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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (April 21, 1912)
WILL psychic jmmm mmm waits to hear mart bepateteb Noted Editor and Publisher Before Dying This Month Arranged Test Code to Prove Survival of Human Per sonality After Bodily Death THAT our savant engage in psy chic research now have their tar oPDortuntty to prove that the dead can communicate with the living is claimed by many devotees of tbla rrystlc ectenre. It has become krtown that prior to t-'s th, April 1. no Ires a solid c'.tl mii than Dr. Iesac Kaufman Fcnk, fctsd of the publishing- firtn of Funk ft WagnsMs. ad editor of the Stan t'erd IMct'.onarr. completed elaborate arrangements to cake, after hla ds rr'ae, authoritative communications w'tb the A-nerlcan Society for Psychl cfl Reesarch. tfpeakir.g of tits Improved arrange ments for transmitting these post-mortem messages. It. Funk said some months ago: "We have determined on a certain code of signals, which no one on earth fcr.ow but the person to whom I will communicate and myself. If be ceives one of these signals after my Oath, he will be absolutely certain by It that I have reached him. Ha will then establish communication with m, either through a designated medium or by some meana which 1 may find In the neat world. As I era a much older man than he in. there is every probability that I will die before he does, and while he Is active ly engaged in the occult studies." I Is taken for granted by those In terested in the test that the person with whom the noted publisher made this compact is Dr. James H. Hyslop, former professor of psychology at Co lumbia University, who had similarly arranged for, post-mortem communica tion with other noted men. Ir. Funk, who at the time of hla iath was in his 7 Jd year, served as a Lutheran minister until he founded the publishing bouse which bears his name. For a quarter of a century he lad been active at a prohibitionist and reform leader. In the coarse of his In vestigation of spiritualism be had fear sslr exposed all phenomena which -.e had suspected waa fraudulent. Hla Experiaseata Dvrlif Ufa. Some time ago It was announced that he bad been the principal la a most interesting psychic experiment. lie hut himself In a room In Brooklyn, at :he same witching hour when by pre- rrangement. a gronp of people In a room in Lyons. N. Y waa hypnotised and commanded to concentrate their -ninds upon him. Then, when the doc tor. In his room, drew the picture of i (1sb. it la said the hypnotized ones t Lyons pronounced the word "nab." while when he raised his arm toward ;he celling they exclaimed. "He points upward." It la also related that when Dr. Funk waa compiling the Standard Dic tionary he wished to use a drawing of the "widow" mite." an ancient coin worth hundreds of dollars. A speci men waa found In the possession of a friend of Henry TVard Beecher. who arranged that Dr. Funk might borrow it. Then Beecher died, and time paased without the doctor's thinking more BT DON MARK LEMOM. JUDITH QUIMBY. spinster, was a thorn in the side of the body social of Watervale. for Judith Quiraby. spinster, owned the only church in thai little Tillage she had Inherited the edifice from her father, who had go: It by foreclosure and being the pro prietor of the church building, she had taken It upon herself to dictate tbe nms of the clergy who should hord Torth from it pulpit. Judith Quitnby, spinster, was a Bap tist, and so also were the divines en- eaged to" wake spiritual thunder In the pulpit of her church. Watervale like, wise waa Baptist, but Judith Qulreby eagle nose was a sensitive spiritual thermometer, which she thrust Into the Je'pths of each of her clergyman well of faitl-. and if that thermometer reg istered the slightest variation of a de gree from the temperature of her owit wll of faith, then Judith Quimby. spinster, arose, accused tbe unhappy rltrsvmen of heresy, showed him to !he door of her favor, and drove Mm J"rth peremptorily. In a year sue lad dismissed four men of God. It would seem that the gol people of Watervale might have take.i Into their own hands their spiritual peace irvd welfare, engaged that particular Jlvlne who most pleased then, and have set Mm to preaching from an lm I ro vised pulpit In a barn. If nceu be; Vut ah! what Is an ordained minister, that even a religion, without a 'tJ. lupolaed church.' No! their cler-jty.naa aiust preach from a regular pulpi. in a regular church edifice, and Watervale. Urine too needy to erect a house of worship of It own. needs suffer all the If about the matter until some time ago. when he waa Investigating a spiritu alist medium.