over my forehead made by twisting the wet hair around
my mother's finger. It used to be called a "boston." The medium's
descriptive gesture, the name "topknot," and the intimation that my
mother twisted it for me, are all correct.
"Goodby. Take hold of my handyou're not afraid of me are
you? (No, goodbye.) [Took her hand.]"
Addendum: A Cross-Correspondence
At my second sitting with Mrs. Leonard in England, on Octo-
ber 14, 1927, Feda immediately and spontaneously began to speak
of "your lady." I gave no assistance, but occasionally uttered a
formal "yes" or acknowledged facts categorically affirmed. There
was much repetition and I reproduce only the gist of the passages
relevant to what is declared by "Sunbeam" in the sitting with Mrs.
Soule and with the corresponding historical facts.
"Do you know that she became sometimes rather psychic herself?
When she was here, and before she passed over she had been aware that
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people of the spirit world were with her. . . . Do you know if she had
spoken about a relative, a lady belonging who had passed over before
her, that she knew was with her before she passed over herself (Yes,
that is part of it.) because some one in the spirit world, a lady, had
come to see your lady in spirit. . . . There was a man as well. A
man came with the lady and both of them was very, very, close con-
nected to your lady before she went over. (Can she remember what
they did?) Wait a minute. Do you know they came right into the
room where she was, and do you know they came right up close to her
and touched her too, as if they were bending over her, do you see.
(Yes, I recognize that. There is still more if she remembers.) Do
you know did anyone kiss her? (That I don't know.) Because I feel
that the lady had kissed her, but she may not have mentioned that.
. . . Wait a minute [after an irrelevant remark by the secretary]
because it is rather important. It is as if they were touching her, and
almost like lifting her up. . . . She knew who they were, she recog-
nized them . . . and they looked very bright to her. . . . And she
wasn't asleep; it wasn't quite a dream, it wasn't a dream. (Yes, so
she said.) She said she had her senses all quite completely. She said
she may have been, she had been dozing a little . . . but she wasn't
asleep when it happened. ... I knew exactly what was happening
and they came and stood just by the side of her and close to her; she
saw them and felt them. I feel though that she heard as well. . . .
That was not just the moment that she passed over (Yes; does she
remember any more? Does she remember how long before it was?)
She will try and explain, she will try and get that through to me, but
she knows it wasn't just at the moment. . . . She wasn't feeling then
as if she was going to pass over (Do you mean she did not go over at
the time these came?) [This might have implied that the statement
was wrong, but Feda went on.] No, not at the time these came. . . .
Did she tell you anything about hearing music? . . . What does she
mean by a quotation? (Quotation? I don't quite know.) There's
something she is saying to me, that she heard a quotation. She heard
it and she spoke about it to some one. . . . She gives, I spoke about
this through Soule (She did, that is right.) She says, I gave an
account of this through Soule. ... I was very pleased because I gave
it quite definitely (Yes, fine.) ... In a way, she says, I volunteered
it. . . . She didn't want to be asked it; she was beginning to talk
about it herself, do you see? (I see.) Through Soule, she means. . . .
I think these people, these spirit people that she saw had been passed
over some little time before, not just before she did. [Then, after a
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cryptic reference to a window, and being coldsensations of cold were
symptomatic, but it sounds as though this referred to some special
occasion] she wasn't frightened when she saw those people. . . . She
was rather pleased and she says, I felt, I felt you know as though I
was so comforted and reassured by their presence. . . . She thinks
they had come to help her. . . . She says both of them were very good
people when they were here. . . . Three, three, three. I wonder why
she keeps giving me the figure three in connection with this. ... I
have got the idea that its to do with a period, or with time, counting
time, not three people. [Then, after an obscure reference to an article
of furniture being moved, and a peculiar sensation felt in the head,
and again to the 'quotation '] It didn't seem as if it could have been
dark, because of her seeing them. . . . Do you know when she saw
them if she was expecting, would have been thinking of being given
something to eat and drink? (No, I don't know.) ... It was getting
near the time when she would have been given something. . . . And
after she had seen all this, she spoke to another woman on earth about
it (Yes, right. I remember that.) Yes, she told her soon after. . . .
Oh! She is quite sure now as she looks back that the spirit people
were very close to her for some days before she passed over, not just
the same day, but several days before." Then Feda went on to say
that my "lady " had rather extraordinary psychic power but did not
develop it.
Let us compare correspondences.
1. Mrs. Prince sees spirits, (a) So she told Theodosia, (b) So
Mrs. Soule's "Sunbeam" declared, (c) So Mrs. Leonard's "Feda"
declared.
2. Their Number, (a) Mrs. Prince named four she had seen, but
did not say that she saw them all at one time, (b) Sunbeam: " A lot,"
an indefinite number, (c) Feda: " a man and a woman" (right so
far as it goes and possibly referring to a particular occasion).
3. Who They Were. (a) Mrs. Prince said she had seen her
mother, a brother and two sisters. (b) Sunbeam: "her own people,"
(c) Feda: "very, very close connected."
4. When, (a) Mrs. Prince told of it three days before her death.
Theodosia thinks she implied that she had been seeing them often for
several days, (b) Sunbeam: "before she died,"indefinite, but imply-
ing not long before her death, (c) Feda: "not just at the moment
she passed over," " for some days before she passed over, not just the
same day but several days before." [Possibly the " three, three, three
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. . . in connection with this," thought by Feda to indicate time, is
related to the fact that Mrs. Prince told Theodosia three days before
her death.]
5. Their Conduct, (a) Mrs. Prince said they took care of her,
specially emphasizing her mother, and mentioned that they fixed her
pillow, (b) Sunbeam: " they were very kind," " I had help from those
who were there for that purpose,"1 (c) Feda: "It is rather impor-
tant. It is as if they were touching her and almost like lifting her up"
(which one would do in fixing an invalid's pillow).
6. Her Reaction, (a) Mrs. Prince expressed appreciation of the
care being given her by her (deceased) relatives, (b) Sunbeam: it
"made her feel at home," (c) Feda: " She wasn't frightened. . . . She
was rather pleased and she says, I felt as though I was so comforted
and reassured by their presence. . . . She thinks they had come to
help her."
This ends Mrs. Soule's part in the textual correspondences. But
7. Feda declared that "your lady" says, "I spoke about it to
some one. ... I gave an account of this through Soule. ... I was
very pleased because I gave it quite definitely. ... I volunteered it."
And through Mrs. Soule, two years earlier, there had indeed been vol-
unteered the definite statement that some of Mrs. Prince's relatives
had been with her before she died, been very kind to her, helped her
and eased her suffering, and that they made her feel at home. (Mrs.
Soule has never been told of her trance utterance and its truth.)
8. And Feda also declared that your lady, " after she had seen all
this, spoke to another woman on earth about it . . . soon after."
And she had in fact told Theodosia. (My acknowledgment that Feda
had spoken truly would reveal that Mrs. Prince told somebody. But
why might she not have told me? But it was Theodosia, "another
woman," whom she told.)
9. Feda quotes " Mrs. Prince" as saying that she is certain that
these were waking experiences. In fact, she told them to Theodosia
as such, whatever their real character.
Feda added other particulars which corresponded with facts un-
mentioned by Sunbeam, such as that the spirit relatives had not passed
over lately, that they were good people and that Mrs. Prince herself
had psychic power but did not develop it. (When young, she gave
evidence of such a power, but disliked and, apparently, mostly ex-
tinguished it.)
1 See Soule sitting of Sept. 4, item 9.
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A number of details given by Feda regarding the spirits appearing
and doing things for Mrs. Prince cannot be verified, and it is as impos-
sible to deny them. Mrs. Prince told few details of what she believed
had happened, and in fact talked little during her last days.
Any leakage to Mrs. Leonard is practically inconceivable.
ABSTRACT OF RECORD OF AUGUST 6, 1925, 11:35-l :00
(Relating to Mrs. Prince)
Present: Miss T. B. Prince (Sitter) and Mrs. Guinan (Stenographic
Recorder). Preliminary procedure as usual. Responses all by
Mrs. G.
Much of the matter of this date does not at all bear upon the evi-
dential issue. It will be sufficient to list the statements which do and
to state whether they are correct or incorrect, and to what degree.
1. That " evidential values " " was one of the themes most talked of by
those around me." [Mrs. Prince was the apparent communicator.]
It was discussed in her presence many times (as would be most
likely), especially when some person outside of the family was
present.
2. "I knew that you felt it might be too soon to have me try [to com-
municate] and so you waited even if you were so eager to know
what I found." This, as an effort to interpret my thoughts, is not
very successful. I never wanted to know what she found, as I did
not see how statements about the other world could be evidential.
I did know of the claim that many spirits are not able to communi-
cate at once, and had thought that in case this were true, it might
perhaps be the case with her. I had made no effort to get pur-
ported communications from her.
3. "Now you, dear, are the comforter and help, although you feel as
though you were in a dream and would wake in the morning and
find me there in the old way."
T.: Mother suffered so much the last month of her life and her ex-
pected death any time kept me worked up, and her suffering unnerved
me so that when she died, I was in a dream for about a week.
4. "Shall I ever forget the experiences we had together? some of
them, yes, but some of them were to bring us The Gift of God."
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Rather a likely inference from the meaning of "Theodosia" and
Mrs. Soule's presumable knowledge of the Doris Case. But the
remark is quite expressive of Mrs. Prince's feeling.
T.: Mother always said it was her work alone which brought me to
live with them and it was surely the Gift of God.
5. "Dear daughter [last word written very slowly] See how I love
that word."
T.: I often thought mother would like for once to throw aside her
reserve and call me pet names, but she never got up the courage, al-
though several times, three to be exact, she called me dear, but was
much embarrassed.
6. "There is something I want to say about a garment and a hat
which has been changed and used since I came here I mean that
something from a hat I had has been used on another one and as it
has been worn there has been a feeling of joy which was mine too"
T.: The garment was a silk dress, one of the few pieces of her wear-
ing apparel which I did not give away. I made it over. That about
the hat is very good. Mother had a hat with a beautiful feather on it.
I love feathers, and when she died I put it on my hat and enjoyed the
feel of the feather on the back of my neck.
7. "I have seen some dresses looked at [coughs] as if they might be
used together as one would not be sufficient alone understand.
(Yes.)"
T.: This refers to two wash dresses which I intended to combine and
make into one house dress.
8. "There is one thing I must try and write about It is [pause] a
manuscript which was in process when I died and has been spoken
of so many times in some such way as this If she could only have
lived to see this completed and some of it was very vital [N. R.]
vital in my experiences but this was not my manuscript his"
W.: Most of the material for The Psychic in the House was in
manuscript before Mrs. Prince's death. The greater part of the ex-
periments whose results were used in that book were made in our home
and she was very familiar with them. Some of them she participated
in, and several spontaneous experiences of her own were recorded. She
knew that the manuscript was to be published. It was not issued until
the spring of 1926.
9. "Do you know about B B B a spirit B a spirit who comes some-
times and a spirit coming and asked for"
W.: Very few times have I in experimenting called for any particu-
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lar "spirit," but I have several times mentally asked for one whose
given name began with B. The first time was long ago, when I, then
and for years to come entirely skeptical, was amusing myself with a
medium named Grace Royal. Instantly she gave a few particulars of
physical description which were correct, and added a sentence descrip-
tive of his deatli which was very pat. A few years ago I studied, for
several weeks, the remarkable healing work of Dr. Elizabeth Cantrell,
of Wichita, Kansas. This lady produces results which she does not
ascribe to spirits, neither is she a Spiritualist nor does she consider
herself a medium. Nevertheless, several times in my presence she dis-
played what seemed to be supernormal knowledge. One morning she
saw in the room near me a human form whose height, somewhat signifi-
cant, she described, made a very significant remark about the death,
and mentioned the season it occurred in. I do not wish to publish the
particulars, for fear of spoiling future evidence. I do not regard the
evidence as conclusive, although it would seem better if I could tell
exactly what was said, but at. least it makes it impossible to deny
(without dogmatic assumption) that B "comes sometimes." After-
ward, in this series, there is an appearance as though he came again.
10. "I keep hearing and see NY oh I keep hearing New York and
it is more likeyou know I think that this spirit died in New
York (May be.) It is all New York conditions aroundpossibly
it is a suburb of New Yorkit is like New York because I hear
New York and see New York and get all influences of New York
(Yes, I think that's right.) and in connection with that I see the
funeral and that's why I think the death is there"
T.: Mother died in the New York Hospital, New York City.
W.: If spirits remember earth life, I should think that "New
York " would haunt Mrs. Prince's memory, since she was in that New
York hospital ten times.
11. "And that funeralit seems like such a-it's like a tragedyit's
such a tragedytragic thing after all and yet it isn't tragic"
T.: The body was prepared for burial in New York City. The
word tragic was used by the undertaker frequently in telling me of
the awful condition of the body.
W.: On the account mentioned above the casket could not be opened
in the little hamlet where the burial took place, and where many old
friends lived. "And yet it isn't tragic " may be significant of the fact
that death was relief from protracted suffering. Or it may mean that
the death was not one of accident or violence.
12. "It seems as though there would be such a gasp of incredulous-
ness' What, she gone!' you know, like that."
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W.: She had survived nine operations. Her friends feared much
for the first ones, but got so accustomed to them that when she sud-
denly died, one morning, there was nearly as much shock of surprise as
if she had died as Roosevelt did.
13. [A passage follows, part of which is unintelligible to me, and a
part of it to a degree evidential, but in a way which cannot be
explained without involving others unpleasantly.]
14. "She's a very independent lady."
T.: This is very true. She cared for herself when so ill she could
scarcely walk.
15. "She had to keep her mouth closed about a good many things she
wanted to say. She had to be politic but she didn't want to be.
She wanted to say what she thought and of course she couldn't."
W.: This is almost ludicrously apt. It sounds as if she were at
last expressing her feelings, in the third person. There were incidents
of what she considered shabby treatment, but she schooled herself to
bear them, to be " politic," in silence.
16. "She puts down a brown dress that's got a lot of ruffles on it. It
is old, old-fashioned, not a dress of this time and it has a lot of
little ruffles and it just seems to have been put away, as though it
was just too good to throw away and not right, not made right to
do anything with (I see.) because the ruffles are not the style (I
see what you mean.) and it seems what I thinkit is rolled up, not
put in any particular shape but as though rolled up and every time
you looked at it there would be a feeling of ' I wish I could use it.'
You know, there has been an attempt at some time to do some-
thing with it, as though it is partially done but was not completed.
I can see in it a needle but really isn't for anything particular but
just that she recalls it. When I say brown I don't mean like
black. (I see. Light brown, like tan?) Snuff brown."
T.: I saw this brown dress when I first came to live with her. It
was made in gores and very hard to make over. Finally a neighbor
offered to fix it. In doing so she spoiled it completely.
17. "She must have liked brown especially when she was younger. It
seems to be such a good wearing color and it was becoming to her.
Seems to be becoming color to her and I think that dress was."
W.: Brown teas liked by her especially when she was younger, and
the dress referred to, I especially liked, which might be a reason for its
mention. I think that " snuff brown " is about right.
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18. "She's the most efficient lady you ever saw. She could cook.
(Yes, I know.) She could do things in a minute. Seems as though
almost first thing you know she would have stirred up something
speaking of brown made me see something that she did like a brown
brown cakeI don't know whether it is gingerbread or spice
cake but it is brown and kind of shiny on top, do you know what
I mean? (Yes, I do.)"
W.: She was very efficient in many things, cooking and matters
quite beyond housework.
T.: I am struck by the expression, "would have stirred up some-
thing." Mother was the kind of cook who never could tell how she
made a dish, saying, "I just stir it up." Her ginger-cooky jar was
always full, also she made lots of gingerbread; both were shiny on top.
19. Addressed her husband sometimes as " Father," sometimes " Papa,"
sometimes "my husband."
W.: She never directly addressed me by any of these names.
20. "It seems as though papa liked the brown cake and it seems that
somebody who helps papa now wishes she could make something
like the lady did and yet the papa says it is all right. He's just
sure that everything is all right and if you can't do it the first
time you will the next and it seems there is this particular brown
cake that there is kind of a wish to make it."
W.: I was specially fond of the gingerbread. My attitude toward
food on the table is correctly put.
T.: Just a week before the sitting I had written to her sister to
write plainly how she had made ginger cookies, as I had failed twice in
making them.
21. "She wasn't an awfully extravagant cook either. It wasn't that
she made thingswell, she made them rightyou know."
W.: She was an excellent cook, and an economical one.
22. Statement that she remembers a certain kind of fish which her
husband likes, but did not have often.
W.: So can I, and can understand how she might have it in memory,
but the statement is hardly at all evidential.
23. A description of what I do while alone before going to bed at night
makes me more ceremonially devout than I am, and the statement
that I sometimes find it hard to go to sleep afterwards is hardly
ever justified.
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24. Name like Ella or Emma, of a person connected with the
communicator.
W.: I do not know of any. There is a living sister Nellie E.
25. "The spirit has and she had before she went away a little trouble,
it is with her foot or knee because she sits down and kind of holds
foot up like that, as if resting it. [She holds her left foot up and
rubs foot and then holds same up by putting hand on front of
knee.] I think it is the knee." ..." Anyway she did just put
her foot up like that. She got, oh a little tired and when it was
tired she would do that. I think partly it is from theit rests her
to slip out of her shoe."
T.: The pressure on the nerves of the legs caused lumps to form
under the knee and they were very painful, also the ankle was swollen,
out of all semblance to an ankle. Many times I have seen mother rub-
bing her foot, ankle and knee.
W.: Theodosia forgot to add, what is a familiar memory to us both,
that Mrs. Prince would often slip her foot from its shoe, and rest it
on a stool, etc., exactly as stated.
26. Reference to her father, her husband's father and a brother-in-law
being deceased. Likely at her age, and true (yet one of the two
fathers might have been living, and she might have had no brother-
in-law or only living ones).
27. "She had a lot of people a long distance off, some are alive. She's
seen them all. Miles and miles away who were related to her and
friends to her, didn't see them for quite a while before she died but
she's seen them since. She's able to go to see them."
W.: This is true in every detail. (1) She had an unusual number
of near relatives, living and dead. (2) They all lived a long distance
away from her during the most of her married life, from 200 to 1,600
miles, in several States. (3) She saw not one of them for at least a
year before her death.
RECORD OF AUGUST 7, 1925, 11:15-12:35
(Relating to Mrs. Prince and Theodosia)
Present: Miss Prince (Sitter) and Mrs. Guinan (Secretary). Same
preliminary procedure. All responses by Mrs. G.
[Two typewritten pages from " Dr. Hyslop " are omitted, because
the few testable references, while agreeable to the facts, are not prov-
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ably beyond the psychic's knowledge. Also, about a page from " Mrs.
Prince," of matter which is non-significant except for one statement,
likewise not fully protected from the psychic's normal knowledge.]
1. "You are my little girl dear my own through love and I expect so
much of you yes expect just what we all know you can do and I
have one thing to say about those last hours of mine Did I refer
to what seemed like suffering If I did not I want to do so now
(No, I don't think you have yet.) I did not suffer as much as it
seemed let me see if I can make that clear (Take your time.) I
suppose my body was in pain but I was so near the spirit life it
did not imprint itself on my mind as if I had come back into the
body and realized what I had been through [Oral: 'Oh, dear, so
hungry, I'm so hungry.'] and every one here tried to help me
forget that"
W.: I have often thought Mrs. Prince could not have suffered
nearly as much during her last stay in the hospital as one would have
supposed she must suffer. This was partly because of the opiate ad-
ministered, but also because of the effect of the disease upon her men-
tality. There was no evidence that she ever realized that the wound
from the last operation did not heal and never could do so. I remem-
ber Theodosia telling me only a day or two before the patient's death,
that she complained of being hungry. Nothing about this or other
points regarding the last illness which I emphasize had been printed or
could have been known to the psychic.
T.: Mother was always hungry in her illness, and especially in the
hospital.
[Here are omitted remarks about letters by sitter to communica-
tor during some experiments (partly correct but confused), a refer-
ence to " some one called ' Celia '" (communicator's name was Lelia),
and a remark that it is queer that " there are two father's" (the sit-
ter's own father and her foster-father), since they are not protected
from the psychic's own knowledge, in view of what had been printed in
Volume XI of the Proceedings A. S. P. R. But what follows, by
"Sunbeam," is certainly evidentially-protected.]
2. "Do you know a fat lady that was fond of chocolate candy? (I
don't know. Maybe if she could tell us something more we could
find out who she is.) You don't know who she is? (No, not a
fat lady.)"
W.: Theodosia's note, to follow, makes it probable that Mrs.
Prince is meant, though her own mother was fleshy. The former be-
came emaciated in face, arms and chest, but much bloated in the rest
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of her body. When bundled in many clothes, as she usually was be-
cause chilly, when others were uncomfortably warm, she had the
appearance of being very fat, except in her face and hands.
3. "Well I seeI see a lady sitting down and a little girlit is a little
girl that's here with you isn't it? (Yes.) It is like a little girl or
as a little girl would donot a little girl but as a little girl would
doput a chocolate in the mouth of the lady who was writing. A
chocolate drop (Yes.) and it seems to be a bit of fun and a bit of
generosity and love allallwhenever she had anything like that
like a little girlshe would take it up to her and put it in her
mouth. (Yes, that's right.) [Sitter had nodded] and it is just
so much like her (Yes.) So much the way she did things that the
lady who was writing loves to think of all those nice little things
you know (That's nice.)"
T.: Mother P. was very fond of chocolates. Almost every week
some one would give me a box of chocolates and I would extract one
and when'I came home from work and stepped over to kiss mother I
would insert the piece of chocolate in her mouth and then give her
the box.
W.: Mrs. Guinan's " Yes " to the question, " it is a little girl that's
here with you, isn't it? " was uttered in a Pickwickian sense. Of course,
Mrs. Soule knew that Theodosia is a woman. And directly after Sun-
beam shows recognition of the fact that the sitter was not exactly a
little girl. She retains a little girl's vivacity and enthusiasm.
The descriptive phrases sum up the "nice little things " which the
sitter loves to do, and the spirit in which they are done, as well as I
could express it after years of acquaintance with them.
4. "And just as she did that she did like to the one who is herethe
manand she doesn't always quite dare toit's funny. She dares
anything but some time it is just a little impulse would come like
that and he'd be so busy and so serious she couldn't so she goes to a
little closet and puts something awaylike she would shareand
she can't bother him because he's busycan't be interrupted so
she puts it on something might be just like a little chocolate drop
because he likes sweet things and it is put up on top of something,
like a little cup turned up-side-down, a little crockery thing and
meltsyou know it is the hottest little closet you ever knew and it
is just like going to put it in her own mouth and melting it. Just
a cunning little waysaved it for him and didn't give it to him
because he was so busy and then it got kind of melted and 'I ate
it myself.'"
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T.: I do not quite understand about not daring to interrupt him.
I am afraid I ought to be, but am not. But when we were in Mont-
clair, where we lived during mother's long last illness, I would put a
piece of chocolate on a small dish to await papa's coming, and put it
in our pantry, which was a hot place in summer. I always covered it
up. Many times I have found it all running and, knowing he would
not like it, would call up to mother, " I guess I will eat it."
W.: This, to me, in spite of one error, is a singularly lifelike pas-
sage. First for the group of particulars regarding Theodosia's acts:
(1) saving a chocolate drop, (2) for W. F. P., (3) because he likes
sweet things, (4) by putting it on a piece of crockery, (5) in a closet
(where it sometimes melted), (6) in which case she ate it herself.
Secondly, in the accurate reference to my manner when I am busy at
my desk at home. In fact, when I am so engaged, my daughter not
infrequently brings in a tid bit, such as a newly-baked cake, on a
plate, lays it down before me and silently departs, since I am " so busy
and so serious " and absorbed in my work. I just glance at it and her,
murmur "Thanks," and go on writing. I do not believe that the
psychic could gather that from my demeanor when with her. The
denial, in her note, of not daring, accords with the corrected script:
"She dares anything." The error is in saying that the candy was put
in the closet because I could not be interrupted, instead of because I
was away in my office. It is the sort of an error that a living third
person, familiar with the fact that I did not like to be interrupted in
my work and with the practice of putting a chocolate drop in the closet
for me, would be liable to in telling the story. The dropping out from
memory, temporarily, of the right connecting link and replacing with
another which known circumstances suggest, is common.
Hannibal-Hannah Incident
5. "Do you know anyone sounds like Hannah. I think it is Ha.
Hannah or Nora. Sounds like Aunt. No it isn't Aunt at all.
Anna or Hannibal. Han is first part of it. Might be a place.
Know anyone lives like in a place like Hannah? (I never heard of
any.) You look up Hannah, Ohio. (All right.) That's all I get
about itsomething like that somebody might be interested in.
(All right, we'll look it up.)"
T.: Margaret1 had a friend who moved from Allegheny to Hanni-
bal, Ohio. She wrote often to her and planned again and again to
visit her. She would be about 36 years old now.
W.: This is a curious passage. It is worth considering in view of
1 Margaret, as many readers will be aware, was the name of one of the secondary
personalities in the old days when Theodosia was the now well-known " Doris Case
of Multiple Personality."
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the facts told me by Theodosia immediately on her return from the
sitting. It seems that there was a girl, who with her family removed
from Pittsburgh to Hannibal, Ohio. In the personality of "Mar-
garet" Theodosia corresponded with the girl after her removal, and
even made a fantastic attempt when a child to make the journey to
visit her. I think, but cannot be quite sure, that I had been told some-
thing about this girl and the place. But directly after her return
from the sitting Theodosia told me the story, and said that Hannibal
was a small place in Ohio on the Ohio River, opposite Parkersburg,
West Virginia. Now I propose to do courtesy to the most extreme
suggestions which the skeptic can conjure up.
Suppose that she were taken with a spasm of imagination, how
would she know and be able to assert with confidence that the medium
had named correctly a little place in Ohio on the Ohio River, and to
pick it out of the names mentioned by the medium, "Hannah, Nora,"
"Anna or Hannibal," " Hannah, Ohio"? It is an obscure little place,
and there would be but a microscopic chance of her ever having heard
of it. Still less, unless there had been some association with it, such as
a correspondence would have established, was it likely that she would
know that it was on the Ohio River opposite from West Virginia? But
Hannibal is not opposite from Parkersburg. This makes no difference
so far as the medium's utterance is. concerned. But it defeats the in-
genious person who would object that perhaps, before coming home,
Theodosia slipped into a public library or other place and consulted
the map. I have not even to add that my secretary accompanied her
home,if she had consulted an atlas and found that there is a Han-
nibal, Ohio, on the river, she would also have seen that it is not directly
opposite from Parkersburg, but some fifty miles northeast of it. On
the basis of the correspondence with the girl it is easy to see how the
error could have arisen. The girl may have written about visiting
Parkersburg on the other side of the river in West Virginia, and
Theodosia could have supposed that she meant that Parkersburg was
directly opposite.
We should observe that the medium asked, " Know anyone lives in
a place like Hannah," and "something like that somebody might be
interested in," and the words happened (?) to fit the sitter.
This being the case, the attempts to get the name, "Hannah . . .
Ha . . . Hannah . . . Aunt . . . Anna or Hannibal . . . Hannah"
seem like attempts to hear what is distantly or obscurely uttered. The
"Norah" may possibly be an adumbration of "Ohio." Note that,
without any hint being received, "Aunt" is definitely discarded, and
the first impression that a personal name is meant changes to that of
a place.2 Then observe that there had been nothing written which
2 On the theory of communication from discarnate intelligences, and that such
communication is telepathic, even the " Hannah" and the "Aunt" vacillations are
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would turn the sitter's thoughts to the girl or to Hannibal. And not
until "Hannibal" came could the sitter have guessed at the possible
relevance.
6. "I hear another name that is Margaret and it seems as though I
want to say it so slowly Margaret [said slowly] as though it would
be rather analmost a silent thing and seem Margaret [said
slowly] Margaret [slowly and emphasis on the Mar] and I feel
Margaret died. See. (Yes.) You don't know what it means, do
you? (I think I do.) It is just like that and you know you would
be glad when Margaret died. (You would be glad when she died?)
It is like that. Her name isn't Margaret is it? The little girl's
name. (No.) It's connected with her. I just hear it. Margaret,
Margaret. That silent sort of way and it just makes me sick."
W.: The passage about Margaret is unevidential by itself because
of what had been published. But the reference to the extinguishment,
or " death," of " Margaret " in just this place seems significant. For,
as already stated, it was "Margaret" who used to write to the girl
in Hannibal.
7. "I think that lady was awfully hungry when she died. Couldn't
take any nourishmentwasn't able to. Wasn't apparent to her
when she was dying but it was after she died. [ ]"
T.: The cancer ate through the stomach of mother and a week
before she died everything she ate or drank simply seeped through this
opening and she was hungry all the time.
W.: It is an actual fact that although conscious, she did not realize
her condition during the last days, not even that such an opening
existed. At times, toward the last, she had the delusion that she was
being given nothing to eat.
explainable. It is often asserted in mediumistic utterances that several persons on
the other side, interested in the experiment, are present. Theodosia's mother knew
about Margaret writing to the girl in Hannibal, Ohio, and would presumably be the
source of so much of that incident as got through. Suppose, on the basis of the
assertion referred to, that one of my relatives is present (and it is claimed that my
wife, at any rate, is), attracted because I am the experimenter, and my foster-
daughter the sitter. The attempt to get from Mrs. Fischer (Theodosia's mother)
the word Hannibal at first results in "Hannah." One of my relatives, somehow
aware of this, thinks of Hannah, who was my aunt, and died before I was born.
This thought is caught, and " sounds like Aunt" results. Then comes the effort to
get back on the right track. It is not an Aunt, it is a placeso far is successful,
and " Hannibal " actually emerges, but the two trains of thought continue to clash,
leaving " Hannah, Ohio."
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AUGUST 12, 1925, 11:10-12:35
(Mrs. Prince, Mephistopheles and Teddy)
Present: W. F. P., T. B. P., and Mrs. G. (Secretary). Usual pro-
cedure. Responses were by W. F. P.
Since the statements which weigh on either side in the evidential
problem are few, only one striking passage will be given verbatim, the
rest in epitome.
1. Statement that the communicator [Mrs. Prince] met her mother
in the world of spirits.
Her mother was dead, a fact which was most probable but, as I said
about the father, by no means a certain one from the medium's point
of view. Only the evening before I write, a gentleman older than Mrs.
Prince told me that a few evenings ago a medium described to him what
his mother was doing in the spirit world and that he had the pleasure
of rehearsing it to his mother the next morning.
2. Statement that when I get over yonder I may smoke if I want to,
"and perhaps we can keep the windows open. This is only a bit
of fun."
Regarded as a reflection of my wife's feeling about my smoking, in
her lifetime, this would be erroneous, for she disliked it. But the " we
can keep the windows open " might be easily interpreted as a hint of
her former dislike. Non-evidential.
3. "I want to say a word about a crocheted shawl (Yes, that is
recognized. Go on, tell more.) not very large but one I used to
have to throw over my shoulders (Yes.) especially when we used to
sit out and it grew chilly and it was often brought to me after I
was out a while (Yes. Right.) for I always thought I was going
right in to do something I had left undone and then it was so lovely
outside I staid"
T.: This is true. She had two shawls and almost every time she
would go out on the porch in the late afternoon I would remind her to
take one out with her, but she always said, " I am only going to stay a
minute," and when she once would get settled she hated to get up again
and I would get the shawl for her.
W.: Each particular taken alone is exceedingly likely, but all taken
in combination are not so likely. To have on her mind something that
she thought needed to be done was characteristic.
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4. Statement that "we used to listen for a bell to ring and then we
would say 'There he is,'" etc. True by interpretation, but too
indefinite to count.
5. Some true statements about a named person connected with a cer-
tain organization, and about an identifiable friend of that person,
part certainly, and all probably true. These cannot be printed,
and were possibly within the psychic's knowledge. The facts, how-
ever, with which Mrs. Prince was acquainted, are prefaced by,
"There was so much we had said." But at the point where the
facts begin to be such as were not known to her before her death,
they are prefaced: " I have been interested to see," with no intima-
tion that we had discussed them. Mrs. Soule certainly was not in
a position to know where Mrs. Prince's knowledge of these matters
began and where it ended.
6. Reference to " some old ear-rings, not mine but in the family " which
is relevant, but not evidentialear-rings are too common. But if
it had been alleged that they were hers, I should have denied it.
The Cat
7. [Oral] [Long pause] "K K-i K-i-n K-i-t K-i-t Kit Kitty
Kitty Kitty K-i-t-t-y and T-e-d Teddy Teddy Teddy Teddy
[pause] do you like cats (What is it?) do you like cats (Not
specially.) You have had them, haven't you? (Yes, I have had
them. Sometimes.)" [A half page of mere persiflage, started by
me, since I did not take the allusion seriously, is omitted.] "(Why
did you say Kitty?) Because I saw Kitty as a name but it's a cat.
She pointed to a cat. Do you know anybody by the name of
Kitty? (I can't think of any one now.) I don't think it is a per-
son. It's a cat. (Maybe.) It's a cat that has a queer name. It's
like a foreign name as though it might be a very long one like an
historical name (Yes. If you could give that[pause] Well, if
you could give that, that would be good evidence.) Well there's
one in your group and that cat's in heaven and it is going to have
its name given to you here some day. Is it a Greek name? It is a
very (Yes.) I thought it was like a (Yes, it's Greek.) like a high-
falutin Greek name. Whatever did you give a cat that name for?
(I would give something away if I told you that.) You hang your
hat on that and we'll get the rest some day. (I will tell you,
though, that I haven't thought of that for at least ten years.)
That's supposed to be good evidence."
Control sees the name "Kitty," adds " and Teddy," then begins to
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talk about cats, and says that though she saw "Kitty " as a name it
really is a cat, then, entirely unassisted, it is stated that the cat has a
name that is " queer," " like a foreign name," " as though it might be a
very long one," "like an historical name "" is it a Greek name?"
When the words, " a very long one," came, my brain whirled as there
flashed into it the memory of the name of the last cat that ever was in
my home. That was some thirty years ago and it is probable that I
have not thought of that cat for twenty years. Every particular re-
garding the name is true, and it is a queer name for a cat. It is foreign,
and not simply because of the language from which it was derived. It is
very long indeed. It has historical associations. It is a Greek name.
The communicator was fond of this cat.
"Teddy " was not the name of the cat, and could not be, for the
name was " a very long one." And it is not said to be the name of the
cat. The language is " Kitty and Teddy."
It is odd that "Teddy " was the name of the only dog ever in our
family besides the present one, a dog which my wife became attached to,
more than to the last one, because of the intervening illness. "Kitty
and Teddy." Kitty with the long, queer, foreign, historical Greek
name, and Teddy. Her last cat's peculiar name described and her
dog's name given.
November 11, 1925, W. F. P., Sitter
At the end of this sitting I asked for the name of the cat, and
added the remark, " Now it is possible, of course, that the communi-
cator doesn't remember just what the name was." Sunbeam answered:
"I think she does." I had not intimated sex in my query, but Sunbeam
says "she." In the sitting of August 12th, it was Sunbeam herself
who told about the cat; but she was, of course, speaking for another,
and the communicator before Sunbeam took hold, judging from the
evidence she offered, was certainly Mrs. Prince, the person who, prior
to her death, did know the name of the cat, and doubtless the only
person in the world except myself who would remember it.
November 12, 1925
The stenographer recorded: "While going into trance Mrs. Soule
said, 'I am not asleep, but it is as though I hear some one trying to
say Mephistopheles, as though they were shouting it to me. Isn't that
queer? '" This was before the sitter, Miss Prince, had entered the
room. And I was not present at all.
The most important question of the previous day was answered,
for Mephistopheles was the name of the cat.
That name had been told to no living soul since the name was de-
scribed in the sitting of August 12th. It had never been told Theo-
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dosia. I do not believe I had ever thought of it within twenty years.
We did not have the cat upwards of a year, I think. It may be that a
caller occasionally heard the name, but that was thirty years ago, in a
country hamlet two hundred miles away.
November 17, 1925
At the close of the sitting, W. F. P. being the sitter and questioner,
the following exchange took place:
"(Now I am going to ask you something. You remember the last
time you had a sitting, just as the light was going into trance she got
the name Mephistopheles?) That's a name they wanted to get through.
Isn't that the cat?"
I had been intending to ask what the name was given for, but the
answer anticipated me. The nail is now clinched, the communicator
has declared that Mephistopheles was the name of the cat. And this
name, as stated on August 12th, when my mind was yet bare of con-
scious recollection, is "a queer name," "like a foreign name," "a
very long one," and as further stated when, thus stimulated, the name
flashed into my consciousness, is " an historical name" and "a Greek
name."
I never got an answer to my question what was meant by " Teddy,"
the name given at the moment of the first mention of a cat, but spon-
taneously repudiated, in reference to the cat, by the descriptive terms
repeated above. But I cannot believe that the name was meaningless,
that there is nothing but coincidence in the fact that, whereas "Me-
phistopheles " was the last cat Mrs. Prince had ever owned, "Teddy"
was the last and only dog, prior to the one which we got as a puppy
the year before her death. A reasonable number of " coincidences" I
can stand, but not when they come too thick and fast. "Teddy" is
explainable by association of ideas, one last pet of the by-gone years
reminding of another. We had the dog less than two weeks before he
died, and it is unlikely that there is any one but Theodosia and myself
who remembered his name. Is there a reader so credulously skeptical
as to suppose that Mrs. Soule happened to meet a person who formerly
lived in that country hamlet two hundred miles to the East and who
against all probability remembered the name of a neighbor's cat after
thirty years, and also happened upon another person, this time from
that city 3,000 miles to the West and who against probability remem-
bered after ten years the name of a dog which the same neighbor owned
less than a fortnight, and that both these persons happened to men-
tion their mutual (though far from simultaneous) neighbor's pet ani-
mals to Mrs. Soule? And if Mrs. Soule had had as many thousands
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of dollars at her command as she has dimes, and had employed Sherlock
Holmes to find out the name of any dog or cat I had ever owned prior
to 1924,1 think that worthy would have smoked himself to death before
arriving upon a " clue."
RECORD OF AUGUST 13, 1925, 11:15-12:35
(Relating to Theodosia)
Present: Miss Prince (Sitter), Mrs. Guinan (Stenographer). Usual
procedure about entering, etc. Responses by Mrs. G.
This is a thin and poor record. Few statements were made which
can count either way as evidence. In brief, they are as follows:
1. Apparent references to former experiments, unevidential because
published.
2. "House work makes you [the sitter] nervous." Theodosia denies
this, and I also would have been sure that the statement is wrong.
"Do not try to do everything in one day." This undoubtedly does
characterize her.
3. Statement that sitter "often wonders and hopes that she is doing
all right for the one who is left in her charge."
T.: This is not characteristic of me. I am afraid I am conceited
in always thinking I am doing the right thing as I understand it.
W.: The expression "who is left in her charge" (meaning W. F.
P.) is quite peculiarly correct. The printed Doris Case, on the con-
trary, would not naturally incline a reader to such a concept, but
rather to that of her being left in my charge. As a matter of fact,
the former is now the more nearly correct, since she looks after my
diet and the other measures necessary to my health, my clothing and
other matters, far more than it is now required that I shall take pains
to look out for her.
4. "Now and again she [sitter] has a kind of horror of what would
happen to her if anything happened to him [her foster-father]."
T.: This is absolutely true. I cannot imagine how I could live
without papa.
5. An ambiguous statement, true or not according to interpretation
little evidential in the former case.
6. Reference to a "small old picture, not in good condition, of some
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one dear to the sitter when she was little, about which there has
been talk of having it copied or put in shape in some way that you
might enjoy it."
The reference is not recognized and is probably erroneous.
7. Reference to a "handkerchief which was given to me as a present
and it has a bit of work on it."
There is some doubt whether Mother Prince or sitter's own
mother is supposed to be the communicator. If the former, the sitter
had given her several handkerchiefs with her own work on it. She is
fond of doing pretty embroidery on handkerchiefs, etc., for presents.
In reference to her own mother she remembers no such gift. But there
may have been one, badly embroidered by the secondary personality
"Margaret," and given without the primary personality's knowledge,
as many things were done.
8. "There are two things I recall about violets some that were wild
and only a few at a time did we have and the others were bought
and in a bunch and were connected with me at the time of death and
were spoken of as she loved violets They were on some other piece
of flowers and were given by some one not yourself but you touched
them and said she always loved violets I think it was roses that
was near them a made up piece"
T.: Violets were my mother's favorite flower. There was a small
bunch on the mantel at the time of her death. I cannot think they
were sent, because every spring "Margaret" and the mother went
hunting for violets.
No set pieces were at my own mother's funeral. A flower in her
hand besides the violets were all the flowers there were.
W.: Again Theodosia is relying too much on her own memory, at
a period when other personalities of whose experiences she was ignorant
in large part, were occupying most of the time. The reference to vio-
lets at the funeral (and white roses) was first made, purporting to
come from her own mother, in the series of 1914 with Mrs. Soule (see
Proceedings A. S. P. R., Vol. XI, pp. 303-4). At that time Theodosia
thought the roses a mistake, but it happened that "Margaret," who
for years kept articles at which the primary personality was not al-
lowed to look, had, unknown to her, already given me a little box con-
taining what she said were flowers from her mother's funeral. After
the record of the sitting reached me in California, I found the remains
of two white roses, two pinks, a fern and a sprig from some other plant,
with part of the wire which had attached them to a "made up piece"
still adhering. It is entirely possible that Theodosia (Doris) in the
"Margaret" personality, did and said as claimed. Her statement
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that the violets and a flower in her hand were the sole flowers at the
funeral, shows that she has forgotten that I found roses and pinks, and
that she is again insecurely relying on her memory of the flowers she
happened to see at the moment her consciousness was on deck.
AUGUST 26, 1925, 11:15-12:35
(Various Items Relating to Mrs. Prince)
Present: W. F. P. (Sitter), Mrs. Guinan (Secretary). Responses by
W. F. P. Statements bearing on evidence few. These are ade-
quately given below.
At first came statements, probably from "Dr. Hyslop," to the
effect that "if through emotion or undue fear of failure the power to
concentrate is lost " by the communicator, then the thoughts of other
spirits "impinge on the consciousness and often are as hard to over-
come as it would be a sound of voices in a conversation," so that
"these bits of conversation," as it were, "drop into the communica-
tion quite unconscious," and " make a very grave and serious problem
in this work." Following are the statements bearing on evidence, pur-
porting to be from Mrs. Prince.
1. References to our "unusual chances to see some of the strange
workings of suggestion " and the uncertainty that " we could win in
our battle," and a number of other points are plainly and correctly
to the Doris Case. They are all such as would have come most
naturally from one who shared in the care of that case, but they
are discounted by the printed report of it.
2. Then came a reference to "some books which were mine, books of
long ago, text books." Some of these were retained to the day of
her death, and I have them now. "A Latin grammar." I replied,
"Maybe; I don't remember, but it may be so." A number of par-
ticulars were added in description of the book and what it con-
taineda slip of paper torn from a larger one, with certain
figures on it. The communicator thought the book was preserved.
I was very uncertain about any such book, but asked a sister if
Mrs. Prince studied Latin, and she said: "Yes, and she gave the
book to me, and I used it." She thinks she sent it back, but it has
not been found, so the other statements are unverifiable. Since the
communicator offered this as a book test, some kind of a visual
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hallucination is implied, analogous to the telepathic percipient's
mental image which does not correspond with the present reality.
3. "You will recall we were interested in that type of experiment
which had been done in another case across the water (Yes, I re-
member it was talked over.) Feda (I don't remember that was
talked of. That particular one. Yes, I think it was.) I remember
it and have had some interest to see how it was done I am ready to
try anything if I get a chance now"
Perhaps a year before my wife's death I took Lady Glenconner's
book on book tests home at a time when I was preparing a review of
it, and it remained there some days. Mrs. Prince read it, and we
very likely had some conversation about it, though I am not certain
as to that. The tests narrated in that book were with the medium
Mrs. Leonard, whose control is called "Feda."
4t. "Now do you remember communion cups (I don't know what you
refer to. No.) I have in mind some communion service (Yes, what
do you remember about that?) and I have carried the thought of it
all these years as a treasured memory (I can imagine it. Can you
give me an idea where it was?) We have had many since and in
many places but that my first with you was the blessed one"
I probably cannot easily convey my sense of the peculiar signifi-
cance of this reference to our first communion together. But it is
obvious that in many cases persons afterwards married to each other
take communion in the same church at first without any special associ-
ation with each other or any special feeling for each other, and there
are other cases where the first communion together is after the luster
of matrimonial romance has faded into "the light of common day."
But there were several particulars which made our first communion
together memorable to me and probably more so to her. It was when
we were betrothed and not long before our marriage, it was also her
first communion in the particular branch of the Church to which I
belonged and which she had lately joined, and it was in the church of
my family and town, not hers, where we first shared in the ceremony
side by side.
