THE SEANCE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 601, 1 September 1909, Page 8

THE SEANCE.

A CURIOUS "APPORT." '■'■ /'A DISPUTE ON HINDUSTANI.' . v What is understood to be the last-,of tho ; Tuesday ; night seances 'given by the medium Bailey, of Melbourne, was held in the rooms, Woodward Street, last' evening, Mr. W. ( M'Leon, as usual, preseding. The circle was rather smaller than customary, and 'women appeared to predominate. The usual procedure was followed. The medium was searohed and placed in a gauze cage, and tho control known as "Professor Denton" soon :took charge. He delivered an address which set out to show that the spiritualism of the Bible'.' and modern spiritualism are identical." It':'was' the. best address yet given by "The Professor" at these seances— be'ttor delivered and. better,..matter. Tho. -usual bombardment' of questions followed. Here are a few of them:— . ' , ■■ Questioner:. Is there ■'■ any.: time. limit "for spirits? -;, Can we get a spirit'to attend who, has been'dead, a thousand years? .

: "The Professor" said that as .a rule those .who had been dead a great,number.of years did. not. come back.to '.'communicate...with those ' on' earth. They had psissod on to higher planes'.' Many people asked why did not they get,;some of theso lo'ng'-passedraway spirits to communicate' .with the earth—, they would then,be. able to learn the lost, arts and other things. They -forgot that in' tlie caso of "those who had passed into spiritland so long : ago', their friends had passed .also, and they, now had no desire; to ccme back and communicate with those ohicarth.; ■ The same questioner asked for an explanation of how it came about that in connection with a certain publication containing what' .were'alleged to be reproductions: of "spirit; paintings.it had been proved that the paintings, were plagiarisms,of the' works!;'of living artists? . > • •:, ;

.'"Tho: Professor's", reply was; prompt,, and to .the,point. .."I.,can't, say,' my friend. It is-very probably true. There<are a great many thieves, among you'-'pn- earth, you ; know." ; •"■•,.

.As usual there were demands for the production of. "local' "apports" as being more ■convincing than those from'lndia; and also ■ for the ■', production; of. a,newspaper of that, day's date from-some 'distant'.country.''.'On this subject, "The Professor" took exception to a footnote which ■.appeared' to' a' lett-or. published in The Dominion of Monday. This, footnote"stated in'.effect 'that -the 'mediumor his. control' had.',■' 'evaded',' tho question of 1 producing a -newspaper from afar;" .but had.promised to do so at some indefinite-date' for Mr.. Stanford. ./This '■;statement,'' '''The': Professor" "said, 'wp.s incorrect ]■• so far as' the word ''evaded", was concerned. '■ He.had not ovaded, but .had'given a point-blank refusal to .the request.,. The .writer is. not'., prepared, to. dispute tho point. '■'':■'■ '.■■'.,■■ ,'.-'. .'-. One questioner wanted'-.fa''.know' how it was that birds caught wild in the jungle 'in' India arrived here tame, and became at'orice acclimatised.".-,-' ...v :.'.,. ~.' :.

.-.,' "The, ./Professor." considered,' .'they wore very .wild tf hen they first, came.' He asked th'p sceptics if they had .'ever known "anyone bring live humming-birds ' ■to Australia—it. could_not.be done;by human.means, because' the' 1 birds ■ could'tot:be fed, and would die: befpro/they; got' there.';v Yet.'the controls,' through, BaileyJ had .produced in! Melbourne l two': live humming-birds, /which;.-, flew: aboiit in a';glas3 case .'visible';to':"all present at the seance.':.''-.'.■'•:'/ v .; ,;' : ;-,.' ; , v - /. "■'■ "\.:/':\S -.-';

; : A' sceptic:. How long did they- live? '■>?'-'■'.•; /.."The -Professor" :They,were: taken/.'; away again/by;the..."control" before..the,'/'searicb ended; but; all present ,saw. them flying about :ia;a/giass. case.;'-' ;>■ ;'-'•/'/;, ■■'■■'■■-.