-who announced a com munication from the departed divine. The spirit of Beecher during this se ance. It la claimed, reminded Dr. Funk that the "widow's mite" had never been returned, and directed him to aeek It In the letter's office safe under a atack of old papera. Dr. Funk searched aa directed, and. be alleged, found the coin Just where the supposed spirit said It would be, but where no one. not even the cashier, , had suspected that It had so long reposed. These and other alleged experiences brought the learned lexicographer to the conclusion that there are whole classes of phe nomena which point clearly to the op eration of Intelligent forces that exist outside of what we know aa human bodies." Such experiment brought Dr. Funk In contact with Dr. Hyslop and a close friendship grew between them. Their arrangement for the test of spirit com munication ia said to have been sug gested by a similar compact between i'r. Hyslop and the noted psycholo gist. Professor William James of Har vard, who died year before last. It la rumored that Dr. Hyslop be lieves that he haa already received commnnlcatlona from Professor James and that he la preparing to publish them In the Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, of which be la the founder and active head. Professor James was the discoverer of Mrs. Leonora K. Piper, the famous Boston medium. It waa 20 years ago that he found out the peculiar powers of this remarkable woman, who has since been tested by the trained psy chic researchers of two continents, and who lately surrendered herself com pletely to the British Society of Psy chical Research. During these latter experiments this trance medium, al though Isolated, guarded and subject ed to the severest of tests by a com mittee of trained skeptics. Is reported to have described what other persons were doing and saying hundreds of miles away. That queen of mystics, Mme. Blavat- sky. Is alleged to bave been exposed In India by a strenuous Australian in vestigator, Richard Hodgson, who aft erward settled down In Boston, where he became bead of the old American branch of the British Society of Psychi cal Research, and where he met Pro fessor James, who took him to see Mrs. Piper. Dr. Hodgson studied thla wom an for li years, and she convinced blm that telepathy, automatic writing and communication with the dead were bona Ade phenomena. To give her a special test Dr. Hodgson arranged a unique course of experiments. In which he waa aided by Dr. Hyslop. then professor at Columbia. Masked Hlaaaelf ad Visited Medians. Professor Hyslop masked himself and dlsgulse4 his voice during bis Inconvenience and vexation visited upon It by the eccentricities of the owner of the one church in the village Judith Quimby. spinster. The month of August, embracing five Sundays, passed, and during this no In considerable period Watervale remained wholly without publlo religious edifi cation, whereat the villagers began to murmur, but Judith Quimby set her thin lips and stood firm. The Lord. In good time, would send a minister of true orthodoxy, she assured her towns people, and better that he should for get their need than that the village should be corrupted by heresy. Better no prophet than a false one. The first week in September came and went, and it began to look If Miss Quimby herself would have to fill her empty pulpit, when her deacon. Timothy Watts. Esq.. received a letter bearing the postmark of a city In Mich igan. Rreaklng the envelope, he perused the following amaxing communication: Mr. Tlmothv Wat ra TOfttrvaJ -Reverend ir: teaming that yo are the deem of the Baptist Churrh ot Waiervel. we take the liberty ot tmroducin ourselves to you. ' are knaae aa t Clergymen. Church and Choir Supply Company, and are Incor porated undor to lawa of the State of Mich laan. Wa era pnpmd ta supply tha pub lic with clersymaa ot every denomination, and all ahatea of tha same. Oar correspond ent has Informed us that your village Is at prtaent in naed ot a Baptiat clergyman. tar wa bave your permlaslon to submit eamplT It will coat you eothlns fnr ex amination, and onr taroe fnr tha ecods. de livered, will be aa followa: one hundred dol lar a year, payable quarterly In advance. The clersymao rhon by your constitu ency will p(tah one timel. ortslnal aermon each week, with openln prayer and bene diction, and be kept In working order at eer ovpenae. Only fine loekla clergymen la stock, and wo aail BavrtUaOA --nrllnaj AO Lao fact L&a TITE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, APRIL . 21, 1912. V I fsHl ' - i Zfrs Geneve & " ' ' I I visit to bar, and while she lay un conscious with her head upon a pillow resting upon a table, ber band wrote out messages alleged to come from his father. She converted Hyslop to the spiritualistic hypothesis, and his announcements of the fact made a stir in the scientific world. He and Hodg son formed a compact that whoever died first should communicate with the other, and Professor Hyslop ex pressed to me some time ago his sat isfaction that he haa received mes sagea from Hodgson since tbe latter' death In 1905. Through Mrs. Piper. Professor James and his wife also endeavored to get In touch with the deceased Hodgson, and a few months before the noted psychol ogist's death be contributed an ex haustive report on these experiments, concerning which he said: "But If asked whether the will to communicate be Hodgson's or be some mere spirit-counterfeit of Hodgson. I remain uncertain and await more,fact. facts which may not point clearly to a conclusion for 60 or iou years.' In the course of bis experiments with Mrs. Piper a -secret password from his dead father was given to Pro fessor Hyslop by her. It Is claimed, be fore he nad unmasked and before ahe bad ever seen him in her conscidus state. when later he got the same password from an orthodox minister's wife, who had also developed trance medlumship and "automatic writing," all sermons can bo examined before delivery, i and edited to luttthe tastes of tha congre gation. Wo furnish choirs, too. In all languages and at tho most reasonable prtree. We aleo are prepared to furnish portable or nonportable churches, at tha shortest notice. All rellglono constantly In stock, and new torma and rituals constantly added. EE vizi fia-r. m irr I sfcJK:S:---n" r--i MB. III. 