THAT £100 CHALLENGE.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 602, 2 September 1909, Page 5

THAT £100 CHALLENGE.

.; TEST AGREED 0N..; -;.";;.1.-.;!': V;- i Aj ; :S?IiT. ; PRI)EAL.:; ';"- ': '■ Representatives of the three lo'caldaily papers, Mr. W. MXedn; ;ilr. T.i W.' Driver, and Mr; : il'Lean'e solicitor inet yesterday afternoon: in ■ connection, with, the challenge-by, Mr, Driver , issued 'to .test , the;,exploits .the .medium Bailey, of Melbourne,, now conducting seuncea :' Kerev Mr. Driver's 'challenge was :as follows :— ■■;■' •.-'■.■■'■■ ; ;"£iM challekoe ; to;mediuhs. , : ."•'. I claim, unequivocally, and without reservation, that tbe so-called. pbepomena ot Spiritualism are produced entirely by human agency, .. and denounce .mediutne.V-.orie'and all,- as' trick* •'•... stors. ;■ Thb above eum will be wagered that-I can fully, complexly and satisfactorily, perform ~any..manlfo3tation,of 80-called .spirit power ". which I'.'dm--permitted'to witness thrco times. I challenge.Mr. William M'tcan to allow me to test' Charles Bailey under ; rigid tost conditions. A few days ago llr. M'Lean told me Bailey was "no. conjurer.'.: Let me .prove to Wellington ■•..' and himself ■that'. l a. conjuror knowe* more: than ,' ho docs 'about a spirit medium. We havo had 'quite enough theory from the Bpirltualißts; : let .Ais.now have something practical.', ; ■• ■ \. /■■■■■ following this fame the antjoipatcc! controversy over conditions," the ex-conjurer making ; rather drastic demands on tho appbrt-prodxicer, one'beiiig that 'he; -should 'produce the articles -whilst .in a-hermetically-sealed glass' cabinet. To: this Mr. .M'Lcau'/replied.i.that i -''allrvMr. Driver, stated.' in, his letter was beside. the Suestion and 'in.' tho ■course of. a .letter t'o The ipMijfiojj, said^-r; ; -•;,•';■" '■^''■'■,;.y~::, , :-,>-:'';..'. : '': ■ "1,.-invitp-'Mr.' .Driver - to,': attend;- : the ;.' three • ietaces to ho .held at Woodward Street on the - following > dates, .at 7.45 p.m.:~Beplemboi' 7, .14, .. &nd 21V1909. If, after witnessing the 'manifest . tations. that shall take place a those eeancc3. Mγ*.Driver can produce similar appo'rts to those •produced through the medium, and under tho .like conditions he shall bo entitled to 'the £100 - which has already.been deposited with you by me. ..Tho only conditionsl.-.must insist upon ■.... .are:V(l) .That boforo- attending ' the meetings, Mr.' Driver -shall-deposit his £W0 with the .'New Zealand Times.' Mr.- Driver shall havo the nt.most.liberty to thoroughly, inspect the room •: pr.lor. -; to .the .seance commencing;. (2) that Mr, ; Drivor shall be. allowed to examine.the medium •,-: only- under the. supervision. of a duly - qualified medical practitioner,' who shall be 'mutually ■; agreed/ upom (3) that: Mr. Driver, during the course of. the seances, shall not in any way inter- ' fero with.the medium or obstruct the mcetfugß,' which shall be under the. sole control of the '... chairman; M); that!■ the representatives ,of the *'.' three daily papers,"-'and on,o-medical practitioner ■', ■ shall bo -the judges'-as , to whether the modium has been properly.searched; (6) in the ovent.of 'Mr. Driver's succeeding in producing ■ apports, my £ICO shall be paid to him. In the event of ■ MK. Driver failing, 'his -flCO'Shall'-be paid over to mc'shotrtd Mr, Bailey have produced apports; ■."■«) theproduotion of apports , by Mr. Bailey and ■.- the non-production.; , thereof by Mr, Driver shall :-'be-conclusive ot the righU of myself to my own ■"■ and' Mr. Drivor'e money.; The production of apports by Mr. Bailey, and'a production of slmllar apports by. Mr.; Driver shall entitle the latter 'to both sums/of money." ■ '■•.■■■'.' ■•■..