5. Then comes a reference to "a gift to me, a book which was used
in the daily reading, which was much worn before I came here. I do
not mean a Bible." (That was what I had in mind. Perhaps
there was another.) "This is selections and passages and was
later than the Bible." "I loved it and marked it some although I
was not one to mark in my books." "It had an inscription by
you to me."
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I gave her a considerable number of books, but am unable to
identify the book referred to. She was decidedly disinclined to mark
books, as many women and some men do, in fact she hardly ever did so.
6. "I wish I could write about a [pause and murmurs] dress I had
long ago You see I have come with several distinct memories to
recall (Well, I wish you could remember the dress that you wore
when you went away after you were married.) Yes that was the
one I referred to and I know some one who liked it about as well
as I did and (Yes.) who spoke of it as so becoming (Right so far.
If you could only tell the color, etc.) and I used that dress as long
as there was a scrap left (Yes, I think you did.) B B l (Go on.)
u e (Correct.)"
It would have been better if I had not said that I wished she could
remember the dress she wore on her wedding journey, but I thought
that the subject was being left. Every particular stated about it is
correct. She liked that dress much, I admired it particularly, and
often remarked how becoming it was. In those days of small income she
turned and fixed it over as long as it could possibly be used, and its
color was a particularly bright blue.
7. [" Sunbeam " speaking] "You know anything aboutsomething as
though a little lock of hair used to sometimes fall down there
[Sunbeam was speaking rapidly so I didn't get place indicated]
this is herkind of pretty you know, not a curl but just kind of
fall down a little bit. She was very pretty, wasn't she? (Yes.)
She was sweet and pretty."
Probably a lock sometimes fell down, but it was not characteristic.
If so, it is correct to say " not a curl," as her hair did not curl in
the least. She was decidedly pretty when young, and a very comely
lady up to the ravages of disease.
8. "And just as though she was no older than that day she had that
dress she walks right up to you and does this [pats his face] you
know I love youwell that's the way she used to do and that's the
way she does now. She's not coquettish but she had a cunning way.
She lost it after a while of course because she got older you know."
There is a certain substratum of truth in the reference to her
earlier and later ways, but it was never characteristic for her to pat
my cheek. She certainly never was coquettishthat much is unre-
servedly correct.
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SEPTEMBER 2, 1925, 11:25-12:40
(Theodosia's Early Life)
Present: Miss Prince (Sitter), Mrs. Guinan (Secretary). Usual pro-
cedure. Responses by Mrs. G.
1. After some talk by "J. H. H." about the reasons for confusions,
there came a reference to a "William," apparently a clergyman,
said to be a relative of the sitter's father, and to have lived
"across the ocean."
W.: Impossible to affirm or deny. The sitter's father was born in
Germany and she does not remember the names even of his brothers.
2. Then some one named "Chaney" was described in detail, as near
"William."
W.: Impossible to affirm or deny.
3. The sitter was said to possess a "gypsying spirit . . . like I want
to get away to the woods and the hills and do everything that's
away from civilization . . . not to be away from people but to be
near God . . . and listen to the sounds of the spirit."
W.: She is very fond of the woods and the hills, as I am myself,
and that is why our summer cottage is among trees and rocks in their
native wildness. She delights in nature and loves to walk in fields and
woods, but I do not think it would occur to her to say that it is in
order " to be near God."
4. "There's a grandmother and a mother that's very close to the sit-
ter too. [Meaning as spirits.] A grandmother and a mother and
the grandmother is stiffer than nails, you know aboutabout
can't see anything beyond her own dooryard. You know, that
kind. (Yes.) Just stands there and would be as stiff as anything.
If you would say look over there and see something she wouldn't
look upjust intent on the things she was doing whether sewing,
sweeping, cleaning or anything. Nothing else until that was done.
Rather a circumscribed grandmother she isshe was when she was
here. I want to change it to was because she's different now. She's
been educated by these people. She looks with greatest pride on
this person who's here as she stands. Not an awful big woman,
just medium size, quick and active. Stands here with hands on
hips with head just nodding."
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T.: If this means my grandma it does not fit. My mother's mother
was stately in appearance but was loving, kind and delightful in man-
ner. She never did any housework but did a lot of knitting. I cannot
imagine her putting her hands on her hips. My mother never did it
either.
W.: Theodosia, seeing the word "grandmother" so close to
"mother," naturally thought her maternal grandmother was meant.
But this is not so stated in the script, only that there is "a grand-
mother," and it is not entirely incongruous for a woman to be associ-
ated with her daughter-in-law. Her father's mother the sitter knew
but a short time, but remembers vividly. She was an unusually tall
woman and thin, not "just medium size." Otherwise every phrase of
the description fits her. She was "stiff" in body and "stiffer than
nails" in disposition, very circumscribed in her mental horizon, so
intent and vigorous in " cleaning " house and " sweeping " when in the
Fischer house that she nearly drove Theodosia's mother mad, very
"quick and active," and one who would stand with her "hands
on hips."
5. Reference to something like " a coil pipe and a valve which could be
turned on " and either water or steam comes out" in a house or
boat and shouldn't be meddled with but is meddled with by the
sitter long ago to see what would happen."
W.: The sitter has no recollection of anything of the kind, but it is
well within the bounds of possibility that when she was a girl the sec-
ondary personality " Margaret " may have done something of the kind.
The primary personality afterwards heard talk about many of " Mar-
garet's" pranks, but not all. If her mother is behind these "mes-
sages," she might well remember things done of which Theodosia has
never heard.
6. An intimation of a Catholic environment around the sitter at
some period.
T.: I lived in a Catholic neighborhood and went with the children
as far as the church but, on account of " Margaret," never went in.
7. So far as can be made out, an intimation that Catholics had tried
to suppress psychic power in her.
T.: My psychic power was never suppressed by anyone and my
mother was always interested.
W.: In those days her psychic powers were occasionally manifested
in what seemed like telepathy and "clairvoyance." (See The Doris
Case of Multiple Personality.)
8. Several shadowy references to the spirit of a "priest father,"
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"dressed very much like a monk," belonging to some organization
named St. Andrew, which the communicator seemed to struggle to
define, calling it "class," "school," "guild," and "group," and
saying that "I don't think it would come unless there was some
association with the sitter. It's a past day, you know."
T.: St. Andrew's Church was associated with me from babyhood.
The old priest [now deceased] visited my mother when he visited his
other people in the neighborhood. He always fascinated me, he was so
ugly. There were ridiculous stories that he stole little children, killed
them and buried them under the church. "Margaret" was lying on
her stomach one night, looking through the grated window at a church
supper. The priest must have seen her, for he came around the corner
without her hearing him and picked her up and carried her into the
rectory kitchen (she was terribly frightened), and when he put her on
her feet there was on the table a large glass of milk and a great slice
of cake. She snatched the cake and flew home, telling mother what a
narrow escape she had had. My mother laughed long about it.
W.: I had this story about St. Andrew's and Father K written
down, as her mother purported to tell it, long before this sitting. Told
through Theodosia's own script it, of course, had no evidential weight.
But it is interesting to find in Mrs. Soule's work, at a sitting when that
same mother, who really did know the incident, was supposed to be
present, references to Catholic influences and to a priest connected with
some kind of a religious body called St. Andrew's, and "some associ-
ation with the sitter."
9. "Is this sitter a great reader? (I don't think so.] [An error.]
Well I see books all aroundthink there are booksbooksbooks
all around you know. (Well, one doesn't have to be a reader to
have books around, do they?) I thought so unless they worked in
a library. Might be a librarian and then I expect they would only
read the titles. Seems to me like books all around as though I
handled them and like them always thinking I am going to read
more than I do but I would like to read and I don't. You see if
that isn't so?"
T.: This is true. I do intend to read more of papa's books.
W.: The sitter does read a great deal. It would be likely that in
my home there would be " books all around," as there are. But it is a
curious fact that, while Theodosia reads a great many books from the
public library she almost never reads a book in my library unless I
expressly put it into her hands, although she has full liberty to do so.
10. "(Yes. [Pause.] What's happened to the lady?) Right here.
She's only arranging some of these things to connect back to help
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things. Did you want to hear more from her? (I would like to.)
Well you wait a minute. I have got to finish with this first. Right
immediately after I saw this there is a big bug that looks like a
beetleit is horny you knowhard and it looks like some type of
beetle and it is a queer thing but I see a fearlessness about this sit-
ter way from childhoodfearlessness about bugs or things like
that, as though it was more curiosity to go and see them than to
run away from them you know. (Yes.) What is that? It is a
thirst for knowledge that is around this sitter. Many times people
would say don't look at thatdon't touch that and yet always you
would find her tiptoeing back to see about the bugs and things like
that. I can see a hand put out [she holds palm of her hand out]
and a bug, horny bug, that isn't at all dangerous you knowlike a
cricket that looks kind of harddon't they? (Yes.) Might be a
cricket but seems like a bug and it really seems like a cricket."
T.: This is very true of " Margaret." Around the electric lights
near the Row [where she lived when a girl] in summer were quantities
of black flying bugs which had hard shell backs. I was afraid [that
is, in the primary personality] of them and hated them. But "Mar-
garet" [the secondary personality] loved to catch them and try to
make them march together. When she picked one up all the other
children would yell. I never heard a cricket nor knew what a cricket
was until I came to live with the Princes.
W.: This must have been a familiar sight to her mother, who is
supposed to be the " lady " communicating. But why, after decidedly
describing the species of insect as " a big bug that looks like a beetle
it is horny, you knowhard, and it looks like some type of beetle . . .
a bug, a homy bug," should there be the inconsistent, " like a cricket"
(which everyone knows is not like a beetle), the hesitating " that looks
kind of hard, don't they" (when anyone ought to know that a cricket
is neither hard nor horny), and the teetering, " might be a cricket, but
seems like a bug, and it really seems like a cricket"? Many learned
men would simply turn up their noses with a snort at such " nonsense,"
exactly as within my lifetime they turned up their noses at the idea
that dreams furnish valuable psychological material.
We have in the positive and reiterated declaration that the insects
were some type of horny beetle, and final puzzled teetering back and
forth between beetle and cricket, valid psychological material. No
consciously "faking" medium talks that way. She might say it is a
beetle or a cricket and thus gain more latitude for chance, or having
said "beetle," if the sitter demurred, change to "cricket," but not
positively assert that it was a horny beetle and then idiotically say it
"might be a beetle but seems like a bug and it really seems like a
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cricket." Something is happening in the consciousness to cause such
language. What? Suppose one was looking at a picture of a beetle
on the screen and presently by the approach of a slide behind it show-
ing a cricket the two fused, and then the beetle slide was withdrawn,
the spectator might describe what he saw in similar language. What
if the mother, having got through the beetle idea drawn from the past,
was proceeding to speak or think of crickets in relation to the sitter
at the present time, we should have an analogy to the dissolving and
changing view on the screen. Read what follows in the script.
"I wish I had a cricket in this house," she says" would like to
hear a cricket sing, as if it is a pleasant sound."
It really looks as though the communicator, who remembered the
beetles in connection with her daughter once, passed on to crickets in
connection with her daughter now, and the two for a moment over-
lapped. For Theodosia is very fond of the sounds made by crickets
at night where we live in summer, and would really like it if we could
hear crickets at our home in Cambridge.
For some time the delivery had been oral. Now the communicator
professed to go, and "Mrs. Prince" came with the resumption of
writing, but made no attempt to give evidence.
SEPTEMBER 4, 1925, 11:15-12:20
(Mrs. Prince's Illness and Death)
Present: Miss Prince (Sitter), Mrs. Gninan (Secretary). Usual pro-
cedure. Responses by Mrs. G., who at the beginning said, accord-
ing to instructions: " Dr. Prince hopes that the lady who has been
communicating will keep on, and, among other things, tell more
about the circumstances of her death and of her last months and
years on earth."
All statements which can be tested are given, in full or in every
essential part.
1. "I would like to refer to a brush which I used and to a place on
my head that was tender yes [to reading tender] a small spot near
the top of the head so that a comb or brush would sometimes be a
little troublesome It was not serious but I have spoken of it some-
times and in the last months of my life I had some trouble that is
too marked a word but I had tender head understand (Yes.) and
sometimes when you wanted to rub it or bathe or brush I have said
yes but be easy understand"
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T.: This is entirely true. No matter how careful I was I always
hurt her when I combed or brushed or washed her hair.
2. "We all thought I would get better"
W.: Mrs. Prince never relinquished the hope and expectation that
she would get better, strange as it seems. Theodosia and I knew long
before her death what the outcome would be, but we concealed our
knowledge from her, and I believe that the impression, " We all thought
I would get better," corresponds with her belief prior to her death. It
would be a bad telepathic reading from the sitter.
3. "And we used all precautions we knew to give me rest and save me
from wear"
W.: Her family did, and she thought she did.
4. "And I used to feel sometimes that I might use my will and over-
come some of my bad feelings but just as sure as I did I re-
gretted it"
W.: This also I believe to be true. She had a correspondent at one
period of her sickness who would encourage such attempts.
After efforts which she made to exert herself, for instance in her
garden, she would be very much exhausted.
5. "And I fancy I can hear you now as you said You must not do
that let me do it for you and then I smiled and said I think you
will have to dear understand (Yes.)"
W.: Theodosia, and I, so far as my opportunities extended, tried to
do things for her which we thought beyond her strength. The lan-
guage of the text is not quite like hers, as she relinquished tasks and
responsibilities, one after another. Hers was apt to be tinged by pain
and the bitterness of regret, but I do not think she realized this. The
language is appropriate to her normal disposition.
T.: I remember only once when she said I could finish something
which she had actually started.
6. "It was not like me to have to give up that way and I could not get
used to it for I had usually been ready for anything (Yes.)"
W.: Emphatically true. She had great energy and perseverance,
her lifelong tendency was to keep on, sick or well, and do what she
thought ought to be done. It was very difficult for her to "get used"
to giving up active life, and especially to dropping the reins of house-
hold administration. She had been " ready for anything."
7. "And I felt up to the very last that I would be all right again"
W.: Yes, up to the last minute of her life. She died declaring that
she would not die.
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T.: Every operation was going to cure her, she thought, and she
fought against weakness to the last. Only the day before her death,
when she became fully conscious, she warned me not to touch the
garden, for she would attend to it.
8. "I know that you have said more than once that I should have
given up sooner and not waited so long to do what we did at last
You know I think but I did not like to give in to the truth of the
real situation or rather I did not realize the gravity of the case"
W.: Both ways of putting it are true.
9. "It was more painful to you at last than to me for I had help from
those who were there for that purpose and did not suffer as much
as it seemed to you I know you will be glad to have me tell you
this"
T.: Three days before she died she told me that her mother and
sisters had come a long distance to care for her and she was get-
ting the best of care.
W.: I distinctly remember Theodosia telling me, on her return from
the hospital on one of the last days, of hearing my wife say that some
of her relatives had been with her, fixing the pillows and helping her.
One would have supposed that she must suffer frightfully at last,
since the wound in the abdomen never healed, but was constantly en-
larging. But since she never spoke of this or appeared to know of it,
it is probable she did not suffer much.
10. "I have a faint memory of hearing you say to Papa [pause] she is
at rest anyway as if you were trying to find some comfort in the
situation but your eyes were wet and you were sad and the voice
was very low and I barely heard you"
W.: The equivalent of this was said by both of us repeatedly. She
had suffered so much for several years that it was a dominant thought.
11. "When I was dying or just after let me see it was just around
the time when I was neither in one state or another and I cannot
recall whether I was in that semi consciousness just before or just
after my heart stopped I heard something like this Oh you will
come back you will come back and I tried to say yes and I tried
to make a pressure on a hand to assure you that I heard and would
return"
W.: Certainly not true, as neither of us were present when she died.
If she had any such subjective experience about the time her heart
stopped, it was a hallucinatory one. Shortly before that moment she
had Theodosia in mind, for she had been crying, " Send for Theodosia;
she will not let me die."
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12. "And the night after I died I tried to come to you to both of
you understand (Yes.) Did I not? (Not that this one here knows
of anyway.)"
W.: Elsewhere (item 17 of the record of Aug. 5, 1925) it is related
that on two occasions, several weeks after the death, Theodosia twice
experienced a strong quasi-auditory "hallucination " of hearing Mrs.
Prince call her name from up-stairs, and each time the dog ran in a
state of excitement to the quarter whence the voice seemed to come.
It is possible to construct a theory that the dog received from Theo-
dosia's mind the instant telepathic impression of the voice and guessed
from her turning around in the kitchen (Theodosia takes her eerie
experiences in the calmest and most matter-of-fact way) that she
should look for it, not in the dining-room or hall, but up-stairs(?).
If, on the other hand, one can entertain the theory that both
woman and dog were subjectively impressed by an exercise of spiritual
energy, it would be the more likely that there might have been an
effort at such exercise on the night following the death, although an
unsuccessful one.
13. ["Number Two" began to talk.] Statement that "pretty
soon" after death the communicator saw "on the spirit side" a
Mary who "belongs to that communicator," then her father, and
then a little boy "gone a long time ago," "seems that it began
with W."
W.: Mrs. Prince had no relative nearer than cousins (of whom there
were many, whose names I do not know) named Mary. Her mother
was named Sarah. Her father was dead, a most likely though not
certain fact. Whether she ever knew intimately a little boy W. I do
not know. She had a brother W., but he did not die young.
14. "She wasn't quite normal when she died, was she? Did you know
that? (Yes.) Because she was a little confused, not very much.
She wasn't insanethat isn't what I mean but she was a little
mixed up, you know."
W.: She was not, or for some time before, "quite normal" men-
tally. "Not insane," "a little confused, not very much," "a little
mixed up," are terms which fairly express her condition.
15. "At the same time she seemed to be about as clear as anybody
could be dying."
W.: She was mentally very active for some minutes before her
death and to the moment of death.
16. "So of course she hadof course it was a big event but she
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seemed to know folks you knowfolks that she would expect to
meet (Yes.) Did you know she did? (Yes.)"
W.: The response, "Yes," referred to her believing that she saw
dead relatives in her room (why not living ones among them?) a few
days before her death. We know nothing of any such impressions
which she may have had in her last moments. If she made any sig-
nificant ejaculations, the attendants may not have understood their
significance, or may have failed to report them.
17. "And seemed to know she had got to dieshe didn't feel awful
spasms and pains of death"
W.: Perhaps a quarter of an hour before she passed away she
heard a nurse say that she was dying, and she fought against it.
Nothing was reported to us of "awful spasms and pains of death,"
only that she coughed.
18. "You know this spirit (Yes.) because she knows you and sheI
think she calls you by your first nameI think she knows you well
enough to call you by your first name and she must have known you
quite a long time because she's interested in everything you do and
everything you wear. She thinks you're pretty, didn't you know
that? (No.) Didn't she tell you you looked nice always? (Yes.)
She thought you were a pretty brave little girlI don't know
whyit seems you did a lot of things that were quite brave, do
you know? (Yes.)"
W.: Mrs. Prince became acquainted with Mrs. Guinan about three
years before her own death. She knew her well enough to have war-
ranted calling her by her first name, but did not in fact do so. I know
that my wife liked my secretary, and liked her looks, though it is very
doubtful if she ever told this to my secretary, whose " Yes " was merely
a formal one, like the "Yes" which follows, equivalent to "Go on."
And she was acquainted with a number of incidents which proved the
younger woman's spunk and courage, and quite approved of them.
The statement that "she thought you were a pretty brave little girl
... it seems you did a lot of things that were quite brave," is true
to my own knowledge within the period when Mrs. Prince knew Mrs.
Guinan.
G.: Mrs. Prince knew that I had undertaken for a number of years
certain perhaps rather unusual responsibilities, and several times when
I visited her in the hospital spontaneously referred to and showed in-
terest in them. It is incredible to me that Mrs. Soule at the time of
the sitting (were it in 1928 I should not say this) could have known
anything about the matters to which I refer. She certainly could not
have known that Mrs. Prince had been interested in them.
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19. "Oh, this is dreadful! Did she get awfully thin before she went?
(Yes.) This is dreadful. There is a cloth put right over her face
when she's deadit is somethingand they lift itnot these peo-
ple but somebody lifts it and they put something inside her mouth
(Yes.) makes me almost sick to see it. But they put something in
to fix up her thinness. (Yes.) You knowcause she would have
sunk all away thru her thinness and they fixed it up so that she
looked better after she was dead than before (Yes.)"
W.: Face, hands, arms and chest became " dreadful " in their ema-
ciation. I have seen persons ninety years of age who did not look so
old. True, " not these people," but the undertaker did as stated, both
for the reason given and another. Both the peculiar substance used
and the necessity for it were such as quite to justify the expression,
"makes me almost sick to see it."
20. "And then they made a great effort tothere's something about
pulling her hair down on her forehead a little bitseems it wasn't
done quite rightit wasn't you but it was the sitter I'm sure, you
ask her. (Yes.) She fixed it a little over the forehead and seemed
she's not much of a crier is she? (No, I don't think so.) But
there is a tear drops down on that cheek that was fixed, you know,
as she did this and yet it don't seem to be as if it was a real tear
it was a queer kind of a thingshe didn't mean it to be a tear but
it dropped and oh she did lookshe looked better than she had
for some months before she diednot some months, some weeks,
I mean."
T.: I did fix the body up after the undertaker was through, pulled
her hair a little looser, and I am sure I did cry, for she looked so
dreadful. I do not think she looked any better than before death.
W.: Note the expressions, " and yet it don't seem to be as if it was
a real tearit was a queer kind of a thingshe didn't mean it to be a
tear." Odd to say in relation to the death of a loved foster-mother!
And the immediately following, "and oh she did lookshe looked
better," etc., sounds as though the tear were not on account of the
death, but the looks. And Theodosia says that she cried on account
of the looks.
After one has watched a loved one in the clutches of a torturing
disease for years, one is devoutly thankful when the crucifixion is ended.
21. "It seems as if there are several pieces of underwearseveral
pieces of underwear. This is all right to tell, isn't it? (Yes, go
right ahead.) Taken out and looked over you know as though sort
of deciding what we would use, you know. (Yes.) For the body
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and it seems as though it's this girlis she a girl? (Yes.)that
decided. That sort of picked some things up and looked at them
as though to put on the body. (Yes, that's good.) And as though
she did it exactly as she wouldI hope I'm not saying anything
wrong(No, it's all right.) and she did it almost exactly as she
would take some sheets out to put on the bed, as though a thing
that must be done and it's the best and right and it must be done
that way and all the sentiment came in the other things, the little
fixing around the neck. There were several little touches like that
around the neck, you know. I can't move my hand to tell you but
there is something lifting up the hand to fix it up a little bit, some-
thing thrown over a bit, it's covered up as though I want to cover
upI don't know whether it's lace or a sleeve or a touch but there
is a touch as lifting that handI mean by this one. (Yes.)"
T.: I looked over a lot of underwear, trying to decide which to take.
Mother had bought a black silk dress about a month before she died.
This I put on her, but afterwards, finding the neck too low, I went to a
small store and got a chiffon scarf and fixed it around her neck.
W.: Ordinary items? Yes, but the facts might easily have been
otherwise. There might have been no indecision what undergarments
should be used. It might have been that some other relative did the
choosing, or the " fixing around the neck," or both. The latter par-
ticular was given in item 9 of the record of August 5, 1925, but in a
more definite and evidential fashion.
22. "And it seems that all the timethis is her motherand all the
time that mother was standing beside her. Don't think the mother
was as big as she isI mean in the body, as though a smaller lady."
W.: This is a hard sentence to appraise. If it means that the com-
municator was smaller at the last period of her illness she was smaller
as to the upper part of her person, larger as to the rest. Several years
earlier she had been larger. As a young woman, she had been smaller
than Theodosia at the same age.
23. Next came a statement too personal to print, partly unimpres-
sively correct, partly impressively correct and partly incorrect.
24. Reference to a picture " not much bigger than a postage stamp,"
"seems to have been taken almost in fun . . . When they were
away ... a happy time to remember ... a little fun picture,"
with " some other pictures that are like snapshots . . . They used
to take those, didn't they? (Yes.) . . . and they have got quite
a lot of these snapshots. Some of them are away. They haven't
looked at them for a long time."
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W.: If the first "they" refers to Mrs. Prince and me, there are
snapshot pictures which she and I took which are small but much larger
than a postage stamp. These had not been looked at for some time.
Among them was one taken "for fun" during a pleasant visit, of a
young lady niece of my wife lying on the grass. Mrs. Prince thought
it an indecorous one, and to tease her I had it on the wall in a frame
for a while. This might be the reference. But probably the majority
of people have taken small snapshots on a visit for fun, one of which
are kept with others which have not been looked at for quite a while.
25. "Do you know anything abouthave they got a percolator for
coffee? (Yes.) Well has it got a little faucet thing that turns
around? (No.) Well I see something likeit looks like a coffee
coffee coming out of itit isn't a coffee pot, but it's like a coffee
would be a coffee machinesomething like a little silver thing or
nickelsomething that turns a little bit. I think it's just to suggest
to me that she liked coffeea good cup of coffee, didn't she? (Yes.)
Sometimes they used to have a nice time over their cup of coffee
after father ran for his train. Did he ever do anything like that?
(Yes.) Well after thatafter father ran for his train, they would
go back to their cup of coffeetheir second cup and they used to
have a little talk and she says oh, for one of those mornings after
father rushing for the train and we going back for our cup of
coffee. Wouldn't eat much but just sit and kind of talk and then
get up to do the work. I have to go now."
W.: The picture of the percolator may have been a symbol, or the
suggestion may be the excuse for an error. Mrs. Prince liked a second
cup of coffee, and Theodosia does now. What they did after I left for
the train I do not know. If Mrs. Prince were living she certainly
would remember that I was often late and literally had to run for
my train.
T.: This is true. I always had a cup of coffee with mother after
father left, and we used to talk of many things.
SEPTEMBER 8, 1925, 11:20-12:35
(Matters within Mrs. Prince's Recollection)
Present: W. F. P., Miss Prince (Sitter), Mrs. Guinan (Secretary.)
Usual procedure. Responses by W. F. P.
Three paragraphs from the non-evidential introduction are given,
for their theoretic interest.
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(1) "It is true that I find it just as easy to recall the later years as
the early ones It does not appear to be a question of time or sepa-
ration from events but the conditions that were a part of the event
which may be duplicated and the event recalled more readily
[coughs but keeps right on writing] That is what you and I
know as association of ideas (Yes, I think I understand.)
(2) "And a scene may reproduce a mental picture and all that was
a part of it is also reproduced but with such rapidity that only
now and then something falls through into words as the mental
processes are as lightning speed to ordinary movement
(3) "It is just that which makes some things seem like mistakes for
you may recall what you were conscious of at a past experience
and I may have as a background to that experience many thoughts
you were unaware of and yet they come along with my effort to
recall the past"
W.: If I understand correctly, three facts are asserted in refer-
ence to the process of communication.
(1) Certain details in one incident recalled may be similar to
another one and serve by association of ideas to bring it up, though
this involves a leap backward to a date earlier than the period which
the communicator has been describing.
(2) What gets written down may be only a small part of the pic-
ture in the communicator's mind, for the reason that the features of
the picture pass through the communicator's mind so rapidly. This
is quite intelligible if the medium derives telcpathically from the
communicator.
(3) The communicator cannot inhibit her thoughts, so as to suit
just what I am in a position to remember, and even if I remember a
particular incident, I could not always know exactly what the com-
municator's relations and mental reactions to it at the time were.
Paragraph 1 would explain why "communications" are so fre-
quently non-consecutive,why they seem so abruptly to leap from one
period to another. It is because the human mind acts that way es-
pecially in reminiscent reverie. To a certain extent one yields to the
same associative tendency in reminiscent conversation, and will say,
"By the way, that reminds me of something that happened [say]
ten years earlier." Paragraph 2 would explain why a recognized
incident in a communication often lacks certain details which the sitter
remembers and which it seems the communicator ought to have added.
The details of a particular memory-scene pass so swiftly in the com-
municator's mind that only a part of them seep into the psychic's sub-
conscious and get written down before some other memory-scene is
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already impinging and crowding out the remaining details of the first.
Paragraph 3 presents one of the reasons why some feature of a recalled
incident is a mistake to the sitter, even though it is true relatively to
the communicator. Let me illustrate. If a certain friend of mine were
dead and communicating, and he referred to being present when
Houdini got out of an iron tank by dematerializing himself, it would be
a droll blunder of fact in any case. If he had never in his lifetime
printed that this was his solution of Houdini's trick the blunder would
be counted against the likelihood that the "communication" was a
valid one, though in fact it was true relative to the understanding of
my defunct friend, unless he learned better since he became a spirit.
But once the fact is established that he did cherish that notion, if it
could also be established that the medium had never heard of the fact,
the blunder would have been the best possible hit.
Granting that there is such a thing as spirit communication, it is
impossible, not only from the imperfections of the psychical "ma-
chine" through which communications pass, but also from the general
nature of human psychology, that it should not contain or seem to the
survivor to contain, errors. I mean the same sort of errors which it
seems to each of two old friends, meeting again after ten years sepa-
ration and talking over old experiences in common, that the other
makes. Only in this case there is opportunity of clearing some of
them up by mutual refreshing of memories, and of understanding at
least the causes of them in differences of opinion and interpretation.
In case of such a meeting, it does not unsettle our respect for
cither party to hear such conversation as this:
A.: Do you remember that girl in the old school who had red hair and
used to accent the word "parallel" on the last syllableNettie,
I think her name was?
B.: Yes, but her name wasn't Nettie, but Mattie.
A.: Well, they sound alike.
B.: Have you heard anything about Jack Brown of late years?
A.: No, not since he went to London.
B.: It wasn't London he went to, but Paris. He went there to study
paintingdon't you remember?
A.: I guess you are right. I knew it was to some foreign city.
A.: Do you remember that little neighbor of yoursthe girl with a
pigtail, a tomboy who used to wrestle and climb treesI mean the
one you were in love with when you were a kid?
B.: Yes, I remember her, and the description is correct, and the boys
used to tease me about her, but I really hated her.
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A.: I know you said you did, but I thought that you really liked her.
B.: No, I did not.
B.: There was another fellow in our classHenry Robinson. You
know, proud, exclusive, thought the rest of us too common hardly
to speak to.
A.: You still have that notion?
B.: It is the impression I retain of him.
A.: I got to know him later, and learned that he was painfully shy at
the time you knew him, and that he hardly spoke from lack of
self-confidence.
B.: He may have been shy, but I still think he had something of the
snob about him.
B.: When did Jack Brown go to Paris?
A.: About ten years ago.
B.: O no, it couldn't have been as long ago as that, because, etc.
A.: It was fully ten years ago, because, etc.
B.: I think you are mistaken, because, etc.
A.: I am positive I am right.
Here are a series of disagreements, from failure of memory, differ-
ence of judgment, etc. Some of them are cleared up by conversation,
two remain unsolved. Yet no third person would doubt that the inter-
locutors had the same persons and incidents in mindenough agree-
ments remain, in spite of the errors, even were these uncorrected, to
establish that.
Because of the human factors involved, even if a spirit could talk to
us as glibly as a living person, we should not expect every detail to
agree with our memory and judgment. And when we consider the
difficulties which would be involved in communication through the con-
sciousness of a psychic, and the fact that we will not allow ourselves to
give the spirit hints to refresh his memory as we do a living man (if
we did, we should call his acceptances of hints "hedging"), it is the
more to be expected that errors, real and seeming, should be found in
the best " communication." All that we can reasonably demand is that
what is gotten through correctly shall outweigh the factor of error far
beyond the limits of chance or possible normal knowledge on the part
of the psychic. On a theory of the supernormal, the errors can be
explained. On a theory of the normal, such overwhelming preponder-
ance of correct statements cannot be explained.
1. "Do you remember the old copy books we had ... I have two
types in mind (Yes.) at this moment (Yes, what are they?) One
was brown rather stiff covers and ruled and had some notes of
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lectures and class work in them and some of the writing was very
hurriedly done and some was written afterwards as the theme was
discussed but that was not what I wished to refer to with the most
emphasis. I want to refer to some which were yours and which
have not been looked at for a long time and they were very inter-
esting to me for they had some of your earlier work in them, some
things that you hoped to enlarge upon and write more fully later
(Yes, that's true. If you could tell what it's about.) You will
recall that we cherished a hope that the day would come when you
could take up some of that work which was laid aside as the pres-
sure of other things became great."
W.: The passage about the two "types " of note-books is interest-
ing. I have had in my lifetime, of course, a great many note-books.
But nearly all I have left from former years fall into two divisions
which are respectively correctly described in the text, so far as the
description reaches. I had formerly a set of note-books of my pro-
fessional school work, but nearly all of these were destroyed years ago,
and I do not know that there are more than two of them in existence,
one a very small yellowish book, and a large mottled red one. There
are a few note-books of different descriptions for various purposes.
The sets referred to are:
(a) Yale University note-books. I find five remaining, and there
were probably two or three times as many remaining up to the time of
the beginning of Mrs. Prince's illness. All I have and all I remember
of this set are "brown" in color, and have " rather stiff covers" of
manila paper. They are "notes of lectures and class work," and the
writing was mostly very "hurriedly done" with many contractions of
words in order to get down the gist of what the lecturer said. Of the
five I still have, four arc "ruled." "Some was written afterwards,"
but not exactly " as the theme was discussed," unless the reference is
to some perished seminar notes. Sometimes I did not have my note-
book in class and wrote notes on stray sheets which Mrs. Prince copied
into the books later (I went to college after graduating at the pro-
fessional school and was already married). This would furnish a rea-
son for remembering the after writing, but if this was it, it did not
get through correctly.
(b) A very large set of note-books and papers made up of my his-
torical researches. It will be noted that no physical characteristics of
this "type" are given, and in fact this "type" is made up of note-
books of many kinds, colors and sizes, also bundles of loose sheets.
These are packed away in boxes. As stated, it is true of this set (it
would not have been of the other) that they "have not been looked at
for a long time"many years, in fact. They were "things you [I]
had hoped to enlarge upon and write more fully later," i. e., they were
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materials for two books. They were "laid aside as the pressure of
other things became great." There was some hope that I " could take
up some of that work " later.
I cannot but think that there is more of correspondence be-
tween the statements and the facts than one would expect, even though
the psychic knew that I am a student and a writer.
2. "And I always felt that there was a side to you which could have
brought a far greater, what shall I say?recognition perhaps
than the work which has so dominated our thought of late (Yes.)
but as I stand here now I [medium sighs, ' Oh, dear.'] am sure that
this is the better (Now, if you hadn't called it a greater recognition
what other term would you have used? That's all right, but per-
haps there is another term.) successnot quite the right term
eitherbut we knew it all the time and no one knew it as we did (I
don't understand. Knew what?) that you had this other gift"
W.: The difficulty in getting just the right term should be noted.
"A far greaterwhat shall I say?recognition perhaps." When I
asked what other term she would employ there came, "successnot
quite the right term either." The fact is that Mrs. Prince thought
that I was capable of writing literature on other subjects than psych-
ical research which would be financially profitable. The subject was
mentioned a number of times, and when I declared that I would not
write punk to make my stuff profitable, even though I could probably
do it, there was no insistence, but I knew well her feeling on the matter.
3. "I wanted to refer while on the copy book (Yes, go on.) something
about teaching teaching long ago (I don't recall that. Make that
plainer if you can.) and teaching while still a student not regular
classes but a few who were slower and needed help (Who did it?)
I was thinking of you Do you know a young man very green and
slow but very good, tall and awkward (Go on.) and very devoted
because of kindness shown by you (Yes, go on.) and (What hap-
pened?) do you recall that a sort of friendship and then sorrow
came [medium sighs 'oh.'] (I don't remember the sorrow. Perhaps
I haven't the right one in mind.) Yes dear the sorrow much much
later but he proved worthy and we were always glad and proud of
that . . . you won his gratitude (Yes. Right so far.) and there
was so little else at that time for you to win"
W.: "I wanted to refer while on the copy-book" seems to imply
that what follows may belong to the same period. And what it forcibly
reminds me of does belong to that period of about three years. While
in the graduate school I was also carrying on a little country parish
where were two young men in particular with whom I had considerable
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influence. The moment the passage was written I was forcibly re-
minded of one of these, then " a young man, very green and slow but
very good, tall and awkward." I think it could be said that he was
devoted to me " because of a kindness " to him. It was a special some-
thing which particularly won his gratitude, something partaking of
the nature of teaching, something which woke him up intellectually and
enriched his whole life. "He proved worthy" fits his case and it was
a time when " there was so little else" than gratitude for me to win,
student as I was and pastor in a hamlet. "Then sorrow came . . .
the sorrow much, much later" does not seem to apply to him. It
would certainly be droll to suggest that the other young man of that
village is now meant but for the following facts:
(a) The two were those in whom we took the greatest interest.
(b) They were linked together in our minds on that account.
(c) So much so that the few times when we afterward re-
visited that place we stayed part of the time at the home of one of
them and the rest at the home of the other.
(d) Even as I had turned the first young man to an interest which
meant a revolution in his life, so I tried to induce the second one to
prepare for a profession indicated by his peculiar natural abilities.
(e) Each had one child, a girl, of about the same age.
The association of ideas between them was so strong that it does
not seem forced to suggest that the great sorrow which smote the other
of these men years later in the death of his daughter is what is referred
to, and that the link of association between the two did not get
expressed.
We did always feel pleasure, and I felt some pride, in having so
waked that young man up intellectually. I have referred to his case in
a number of lectures.
4. "Number Two" control began to talk and got a picture of me
fighting with "marbles and mud and everything around." "You
fight the best you know how and then you feel kind of ashamed to
think you did."
W.: This would have been strange from my wife, since she never
knew me until I was about eighteen. But it came from a "control,"
and the control is supposed to get it from anyone who is handy. Of
course I sometimes fought when a boy, as nearly all boys do. I don't
know whether marbles had to do with any fight or not. I generally felt
as stated after a fight. There was plenty of mud, at times, in the old
school playground.
5. The control sees " John," and says it is " John in heaven " and that
"John and she [meaning Mrs. Prince] are working together."
W.: I had a very dear older relative named John. Mrs. Prince
paid him a long visit with me, and shared my esteem for him.
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6. "Something more is coming about your fellow that was here that
they were talking aboutsome more coming about that. (If they
can tell what was done for him and what the effect was it will be
really good indeed.) It really saved him, you know, made him
great, you know. (It helped him.) Yes it didyou know it was
just the time when he needed itjust the time when if it hadn't
been for that he would have been discouraged because he was so
sensitive although he didn't look it, but he was, did you know?"
W.: This is a continuation from 3, and improves it. The descrip-
tion, "he was so sensitive although he didn't look it," I believe to be
true. He was slow, impassive and almost stoical in outward appear-
ance, but I discerned signs of inner sensitiveness. He was a mill hand
at the time, but is one of the leading men of the community now, and
owns one of the finest residences, and the most striking one for miles
around.
7. I was then told that onions are good for me, and they were pre-
scribed for " a little poison " in my stomach, and " a little canker"
there. I had never mentioned my stomach, with which I do have
difficulty. The "poison " is right, as to the " canker" I have no
knowledge. Possibly my breath may not have been good that day.
8. I was asked if I knew a living "Ada," admitted the impeachment
and was told: "Look out for AdaI don't care very much for
her."
W.: The only Ada I could think of I like fairly well, though I think
she is a fraud.
SEPTEMBER 14, 1925, 11:20-12:30
(Mrs. Prince's Illness)
cedure. Responses by Mrs. G. Purported communicator, "Mrs.
Prince."
Abstract of Statements Made as Evidence
1. "I did not think of death as something which must occur but as if
it might occur and I am afraid I was rather nervous and some-
times irritated by small things but it was more with my own lack
of power to do what I wished than because I was displeased by
anything others did"
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There is no doubt that Mrs. Prince realized at times that her mal-
ady was such that death might be its result, and she sometimes inti-
mated this. But she never realized to the last that it must be, although
for two years she was doomed. There is no question that her inability
to keep up an active life was extremely irritating to her.
2. "I had some trouble about eating which I wish to speak of Do you
know how hard it seemed to find the right thing to please my appe-
tite (Yes.) and sometimes when I thought I would like some special
thing and you tried to get it just right I could eat just a bit but it
seemed to go against me and I could not eat it after all"
Exactly true.
3. A reference to " cucumbers that grew in our garden" and the bugs
and worms that had to be fought in the garden is very pertinent,
but not evidential, once granting that we had a vegetable garden.
There were years when we did not. But the time is put, by an
express statement in the script, when we were largely occupied in
caring for the health of the sitter. The greater part of that period
we did have a vegetable garden. The frequent references in this
series, by this communicator, to flowers and vegetables are very
appropriate, since, while I usually did the weeding, Mrs. Prince
preferred to do nearly all the remaining work in the garden.
4. "Mistakes that were made in the diagnosis by some friends who
tried to help" would be likely. I remember one rather droll
instance.
5. "There were some complications there which were very hard to
understand and which made the symptoms contradictory and what
was done for one thing counteracted the effect of what was done"
[Here the doorbell rang, but for which the sentence would prob-
ably have ended " for another."]
There were certainly "some complications there" which for a
time were " very hard to understand." I do not know whether or not
the rest of the sentence is correct.
6. There were several other statements which were pertinent to Mrs.
Prince's knowledge, such as a correct characterization of a man
I formerly was officially connected with, but since they were not
provably beyond Mrs. Soule's knowledge they are not reproduced.
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RECORD OF SEPTEMBER 17, 1925, 11:15-12:40
(Mostly Relevant to Mrs. Prixce)
Present: Miss Prince (Sitter), Mrs. Gninan (Secretary). The usual
procedure teas followed. Responses by Mrs. G.
The purported communicator, among other remarks, says that
"sometimes, as in yesterday's sitting, I may recall a slight and signifi-
cant incident which impressed me at the time but left no impression on
her [the sitter's] mind." This is a possibility which I have frequently
said should be borne in mind, illustrating by known instances where one
of two living parties to an incident has quite forgotten what both
would be expected to remember. One of these was where Professor
Newbold entirely forgot writing to Chauncey M. Depew about a re-
markable psychic experience which the latter had, and all about the
incident itself. The communicator went on: "We are not able to see
what our friends remember." This seems reasonable, contrary to what
seems to be the popular idea, that spirits should be practically
omniscent.
The written and oral material of this sitting is very long, and
abounds in what may be called mere talk. I extract all which can
possibly bear upon evidence.
1. The communicator states that she has changed some of her ideas
about "how communications are given," and "how the telepathic
theories are disposed of," also that " I did not have them definitely
settled in my own mind as we discussed these things over, and then
when some new experience came we could not always make them fit."
W.: What with the books she read and the talk she heard, I do not
think that Mrs. Prince had entirely made up her mind on these ques-
tions, though she seldom talked of them. She was so reticent that it
was difficult to know exactly what she thought. So far as the words
indicate that she was accustomed to discuss with me such issues, they
convey an inaccurate idea. We did discuss the records of the sittings
reported in Proceedings A. S. P. R., Volume XI, as they came to us
from time to time, and of course the seeming applicability or non-
applicability of the telepathic theory to this incident or that was talked
of. But all this would be probable, though not certain, since Mrs.
Prince might have been like certain other wives of persons interested
in such investigations, opposed and aloof.
2. "There were some things which happened with Mrs. S. not this one
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but another in another place which were rather confusing when we
tried to fit them into the things we had at other places and the
records were full of some seemingly contradictory experiences and
then when the group took up the work at home with Theodosia we
found some entirely new phases. I am writing this especially to my
husband. [ ] Saunders was the name I wanted to use."
W.: Mrs. Soule could have known of the sittings with Mrs. Sanders
which I edited (Proceedings A. S. P. R., Vol. XVIII), so that mention
of me in connection with her is not evidential. But that report con-
tained a great deal of good evidence, so that what " Mrs. Prince " says
does not at all look like a reflection from acquaintance with it. Nor is
there any reference there or elsewhere in print to Mrs. Prince in con-
nection with Mrs. Sanders. But Mrs. Prince actually was interested in
this medium and had an unsatisfactory sitting with her about a year
before her own death. She was also aware that my personal experi-
ments with this medium had been, with one astonishing exception, un-
evidential and perhaps had been told that they contradicted what cer-
tain other psychics had said. The remark about Theodosia is justified
by the strange sounds and crystal-gazing experiences reported in The
Psychic in the House, which was not printed until months after this
sitting.
3. The claim follows that Mrs. Prince, after her death, " tried to get
through some things " via Mrs. Sanders, of which " some were good
and some not very clear."
W.: I had no sittings with Mrs. Sanders after my wife's death. I
do not know what others got. Mrs. S. used sometimes to send messages
to me, which I do not remember. They are in the files of the A. S.
P. R. I doubt if anything ever reached me through Mrs. S., purport-
ing to be from my wife, that struck me as "good."