'II" I III! I '1 1 1 Tom j . . .',: i ' ' . - - - i- w- - j-f Aav :--u .,Vrrvci,lVJ Professor Hyslop commenced experi menting with this new subject, who, to protect ber from the annoyance of publicity. Is referred to under the pseudonym "Mrs. Smead" in the re ports of the American Society for Psychic Research. The Womaat of Mystery. She I a woman of mystery, and all that has been revealed about her of a personal nature is that she is a blue eyed young woman of a modest and retiring temperament, who Uvea about 24 hours off from New York in a town which la surrounded by an evergreen forest and -in which her husband en Joys good standing as rector of an or thodox church surmounted by a cross. While she is In a trance her head is held In a special headrest, which Dr. Hyslop exhibited to me, and her moving finger writes upon psper spread on a sewing table at her side. She waa stud led also by Dr. Hodgson, and on the night that he dropped dead while play ing handball she is said to have seen his apparition, which reported to her: "It is better here than I had hoped for." Another noted savant who made a compact to thus communicate after death was the great criminologist and alienist of international renown, Pro fessor Cesare Lombroso. of Italy. Until lie was 65 years old Lombrorfo believes? spiritualism and all that per tained thereto to be "low tomfoolery." Then he was taken off unwillingly to attend the seance of some spiritualist - In rase you should wish to consider our proposition further, we will be pleased to mail you our handsome llluatratod catalogue, or. better atlll, hava our agent call In per son upon you. Truatlna- to receive an early order, and guaranteetnc you tha alcbesl aatinfactlon. wo aubecrfbe oureelves. THE CLERGYMAN. CHURCH AND CHOIR SUPPLY COMPANY". n medium, and at the age of 73 he died firmly believing In the survival of hu man personality after bodily death. It was to prove this to the hundreds of his brother savants, some of whom, be cause of his spiritualistic views, came to regard him as a fantastic visionary, that he made this solemn ante-mortem compact to place himself, after death In definite communication with his fellow-members of the Milan Society for Psychical Reseated. And be arranged that his communications should be made through that famous Italian medium with whom he had been ex perimenting for tbe past 14 years, Eu sapia Paladino, who wag called "the despair of science," and who made a tour of America soon after Lombroso's passing. In this country Paladino did not make the creditable showing that her managers had hoped for, and sev eral of our investigators are claimed to have exposed her. Whether the Mi lan Society has received Lombroso's promised revelations through her or other mediums has not been announced as yet to the world of science. Noted Thtnkera Lately Converted. It lg remarkable how many noted thinkers are capitulating to the spirit istic hypothesis. Professor Charles Richet, of the Faculty of Medicine. Paris, claLms.to have photographed the spirit of a Spanish soldier, and Ca mile Flammarlon, the French astrono mer. Is now an aggressive convert to spiritism. He says he has proved that such phenomena as the movement of chairs without contact" and the suspen sion of heavy tablea In space are bona fide, he having secured photographs of some floating In the air. No less than an ex-prime minister has recently been a leader of the ghost huntera of England, where he recently served as president of the Society of Psychical Research. He insists that science cannot explain the psychic wonders which he has witnessed. While he headed the society it made a special investigation of 350 cases of appari tions or trie aying in fengiana ana Wales, and of these S3 cases were ac- I SOLVING THE. b WLALnW AINU UlUlrd. "Well, I swan," exclaimed Deacon Watts, removing his glasses and rub bing the indentation that they had made in the bridge of his nose; "this beats me!" Again the man of peace perused the ( typewritten communication, then, fold ing It carefully, placed it In hi pocket and went over to Judith Quimby, spin ster, for further light. Two hour later Deacon Watts posted a letter directed to The Clergyman, Church and Choir Supply Company. Ju dith. Quimby had commanded that unique company to send down an agent to Watervale with samples of Baptist clergymen and the terms for a choir of two male and two female voices: "For while we are about It, deacon," snapped Mies Judith, "we might as well see if we can get a choir that can praise the Lord, without scratching each