-■ ■'■•. \ .'At; the "meeting : yesterday afternoon Mr. '■ Driver raised thepoint that his challenge pro- ;. Tided' that he: ; shonld ("witness" .the perform- • (lonce, of Bailoy. This meant, to contended, .''i'thai-he should ,"sce'' : -tho. performanco, .which i.would' necessitate .'that: "it should be done with '' .v'thei I'jtlite oh. >,'■'!' J' ■"■■'_ . •'. '■'■.' ; .-,■' 0' ''.■ To; this proposition /Mr.' MTJean'-entered a ■ : • .point-blank negative. ■■?.Mr. : /Driver,..when he ■■;.: issued his challenge kn'pw'the conditions under which the "apports" bod been produced, and : '{those included darkne3B.'. ' v ,v . ■ After a good deal, of iliscussion," this phase of the'matter, was droppM—no agreement being ' ,>:po?sible on ■ ths point. V, In .fact, iit looked as .though the jwholethiilg'would drop throngh. ... A "fresh start :was?rmade. however,; and-the . '. question of the as to searching . the medium, and shutting liim 6£E from outside : ; .\ assi3taijce;waa:gone into atlength.'. Mr. Driver t .was very keen on Bailey; being !enclpsed in a ::'■■' glaSs ; oase v but eyentually.'gave vay on- the ■ point.' .Mr- M'L'can abo'mado. several concee-. Bions/ ! and agreement .was finally arrived at, as' follows:—' ■■;■.■.-■' ■'.'■,:-.,•< .•'■"' ".:' :': '''".[l I '••■"' ,: ■ (1) Eacli side to , have a medical man of ; :• '-his-own choosing present.'. '-..-■■,-. .. ■ ■-.-'. '(2) The medium to be completely stripped '••■.- and searched by Mr. Driver and the medi- . . cal man'. ~■' ■'■'. :■ ■'•■,: V (3) The medium to be reclothed in his own '■ ■;■-, underclothing (after it had been searched), ■J , - but 'Mr. Driver to have the right to provide ■ ,-: ,'his outer garments. -''•''. . ■'■ ' .- ■'. •-.'- W-The medium'- to,bo enolosed by Mr. Driver in a bag, provided by Mr. Driver,, Only the medium's hands to bo ;out of the' bag, and the sleeves to be tied at the wrists . and.Sealed. '■'< ■;' •' , ■'.. ' . . (s),The.medium to be placed in a gauze- ... covered cage, to be provided by Mr. Driver; ■and so prevented from; receiving assistance /■ :■ from anyone in the room. : . - ; ." ■ ; '■ ;':'(8) No one but Mr. Driver, the medical •men, and the press representatives to come', ' .'. near the medium during or after the search-' .ing until the medium is released from the .'■ ■. cage.. :''■ ■ ■ '■'- ■ ■ . ■■■■:- *■ .■ .. ,: ■;. (")Mr. Driver,:the medical'men, and the ..':•' press' representatives to have' seats olose ; to ■ : ' the cage to prevent anyone communicating .-.' ' with the medium in the darkness. '■:,-. ■ ■'-'-; These, roughly,, are the conditions agreed on, They,will iave to.be put into legnl form, with an additional stipulation to provide that thore ■shnli.be , no disturbance, but that ordinary ■ Beanco conditions shall be observed. Some dis- : oussion took placo ae it wonld bo . necessary to have_ any singing: whilu me "apporte" wore being brought. Mr. M'Lean thought it would assist the medium by promoting harmonious conditions, and in view of the precautions taken 'to prevent anyone communicating with Bailey after ho 13 onco placed : .in the cage, no strong exception was taken •'■ to singing. It may be explained that, somo ' people appear to hold tho t idea that tho sing* ftiff is required to drown the-noise of anyono - who might bo assisting the medlnni by passing Bomething in to him. -From what has taken place at the seances ■ so far held here, thu theory does not seem at all -likoly to be coriect. The singing, however.may serve to cover : the movements or tho modium mthin the cage, whatever, they rnnv ;,.'■'•■■. ■ , '~, It is proposed that the three eeances should ' be supplementary of the' present series and should be Md ° n Tuesday, September 21, PriAny 24th, and Tnesday, 28th., -f'he challenger (Mr. Thos Driver) was form- . erly known as Professor Eobert Kndnrss. n pro- : fSonal conjurer and illusionist, who, toured ■■:■ Australasia for some years. His st(.ek-in-trad< • taXded most of tho. famous- illusions, and ' tricks made familiar by .'. oth«r . ''inagiciaue' See the professional days of Kudarz.