4. "My back troubled me at the last. I could not seem to get in a
position which was quite comfortable and it was hard to tell just
where the difficulty was and it gave me a kind of nausea to move
understand (Yes.) I used to think that if I could only change my
position I might feel better but nothing could be done about it."
W.: She could lie only on her back. The only exception was where
toward the last Theodosia would hold her up for a while, during a call
at the hospital.
T.: One day, about a week before mother died, she complained most
bitterly of her back, wanting to sit up to rest it. I asked the nurse if
she could sit up, and the nurse said she could if I would lift her, as she
was not allowed to do so. I lifted her up and she expressed the greatest
relief. I looked at her back as I held her and found a large bed sore on
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it which must have been very painful. I spoke to the nurse about it,
and she said it could not be helped. After that, every day, until the day
she died, I held her up so the air could circulate under her back, and she
always knew me when I lifted her, but did not know me when I laid her
down. This is very evidential, as I don't think I mentioned it to anyone
but papa.
5. [This immediately follows 4 and so refers to the last days of the
illness.] "It is in my mind now that I wanted something to eat
but I cannot think this moment what it was but there was brought
to me something quite hot and steaming like broth and it did
smell so good and I thought I could take some It was so carefully
prepared but only a little bit could I take and the look on your
face was sad enough to make me cry for you were so disappointed
and I heard some one in another room say Did she eat it and the
sad tone in your voice as you said she couldn't just took a little
bit and couldn't h [pause] I think you said hold it It was some-
thing like that Do you remember (Yes, she remembers.) In the
midst of it all I have the dear memory of the love and kindness
showered upon me I do not recall whether that was chicken or
lamb but it seems to me like chicken [sighs 'Oh dear'] was it
(Yes, it was chicken.) [The sitter had written the word and
handed it to Mrs. G.] I thought so"
T.: She was very hungry the last week of her life, and told me they
did not give her anything to eat [a delusion]. I told her I had some
chicken soup at home and would bring it on the morrow, which I did.
She ate only a teaspoonful and when the nurse asked me in the hall if
she had eaten it I said, " No."
6. "I am not troubled at all dear that you did not think of more to do
although I know that you have said I wish I had known that when
some one refers to something which might have been done for
nothing could have been done more than was unless I had given
more attention earlier to my own symptoms"
W.: Such feelings are, I suppose, inevitable. It is emphatically
true that every known thing which could have been done was done,
regardless of expense. I have thought that if, years before, more
attention had been paid to certain symptoms, and she had cared for
herself better, the fatal malady might not have come.
7. "It seems only a few days ago that you were trying to recall how
to make something which I used to make not a cake but something
which suggests cake I think it was something like fritters [sighs
'Oh dear.'] Just a moment (All right.) It was a simple every
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day dish but you said Oh I have never made those since mamma
went I must try them some day Was it Gems"
T.: It was fritters, and I have only lately, 1928, learned to make
them, but not like hers.
8. [" Sunbeam" addresses Mrs. Guinan.] "Sometimes you sit down
in a chair that has arms and just [illustrates as one tired would
almost fall into a chair] I'm too tired to do another thing. You
just sit down like that and before you get the words out of your
mouth 'I'm too tired' then you jump and do something else.
Aren't you funny? The more tired you are the more you do.
You're the funniest thing. And youyou do it tooyou just
don't make an effort but you go and do itsome hard thing. You
like to do hard things, you do."
W.: I was about to dissent from this, since it is not like Theodosia
who, if she gets tired, flops down, usually on a couch, and rests as
systematically as she works. But it is pointedly addressed to Mrs.
Guinan.
G.: What Sunbeam says here is very like my actions. In our music
room we have a wicker chair with armsthe one chair in that room I
always sit inand after preparing supper and doing the dishes I would
go into the music room and just drop into the chair and say, " I'm too
tired to do another thing," and then I would immediately remember
something that should be done, and out I would go and do some more
work. The folks at home used to laugh at me and say I simply couldn't
get tired enough to give up, for no matter how tired I seemed to be I
would always keep on working. It is true that the more tired I am the
more I doI simply can't rest when I am overtired, so I keep on
working.
W.: This could hardly be inferred from any manner of Mrs. G.
Hardly ever in the office, and never at the sittings, have I noticed any
appearance of her being tired, and I never suspect that she has a
headache, unless she mentions it, which is seldom.
9. "There's somethingshe puts her hand up to her face and goes
way back to a wisdom toothyou know. (Yes.) And it seems
that long after she should have lost it by allall loss that most
people knowshe had a wisdom tooth in thereyou may not know
this and the girl may not know this but I think somebody will.
You know people lose them early usually, don't they? (Yes.)
Well it seemed she had one left therequite a while and she had
some years on her before that wisdom tooth was taken out but it
was eventually."
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W.: This is a rather remarkable true statement. Mrs. Prince had a
wisdom tooth come late in life and it troubled her, especially when she
got artificial teeth. I remember this well. On this account it was
drawn, I do not remember just when, but Theodosia says it was within
half a year before her death.
10. "And I think she had pretty good teeth, didn't she? (No.) They
seemed to look so even and nice.. Were they stores? (Yes.) Oh,
that's it! Bought ones. That's it. That thing was up there
quite a while and then the store bites came and they hadthis is
something nobody knowsprobably you don't perhaps other girl
does, but it seems the store bites bothered her when she was sick.
(Yes, that's right.) And sometimes they wiggled around and she
would do things to it and they were really quite a bother to her."
W.: Note that the passage about the false teeth comes immediately
in conjunction with that about the wisdom tooth and its removal. I
have already explained how the two matters were connected. Note
also that the denial that her (natural) teeth were good caused no
backdown, but " they seemed to look so even and nice," which was true
of the " store " teeth. The artificial teeth never seemed to fit her, they
"wiggled around," and I heard her complain of them repeatedly. The
trance statement was a risky one as a guess. I myself have "store"
teeth, but they have never "wiggled around" or given me trouble.
But the teeth were such a " bother to her " that she did not wear them
during her last stay in the hospital.
11. "And then after she went away, you know (Yes.) they fixed them
in to make her mouth look better and they had to do something to
fix them inseems they put something up there [indicates upper
gum] to fix them in to make them look betterher mouth looked
bad when she died and then it got fixed up so she looked nice when
she went away."
W.: Literally correct.
12. "There was something pretty bad in the inside of her that brought
a lot of pain and oh, my goodness, it would be just that the pain
you'd really want to press something up [hits her chest]"
W.: She had a great deal of pain in the abdomen and elsewhere,
with very oppressive fulness and tightness. But the psychic may have
heard the name of the malady.
13. "My! she was the most patient angel ever, wasn't she? (Yes, I
thought so.) Was sheshe isshe's just as good as she was
probably a little better because she doesn't have to fight the bad
pain like she did."
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W.: She was generally regarded as very patient and was by nature
very stoical in bearing pain. There is a possible sign of recognition in
the words "probably a little better because she doesn't have to fight
the bad pain like she did," that she did not always have the appearance
of patience in her last illness. No blame is implied. She was as good
as stated, but her remarkable capacity for bearing pain uncomplain-
ingly was relaxed toward the end of her life by the effects of the
disease upon her brain.
14. "She gets awful near that man sometimes. Gets so near he some-
times feels almost like heralmost like her, did you know?"
W.: I have had no consciousness of this.
15. "And he gets a pain sometime in him, like in his stomach and as
if he wanted to get something out. He thinks if he could vomit it
off it would help him you know."
W.: At that period I often felt discomfort after eating a light
meal, from distention, and wished I could rid myself of some particular
article of food eaten which probably caused the trouble, but I never
vomited or wished to do so. But the psychic laid her finger, as it were,
on the seat of the only physical trouble I experienced.
16. "Do you know anyone that's namedthere is two names that
always bother me. When I see one I think it is the other. They
don't look a bit alike. One is Lydia and one is Julia, but I always
think Julia and Lydia at one time. But I think it is a name Julia
and it seems that it's some one connected with that lady named
Julia, you know that? (Yes.) Because the minute I saw it in-
stead of saying Julia I wanted to say Lydia. [Laughs.] That
makes me laugh because sometime I must have known somebody
named those two names, because I always connect them."
W.: Julia was the name of a sister-in-law of Mrs. Prince of whom
she saw much in her girlhood.
17. "But I have to tell you a little more. It's a name I know and it's
a man I know all about. Probably you don't know but probably
the man does. It is some one this lady was anxious to see and talk
to and it was a man had been gone some time. Beecher. Henry
Ward Beecher. Well it seems that there is something that the man
was interested inthe man I'm sending the message to was inter-
ested in about Beecher. Beecher. As though the word Beecher
comes out and I know it is Henry Ward Beecher and she has seen
Beecher and talked with him about certain things."
W.: Apparently " the lady " is Mrs. Prince and the man interested
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in Beecher, to whom the message is sent, is myself. It happens that
Beecher is one of the half dozen historical Americans who most interest
me. I am probably one of the few living persons who have read
through and studied the mammoth report of his trial which lasted six
months, both testimony and the interminable arguments of the lawyers
retained on both sides. I have the outline of the great blackmail con-
spiracy against him by heart. I have his biography, his sermons, rare
pamphlets about him, and a framed piece of his writing connected with
the trial on my wall. Certainly the reference to my interest in Beecher
is a remarkable one. The psychic could have known nothing about
this, nor do I see how anyone in Boston could.
18. Statement in many words amounting simply to this: she was fond
of the heliotrope flower and there was somewhere where she lived a
wild fine purple flower, like heliotrope, which she loved.
W.: There is no question about her liking for the heliotrope and its
odor. I do not remember about the wild flower.
19. "But it just made her sick to find girls all sowell I will tell
youso much t-a-l cum powder on that they smell like a drug
storeshe didn't like that. You ask that girl, because it seems it
was one of her characteristics. She had absolutely no interest in
artificial peopledidn't like powder, paint or overdone perfumes
and she was outspoken about things she didn't like. Didn't make
a great fuss but had an opinion and expressed it to that girl and
that girl sometimes, almost as though sometimes she would suggest
doing something to her face, as if she would suggest putting some
on. Lid was down on that right away."
W.: This is all very characteristic of my late wife. She exceed-
ingly disapproved of lipsticks, paint, heavy perfume or any excess in
the use of powder. If she ever used anything of the sort it was so
slightly that I never knew of it. She would vigorously express her
opinion of women who go to excess in these matters, though as said,
she never made any "great fuss " about it. The flavor of Theodosia
playfully suggesting putting something on, as with the lipstick, and
Mrs. Prince putting the "lid down on that right away" is exactly
right.
20. "She's a splendid type of American womanhood."
W.: She certainly was.
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(A Picture of Mrs. Guinan's Acts)
Present: Miss Prince (Sitter), Mrs. Guinan (Secretary). Procedure
as usual. Responses by Mrs. G.
Little besides remarks about the alleged life beyond and mental heal-
ing. "J. H. H." made several small statements, true but under the
circumstances hardly evidential. Toward the end, however, " Num-
ber Two " control orally said, after referring to Mrs. Prince, " You
know anything about a picture of her. I don't mean you yourself
have got oneyou're Blessing [Mrs. G.'s middle name]. You
know, I don't mean one you got yourself but where you can see it
sometime like going through another room to see it. (Yes.) Some-
times you just stop a minute and look at it. You go somewhere
and wash your hands and walk around when you do it, where you
work not at your home. You wash your hands and then you take a
towel and walk out and say something and then go back again and
then sometimes with the towel in your hand you walk out and look
at several things that have come and can be seen and often you can
see that picture then. Goodbye."
G.: It is quite true that many times when I was up-stairs in the
house at 346 Beacon Street, I would wash my hands in Theodosia's
bath-room and, while drying them, would walk across the living-room
into the bed-room and talk with her. In the bed-room Theodosia had
a picture of Mrs. Prince, and I not only looked at it quite often, but she
and I would discuss the different pictures she had hanging in her bed-
room. And many times I went from the bed-room into the living-room
to look at things that may have just come from the store or something
that Theodosia would tell me to go and look at. As the bed-room and
living-room were separated by folding doors, which were usually open
all the way, the picture of Mrs. Prince could be seen from the
living-room.
W.: The reader may think this rather likely, as my home was then
on the floor above the offices. But I did not believe it true when I read
it, especially as I did not know why Mrs. Guinan should go up-stairs to
wash her hands. But the reason for this has been made clear, and the
picture formed by the descriptive details proves to be true to life.
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(W. F. P.'s Brother and Others)
cedure. Responses by Mrs. G.
* * *
There is nothing I can deny in the omitted matter, and yet nothing
I can affirm as evidential, partly because of previously published mat-
ter, and partly because the application is uncertain.
1. [Oral by "Number Two."] "Who are you? You know anyone
named Henry? (Yes.) He's just been standing over beside the
sitter and you knowthis sitter's beenI was going to say con-
trolled by himused by him in some way. Did you know that?
(No, I didn't know that.) He's a wonderful spirit."
W.: I had a relative by marriage named Henry, of whom I was
fond in my boyhood. He was a very good man; of course, I do not
know whether that would make a " wonderful spirit " or not. Henry is
a common name, and there is no way of telling that my relative is
meant. But the name is relevantat least to meand the person is
dead. As a blood relative of mine is soon after referred to, there is no
reason why the relevance should not be to me. I know nothing about
his using the sitter.
2. "That sitter's a mediumyou know it, don't you? (Yes.) You
know how I know it? (No.) By the group of people who are
standing around that won't let every people in. (I see.) It's a
protected mediumshipeverybody can't go theresee? (Yes.)
No outlaws." [ ]
W.: The fact that the sitter has psychical powers is in print and
also could have been otherwise learned. But that it has been declared
repeatedly and emphatically in her automatic script, though not in the
same terms, that hers is a " protected mediumship," and that there is a
"group of people who are standing around that won't let every people
in," especially "outlaws," I think has never been hinted in print, and
I do not think that Mrs. Soule could possibly have heard it.
[Here certain correct references to the past, unevidential in view
of what was accessible in print, are omitted.]
3. "Well do you know anything about a man who would come to him
[W. F. P.] that's something like a brother? (Yes.) I mean in
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spirit land? (Yes.) And it seems he's been gone quite a while
over. (Yes.) And there was always a sort of poetic bindingI
don't mean poetic "[ ] "It is almost like an unusual
sentiment, as though I would feelit's almost like a poetic senti-
ment that unites the spirit brother with the earth brother. (Yes.)
That he's seldom spoken of, but often thought of. It would be like
he's so much a spirit that he seems to be more like a spiritual en-
tityyet often thought of but placed in a different spheredo
you know what I mean? (Yes.) And he's so close. You know
that girl over there? [meaning the sitter] (Yes.) Well that spirit
brother comes very close to that girlyou see? (Yes.) Does she
know it? (No.) Well I know it. And he's always been very close
to the Doctor you know? (Yes.) And you knowdid the Doctor
used to sing? (Yes.) Quite a lot? (Yes.) Because seems just
as though aswould you know what I mean if I say as kids?
(Yes.) As kids they would sing or whistle together. (Yes.)
Does she know that? (No.) Oh, you mean you're going to find
out? (Yes.) And it seemsit's like comradeshipbut they
speak differently and sing differently but still they join in all right
you know. That's a funny thing for me to say, but I guess it's all
right. (Yes, it's plain.)"
W.: Here is an impressive passage to me. Follow it, sentence by
sentence, as I comment.
I had a brotherif he is now a spirit and if children grow up where
spirits are, he has long been a man, but was a very small boy when he
died. That was indeed "quite a while ago." His death affected me
more severely than boys so young as I was then are usually affected.
I have no doubt that it is " an unusual sentiment " which I have enter-
tained toward his memory for half a century. "He is seldom spoken
of but often thought of "very true. As a boy, I could not bear even
to mention his name for years. Something of the same reserve ad-
heres to my nature still. I am not one who has either a consciousness
of a spirit being near or the hallucination of such a consciousness, but
if there has been the shadow or adumbration of such a feeling it has
been in reference to my brother. I can think of no better language to
express this feeling than "an unusual sentiment, ... a poetic
sentiment."
But most striking is the reference to singing. This brother sang
at the age of one year. At two and a half years he knew and sang,
words and music, scores of hymns and songs. Music was his particular
gift. I often sang with him. Maybe I sometimes whistled when he
sangI cannot now remember. And the medium divines that it was as
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"kids," not as grown persons, that we sang. He was a very young
"kid " when his singing on earth was hushed.
It was indeed a " comradeship." I played and sang with him more
than did anyone else, because nearer his own age. And the communi-
cator adds what she says is a "funny thing," yet guesses it is "all
right." It does sound a bit odd, but is as right as can be. I was about
nine years older than he, consequently I spoke differentlyhis pro-
nunciation was yet imperfect, and I sang differentlyhis voice was
that of the almost baby that he was, but we joined in all right, for my
sense of pitch and melody was good and his already as good as mine.
No reference to this brother could be so telling as that to his singing,
and singing with me.
4. "And there's a [pause] There's a fatherthere are twothere's
an old man that's got something the matter with one eyegot a
blinder on it, you know, like anot a bandage, but a green blinder
you know what that is? (Yes.) And he knew both those two
boys. He was an old dufferthat's an insult isn't it? (No, we
often say such things about people.) He was an awful old duffer
goodand he could see more with one eye than most folks with
two and they used to look around to see if they saw him. He's not
cross, but curious, and it's just as bad to a child to have a curious
old duffer around as it is to have a cross one because they never
know when they're going to tell the mother and that's all I want to
say and will you find out and tell me tomorrow if they know that
old green blinder duffer?" [ ]
W.: The only old man around was my mother's father, who lived
nearly opposite us. He was a good, kindly man, whom some might
consider a "duffer," since he had exceedingly Puritanic ideas, and
strict notions of what children should do. He would certainly tell my
mother anything he noticed about her children which he thought she
ought to know. I stood somewhat in awe of him when a small boy.
But I have no knowledge that he ever had trouble with one eye which
caused him to wear a " green blinder." I well remember that at about
that period he had a growth removed from the region of his cheek-
bone, which compelled him for a time to wear a cloth-covered plaster
over it near the eye, but of what color I do not recall. It may be that
he did wear a shade over his eye for a time and I have forgotten it!
There is comparatively little that we remember of what occurred within
our knowledge before the age of twelve. All I can say is that I remem-
ber no old man who wore a " green blinder " over his eye.
But I am impressed. Note that most of the statements of this date
are expressly directed to me, although I was not present. My mother
would be the presumable communicator. There is just one person of
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all my kindred whom I remember wearing a cloth near, though not
over, the eye, and that is my mother's father ["a father "], who is cor-
rectly described so far as the description goes, and who wore the cloth
covering at about the period when " Henry " lived under the same roof
with him and I sang with my brother.
OCTOBER 1, 1925, 10:15-11:40
(W. F. P.'s Songs and Early Home Interior)
Present: W. F. P., T. B. P. (Sitter), Mrs. G. (Secretary). Responses
by W. F. P.
The first thing declared to be familiar to Mrs. Prince and me is
the song "Old Oaken Bucket." Then I was asked if I remembered
"Old Black Joe," " with Joe sang out at the end in a deep bass note."
I answered, "Yes, I have heard it sung that way many times," and
asked, "Who was it sang 'Old Black Joe?'" The answer was,
"You," and I was asked if I remembered a song about bells, in fact
two, one "Larboard Watch" and the other, which "I have not so
clearly in mind," " something about the Sexton's Bell."
Mrs. Prince and I had a parlor organ for some years before we
purchased a piano. I sang the air of "The Old Oaken Bucket" per-
haps more frequently than any other, sometimes to the familiar words,
often to Moore's words, " Farewell to thee, Araby's Daughter." "Old
Black Joe" was another frequent song. "Larboard Watch" was a
particular favorite of mine. There was another song about bells which
she heard me sing innumerable times, nothing about a Sexton's but
"Shandon's " bells.
Then came an abrupt transition to my boyhood days, and pres-
ently, without announcement of change, it appeared that my mother
was communicating. There was a reference to two instruments played
by two boys, one a jewsharp, the other a harmonica. I can, indeed,
remember when I had a jewsharp, and my older brother a harmonica.
Then references to a "farm wood stove, my mother, quite an active
lady," "hustling around," baking new potatoes, true but slightly evi-
dential. After noting my mother's "pretty eyes" [applicable] and
the wrestling of boys, there was an attempt to give an idea of the
interior of the house. First it is said to be "awfully sunny and
bright in that house," which it was.
Starting with "up back" and the " hill " and "walking down and
come in kind of a side door, like a little bit of an entry [later said to
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be ' almost a little square place']I get a place like swishing off my
hat and washing my handsnot a very high place but low."
Coming from that hill back of the house, I usually came into the
side door, at which point an oblong space was visible just outside the
kitchen door. Here was a washbasin on a low bench where I often
"swished " off my hat and washed.
"I come in from that little square place" and " look up at a clock
on the shelf by itself." The square place, it is said, is "near the
housepart of the housemight be a porch or shed." It was the
part of the shed which led directly into the kitchen. Where the
kitchen was is left obscure in the text. The clock is " up on the shelf"
and is " quite tall and a big face on it." In the middle room a clock, tall
for its height, with a fairly big face, did stand on a small shelf.
A something wrapped in paper, "like an extra thing belonging to
the clock," is seen in it, and then it is concluded that the paper contains
a piece of money for a special use. A man's voice is heard, saying:
"What are you doing in that clock?" Mother used to put money in
the clock to have it ready to pay something. Father did not like the
clock meddled with.
"This is the middle room where the clock is [correct] and when I go
beyond I can go in there, and somebody else is in there," " a dear, dear
old ladynot your mother," "rather prim and precise," "good and
she's nice," and "just a little bit hard of hearing," "you would have
to speak a little loud to her," "and she always seemed a little apolo-
getic for being hard of hearing," " some people sayspeak louder to
me, I am deaf. She didn't. She was a lady, you know." Beyond the
middle room was a room occupied for many years by an aunt, at first a
little, and finally very deaf. She was "prim " in a way, and I do not
think she made an effort to hear unless people spontaneously took
pains. She was hardly the sort most people mean when they say
"She's nice," since she was rather blunt and stiff.
Then came references to a black horse with a long tail, and a less
"aristocratic" red horse which was "cranky," whose name sounds
like "Ned." I don't know whether the first black horse we had was
more aristocratic or not. There was a red horse that was nervous and
gave some trouble, named "Nell." Father had a black horse of de-
cidedly aristocratic lineage and with a sweeping tail, after my boyhood
was past.
Finally there is reference to "a horse shoer," "a funny duffer,"
who "would get you to talking. He would like to hear you talk and
you didn't know he liked to hear you talk." You "kind of liked him,"
"\ don't think he was so bad but I think he said a lot of things that
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were kind of bad," "I never saw a funny old duffer blacksmith come
back before." Apart from what looks like an intimation that the
blacksmith's shop was not far from our house (" off a little ways ")
all this is a very vivid reminder. In the village, a mile and a half
away, was an old blacksmith who was one of the quaintest, funniest
characters I ever saw, whose talk I delighted to hear, despite its
cuss-words.
OCTOBER 6, 1925, 11:30-12:20
(Theodosia's Early Home)
Present: W. F. P., T. B. P. (Sitter), Mrs. G. (Secretary). Responses
by W. F. P.
1. "[ ] I want to go way back in the past this morning
(That's good.) and try and write about some things that are of
no consequence except as little things that came into our lives
(That will be all right.) for things that were not thought much
about mean most in this work (Yes, I think so.) I wonder if you
will recall two lamps kerosene lamps that were used long ago (I
remember that there were kerosene lamps used long ago. Whether
I would recall them or not I do not know.) I refer to a parlor
lamp which was quite old and had prisms hanging from it and a
round globe [after writing the 'gl' she sighed 'Oh, dear'] with
a pattern on it like a running vine It was on the table and the
globe was ground glass with the plain strip in the middle with
the vine pattern on it and was not used often but was ornamental
and the other lamp was tall and the emphasis I put on that was
the red in the oil a piece of red flannel Just for the color It did
not have anything to do with the light I think but it may have been
attached to the wick " 1
T.: In the parlor of my home was a lamp exactly as described. It
was an old lamp from mother's girlhood home, given by her brother,
had a circle of prisms hanging from it, a round ground-glass globe,
with a band perhaps an inch wide around it at about the middle and
a vine running through the band. This lamp stood alone, except for
11 had supposed that I was being addressed, but as I was mentally registering
dissent, Theodosia pointed to herself after the description of the first lamp. She did
so after the second lamp was described, and at intervals thereafter passed me brief
notes acknowledging the correctness of references. Nothing throughout would have
fitted my early home, except the lamp with the red flannel and the water pail.
The notes following are from a series of non-leading questions asked of Theo-
dosia, more than two years after she had read the record.
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the mat, on a table. She loved the lamp and mat, and "Margaret"
adored them. The lamp was lit only on very special occasions. On
Christmas both the lamp was lit and a fire made in the grate.
The other and " tall " lamp did have a piece of red flannel attached
to the wick. Its principal purpose, I think, was to lengthen the life of
the wick, though the color may have been thought of, too. This lamp
stood in the dining-room.
2. "And in connection with the one with prisms I see a peculiar mat
or table cover on which it stands It is not patch work and yet it
is made of pieces of silk [' Oh, dear!'] and velvet in a kind of
appique (A-p-p-i-q-u-e, is that it?) applique (Good.) With some
silk button hole stitching the silk is apparently yellow at least as
the light falls on it it looks yellow (That was very good.)"
T.: The mat on which the lamp with prisms stood was made of
pieces of red silk to represent flowers, green to make the leaves, ap-
pliqued on blue velvet. The buttonhole stitching was of yellow silk
thread.
3. "I want to cross the room and touch a rather narrow mantel which
is built into the house and is white and there is a long narrow door
which is beside it and it suggests a chimney side [' Oh, no, no.']
closet (Yes, recognized. Closet.) and as the door is opened it is
plain to see that it is a deep narrow closet where many things have
been kept and there is something which often falls down when other
things are taken out and (You're doing well.)"
T.: This seems to be a little mixed. The reference seems to be the
closet in the dining-room. This had a door about as long and narrow
as doors usually are, and was itself a narrow one, tapering inward as it
came directly beside the chimney. While the closet in the parlor was
used to store things which were not often needed, the dining-room one
was used by the family to put outdoor clothing in, and had a long row
of nails. So many things were hung there that taking out some would
usually make others fall. There was a mantel (over the fireplace) as
stated, but it was not white, but a sort of creamy-yellow.
4. "It is a queer kind of a bonnet a straw and calico or gingham com-
bination home made sunbonnet it looks like but I see it often
falling down (Recognized.) and some times kicked back into a cor-
ner rather impatiently (Yes.) because it is difficult to keep it on a
nail I write that word nail because that was what it was (Yes,
that's recognized.)"
T.: The bonnet was made in the old "Shaker" style, the back a
flowered material and the rest straw. I remember that Mr. F. would
often find it on the floor, get irritated, and kick it into the corner.
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5. "I want to write about a large red table cover of woolen material
with a black pattern stamped upon it"
T.: There was such a tablecloth in both dining-room and parlor,
but I think the black pattern was woven into the red, not stamped on
it. Nor was it woolen, but it was never ironed, so had a fuzzy look
like woolen.
6. "Now I am going into another room (Good.) where there is a
mantel piece of something of the same style but yellow graining
graining I think it is called yellowish brown or snuff color (Pretty
near it.) [Sitter had written 'Cream. Dining-room mantel.']
with graining"
T.: Really "another room" had been already entered, from the
time that the closet was being described. The mantel was grained, a
sort of cream-yellow color.
7. "And there is a smell of cooking where that is It is for you to note
that odors are also given as evidence (Yes, it proves to be evidence
in this case apparently.) [Sitter had signified assent.]"
T.: The room of the mantel described opened into the kitchen.
8. "The cooking odors come from two ovens at some times for [' Oh,
dear.'] (Yes.) there is something which looks like an old fashioned
built in oven (Yes, right.) and while not used all the time it was
occasionally used (Yes.)"
T.: There were two ovens. One, the smaller, was built in the brick
wall, and was not used much. The lower one was in the stove, which
stood out and was easier heated.
9. "But there was a certain kind of biscuit made in the other oven
which looks precisely like [' My dear, dear, dear, dear.'] like cream
biscuit I am not sure that it is the right name but that is what
they look like (Apparently that is not the right name. They say
it looks like it.) and there is a saying I must toss some biscuit to-
gether (What is it?) I must toss some biscuit (Yes, we got that
part.) together (Yes, that's all right. Splendid.) yes Queer
little phrase"
T.: This is good. My mother always said " I must toss some bis-
cuit together," when we were to have soda biscuit for supper, which was
a great treat.
10. "There is one more place I must look now for I hear a noise like
a dipper [' Oh, dear, dear, dear, dear.'] falling into a pail and a
voice says empty sound in the [' Oh, I can't. I can't.']"
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T.: When I was little, water was brought in a pail from outside,
and a dipper hung by it. Later, water was brought into the kitchen
by a pipe. If I had been born a few years later I would have remem-
bered no water pail by the sink.
11. "Now what about that painted floor with the broad boards looks
like pumpkin yellow understand (No, that's not understood yet.)"
T.: I think I understand now. The floor of the kitchen was un-
painted and Margaret always scrubbed it with lye or sand, which kept
it beautifully cream color.
12. "It is another small room that is used for a store room or some-
thing of that kind"
T.: There was no store room, but Margaret insisted on arranging
the furniture in the little room over the kitchen oddly, and odds and
ends were shoved into it.
OCTOBER 7, 1925, 11:05-12:10
(W. F. P.'s Early Life, the Garret, and Neighbors)
Present: W. F. P., Miss Prince (Sitter), Mrs. Guinan (Secretary).
Usual procedure in regard to Miss Prince's entrance, position in
sitting, etc. Responses by W. F. P.
1. [ ] "I will write about two articles made of colored
worsteds one is a small mat for table [' Oh,' coughs] I think It
is of a neutral shade and looks either faded or soiled as it is old
but it has around the body which is the mat itself a queer border
of raised worsted in various colors as if representing flowers which
stand up slightly and [Whispers, ' oh, dear.'] would partially con-
ceal what stood on the mat as a vase or lamp I think it is a lamp
mat"
W.: While the description of the mat was writing it roused a vivid
recollection of what I probably had not thought of for many years
until the mention of a lamp mat in the last sitting. I made no sign of
assent, however, but looked at Theodosia, who shook her head. She
continued to dissent by signs, and the items continued to be recogniz-
able to me (as almost none in the last preceding sitting had been), or
at least such as were quite possibly true and relevant.
I remember that there was in my boyhood home, in the " best room"
sometimes called "parlor," kept on a table, a lamp mat made of
worsted of different colors which was " raised," that is to say, the mat
had a border composed of a great many short lengths of worsted
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which "stood up" and in which the base of the lamp would embed
itself and be partly concealed.
2. "And I see some worsted flowers in a frame as a picture and they
are not flat but take the form of the natural flowers and the colors
too and there were many things that were like the handiwork of one
who loved to make things and did the best she could with materials
at hand [Murmurs softly]"
W.: I cannot positively say that there was no worsted wreath when
I was small, but I cannot recall one. There was a wax wreath, a hair
wreath, and various other pieces of my mother's handwork supposed at
the period to be ornamental.
3. "I see now a very different thing It is a small old fashioned trunk
very low and dark and has brass headed nails in it as if they were
placed there partly to decorate it and partly to identify it This
trunk is brown and is open and has a striped lining I think there
is some green in the lining It looks like paper almost like wall
paper and it is torn in places There are a few things inside which
I will try and see but let me say that I see this trunk in two places
once it was kept downstairs and was later carried up some very
narrow stairs that ran between two walls (Yes.) not an open
stairway"
W.: I remember a "small old-fashioned trunk very low," and cov-
ered, I think, with brownish hide with the hair on, but I do not remem-
ber anything about its lining. The "brass headed nails" on its top
formed the initials, and I think the name, of my maternal grandfather.
I cannot with absolute certainty remember where it was kept, but the
garret was its most likely final destination. (The trunk is to be men-
tioned again, this time in connection with my grandfather, on Nov.
18, 1925.)
At the period of my most youthful memories, my grandfather and
grandmother lived in a wing of the house inhabited by their son and his
family, diagonally across the road from my own home. When I was
about ten years old my father tore down the old house which was our
home and built another. In the intervening period we lived, except
nights, at my uncle's. At the same period, and not that only, I was
often in the garret of that house, and took much interest in rummag-
ing among the things stored there. The garret was reached by a
"very narrow stairway that ran between two walls," both close to the
stairway.
4. "And there were other things up there which suggests a place to
store things and there is a queer looking thing [Oral 'Oh, dear.']
which is of wood and may be a churn Just a moment (All right.)"
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W.: I remember an old-fashioned tall churn at that house, and
one of square construction which came later. The garret would be a
likely place for the old churn when it was discarded, but I do not
remember whether it was put there or not.
5. "I do not want to go in there for there is so much to see I am afraid
I might get the articles confused (I see.)"
W.: The things kept in that garret were many and various. I can-
not remember what many of them were, but I delighted in pawing them
over, and reading there.
6. "But I want to return to the trunk as it stands open and there are a
few papers of no account but they are very old and among them are
some newspapers which are also old but are not kept for any reason
particular I think (Know what any of the papers are?)"
W.: There were many New York Tribunes, Harper's Weeklies, etc.,
kept in this garret.
7. "Yes some one holds up a map It is large and has a roll attached
to it and it must have fallen behind this trunk for [Oral: 'Oh,
dear.'] just as I look at the papers this is unrolled (I wish you
could see what the map is of. Don't try unless it comes naturally.)
and is land map for the hand moves over it and points to a spot
on it as if it marked a reservation something of that kind (I don't
know that I know what is meant by reservation. Can you make it
any plainer?) possibly an early grant (Yes.)"
W.: I am not able to affirm or deny about the map in the garret.
I have very little recollection what particular articles were up there.
The only map I remember hung in a hallway. I often pored over it
when a boy. "Frank" is the name heard in connection with a hand
pointing at the map, and the map which I remember in fact belonged
to my Uncle Frank.
8. "There is one who is very old here and I now see that it is his hand
[Pause. Rubs face quite hard.] that points to this map and there
is a name which I hear Frank (Yes, the name is recognized.)"
W.: Frank, as I have said, lived in the house with the garret. He
knew I was often up there, and might, if he remembers the fact now,
suppose that I would recall the articles therein. He died at the age of
about eighty-four, so was "very old" at the time of his death, which
I take it to be referred to by " very old here."
9. "And there are some very old spectacles which are square and have
small sides to them (You mean bows?) quite heavy bows but the
spectacles themselves seemed to turn as if there were side pieces
(Side pieces to what?) It is possible the light strikes them and
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gives them that appearance for as I look again I see they are not
precisely square but almost octagonal (Good.) and that was a little
confusing as I saw them (Now, when you said side pieces did you
mean the glass or the bows or what when you had that idea?) I
thought the glasses themselves made a kind of box effect (All
right.) I have to be very careful and look at things from every
angle (Well I think there were one or two things about those
glasses that you haven't got yet, though what you seem to have
given seems to be correct.) You mean the color (Supposing I do.
I haven't said so, but supposing I did?) I think you do for I saw
they were dark (Yes, that's right.) like green (That is right.) and
I intended to say that as soon as I got the shape (Well, you did it.
I didn't tell you anything.) I know it and (Now, if you could get
one or two other things about them. The material of the bows, for
example.) They were not gold and were very white more (That is
right.) like silver or steel (Correct.) Both look alike (Well, they
were one or the other.) silver bows of course (Correct.) [ ]"
W.: When did I last think of the spectacles which, at the word
"square" came vividly to mind? Surely not for years. The lenses
were "almost octagonal," that is, they had eight sides, two opposed
sides being longer than the others. I think it was this pair which had
bows which could be lengthened out by one half sliding out from the
other. I at first thought that "small sides" and "side pieces"
might refer to the bows, since they could be made very short. But
apparently the reference is to the small sides of the octagonal rim.
The glass was green. The bows were either silver or some white alloy,
probably the latter. All the facts were stated in the text without hint
by me. I asked for other items of description and " color " was spon-
taneously fixed upon. I asked the material of the bows, which question
gave no hint of the kind of material in my mind. Later in the sitting
it is said that " there was a silver spectacle case and worn smooth from
use." The green spectacles were in a smooth, somewhat dented white
metal case, which looked like silver. These glasses were not used within
my recollection, but were kept in a box of papers and relics in my home.
10. "I also want to tell you of two names written here (Very well.)
One is Orrin or Oreno (Orrinis that right? O-r-r-i-n?) or Oreno
(Yes.)"
W.: I had a distant relative on my father's side, living about three
miles away, named "Orin H," but cannot divine why anything should
have reminded the communicator of him, though we knew him well.
Within a short distance of my home lived a cousin of my mother,
Orinda B , about her age and one of her particular companions.
(Her home was with Susan and Joseph. See map.)
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11. "And the other is Jacob and that name seemed always to be Jake
(I remember Jacob. Don't remember Jake.) It seems as if there
were those who called him Jake (Well, it may be so.)"
W.: Also near our house, but in the other direction, lived a neighbor
named Jacob B , the surname being the same as that of Orinda.
Two of mother's closest women friends also cousins and named B ,
one unmarried and the other married to a man of the same name, were
his daughters. By association of ideas one B might have reminded
the communicator of another.
12. At this point comes some mere talk, not worth the space to print,
and a rather verbose statement to the effect that in the trunks was
a fine old waistcoat of a period earlier than that when it was put
in the garret (naturally), a waistcoat used for a "special occa-
sion," and referred to as the wedding waistcoat, one which gave the
communicator at this point (the control " Number Two ") the im-
pression that it was wine color.
W.: I am not able to deny or affirm, and would not be likely to re-
member, as I never paid much attention to garments. There is no
living person to give me information. If anyone's, it would probably
have been my grandfather's waistcoat. One knowing him when he was
old would have smiled to think of such a garment on himbut I do not
know. He had a real vein of sentiment under his matter-of-fact exter-
ior, and may have indulged in such a fashion of the period, when he
married.
[Some persiflage by "Number Two" is omitted. I made the
humorous remark, " You are up to snuff, as they used to say."]
13. "Speaking of snuffsomebody in your family took it because
there is a snuff box here. Long time agoan old man. An old
man, yes sir and the two things here, oneyou would think of a
snuff box being silver, wouldn't you? (Yes.) Well it isn't. It
was dark but there was a silver spectacle case and worn smooth
from mucli use. (Yes.) You know that one? (I think I remember
that one.) And snap! What a noise. (I think I remember that.)
You had better remember that because I see that. The snuff box
that's darknot fashionable but a habit. Nobody you need to be
ashamed of. Isn't your father. What age you live inmakes a
difference what you're ashamed of. (Yes, that's right.)"
W.: Among my early recollections is a snuff-box at the house where
my grandfather and uncle lived, not seemingly a relic simply, for snuff
was in it, and we children used sometimes to take a pinch for the fun of
sneezing. Whose it was or the color, I cannot remember, but think it
was of wood. My grandfather did not use snuff toward the end of his
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life. Whether he or my grandmother did at that early period I cannot
recollect. But a snuff-box there was.
I remember the spectacle-case of a metal resembling silver, smooth
though bent, in which the green spectacles were kept. My "I think"
does not mean any uncertainty on my part. My recollection is that
the spectacle-case did close with a "snap," and that I liked to open
and shut it on that account.
14. "Well, did you ever play Abraham Lincoln? (Did I ever?)
Would you ever get down before the big fire and dream things?
(Yes, I have done that. Is that what you mean by playing
Abraham Lincoln?) I mean like on your stomach. (Yes, when I
was very little.) 10 or 12, something like that. Just a boy. Just
a lad and you didn't dream you were ever coming to do anything
like this, did you? (No, wasn't thinking about any such things.)"
W.: In the old house, torn down when I was nine or ten years old,
there was one fireplace, and to this day I remember how I loved to see
pictures in the coals and "dream things." I do not remember any
particular position in this connection, but, like many boys, I often lay
on my "stomach," and I can remember remarks made by my Uncle
Frank about my reading in that position.
15. "No I guess not. I can see you. You were quite serious. (Yes,
more so than I should have been, I think perhaps.) I think you
could have your fun when you got ready for it but you were quite
serious and you asked more questions than forty thousand children
together ought to ask. [ ]"
W.: I was a very serious, thoughtful boy, and as far back as I can
remember delighted in reading more than anything else. Yet I had my
periods of boyish fun. Like most children, I was an inveterate ques-
tioner of my elders.
OCTOBER 22, 1925, 11:20-12:30
(W. F. P.'s Early Life and Surroundings)
Present: W. F. P. (Sitter), Mrs. G. (Secretary). Responses by
W. F. P.
Abstract
1. Reference to my having a sudden nose-bleed when I and a brother
and other boys were together. "It is a mother's memory which
gives me this picture, and the whole affair is rather serious to you
but not to her. It is a childish fear which she does not share, and
that little scared look is still vivid to her."
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I remember nothing of this, but a mother might retain the memory
of her small boy showing uncommon fright at a nose bleed. I was given
to ridiculous alarms when small, and one of these, with a trivial cause,
occurring when I hardly could have been more than three years old, I
still remember. Even on the spiritistic theory, it is unlikely that my
mother would deliberately bring forward such an incident as evidence;
the theory would be that she thought of it, and the thought "got
through." It might be that such an early fright had something to do
with the sensation, amounting almost to horror, which I experience at
the sight of blood to this day.
2. "She connects it [the nose bleed] with a time when the school was
a little distance away (Yes, I remember that.) and it took some
time to get home and there is something about lunch or dinner
which was taken at times Do you know about a luncheon which
was put up for you (Yes, at times, as you say.)"
"A little distance" and "some time" are indefinite expressions,
but to correspond with them the schoolhouse should have been neither
in the immediate neighborhood of my home or so far that it was neces-
sary to take my lunch every day. In fact, the schoolhouse required
about twelve minutes walking and I carried my lunch only " at times,"
i. e., when the weather was bad in winter.
3. Something which went into that lunch is now described. "A par-
ticular kind of cookie," "sugary on top" and "not much like the
cakes made today," " and occasionally there was another kind that
had something in them like small seeds," "caraway," "for they
were a special treat."
Mother made two kinds of cookies, and only two, as I remember.
One was white in color, cut in fancy shapes and with granulated sugar
cooked into the upper surface, the other a brown one sweetened with
molasses. But one detail seems to be transferred; the caraway seeds
were in the sugar cookies. These were regarded as a very "special
treat." We seldom had them on the home table unless there was com-
pany, but mother was apt to put them in my occasional school lunches.
4. "And were kept in a special place It looks like something like a
round box of wood I cannot tell the name of the wood but it looks
somewhat like the wood that old fashioned fl flour sieves were made
of (I think I know what you mean.) It may have been a small
firkin"
This is not correct, but the error is such as might result from a
picture dimly seen. They were kept in a round earthenware crock the
size of some firkins. The color was not very unlike that of the old-
fashioned flour sieves.
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5. I see some of those seeds growing and gathered green and dried for
this use (That is true, I know.) but I see her often eating some of
them as they grew (Do you see where they grew? Don't try to
see, but if it comes, all right.) It is out but a little way (Yes.)
from the house (Yes.) and is passed on the way to something else
that grows (Yes.) Do you know anything about green sa [Oral:
'Oh.'] sage (Yes, I know about green sage.) and there is a wall
near by where some berries or fruit grows (That is right. I wish
she could get what that was.) and there are prickly things or
thorns that have to be looked out for What is this bar barberry
(I don't remember anything about barberry.) in the pasture I
think not the small fruit that I wrote about"
The caraway indeed grew " a little way from the house," quite near
it, and was "passed on the way to something else which grows," vege-
tables among which grew " sage," and there was " a wall near by where
some berries" grew, and where there were "thorns that have to be
looked out for," but not barberries, which were not on the farm.
6. "Just now I must ask about a it sounds like Martin house (Yes,
there was one.) birds I mean (Yes, there was such a house.) It
was quite tall (Yes.) high Did it blow down (I don't know what
became of it now, perhaps I can find out.) It seems to have blown
down (Maybe so.)"
When I assented, I was thinking of the martin house at my uncle's
across the road. His place was a kind of a second home. But my
father's house would fit the context better. On reading the record, a
dreamlike picture came into my mind of a martin-house standing in a
particular part of the yard, which picture returned again and again
in moments of reverie. I put no confidence in it, and certainly should
not have mentioned it, but for the following fact. Some time later I
read some old letters never before read by me. In one, written by an
aunt twelve years before I was born, to my father, then absent from
home, I found this passage: "Your martin house has been up three
weeks. It is placed in the southwest corner of the yard. The martins
are now very busy building their nests." The southwest corner of the
yard is exactly where the revery-picture placed the martin house. I
presume, therefore, that it was there until I was somewhere about five
years old, too young to remember why it disappeared.