others' eyes out at the same time!" The following Tuesday an agent of the C C. & C. S. Co. arrived and with the aid of her deacon. Judith Quimby finally arranged with him for a clergyman and a choir of four voices which she thought would prove quito satisfactory. She then posted a notice to the effect that her church would open on the fol lowing Sunday, with clergymen and choir engaged at her own expense, and Invited everyone to attend. Sunday came, and with i'. came the congregation to listen to the new cler gyman and the new choir. What man ner of man would the former be? And the choir? Really, Judith Quimby must be at ruinous expense to bear the whole cost out of her private meana. At precisely 10 o'clock Deacon White stepped forward and opened the door leading from the vestibule to the cburch, and the congregation entered the house ot worship. The new clergy- TZthrj&rarTfrcaT-t Gun I cepted as beyond the law of chance or the possibility of fraud. Two noted British Kniphts, renowned for their breadth of intellect, have sur rendered even more completely. Sir Oliver Lodge, head of the University of Birmingham, in a recent Journal of the British Society for Psychical Research, has given details of messages which he claims to have received from dead mem bers of the society through the pen of a writing medium known as "Mrs. Hol landrones," another of these psychic "women of mystery." From Edmund Gurney, one of the founders pf the so ciety. Sir Oliver received an alleged message commencing: "I appear to be standing behind a sheet of frosted glass which blurs the sight and deadens sounds." Our aforementioned medium, Mrs. Piper, has had a hand in converting Sir Oliver. He got her to come to his Liverpool residence, where. In tho pres ence of a committee, she is reported to have told Just what two women, utter strangers to her, were doing minute by minute In their London home. Communications From Dead Author. A brilliant English litterateur, F. W. II. Myers, died in 1901 upon complet ing a noted work, "Human Personal ity," dealing with this problem of sur--ival of personality after death. Prior to his passing away he expressed his intention of trying, after death, this crucial experiment of exerting his own Influenco upon minds still carnate. After a Berles of trials with Mrs. Piper and other mediums Sir Oliver Lodge has announced that Myers, Hodgson and others have, during these tests, been "constantly purporting to com municate with us, with the express pur- pose of patiently proving their iden- my, giving ua cruos-curi reponoeoco no- twecn different mediums." The other British Knight referred to as a convert is the celebrated chemist and inventor of the X-ray tube. Sir William Crookes. Some time ago Sir William risked his scientific reputa tion by reporting to an exalted body how he had communed with a material ized spirit known as "Katie King"; how he had had crystals placed in his palm by hands not belonging to any per sons In the room with him, and how in broad daylight he had seen a cloud condense into a hand, which carried ob jects about. The exalted body to which he reported these alleged phenomena was no less than the British Royal So ciety. His paper was lgnominlously thrown out, the great society's out- PROBLEM man and the choir were there before them, the divine standing in his pulpit, the choir seated on his right. A murmur of surprise and pleasure broke from the congregation. What a noble clergyman! young, handsome. saintly; everything a pastor should be! And the choir what a fine-looking group! One could almosl see their per fect voices In their intelligent, spirtual faces. The congregaton was now seated and, ifting his outstretched hands, the new clergyman opened the morning's wor ship with prayer and then immediate ly chose his text and delivered his sermon. The little flock held its breath In admiration: never before had It heard such a ser mon a this a masterly searching out of the vanities of these latter times, delivered in a rich, sonorous voice, and with true Baptist fervency. Verily, a Summer of spiritual glory had descend ed upon the village of Watervale! "The choir will now sing the 47th hymn." directed the new clergyman, and at once the choir arose with open hymnbooks, and, taking the most grace ful attitude, rendered the song in con summate style: then, decently, soberly, Christianly, without staring at face or bonnet among the congregation, sat down. Judith Quimby was triumphant her townspeople elated, amazed, curious. The new clergyman now arose and, speaking in a more familiar tone than heretofore. Introduced himself to his flock as the Reverend Richard Bonifleld, and trusted that only the highest es teem and affection would ever exist be tween himself and Ills congregation. Then, lifting his hands, he spoke the benediction, and - immediately after wards the congregation arose and made Its exit to the vocal music of tbe choir. I mmms. raged secretary refusing to so much as enter it upon the flies. Quite as enthusiastic a convert is William T. Stead, the well-known edi tor of the English Review of Reviews, who lately surprised the British em pire with the announcement that lie