:': When the,' 'apport" producing stage : was reached, there was "the customary period of, darkness ,and''singing—very, feeble .singing it : was. ; Then. came a rattling '; sound,- ■ as, though a-large handful of gravel . was)bbing slowly, dropped .a little at a .time'v'fm'iq.'atrayj,,.Th i C' medium, had taken a, snYa'll/Hray. lintt\,tpe'',cage o iwifrh..'hiin.-..Wheft" ..Jheiiljghts'.were turned up the .medium was scenr-with the tray in his hands and, on tho tray .what looked like: a heap of dry,' brown dirt. On closer 'examination ■ ifc looked i like, . Braall pieces of : quartz lying in;a fine/dust.. This gravelly the ■ control."..' stated,;..w'as mineralised, arid was obtained about 15 miles from Wellington.: He '.this: dirt ,to be ..examined as to. the. value-of. the minerals it' contained; arid : .if they iwere' found, to be of any .value' be would • disclose the locality. • It. might help them itp-develop the resources: of,' tho country, and help many poor/men;;,ln" Melbourne the.:''controls" , nap.' brought van "apport"- containing small rubies',. but,- -uri-' fortunately, the find'bad ; proved of: little, yalue.-.;/:/•;:;.".', {. ,i ; '■■'■■'<.. -■'• ■'.■■.':• '■.'"■ ~;•v ' :■.:' •>.'.;■' This curious,"apport"—about a cupful of quartz .'.and ; dustr-was handed. , over' to , the chairman and' The Dominion representative to'have tested, as to its value. ';i\ •."!;':' ',' : The'.'.most'- interesting, incident of, 'the evening followed. It seemed that amongst those present was a'gentleman,who had lived for 25 -years in. India; and .who was quite familiar with Hindustani.; He .wished to hold a ■conversation with any of the ;', Abdul,"'' I .' Abdullah,'! 'VSelim,",' or ,'!Mahmoud." "Dr./AVhitcomb,'.' tho chief "control," was at; this-time in charge of the me-'' dium', and : announced /that, it .was too late"; "Abdul", : ha<l gone..;,'.'.'■. '.-'■■•'';- -;.;;'.. ; : ~:.-' ■);)■ ■'-;.'!I'WTiy■ "Jittdt cair him/back?". / asked .some-

'one.'':-' ■■"-','! 'v.-/;'■! '.'.'••■'■>' V■'•"'-■".•/ v : -v..': :■■■ ,:',''lt'is ;tbd:late,".,answered'the'. "Doctor,"' powSr for tlie night' was about exhausted; ■-. ••,..: ! -';!,''L. Bay; 7 that the Hindu [control] .did not speak Hindustani," .chipped'in.the'-'es-iiesi-

.deinl' : bf-India. ■.;::•.■..'.':'■;'.','..■.■:'.. :'. ;;V : .: : ;'■.:.'■'.''.''•;,'• , ; ;chßllcnged' .this statement,''but'-.the" cx-resident..was; quite' as emphatic: en, the subject.'.;-: '~ .'., ' ■/■' '-' ■:■ ■.',' ■ /'What did-ie. say?!', questioned the tor."-..: ';.:.'. ■■■ ;■■■"',{■■ }.r ■'■['' i';.'■' ■;. ; " ;.•'■.'■'.■;.;■ ' .''•; ;-'.'■ "Ap Kaisa hai." v : • ; ■',/'/■./■..,. '\;' : , : .>'-;. ■■'■■::- i>';j'Yosj^'- :^"admitted.;-: the, "Doctor/' that's,right.". ."■ : ,: ■',' . ,'■,.:';'■ ,;■■'. ,;. f ' : : '•".. v ."Excuse "me,, it's^not' rig Jit," came from 'the-'jpefsistent ; ex-resident. ; "You 'say.; this Hindu was-a.raj'ah.-'. If 'so : ho would-.Bay 'Arp haisa.ha' .as his' greeting.','', : :.;:..•.;. ■■■'''It' was : a'caso of ,'thc irresistible meeting the' immovable, : neither the "Doctor" nor the bx-resident-would give'way on the point,, hut -.the ex-resideilt .certainly seemed to. know,, most 'about the,/subject, and disputed r !the points :•' raisedf ;with: the. utmost : confidence: •Had ■ "Abdul..,"Jjeeh recalled, .there might have.been interesting ,As it" was the chairman promised to 'give, fine ex-' !resident,"an" opportunity to. test,the .Hindu control oh .another, occasion; "'.'■;'.'.:.;: :, It might be explained ,that the: spelling of ,the';\quqtatiohs : /'Ap Kaisa ;hai" and' "Arp haisa.'ha"'is' purely phonetic. So far as ohe could; judgerfrom. !the . argument-it seemed; that/.the contention: of the. ear-resident :of 'India "was: that this Hindu x "control" had been:,"guilty of . "man's. ; Hindu-„ .stani instead of the.pure:native:tongue.-: :';'■;•::,-that ;£IOO challenge.,' %t •: : mr', driver accepts ■ the condi- ;;"■;;':''';-'; ~■',••. ■'■.■.'■■.tions.'-;'; : ! .. : ':',::' ■'■'■'■ .■ ■ Mr..Thomas W. Driver, whose challenge to Mr." W. M'Lean. in connection. with : the Bailey, seahcos has excited considerable pub-, lie interest, announces.in this-issuo that ho N bas' accepted Mr. M'Lean's challenge, and that .his: money 'is "up.".; Presumably this : means that.Mr> ; Driver is prepared to 'accept the; conditions stated by Mr. M'Lean in: his .last letter.:/.'lf: this' is so, Hhe"; re-: mainfng three'seances to be given by the medium Bailey should be interesting indeed.