7. "And as I write that I am shown an old cellar (Yes.) where a fire
had been or where had once been a house It sounds like on the
other road back road (I understand about the old cellar, but not
about the back road, if I am thinking of the same thing.) It seems
as if this old cellar had something growing near it I think wild
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roses (Very likely. I don't remember, but I wish they could get
what the cellar is associated with.) I will try (All right.) It was
always spoken of in a way that described it I think but I do not
quite get whether it is the name of a person or the use the building
was put to (Well, either might be right.) Was it the old barn
(Not what I'm thinking of.) I think you are right and I am wrong
for it is not clear to me yet (All right, take your time.) I have
a name I must write Merritt [read ' Merrill'] not Merrill but Mer-
ritt and just now I hear d e as if the Demeritt went all together"
"Old cellar" reminded me of one which marked where my mother
had lived when a young woman, not 150 yards from my own home
dwelling. But there had been no " fire " in connection with that cellar,
to the best of my recollection nothing but grass grew about it, nor can
I think of anything associated with it, sounding like Merritt or
Demerritt.
But there was spontaneously added, " over on the other road, back
road." When that came, there flashed into my mind that on a "back
road" (that was our term for it) not three quarters of a mile across
lots from my home, the land almost touching ours, there was, in my
early boyhood, a house that when I was still a small boy was burned
by its insane owner. The peculiar reason for this destruction caused
the cellar to be of considerable interest, besides which we knew the
family fairly well. My mother in particular, exchanged a few calls
with the mistress of this house.
I went to the old cellar a few times when a boy, and distinctly re-
member something conspicuously growing close to it. My younger
brother remembers a grape-vine, but is unable to say whether or not
anything grew there with prominent blossoms. My strong impression
is that there did and that I picked some flowers, but whether lilacs,
roses, or what, I cannot tell.
It arrests the attention that this cellar, on the "back road,"
"where a fire had been," where some flowering plants still grew, should
have associated with it a name auditorily very like "Merritt" and
"Demerritt." For the owner who burned it was My rick (by some
pronounced " Merrick "), and in fact G. Myrick.
8. "I see corn hanging up on a small wooden building as if to dry"
A building connected with the "back road" place or my home?
The latter certainly, since the mention of it is connected by "and"
with the mention of the smell of grapes, and it is later distinctly said
that the grape-vine was near our house. I well remember that it was
the custom to hang bunches of popcorn on the side of the shed adjoin-
ing the house, to dry in the sun.
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9. "And I can smell so many of those grapes [last word written very
slowly]"
Did the grape-vine which grew by the back road cellar (remembered
by my brother, not by me) remind some one of the grape-vine near
our house? See later.
10. "Yes and there is something shining like silver in the sun but it
looks like pails or pans and some are on a pile of wood"
In the angle of the house and shed was the outside cellar door, and
above the door a window. I remember that tin pans and the like were
put out in the sun by my mother when I was a boy. Whether any were
ever put on " a pile of.wood " I do not recall, but before a side door of
the shed which adjoined the house and near the cellar door is exactly
where a woodpile stood every year until it was cut up and stored in a
part of the shed. The popcorn hung a few feet from it.
11. "Do you recall an old pan that held chips (No, I don't recall it.
There might have been. Think very likely.) It looks as if it were
a discarded pan"
I was probably so busy deciphering the writing that I had no time
to recollect. Many and many a time did my mother go out to that
spot and gather chips in an old rusty pan.
12. "Now your mother goes out toward a little path and I am near
those grapes again (Yes.) for she wishes to give something to you
about them (Yes.) They are not cultivated I think (Good. They
were not. That's one thing.) and they were of a different color but
ripened late (I think so.) and they were used for something in the
house (Yes, what?) It looks like jelly (Yes, that's right.) and they
made a very pretty jelly (Yes.) and it was some work to get them
for they climbed (Yes.) a tree (Very good.)"
We return to the grapes. As an experiment I had said that there
was something peculiar about them. The reader may judge whether
my remark was likely to suggest the following facts:
(a) If one went " out toward a little path" (carriage track across
the lawn with path in center worn by the hoofs of horses) he would
then be " near those grapes" (the vine grew by the path just before
the highway was reached, fifty or sixty feet from the house. There was
no other grape-vine on the whole place).
(b) They were " not cultivated " grapes, but wild ones.
(c) They " climbed a tree."
(d) "It was some work to get them." It emphatically was. A
long ladder had to be used, and it was a toilsome job to get a part of
these grapes from the lofty elm. The vine, even granting it was wild,
might have clambered over a wall or fence, or a low tree easy of access.
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[I omit "of a different color," since I am not sure of the facts,
though inclined to think that some varieties of cultivated grapes are
of the same shade of purple, and omit " ripened late," since the psychic
may know that wild grapes ripen late. But I do not feel at liberty
to omit that]
(e) "Jelly " was made of these grapes. There are people who do
not use wild grapes growing near their houses at all. And it is possible
to make them into other dishes than jelly. But my mother made pre-
cisely that use of them, and they indeed " made a very pretty jelly."
The city-bred reader may fancy that to have a wild grape-vine
growing up a tree near a dwelling is a very common thing in the coun-
try. Where I spent my boyhood, it was a very uncommon thing. I
do not remember that any neighbor had a wild grape-vine growing any-
where near the house, though I will not positively affirm this.
13. Statement that my mother " looks up at the sky as though she had
a habit of telling when it looked like a storm"
True, I suppose, of all farmer's wives in the harvesting season,
therefore not evidential.
14. Next came, " In the distance is a sound of a train which could be
heard before a storm more plainly, and it was also a habit to look
up at the clock when the train was heard. And was that about
eleven o'clock? It was called the noon train."
A railroad track crossed the farm perhaps a quarter of a mile
from the house. There was what was called the noon train, which
probably came nearer 12 than 11 o'clock. There is nothing particu-
larly evidential in looking up at the clock when it was heard, but as it
served to an extent as a timepiece to the men in the field in reference
to their return for dinner, mother would be likely to do it. There were
not more than two passenger trains each way during the twenty-four
hours at that period.
15. An attempt to get a name which eventuated in three steps, R, Reu,
and Reuben. I was asked if I knew any one of that name.
So far as I can recollect, I have never been acquainted with any one
of that name in my life, although my early life was spent in the country
and I have since visited many country regions, and funny paragraph-
ists and cartoonists would persuade us that rural regions are full of
Reubens (vide " Rube
1 On the chance that a name familiar to me was really the objective, and that
this name did beirin with R e u, let us so far pander to our curiosity as to make a
rough estimate of the chances. Taking names in Who's Who of 1901-1902, in order
(choosing this because persons listed here were bom all the way from 1815 to 1875,
the average year being 1848), and counting all the times that any of 195 recognized
"Christian " names occur up to 3,020 (the figure would be far greater if we counted
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16. An attempt, in the vocal control of "Sunbeam," to get another
name which resulted in a splutter. Le-Levy-Leva-Levi-Le-Levia-L-
Lev-Levi-Leander-Leda-Lena-Le-Leda-Leander-Le-Let, and "It's
confusedthe energy's goneI can't seem to get it."
Some would-be scientific people, densely ignorant of this field of
research, will think that this was fishingan attempt to extort help
from me or to give a list of variants which, like a shotgun, would be
likely to hit something. Indeed there is resemblance to the tactics by
which some tricky "mediums" feel their way to a mark. But much
study of Mrs. Soule convinces me that it is not so in this case. "Sun-
beam " was really groping to fixate flitting impressions of a name, the
effort failing.
NOVEMBER 3, 1925, 11:15-12:05
(Relevant to W. F. P.'s Uncle, Etc.)
Present: W. F. P. (Sitter), Mrs. Guinan (Secretary). Responses by
W. F.P.
Abstract of Evidence
This record has some very perplexing and some impressive points.
Purported communicator doubtful, probably Mrs. Prince.
1. A "scene familiar to you and it is a place near the water with a
view of a mountain or high hills sometimes called a mountain which
is seen across the water. It suggests a Bay which we are both
familiar with and a little incident is recalled as I see again the
water and the hills. It is as if the sun is shining on us and across
the Bay the rain is falling and some one says shower following the
river . . . Casco Bay"
I was more familiar with Casco Bay than any other part of the
Maine coast. So was Mrs. Prince, who for a time lived in Portland.
There are no high hills, but, as the Encyclopedia Britannica says of
Portland: "At its east end is Munjoy Hill, 160 ft. above the sea, and
its west end Bramhall Hill, 15 ft. higher. . . . Munjoy Hill commands
all the names which precede surnames) we find only two Reubens and no other
name beginning with Reu. There is a name Reuel, but it is not found once so
far as we have gone, to the bottom of page 363. I think there is no "Chris-
tian" name in recognized use in America, beginning with Reu, except Reuben
and Reuel. Any name beginning with Reu is not a good one for a crafty medium
to gamble with, especially when she has been talking about a country place in the
sitter's boyhood. But it happens that in my early boyhood there was a Reuel, a
half-brother of the person whom I tentatively identified as "David" (See item 5,
sitting Oct. 15, 1920), who lived in a place adjoining our pasture.
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a fine view of Casco Bay, which is overlooked by other wooded heights."
To see these hills " across the water " one needs be on some island
in the harbor, and the populated one is Peaks Island. Mrs. Prince and
I were together on that island but once to my recollection, and that
time we were making a call on my uncle and his daughters. While
there, a hard summer rain began, and continued while we made our
way to the boat. There were reasons why we never forgot walking in
that shower, and spoke of it in after years. Whether the sun came out
and the shower retreated across the bay, or the "river" which we
crossed by trolley before reaching our destination I do not recollect.
2. At this point I addressed the communicator, " Yes, my recollections
of that place are also associated with certain other people. If at
any time you recall something about them you knew well." I had
in mind certain relatives of Mrs. Prince living in Portland. But
the response could not apply to either of these. A description was
given containing the following particulars:
(a) "A man with much darker hair and eyes than yours,"
(b) "Who was a very good friend," (c) "and who has since then
come here," (d) "his hair was very smooth and not very short,"
(e) "and he was thin," (f) "and tall," (g) "and a little bent or
stooped as one who had been a student," (h) "very much interested
in you at that time," (i) "and was clerical," (j) "and always so
serious and goodgood is just the right term," (k) "he often
walked with his hands behind his back," (l) "and there was always
great respect for him," (m) " a good friend and helper," (n) "and
all the boys liked him."
The uncle on whom, with his daughters, we called together on the
occasion of the shower, was (a) a man much darker as to hair and eyes
than I am, (b) my very good friend, at whose former home I had lived
when a boy at school, (c) deceased at the time of the sitting, (d) some-
what, not markedly, thin, (g) stooped a little as he walked, even in
middle life, (h) showed his interest in my doings and plans, "at that
time"the day of the visit, (i) was a clergyman, (j) was generally
"serious "that is just the right term, "solemn" would not have
beenand "good "again "just the right term," as the text says; I
doubt if I ever knew a man more frequently so termed, (k) he did often
so walk at the period I knew him best, (l) everybody respected him,
(m) he was always friendly and helpful, a peacemaker and all uncon-
scious to himself a saint, and (n) the last particular is apt because for
years he let rooms to boy students in his house, and they always seemed
to like him. Only one particular is wrong, (f), he was not tall, but of
medium height.
3. There follows, however, a picture of " a large building with Doric
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columns," " in the square," " where were steam carriages," near " a
sort of town hall " and a " watering trough," of which I can make
nothing. It certainly does not describe the place where the school
was, or Peaks Island either.
4. Then I remarked that I would be glad if at any time more particu-
lars about the clerical gentleman, where he lived and my associ-
ations with him could be given. This immediately followed:
"Just a minute. You know anyone named Helen? (I have
known several by that name.) Well anyone connected with those
things? (Well, I don't think of anybody who is connected with that
now.) And another one namedit begins with R likeit is a queer
name. Sounds like Ruin. Rehun. Wait a minute. R. Rehewn.
Ruhama. (Don't recall anything now.) Ruthama. Ruhenna.
It is Ru something. Ruhenna. I think it is Ruhenna. Is there
such a name? (I never heard it.) Ruhenna. Oh! [medium points
in front of her] I see a name on a sign like up over a sign on a
store. S-l-e-e-p-e-r. I don't have to say it again, do I? (Sleeper?
That name is correct.) Yes I see it right up there."
It is very curious that the name "Sleeper" should have been
uttered by Sunbeam. It is not a common name, but is the married
name of one of the clerical gentleman's two daughters, who was present
on the occasion of that Peaks Island visit. But she was not named
"Helen " or " Ruhama " or " Ruhenna." 1 And her husband's name is
1 Her name is Maude Ethelind. Now, I have noticed that when a name is given
in connection with something evidential, and the name is wrong, it does in a large
percentage of cases, with Mrs. Soule and certain other psychics, resemble the name
which would be right, sometimes very nearly, sometimes faintly and yet more than
we should expect on chance probabilities.
Suppose the name "Maude Ethelind" were faintly heard by telephone. It is
quite conceivable that just enough would be caught so that the listener would ask,
"Helen?" I am fully aware it will be said that I am credulous, imaginative, and
anxious to prove. I am none of these, but simply curiously watching a suspicion
growing in my mind from accumulated instances, some excellent, some not. This
is not, and yet there is more similarity than would be expected. Following are the
first two names of fifty women, exactly in the order found in the " Quarter-Century
Record of the Class of 1896, Yale College," being names of wives of my classmates,
as far as they go.
1. Mary Jane 13. Alethea Amelia 25. Mary Gertrude
2. Mary Elizabeth 14. Ruth Strong 26. Julia Appleton
3. Ida Elizabeth 15. Irene Alice 27. Ruth Lathrop
4. Catherine Sanford 16. Alice Maple 28. Lucie Pinckney
5. Mary Drake 17. Mary Agnes 29. Margaret Marie
6. Margaret Olive 18. Kathryn Root 30. Eleanor Vaughn
7. Maud Margaret 19. Cornelia Baldwin 31. Maude Adeline
8. Marjory Louise 20. Julia Ellen 32. Bessee Barret
9. Alice Elizabeth 21. Evelyn Hamilton 33. Alice Payson
10. Annie May 22. Juliet Julian 34. Mary Evelyn
11. Jessica Duncan 23. Josephine Bigelow 35. Mattie Ireson
12. Charlotte Ann 24. Ruth Mary 36. Frances Gertrude
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on a sign, although I had not seen it and did not certainly know the
fact, at the time of the sitting.
5. Then comes about a " clock in the steeple," a train audible, and my
rushing along to teachto preachto be taught (the last after I
assented to "preach"). But at this school, with which my uncle
was associated, was no clock in a steeple and no train audible.
Saying that I " rushed " to my classes is more characteristic of me
than of many others and connecting the clerical gentleman with my
school life is correct. It is said that I "loved him," which is true,
that "he always expected so much of you," which is likely, and
that I "always . . . had that little feeling of coming up to his
estimate," which is true to a degree.
6. Just one more item is mentioned, and that is " Castine. It seems I
want to throw that in the ring also." If this is a gamble that the
Castine institution was the one I attended, it was a bad one.
(Three years later I asked Mrs. Soule what she knew about
Castine, and she said she knew nothing about it, but I will not
accept the memory of any psychic in the world as an absolute guar-
antee of such a fact.) Nor is the mention of Castine, assuming
that Mrs. Soule had heard of the Normal School there, evidential,
even though I had some connection with the place, as I have visited
every place in Maine where a higher institution of learning is. But
Castine is the only one of these associated with the earlier period
37. Edith Ban-
38. Daisy Chesley
39. Mary Evelyn
40. Edith Rebekah
41. Edna Earle
42. Elizabeth Russell
43. Grace Mary
44. Frances Mary
45. Mary Whitman
46. Dorothy Hinsdale
47. Lillie Sanford
48. Marjory Hay dock
49. Lillian Adele
50. Janet Waring
Take each double name in turn, imagine it indistinctly heard over the telephone,
and see out of how many you can get a sound like Helen as nearly as you can get
it out of " Maude Ethelind." As I make it, there are but six, being Nos. 20, 21, 30,
31, 34, 39. Add 22 and 49, and we have a ratio of about one in six.
Now, the "clerical gentleman" had one other daughter, "Clara Imogen." Is it
possible that after the poor success of " Helen," the mind of somebody wandered to
the name of her sister, who was also present when Mrs. Prince and I made our
Peaks Island call? What was the mind of the entranced psychic groping for, in
"Ruhama" and "Ruhenna"? Why such an odd and unlikely a combination of
sounds? It is droll to suggest that there is a bare possibility that "Clara Imogen,"
partly obscured and partly telescoped, emerged in the quite unevidential "Ru-
hama," or " Ruhenna." Thus
claRAIMOgen
RUHAMA
I laugh with the reader. And yetin the test of fifty double names set down as
they occurred, I find but two which, if we imagine them spoken over the telephone
so obscurely that parts are unheard and the rest telescoped, will yield anything as
near " Ruhama" or " Ruhenna" as does "Clara Imogen." They are Nos. 15 and
24. But let us twist a resemblance out of three more, that would make one in ten.
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of my life, to which most of the " messages " to me in the series seem
to relate. At the age of about eleven I visited Castine, my first
trip more than a dozen miles away from home, and it left indelible
memories.
NOVEMBER 11, 1525, 10:20-11:1.5
(W. F. P.'s Brother, Early Life, and Problematical Dog)
W. F.P.
1. First the words, "My dear brother My dear," were followed by
what appeared to be six words, undecipherable. The writing was
very slow and labored, as is apt to be the case when it is claimed
that a spirit is communicating directly for the first time. This I
believe is the first time that it has been claimed that my brother was
attempting a direct communication, as distinguished from one
"through a control."
W.: This brother was but two and a half years old when he died,
and remarkably intelligent for his age. But if one survives bodily
death in childhood, he probably does not always remain a child. How
much he would remember under conditions of a different sort of world
or what assistance he might have received from others in remembering,
we are in no position to judge. Superficial appearances are often
deceiving. No one would suppose that a person in coma so profound
that he appears dead could have a vivid realization regarding what
goes on about him, and yet it appears that sometimes this is the case.
For aught we know, the memories of a boy less than three years old,
which under conditions here would later mostly fade out, may be per-
petuated in case of death at that age.
2. [Communicator changes] "Do you recall any Lester who was
known to him [my brother] and to you It is apparently a young
friend whom you both knew for as he appears here he is little more
than a lad with very light hair almost the color of straw and is a
boy who lived in the country and died [read did] died very sud-
denly (Whom are you referring to now, the brother or Lester?) the
Lester is the description I am giving and he was known by the
brother I think (I understand.)"
W.: The name " Lester" recalls nothing to me. My brother him-
self had very light hair and died suddenly.
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3. [ ] "There are several things which the brother is thinking
of now which I will try and tell you about (Very well.) There is a
picture of large birds on the ground like crows and at first I
thought they were hawks but there are too many of them together
for hawks I think and as I see them I also see something like a
figure scare crow (Yes.) which is built up in a field and there
seems to be a great deal of fun in connection with it the field is
(That's right. Go on, tell what it is.) some little distance from the
house (Go on.) and beyond it is a sort of wooded place which is
seen clearly although it is some distance away (Yes, that's right.)
and the effort is to keep those birds that seem to have a hiding
place over there in the woods away from this piece of cultivated
land (Yes, that's right.) and still they come in spite of the old
scare crow"
W.: There is nothing evidential in the mention of crows molesting
cultivated land, and little in scarecrows, although not all farmers em-
ployed them. But there is some force in the statement that the field
was " some little distance from the house," since the cornfield was never
in the fields near the house. More significant is the statement that the
crows came from a "wooded place" beyond the field, and had their
"hiding-place" there, since, although there were woods nearer in two
directions, the crows nearly always came from the woodland beyond
the cornfield as one went from the house, a woodland where they had
their nests. It is true that the scarecrows were rather ineffectual.
4. "And then there was something else done to get rid of them It
seems like an effort to kill them but does not seem as if it were you
(No, it was not I.) or the brother (Right, it was not he.) who did
it but some one else had an idea if one could be shot and left there
it might be a warning which could scare them away (Yes, that was
done.) and it was attempted but still they came"
W.: True, occasionally a crow was shot and hung up in the corn-
field (I remember it well) and had some effect, though it did not en-
tirely keep the crows away. And it is true that neither I nor, of
course, my brother (but not "of course" from the standpoint of the
medium, who had no knowledge of him) ever shot at a crow. This was
done by my father and my older brother. I never went gunning, like
most country boys, at any time.
5. "And in disgust it was decided that nothing but the old gun would
do what was needed understand (Yes, I understand.) Do you
know about an old gun (Yes, I do.) that was kept I think behind
a door (I don't remember. It may have been.) It looks as if a door
had to be closed to get it but it is not directly behind the door It
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is in a place where other things which have been discarded arc kept
for I see some old heavy shoes and a cap or two and something
that looks like a fishing rod or pole of some sort The gun was not
used often but every one knew it was in the house (I think I recog-
nize the place. It might be described more particularly but thus
far it seems all right.) for it was always a thing talked of as the
old gun or musket not sure about that last word but some one
called it that (Wellappropriate name.) It had been handed down
Do you know anything about a bootjack (Certainly do.) was that
not kept in that same [Medium murmurs] place (I believe it was.)
I think so (If not, it was kept close beside it. But I think it was in
that place. It was associated with it.) and yes yes very near for
I see it in connection and also something that looks like a whip or
part of the whip (Perhaps so, I might not remember.)"
W.: There was an old gunI am not certain if it was termed that
which " had been handed down," that is, it had belonged to my uncle
when in the navy. It was resorted to now and then, both for crows
and hawks, when a good chance was at hand. It was not always kept
in the same place, but at times it was kept in the house and I think
sometimes in a recess back of the back stairs reached by opening (not
"closing") a door. Many old articles, such as shoes, caps, etc., were
kept in this recess. Something like a pole may have been there, but I
do not think it was a fishing-rod. The bootjack was, at the period I
remember, kept in a box which, with its hinged cover, formed the step
just outside of the door to the stairway and recess. The gun was not
behind the door in the ordinary sense of that term, but just beyond it.
It may sometimes have been behind the door by the box-step referred
to, but I am not sure of that. As stated, the gun was not used often.
6. "It is the rush to get the gun to shoot the crow or the hawk or
occasionally something else (Yes, that's right.) that looks like a
fur either skunk or fox (Well, I think one of those things hap-
pened sometimes.) yes but do you he laughs as I begin the question
and says ask him if he knows anything about a wood chuck (Yes, I
remember wood chucks.)"
W.: I well remember the " rush " into the house to get the gun. I
do not remember of a skunk or a fox being shot but, although I did not
dissent, "woodchuck " was substituted, or added, as you please, and a
woodchuck was occasionally hunted with the gun.
7. "So does he and he says it would be fun to walk across the field on
a frosty morning and see all these things again [Murmurs: 'Wait
a minute. Wait a minute.' Pause] (I wish he could remember the
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last time that he walked across the field.) He remembers and he
will get it in as he can (That's all right.)"
W.: At the reference to walking "across the field," despite the
"frosty morning" irrelevant in connection with the occasion to be
named, my thoughts went back to the last time the brother was ever
out anywhere on the farm. It was on the afternoon before the morn-
ing he was stricken. I only was with him. We went down to near the
railroad, he part of the time walking and part of the time carried by
me, and we returned, as I remember, without the shadow of a doubt,
to the highway through the area within which the cornfield was always
planted at that period. It was early in the month of June, when crows
in that latitude are dangerous to the kernels just planted or germi-
nating and very likely they were then flying aloft. We had a lovely
time together. Hence my remark that I wished he could remember
the last time he walked across the field. I had in mind one "marked
detail of that walk, always cherished in my memory, and I visualized
it vividly. What a chance for. telepathythe mind fixed upon a mental
picture of poignant emotional significance! But not another thing
relevant to it came then or thereafter.
8. "There is a picture he gives me now of an evening at home with a
large table around which several people are sitting (Yes, that's
familiar.) and you and he have some thing to do It is with books
but not just reading stories and after a time the books are pushed
aside and there is a suggestion of some game to play on that table
and there is a lady sewing and talking and suddenly a wooden box
is brought to the table a long narrow box of old wood as if it had
been used a long time It is tipped up and a rattling sound is heard
and it looks like dominoes (That's correct.) and then the game
begins with tally kept by first one boy then another and heated
arguments now and then and the lady stopping to reckon and
laughter and fun (Yes.) There is another game played sometimes
where more people play It is a game with cards (Yes.) not the
ordinary playing cards (Correct.) It looks like a game of words
(Well, it was. I wish they could get what kind, but perhaps they
couldn't do that.) It is lo [pause] hard name (Yes, but try it.) lo
gom a ty not quite right (That's almost it. That was one of two
word games that was played. I didn't think of it when you began
to write, but it was.) lo gomachy (Good.) Was the other books
like authors (Exactly. Fine.) Good is it not (Very good, indeed.)
and the dictionary was at hand (It was.) when the fight for words
began (Yes, exactly) all this is an evening at home with the wood
fire making aroma and the apples that were near (Yes, almost
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always. I mean frequently.) and then the old clock (Yes.) which
struck nine and soon off to bed (Right.) and all these scenes were
repeated with slight variations as when popcorn came to take the
place of apples (Yes.) and when a little fist fight was begun in fun
as the boys started for bed [Murmurs] (Yes, something like it.)"
W.: The evening scene up to but not including the dog is remark-
ably near the facts. Yet it would not be likely to have come originally
from my brother's memories. He would have been abed before nine
o'clock and it stretches likelihood too much to suppose he would have
remembered so much about the games, etc. He might be the spokes-
man for a group, himself, my father and mother, who are pooling their
memories. We do not know anything certainly about the process, but
the correspondence in the facts confronts us. After supper we would
sit around the large dining table, two or three of us with school-books.
My mother was usually busy with sewing or knitting nearby, and some-
times talking. We had a set of dominoes kept in a long narrow wooden
box, but I cannot remember further about it. My older brother and I
at times played dominoes, and sometimes had disputes. Then there was
a game in which " more people" took part, a " game with cards," but
"not ordinary playing cards," which were taboo in that house. When
these statements came I thought of the game " authors," until "lo"
reminded me of the other game, the name of which, " logomachy," was
soon given. That was one of two word games that was played, and
the other was " authors," as stated. For years we must have played
those two games, and dominoes came a bad third in interest. Occasion-
ally there were other indoor games, such as checkers. But " authors"
and "logomachy" were the great staples. The "dictionary was at
hand," indeed for "the fight for words "logomachy, the "wood
fire," of course, and the "apples" were usually "near." "Nine
o'clock " was the usual hour for retiring in the winter.
"The old clock" on the shelf gave the signal. "Popcorn" was a
variation of great likelihood, of course. My older brother and I would
sometimes jostle and scuffle on the way to bed.
Thus far, aside from the reference to "Lester," there has been a
succession of truthful details, homely, commonplace, and yet in com-
bination, of significance to the analyst with any appreciation of mathe-
matical probabilities. The field some little distance from the house
with scarecrows to keep away the crows which came from a woodland
beyond the field, the hanging up of a dead crow, the gun "handed
down " which neither I nor my communicating brother ever shot crows
with, but which some one would " rush" for to shoot a hawk or crow
or woodchuck, the gun being kept behind a door where old discarded
things were kept, a bootjack kept in practically the same place, the
dominoes and the narrow wooden box in which they were kept, naming
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of the only two card games we played and implication that we did not
play with ordinary "cards" (whereas the children of several neigh-
bors did), accompanying details of the evening fireside scene and the
going to bed at nine.
9. [Sunbeam control] "What's the dog? (Dog?) Yes. (Well, what
do you think?) Dog so old he can't hear much. (What about the
dog?) Old dog. Quite old. Quite old. Quite old and kind of deaf
.you know. Slow. He was there. He was there always. Wait a
minute. Oh, wait a minute. [Pause] Thought I heard a name.
[Pause] You know anyone named Milton? (Milton?) Yes.
(John Milton's about the only one I think of. It may be something
like it, but I don't remember that name associated with me.)
Sounds just like Milton. Couldn't be Wilton, could it? (Not to my
knowledge.) Sounds more like Milton. Have to go. Is it all
right? (Yes.) [Here I requested that the name of the cat should
be given when possible. See item 7, sitting of August 12, 1925.]"
W.: Every detail given of the evening picture is correct up to the
dog. How did he come to mix in with a scene to which he did not
belong? If guessing can account for the material in this series of
experiments, then the dog paragraph needs no discussion at all. But
if there is evidence of supernormal knowledge in the series, then such
passages which do not belong have some cause which may or may not
be discoverable at the present time. Such as memory flitting to
another periodsay my mother is thinking of the scene in our home
and is reminded of a scene in her childhood home, in which such a dog
did figure. Or, the explanation could be that the thought of another
spirit present came through. This would be what we would expect if
it is telepathy from the dead, because that is what we find in telepathy
from the living.1 Only, in the case of living agents we are able some-
times to trace the person whose thought "butted in," but cannot in
case of the spirits. Here I simply say that there was no dog in the
family during my boyhood. Also that " Milton " or " Wilton" is not
intelligible to me.
1 For instance: "Once certainly, and perhaps twice, Mr. Murray caught the
thought, not of the principal agent, but of some other member of the company,"
et seq., Mrs. Verrall, in Proceedings S. P. R., Vol. 29, page 82.
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NOVEMBER 12, 1925, 11:15-12:05
(W. F. P.'s Early Life and the English Spirit)
Present: Miss Prince (Sitter), Mrs. Guinan (Secretary). Responses
by Mrs. G. Most of the record seems to relate to W. F. P.
Abstract of Evidence
1. For first item, relating to the cat Mephistopheles, see item 7 of the
sitting of August 12.
2. An unnamed control acting as intermediary, refers to " a very old
beaver hat " kept "on a shelf which was in a closet which was not
used daily but was in a place where garments that were used occa-
sionally were hung," and kept in a described hat-box, the hat being
used at " funerals or similar state occasions." Also an old muffler
is mentioned as associated with the hat.
W.: Among my earliest recollections, is that of a tall old beaver
hat belonging to my father, which may have been purchased at the
time of his wedding. "My recollection is that it was kept in an old-
fashioned bandbox, but I do not recall its description. Both disap-
peared when I was very young, and I do not recollect my father's
wearing the hat within the period of my memory, although he may
have done so. This hat and box lie just on the border of my recol-
lection, and the muffler I do not remember, if there was one.
3. Now comes a picture of father " looking over some things which in-
terest him," "several old coinsthey are not valuable as money
but as curious and historical coins." Also "several pieces of rock
quartz and some mica, and it looks as if some of these came from
the old place, and one is quite large," but "not extremely large,
but it is sometimes kept on a shelf or mantel, and is very pretty like
rose quartz. There were also some Indian relics there or near
where the father lived, and I think that they recall many interest-
ing stories of Indian lore which were familiar to all the family."
W.: Father liked such things as described more, I think, than any
other man in the neighborhood. He had some old and curious copper
coins which later passed over to the children. There were also pieces
of quartz from our farm, none rose quartz to my recollection, but
iridescent crystallized quartz kept for their beauty. I distinctly re-
member quite a large piece which was kept for a time but later broken
up. Pieces were kept first on the living-room mantel and afterward
for years on a "whatnot" shelf with mica and other mineral curios.
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Arrow-heads were to be found within two miles of the place, but I am
not sure that we had any. It was an old Indian country, but there
were no local Indian legends, and I do not think that Indians were a
frequent subject of conversation. We had a book about Indians, with
colored pictures, which interested us in themthat is all I remember.
4. Reference to " the spring " on the place and to " something [which]
grew near the spring which the boys liked to go after."
W.: I remember "the spring" well, and that two kinds of berries
grew near it, which we would gather, as we did at other spots on the
farm. A large percentage of farms have no spring.
5. The date 1886 is said to be " a date of some importance to father."
If so, I do not know why. The year 1896 was that of his death, but
I do not trace the importance of 1886.
6. Reference to " a dead long thing like a dead snake" found " some-
where around the buildings." The picture of "an old-fashioned
well-sweep " comes up, and of old boards forming a curb, no bucket,
"an old tumbled-down thing" that " finally goes to piecesmore
or less like a dangerous place," "on an old, old place, and an old,
old thing and all gone to pieces at last."
W.: Not far from our house was what remained of the house where
my mother lived in her girlhood, and near it was a well whose curb and
sweep may have existed until after my birth, but I only remember old
boards laid over the top of it. I was warned to be careful, as it was
a dangerous place. At a later date the well was filled up. I remember
nothing about a dead snake.
7. "There are two namesone is Coradid I ever tell you that be-
fore? (No.) Isn't it a pretty name?sounds like Coraland a
name that sounds like Staples and another, I think it is like Cora
and Edna connected with each other, either very closest friends or
relatives."
W.: " Staples " suggests nothing to me, nor a connected Cora and
Edna. I had two cousins on my father's side, sisters named Cora and
Ella.
8. "Suddenly I see a spirit from across the oceanseems to be a very
wise spirit that has been interested in this kind of work and has
been very close to this lady . . . and watching to go on with some
work that's been interrupted by something. Here it is! Here's
England and New York and Boston3 places . . . England con-
nected with New York and thenthrough her I meanand then
Boston, and yet something isis delayed-it's broken up ... It
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takes just certain things to make conditions rightit doesn't go
on if there are things that kind of disturb. That's going to be
connected again-it is not finished, you know. . . . It's some work
she had with Dr. Prince."
W.: The facts were these. Several years before the sitting the
sitter had begun to get automatic writing professing to be from F. X.,
an English writer interested in psychical research, none of whose work
she had read and about whom she had very little knowledge. The
greater part of this came in or near New York, and a little since we
came to Boston. Much of the matter seems confused or erroneous, but
some exceedingly evidential statements were made regarding F. X.'s
last days on earth, since the unusual facts had been unknown on this
side of the Atlantic, and were verified only by letters from England and
by investigations of my own upon the spot. For some little time before
the sitting, Theodosia had seemed inhibited from going on, and all
experimentation had stopped. While I regard it unlikely that Mrs.
Soule knew any of these facts, it is conceivable that she could have
heard rumors, as there were a few persons who had some knowledge
of the facts.
9. Finally came advice from "Dr. Hyslop" regarding a situation,
correctly though vaguely described, then existing, intimating that
W. F. P. was in danger of discouragement. The advice seemed
excellent and had influence. It is impossible to be absolutely cer-
tain that Mrs. Soule had no information from which to exercise
uncanny skill of inference.
NOVEMBER 17, 1925, 11:15-12:30
(The Prince Farm, Neighborhood and Neighbors)
Present: TP. F. P. (Sitter), Mrs. G. (Secretary). Responses by
W. F. P.
1. "[ ] Just now I wish to recall a hill which was not far
from the old home (Yes.) and where there were trips made occa-
sionally for a certain purpose. It was through some rough pasture
land that we took our way with here and there some low bushes
(Yes.) on which were berries and do you recall the juniper berries
(Yes, I recall some juniper berries.) and some berries which we
picked to eat (Yes.) blue berries (Yes.) and there were other things
growing there let me think those small red things that we hunted
low on the ground (Yes, know what they were?) I was trying to
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recall whether we called them checker berries or winter green there
was another name (Yes.) pigeon no bunch (Well, I remember
bunch.) bunch plums or berries (Yes, there were bunch berries.)
and indeed there was almost everything in its season (There were
several kinds. Yes.)"
W.: Of course, when a boy I wandered in all directions from the
house, but my favorite trip was one of a half a mile or so in a north-
west direction. The " rough pasture land" (and much of it was very
rough) began directly behind the barn and soon the "hill," a very
small one but so denominated, was reached "not far from the old
home." It was the only hill on the entire farm of many acres, which
otherwise was nearly flat. The hill was a glacial gravel deposit. Pass-
ing the hill, I came into a region of pasture where there were many
"bushes," especially small cedars and perhaps one or two other species.
Here were " checker-berries " (there called both by that name and that
of " ivy-plums "), and " bunch-plums " or " bunch-berries" (the names
which we used) growing in profusion, and no other kind of edible berry.
I cannot remember either checker-berries or bunch-plums being gath-
ered by myself in any other spot, but here I resorted to get them in-
numerable times. This same walk very often continued over the fence
into trees and bushes on what was not then but afterward became my
father's property, and the path led to a few blue-berries, and to bushes
which may have been " juniper," but whose berries, despite my answer,
I did not know to be edible.
2. "And I want to go off a little way in another direction but with
the hill always in view (Very well.) It was a place where a root
grew which we liked to get now again I have several for there were
flags and sassa sassafras What was that we used to peel and make
whistles of the stalk (Not sassafras, certainly.) no was it birch
(I should say not. No, I think not.) cannot get it just yet but I
think I can do it later (All right.) Willows (Is that what you
think it is?) yes (Yes, that's it.)"
W.: And now we " go off a little way in another direction but with
the hill always in view." Perhaps fifty rods south of the hill and in
sight of it, on the other side of the highway, there was on our farm a
patch of, not "sassafras" but sarsaparilla (a resembling term per-
haps sidetracked by a name more familiar to the psychic). I was
accustomed to dig and eat the root. Swinging around toward the east
and continuing but a little way one came to the " flags," a bed of pur-
ple fleur-de-lis, gorgeous in the spring. The root was not edible, but
flags were certainly there, in view of the hill. In the immediate vicin-
ity of the flags were the willows from whose twigs I and others made
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whistles.1 It seems to me that both the naming of things and their
grouping, under 1 and under 2, are remarkably coincidental. The
coincidental situation is emphasized when I add that only by going
northwesterly from "the old home," in the direction leading over the
"hill," would one find on the entire farm, checker-berries and bunch-
berries, and that nowhere else in "the rough pasture land" was there
a patch of "bushes "; also that nowhere else on the whole farm than
the region south of the highway were sarsaparilla, "flags " and "wil-
lows " located not far from each other. In fact sarsaparilla and flags
were found only here, and this was where most of the willows stood, and
the only ones from whose twigs I made whistles. Nor did any other
customary walk of my boyhood lead to any hill, and especially not to
one associated with rough pasture and with checker-berries and bunch-
plums. Nor do I remember any other spot in the entire neighborhood
where sarsaparilla (sassafras was unknown) and wild iris grew.
3. "I thought so but as I recall the scenes and the things we did to-
gether I find the memories coming faster than I can write but the
whole thing is a joy even if I do stumble along to get to the hill for
we always did find many things to stop and look at"
W.: It is quite incredible that all these things are the memories of
my brother who died at less than three years of age. My father might
be helping, or it might be telepathy from my own recollections, as you
please. I am now interested in the correspondences between the state-
ments and the facts. It is a fact that, whether approaching the little
hill from the direction of the house or of the woods, there were many
things which I, at least, would stop and look at, things that grew and
things that didn't grow, and I was always looking for them. "Stumble
along" is appropriate, for the way to the hill was very rough with
stones and tussocks.
4. "I wonder if you remember a cow that wore a bell (Yes. Not dis-
tinctly, but it is very probable that there was one.) yes It was not
ours but it was in an adjoining pasture (Oh, yes. That could be.)
and it always called forth the remark There is old B Bes e (Bese
it looks like.) The name of the neighbor I was trying to write
(Well, I would like for you to get it if you can.) I will try It
was not B but R that I was trying to think of [Murmurs and then
speaks as follows:] Tell him not to think too hard. (All right.
Don't think too hard.) Let it come naturally. It is much better.
(Yes, I think that's true.) You know anyone with a name like
Rich? (Why, I remember a name something like it.) Sounds
1 Since I had so far yielded as to steer the communicator away from "birch," I
asked, " Is that what yon think it is? " to see if the question, implying doubt, would
produce another switch. But it did not.
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something like it. (Yes, sounds something like it.) [Pause] It
isn't Rich. It isn't Rice, is it? (I think not.) No, it sounds more
like Rich than Rice. Richards, Richards, Rich, Rich. [Pause
and writing again.]"
W.: Our pasture did not extend into the woods as those on both
sides of it did, so we had no need to bell a cow. It was a hit to put
the bell-cow in an adjoining pasture, especially as my answer might
have implied that we had one. The neighbor on one side belled a cow,
and so, I think, did my uncle on the other side. There was a cow
"Bess " when I was a boy, but whether ours or my uncle's I cannot
recall. It now looks as though we were traveling eastward. First
came my uncle's place, then, next beyond, was that of a neighbor
named Ricker. "Rich" is undeniably like Rick, and "Richards" is
similar to Ricker.
5. "[ ] Do you remember one called Susie (I don't recall at
this moment. Why, yes, I remember persons by that name, but
whom do you mean?) [Murmurs] a Susie who was one we had in
our group she just appeared here (Well, I could guess who it
was, but I would like to have what association I was related to
stated.) as an old fashioned picture with her hair in a net (If it is
the one I mean there was something more distinctive by far about
her.) yes it will come (All right.) clear for I was just beginning
she is as quick and active as ever and has very vivid color what did
I write (That she was very quick and active and has very vivid
color.) vivid does not go with color I intended to write very vivid
picture of the association which brings her here (Yes.) and among
the memories is one of a large group where she was very important
and she has a part in the activities wait a minute (All right.) Do
you know about some connection with the family long ago which
brought her close to all of us (Why, yes.) and do you not recall a
picture of her when quite young with this low hair in a net (No, I
don't recall it. There were two Susies whom I knew. I don't know
whether the other wore a net on her hair or not.) of the old fash-
ioned type she is apparently a relative and (Yes, there was at
least one relative by that name.) occasionally came on a visit was
she cousin (In a sense. One kind of a cousin.) It seems as if she
were spoken of as Cousin Sue or Susie but not Susan and she has
so many of her direct family with her (She has.)"
W.: Next beyond the Ricker farm was that on which a Susan lived
who was "in our group." I well remember a tintype picture of her
and one of a sister of hers, which mother had. Had the sister's name
been given, "hair in a net" would not have been correct, since the
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sister, as she appeared in the picture, had "shingled" hair. But
Susan's was in a net. She was a busy, active person. Had the ex-
pression "has very vivid color," to which I in no way dissented, not
been corrected, it would have been in error for the period when I knew
this Susan. She was indeed " one of a large group " in the sense that
she was of a large family, of whom six adults lived together many
years, and other members near by. There was " some connection with
the family long ago which brought her close to all of us," since, as
stated afterward, she was "a relative," an own "cousin" of my
mother. Every one of her "direct family," which were "so many,"
being ten or more, was deceased before the date of the sitting. The
only error is in that she was called Susan. If a recollecting mentality's
attention flitted to Susan's namesake, a niece living across the road,
and her name flashed, as it were, upon the screen, this would explain
"Susie," for that is what we called the niece, whom several items of
the description do not fit. On the hypothesis of telepathy, whether
from the living or the dead, this supposition would ex-plain, but of
course the statement that she was called Susie and not Susan is, evi-
dentially, a blot.
6. "And there is a man who was hers I mean he was most closely
connected with her and I hear three names one is John and another
odd name which sounds like Silas (No, I don't know the name.)
Silas It sounds like Silas Pierce I think that is right and also G
G eor (Eor [spelled out] it looks like.) [Pause] George [Pencil
laid down. Murmurs. Sunbeam control.] Wait a minute. Wait
a minute. (All right.)"
W.: There were just three men whom Susan saw daily, two, her
father and her uncle, in the same house, and a brother in the house
diagonally across the road. But not a name given is correct.
The name of one of them began with Jo, but was not " John." The
name " Silas " is not announced as certain, but as " another odd name
which sounds like Silas." In spite of my admission that I did not
know the name, the impression that Silas was right deepened. In fact,
another of the three men of the family did have an odd name 2 which
sounds a little like Silas, having the same vowels, the same number of
letters and syllables. The name was Hiram. But there was no
"Pierce " connected with it. "Susie " across the road, had a brother
Percy, the only Percy I ever knew in my boyhood. It would be a wild
leap from the Hiram to his grandson, but it is a bit odd that there
should be in that family group of two households near each other so
2 Some readers may not think Hiram an "odd " name. In a list of 3,020 recog-
nized Christian names as they run in Who's Who (195 different ones), the births of
their owners running back as far as 1820, Hiram occurs but 5 times, Silas also 5 times.
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rare a name and so like "Pierce."3 None of the men was named
"George " or anything like it, in fact, the name of the third male adult
was Roscoe, which has no auditory resemblance whatever.4
7. "Did you ever have a professor named George?"
W.: This may be regarded as an indication that the " George " was
not intended to refer to one of the family group, or as a shift owing to
my not having acknowledged the name (although I had expressly re-
pudiated "Silas" without its being abandoned), or as flitting of
thought to a George whom the supposititious communicator back of
Sunbeam remembered. The name is too common to have more than
very slight value, but when I was sixteen years old my parents met and
conversed with a professor then interested in me whose name was
George.