had become a writing medium. At first the noted editor accepted telepathy, and claimed to have written down the thoughts of living men many mllea away. Then, of late years, he alleges he has gotten Into close communion with the dead. While engaged in his automatic writing he claims his right arm becomes impassive, while its fin gers guide a pen over paper on which appear letters from his son, the bril liant young writer, William, who died several years ago. Mr. Stead states that this writing appears without his exercising any will power to either hold the pen or move it. Next Editor Stead announced tho opening in London of his Julia's bureau, a public telegraph office, where anyone might call up friends across (he gulf. This bureau Is so-called because its "spirit control" the operator upon the Stygian side Is alleged to be the shade of a pious Chicago lady. Miss Julia A. Ames, who for some years edited the American organ of the Woman's Chris tian Temperance Union. It appears that Miss Ames, like Lombroso, Professor James and Dr. Funk, made arrange ments to come back after death, and that she made good. "Twice she came, and at the second instance I happened to be staying at the castle where her apparition has been seen," says Editor Stead. "As my hand began to write au tomatically then, I placed it at the dis posal of Miss Ames, and she has used it as her own ever since." . Thus she became the Julia of "Julia's bureau," through which Mr. Stead some time ago claimed to have received the startling campaign literature sent over the spirit wireless by th great Glad stone. Wrote Compact In Blood. And it might be recalled that no less a light' than the noted Lord Brougham. Lord Chancellor of England, reported the fulfillment of such a pact as Dr. Funk entered into one made with his lordship's most intimate boyhood friend. "G," with whom he attended the uni versitj'. "... We frequently in our walks discussed and speculated upon many grave subjects, among others on the im mortality of tho soul and on a future state," wrote tho Ch.-uicellor in his memoirs. "This question and the possl. bility, I will not say of ghost walking, but of the dead appearing to the living, were subjects of much speculation; and we actually committed the folly of drawing up an agreement, written with our blood, to the effect that whichever of us died the first should appear to the other and thus solve any doubts we had entertained of 'the life after death." " This chum entered the civil service in India and seldom wrote to Brougham, who, after a few years almost forgot him. How this compact was weirdly ful filled Lord Brougham thus tells In his I journal of December 19. 1709: "I had j taken, as I have said, a warm Datti; and j while lyinr in it ... I turned my head round, looking toward the chair on which I had depositej my clothes. . . . On the chair sat G. looking calmly at me. How I got out of the bath I know not, but on recovering my senses I found myself sprawling on the floor. The apparition, or whatever it was, that had taken the likeness of G., had dis appeared." All of this, according to the record, occurred during a visit to London, and soon after his return to Edinburgh Brougham received "a letter from India announcing G.'s death and stating that he died on the 19th of December. "Singular coincidence." (Copyright. 1912. by John Elfreth " Watkins.) In the vestibule Judith Quimby was Instantly surrounded, to be congratu lated by every one upon her choice of a new clergyman, and thanked for her noble services and, with a questioning inflection, her great expense. Miss Judith bowed condescendingly, but still her townspeople lingered. "Really, dear," burst out little Mrs. Pinchin, dying with curiosity, "but we cannot go until we have shaken hands with the new minister, and thanked the choir for their beautiful singing." Judith Quimby swept out her arms, making a little open space, the better to address her audience, and began: "It Is impossible, friends, that you meet the new minister or thank the choir. Im possible! I repeat. The Reverend Rich ard Bonifleld and his charming choir are not frail flesh and blood, as we are: they see not as we see. hear not as we hear, feel not as we feel; your flatteries cannot touch them, nor your heresies corrupt; they are above the follies and illusions of this little world. In fact, my friends, you have today listened to a sermon and to religious singing ren dered by servants of a new and incor ruptible church. At last have Christian souls found the perfect choir and tho perfect minister! The Reverend Rich ard Bonifleld and his choir are not men and women, but steel and wax figures worked by our deacon and within each of these figures is a phonograph, the records of which have been and will in the future be edited by me, so that hereafter we shall have the true faith delivered in the true way. Friends. I wish you a very good morning this bles sed baDOatn day. and assure you that you will always be welcome to this In corruptible church, which I have estab lished in your midst. One word more hereafter there will be no collection, except that for foreign missions. (Copyright, by Short Story Pub. Co.X