8. Next occurs a very long passage only intelligible by gestures indi-
cating directions and relative positions, defined by notes taken and
my interpretations at the moment. All can be boiled down to short
measure. "I want to go back to the place where you would go up
the hill " to " look off " at the " country right around me." "I go
up there, not on a road, but through a place where there may be
paths, but no real roads." In fact there were only cow-paths to
the hill. Standing on the hill but with the bulk of it in front of
her, and a little to her right, Sunbeam visualized " a country road"
leading to a "group of buildings " to her left where "some one I
knew pretty well lived," while the "town" or "place" would be
"back there" [pointing thumb behind her]. Also to her left
something that " looks very much like a small stream . . . Stream
3 In the same list of 3,020 names Percy most resembles Pierce, and occurs but
once. On this basis the likelihood of any one of the three male adults and three male
children having a name as near " Pierce" as Percy was 1 in 503, or allowing for
three middle names, 1 in 335. Reckon in Percival (found once in the list of 3,020)
and the chance is 1 in 167.
4 I do not propose to dignify by putting into body type any discussion of such a
remote possibility as that " George " may have resulted from an effort to get " Ros-
coe " through. But we must remember that psychics claim to get their impressions
of names, sometimes auditorily and sometimes visually. And somewhereI cannot
now trace the passagea psychic trying to get a name said that she saw letters
floating and changing positions. "George" has no auditory resemblance to "Ros-
coe," but each has six letters, and three of these, r, o and e, are the same. I
merely remark that even so much of resemblance is mathematically beyond expecta-
tion. Out of the 195 masculine " recognized " or standard masculine given names in
my list, only 32 have as many as three letters in common with " George," while two
have four. Of course, if any name contains a g or an e twice, as in "George,"
each counts. The chance expectation is therefore 1 in 5+. Measuring by the
names of the men and boys in the neighborhood of Roscoe's home, as far in every
direction as I can remember them without skipping a house, there was a chance
expectation in that particular neighborhood of about 1 in 10 of his name having
three letters also to be found in " George." This is not an argument, but a fact.
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seems to wind around, not in front of those buildings, but around
back of them some way, I don't think they're [presumably the
dwellers in the "buildings "] on the stream, but I think they can
see the stream. It seems almost something like a pond, a pond or a
lake, but that's over here" [pointing left]. Here, in response to
questions, she indicated that the buildings were to the right of the
stream, that is, nearer the hill. Then she recurred again to the
little pond. "Looks like a little pond or water, not big enough for
a lake, little open space of water and isn't always there. Some-
times it is dry and sometimes it isn't there ... a small water.
Sometimes you could go fishing or skating but it is off there"
[pointing to her left]. There was an attempt here to make a
sketch of locations, the medium's eyes remaining closed. "I don't
think you can see the river. I think you can see the hill but I think
it is kind of flat not very deep." The last sentences are obscure as
to meaning.
W.: The fact was that, standing on the brow of the hill, as seemed
to be indicated, there was at that time and from that point one group
of buildings visible, inhabited by a neighbor, and of course led up to by
a road, which was then "a dirt road." Beyond the buildings was a
brook crossing the road, which, after it passed the buildings northward
"wound around," that is, took a decided turn. The buildings were not
on the stream but plainly in sight of them. The brook, after it crossed
the road by a culvert, ran, a few rods further, into a very small arti-
ficial pond, created by a dam in an attempt to raise cranberries.
There were times when the brook quite or nearly dried up with cor-
responding effects upon the little "pond." I doubt if the hill was
quite visible from the pond, but am not sure, and Sunbeam was not
sure, either. The water was surely "not very deep." There is no-
where any intimation that the " town," was visible from the hill, and it
was not. Its relative direction was correctly indicated. The sketch
made in trance added a new true particularthe little pond was on
the other side of the road from the buildings. But the stream was
placed northerly of the buildings, instead of westerly, as it was. Be-
sides this, two exceptions must be taken. While there was skating on
the little pond there was no fishing. Also, if "I don't think you can
see the river " refers to the " stream " before mentioned, you could see
it, since it ran into the pond, and the stream was not a river. If,
however, the only river in town is referred to, then the statement is
correct.
It may be that many a reader will think without much consider-
ation, that the combination of particulars given, relatively to the
"hill," which in this and other sittings had been definitely located in a
pasture somewhere back of my father's house, was exceedingly likely to
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fit by chance. This is far from being the case. I have tried out the
combination from the viewpoint of every farm situated within a half or
a quarter of a mile from ours and it will not fit any of them in its large
features, whether with or without reference to the minor details, one or
two of which we have found in error. Nor will it fit any spot on our
farm except that hill. A short distance to the north of it and no
buildings to the left would have been visible, being shut off by bushes.
A little to the south and two sets of buildings would have been visible.
Had Sunbeam located the pond to the right, none could have been
found. Had she located the stream to the right, one could have been
found, but not beyond any buildings, in any sense, but nearer the hill
than any.
9. Two lines beyond the reference to a " river " begins a passage which
sounds like a confusion of this "pond" with the mill-pond, made
by a dam in the river, in the " town " or village a mile away in a
straight line, a mile and a half by road. Directly following comes
the announcement, "back here is where we go [pointing back of
her, where she had already indicated that the " town " was], we can
go back here and find business and things going on." Perhaps the
announcement should have come a little earlier, before the pas-
sage about a place where is a mill and is skating and where in
summer the water sometimes gets "low so you can go on rocks."
Following the announcement it is said that the place is "not ex-
actly a town but a little center." All of these details were true, as
well as other details which are too familiar in relation to ponds
and rivers to count.
10. From this point to the end, five pages, all is in contrast with the
parts descriptive of what was on our farm or located respectively
to our hill, that is to say, all henceforth is confusion and phantas-
magoria. But these five pages are to me not less interesting and,
in a sense, valuable, for they confront us with two questions.
1. Why so sudden a change? and 2. Why is the changed material
of its particular nature? For the first I have no answer ready
save to refer to the frequent explanation of psychics, that the
"power " gives out. If, as is reasonable to suppose, the communi-
cator or whatever it is which produces evidential material, re-
quires and consumes energy, it is quite reasonable to suppose that
when the necessary energy is at a low ebb, the product would be
less reliable.
Now to the second question. Mingled in the last five pages
with what seem like flashes of old time facts (but which, if they
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stood alone might be mere coincidental hits), is imagery which on
the very screen which has already been painted, that of a country
region with a "little center," not even "exactly a town," is very
improbable. Without any least indication of a shifting of the
scene there comes the picture of something, " near the bridge," like
"a big rounding tower ... it seems almost like a public building
and as though it comes up roundoh to a little point, and up in
sections. Isn't like the State House here but shape of that, but it
goes up as though it would have sections going up to a point . . .
looks like a government building, something to do with affairs of the
town and near it is the post officedo you know what I mean?
(Yes, I knew the postoffice.) Is that a dirty city? (I shouldn't
call it so.) You know why I ask? I see something that looks like
a very old building and looks like very dirty old granite," etc.
The peculiar interest of such a passage is found in relation to the
careless prattle of some of our friends, who may be both erudite and
cautious within their own fields of inquiry, but are naive and headlong
when they look into this. Driven from the position that what we find
in many of these records is only what could be expected on chance,
they will imagine that by various kinds of detective work, together
with shrewd inference, Mrs. Soule was able to get so many facts, for
instance, about me. They will point out that in such works as Who's
Who it is discoverable that I am a native of a very small township, and
that consequently the likelihood that I was born on a farm was very
great. So far granted. But any theory should be consistent with
itself. Assuming for the moment that she is an indefatigably shrewd
and successful gleaner of data in order to prepare for my experiments,
why in the name of common sense should she suddenly transform the
little hamlet which forms the center of Detroit into a " city," and why
should she imagine so unlikely a thing there as a structure "like a
government building," with "a big rounding tower" which "goes up
as though it would have sections going up to a point," and is so pre-
vented from being comparable to the dome of the State House in Bos-
ton? Any ordinary atlas would show her that the hamlet has a popu-
lation of only a few hundred. From such an atlas she could find within
fifteen minutes that there is not a town within fourteen miles of Detroit
that has a population of 2,500 and was likely to be a "city" or to
contain any towered or domed government building, or any govern-
ment building at all other than a modest postoffice. All she needed to
do was to have the atlas, and spend a few minutes over it in her own
home, and she would have been saved from uttering such contradictions
and unlikelihoods. The contradiction between "city" and "not ex-
actly a town, but a little center," is in the text of this sitting itself.
The improbability of there being any such building in such "a little
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center" is in the same text. This passage is representative of those
which show that what comes is not the product of art, preparation
and shrewdness, but is the result of a valid subconscious process of
whatever character. A shrewd and artful person will not suddenly
talk like a moron, which one would surely be if she said "city" and
"government building " with a " big rounding tower " in regard to the
place of my boyhood.
I have considerable acquaintance with the capacities and limita-
tions of detective work, and have done a great deal of it, in one way
and another. And I know that, generally speaking, the kinds of facts
which are the hardest to gain about another person born in some re-
mote place are precisely those which have come out most plentifully
and correctly in this series, and that the kinds of facts which can
easily and safely be secured by inquiry are those which are most con-
fused and least correct in this series. Let me illustrate the difference
and the reason why the category of facts most accurately stated is
that most difficult to obtain in mass.
It is certain that Mrs. Soule does not herself go on distant jour-
neys to glean facts about her many sitters. It is equally patent that
if she employed detectives she would need many times her modest sti-
pend in order to pay them. Of her late sitters one was born two hun-
dred miles eastward, another comes six hundred miles from the west,
another from across the sea. All had reason to be impressed almost
from the first. There have been others who, after a number of sit-
tings, although their homes were within twenty miles, have not had
reason to be impressed at all.
If there were but one sitter out of fifty who got strongly evidential
results, we could prudently guess that Mrs. Soule happened on some
person who knew the sitter and extracted information from that per-
son. But to suppose that she happened on some one who knew me and
my people and intimate things of the farm and home (even so much is
preposterous, as I can name every living person who has any ac-
quaintance with many of those facts), and also happened upon some
one who knew all sorts of facts about my wife, including many details
of her last illness which were in fact only known to myself and my
daughter, and perhaps the nurse, and also happened on some one who
knew a variety of details regarding Theodosia's girlhood home in Pitts-
burgh, and so on, would be ridiculous.
The last resource, then, generally speaking, would be for Mrs.
Soule to write, or get some one else to write letters for information.
What sort of information could she get successfully and without dis-
covery, by this method? Precisely the sorts which are most scantily
and hazily or incorrectly given in this record. What sorts would it
be impossible to get by this method, or at least without it coming to
knowledge very soon that such inquiries had been made? Precisely the
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sorts which are most plentiful, clear and accurate in this record. Now,
for examples.
Tricky "mediums," to my knowledge, do as common sense would
incline them to do, make use of Who's Who and similar obvious sources.
A glance suffices to show that in my 'teens I attended Maine Wesleyan
Seminary. All that would be necessary in order to give a description
of the buildings there would be to send for a catalogue of the school
which would contain pictures of the buildings. Their very architecture
would make it reasonably sure which the older ones were. At any rate
an excuse could be framed for inquiring of the school authorities which
were standing at the date given in Who's Who. An assumed name
would be used, but the one answering the question would be satisfied by
the excuse given and think no more of it. In the same way, it could
with ease be learned who was president of the school, the names of some
other teachers, etc. But in the communication which seemed to be
trying to describe my school surroundings, there was little recogniz-
able, and no name of a teacher was correctly and fully given.
On the other hand, if one should wish to know the name of the man
at whose house I stayed while at that school, his profession, his descrip-
tion, his characteristics, and other details, he would certainly come to
grief. Not a soul remains there who was there when I went to the
school, probably not a soul ever knew the man, my uncle. Such an
inquiry could not be made for lack of any other clue, except with
mention of my name. The reply would be that there was no record of
the facts, or some one might remember that the name is that of a sub-
scriber to the magazine of the school which I have not visited for thirty
years, and the answer would be to advise consulting me at the en-
closed address.
Suppose I were a tricky medium John Brown, who wanted to make
out a good case for one W. F. Prince in relation to his home town,
which as I easily discovered, was Detroit, Maine. There are many
things which I could prepare to say and which would impress W. F. P.,
if the latter were sufficiently simple. From an atlas I could find out
what were the nearby towns, and their population. From reference to
a very old atlas I could state feelingly the declension of poor Detroit
and the upward trend of adjoining Pittsfield. In the public library I
could look up the geology of the region. From a state history a few
interesting references to nearby happenings could be found. Quite
likely I might find, right here in Boston, one of those old manuals
issued yearly by the State, and even one issued when W. F. P. was a
boy. This would give a variety of facts about the town, including the
names of the town officers, the denomination of the church there, etc.,
at the time. By assiduity I could unearth an old wall-map of the
State, which would show the outlines of Detroit, and give the names of
several hills on its borders. But all such sources would furnish facts
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falling within certain limited categories, and because they did, any
W. F. P. at all astute would by analysis soon discover that fact, be-
come suspicious, and if they continued to be so limited except for utter-
ances otherwise explainable, would come to an adverse conclusion
as to their value, precisely as an investigator with those initials did
in the case of a " medium " who at one time made quite a sensation, and
whose facts, so far as they were facts, were nearly all discoverable in
available books and similar sources. As John Brown, the medium, I
could address inquiries to the postmaster and to the minister, but they
also must be within carefully circumscribed limits. The moment I
write a single question which points to W. F. P., or his relatives, or
the farm where he was born, the cat is creeping out of the bag. I may
have some one else write and under an assumed nameit makes no
difference. It is a small place, and every one knows every one else
there. W. F. P.'s brother lives near the postoffice, and he knows the
minister. Within two days of the postmaster or the minister knowing
that a stranger for some reason is writing to make inquiries about
W. F. P., or any of W. F. P.'s relatives, or anything about their old
home or farm or any of their affairs, the brother knows it. If any-
thing at all personal and intimate is inquired into, the brother refuses
to answer unless the stranger explains why he is asking, and W. F. P.
is informed that an unknown person is asking queer, suspicious ques-
tions, and the cat is out. Any W. F. P. of ordinary astuteness would,
in such a case, instruct his brother to answer some questions correctly,
others erroneously, and to furnish copies of his replies, and would then
watch the reactions in my (John Brown's) mediumistic work and easily
convict me. It could not turn out otherwise.
But it is precisely those facts which are not in Who's Who, atlases,
State manuals and the like, which are for the most part not of record
anywhere, facts of a neighborhood, of a farm, of a house and its in-
terior, of a family and of their intimate group and individual experi-
ences, located in little Detroit, and utterly impracticable to learn by
letters or any other available detective methods, which come out in
these sittings most plentifully, unequivocally and accurately.
Take the one story of Stephen, which I regard as one of the best
pieces of evidence in this book. Poignant and indelible as were the
facts to my sensitive boy soul, it is not likely it made any lasting im-
pression upon any one but me, my parents in less measure, and perhaps
Stephen himself. To the neighbors it was but one of a thousand inci-
dents occurring during the years, and every one is dead except a few
who were then young people. It is practically inconceivable that any-
thing of it could have been heard by chance. Many of the details, such
as those of my private interview with my father, and my inner re-
actions and their lasting effects in my memory and feelings, could
have been told by no one living but myself, since I alone knew them.
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And if the details unknown to me, yet dwelt upon, suited in character
and fitting in their frame, are true, the full story could only have been
told by my father himself, deceased years before the sitting.
NOVEMBER 18, 1925, 11:20-12:25
(The Garret, the House, Beechnutting, Etc.)
Present: W. F. P. and Mrs. Guinan (Secretary). Responses by W.
F. P. Record given entire except for the last numbered passage,
which, being long, is given in its essence.
1. "Here we are once more (Yes.) with the same desire to move for-
ward cautiously and give all the detail possible There are still
several things to be given which may add to the clear record Just
now I will write about a very old trunk which looks like one of those
old low brown hair trunks with brass headed nails around it It is
shown me by your grandfather and was for a long time in a very
dark place like an old upper attic or upper closet It had been in
the family for years and shows signs of much wear and with this
picture comes a scene of stage travel and a rather distant jour-
ney distant for those days It is absolutely empty but I think was
packed away with some old relics of other days and the other things
are somewhat smaller"
W.: I remember a " low brown hair trunk" (see item 3 of the rec-
ord of Oct. 7) on which were the initial letter of my maternal grand-
father's first name and the whole, I think, of his last name, formed with
brass-headed nails. I do not remember what the other nails were. This
trunk was, in my early boyhood, probably kept in my grandfather's
attic in the house diagonally across the street from my own home. I
very often played in that attic, before that wing of the house was torn
down when I was perhaps twelve years old. I cannot distinctly remem-
ber where I saw the trunk, but think it must have been there. There
was no attic in my own home. The "rather distant journey" and
"stage travel" are intelligible in view of the fact that grandfather
served in the Legislature at a period when there was no railway and he
had to travel by stage. My mother once told me that the trunk was
bought for this occasion. The journey, forty-five miles, was fairly
"distant for those days."
There were many objects in the attic which as a little boy I liked
to look over and among which I played, but I can remember very few
of them individually.
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2. "And one is a very old lantern which was not at all like those you
and I were familiar with (What was it like? See if you can get it.)
It looks as if it burned an old oil which was used with round string
like looking wicks but they were pulled up by hand I think for I
see him take a stick and work over them and I hear the word whale
(Well, that would go back a good long way.) wait it is more
whale oil crude oil"
W.: I distinctly remember an old lantern, come down from an
earlier period, made of tin pierced with holes, but only in connection
with its destruction, and its remains lying on the ground in a spot which
I could locate today. The lantern must have been kept somewhere, and
the attic was as likely a place as anywhere. It of course belonged to
the whale-oil period, but whether whale oil or a candle was burned in
this lantern I do not know.
3. "There is also some thing which belonged to a soldier that is near
these things and some very old newspapers which look like New
York [last two words written hesitatingly] papers which were kept
because they had news about the war I think this is the Civil War
(Yes.) for the clothing is like some I have seen blue but a kind of
light blue much lighter than that used now and there is a cape to
the coat or garment and of course the brass buttons The trunk
and the lantern and the clothes do not all belong to the same period
(Yes, I see.) but they have been kept with other things as heir-
looms I suppose"
W.: There were piles of newspapers in the garret. These I remem-
ber because I read from my earliest recollection. I do not remember
what there was there in the way of clothing. My uncle, whose family
inhabited the main part of the house, was not a land soldier, but served
on one of Admiral Farragut's war vessels toward the end of the Civil
War. What uniform he wore I do not know.
4. "(You don't see what the New York paper is, do you? Don't try.)
It seems like a longer word than Sun but I naturally thought of
New York Sun (Yes.) Wait I think I can get it (Yes. Why did
you naturally think of Sun? Never mind.) Tribune (I think
you're right.) Yes I think so I naturally thought of Sun because
not so familiar with the other and rather familiar with Sun (You
mean you who are communicating now most familiar with the
Sun?) Yes (And you're not one of those people?) No (I see.)"
W.: My memory informs me with certainty that when I was as
young as eight and ten years, my grandfather and uncle took the New
York Tribune. That it was taken during the Civil War I learned since
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the sitting by reading a number of old letters for the first time. In
one written by that grandfather to that uncle, March 31, 1865, the
former proposes to send to the latter, then in the navy, "a Tribune
now and then," and in a letter of May 15, 1865, he says: "I see it
stated in the Tribune."
The communicator (" control? ") at this time, who professes to be
more familiar with the Sun than the Tribune, seems to say that he, or
she, was not one of that family group. But it is odd that for all the
period during which I was familiar with the reading done in that house,
just two New York papers were taken, first the Tribune, and after-
wards the Sun. My estimate would be that I was about twelve years
old when the exchange was made.
Since writing the foregoing I have found that the picture of a new
Tribune building which I remember, appeared in the issue of April 10,
1875, just before my twelfth birthday. So the Tribune was still
being taken.
5. "The New York Tribune with much of war news was passed around
among the neighbors and talked of by your people who were so
much interested because of personal attachments (That is correct.)
and it was the custom to save the papers and not cut them up as
(That would be pretty far back for me to know anything about
that part.)"
W.: I meant that the Civil War was too far back for me to remem-
ber what was done then. But newspapers were being exchanged by my
father's family, my uncle's and another one in 1870 and thereafter, and
I have no doubt that this was done during the war. There were " per-
sonal attachments " and ties of blood between the families.
6. "Yes but I must tell you as I see it (That's perfectly right.) and
there seems to be a memory of yours of going to the old things now
and again (Yes, that is right.) and looking them over with a boyish
interest in what had been years before you (Yes.)"
W.: I looked over everything in that garret, certainly, and pored
over everything I found to read. I think none of the other children
did so.
7. "It is but a step now to a room downstairs where there were some
rugs that were made in a frame I think and then taken out and put
on the floor over carpets or bare floor as it happened to be but I am
looking at a rug which was made in that way but was a drawing of
something which made it a sort of picture I do not see clearly
whether it is a horse or a dog but it is not flowers (Well, I couldn't
remember now what it was.) although there were some with flowers
(Yes, I think that is right.) This seems to be a masterpiece of
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home made rug work and although we might not care so much for
it ourselves it (I would.) was a pride and delight to the family I
think it is a dog lying or rather sitting up There are many home
made things around and the spirit is of home makers and I am
tempted to tell you that the same spirit continues with your dearest
ones now but that is something you may infer by these memories
and pictures of the past"
W.: I remember that there was "home-made rug work" in the
house of the attic, but have not the slightest recollection of the design
of any rugs, since I never paid much attention to either such things or
clothing. I remember seeing my feminine relatives "hooking" rugs
"in a frame " also. Some had some sort of flower pattern.
But a cousin, Miss Mabel F. Graves, tells me that in her childhood,
say in 1876, one of the rugs there had a dog worked into it, the dog
lying, as is first stated in the text, and not sitting up, as corrected. A
letter written about 1866 by mother's sister, then living at the old
home, says: "Mother and I have been hooking rugs." Of course this
was a common practice in the country at that period.
8. "Do you remember the big front door I am writing of it in dis-
tinction to the side door which was more commonly used (Yes, I
remember.) Do you not see [' Oh, dear.'] in your memory a big
latch I think it is not brass but it makes quite a sound as it is used
(Is that the front door you see?) I think it is on a door that was
white but crackled looking like china I do not think it is the front
door but am not quite sure yet There are lights of glass at the
side (Oh, I guess I know the door you mean, then.) and it opens
into a hall or entry and there arc several smaller latches inside"
W.: It is true that the " big front door " of the house with the attic
was "white" and "crackled" and had "lights at the side." The
statement would not have been true had it referred to my own home.
But it looks as though in the act of making the " distinction to the side
door " the two got mixed in the picture, with the resultant uncertainty
that it was the front door. For it was the side door leading to my
grandparent's room in the " ell " that had the " big latch," which was
"not brass but makes quite a sound as it is used." Well I remember
that big rattling iron latch. And in this ell were several "smaller
latches inside."
9. "And the whole house is fragrant with apples"
W.: Apples were a great feature of both households, especially at
the season that they were prepared for drying.
10. "And oh yes I want to refer to a door step and a door stone (Yes,
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I think there may have been one. It is long ago.) You know about
a big flat door stone at a back or side door but the door step was
broad and fine It looks as if it said come in [Murmurs and then
says, 'Wait a minute.'] (All right.) Was there a door scraper
for the feet (It almost seems to me that there was, but I can't be
sure.) a small iron affair to scrape the mud off (There is no way
of telling now. No one can tell those things a long while agonot
those particular details.)"
W.: I cannot remember whether or not there was such a stone and
such a scraper as are described, although an iron scraper somewhere
figures in my early memories.
11. "All right I will move on to the next scene Do you know anything
about nuts (Yes.) connected with the brother (No, I don't know.)
He suggested the word to me (Well, go on with it. There arc
things that it could mean to me.) and there are some small nuts in
big burrs with very shiny brown shells (I know what's meant. I
recognize them.) that are hard to get out but good to eat (I
shouldn't have said they were hard to get out if they are the same
thing I'm thinking of.) are they b bee (B-e-e it looks like.) [Oral:
'Can't do it.'] beech nuts (Yes, they are. Now, if he knew where
they came fromif he could describe that. I recognize the beech-
nuts.) It seems to be a special place where you went (It was.)
beech nutting (I did.) and the hard to get out meant fussy more
than difficult for they are small but sweet (They are.) It is on a
day like this that beech nutting is good. [A nice clear day.]
(Yes.) It was a walk. Just waiting but the picture comes We
start out two jumps at a time I think across a road or open space
and on through a sort of clearing and up to a place where there are
numbers of trees not all alike (That's right.) but there is a clump
of beeches and then beyond [N. R.] then beyond another clump
with one big one where there is a big open space under it where they
are gathered"
W.: Beechnutting is a vivid recollection of my boyhood. It was " a
special place " where I went; so far as I knew they grew in only one
place round about. There were two ways of reaching it. One was to
go east on the public road, turn northward on a private road, and then
eastward a little way where trees had been cleared off within recent
years. The other way was to cross a field, cross the private road, and
proceed as before on the " clearing " to the beeches, which stood at the
nearest edge of a wood, singly and in clumps, interspersed with other
trees as stated. The whole distance was not over a quarter of a mile.
The description in the text seems very like the facts.
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But why should my brother, who died when two and a half years
old, be " connected " with this scene? I remember taking him with me
a considerable distance from the house, he partly walking and partly
being carried by me. I do not remember it, but it is very likely that I
may have taken him on a beechnutting trip. If so, would he remember
it? That, no man living can say. I vividly remember seeing as a
wonderful novelty peas in the pod, in what I am convinced was my third
year. The thrill of their looks and especially their odor revives in my
memory yet. Every earliest recollection of mine is of something which
to an adult mind would be trivial, picking dandelions on the lawn and
carrying them proudly to my mother, being shown how to paste some
bright flowers cut from a green paper window curtain into a book in
imitation of my sister, who was making a scrap-book, the exultant
moment when I was first able to button a certain garment myself, etc.
If one survives bodily death at the age of two and a half years, in the
full flood of experiences which though trivial are novel and thrilling to
the budding mind, it is psychologically quite plausible that such recol-
lections should pass over and linger indefinitely.
12. "And there is another kind of nut that is occasionally found but
it looks so different Hich Hickory (No, not Hickory.) I think
Hickory but I am not sure Is it chestnut (No.) [Murmurs.]
(Better not try for it unless it comes.) [Sunbeam control speaks.]
I know what it is. I know. Butter! (Well, there were butternuts
somewhere in the neighborhood.) Butter nut. Yes sir. Do you
like them? (Fairly well.)"
W.: Note that it is not said that the other kind of nut grew in the
neighborhood of the beech trees. Note also the persistence in saying,
after my denial, " I think Hickory though not sure." Again note that
after the negative answer to the inquiry, "Is it chestnut?" the posi-
tiveness of the assertion, " I know what it is. I know. Butter." In
fact, butternuts grew in the neighborhood in another direction and
were sometimes brought to our home. Nevertheless, the two wrong
names preceding the right one leave little evidentiality to the last.
13. Finally comes a reference to a " big black dog " with " wavy hair."
I disclaimed the dog, but " Sunbeam " persisted that this dog used
to come to our place and scare " everybody." I said, " No, he's got
into the wrong picture," but "Sunbeam" said, "Do you know
anything that's called Major? It sounds like Major," and I again
disowned the dog. "Well, put it down anyway. . . ." "I can't get
any more with that. ... I see this big dog and black hair. . .
I said, " No, I know nothing about it," and " Sunbeam " said that
perhaps it was not a dog, but it had long black hair.
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W.: Considering the fact that the vast majority of one's experi-
ences and the things he heard in his early years cannot be recovered by
his memory in later years, I was rash in repudiating the dog. I know
we did not have one, but how do I know that a big black dog, perhaps
when I was at school, did not come into the yard and frighten my small
brother playing there, causing my mother or sister to come out and
drive it away, with some appearance of trepidation? How can I know
that such a picture would not be vivid and unpleasant to the child as
long as he lived, and after, if his spirit survives? I shall never forget a
very early experience of mine which consisted of fighting a pugnacious
rooster with a shingle. My father stood by and laughed heartily, but
my own sensations must have been very like those of the soldier who
"goes over the top," and the picture is in memory still. Dealing fairly
with the spiritistic hypothesis, I have no right to deny the dog, al-
though I cannot acknowledge him.
But that name "Major "-would so small a child notice and re-
member it? First premising that names are about the most uncertain
part of Mrs. Soule's work I answer, Why not? Again I interrogate
my own memory, since I cannot penetrate the memories of others. I
was a very small child when a certain chicken was hatched, so diminu-
tive that we called it Tiny, and Tiny grew to be a very large and pam-
pered hen. Many a hen and cat and cow and pig on the place was
named after that, but I remember not one of their namesonly those of
several horses, and " Tiny " of my earliest years.
If the sitter were able to verify from his own recollections every
statement of the psychic, there would be little doubt that telepathy
from him was the explanation. If the statements are from the recol-
lections of another mentality, it could not be expected that the mem-
ory of the sitter should always coincide with those recollections.
Granting survival, if we estimate the likelihood of one who died in his
third year recollecting earth experiences by our own likelihood of
remembering from that age, we are groping in fog, for we have no
means of knowing anything about it.
NOVEMBER 24, 1925, 11:25-12:40
(Relating to W. F. P.'s Early Life)
Present: W. F. P. (Sitter) and Mrs. G. (Secretary). Responses by
W. F.P.
The most of this sitting is confused, unidentifiable or incorrect. An
attempt to describe the relation of the buildings to the pasture, and
some apple trees corresponds pretty well. An effort to make me re-
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member some pet, thought but not asserted to be a dog, killed by
accident and buried near the apple trees, was unsuccessful. There was
no dog within my recollection, though there had been one. The state-
ment that a mill was visible from the house is quite wrong. The
statement that in pig killing time the pig was hung in a shed where
there was a bench, and a window in the corner is correct (the window
was in a door). But I think there was no tree which " swished against
the window." The " something [that] grows on that tree, looks either
like cherries or peaches. If they're peaches they're awful little ones,
like little hard fellows" might refer to the rosy-cheeked little crab-
apples which grew out there but not near the door. The mention of
something over the bench "to weigh things," "something that comes
out like an arm " would be the steelyards, which used to hang there.
"A lot of things in there" is right. What else is said up to a certain
point is too hazy in its meaning to be worth mention. From this point
the record is to be found in " The Story of Stephen."
THE STORY OF STEPHEN 1
November 1925, W. F. P., Sitter
1. "Do you know anyone named Stephen? (Yes, I have known the
name.) No. I mean in that connection, in that place. (No, not
in connection with the building.) [meaning my boyhood home] I
mean that time of lifein that period of the life was there a
Stephen there? (You mean around the neighborhood?) Yes.
(Yes.) Well that's what I meansome one they knewnot in fam-
ily. And he seems to be a good man but always I would want to
say that he knows everything and wants to know everythingthat
kind of a man, do you know? (Yes.) Do you? (Yes, I know what
you mean. It might be so about himI don't know.) I don't seem
to be getting it."
I remember only one " Stephen." My formal "yes" to "he seems
to be a good man " did not prevent the after telling of something not
good in his conduct. He was a bumptious and inquisitive person.
2. "I don't think he's an important person. Just one walk in and say
something and nobody pay any attention to what he would say
because he would say and say and it not amount to anything, not
a great mental man. (No, he wasn't.) He seemed to me just like
well, he's not a fool but he's not a great man in any sensejust a
1 The name Stephen is substituted for the one in the script, which is correct for
the person whom I remember in my boyhood. They are of nearly equal rarity,
"Stephen " occurring 8 times, and the real name 7 times in a list of 3,200 standard
"Christian" names as they come in Who's Who (195 different names).
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neighborhood Stephenyou know what I mean? Everybody knew
of him. They spoke of him and laughedas though he said this
and that and he always took himself very seriously. He don't
laugh but others do. He was kind of serious and what he would
say you would think whole movement of universe depended on what
he said and he would use big words, sometime use them where they
didn't belong and sometimes where they did belong and you would
be surprised. Sometimes he would get the word in the worst place
like remarks he would make almost with a smile, not a sneer. Same
time he was so serious brought a smile, not a sneer. He wasn't so
bad. He did a good thing now and then for people but I think sort
of lazy. Seemed to be kind of had ups and downswork pretty
good for a while and then not at all. He wasn't rich. He was just
the sort of man that was a character and that's why he's mentioned,
because he was a character that you don't find often."
This is really a remarkably close-fitting statement. This Stephen
was decidedly not an important person. Few paid serious attention to
what he said, though he could be quite voluble. He was "not a great
mental man " and at the same time " not a fool." Every one for miles
around knew him, at least by sight, and they "spoke of him and
laughed." I think no other person within miles in any direction from
my home caused so many smiles. It is probable that he was not aware
of this, for he took himself very seriously. He could, when he wanted
to produce an impression, work up quite a dignified discourse, using
"big words" and pompous phrases, and sometimes his success in
pompous language and sometimes the blunders due to his dense igno-
rance, evoked smiles. "He wasn't so bad," that is to say, he com-
mitted no flagrant offenses abroad, though he was capable of utter-
ances dictated by petty malice, and enjoyed domineering over his little
wife, who held him in contempt. And yet "he did a good thing now
and then for people." For instance, after his wife and children per-
manently left him he voluntarily sent money to them regularly out of
his small earnings. He was slow and plodding, and probably " sort of
lazy," at least was lacking in energy. He lived by doing odd jobs, so
that " work pretty good for a while and then not at all " is true. He
decidedly "wasn't rich." He "was a character," and one which
Dickens could have utilized.
3. "(Who are you getting the information from?) Seems to be from
your father because he is standing right here and wanted to tell a
few things and thought of him in connection. (I wonder if he
couldn't think of something special in connection with him.) Yes.
I think he's probably leading up to it. He seemed to pick him out
as somebody easily identified but you know when I said we could
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look in window and see pig hanging there it would be just like that
Stephen to walk up as though it belonged to him. Don't do it for
badness, but just had nose in everything it seems."
"Had nose in everything" is, I think, an exaggerated expression.
But Stephen had no manners.
4. The intimation that Stephen got religion toward the end of his life
I have no way of testing. Father may have known of his last
period, but I did not. The implied corollary that he had not been
religious is correct for the period when I knew him.
5. "Do you know anything about clothes he wore? (I do.) Weren't
they funny old clothes? (They were.) Because it seems as though
he might have a boot that came up and pants in it and he might
have one down and one upno difference to himstick one
trousers leg in boot and other any old wayalways looked like old
Harry, face and everything. He was a dirty old thing. Don't
think he ever had a bath in his life. (I doubt if he had.) Hands
looked just as if he done that [instead of washing them right just
rubs them off once] He looks that dirty-old thingand if anyone
said anything to him about it he would run his hand up through
hair and kind of laugh. He wasn't silly and yet looked silly when
he did things like that. And as for hats!-he would wear hats
sometimes that were scrunched all out of recognition of what they
were. You could see him coming up road and knew him by his
walk. (That's true.) You could tell him almost as far as you
could see him. (You could.) He's not here. Don't think he's in
this room. (No.) But your father is showing the picture as he
remembers it and as he does it says you wouldn't find another one
like him in a hundred miles. He was distinctivethat's why he
brought him. I haven't seen him. I don't know what part of the
universe he went tohe's picturing it."
This seems a faithful depiction of the man's appearance. He was,
I think, shabbier than any other person whom I was accustomed to see
in my boyhood, he indeed "looked like old Harry." He was dirty,
clothes and face and hands, and I doubt if he took any baths. His hat
was one of the most noticeable marks, " scrunched all out of recogni-
tion " of what it had been, not merely " sometimes " but always, so far
as I recollect. "You could see him coming up the road and knew him
by his walk." Indeed, yes! It was a sort of slow wabble. "You could
tell him almost as far as you could see him," by his walk or by his hat.
Many and many a time some one of my family, looking out of the win-
dow, recognized Stephen when he was hardly more than a dot far down
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the road, and we would watch him go by, and make amused remarks
about his hat, his slow waddling walk and his general appearance. If,
as stated, my father brought a picture of him because "he was dis-
tinctive," he made a good choice, for no one in the region was more
distinctive. Had no name been given, I could not have hesitated in
saying: "This describes Stephen M , and no one else."
At the close of the sitting I said: "(I would like for father to think
whether he remembers any special incident in connection with any
one of our family and Stephen that happened a long while ago. If
he remembers any special incidentnot necessarily now, but any
time.) I think I better wait until tomorrow. [ ]"
December 3, 1925, W. F. P., Sitter
6. "[ ] I am looking at a picture of the father and several
people standing near him and a look of deep trouble is on his face
but it is in connection with one of those who is related to him and
a matter which was not to his liking and yet was not the fault of
the one who is related but I believe has something to do with the
spirit called Stephen (Now, if you could get that. I am thinking
of something like that, but I don't know whether it is the same one
he has in mind or not.) who whose name was given one day and
with this incident in mind for there have been few incidents as
intense while they lasted as the one he wishes to recall. The
Stephen was a half irresponsible person and yet was so far respon-
sible that it seemed to the person referred to that he should have
something done to give him an understanding of his deed and with-
out any delay there was a kind of upheaval and disturbance and
before any one knew what it was all about it was over all but the
father's settlement of the matter. There were words and contradic-
tions and some thing which was much more telling but down in the
father's heart was an understanding of the provocation and retali-
ation but no sign of this could be shown by him until later in the
family council (I think that's all right so far. If it could be given
more definitely.) It had to be left as it was but the punishment
was left to be attended to later There were some smiles and a half
feeling of glad it was done but dignity must be upheld It was a
story often repeated in after days Wait just a moment (All right.)
for I see a few more details"
The incident I have in mind, and the only one I remember which
brought me into any special relation with Stephen, was one which cer-
tainly brought " a look of deep trouble" on father's face, it was "in
connection with one of those who is related to him," " was not the fault
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of the one related," had "something to do" with Stephen, was "his
deed," and it was an "intense" incident, at least to the one related,
who felt that he (Stephen) should have something done to give him an
understanding of his deed (that is, that what he charged was not true
of the person accused and that if any boy was guilty he should have
been less hasty in his identification). There was " a kind of upheaval
and disturbance " and then " it was all over but the father's settlement
of the matter "there was no aftermath.
But I know nothing about "father and several people together,"
and doubt this picture. All I ever knew of was Stephen's interview
with father. Yet he may remember some associated interview with
several people with which I was never acquaintedhow can I deny it?
Nor do I know of a " family council," and yet the matter may have
been talked over in the family immediately after the interview and
before I was brought upon the scene. There was a "punishment"
which came later. Father had a distinct feeling that " dignity must be
upheld," but he loved his children and no doubt was glad when it was
over. I doubt if " it was a story often repeated in after days," though
I talked with father about it years after, and told my wife and my
younger brother the story. My parents may have talked of it.
Here I had best tell the story, so that the language of the script
may be appraised by the reader as it goes on.
I was about ten years old when, one afternoon, my father came to
the district schoolhouse where I was, called me out, and took me home
in his buggy. He never would have harnessed to go that distance, so
perhaps he had been somewhere and made inquiries with several persons
present. As we started homeward he bluntly asked if I did not know
better than to be saucy to people and throw stones at them. I began
to remonstrate that I had not done so, when he checked me, and said
that Stephen had come to him while he was at work splitting a rock in
the field and accused me of being a leader of boys who called him by
opprobrious epithets and threw stones in his direction. One of
Stephen's sentences, afterward repeated to my mother in my pres-
ence, I distinctly remember: "I am astonished that a man of your
standing in the community should have a boy that is saucy." To the
query why I had been guilty of such conduct I responded that I did
not remember doing it. "Of course you would remember," was my
father's natural reply to this. Yet he could get no confession from
me, only reiterations of " I don't remember doing it; if I did it, I can't
remember anything about it." Father at first took this as tantamount
to confession, and yet I was doing my best to express the puzzled state
of my mind. It seemed to me on the one hand incredible that one grown
person should accuse me and another, my own father, be assured of the
truth of the accusation, unless there were some basis for it. On the
other hand, I had not the slightest recollection of either "saucing"
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Stephen or threatening him with stones. I was afterwards certain I
had never done either, but at the time my brain was in confusion, won-
dering if I could have behaved so and forgotten all about it. What my
outward appearance was I do not know, but my whole soul was af-
fronted with the indignity and injustice of a charge which I was yet
powerless utterly to deny. Father set me at work " picking stones " in
a field and I kept at it until he came for me at nightfallif he had not
come I should probably have remained there all night. The next morn-
ing he asked me whether I would refrain from " saucing" people if he
let me go to school again. I answered "yes," and not another word,
nor to my recollection was the subject mentioned between us again until
some ten years later, when my younger brother fell under suspicion
with father on account of an answer almost identical with my own.
When I heard the response, " Of course you remember," I recalled the
old incident to father, said that I was now certain that I never mis-
treated Stephen and added in substance: "The incident is repeating
itself. You appeared so convinced that H had done it that he is
bewildered, as I was. I am confident from my own case that he
doesn't remember because he never did it."
My being yanked out of school excited the curiosity of the other
scholars, Stephen boasted of his achievement with father, and I was
tormented by the boys when I returned, and have no doubt that the
neighborhood rang with the story. I kept silence both at school and
at home, and probably not until the incident connected with my brother
took place did father realize how deep an impression had been made in
my memory. I recall only one other incident, aside from a death,
during my first fifteen years, which so outraged, stung and perma-
nently marked my consciousness.
7. "(Good. I want to know what the incident related to and to whom.
Go on.) It was in connection with some thing which had been either
said or done by Stephen (Yes.) and done in a very unpardonable
way (Yes, that is right so far.) and a younger person resented the
insult or slur or whatever (All right so far. Now, if you could get
what that slur related to.) it was and resented it with some vehe-
mence and could not retract and was not made to do so"
My narrative vindicates these statements. My resentment was
first expressed "with some vehemence," then subsided into dogged re-
iteration of " I don't remember doing it." Note the true words " could
not retract, and was not made to do so."
8. "There was a matter which had occurred before which was per-
fectly right but Stephen lied (Yes.) for I hear the words over and
over again Stephen lied Stephen lied and he knew he lied (All
correct so far.) and everybody else knew it and the defender was not
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the one lied about I think but was in the group for there was an
accusation which included him and the whole affair was rather
heroic but the father rather led to the point of irresponsibility but
the lad would not allow that argument to go down"
I have little doubt that Stephen "lied and knew he lied." It is
possible that some boys did assail him iff the manner described. There
was at that period a feeling against me on the part of several boys
because I was supposed to be the teacher's favorite, and the parents
rather arrayed themselves for a time against our entire family. It
was a queer mess. I think that Stephen saw his chance to implicate
me. Whether " everybody else [but father?] knew" that Stephen lied
I cannot say, but I hardly see how his word could go far. What is
said about father's urging Stephen's irresponsibility and the lad's
reaction is not correct, to my recollection.
9. "Was there not a threat a veiled threat in what Stephen said
(There may have been.) It seems as if he was surly (Yes.) and
said if it happened again he would do something (He almost cer-
tainly would, but I wouldn't know exactly. But he probably did.)
which would make distress for your people and he really could be
dangerous for he had a temper when he got upset"
I do not know, but almost certainly Stephen would make " a veiled
threat." He was not courageous except in his own home, and it would
hardly be an open threat. I have seen him decidedly "surly" in his
family, and he was capable of breaking out in temper.
10. "(Yes. I want to say something when I can. But go on.) There
had been something done which called forth all this row (Yes.) I
use the word advisedly (Yes.) for it made a stir [medium murmurs]
among the friends and neighbors and every one was against the bad
man and yet the insult stung for a moment your father said Well
what did you say What did you say (Yes, that's right.) and the
boy said I denied it (Something near it. That isn't exactly cor-
rect.) The idea is the same perhaps the lie was said right there
but there was some real battle do you know about that (I
shouldn't use that term myself.) a sort of scuffling (No. It de-
pends who the battle was with. It might be used.) of feet and a
desire to fight the adversary that a youth might have and then a
proud and scornful manner which plainly said I have told the truth
but he lied and the father believed the youth (Sure of that?) after
a little questioning and some holding back of the opinion and a
great deal of a battle in the mind of the youth (Yes.)"
Certainly my father asked me what I said to Stephen, whether I
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did not call him this and that name, as charged. "The boy said, 'I
denied it,' " is mixed. The boy did at first make absolute denial and
thereafter denied remembering any such acts as those charged. What
follows is obscure as to interpretation. Whether the boy (myself)
"scuffled his feet" I have no idea, but he felt bitterly resentful and
after the first few minutes following his hearing the accusation, fell
into bitter silence to which no doubt the words "proud and scornful
manner" would apply. My response to the communicator, " Sure of
that?" may have led to some hedging, or what followed may be un-
influenced by it. There was " a great deal of battle in the mind of the
youth," more intense and prolonged than the occasion seemed to
demand, but unexpressed after the first.
11. "That was what hurt so much (What was?) The attitude of the
father (Yes.) for the youth wished to have your father know the
truth and believe him (Yes.) His spirit was in rebellion and he has
never thought of the incident since without a feeling of momentary
injustice done him understand (Yes.) It is long ago but the acid
of the wrong done that youth by that half developed Stephen ate
into the peace of the mind of the boy and if the father had a pur-
pose in mentioning something about Stephen it was to make right
and sure the pardon for his own attitude at that time (Let me ask
a question when the time comes.) Just a moment (All right.)"
Every sentence here referring to the past is true verbatim and with
all the emphasis of the phraseology. The language could not more
correctly fit.
12. "The father was so much averse to the idea of giving undue credit
to his own and to the ready condemnation of the real culprit that
he overdid the judgment and saw in the short time after his mistake
but the same almost obstinate manner that made the boy stick to
his statement was in the father and he was slow to acknowledge but
it was all right in the end (Yes, I understand ' all right.')"
I think the term "obstinate manner" suited to my demeanor at
that time. It is true that father had a touch of the same tendency, or
probably it was his New England dislike of showing emotion. I do not
know whether or not he in a short time thought he had make a "mis-
take," though it is probable that he may have come to doubt that I was
a culprit; but so long as I seemed to have forgotten the incident he
would have been likely to let it rest.
13. "And the mother I think it was the mother it was a woman who
gave a touch of assurance to the boy Strange how a long ago
affair made such a mark on all of you (That's so.)"
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Mother was the one to comfort me in trying times, rather by man-
ner and special little acts of kindness than any particular thing
she said.
14. "And if I had my way I would have that Stephen on his knees in
apology today for his own life was its punishment (Yes, that's
right, I think.) and time takes care of such injustices"
As I have said, his own family afterwards deserted him; and he
led a lonely existence.
15. "It has often given you a light on some situations and a certain
power to withhold judgments until all sides have been heard you
should have been a Judge (Well, why do you say that about me?)
This is so closely identified with you that it almost seems like a
personal [Medium murmurs] experience you did experience it (Is
that an affirmation?) yes (All right, I will acknowledge it.)"
I think it is quite possible that the experience psychologically
influenced me in the manner asserted. Not until this passage did
the control seem to realize that the boy was myself. I hardly think
that anything I said in response was such as could not have come aptly
from a brother of the boy, but of that the reader may determine.
At the close of the sitting I asked " Father " to tell me later where
he was when he heard of the " slur " uttered by Stephen, where I was at
that moment, and where we met later in the day.
16. "Father" starts by saying: " I was glad the message got to you
about Stephen, and I want to give the rest of the story as soon as
I can," then added, " I am often reminded of some experience with
my children by something I see that was part of a scene long for-
gotten. I want to write about the school." Then comes a refer-
ence to " town meeting," " elections and that included school " and
the remark that his efforts at communication seem to him like being
"on rickety skates and slippery ice." He then drifted to his in-
terest in roads, and emphasized his interest in " roads and schools."
As a matter of fact, I think that these two matters of town affairs
did interest him most. Then the control, "Jennie P.," took hold
and referred to a " queer looking broom or brush that is apparently
made at home with something like boughs," intimated it was "a
hemlock broom," and remarked, "Just what it had to do with the
matter of schools I do not know. ... It is large and coarse and
appears to be used to sweep out some place perhaps the school-
house." At or before the period of the Stephen incident father
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began to make brooms or besoms of hemlock twigs. For a time
these were used in our house (not more than two or three years at
most) and I am almost certain that one was tried in the school-
house, probably when father was district agent or boarding the
schoolmistress. The brooms led to a passing reference to a
"turkey wing" to "brush the hearth." I remember some large
wings given mother when I was quite young, and used for that
purpose. Usually we used chicken-wings. Then came a statement,
vague except for the last sentence:
17. "The father now has some thing to say about you It is about a
place where you were at a time he was annoyed and it was not far
away and yet you seemed to come as if you had been away for a
purpose and probably had been gone for a little time for although
you were expected it was not known just when you would come but
there was no very great surprise but there was great disturbance
on your part I think this is all a part of the affair with Stephen
for he has strong desire to finish that episode and have it done
with He wished to do it himself and may yet but if I can help I
will [Murmurs. Pause in writing.] Do you know anything about
something destroyed or [last four words written very slowly as if
thoughtfully] [pause] not quite right It is some damage of some
sort I think I will let him try again J P [Pencil laid down and
new one given. Communicator changes and writing slow again.]
I will try once more for I want you to see that I am glad to talk
about the things as if I had completely lost the first feeling I had
when Stephen told the story for now I see as never before how a
false accusation may give so much pain that it will not be forgotten
after forty [last word written very, very slowly] years"
I had given the information that I was somewhere else when Stephen
talked with father. Now "Jennie P" says the place "was not far
away "; right, it was perhaps half a mile distant. The two following
clauses are non-significant. "It was not known just when you would
come" is unimportant, though true, for I sometimes lingered after
school to play or roam. "Great disturbance on your part" we have
had already. "Something destroyed ornot quite rightit is dam-
age of some sort," is ambiguous. If taken to mean a damaged article
I know of no correspondence. The accusation damaged my feelings
and father felt it damaged the reputation of his familyjust possibly
this is what was fumbled at. It is true as measured by my experience
that " a false accusation may give so much pain that it will not be for-
gotten after forty years." I cannot think of that accusation now
without some of the childish feeling of horror welling up.
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But the passage gives no inkling that father met me at the school-
house and talked with me on the road going home. And yet there is a
curious appearance in the text between the first mention of a desire to
tell the rest of the story about Stephen and the long quoted passage, as
though he were trying to do that very thing. Is it a mere coincidence
that he says, after announcing this intention: "some experience with
my children " and " I want to write about the school"? Drifting off
to "elections," the topic appropriate to an answer to my question
ending the preceding sitting seems again caught at in "and that in-
cluded school." Then came " roads " and " roads and schools." Then
mention of a hemlock broom excites in "Jennie P" the remark "just
what it had to do with the matter of schools I do not know," but it had,
and looks like another grasp of an associated idea drifting in the cur-
rent. Jennie P seems to think that the besom did have something to do
with a schoolhouse, and suggests what my memory informs me was the
fact; a besom, from my home, was used there. So we have " school,"
"school," " school," " schoolhouse," and " roads," " roads." It is not
entirely fanciful to suggest that perhaps some mere fragments of an
intended picture were coming through, and perhaps Jennie P may have
come within an ace of being able to piece together the fragments and
to announce, " He is trying to tell you that he met you at the school-
house and talked with you going along the road."
School, road, and discussion of conduct are all germinal in the
passage: "There was the matter of roads and he had clear ideas of
what should be done about things, and I think it was roads and
schools."
[ ] My father was still the purported communicator, say-
ing, "I do not wish to confuse the memories with the feelings of the
following days for it would not be a true picture of the past but if
you do not get out of patience I will win," and then, after some
remarks about persons on the other side whom he had consulted,
he said:
18. "It is a thing you could not run away from, and did not, although
I think there was a suggestion of such a thing."
I know nothing about this, but cannot deny it. An older brother
had " run away " once or twice, and it might be that my mother, who
was always fearing disasters, urged my father to go for me, lest I hear
of the accusation, then supposed to be true, and run away or fail to
come home that night.
19. "But when you returned and denied doing it and the I was just
about to write evidence but there was no evidence It was just an
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accusation and depended on the truth of the accuser (That's
right.) and the accused or the accused I mean for you had a right
to be believed as well as he The trouble was that I could not see
why Stephen should make up such a [Oral: 'Oh, dear.'] story out
of whole cloth (That's correct.)"
I at first denied doing it and persisted in denying that I had any
memory of doing it. It is correct that the accusation depended on
Stephen's word only, at least I never heard that any other evidence
was supplied.
20. "And even now it is a puzzle to me to see why he should do it (I
shouldn't wonder if it is.) for you had never done any harm to
him (Right.) or to any other neighbor It seems as if he must
have fancied he had a grievance but even that [deep sigh] does
not explain it"
"Why he should do it " is something I have been able only uncer-
tainly to conjecture. It is true that I had never done any harm to him
or to any other neighbor. I cannot remember another instance of a
neighbor complaining of my conduct. When one recalls the gusto with
which Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Judge Shute and others relate how they
made themselves general nuisances in early youth, one is half ashamed
of having been so tame a boy, but it makes for evidence.
21. "And if I need to make an apology to you son I have only this to
say that (Now wait a moment until I adjust the paper.) I was
dumbfounded and did not fully see the injustice of even questioning
you about it (Well, that's all right now. I hold nothing against
you.) [Medium murmurs] Yes but I am surprised at my own state
of mind"
The language is singularly appropriate. There would have been
no " need to make an apology," if that had been done in lifetime, but it
never was. I have no knowledge that father felt his mistake keenly,
but he knew it, at least when I told him, some ten years after the fact,
and I am sure he must have pondered over it. When the accusation was
made against me, father was certainly "dumbfounded." The remark
about " injustice " is intelligible in light of the fact that he must have
known that I had never previously lied to him.
22. "But we never thought of him as vicious (Right.) we only thought
of him as irresponsible and perhaps queer but great harm might
have been done"
True, " we had never thought of him as vicious," but as an ignorant
blunderer, and decidedly " queer."
23. "Do you remember seeing [medium sighs] him sometimes slinking
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along through the field toward home (Whose homehis or ours?)
his (No, I don't remember that.) Well I do but he had that slinking
way whichever way he went"
Generally he went home by the road, but there were times when his
work lay in a direction which made it convenient to cross our field
within sight of the house. I should not use the word "slinking," but
he did not have a firm, purposeful manner of walking. My wrong
answer, based on the erroneous impression that nearness to his home
was implied, caused no retreat.
24. "I want to recall if I can some of the words he used [sentences
about the difficulties of communication and hope to succeed in this
particular effort omitted] The trouble was that it was something
you had done (Yes, right so far.) which was a harm or supposed
injury to him (Right so far.) and the thing was not done by any
one just imagined I think for (I am not quite sure myself. May
have been.) there seemed no reason for any one to have purposely
done it not only you but no one else would have done it I now
believe and there was no proof then or ever that any t [scrawl and
then crossed out] no trespass [Medium murmurs: 'Wait a
minute. Wait a minute.'] (Yes.) It was near his own place (Not
what I'm thinking of.) [ ]"
Afterwards I recognized that I have not the least assurance
whether the injury to Stephen was supposed to have happened near his
home or not. My recollection is that I did not ask a single question,
but learned only what father happened to mention. I have a dim idea
that it was supposed to have taken place in or near the road
somewhere.
25. "I shall keep on till I get it through but the supposed injury was
as if some one had thrown or done something to him while he was
doing something else and as he made effort to rise he knew who did
it (Well, stone throwing was a part of it, I better admit.) yes I
practically said that while you were not reading [Dr. P. had
stepped out of the room after ' injury was ' and Mrs. Guinan read
script until he returned] (Well, that's why I admitted it. I read
it afterward.) but there were words and laugh (Yes.) and running
away but it did not seem like you (Wait just a moment. [To fixing
paper.] All right now.) even if done for fun (No, wasn't like me. I
admit it.) but there was another reason why it could not have been
you for you were [medium sighs] somewhere else and that you told
me afterwards (I shouldn't wonder. At least I don't remember
being there.) You were not near the place and I think he stumbled
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along and imagined the rest but he was mad as a March hare
(Yes.) and if he had been alone with you I think there would have
been a tussle [Oral: 'Oh, dear. Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
He let go.'] (Who let go?) [Change to " Number Two " oral con-
trol] The man. (Oh, perhaps he will get hold again.)"
W.: When I returned to the room I read hastily the last lines and
mistook "someone had thrown or done" for "someone had thrown
stones." Hence my inadvertent "give-away." Stone-throwing was a
part of Stephen's accusation. It should be remembered that " Father"
purports to be trying to remember Stephen's story to him. "But
there were words and laugh "that was the other part of the accusa-
tion, though weakly stated. He claimed that I led the other boys in
deriding him and calling him names, among them the name of an un-
pleasant animal which it was unlike me to apply to any one. I do not
remember whether or not it was told me that I ran away, nor whether
I said I was somewhere else. Both are likely enough.
26. "Did that man smoke? (I can't remember now whether he did or
not. I think so.) I don't mean StephenI mean the father. (No.
Why do you think that?) Well I will tell you. (No, he didn't.)"
W.: But it was Stephen, I think, who smoked. It certainly was not
father. If what follows is an attempt to explain the error about the
latter, it doesn't explain. But probably the attempt was abandoned,
the "pause" being the signal of a change of topic.
27. "[Pause] I see himwas this the fall of the year this happened?
(I'm not certain.) Grasses were drybecause I see him stoop and
pick up like something he broke offoutdoorslike a grassdry
and put it in his mouth with just that little waytrying to think
it out and put it in his mouth and then finally walks away. You're
outdoors you see, when this happens. (What happened?) When
all this thingwhen this thing comes to a conference. (Outdoors
yes. That's right.) And I see all the conference and see your
father stoop down as though he's picking up like a strawsome-
thing that might be there and thinking the thing over. He was
quite apt to think things over and you expected him to come right
to the front and stand up for you. It seems as though he would.
He didn't do either one. He wasn't against you or for you, do you
know what I mean? (I know what you say means. I don't know
whether he was or not.) I mean apparently he was. He was sort
of thinking things over and had a little look as though he never
believed your man against youhe couldn't quite understand it.
(No.) It was a queer thing, but he didn't believe it at all, but
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somehow it was such a distress to you that he didn't seehe didn't
believe ityou know what I mean, as though if he had said that
right out but somehow he walked along togetherit is a separa-
tion after the discussion is overand walking along with that
feelingmy, I'd like to prove this. You always had that back in
your head and you had no way of proving. He didn't act as
though he did. Do you understand? (I understand what you say.
You don't want me to tell something you're not saying. Now you
say outdoors. Where outdoors? Near what objects or something?
It might be very evidential if you could get that. Don't try for it,
if you don't get it. [Pause] I don't know whether you're imply-
ing that I was there when father was having the conference or not.)
No, I'm not. (Well, you see, I shouldn't even have said that. I'm
trying to guard the evidence. If I give you any information that
hurts what might come through later.) Here's the father, and
here's the man and they're having this talk and the father is sort
of thinking it overhe's not saying muchthe other man is saying
a lot, as though he feels mean, and the fatherit is just like a
conference, though you would expect conference to have more
people. The father walks away as though he leaves him right
there, then they catch up againdon't separate altogether, just
for a moment, then other fellow says some more. It seems rather
you know, I can hear steps on wood, as though I am just going to
a building. This is your father, you know, going to a building
where I step up one step and then step onto woodalmost like a
platform and it seems as though as I doI turn around and look
at this man, thinking about it. Later I find you stepping up on
some platform so it seems to me must be around your own place
where you are familiar. What goes on then I can't tell."
W.: I am almost certain it was in the Fall. It was not in Winter,
as then I would not have been set to "picking" stones in the lot, nor
Summer, for there was no school then. My father would have been too
busy with farm work in the Spring, I think, to have been engaged in
the slow task of splitting a rock with drills.
It appears to me that we have here an attempt further to describe
the interview with Stephen mingled, rather confusedly, with my own
mental reactions when I heard of it. "You're outdoors, you see, when
this happens" (the conference), sounds as though I personally were
present, but just as Mrs. Soule's control sometimes puts herself in the
place of the person of a past incident, saying, " I seem to be," etc., so
"you" sometimes has the colloquial indefinite sense of "you people"
the people connected with you whom I am talking about. I took it
this way at the moment, answering "that's right," but to satisfy the
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doubt, afterwards remarked, "I don't know whether you are implying
that I was there when father was having the conference or not,"
whereupon the control replied, " I am not." This was right, for I was
not present. Some readers will think my question hinted that I was
not present, and if the answer had been, "I am," and I had been
present they would be equally sure that the question hinted my
presence.
It is correct that the conference between father and Stephen was
outdoors; it was in the field where grass was plenty. Of course, I have
no knowledge of the details of the conference, but what is said about
the state of mind and manner of father has much verisimilitude. He
was "quite apt to think things over" before he committed himself.
Undoubtedly I afterwards felt that he ought to have " come right to
the front and stand [stood] up for you." But he would not have got
angry and broken out in defense of me as certain other men in the
neighborhood would have done in his place. "He wasn't for you or
against you" expresses what my knowledge of father convinces me
would be the case. He was a cautious man, quiet in demeanor, judicial
in spirit, although the deficiencies in his comprehension of child-
psychology sometimes led him to erroneous decisions. "He was sort
of thinking the thing over and had a little look as though he never
believed your man against you," is like him. He certainly would not
at once give in to an accusation against his sonit was probably my
strange answer, " I can't remember doing it," which afterwards made
him think for a time that I was guilty. "Here's the father, and here's
the man, and they're having this talk, and the father is sort of think-
ing it overhe's not saying muchthe other man is saying a lot, as
though he feels mean," exactly expresses what the general character-
istics of the two men would warrant. Father would listen, half skep-
tically owing to Stephen being such a queer fellow, half convinced by
his voluble, rehearsed and graphic story, would ask a question now and
then, finally say that he would talk to me and that if I had so acted he
would see that it did not occur again, and not much more. "You
would expect 'conference' to have more people," first recognizes the
fact that no others were present.
What follows is likely enough. Father came for me in a carriage
that same afternoon, and to get the buggy he had to go up from the
field to the carriage house, the floor of which was "like a platform,"
where the broad sliding door was pushed back, and which was reached
by one step from the ground outside. Stephen's following father for a
time and continuing his talk is unverifiable, though not improbable.
When father took me home I must have stepped " up on the same plat-
form," to go into the house and put on some old clothes for my un-
merited stone-picking punishment.
It could hardly be expected that father's thoughts, if they were in
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fact coming through, should correspond exactly with what I was in a
position to remember; all we can ask in regard to scenes at which no
living witness was present is that they should fit into the known frame-
work and be consistent with characters and circumstances. On the
other hand, if my mind was the telepathic source of the Stephen drama,
it is odd that so much stress should be laid upon the details of his con-
ference with Stephen, which would, of course, have been marked in his
memory, but of which I had little knowledge, and that there should
only be fragmentary and conjectural allusions to his meeting me at
the schoolhouse door and to the journey home, which have always been
the most prominent features in my memory of the affair, as well as no
possible reference to the stone-picking penance, to me the next most
poignant recollection. My query: "Can you get what I did after I
stepped on the platform?" was intended to draw out the feature of
my being sent in ignominy to labor in the stony lot, then called forth
vividly into memory, but it failed. Yet on the theory of telepathy from
me, my then state of consciousness, one of graphic picturing with the
revival of an emotional accompaniment, seemed well adapted to produce
a result.
28. "(Can you get what I did after I stepped on the platform?) I
don't get that just now and it seems that there is ayou know
this I don't say to compliment you, but you were always very up-
right. Was your makeup. Just born that way. Just sort of
thing you were bornupright."
W.: It is so much the fashion to be proud of having been a little
devil when young that it is humiliating to have to confess that I was
well-behaved as boys go, and that the immaculate atmosphere of my
home made me immune to the "cussing" and foul language which I
constantly heard in that glorious institution, the public school.
29. "And it seems that there was some few words that were little
different from what your father usually said to you and rather not
so awful cross, but very firm. (Yes, that's right.) As though expect
you to tell me the truth about this and it seems with that firmness
you answered just exactly in same spirit he asks you but you are
boiling inside because it is so unfair and it seems he doesn't say
right out whether he believes you or notyet, he doesn't do any-
thing to make you believe he disbelieves you. It is more neutral and
it seems that there is something that he saysanybody that would
do a thing like thatwith that firmnessas though it is a cowardly
thing. He would speak of it being a cowardly thing. If you
wanted to do anything to anybody do it openly, not behind their
backs. The thing didn't settle right there. It seems that there
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was a sensitiveness that came to you because others knew it beside
father and Stephen and (That's correct. Exactly.) Oh! there
was aI can't explain the feelingyou were youngyou were so
young and so wanted to be right and so eager to be thought right
because you were right that when the others knew about it there
was a kind of feeling then as though I want to go away and cry
but I don't. This is you. You felt as though you wanted to but
you didn't. Then after a timethis was referred to two or three
times and then droppedas though dropped and nothing ever more
done about it. (That's right.) Seems as though that wasn't way
you wanted it. You wanted to prove you were right and you
couldn't. Absolutely no way you could and father puts hand right
down on yoursthat he would have you know once and forever
that thing didn't mean to him what it did to you, as though he had
to pay attention to it and didn't know as if in a moment of fun you
may have done it and not mean to but whole thing drifted away
after that and now he sayslet's bury Stephen and that's all.
(Yes, that's right.) Goodbye."
W.: I take this to refer to the conference between father and me
after that between him and Stephen. The most of the statements,
exactly as they stand, I can substantiate. Father was " rather, not so
awful, cross, but very firm," that is, he was disturbed, and severe in his
manner of questioning, but not angry. "As though expect you to tell
the truth about this," is just right. That I answered with firmness is
right; I never receded from the declaration that I had no memory of
any such conduct as was described, and I was indeed "boiling inside"
with what seemed to me the awful injustice of the situation. He cer-
tainly didn't " say outright whether he believes you or not," but it is
hardly correct that he did nothing to make me believe he disbelieved me.
I thought him inclined to disbelieve me, suspicious that I had not told
the truth. If the stone-throwing was said to have begun when
Stephen's back was turned, which I do not remember, father would be
likely to speak as represented. "Others knew it beside father and
Stephen "the school was buzzing with it next day, which meant that
the whole neighborhood buzzed. I don't remember whether I cried or
not. Most likely I was too proudly indignant to do so, though at that
age I would probably have hard work not to do so. The matter was
not mentioned at home after a day or two, and there was "nothing
ever more done about it." What follows is quite trueI longed to be
vindicated but saw no way of bringing this about. The affair " didn't
mean to him what it did to you [me]," and he could never have known
at the time how deeply I was affected. "Didn't know as if in a moment
of fun you may have done it," implies that a single occasion and not
habitual conduct was charged, which is true.
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The whole main outline of the story is true. By far the greater
number of details givenand they are very manyare accurate as
they stand, many which are not within my recollection (and some I
could never have known) and are therefore the less likely to have been
derived by telepathy from me, are in perfect keeping with the human
characters and the circumstances, a very few are warped or incorrect.
RECORD OF NOVEMBER 27, 1925
(W. F. P.'s Early Life and a Remarkable Prediction)
Present: Miss T. B. Prince (Sitter), Mrs. Guinan (Secretary). Usual
procedure. AU responses by Mrs. G.
Abstract
1. Although Theodosia was the sitter, the first part of the script was
what may be called a "hang-over" from the last sitting.
"It is with a picture which is of the same period as that which
the father was recalling the last day we were here. There is some-
thing which is liquid but thick and brown and is a rather deep con-
tainer. It is poured out and is used for some cleansing purposes,
and is I think a kind of soap which was made at home . . . some-
thing to do with the thought of the killing of the pigs I think, for
after the suggestion was given of the pig there immediately fol-
lowed the thought of some use made of grease and then this further
picture of this cleansing mixture. I believe that this form of soap-
making was discontinued after a time. And, with a smile, the
spirit speaks of the very unusual memory for one to use for identi-
fication from the life after death, but we tell him that the things
that come after death are unprovable, and the more unusual and
the less spiritual the body of material that comes through the better
the evidence."
W.: The picture presented is far from "unusual " in farming life
of a half century and more ago, though it might be unusual in the
thoughts of one in the environment of a spirit world. That is to say,
while not unusual for the purposes of evidence to us, this remark might
be understandable as coming from a consciousness long accustomed to
another environment.
The picture is a true one, and belongs precisely to the period of my
early boyhood; it probably ceased to be a living one by the time I was
twelve years old. The making of soap which was " liquid but thick and
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brown and is in a rather deep container," namely a wash-boiler, fol-
lowing pig killing, and utilizing pork fat, I remember distinctly.
The explanation of how "thought" and "suggestion" and "pic-
ture" followed each other, hints at a telepathic process. The telep-
athy may be construed, according to the weight of evidence in the
reader's mind from his acquaintance with the mass of records, to be
from the dead or from the living. I may remark that no thought of the
old process of soap-making was consciously in my mind, and that it
must have been very seldom that I had thought of it in thirty years.
The last sentence of the quoted passage intimates that there are
spirits on the other side as interested in these experiments as we are,
and ready to instruct others who are amateurs in such matters, and as
inclined as many living persons are to talk about supramundane things,
that these are not evidence, while even trivial statements about their
earth lives may be evidential in one degree or another. Or it might
indicate the sophistication of the psychic, as one pleases.
2. Minute description of leggins, white wool petticoat, bonnet and
cape said to have been worn by Theodosia when a little girl, and
recalled by her mother. The description of all these articles is
quite erroneous, as applied to her early garments.
A Phediction
3. Description of a disaster to come 1 "not years from nowcan't
1 Below is the full record of the prediction, from which the reader can assure
himself that the abstract, made to concentrate its essence, is just and adequate.
I seem to be a thousand miles from here, off where there are high, high hills in
the distance. Beautiful picture of country and I see something like way off
almost at the end of the horizon linesomething like a fire. It keeps coming up
like a puff, puff, puff of flame. I don't think it's in the pastit seems to be some-
thing that is coming and it isn't often that we're shown pictures like that, is it?
(No.)
It's a tremendous conflagration and it's so far away that it doesn't affect in any
personal way the people here, coming here to this place, but it is in this most beau-
tiful place where the destruction is so tremendous that it seems like tragedy and loss
and suffering and it'sit's so near in and it's cominghow can I tell you that. It's
as though I could put my hand out and with the soot and ashes write the word
destructiondistressdespairand it's right out of theright out of the unexpected
conditionsit's really like a great explosion for I hear noiserumble, rumble,
noise, flame and terror. I don't like to see it but it's something that I have to see.
I don't think it's across the water, it seems more toward the west, as though I'm
going toward the west, toward a country that's familiar to the man who is here
so much, you know.
(You mean Dr. Prince?)
Yes, sir. Yes. ma'am. Yes, madam. What shall I say?
(That's all right. Go on.)
And I can see him saying [tut, tut, tutl with his tongue as if it's so terrible
isn't this terrible to see a thing like thisl
(Yes, it must be.)
Well, why did I see it?
(There must be some reason. You had better tell it all.)
It will effect other people as much as it does himas a catastrophebut he will
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tell you how soon," "I seem to be a thousand miles from here, off
where there are high hills in the distance," "beautiful picture of
country and I see something like way offalmost at the end of the
horizon linesomething like fire. It keeps coming up like a puff,
puff, puff of flame," " tremendous conflagration and its so far away
it doesn't affect in any personal way the people here, it is in this
most beautiful place where the destruction is so tremendous that it
seems like tragedy and loss and suffering "; " it's as though I could
put my hand out and with the soot and ashes write the word de-
structiondistressdespair, and it's right out of unexpected con-
ditions, really like a great explosion for I hear noise, rumble,
rumble, noise, flame and terror," "I don't think it is across the
water, it seems more to the West, as though I'm going toward the
West, toward a country that's familiar to the man who is here so
much" [W. F. P.], "he will say 'I know the place, I know the
place,' as, having been familiar with it, makes him feel a personal
contact with the tragedy," "it is an explosion of some sort. I
don't know what causes it but it is everything up in the air with
explosion and, oh, everything. Soon over, not long duration but
quick and tragic and over," " his wife is also familiar with the place
and that's why I am seeing itmakes me sick, really makes me sick.
I don't see any people that are hurtI just know they are but I
don't see them, but I feel the terror and disaster." This is all
except for a few mere repetitions, and the intimation that the pre-
sayI know the place, I know the placeas, having once been familiar with it
makes him feel a personal contact with the tragedy, see?
(Yes.)
And just how I see itI can't tell you. It is an explosion of some sort. I don't
know what causes it but it is everything up in the air with explosion and oh, every-
thing. Soon over. Not long duration but quick and tragic and over.
(You think it's coming or has been.) [Asked because Miss P. had written me a
note saying. "It sounds like the description of the burning of the Armory at San
Bernardino."l
Coming! Coming! I don't think it has been. Did he ever have anything
like that?
(No, I just wanted to get it right.)
Noto come. And soon. Soon. Not years from nowcan't tell you how soon
it is but you know his wife is also familiar with the place and that's why I'm seeing
itmakes me sickreally makes me sick. I don't see any people that are hurtI
just know they are, but I don't see them but I feel the terror and disaster.
(Yes.)
Have to leave it.
(All right.)
Betterhadn't I?
(Yes.)
They never seem to show things prophetic like that to him, do they?
(No. not before, I don't think.)
I don't think so. Well, see what comes of it. He would like something like
that, wouldn't he?
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diction is intended as evidence for my benefit" see what comes of
it. He would like something like that, wouldn't he?"
W.: Let me list the particulars which seem called for in any disaster
to take place in the future.
a. It should occur in less than two full years.
b. And probably at some hundreds of miles distance from Boston.
(We must not construe " I seem to be a thousand miles from here," too
literally; this is probably merely an expression implying great
distance.)
c. And westward from Boston.
d. In a region either of high hills (not necessarily mountains) or
at least from which high hills are visible.
e. A region which has much beauty. (It is nowhere intimated that
the precise spot of the disaster is beautiful; the vision is from a
distance.)
f. A region with which W. F. Prince has been familiar so that he
will or could say, " I know the place," and will feel a sense of personal
contact.
g. And a "place" with which Mrs. Prince also was familiar.
h. The disaster should involve a fire, and
i. If the language is construed literally, it must be a great fire.
j. But the words "it is an explosion" imply that the essential
nature of the disaster, whatever goes with it, is that it is an explosion.
k. Not simply an explosion, but "a great explosion . . . rumble,
rumble, noise, flame and terror, everything up in the air."
l. There should not be any long fire, as of a city burning for many
hours. Explosion, fire and all which involves tragedy should be brief.
(" Soon over. Not long duration but quick and tragic and over.")
m. The disaster should arise "out of unexpected conditions."
n. With resultant deaths and injuries (" tragedy," "tragic," "I
don't see any people that are hurtI just know they are.")
o. And loss of property (" loss," " destruction.")
p. Loss of property on a large scale (" destruction is so tre-
mendous.")
The particulars that I, and my wife also, were familiar with the
place, limit the field of fulfilment very much. Westward of New York
City and adjacent parts of New Jersey which appear to me too near
to be within the spirit of "I seem to be a thousand miles away," and
which certainly are not regions of " high hills," the only regions which
Mrs. Prince and I were both familiar with were two in number, the
region of Pittsburgh, Pa., and the region of San Bernardino, Calif.
We cannot, then, apply "a thousand miles" to either literally, as
Pittsburgh is about 600 miles as the crow flies, from Boston, while San
Bernardino is nearly 3,000 miles. Of the two, Pittsburgh comes the
nearer literally meeting this particular, but as the quotation seems to
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me merely to be equivalent to a long distance, hundreds and hundreds
of miles, if such a disaster as described in detail should come at or near
San Bernardino within a couple of years, I think it would fill the bill.
But it certainly did not, nor up to the present time. What about
Pittsburgh?
The record of this sitting I had neglected, taking no stock in its
prediction, and when I read it again, October 11, 1928, I had actually
forgotten that the prediction had been made. Then I remembered a
certain disaster, though not its date or its details, and wrote down the
above fifteen points which would best fulfil the prediction, and the next
day went to the Boston Public Library to consult a file of the New
York Times and find out exactly what the facts were.
On November 14, 1927, not quite two full years from the date of
this sitting (Point a), at Pittsburgh, Pa., nearly 600 miles from Bos-
ton (b), and west of it (c), in a region of comparatively high hills (d),
one of much natural beauty (e), far more familiar to W. F. Prince
than any westward of New York and adjacent parts of New Jersey
(ruled out by two considerations probably, by one certainly) except
the region of San Bernardino, Calif, (f), and also to Mrs. Prince who
with her husband had lived five years in Pittsburgh (g), there took
place an explosion (j). It was a "great explosion" (k), one of the
greatest from any cause that ever took place in the United States.
The largest storage tank of natural gas in the world, with a capacity
of 5,000,000 cubic feet, a tank measuring 233 feet in diameter and
208 feet in height, exploded and went up in an instant, followed by the
explosion of a near-by tank of 4,000,000 cubic feet capacity, and then
by that of a tank farther away, holding 500,000 cubic feet of gas.
There had been only two previous explosions of gas holders in this
country, one in Houston, Texas, Dec. 3, 1910, the other in Columbus,
Ohio, Feb. 6, 1919. Both these were pigmy disasters compared with
the mighty upheaval at Pittsburgh and in neither were lives lost.
The explosion was, of course, caused by fire, and involved a fire (h).
And it was certainly a "great fire" (i). The New York Times of
Nov. 15, 1927, said: "The huge basin . . . was blown apart, and a
great sheet of flame shot a thousand feet upward. ... A second tank,
containing 4,000,000 cubic feet of gas, and situated about 200 feet
away, was crushed in. Its contents ignited and a second mighty blaze
went up. A third tank, several hundred feet distant, of 500,000 cubic
feet capacity, and partly filled, was burst asunder by the force of the
explosion, and its contents added to the volume of flame that could be
seen for miles." Unquestionably the term " tremendous conflagration"
in the script is appropriate, unless one imports the notion that a con-
flagration must last a long time.
But this idea is directly contradicted in the script. "Everything"
is to be "soon over" (l). And so it was in the Pittsburgh disaster.
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The three tanks went up in swift succession and the ruin each wrought
was done in an instant. I do not know how long the ocean of flame in
the air from burning gas would last, but surely not more than a few
minutes.
It would be a probability that such a disaster would arise " right
out of the unexpected conditions," but not a certainty. For example,
it might arise in the midst of the known conditions of a turbulent labor
strike, or after anonymous threats of Anarchists. In fact, workmen
were sent to repair a supposedly empty tank with blow torches. Un-
expectedly the tank must have had gas remaining in it, so the expres-
sion is most appropriate.
On the 16th of November the Times announced that there were
27 known dead, and that the list was probably not complete (n).
There were estimated to be 600 injured. We are told that "Many
women and children in the tenements were badly injured," that " every-
where through the downtown section of the city were victims of glass
falling from broken windows who ran bleeding through the streets,"
that " in the homes within half a mile of the tanks were many too badly
hurt to flee," that "many, weak from the loss of blood, had fallen to
the sidewalks," that scores of children, on the way to school, were in-
jured by falling bricks, glass and bits of iron, that a procession of
persons streamed from the hospital homeward, their faces grotesque
masks of reddened bandages, or their arms in slings, etc. The terms
"tragedy " and " tragic " in Mrs. Soule's trance statement are, then,
quite warranted.
And what of " loss " and " destruction" (o)? It was probably the
most destructive explosion that ever occurred in this country (p). We
are told that "the disaster gripped an area of about one square mile
fronting on the Ohio River and centering in Reedsdale Street," where
the tanks of the Equitable Gas Company stood. The wreckage in this
quarter of "thickly settled, old-fashioned brick and frame dwellings
crowding one upon the other, with factories, warehouses and industrial
plants intermingling" (for so sadly had the lovely village of "Old
Chester Tales" changed) rendered, it was estimated, 5,000 persons
homeless. "When the firemen reached the scene they were halted by
the appalling sight. Streets had been lifted into the air, breaking
water mains and sewers and flooding the entire district. Homes,
factories, warehouses and industrial plants lay in ruins. Men, women
and children, many with blood streaming from face cuts and other
injuries, ran screaming through the streets as if mad ("terror").
This about covers it, but there remains to call attention to the
curious fitness of certain words in the script and finally, to one as-
tounding coincidence of which I have as yet given no hint.
If the word "mountains " had been used, one could apologize for
them from loose popular usage. But "high hills" happens to be
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exactly right, for Pittsburgh is in a region of high hills, some of them
seeming higher than they are because of their steep sides.
Had there been the least intimation that the very locality of de-
struction was beautiful, it would have been grievously in error. But
the point of vision seems to be at some distance from the spot of dis-
aster. "Beautiful picture of country and I see something like way
offalmost at the end of the horizon linesomething like fire." And
the country around Pittsburgh, as well as many views from it, is
beautiful. And, anent what was seen in the trance vision at a distance,
I may quote again from the Times: "The force of the explosion was
seen many miles, and toward the heavens a ball of fire rose, signalling
its message of disaster."
There is not a word about seeing any people, in fact it is expressly
said, " I don't see any people that are hurt," but we are forbidden to
think that any explosion in a rural region would answer the prescrip-
tion, by the expressions "destruction is so tremendous that it seems
like tragedy and loss and suffering . . . destruction, distress, de-
spair . . . catastrophe . . . quick and tragic and over . . . really
makes me sick ... I just know that they are [hurt], but I don't see
them but I feel the terror and disaster." These terms imply a concen-
tration of people and property, else such a train of consequences could
not be " quick and tragic and over."
Again, the script says that the fire " keeps coming up like a puff,
puff, puff of flame." I call attention to the singular appropriateness
of the word " puff." This fire was not an ordinary one as of burning
buildings, but one where liberated burning gas at once leaped to great
heights. Note the words of eyewitnesses. "The huge basin was
blown apart . . . and a great sheet of flame shot a thousand feet
upward. ... A second tank was crushed in. . . . Its contents ignited
and a second mighty blaze went up. A third tank was burst asunder
. . . and its contents were added to the volume of flame that could be
seen for miles." To one some distance away, as in the trance vision, it
would look like mighty puffs of fire. And, let it be chance or design,
the thrice-repeated "puff" of the script corresponds to the three
actual ones.
The first mighty crash would be followed by a rumbling both from
the falling buildings, ripping streets and other species of destruction,
and from the repercussions of the surrounding hills. And each burst-
ing tank would make another crash. So, although there is here no
numerical correspondence as in the case of the puffs, we have the accu-
rately descriptive " noise, rumble, rumble, noise, flame and terror."
"He [W. F. P.] will say, 'I know the place, I know the place,' as
having once been familiar with it makes him feel a personal contact
with the tragedy." When the tragedy came I had quite forgotten the
predictionhaving read it hastily and with distaste, as I expected
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nothing less than its fulfilment, and undoubtedly I felt and may indeed
have spoken, as stated, since I had lived five years not merely in Pitts-
burgh but on the North Side, where the disaster occurred, and only
about two miles from the seat of it. I knew the place, Pittsburgh, I
knew the North Side particularly, and I knew the very locality.
Butand here is the remarkable coincidencethat of all the dis-
asters that were to come in the United States the one which was, ac-
cording to the many indicia given, picked out, was the one which was
to take place within about three squares from the house where the
sitter this day, Theodosia, was born and lived for the first seventeen
years of her life! The explosion was in the very neighborhood where
several of her relatives were living in houses which were more or less
injured by it. Bear in mind that the place, being one a long distance
westward, one of high hills and one familiar to both Mrs. Prince and
myself, could on those conditions be only San Bernardino or Pitts-
burgh, and that all the details singularly suit the Pittsburgh disaster.
And now note the incentive which might lie behind the prediction. If
there is such a thing as foreknowing on the part of spirits, then Mrs.
Prince, from whom the prediction professes to come, might well think
it a great opportunity in spite of its sadness, to pick out the one to
occur not only in the city and city district of our residence, but also in
the very neighborhood where her foster-daughter had grown up.
There is another fact which is rather interesting. Although there
had never been an explosion among the gas tanks, there had always
been a fear of one. And Theodosia had a number of times told Mrs.
Prince of the neighborhood fears, how when the fire signal indicating
the region of the tanks was heard, even if it were night, people left
their beds and made for the hills. Mrs. Prince seemed to take an in-
terest in these tales, more than she did in those which concerned general
affairs of Theodosia's early home. There is something dramatically
opportune in the purported announcement of this coming disaster by
the spirit of Mrs. Prince.
Ah! have we not here the key to the "message"? Is it not really
built up of telepathic flashes from the mind of the sitter? Well, if so,
the subconscious flashes never reached the surface, since all the sitter
could think of at the time was a fire which had already happened in
San Bernardino, which was only a single building in which for an hour
cartridges went off like crackers, a fire which involved no "puffs," no
deaths, no injuries, no great loss of property and no terror or distress.
Againand I wickedly concealed until now this fact, in order to be-
guile the resolute over-worker of the telepathic theorythe fear which
the people felt and which the sitter so well remembered, was that from
the flames of a burning building the tanks might become ignited. If
the vision of the psychic had contained a burning building and a fire
engine, and people running toward the hills, it would have looked
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strongly as though from the sitter's memories. But with no burning
building, no fire engine, no fleeing people, no distinctive mark of the
sitter's memories, the case for telepathy shows little plausibility. And
if telepathy can prophesy, if from the elements which lay in the sit-
ter's mind so exact and detailed an event of the future can be worked
out, then we have walked away from one mysterious explanation only
to run upon another exactly as mysterious.
But one may say, "Let us return to the theory that the spirit of
Mrs. Prince somehow, by a process which we cannot imagine, came to
the knowledge of a tragic event of the future to happen in a place
that she and her husband both knew. In that case, she must have
known that it would intimately relate itself to Theodosia, and should
have known that the event would be in the very neighborhood of her
girlhood. How, then, on the spiritistic theory, explain the fact that
Theodosia, the actual sitter, is not mentioned once, as if the whole
tragic matter was of no concern to her?
First remarking that I have no desire to favor the spirit theory any
more than the facts and the logic of the facts demand, I am compelled
to say that if we regard the prediction as something more than an
astonishing complex of coincidences, then the failure to mention Theo-
dosia can be explained on the spiritistic theory more plausibly than the
telepathic, even if we could admit a telepathy capable of so near an
approach to prophecy. If out of her recollections stored in the sub-
conscious, were passed over to the medium scraps of data regarding
the dangers that actually did exist from the gas tanks, and which she
personally had shared, then indeed we do have an insoluble puzzle why
she does not appear at all in the drama supposedly so derived. Surely
one's subconscious thoughts are not so self-effacing. Since her sub-
conscious thoughts regarding the gas tanks would be founded upon her
own experiences, how would they be able to conceal her from herself,
how make only Mrs. Prince and me, who had never shared in those
fears, so prominent that we only passed over into Mrs. Soule's dream,
with all recognition of herself obliterated?" What a tangled web we
weave " when we try to explain such a phenomenon as this on the theory
of telepathy from the living!
Whereas there could be, on the spiritistic theory, a thoroughly in-
telligible reason for being silent as to the fact that the disaster con-
cerned a neighborhood of greater familiarity to Theodosia than to me
and Mrs. Prince. Suppose this also had been declared, it would have
added to the evidence, but it might not have been very humane. Telep-
athy between the living, clairvoyance or any similar real or purported
process has shown no regard for human feelings, but that is precisely
what we might reasonably expect a spirit to do. A spirit (Mrs.
Prince) might and probably would think, even if she knew about the
coming disaster to the last detail, "I want to make that pointed and
detailed enough so that the investigator will be able distinctly to
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recognize it when it comes to pass, but I am afraid if I am too definite
as to locality, or betray that it is the one of her girlhood, that it will
affect her emotions injuriously, worry her, since I know that she has
relatives and friends there." Thus, the silence about the sitter, the
absence of any express intimations related to her which could set her
mind off on a track leading to Reedsdale Street, on which she was
born, and to the gas tanks, and thus might set up a condition of anx-
iety, is more intelligible as the intent of a reasoning being than it is as
the result of any automatic and mechanical process.
I am well aware that, after all I have said, there will be readers
whose emotional distaste for anything that savors of prediction, will
cause them to say that all which happened was pure coincidence. I
can sympathize with the distaste, from which I myself have not fully
recovered, but think that one's logical and mathematical sense ought to
be disembarrassed from it enough to recognize that if coincidence, it
was one of extraordinary unlikelihood. The event to come to pass
must (A) fit a number of particulars as to its nature and the nature
and magnitude of its results; (B) to fit a region of beauty and high
hills, hundreds of miles west of Boston; (C) and a locality personally
familiar to me and also my late wife; (D) and to occur, not some time
within my lifetime, but soon enough so that the term "years " would
not be appropriate.
One thinks how many accidents occur in the great region hundreds
of miles westward. But a railroad accident will not do, nor the fall
of a big building, nor a big fire which is not associated with an ex-
plosion, nor a big explosion not associated with fire, nor an explosion
plus fire which is not destructive to human beings, nor an explosion plus
fire which is not destructive to property on a considerable scale, nor
all of these together if the fire continues long. Nor, if all these right
particulars as to accident and its consequences combine will the com-
bination do if it is found near Boston, or to the east of it or in the
southeastern part of the country, or to the north, or in a region which
does not present "a beautiful picture of country," or one which has
no high hills in it. Nor, if all these conditions, which surely bar the
vast majority of important accidents in the whole country, combine
will the case be met, if the event occurs twenty or ten or even five
years afterstrictly not if two full years elapse. Finally, and ex-
ceedingly important, the place must be one that I was "once familiar
with," so that it makes me " feel a personal contact with the tragedy,"
and the scope is still further limited by the stipulation that my wife
was " also familiar with it." As a matter of fact, the items of distance
westward, high hills and familiarity on the part of both Mrs. Prince
and myself limits the locality of the disaster complexly described to one
of two regions, that of Pittsburgh and that of San Bernardino, fitting
the former better than the latter (since a distance of about 600 miles
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conforms to "I seem to be a thousand miles from here," nearer than
does a distance of about 3,000 miles, and since mountains would better
fit the California district than "high hills"). Now we have it; the
question narrows down to how great a likelihood there was that there
would occur within two years, either in or near the great city of Pitts-
burgh, or in the little one of San Bernardino, an accident of which the
following particulars, in combination, would be truly descriptive: "an
explosion," "a great explosion," "everything up in the air with ex-
plosion," a " fire," it " keeps coming up like a puff, puff, puff of flame,"
"noise, rumble, rumble, noise, flame, and terror," a "tremendous con-
flagration," " not long duration but quick and tragic and over," "de-
struction is so tremendous that it seems like a tragedy and loss and
suffering," "destruction, distress,/despair." I do not insist that the
explosion, the fire, the destruction of property, and the injury to
human beings, in order to meet the prescription, must needs be as great
as each actually was in Pittsburgh, but I do insist that no minor ex-
plosion, no explosion without fire, no small fire, no fire, however great,
without an explosion, no combination of these without tragedy, no
combination of all the foregoing particulars without extensive loss of
property, no long duration of a destructive agency like a fire which
burns for hours, will fit the trance stipulations. I think the chance of
getting all these particulars right in combination for either of these
two places very small indeed. I do not think there have been many
disasters where all the descriptive and limiting clauses apply (omitting
the relation to me and my wife) in the history of American communi-
ties. Of course, there have been some.
Take the only other two explosions of gas holders which have oc-
curred in the United States, those of Columbus, Ohio, and Houston,
Texas; imagine that they occurred after the prediction and within the
period indicated. How well would they fit the particulars given by the
psychic? In part I do not know, but I do know that in neither was
there loss of life, that neither fits the description of natural scenery,
and that neither Mrs. Prince nor I was in the least familiar with
either place. I can remember many disasters involving the loss of
many lives or of much property, or both, but cannot myself remember
one occurring within my lifetime where all of the given particulars,
aside from distance and relationship to Mrs. Prince and me, were
realized.
I repeat and insist that another feature should not be ignored.
Granting the medium, by whatever process, glimpsed the future, there
seems to have been a selective power involved. There were to be many
important events, including disasters, in the country within two years,
some of them connected with places I (and Mrs. Prince) had known.
But out of all events was selected, or by marvelous chance the medium's
guess hit upon, the accident which was to take place in the city and
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district of the city, and but a couple minutes walk from the house,
where the sitter that day lived for the first seventeen years of her life!
4. Reference to " a tall hat that I think his father had something to
do with," one " that might have been worn in '68 or '70, somewhere
around then," used on special occasions.
Then the communicator wabbled, and said, "either father or
man himself, you know."
W.: True, I once had a tall hat, but am not ancient enough to have
worn one of the vintage of '68 or '70. Father had a tall hat which
disappeared in my early boyhood, and which I do not recollect seeing
him wear, though I remember the hat, and the box in which it was
kept. The communicator does not profess to give the exact period of
the hat. My guess is that father bought it for his wedding in the
fifties, and probably he wore it on a few special occasions.
DECEMBER 10, 1925, 11:15-12:30
(Relating to W. F. P.'s Early Life)
Present: Miss Prince, Mrs. Guinan (Secretary). Responses by Mrs.
G. Purported communicator, the mother of W. F. P.
1. Control sees mother with a small well-worn book like a book of
psalmsor Bible selections. I do not remember this, though
mother had a small well-worn Bible of her own.
2. Hears mother repeat The Lord is my Shepherd as if it were a
favorite selection. It was among her favorites.
3. Reference to family devotional exercises at some particular time in
the week. There were family devotional exercises every morning,
no special weekly ones.
4. Mother seen to hold up a pin, a "brooch," " as if it were one she
wore only occasionally." It is "very much like a cameo" and is
set in gold and is old; it is now in some one's possession, but not
W. F. P.'s. Mother had a brooch, quite large and oval, like many
cameo pins, old and set in gold, which was worn only occasionally,
and is not in my possession. The central part was hair under glass.
5. Reference to getting ready for Sunday School on Saturday after-
noons by studying a lesson paper. Quite true for the children of
the family, though there was no set time for it, Saturday after-
noons were as likely as any.
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6. A strong religious spirit around the children. True.
7. She shows a small garment, not a coat or shirt but perhaps a jacket
or a vest, worn by her son [\V. F. P.] when quite young, and made
by her. A picture of him was made, wearing this, and he has a look
of "open and boyish wonder and readiness to look out into the
waiting world." I had but one photograph taken before I was six-
teen, and in that I wore a jacket made by mother. Some might
think that the expression fitted the description.
8. Picture of W. F. P. as a small boy, with some throat difficulty
which made it difficult to swallow, being coaxed to drink by offering
the medicine in a special cup which had been in the family a long
time and was associated with illness. I had trouble with my throat
which made it difficult to swallow, as do most people, but do not
remember any such cup.
9. Reference to " an old church with pews which have little white doors
and dark rails on top and buttons to keep them closed. The church
we attended had no pew doors. The pews were white and had
dark rails.
10. In this church "they stood up to sing and turned around to look
at some one in the choir." If this had been " stood up and turned
around to face the choir as they sang," it would have been correct.
In that church there was this queer custom.
11. And a man "bellowed forth bass." Of course, a man sang bass,
but I remember no bass who sang loud enough to call it bellowing.
In spite of incorrect or uncertain particulars, I am struck by the
general truth of what is said. The piety of my mother, her Bible
reading and fondness for certain passages in it, the family devotional
exercises, the preparation of Sunday School lessons, the strong reli-
gious spirit of the home, church attendance, my mother's making my
clothing with her own hands, all these were by no means foregone con-
clusions. In fact, probably not one half of the children in the neigh-
borhood went to Sunday School, and not nearly one half of the families
attended church.
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DECEMBER 15, 1925, 11:37-12:32
(Objects in the Prince House, Etc.)
Present: W. F. P. and Mrs. Guinan (Secretary). Apparent communi-
cator, Father of W. F. P. All bearing on evidence is given below.
1. "I thought of a day when there was a going away and the follow-
ing days of unrest until you were heard from Long ago when you
were starting away for school and there had been so much to think
of in the preparations and then all was quiet and the waiting began
but I did not realize until then what it meant to have the distance
between and as I recall it now there is a return of the old sense of
loneliness"
I was the only one of the children to attend a seminary so far away
that I did not return either every night or weekly. If this had been
addressed to either of my brothers or my sister it would have been in-
correct. Of course, so fond a father as mine would feel as described.
It is not, however, absolutely certain that a father will be fond.
2. "Quite apart and yet as a background a stove is in mind a stove in
which wood was burned but not a cooking stove It was what was
called an air air tight stove I think It was not round but oval
(Yes.) and an excellent heater and was in our home (Do you re-
member what room?) Yes and that is what I was coming to
(Well, that's all right.) for it seemed strange to me that it should
persist in the memories until I recalled that I had often seen you
near it and putting wood in the door (Yes, I guess I did.) and there
were times when it smoked and there was talk of having it too full
and as you may recall I always had a special care about fire (Yes,
I wish you would go into that more. Stove or fire or anything else
you care aboutroom, or anything you can, branching off.) and
there was a box near it where wood was kept and kept full too for
that was (Yes, tell anything more about it.) another thing I always
tried to impress on you that the boxes were full of wood I did not
want your mother going after wood and the room was very sunny
where that air tight stove was"
Commonplace in every detail, and yet in its absolute truth of every
detail making a picture very familiar to my memory.
In the living-room was a stove exactly as described, an oval, air-
tight one, not a cooking stove, an excellent heater. It did smoke when
too crowded with wood, and there were some smoky times, to my recol-
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lection. Father was exceedingly cautious about how the stoves were
left at night and about anything which might possibly set fire to the
buildingsthis was a distinguishing trait. The wood-box (built-in)
was indeed near this stove, both being near a door with just the parti-
tion wall between them. It is true that father impressed on me as a
boy that the wood-box must be kept supplied with wood so that mother
would not have to fetch it. The room was indeed a very sunny one.
3. "And it had a few things there that were associated with you for
there had been [sighs] a number of conferences about the future
for you and there had been some [takes deep breath] things left
behind which were to be sent to you (I wish you could tell what
they were, for I don't remember now.) later if you needed them for
the women of the family felt that there should be so much done to
take care of you I right now want to say something about 3
women (All right, go ahead.) at home"
I do not remember of anything "left behind," but coupling this
with " the women of the family felt there should be so much done to
take care of you " it might be that here is a confused attempt to refer
to the periodical sending of boxes of food to me during one or more
terms, when I " boarded myself," as the saying was. The preparation
of this food would, of course, be done by the women of the household.
There was a period when there were three women living in the house,
my mother, my sister, and my father's sister. I cannot remember nor
learn just when the latter came to live with us, but am inclined to
think it was when I was still in this school.
4. "And about another piece of furniture [' ooh,' murmurs] (Yes,
what about that?) in that same room (Yes, go ahead. I would
like to hear about that.) It was of dark wood (Yes.) and it was
something you used (Well, I can remember such a thinggo
ahead.) and it had been put in order before you left and was kept
as you left it and then later wait I am going too fast for one thing
brings another but I was not referring to the table although there
was one there but this was more closely associated with you and it
had been used by you and do you not recall that there were com-
partments compartments [Written slowly and thoughtfully] for
the articles used and now I want to refer to up stairs upstairs bed
room but not same room where I was a moment ago (I see.) [Pause
in writing.] Writing [Pause] [Oral: 'Wait a minute. Wait a
minute. Don't let go.' (All right.) 'Take hold of it. Take hold
of it.' (Stick to it.) 'Yes, take hold of it, take hold of it.'] I
thought I was confusing the scenes but will keep on Just between
two windows that were not precisely side by side but where the light
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from each fell on to this it is to give better light by day but there
was a lamp which was near for study [Oral: 'Wait a minute.'
Pause in writing.] I must get this through if I can (Well, keep
to it.) Do you remember a big chair which was a rocking chair
(Yes.) which had something on the back of it which was made at
home a kind of ornament which looked like white knitted tidy (Oh,
yes. Such things most everybody had then. Too bad you couldn't
have got through a better description of that thing that was asso-
ciated with me but perhaps you can later.) and this was much
stretched out you [Read 'stitched out'] no no stretched out
(The tidy was?) yes (Well, I wouldn't remember that.) the desk
No it was something like the shape of a desk but had a kind of
handle straight dark piece of wood which was movable and helped
to make the m [Oral: ' Can't get it.'] moo org [Pencil laid down.
New one given.] (Keep on.) helped to make the sound and music
music (What helped make sound and music?) long straight
[pause] (Well, were you dissatisfied with org?) not the bellows
but organ (Well, that's like it. What was the trouble before you
got org? Can you tell me what the difficulty was not getting the
rest of it before?) I thought I ought to go on with the description
of the piece of wood (Well, do you now?) which was the accelerator
That is not its name but it made it loud or (Yes, I understand what
you mean, but why did your mind fix on that particular part of it,
I wonder. Have you any idea?) I rather think it was because as
I looked below the music rack [Oral: ' ooh '] board I was going to
write about the sheets of music as they might be misunderstood and
come through as papers (I see. That's interesting.) You see first
I thought of sheets of music and sheets suggested bed (And that
brought about bedroom?) yes and bedroom (Well, that's interest-
ing.) suggested bureau and then I made my escape (That's very
illuminating as to the process.) by looking underneath and saw the
long lever (Yes.) and if you can believe it that also suggested the
pulls [N. R.] pulls to an old fashioned desk on which the lid rests
(Yes.) when open and about that time I thought I must give up
but or org but org came (Oh, yes, org came.) through and then
I had more hope you see we work in contact with the friends who
hold the light in the trance I have not much to do with the phys-
ical process but I do get the reactions of the mental processes of
those who are helping me (I see.) It is oftener the mental processes
of the helpers than of your own mind or your helpers the one awake
and the one asleep I have done fairly well when I really begin to
reason it out"
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So far as concerns the additions to evidence, the text could have
been boiled down to a few sentences. But the long passage is printed
for the light it professes to throw upon mediumistic processes.
Already there had been the statement that in the room were "a
few things that were associated with you," which drifted off into the
remark, irrelevant in that connection, regarding "conferences about
the future." In a general way, of course, everything was associated
with me. But particularly, and in a manner solely, associated with me
were only the cabinet organ, the organ stool, and the book and sheets
of music on the organ. Later comes what may well be judged a return
to the subject from which the thoughts had drifted" another piece
of furniture [than the stove] in that same room. It was of dark
wood." The organ was made of black walnut. "And it was some-
thing you used." I only played on the organ, and I had been accus-
tomed to practice and play on it a great deal during the two years
immediately before going away to school. "And it had been put in
order before you left." I only remember that more than once I took
out all the reeds and cleaned the dust from them. "And was kept as
you left it." No one else in the family could play on it. Then the
script drifts to "do you not recall that there were compartments,"
leading to doubt if the organ was referred to, and to several objects
up-stairs. Then: " The deskno, it was something like the shape of a
desk but had a kind of handle, straight dark piece of wood, which was
movable and helped to make the m- m-o- o org helped make the sound
and music . . . not the bellows but organ ... I thought I ought to
go on with the description of the piece of wood which was the acceler-
ator. . . . That is not its name but it made it loud or" All was now
plainthe organ, and the "straight dark piece of wood which was
movable" was what is known as a swell, which, pressed by the knee,
makes the sound louder or softer.
But why all this skipping about from one thing to another, and
apparently returning to the organ, only to digress again, and again
return, at last to make the first references to it intelligible? No one
would purposely make such a hash. Especially no one intending to
designate an organ, which it at length unmistakably appears the pur-
pose to do, would purposely obscure the evidence by dragging in some-
thing about compartments applicable to a desk. This is not the way
that wide-awake, crafty mediums talk. Some automatic process was
going on in Mrs. Soule's trance state which demands explanation.
This explanation the communicator professes to give. It is not
perfectly clear, but he seems to say that what gets set down is the
result not only of his thinking but also of "the mental processes" of
two others, " the one awake and the one asleep," which latter may mean
the "control" or spirit expert in the matter of influencing the me-
dium's brain, and the sleeping medium herself.
At any rate, the communicator plainly asserts that it is very diffi-
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cult for the three to keep a particular item of memory steadily in view,
and plainly indicates that digressions are very apt to occur by associ-
ation of ideas. It is easy to see how this could be. While any living
human being is conversing his thoughts are making such digressions
constantly. In fact, some people more or less betray this fact in
speech itself, so that, starting out to tell a certain incident, before
through they include a half dozen others, and scores of details not
germane to the purpose with which they started. Sinclair Lewis's
The Man Who Knew Coolidge is a humorous illustration of this fact.
Most people are able to keep their mental divagations out of their
speech. But if in the process of getting a "communication" out
through a psychic, whether orally or in writing, it matters not which,
telepathythe passage of thoughts from one mind to anotheris in-
volved, it would be expected, in many cases at least, to contain exactly
such wanderings and sudden transitions, such leaps up-stairs and down,
and such lack of discrimination between the important and the trivial,
as we find in this sitting. The extent to which a communication is
thus marked and embarrassed (for the purposes of the investigator)
might largely depend upon either one of two things, whether the com-
municator has a " single track mind " which can hold a particular sub-
ject in view steadily, or an agile, versatile and impressionable mind,
which, as it were, thinks of many things at once, and whether he is, at
the moment of communicating, cool and steady, or in a state of
agitation.
"Father" gives a partial account of how association of ideas
caused the "message" to wander. In his memory picture he saw the
sheets of music on the organ and was about to "write" about them,
but feared that it would come through as "papers" and not be un-
derstood. Below the music he mentally saw the swell, so that came
through. But earlier than this the word "sheets" had reminded him
of " bed" (bed-sheets), and this brought the reference to "bedroom."
And the swell reminded him of the strips of wood under the leaf of the
old desk (just as the swell was under the keyboard of the organ).
Let us try out these hints on the actual record beginning with the
first apparent reference to the organ and ending with the naming of
the instrument and the unmistakable description of its swell.
Attempts to Describe and Name the Organ
(a) "It [the room] had a few things associated with you."
(Meaning the organ and its appurtenances, which I only used.)
(b) (Thinking of the organ brought to mind that in the period of
my most intensive practice upon it I went away to school, there chiefly
to study music.) "for there had been a number of conferences about
the future for you . . . things ... to be sent you."
(c) (Thoughts brought back to the organ.) "piece of furniture
in the same room . . . something you used . . . put in order before
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you left and was kept as you left it. ... I was not referring to the
table although there was one there, but this was more closely associ-
ated with you and had been used by you." (There was a small table at
this or an earlier period, kept in this room, in the drawer of which I
used to arrange, very carefully, articles of mine.)
(d) (He thinks of the sheets of music on the organ, and that they
might come through as " papers," his mental vision falls upon the swell
and it reminds him by location and shape of the "pulls" of the old
desk.) "and do you not recall there were compartments for the
articles used."
(e) (The words "sheets of music" cause "bed-sheets" to come
into his mind, and this brings the thought of an up-stairs bedroom.)
"and now I want to refer to up-stairsup-stairs bedroom, but not
same room where I was a moment ago" (that is the up-stairs room is
not the one where the object associated with me was).
(f) (The denial that the bedroom up-stairs was the room of the
object brings back the picture of the latter room.) "Just between two
windows that were not precisely side by side but where the light from
each fell on to this it is to give better light by day but there was a lamp
which was near for study." (The room had windows not directly oppo-
site each other, one considerably nearer the organ, but both of which
threw light on it. It must also have been a vivid memory as long as my
father lived how I would practice in the evening, sometimes until the
family had gone to bed and until I would be made to stop, by a lamp
placed on the organ.)
(g) (Perhaps thinking of the sheets of music again brought to
mind the white tidy which when "stretched out" on the back of the
rocking-chair would be not far from the same size.) "Do you remem-
ber the big chair which was a rocking-chair which had something on
the back of it which was made at home, a kind of ornament which
looked like a white knitted tidy, and this was much stretched out."
(All these particulars, rocking-chair, tidy, white and made at home,
correct.)
(h) (The attempt to get something through about the sheets of
music having been sidetracked by the involuntary thought of the re-
sembling tidy, his mental vision again falls upon the swell, and he is
again reminded of the resembling " pulls " of the old desk) ; " the desk."
(i) (But he throws off the thought and fixes his mind on the in-
tended objective.) "No, it was something like the shape of a desk but
had a kind of a handle, straight dark piece of wood which was movable
and helped to make the mm"
(j) (A sudden burst of energy) "org."
From this point it is easy to define what the piece of wood is and
to write out "organ," since the intention must now be plain to the
necessarily cooperating "helpers, the one awake and the one asleep."
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On the spiritistic theory, and employing the hints given in this sit-
ting, I should think the above might be a fairly correct reconstruc-
tion of what went on so far as relates to the mind of the communicator.
Out of the shifting imagery of the things in the house in his thoughts
with whatever of vividness and of distinctness they may respectively
have possessed, the helpers by some obscure process had to select.
The result might have been utter confusion and bafflement. But in this
case the main purpose, to say that there was a cabinet organ in my
early home, and that it was my organ, on which I " studied " both by
night and day, was finally accomplished.
It would appear from this and many more records, that the com-
municator does not always know exactly what gets set down. But he
does in part, or at least he knows what is likely to be set down, for he
recognizes how easily imagery resulting from association of ideas may
be set down in the wrong connections. And he occasionally appears to
suspect that this is actually happening, as when "Father," directly
after the irrelevant flight up-stairs, says: "I thought I was confusing
the scenes."
5. "I will come again but let me remind myself of a tree which could
be seen from the window by the organ a tree that was very much
liked by me and it was conical in shape and evergreen but a little
distance away" [ ]
Father set out, in several places more or less near the house, some
Norway pines, which of course are " evergreen " trees. Most of these
died, but not all. I am not certain that one was visible from " the win-
dow by the organ," but think one was and that it finally died. He took
much interest in these pines. They were procured from a wood several
miles distant, and I was with him when he got them.
6. "You know anyone named Amanda? (I have heard the name
Amanda. I know a name very like it.) Perhaps I didn't get it just
right and I'm not going to try now. (Of course, if they got the
name and who it referred todescribed personit might be all
right.) I'm going to let it go and try to get it later on. Goodbye."
If a name is uncommon and if it is also defined with some degree of
exactitude in what relation the person stood who bore it, I am willing
to give weight to a close resemblance to it. Not otherwise. So, al-
though a near and dear relative was called by a name resembling
"Amanda," for the lack of any such definition, I conclude that while
the resemblance saves it from detracting from the evidence, the evidence
is not increased by it.
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EXPERIMENT OF JANUARY 7, 1926
(Old Secretary, Prixce Pasture, and People)
Present: W. F. Prince (Sitter), Mrs. Guinan (Secretary). Abstract
of all items bearing on evidence.
1. "A deskperhaps it was called a secretary, for it does not look
like the desk of the present period. ... I still go farther back in
the family for its first owner. ... It seems to be called the old
Secretary."
There was such a desk, and it was called a secretary, and occasion-
ally " the old secretary." Its " first owner," so far as I know, belonged
to the generation next back of father's. It came into the house on the
death of my paternal grandmother when I was seven years old.
2. "In it are many things which relate themselves to the early days
of your own boyhood, and there are drawers in which are kept
some things which are not specially of a character for desks."
While the present tense is used, it seems to be used in the present
visualization of a past state of things. Things kept in the secretary in
my youth would be likely to relate themselves to that period, but of
what was kept there I have no particular recollection.
3. "An old book which is like a ledger "" lined, almost blue paper."
"Your father was methodical and kept records or accounts as
faithfully as he thought was best." This seems to be his book of
accounts, "and it extends over a long period and I think it was
leather outside and a kind of dull brown with a small bright red
title space which of course was dulled with age. This book was in
or on the old Secretary."
All that I remember is that father used the secretary for a time
after it came into the house, but later it was put up-stairs, perhaps
because there was no room for it in my parents' room after my mother
got a new desk. I do not think that father in my time had any account
book that resembled a ledger or contained accounts running through a
long period. All that I can remember was a small, thin book which
could be put in a pocket. Father was careful about business trans-
actions, and certainly noted down "as faithfully as he thought was
best," but that is an indefinite expression. Of course, I cannot be
certain that father did not have a larger book of accounts when I was
very young that was destroyed too early for me to recollect it.
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4. "Inside this book I see names of people, and frequently there occurs
a name which begins with D and is like Daniel or David. ... I
think he was one whom your father was related to and yet it was
distant, but there were some associations which bring that name
frequently into this book."
There were both Daniel and David among the neighbors. Next
house but one lived Daniel , who was not related to father,
though he was the husband of mother's cousin. I do not know what
business transactions may have been between father and this Daniel.
Father was not only a farmer but a painter and grainer, and he very
likely did work in this line for Daniel.
5. "Father" calls attention to two names. The first is "Matilda,"
which means nothing whatever to me. On my remarking cautiously,
"I don't for the moment recognize Matilda," there was written,
"The Matilda died young and was not often talked about, but is in
the family." I do not believe that a Matilda was ever talked about
by us. But see later. The other name mentioned was "Orville,"
which I barely acknowledged recognizing. This was the name of a
cousin of mine, much older than myself, of whom I was exceedingly
fond, although I saw him very seldom, his home being ten miles
away. His last visit which I remember was when I was not more
than twelve years old. But not a word is said to identify this
"Orville " as my cousin.
6. Then comes a rather complicated picture of what purports to be
"back of the buildings" which constituted my early home, the
meaning of which, taking the words literally, seems to be as follows:
(a) Proceeding "back of the buildings" toward "some low
spreading evergreens . . . junipers," and near them were a few
"firs," "three or four," "the only ones for miles around." One
passed the " junipers " and went toward " the fence," to reach the
"firs." The " firs " were " in sight of the buildings."
(b) The "junipers" and "firs" were "in uncultivated land
like a pasture land." This, therefore, was " back of the buildings."
(c) A "division wall or fence or both" intervened before one
reached the " uncultivated land like pasture land "; " it looks as if
it were stones and some zigzag wood pieces placed on top to keep
in cattle or sheep or some such thing." This fence "was bleached
with age."
(d) "Beyond this point," i. e., of the " firs," "there is a place
which has been dug out as if for a purpose, and there are rocks
about." "It does not look like a cellar, but it does look as if some
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rocks had been dug out." This spot was not visible from the
buildings, but one " might see it if coming to a point quite near the
home, but it would not be so marked in the picture as the trees.
Still, it was near enough to point out and make a place to direct
by. . . . There were some quite large rocks."
(e) "Some [of these rocks] were carried away to do something
to the home spot . . . there were some definite building plans
which called for a wall I think, and it sounds as if he said, ' We got
all our rock from here.' This I am not quite sure of, but I know a
part of the rock came from over there where the holes were to the
home site."
(f) "There was I think near a gate to a yard where cattle were
kept and watered a large rock which was round and yet quite flat
on top and quite a noticeable one for its size, but there were some
definite building plans which called for a wall," etc.
So far the statements in the script. Now let us see what the actual
facts within my knowledge were, following the same order.
(a) The " firs " and " junipers." One is hampered by not knowing
whether the names come as the picture did, automatically, or, " seeing"
the trees and bushes, the names were such as the medium herself gave
out of her own vocabulary. There were no junipers, properly speak-
ing, but there were a number of very low cedar bushes, and by some
Americans, I understand, cedars are called junipers. Nor, to the best
of my knowledge, were there in our pasture any firs according to our
usage of the term. But in various sections not only trees of the genus
Abies are known as firs, but according to the Standard Dictionary, so
also are certain spruces (Picea) and hemlocks. I very distinctly re-
member a group (more than " three or four ") of evergreen trees which
grew quite near the cluster of bush-cedars. But if these are what is
meant, their location is apparently quite wrong in the script. They
were " back of the buildings," to be sure, but not " in sight" of them,
being much farther than the fence apparently afterward referred to
(though close to another fence), and considerably farther than the
"hole," instead of nearer. Back of the buildings father set out some
Norway pines, which were the only ones for miles around.
(b) The pasture land. "Back of the buildings " was indeed "un-
cultivated or pasture land," land in which no plow has ever been set;
it was so in my boyhood, and is so today. In front has never been any
in my time. I can just remember when pasture land came very near
westerly, and also just remember when a considerable strip of this was
cleared. Later, gradually all pasture land to the west became culti-
vated fields. "Back of the buildings " would have been the expression
through the vivid part of my boyhood recollections, to denote the
location of the pasture.
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(c) The fence and wall. But, as indicated in the script, there was
both a straggling wall of stones and a fence before one came to the
pasturethat is to say, a cultivated strip lay just back of the build-
ings. When I was a small boy the stones had over them an old-
fashioned zigzag fence ("snake fence"), replaced, probably by the
time I was twelve or fourteen years old, by a straight fence.
"Bleached with age " is eminently correct. Many of the big old split
rails of soft wood, greyed and lichened by time, did I saw up for fire-
wood. The strip of land just back of the house and shed was cleared
in the neighborhood of 1840, and the zigzag fence probably dated
from that time.
(d) "The place dug out." Not beyond any firs or other trees
(except apple) within my recollection, but beyond the fence and bear-
ing westward, there could be seen, from near the buildings as stated,
the rock-heaped rim of a great " place dug out " near the summit of a
large knoll. This place was seven feet, more or less, deep on one side
and gradually shelved to the surface at the other side where carts had
been backed in to get gravel. A great many loads had been taken out,
and "rocks" of various sizes were heaped along the edges. There
was not another place on the entire farm like this excavation in the
pasture back of the buildings. And if any one, in those days, stand-
ing near the buildings, had wanted to know how to reach the ever-
green trees and cedar bushes near them, in the upper corner of the
pasture, it would only have been necessary to tell him to go up to that
excavation on the hill at which point he would be able to see them.
(" Near enough to point out and make a place to direct by.")
(e) Nothing could be more true than that " some of the rocks which
came from that excavation were carried away to do something to the
home spot." There were " some definite building plans," indeed, for a
new house replaced the old one when I was about ten years old. Father
rebuilt the wall of the cellar and himself split the granite of which the
underpinning of the house was composed. I distinctly remember that
large stones came from this excavation and that father cut some slabs
from granite boulders dug from this knoll. "All our rock" for these
purposes came from our farm and the adjoining one of my uncle's.
(f) The yard where "cattle were kept and watered" was on the
side of the barn looking toward the knoll of the excavation. I do not
remember the rock described, as being near the yard gate, but if, as the
immediate context seems to suggest, it was used for the wall, there is
no reason why I should remember it. I often, in those days of " definite
building plans," helped father split rocks for the wall or underpinning,
by holding and turning the drill while he wielded the sledge. I remem-
ber such operations on the knoll, on two places in the lower field, and
one in my uncle's field, but there must have been more. Father took his
rocks where he could find them, the nearer the house, the better. It
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could not be expected that, if a spirit's memories are coming through,
they should always tally with my memories, especially at that early
age. It is very possible that what is asserted about this rock, though
unprovable, is a fact. That rocks were at that spot is certain.
7. The script refers to a "long smooth stick used for driving oxen.
It is not plain to me that there were oxen but there was a goad"
kept in " a sort of room in a barnfor there is word feedbox where
some grain was kept and just why this goad was kept I do not
know, but it seems to be a relic of other days."
At about the time when the rocks were being prepared for the wall
we had a pair of oxennever any afterwards. I remember the goad
well and think it was kept some time after the oxen departed, as my
memory of it is clear. But I have no recollection where it was kept.
8. "Do you know a Henry who was or should be of this period?"
It was just about the time that the house had been built, when I
was about ten or eleven years old, that an aunt, with her husband
Henry, whose health had broken down, came to live in the house of my
uncle and grandfather which was diagonally opposite from our own.
And, it now occurs to me, the name mentioned earlier in this sitting,
Orville, was that of a half brother of his, my cousin. I was fond both
of Uncle Henry and Cousin Orville. And, by the way, one of the two
visits of Orville which I remember most clearly began with his coming
to father and me when we were engaged in a field drilling one of those
rocks to furnish slabs for the underpinning of the house.
At this point, let us consider that name Matilda again. The pas-
ture back of the house, the intervening wall and zigzag fence, the age
of the fence, the excavation from which rocks came, the employment of
some of the rocks from it in connection with building plans to make a
walleverything relating to the "back of the buildings " has proved
to be correct, except the "junipers and firs" and their location, and
they remind us of the low cedar bushes and the evergreen trees which
grew elsewhere in the pasture. The reference to oxen and a goad is
correct. There was an "old secretary" and the implication that
father used it is correct. Daniel was the head of one of the nearest
families, intimate with my family and connected with it by a blood-tie.
I had an Uncle Henry and a Cousin Orville, who were half brothers.
But more than thisall these particulars come within the frame of
1870-1875. Within that period only come the preparation of rocks
for the wall, and the final removal of the old zigzag fence. Never after
1875 did we have oxen. It was within that period that my father used
the secretaryI think never after. My recollection of Orville's visits
falls within that period and possibly a year or two prior to it. It was
in that period that Uncle Henry lived diagonally opposite (though
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there were times afterward, after my aunt's death, when he lived in my
home). "Daniel" belongs to this period, and before it and after.
There is in this sitting such a grouping of facts, with one or two near
facts and only one statement, aside from that about " Matilda," which
I can absolutely contradict (the position of the shrubs and trees, and
rarity of the latter), that I am constrained to inquire whether there
can be any possible significance to this name also.
There is no thought of making " Matilda " evidential. I am grop-
ing for the cause of the appearance of that name, seeking to compare
theories to explain its emergence.
That it was deliberately ventured as one likely to meet a Matilda
within my environment, is not reasonable. Every one knows that it is
an uncommon name, at least for the nineteenth century. It may well
be that Mrs. Soule does not know how uncommon it is, but she must
know that it is uncommon enough to be a very bad gamble. So was
"Orville," and yet the name was exceedingly relevant.1
Regarded as the result of some process not originating in the con-
scious choice of the psychic, we have left two theories to account for
the name. The first is that it was brought about by some mechanism
of trance dream such as only psychoanalysis could have traced.
The other is that it was the abortive result of an attempt to give a
name congruous with the period and the grouping of facts, a result
which may possibly contain traces of the name meant.
I should unhesitatingly prefer the former theory if this sitting as a
whole did not show very much more correspondence with facts, and
facts within the frame of a definite period, than would be expected
by chance. If, in addition, the name Matilda, remote as it is, should
prove to be also much nearer a very congruous one than chance proba-
bility would lead one to expect, it would not be unreasonable to be
impressed.
In the sitting of Dec. 15, the name " Amanda " was given (p. 371).
1 To get some rough estimate of the ratio of Orvilles to the mass of recognized
Christian names, I took Who's Who in America for 1901-2, containing the names of
men bom anywhere in the first three-quarters of the nineteenth century. Excluding
all names obviously derived from a family name (thus, in " George Gray Barnard,"
I would count "George," but not "Gray"), and starting at the beginning of the
list, I determined to keep on until I had reached the number 6,000. Among that
number, as anyone can verify by repeating my task, there proved to be but two
Orvilles. But I did not stop here, for it might be that an Orville lay ten or a
hundred names farther on, so that if the search proceeded a little farther the per-
centage would be greatly reduced. I determined to keep on until another Orville
was reached and there stop. It was reached on page 761. Out of 6,785 recognized
Christian names the number of Orvilles was three, or 1 in 2,291. Exceedingly few
persons listed in the work consulted were born after 1875. Therefore, the chance of
Orville fitting into an 1870-1875 picture relevant to me was small. If we put the
average number of different Christian names belonging to a young country boy's
male relations, friends and neighbors at the figure of 75 (in my case all that I
have been able to conjure up from memory are 35, some of them borne by several
persons) the chance would be about 1 in 30.
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I replied: " I have heard the name Amanda. I know a name very like
it." This was not an express disclaimer of the name on my part. In
fact, I do not remember ever meeting an Amanda in my life, or the
name in the past records of my tribe and its collateral connections.
The name very like it to which I referred was "Miranda," that of my
own aunt, the wife of my Uncle Henry. The likeness between it and
the name given may be thus shown:
M i r ANDA
aM ANDA
The communicator said, "Perhaps I didn't get it just right," and
"I'm going to let it go and try to get it later on." And now, on Janu-
ary 7th, which contains "Henry," corresponding to the name of my
uncle, and the rare name " Orville," corresponding to that of his half-
brother, my cousin, comes the mysterious "Matilda." Was it an
abortive attempt to redeem the promise of December 15th?
We know that it is claimed to be difficult to get proper names
through, and are apt to look upon the claim as a convenient excuse for
bad guesses. But, granting that there is such a thing as communica-
tion, it is reasonable to suppose that it should be difficult to get proper
names expressed. We may not stop here to repeat all the reasons for
so thinking. It is enough for a hint to say that much of the content
of "messages" appears to take a pictorial form, and that there is
nothing in "Higgins " or "Peleg" to work into a picture in the me-
dium's brain. Such a word is like a pebble in the stream of pictorial
thought.
The giving of purported initial letters of a name, as S, or M, or W,
is vexatious to the investigator, but it might well represent a valid
endeavor to get a name through, unevidential though this may be.
However regrettable the fact, adding to the complexity of our prob-
lems, it still might be that proper names, especially such as are un-
familiar to the person whose brain is made the channel for communica-
tion, though they occasionally come through plumply, as in the case
of "Orville," more usually are partly glimpses as by imperfect quasi-
vision, or partly caught as by imperfect quasi-hearing.
And now, although "Matilda" is a worse substitute for Miranda
than is "Amanda," it does get the first letter. And it has the last
syllable. And the same number of letters and syllables, and the accent
on the same syllable.
Mi-ran-DA
Ma-til-DA
Unconvincing, is it not? And yet there may be more to give us
pause than at first thought appears. I spent an entire day going
through a mass of feminine names found in old genealogical records in
my library, relating to many families, and listed 367 distinct names
id variants belonging to 2,000 different women. There was not
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among the entire 367, a single three-syllable name other than Matilda
which was like Miranda enough to begin with the same letter and end
with the same syllable. It is not asserted that there is not or never has
been anotherall sorts of queer inventions have existed (this list
shows an " Oscaforia," an " Angellette," and a "Deidamia "), but only
that such a one is excessively rare. The only other three-syllabled
names in the same long list to end with " da " are Lucinda and Belinda.
These two are, next to "Amanda," which came on December 15th,
auditorially most like Miranda of the list of 367 names, " Matilda " is
next most like Miranda visually.
After I denied knowing any Matilda the script asserted: "The
Matilda died young and was not often talked about but is in the fam-
ily." Well, Miranda died comparatively young, at 35, and since that
was more than a half century ago, it is of course true that for very
many years the living, engrossed with the present, have not often talked
of her. If this is what the passage means, it is true; if it means that
she was a child when she diedand perhaps this would be a forced
constructionit is not true.
"Matilda" and "Orville" are named in the same brief script
sentence. My Aunt Miranda was sister-in-law to my Cousin Orville.
In the earlier half of the period about 18701875 she and her husband
Henry lived in the same town and not far from Orville, in the latter
part of that period the former two lived diagonally opposite us, and
Orville would sometimes briefly visit both families.
JANUARY 12, 1926, 11:10-12:10
(Related to W. F. P.'s Mother)
Present: W. F. P. and Mrs. Guinan (Secretary). Purported com-
municator, mother of W. F. P.
Brief Notes
1. Remarks about my school days and intimate talks with mother cor-
rect enough, though too vague to be particularly evidential, except
for the statement that we " agreed to say nothing about it ['some
special mark a word of praise' I had received] as yet to the rest."
I remember nothing of that sort, and doubt it.
2. Correct that I was accustomed to "tell the truth," and remarks
about the intimate relationship between us correct and likely.
3. If mother " tucked you [me] up" for the night it was prior to my
recollections. Nearly every mother, who does not employ a nurse,
and some who do, I suppose tucks her very small child up. No
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doubt "threw your little arms around my neck once more for
another hug " was true of me when very small, but it is too common
to be evidential. Still, if the thoughts of my mother are being read,
it would be expected that such tender little scenes would be cher-
ished in her memory. They may be in some deeply buried stratum
of my mind, but I have no recollection whatever of anything of
the kind.
4. I can definitely say that the statement that during my vacations
from school mother would sometimes come to my room in the morn-
ing to see if I was awake, is not true. At an earlier period, yes.
5. The " ridedriving with a horse to another placewhere we went
to some thing that was quite important to us for it was an event
which made me proud," the occasion being that of a "diploma"
when I "graduated," is correct. My parents drove forty miles to
be present at my first graduation. All else, about the event being
important to mother, etc., is a matter of course.
0. "The special honor was the way in which you graduated" has
relevance in that my place on the program was in a way conspic-
uous. But "cum laude " has no application, and if mother used
those words she would, I think, have needed to learn their meaning
after her death.
7. The statement is made that my mother "has very expressive
hands." If so, I never noticed it.
8. My attempt to have defined the sort of a place I had on the pro-
gram failed. The reason given is that "It is not a matter of
memory, it is a matter of sudden emotion that no one can explain.
It is easier for some to overcome emotions than for others, but the
emotions are usually only submerged, and may break through at
any moment either in the mind of the living on your side or on
ours." This contribution to the theory of communication and its
difficulties is plausible. But the utterance seems also to imply an
emotional temperament in my mother such as would tend at times
to clog expression. Mother was keenly sensitive and emotional, but
repressed her emotions to a great extent. At moments of extreme
sadness or joy she was as likely as not to become quite silent, in-
hibited from speech by emotion.
9. I do not know whether there was such a fan as described or not.
10. My mother, as stated, did not have a large hand. When I was
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very young it must have been still a " pretty " one, but as time went
on it was defaced by the hard work of a country housewife.
11. The only ring of mother's that I remember was "a very simple
gold" one.
JANUARY 14, 1926, 11:07-12:40
(Death of W. F. P.'s Brother, and Mother's Grief)
Present: W. F. P. (Sitter) and Mrs. Guinan (Secretary). Responses
by W. F. P. Following is all which bears on either side of the
evidential issue.
1. "I am thinking now of a day when death entered our family (Yes,
tell about that.) a long time ago (Yes.) and there were many days
of sorrow that followed (I remember) and so many times we
thought of the best way to go on without him and you were brave
and good but your heart was sad too"
Previous to father's death, after I became a man, there was but one
death, that of my brother, in our immediate family. Afterwards two
relatives died in the house, but after I had ceased to be an inmate of
it. I clearly remember that mother was moved to expression by my
efforts to cheer and divert her after my brother died.
2. "And then I wonder if you remember two things that I do One was
a spring day and a muddy road and a desire on my part to go to
the grave and the feeling that I might not be equal to it for after
that death I was not very well (I don't remember that particular
day, though it is very likely indeed.) and the question was always
raised as to whether I could do it (Yes.) but you always seemed to
feel that if I could do what I wished it would help me to bear the
loss and it did but I never got quite back to the old strength again"
While I cannot deny a single detail here, neither can I affirm them
all, a true picture is presented. Mother was fearfully shaken by the
death of her small son, emotionally and physically. She was a subject
of deep concern, and her visits to the grave were, I think, both dreaded
and yet not to be denied. In the springtime there was sure to be
muddy roads between the house and the cemetery.
3. "And it was then that you took your own place and his and we
were very near although we did not talk much about it (No.)"
Although nine years older than the dead child, I was nearer his
age by six years than any other of the children.
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We decidedly "did not talk much about it." We were indeed
"very near " in those sad days.
4. "I have that boy with me now and the seeming tragedy of his death
is lost in the joy of his presence."
Right, it was a boy. While we cannot be sure that the word
"tragedy " is employed in its literal sense, it is exactly the proper one
in every sense, for the death was not a natural one.
5. "It is no longer a theme to be avoided (I am glad you feel so.) I
know how each one would try to ignore the subject (Right.) and
the words Do not say anything about it before mother must have
been often repeated and if I went into the front room to sit awhile
some one came to see where I was and what I was doing It was
hard for all of us"
We did avoid the terrible subject, on our own account and still
more on that of mother. She was apt to go by herself into the " front
room" (just our name for it), brood for a while and come out with
woe in her eyes. We dreaded these times, and it is highly probable
that my father or older sister would sometimes enter for the purpose
stated, but I have no memories about this.
6. "And there was something I wanted to write about his pranks his
bright way of coming in full of life and little joking way his ways
of playing (Yes.) about with the pets cat and always making light
of anything and affectionate [Oral: ' Oh.'] but not having any fear
of anything I thought of the fire wood fires and the way his face
grew so red and eyes so bright and voice so loud and cheery We
all missed that voice for he talked and told everything that hap-
pened I will try and give you more as I can but you will know
how we all thought him so quick and smart"
Yet again we have a general picture of the ways of the child with
which I can find no fault. He was only two and a half years old when
he died, but these figures give no idea of his precocious intelligence,
which I do not wish to particularize more than is done in the text. He
was "full of life," brave and sturdy, hearty in voice, voluble, and
notably " quick and smart." The reference to a pet cat is right; had
a dog been mentioned it would have been wrong.
7. "Perhaps his death made more impression on you and your life
than anything else that ever happened for you were so close to-
gether and at the age when it made a deep imprint (Quite right.)
on your mind"
Absolutely true. Young as I myself was, the tragedy darkened my
life. I could not bear to pronounce the child's name, and his place
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seemed so sacred to me that I almost resented the advent of a younger
brother, to whom I paid scarcely any notice until he was two or three
years old. I am sure that no other single event in my entire life has
ever made so profound and enduring an impression.
Except for a few probable details, all the facts given in this sitting
had a prominent place in my memory, and so lend themselves with
special ease to the telepathic theory. Logically they do not, however,
militate with the theory of communication, as they occupied as promi-
nent a place, or more so, in the memory of my mother.
FEBRUARY 9, 1926, 11:08-12:15
(Death of W. F. P.'s Brother)
W. F.P.
While going into trance the medium said, " I keep hearing the name
of Pillsbury." This name has no relevance to me throughout my life
except that when I was sixteen I was fond of a little girl of that name,
granddaughter of a prominent Maine Democratic politician. I know
not whether she is living or dead. Immediately after the reference
came remarks about a family discussion as to whether I should go to
one place or another. Such a discussion did take place, which was
decided by my going to the place where I met this little girl. But one
of these places was not " far distant " relatively to the other, and other
details seem incorrect, such as "it was like an appointment." Some
years later I came near being appointed to a position in China, and it
is true in relation to this that I "felt a desire to accept it," that it
offered the prospect of " a settled and brilliant career" and that the
purported communicator, my mother, " wanted you [me] if possible to
be nearer." But again other details, as stated, do not fit into the
frame. Theoretically, actual memories might be involved, but if so
they were so distorted in transmission as to be quite unevidential.
I knew a " professor " of the description given when I was 16 to 18
years old, but there is nothing in the text to relate him to date, locality
or event. The likelihood that I would at some time have known a pro-
fessor of that description amounts almost to certainty. The reference
to "Kingman Snow," apparently a sea captain, is entirely without
meaning to me. "Mother " says he " was one whom I knew first as by
name and then later met him." My mother at one time within my
recollection had a relative who lived on the seashore in a place where
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were a number of old sea captains, and she once made a visit there. It
is possible that there was one of that name, though I should not expect
to find that this was the case if I were in a position to inquire.
At this point my brother purported to communicate directly, ap-
parently with difficulty, breaking down after a few sentences, the most
definite of which is: "Now I want to write about 4 of us, some with
you but not half so near as I even though you cannot talk to me."
Even this is not definite. What "us "the whole family? No, be-
cause in these sittings already, father, mother, a brother and a sister
besides myself have been specified. All the children?if this is the
meaning it is wrong. At the time of his death, mentioned directly
afterward?in that case the affirmation is correct.
"Sunbeam," the purported intermediary, now began to talk. She
said that the one trying to write is "not a great big man, but a boy."
Already his death had been pronounced "tragic," now it is added,
"He went out right quick to the other side." Then comes what looks
like a significant picture from which a wrong inference is drawn.
"I don't think he was in the househe seems to be outside some-
where because I see somebody going to a door, like an outside door of
a house and just kind of doing thisa woman, I think your mother,
seemed to be kind of moving her hands with little way of so excited and
trying to keep calm inside."
My brother was not " outside " at the time of the accident, but this
is plainly an inference from the picture visualized. I could never for-
get the scene, a part of which was my mother rushing back and forth
between the little boy and the front door of the house in a state of
great excitement. Her real reason was to see if the messenger who was
harnessing the horse had yet started for the doctor.
Next came the mention of a "Charles" who would be "called
Charlie," " some one you would know and he knew." We had a cousin
Charles, always called Charlie, about six years old and living across
the road. Then a reference to a cap, associated with the last time he
went out, which he would put on and walk off " as though he owned the
earththat happy way." I have not the least recollection what he
wore that last time he went out (which was with me), or whether or not
he had a cap. But he was a very healthy, jaunty and happy-appearing
child. Then:
"Oh, it's a tragedy, just a tragedy that comes into a life. Nobody
could know about it. All over before anybody knows. Shocking thing
shocked not only family but neighborhoodeverybody around has
that shocking thing around. How did it ever happen! How did it
ever happen! And always and forever it's been a sort of a mystery,
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it's ait isn't precisely a mystery, it's a mystery about himhow did
it happen to him and it seems he wants to tell you about thathe's
always wanted to tell because it was always this questionhow did it
happen? Isn't so much why did it happen, but how could it happen.
(What he thinks about it?) Nowhat the family thought. First one
and then another put this and this together and make idea about it,
pick up a bit of evidence here and finally come to a conclusion about it,
as though things they don't know precisely but they think they do
see? (I think so.) All right."
Earlier the death had been pronounced " tragic," but surely now it
is clearly implied that it was literally a " tragedy," an unnatural end-
ing of the life, although the nature of the accident is yet unexpressed.
"All over before anybody knows "some one was actually present, but
failed to notice a present danger until it was "all over" and doom
sealed. Most emphatically it "shocked not only the family but all
the neighborhood," nothing like it had happened before anywhere
about. "Everybody around has that shocking thing around "what
can this curious sentence mean? To me it is luminous with meaning.
To protect any future evidence I do not wish to say just what caused
the death, but it was a "thing " liable anywhere to have "shocking"
consequences, which was at that time in several of the houses about to
my recollection, brought in for a common reason not long previous.
"Always and forever a sort of a mystery," is modified by "it isn't
precisely a mystery," and "how did it happen" into "how could it
happen," no word being uttered by me. There has been no mystery at
all as to how it did happen, but how could it happen expresses an
authentic feeling, all was so happy and calm up to a particular moment
and then, without a moment's slightest hint of danger, all horror and
tragedy. No culpability attaches to any one, but one would think,
how could I ever have forgotten to make that little movement which
would have averted the tragedy, and another would think, how could
I ever have failed to notice what was actually before me and which in
one second I could have rendered safe! It did take the testimony of
several persons combined to explain how it came to happen.
Next came various phrases to express the closeness of the tie be-
tween me and the boy, " David and Jonathan," " the dead one and you
seemed to have a closer bond than you with the others or he with the
others." / think this true, other members of the family might not.
My sister, much older than I, was away much of the time. I was nearer
in age by six years than my other brother was. I adored the child.
"The rest don't count" is altogether too strong, but there is this
curious fact in partial justification of it, that for two or three years
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after another brother was born, later, I paid him almost no attention,
and had a foolish feeling as though he were a usurper. "Sometimes
when you have walked over the place where he had beenwalked over
groundall comes over you as fresh in heart as though yesterday, and
yet it is years and years ago." Literally true. Every time I visit the
old place, now passed out of the family, and walk over the part of the
field where we went the last time he was ever out of the house, even after
these many years the old memory sweeps over me. "Right out of a
cloudless sky comes this shock that is one of the tragedies of your
life," "an accident you can't blame anybody," "I can see he was
different from anybody else that ever came into your lifenothing
ever filled his place or ever can "all correct and I am making no
responses whatever, except, " Yes. Correct," to the remark about the
close tie, and am manifesting no emotion in any way. "Little as he
was, young as he was, he was very manly and he had great plans, going
to do this and that, full of bright hope," is as correct as it could be for
a child so young. Of course, his plans would not be far-reaching, but
he was unusually intelligent, active, bright and sunny. Finally comes:
"Now a Jsomebody commences with a J that would be connected
with him. It sounds like Joeit doesn't seemI don't know whether
Joe or Josie, but o sound, doesn't sound like John but Joe or Josie
do you know anybody like that? (No, I know the name of a person
commencing with a J.)"
He had a great-uncle Joseph living up the road a little way, who
seldom saw him, and an Aunt Julia, mother of Charlie, living across
the road, who saw him every day or two.
FEBRUARY 11, 1926
(W. F. P.'s Brotheb)
Present: Mrs. Guinan (Secretary) alone. The communicator pur-
ported to be the brother of W. F. P.
Brief Notes
This is scanty in factual statements. Two, regarding early boyish
play, have more or less probability, though not particularly remem-
bered. I was asked if I remembered "Ralph," and I did remember a
boy of that name, but never had anything to do with him. "And J"
is too indefinite. I don't know whether my brother fell and hurt his
thumb on a stone or notdo not remember that he did. Then came a
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statement containing several particulars, all stated correctly. It
would be absurd to suppose that Mrs. Soule had any data on the
matter, and it is a pity that so evidential a statement is too personal
to print.
Next, referring to my deceased brother:
1. "He's singing something ... It sounds like . . . pop goes the
weasel."
This is rather striking. My brother began to sing tunes before
he was a year old, and the words almost as soon as he could talk. At
the time he died he knew a large number of tunes of hymns and songs,
with more or less of the words, and at his play sang a great deal.
"Pop goes the weasel " was a song my father sang a snatch of, and I
learned it from him. It is nearly certain that my brother knew it, as
he knew and sang most pieces familiar to me.
2. "Such a chill came over him, like a shock, a terrible shock, when
he died."
The accident involved a " terrible shock" to his system, certainly,
though death did not follow immediately. I cannot know whether chill
was inducedit is quite possible, and perhaps likely.
3. His mother "pats his hairyou know, just as if he was a little
fellow, he's a lad, but it is as she pats his hair . . . and he's just
as white as he can be. Quite white boy. Quite white on his fore-
head but sunburnt. Loved to be outdoors."
He certainly was "a little fellow," but how little is not yet made
clear. His skin and his hair were very light. He played out of doors
considerably, of course. I do not remember whether he showed marks
of sunburn or not.
4. Now "it seems as though heit's like sliding or skating because I
can see ice and water and everything."
This sounds like a river or pond scene. The only " sliding " he did
would have been on little patches of ice near the house, or possibly the
brook near by.
5. "A fear of things happening to him because he was careful but
courageous it seems ... a natural courage to do things."
He was an active and vigorous child. Naturally his mother would
sometimes be anxious when he was out of sight.
6. "He's got the most beautiful smile." I remember him as an amiable
and smiling boy.
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BRIEFS OF SEVERAL SITTINGS
(W. F. P.'s Maternal Grandmother, the "Campaign " and
Uncle Frank)
October 14, 1925. (Present: W. F. P. and Secretary.)
The first mention was of " an old wheel which was used to spin," " a
small wheel," " which was used for flax," " later transferred to others."
When my father's mother died, her little flax-wheel went to him.
Then comes matter about a grandmother, evidently supposed by
the "control" to be the same one, but suiting my maternal grand-
mother. "Small and rather feeble" [applies to the last months of her
life], assisted by a " younger woman " who is " medium height and not
specially full built but looks well and able to do what she is called upon
to do" [might well be my aunt, the only other woman then living in
the house, as all the particulars apply for that period]. "This sug-
gests a room in the grandmother's house. I am not quite clear which
house this is but the suggestion is of one that has been destroyed,
either torn down or burned." [The ell, in which my grandparents
lived, was afterwards torn down.]
"Is there one in that branch of the family called B? (Yes, there
was. I wish you would get the rest of that.) [I was thinking of her
maiden name, which began with B.] e [I began to see that I was on the
wrong track.] (Yes.) Bet (Yes.) sy (Good.)" In fact, this grand-
mother's name was Betsy.
"She never wanted to have any dull times or to be left out of the
conversation. She is a good woman. (Sure is.)" While she was not
gay, she was very chatty, and very, very good.
"She had the giftI wanted to say the knackof nursing.
(Yes.)" This is quite true.
"And she was very gentle (Yes.) and quiet in her ministrations
(Yes.)" Absolutely correct. All these affirmations came consecu-
tively and without hesitation.
Immediately followed a picture of her "with some letters in her
hand that were written by one away, which were very dear to her, and
they were read and reread and they were a part of her life which added
both joy and sorrow, for the one who was separated from her had
something of a tragic endno, not end but tragic condition. And
many times her eyes were wet but never were murmurs heard but only
this. I wish I knew. The uncertainty was hard to bear."
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Some time after the sitting I looked through a few old letters which
I had never before read. Several of these were written by my Uncle
Frank when he was in the Navy, several by my grandfather and one by
my grandmother to him. In one grandfather says: "Your mother's
. . . feelings are more quiet in view of your absence than I expected."
He adds: " After hearing from you we get along very well for another
two weeks; after that you can't imagine how fast the darkness in-
creases until we get another letter." The sole letter written to her son
by grandmother which I read says: "Dear , words cannot ex-
press the anxiety I have for you; sometimes I feel as though you was
lost to us, at other times hope revives and I trust we shall meet again."
Several of the home letters mention the comfort that the couple have
in their son's little girl.
We have everything in this situation which answers to the particu-
lars of the text. "Letters . . . written by one away which were very
dear to her "; " a part of her life which added both joy and sorrow "
loving children and a beloved baby grandchild near, one son away in
the " tragic " war, liable to undergo peril to his life; the mother out-
wardly quiet save for "I wish I knew" whether he will ever return;
the "uncertainty hard to bear." All this, following a recognizable
description of characteristics of that grandmother of mine, coupled
with her very name Betsy, seems to me decidedly impressive.
Curious if all this was telepathy from me. I have no memories of
the Civil War, no relative of mine was ever in war or any other alarm-
ing state of life within my recollection. Knowing my own mental
habits, I do not believe that I ever imagined or even thought of my
grandmother as feeling anxiety and longing for her boy's return. The
stories my uncle told me of his life in the Navy were so amusing and
devoid of peril that it would never have occurred to me that any great
anxiety was felt by his parents. A combination of good guessing and
dramatization on the part of Mrs. Soule, if you please, but hardly a
reading of thoughts I never had.
October 15, 1925. (Present: W. F. P. and Secretary.)
This sitting contains some correct statements, some unverifiable
because they refer to matters earlier than the recollection of the living,
and some incorrect. There was a curious attempt to describe a small
white animal that was a pet "way back in your life." Presently it
was asked if I had a pet pig, and yet in the preceding paragraph it had
been alleged that there was "fur on it" and that it is "small like a
squirrel." The fact is that when I was a small boy I had a treasured
white guinea-pig.
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I cannot at all place a described relative, and I never had a ring
that was broken. "Baldwin apples," the knitting of blue stockings
and white ones, my father being a lover of truth, rather strict, my
feeling " sort of awe " of him until I grew up, etc., are true enough.
But one passage, although indeterminate in spots, is peculiarly
suggestive. First with the remark, "I wish now to write about an
entirely different scene," came a reference to a schoolhouse on high
ground in sight of a village at some distance. "It looks as if you were
going into the building to take part in something that is not a session
of school but more like a local meeting." I was asked if I had ever
preached in a schoolhouse and answered in the affirmative. But in
spite of my reply, came this. "There were those present who knew
you and had known of your interest in public affairs for it was at a
time when there was more or less agitation over some political situ-
ation." A flag was raised not far from the place, but " nothing to do
with your work of that day. . . . There had been so much contesting
of parties about your first interest in these big themes but there was no
question about your position and some of your own people were very
proud and glad. ... I see some things that point to your efforts
which marked a turning point in the way that election was carried and
it was a surprise to you afterward to know how your arguments had
carried. . . . Was it not in 188 cannot see but it looks like 6. It is
something about B." To my query whether B meant " the subject, or
the town, or the communicator or what," the reply was that it was a
participator in the campaign.
The fact is that about thirty-three years ago I was living, part of
each week, in a country town where the liquor traffic was making
ravages. For many years there had been hardly any effort to shut out
saloons under the local option law, and almost every one thought an
effort to do so would be quixotic. I organized a campaign of speaking
in nearly all the schoolhouses of the town and made most of the
speeches myself. It was my first public entrance into any kind of
politics. Local feeling ran high in consequence and there was a larger
vote than there had been for years. There was no question that it was
my efforts which "marked the turning point in the way that the elec-
tion was carried," and the statement that "it was a surprise to you
afterwards to know how your arguments had carried," is accurate, as
the victory was overwhelming. This occurred, not in 1886, but in
1896 or 1895. I am ashamed to say that I remember neither whether
any schoolhouse was placed as stated or whether any of the other
speakers was a B. The name of that town began with B.
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December 17,1925. (Present: W. F. P. and Secretary.)
"Did you ever go to Fairfield? (Yes.) It's Maine, isn't it?
(Yes; well, say what you find there.)"
I was naturally interested because my Uncle Frank, after selling
the house of the garret, moved to Fairfield, Maine, and, having married
again, lived there to the end of his life. What follows fills a very long
record. The following are the principal statements, correct and
incorrect.
Relating to a man, theoretically my uncle, but not alleged to be.
Glad to see me when I came [Correct], shoulders "stooped a little
bit but soon straightens out" [think true], "he's an old man" [85
when he died], " you were very fond of him" [true], " he was always in-
terested in what you were doing next" [yes], "and you always told
him everything" [I always felt free to do so], "he has rather thin
lips" [he had], "almost like a short beard" [medium short], little
place on back of head " hasn't as much hair as front" [not sure, but
his hair in front was abundant], "talks like a country man" [true],
intimation that he had been a soldier [he had, in the Navy], hints of
the kind of uniform [have not ascertained], had yellow teeth [prob-
able but not certain] which were strong teeth, nevertheless [thought to
be incorrect], reference to something like a fife or flute, and intimation
that he would have liked to play it but for stiff fingers [so far as
known, all wrong], very thin at time of death [yes], " full of fun and
you don't think of fun so much, but always there was so much of good-
ness" [" full of fun," if it had not been modified, would have been
wrong, he had only a quiet flicker of humor; he was very upright, and
religious without being pietistic], "eyebrows rather heavy" [yes],
"good, strong nose, kind of straight" [not a good description, unless
nose was viewed in profile; it had a twist to one side], "not handsome
but a very good face" [I so judge], " almost like aI wonder if this
is the right wordSpartan face, that would go through things and
never flinchthat's his way" [his face was singularly immobile, and
whatever he had to do he carried through without any fuss. But
toward the last he suffered considerably from despondency, owing to
breaking down of health], would lie down on an old-fashioned lounge
[yes, often], in his stocking feet [characteristic], long had bad spells
with his stomach like indigestion [yes, he long had trouble of this gen-
eral character], "great talker when he's feeling good, likes to talk
over everything" [true, a voluble and unusually good talker when he
got started], "seems to have tenderness, such tenderness and gentle-
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ness" [he was kind-hearted, but I do not think these terms are par-
ticularly applicable], "he's just as unswerving about a thing he
thinks is right" [yes], "wasn't opinionated but he was sure of
things" [he had positive opinions on a great range of subjects, but
did not force them upon the attention of others], "had a faith in the
eternal things that he doesn't talk much about " [correct], " he notices
everything that grows," such things as a snowdrop bush [paid little
attention to flowers], took good care of his horse [he did], he would
go to a store where he knew and spoke to everybody, " a store that he
was familiar withseems to have something to do withwhether it's
his store or associated with it . . . has a particular familiarity to
him" [this uncle went to Fairfield to become partner with a man in
keeping a store. This was so long ago that I have found no one who
remembers the description of the store and whether it corresponds with
that in the text. The store passed out of his hands many years before
his death. But the description given of the man he was "most inter-
ested in there " is not correct for his partner].
Woman, evidently wife of the man.
"Quite a big fat woman with spectacles onnot so awfully fat but
round," "not great big fat woman" [rather fleshly in her later
years; wore spectacles], "eyes blue like marbles" [yes], "she's very
homelike and nice good sensible ... so inviting and first thing is, have
you eaten and if you haven't come and have something and I was ex-
pecting you" [all applies, particularly the remark, which is exactly
like Aunt V.], " all of them, they just love to have you there" [correct
for both her and my uncle], lived after the death of the man [correct],
"leans over him," "feeling of being relieved for him," "tenderness,
love and great desire to be brave," "how am I going to get along
more like some one who had lived a long time with him and couldn't get
along without him," " I hope I won't be long after you," " no particu-
lar need as poverty and all that, but the half of her was gone" [all
right except for there appearing to be any attempt to be braveher
woe was extreme].
Their house and its immediate surroundings.
Everything appears neat inside [true], in the house "I'm not in
yellowsmore in soft gray colors, bluish gray" [my brother thinks
the prevailing tint was a yellowish gray], " sort of pantry " out of the
kitchen, " and I think the sink is out there" [correct, the sink was in
the pantry], "but there's a building outside, out beyond . . . the
same order out there ... I think there's a carriage there " [all right],
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a dark whatnot in one of the rooms [there had been such a whatnot in
uncle's earlier home; whether he took it to Fairfield I cannot find out],
and on it " a shell from the seait is about as big as your hand would
be doubled up . . . curls up under and is brownish on outside and
lighter inside and is very smooth as if it were polished" [this describes
a sea shell which was in my uncle's house before he moved to Fair-
field, and which I well remember; he probably took it when he moved],
drawing representing^ person on the wall and a photograph of a girl
in a described frame [don't know], snow drop bush in the yard [pos-
sibly, but only hydrangeas are remembered. There were snowdrops on
the old place, when I was a boy].
The location of the house and attempted description of " the center"
of the town.
House is where it is "half country, because I see things around
there growing, and walking around as though there is the freedom of
country life," " going away along you go off into country " and " he's
between" the country and "the center where there are stores," but
"right near the center" [all exactly true].
"Is there a river? " [there is], " there's a small foot bridge" [No,
quite large bridges], " a quiet town" [yes], going from the old store
to the house, the station would be on the right [not so], there is a
square with something high in it, named something like Monument
Square or Fountain Square [nothing of the sort is there].
Miscellaneous statements.
"You can't stay longlike a calland you go now and then
passing through from somewhere else to somewhere else, stop there"
[Exactly. For the last dozen years I could only call for a few hours
on trips through the place to another destination], " he has somebody
left beside you here in the body. They're removed a bit" [he had no
relative within fifteen miles. His only child lived much farther away],
"a baby that went long, long ago . . . seems like his own baby" [I
never heard that he lost a baby; he lost a girl at the age of fifteen,
more than forty years before his own death], a woman is described,
said to have long lived in Fairfield [I do not recognize her].
Of the particulars regarding the man supposed to be my uncle,
regarding his wife and regarding his home, although a few seem to be
in error, the great mass is correct. Combining them with the mention
of Fairfield, Maine, the chance of such a preponderance of accuracy
being the result of mere guessing is infinitesimal.
If I were experimenting with a strange psychic and the town my
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relative inhabited for many years was mentioned, I should immediately
suspect, and analyze the statements accompanying the mention of the
town, to see if they were such as could be easily obtainable by detective
methods. Let us do so here.
In nothing I have ever printed or which was ever printed about me
is Fairfield mentioned. My uncle was in no way a prominent man. It
needs some one very intimate and close to him to have given such a
mass of data regarding his characteristics, his home, etc. No one but
two or three relatives of mine could have known, for instance, that I
only made calls on him when on the way to another place.
But admitting that Mrs. Soule had contact by accident, we will say,
with some one who knew my uncle in his late years and his home in
Fairfield, intimately, that person must have known Fairfield as well.
Or, if detective work were to be done, the easiest and safest data to get
would be the description of prominent buildings and other objects in
that town. There would have been nothing about a foot-bridge, or
Monument Square, and any person who knew about my uncle's long-
ago store would not say that the railroad station was on the right
going from the store to the house. Such a theory breaks down. It is
the personal data, so hard as to be next to impossible to get by re-
search, which we find most certain and most abundant; it is the facts
which could be obtained by a very little trouble and shrewdness which
are the most scanty and the most insecure in the record.
December 29, 1925. (Present: W. F. P. and Secretary.)
This record must be suppressed. It entirely deals with the same
general theme, though with other details, as do certain passages of
Mrs. Allison's records of Mrs. Leonard's work, which passages were
likewise suppressed. It is a pity, since this sitting, like Mrs. Allison's
omitted passages, is on the whole strikingly evidential. Discounting
what could have been learned from rumor and what could have been
shrewd inferences therefrom, also acknowledging that certain state-
ments are chronologically mixed, there is yet a large residue which is
exceedingly difficult to account for. It implies the detailed and inti-
mate acquaintance of some one on the inside. Other than the persons
dealt with by the text in uncomplimentary fashion, and who certainly,
in conversation with others, would not so have revealed themselves, not
more than three or four persons were sufficiently on the inside to know
this or that stated item, and only two were acquainted with them all in
combination. A few definite details, relating to some recent letters,
were known to only one person outside of my office.
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INDEX TO PAGES 7-196
Not exhaustive, but sufficient for working purposes. Matter in the summaries of
the sittings is not included, but may readily be located.
Allinson, Dr., 152
Allison, Dr. E. W., Greater part of me-
diumistio data regarding:
Death of, 13, 22, 27, 41, 44 n., 44 ff., 56,
61, 62, 65, 91, 95f., 122f., 144f., 177ff.;
handwriting small, 13; characteristic
utterances, 13, 46; love of music, 14,67,
139 f.; "Eddie-Neddie," 14; character-
istic habit, 14; opinion of newspapers,
14; handsome hands, 14; humorous,
14, 55 f.; neckties, 14; ring, 14; fond
of china, etc., 15, 21; loved nature, 15;
dogs, 15, 45 f., 57, 97; college, 16; en-
thusiastic, 20, 62; gray clothes, 20;
played game with ball, 20; physical
description of, 21, 41 f., 54 f., 61, 96;
tooth troubled him, 21, 66; his watches,
21, 44; profession indicated, 22 f.; as-
sociation with nuns, 22; glad of his
training, 25 f.; his travels, 26, 62; fond
of gems, 26 f.; did not want fur coat,
27; loved Colonial things, 27; horses,
27, 97; middle name, "Wood," given,
29; fastidious, 41, 57; could not drive
him, 42; sense of justice, 42; youthful
spirit, 43; apparent age, 43, 95;
wanted another ring, 44; Eastern in-
fluences, 44; leisurely, 44; long walks,
46; bungalow, 46; "Edward," 46;
breathing difficulty, 54; affairs mud-
dled at death, 55; persistent, 55, 64;
interested in old civilizations, 55;
quiet, 55; accident on car, 55; did not
like to be photographed, 57; lameness,
58; connected with two places in
America, 62; planning a journey at
time of death, 62 f.; and Dr. Hyslop,
63; used to two foreign tongues, 64;
kind and patient, 64; kept his word,
64; near window just before death, 95;
smelt something when dying, 96; rela-
tionships to England, 118; "Edward,"
164; "Wood," 165; "Allison," 167
Allison, Dr. and Mrs., 13, 15, 21, 55, 57
Allison, Mrs.:
Precautions taken bv, 1, 7, 10, 12, 20,
40, 52, 60 f., 71, 163 f., 176, 188 f.; mo-
tives of investigation and publication,
7, 8; mediums experimented with, 8,
9, 11; qualifications as investigator,
8n., 25, 51, 173 f., 180; underrates evi-
dence, 15 n., 16 n., 56 n., 57 n., 63 n.,
91 n; mediumistic data about, 44,
52 f., 62, 64, 65, 66, 67, 73 ff., 85, 94,
104 ff., 149, 151 f.
A. S. P. R. affairs, 71 f., 78, 80 n., 104-06,
111-14; Mrs. Leonard's knowledge of,
71 f.
Anniversaries:
Of E. W. A.'s death, 41, 44 ff., 62, 65,
91, 122 f., 144 f., 177 ff.; of the Allison
marriage, 45, 65, 122f., 178ff.; Sep-
tember, June, July, 57, 178; July, 621.,
178; event after an anniversary, 123
Associated object helping communica-
tion, 170
Association of ideas, 16 n., 24, 138, 187
Auctions, 134, 140 f., 153, 159
Bath, 136 f.
Bayley, Dr. W. D., Mediumistic data
about, 111-14
Bird, J. Malcolm, 71 f.
Blank sittings, 11, 46, 51, 58, 176, 189
Blunders and confusions discussed, 17-
18 n., 107 n., 191
Book Tests, 75 ff., 9S n.
Brittain, Introduction to sittings with, 40
Bull, Muriel, 33 f., 39
Bull, Dr. Titus, 32 ff., 38 f.
Chance, Calculations on basis of, 17 f. n.,
47 ff 49 f. n., 190, 195 f.
Chessboard, 153 ff.
Clairvoyance, Theory of, 161
Clairvoyance-Telepathy? (See Objects
Located):
Miss Newton and keys, 99 f.; fruit,
128 f.; Mrs. Allison's frock, 129; soap,
129; altering time late, 129 f.; pillow,
130; buttons, 130 f.; chicken, 131; hat
for Feda, 132 f.; flowers and colors,
145; misfitting dress, 145; chessboard,
153 ff.
Concerts, 134, 139 f.
Controls accompanied by change in evi-
dential quality, Change in, 175 f.
Dctrctive work, Theory of, 51, 175ff.,
ISO f., 188 f.
395
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INDEX
Dingwall, E. J., 33, 61; mediumistic data
about, 87, 90
Douglas, Rev. Dr. G. W., 139
Dowden, Mrs., References to sitting with,
125 ff.; introduction to sittings with,
163
Feda gets impressions, How, 42, 107 f.
Feilding, Question by Hon. E., 134, 139
First sittings often the best, 176
Flying, Man killed, 41, 56?
Guessing, Theory of, 51, 57 n., 91 n., 189
Hawkesworth, Alan S., 47 ff.
Horseshoes, 90 f.
Hypotheses, Discussion of, 160 f.
Hyslop, Dr. Geo. H., Questions by,
134 ff., 183
Hyslop, James H., said to communicate
through other mediums, 33, 78 f., 82,
88, 112 f.; physical description, 74;
characteristics of, 79, 86, 124, 127, 140,
188; facts about, 75, 83 f., 124; illness
and death of, 77, 95, 148 f.; apparition
of, 138 f.
Inferences, Theory of, 182
James, William, 86
Keys, "Blowing up" about, 147
Lambert, Mrs. Helen C, 9, 31 ff., 37;
and chiropodist, 32 f.
Leonard, Mrs., Introduction to sittings
with, 60; reliability of, 71 ff.; knowl-
edge of A. S. P. R., 71 f.; steers clear
of pitfall, 152
Lodge, Letter by Sir Oliver, 72
Margaret incident, 138, 184 f., 187
Medium sometimes uses word in a pe-
culiar sense, 43 f., 92 n., 146 n.
Mediumship interfered with by normal
knowledge, 88 n.
Mediums pass on information, Theory
that, 8 n., 175, 181
Memory, Errancies of, 190 ff.
Mitchell, 134, 140 f.
Mt. Washington, 135 ff.
Murphy, Dr. Gardner, 9
Muscle-reading and its exclusion, 171,173
Names given by mediums (those correct
or recognizably similar put in italics):
Eddie-Neddie, 14; Ted-Fred, 42; Ed-
ward, 46; Wheelen, 23; Wood, 29;
Walter, 41; George, 43, 55; Little
Aunt Mary (Malie), 43 f.; Tom, 44;
Winnie, 44 f.; May-Mary, 45; Charlie,
45; Jack, 45, (159); Anthony, 46; Wil-
liam, 55; Harry, 55; Hugh, 58; C
(place), 62; Lidi, 65; Amy (?), 66;
Jean, 67; Harry, 82; Lollie-Larry
(should have been Teddy), 97; Ebel
(for Emil), 101, 107; W, 111; B-Bary,
etc. (for Bayley), 111, 113; Harry-
Henry, 135; A (place), 137; Margie-
Margaret, 138; Mitchell, 140; H
(place), 148; Edward-Ned, 164; Anita,
164; London (place), 165; Wood, 165;
Lydia, 165; James Hyslop, 166; Prince,
lbO; Bruton, 166; Anna, 166, 170;
Mary, 160, 170; Allison, 167; Tubby,
167; Elsa-EUie, 168; Mackay-Mucky,
168; Paula, 169; "Mudder," 169;
"Polly," 169; Thelma, 170
Newton, Miss Isabel, 97-100, 103
Objects located (See Clairvoyance):
Neckties, 14; bone knife, 17; keys, 18;
old cream pitcher, 25; intaglio, 55, 63;
eye-glasses, 63; photographs, 64, 97;
something Dingwall has of Dr.
Hyslop's, 89; brooch, 91 f.; watch
fob ('!), 92; holes like honeycomb,
125; clips (?), 80; penholder, 80;
chair, 81; shoes, 81; new lock, 81
Omissions of evidential material, 34 n.,
80, 106, 111, 114
Peters, Introduction to sitting with Mr.,
52
Predictions:
Cross water and bring interesting
things back, 25; great change in five
years, 25; delay in journey, 66; an-
other journey, 66 f.; described sit-
tings, 87, 162f.; relating to statue, 118-
20; relating to picture, 120 f.; a lady
to be met, 145 f.; "going somewhere
else," 146; change of room (?), 149 f.
Prince, W. F., Mediumistic data about,
78 f., 82, 86
Questions (See Spontaneous)
Ramsay, Mrs. Gertrude, 33 f.
Relatives of Dr. Allison:
Father, 16, 27 f.; mother, 28; niece, 20;
sister, 45; sisters and niece, 66
Relatives of Mrs. Allison:
Baby brother, 12; father, 12, 101, 108-
11; (physical description), 53, 100f.;
mother, 12, 45; (physical description),
54; mother's mother, 12, 45; E. W. A.
(Soule), 12, etc.
Roses symbol of death and birth, 41
Sagendorph, Mrs. Geo. A., Messages to,
122
Sanders, Introduction to sitting with, 31
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INDEX
397
Selective character of data, 9, 10
Sensory impressions just before death,
192
Ship's bell, 15, 16 n.
Soule, Mrs., 153; introduction to first
sittings with, 11; reliability of, 8n.
Spirits than from living persons, More
exacted from, 190 ff.
Spontaneous results tend to be best,
16 n., 134 ff., (but see 164 ff.)
Telepathy by spirits, 150
Telepathy, Experiments for, 9
Telepathy from the living, Theory of,
llln., 160 f., 182 ff.
Telepathy from Spirits, Theory of,
16 f. n., 92 n, 136, 182 ff., 191 f.
Tubby, Gertrude O., 11, 34, 71 f., 75,
103 f., 112, 115; mediumistic data
about, 79-83, 104-06, 112
X as a sign for Dr. Hyslop, Evidence
for, 33ff.; discussion of, 35ff., 134
ANALYTICAL INDEX TO PAGES 199-394-
TABLE OF MATERIALS RELATED
TO FEATURES IN THE MAP
OF THE OLD HOME
Houses
That of W. F. P.'s father, mother, de-
ceased brother, sister, a living Brother
Herbert, if "Bert" in an unprinted
record means him, and deaf aunt (sole
occupants up to 1886 save for a
younger brother), 210, 287 f., 292, 297-
301, 309-13, 349, 365-72, 384; middle
room, 288, 365; room beyond, 288; ar-
ticles in house, 288, 292, 309, 313, 365-
71, 388; shed and objects connected
with it, 387 f., 300, 334, 348
1st house east of Prince's, occupied
by maternal grandparents, Uncle
"Frank," Aunt Julia, Cousin "Char-
lie," cousin like a "sister," and for a
time Uncle "Henry" and Aunt Mi-
randa (all occupants 1868-76 save a
child), 206, 284, 286-89, 293 f., 296,
327-31, 371, 373, 376, 378 f., 384; garret
and its contents, 293-96, 327ff.; other
features of the house, 329 ff.
2nd house east of Prince's, occupied by
Ricker ["Richards"l family, 318
3rd house east of Prince's, where "Su-
sie" and Percy lived, 319
4th house east of Prince's, where "Jo-
seph," "Susan " and Orinda lived, 206,
295, 318, 386
House adjoining Prince's land, to north,
home of " David," " Reuel," " Emily"
and " Nancy," 206, 213, 302
Cellar of house across lota to northwest
of Prince's, where G. Myrick [" De
Merritt "l had lived, 300
1st house west of Prince's, the "group of
buildings," 320
2nd house west of Prince's, home of
"Daniel," 373
4th house west of Prince's, where Wil-
liam "Henry" had lived, 212
9th house west of Prince's, home of pa-
ternal grandmother, 209-12
On Prince Farm
Martin-house, 299; cattle-yard, 374 f.;
corn hanging on shed, 300; woodpile,
301; place where chips were gathered,
301; grape-vine running up tree near
path, 301 f.; Norway pines, 374; cara-
way, 298f.; sage, 299; prickly bushes
with fruit, by wall, 299; fruit-trees,
334; wall and old zigzag fence, 373 f.;
rough pasture, 315, 373 f.; hill in pas-
ture, 287, 315, 320 f.; "hole dug out"
whence rocks came used in building,
373 f.; checkerberries, 316; bunch-
plums, 316; "juniper" bushes, 315;
sarsaparilla, 316; flags, 316; willows,
316; brook near house, 387; corn field,
308; spring, 314; railroad, 302; wood
whence crows came, 308
Near the Prince Farm
Small stream beyond " group of build-
ings," 320 f.; little pond, 321; adjoin-
ing pasture, 317; road crossed to go
beechnutting, 331; beech trees, 331;
village, 320, 322 f.
PERSONS PURPORTING TO BE
RELEVANT TO W. F. PRINCE
(All those whose names are marked by
a star lived in the same neighborhood.)
Relatives More or Less Identified
*Wife, 215; illness and death, 216 ff.,
225-30, 232-35, 237-39, 241-42, 246, 260-
66, 274, 277-78, 280; miscellaneous
identifying data, 218-32, 237, 239-40,
242-43, 247-48, 253-55, 261, 264, 266 f.,
269-72, 274, 276 f., 279-80, 282
*Father, 205; identifying data, 313,
337 f., 340-43, 345, 347-51, 363 f., 366-
372 *Mother, 205; identifying
data, 207 ff., 232, 287 f., 298, 301-02, 341,
363 f., 379-84 *Brother (deceased),
307; "B" (initial of name), 237 f.;
age: "Small boy," 207; "little fel-
low," 387; other identifying data,
207 f., 284 ff., 308, 381-87 *Sister
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INDEX
Louise, "Lou or Lucy," 210; identify-
ing datum, 21; (Other data omitted
for personal reasons.) *" Three
women" (of family), 366; *" 4 of us,"
384 Brother-in-law Edward F ,
"Edward-Ned," 208 'Maternal
grandfather, 293; other identifying
data, 286 f., 327 *Matemal grand-
mother, "Betsy," 388; identifying
data, 388 f. *Paternal grand-
mother, identifying data, 210 ff.; *Pa-
ternal grandmother's husband, identi-
fying data, 212; *Uncle Frank,
"Frank," 294; identifying data, 294,
328 f., 388 f., 391-94 *Aunt Julia,
identifying data, 388; Aunt V., identi-
fying data, 392 f.; Uncle John, "J,"
205; "John," 273 Uncle Charles,
"Charles," 205; identifying data, 304
*Uncle Henry, " Henry," 284, 376,
378 f.; *Aunt Miranda, "Amanda,"
371; "Matilda," 373, 377-79; identify-
ing data, 206, 373, 379 *Deaf
Aunt, identifying data, 288; *Aunt
Hannah (?), "Hannah .. Aunt," 244;
*Cousin Charlie, "Charlie," 384; Cou-
sins Cora and Ella, "Cora and Edna
connected with each other," 314; Cou-
sin Mrs. Maude Ethelind Sleeper,
"Helen," "Sleeper," 305; Cousin
Clara Imogen (?), "Ruhama," 305;
*Girl cousin (?) like a "sister,"
205; Cousin Orville, "Orville," 373,
376-79; *Great-uncle Joseph, "Joe or
Josie," 386; identifying data, 206
*Mother's Cousin Susan, "Susie,"
318 f.; identifying data, 318
*Mother's Cousin Orinda, "Orrin or
Oreno," 295; Relatives in general,
identifying data, 206, 210
Other Persons More or Less Identified
*David , "David," 206; *William
Henry, "Henry or Harvey," 212;
identifying datum, 212 Joseph.
"Joseph," 213; identifying datum, 213
*Emily. "Emma or Emily-
Emmeline," 312; identifying datum,
213 Young man helped by W. F.
P., identifying particulars, 272 ff.;
Blacksmith,' identifying data, 288 f.;
*Jacob B (?), "Jacob . . . Jake,"
296; *G. Myrick, "De Merritt," 300;
identifying data, 300 *Reuel (?),
"Reuben," 302; *Ricker, "Rich-Rich-
ards," 318; Professor named George,
320; *"Stephen," 334-351; identifying
data, 334-351 *"Nancy." 213n.;
*Daniel B., "Daniel," 373; identifying
data, 373
Unidentified or Highly Conjectural
"Rhoda," 208; "Uncle William,"
209f.; "Ada," 274; "Milton or Wil-
ton," 312; "Silas Pierce," 319; "John."
319; "George," 319; "Pillsbury," 383;
"Kingman Snow," 383; "Ralph," 386
RELEVANT TO MRS. W. F.
PRINCE
Relatives
Sister Julia, "Julia," 281; Sister Nel-
lie E. (?), "Ella or Emma," 241;
Relatives in general, 241
Another Person
A friend, Kate, " Kate," 223
Unidentified
Mary, 263; W, 263
RELEVANT TO THEODOSIA
Relatives
Mother, 224; identifying data, 291
Paternal grandmother, identifying
data, 256 f.
Another Person
A priest, connected with "St. An-
drew's," 357 f.
Unidentified
A claimant to be her father, 213;
"William," 256; "Chaney," 256
NAMES OF ANIMALS
Recognized
"Mephistopheles," 247-51; "Teddy,"
248-50; "Ned" (description of
"Nell"), 288; "Bess," 317; "Dick"
(Canary), 231
Unidentified
"Major," 232
NAMES OF PLACES
All recognized and relevant
"Hannibal, Hannah, Ohio," 244-46;
"Casco Bay," identifying data, 303;
"Castine," 306 f.; "B," 390; "Fair-
field, Maine," 391
SELECTED REFERENCES
Barren or poor sittings, 213 ff., 251 ff., 379
Beeeher, Henry Ward, 281 f.
Cat, 247-51
Cross-Correspondences between Mrs.
Leonard and Mrs. Soule, 232-36
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399
Dogs: Fifi, 230-31; Teddy, 248-50; the
mysterious, 312; alleged, 332 f.
Evening in the Prince home, description
of an, 310 f.
Explosion, 353-63
Fairfield and Uncle Frank's home, 391-94
Guinan, Mrs. Caroline B., evidence re-
lated to in connection with Mrs.
Prince, 223 f., 261, 283; other evidence,
279
Hannah-Hannibal Incident, 244-46
Identification, A sample itemized (That
of Mrs. Prince is jar more detailed.
See citations ajter "Wife" in list oj
Persons. For other good ones see
"Uncle Frank," "Brother," "Uncle
Charles," "Mother," etc.)
Stephen's first name given, 334-51; not
important, mentality mediocre, object
of amusement, sometimes used preten-
tious language, not so bad, capable of
good acts, appeared lazy, work irregu-
lar, wasn't rich, a character, 335; poor
manners, shocking clothes, especially
hat, dirty and probably never bathed,
had distinctive walk recognizable at a
distance, conspicuous because of odd-
ity, 336; did something wrong which
troubled father, 337; to a younger per-
son, he lied, 339; was surly, occasion-
ally showed temper, 340; his after life
was his punishment, 342; his charges
unsupported by evidence, 344; his
conduct never explained, had not been
thought vicious, would "slink"
through the field, 345; he charged boy
with throwing something and derisive
words, 346
"Margaret," 244, 246, 252, 259, 292
Mephistopheles and Teddy, 247-51
Myers, F. W. H., 222 f.
Omission, Evidential, 394
Organ, 365-71
Political campaign, 390
Prediction fulfilled in all details by
disaster in pittsburgh, 353-63
Prince, Theodosia B.:
Evidence related to recent acts and
experiences of, connected with Mrs.
Prince, 218-22, 226, 237, 239-40, 252,
278-79; evidence related to earlier
acts and experiences of, connected
with Mrs. Prince, 217, 227-30, 234-35,
237, 242-43, 247-48, 260, 265 ff., 278;
early home of, described, 289-92; mis-
cellaneous data concerning, 218, 224,
243-45, 251 f., 256-60, 284, 314 f.
Prince, Mrs. W. F. (See "Wife" in list
of Persons):
Believes she sees spirits, 229-30, 233-36,
262, 264; phenomena following death
of, 230-31, 263
Prince, W. F.:
Data relating to boyhood and youth,
212, 232, 273, 285, 287 f., 304, 306, 308,
310 ff., 314-17, 320, 329, 331, 337-51,
364-67, 379-86; data relating to later
life, 226, 240, 243, 247, 254 f., 262, 271-
73, 287, 303, 390; contemporaneous
data, 274, 281
Sanders, Mrs., 277
Secretary, Old, 367, 372
Singing and titles of songs, 285 f., 287,
387
Soap-making on Prince farm, 352 f.
"Spirit from across the ocean," 314 f.
Stephen, The Story of, 334-52
Teddy (See Mephistopheles and Teddy),
248-50
DISCUSSIONS
Association of Ideas, 367-70
Blunders and confusions, 214 (., 244, 259-
60, 269 f., 303, 312, 319-20, 322 f., 333 f.,
352, 389 f., 394
Chance, Absurdity of attributing to, 250
Chance, Calculations based on theory of,
214, 302 f.n., 305 f.n., 306 n., 319 n.,
320 n., 377 n., 378 f.
Coincidence unstated in prediction, Ex-
traordinary, 359, 362; why unstated, if
foreseen?, 360-61
Communicator, Data as if from view-
point of, 202 f., 249-50, 322
Communicators as related to evidential
quality, Change of, 215
Communication, Mechanisms of, 245 f.
n., 259 f., 268 f., 344, 352 f., 367-71, 378,
380
Detective work, Theory of, 323-26, 394
Experiments, Conduct of, 200 f., 204;
modes of reporting, 199 f.
Grouping of data, Correct temporal,
376 f., 379
Locality, Curious relation to, 203-04
Memories of a child after death, Hypo-
thetical, 307, 332 f.
Memory of communicator and sitter not
necessarily coterminous, 252 f., 268-70,
276
Names, Difficulty in getting proper, 378
Selective character of data (See Com-
municator, Grouping, and Locality),
362 f.
Telepathy from the living, Theory of,
202-04, 215, 359, 389
Telepathy from Spirits, Theory of, 202 f.,
215, 371
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