SIR Arthur Conan Doyle

Hokitika Guardian, 9 July 1930, Page 6

SIR Arthur Conan Doyle

I. United Press Association—By Eleetx-io Telegraph—Copyright.]

(Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, July 8

Daily Doyle was in constant attendance at the ibedsde for -two days and night. The' moment lie fore the end Sir Conan Doyle smiled at her—- “ You are wonderful.”.

Every member of the family is convinced that they will feel his presence and love just as before.

SPIRITUALISTIC SAFEGUARDS

(Received this day at 8 a.m.) LONDON, July 8

The “Daily Express” says a point of remarkable interest attaches to Sir Conan Doyle’s spiritualistic belief. He-and Lady Doyle had between them a secret code word which it was agreed to use in any communication when one or the other had passed over. The' code word will guarantee the genuineness of any message. The son said this will safeguard against trickery because there are practical jokers on the other side, just as there are here. There are other tests known by the mother which cannot be impersonated.

Arthur Conan Doyle, the novelist, was born at Edinburgh, in May, 1859, and was educated at Stonyhurst College. After studying medicine at Edinburgh he practised as a doctor at Southsea from 1882 to 1890. He then went to the Arctic in a whaler as a ship’s doctor and visited the west coast of Africa. During the South African war he was physician of a field hospital. He stood twice for Parliament as a Unionist and a. Tariff Reformer.

He began to write in the eighties, some of his work appearing in the “Boys’ Own Paper.” The first of his Sherlock Holmes detective stories came out in 1887. The remarkable deduction of the crime investigator were based on those of the Edinburgh doctor, James Bell, whose clinics Doyle attended and who by observation of what seemed to be trifles arrived at accurate conclusions about the out-patients on whom be lectured. The publ-io could not have enough of Holmes and even after the autboi bad, as be thought, ended the series by killing bis hero he was induced to resurrect him. Conan Doyle has also written some excellent historical noi - els: “The White Company,” dealing with the. English archers in France at the time...of. the. .Blqck prince: “Micall Clarke,” ' .‘‘The Refugees,” “The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard,” stoiies of tlie Napoleonic wars, “Rodney Stone,” a sketch of the days of the Prince Regent, and “The Great Shadow;’’ some modern stories such as “A Duet with an .Occasional Chorus” a,ud several plays including “The Story of Waterloo”, in which Irving appeared, “The House of Teinpeilo\, “‘The Fires- of Fate” and “Halves.” Ho also compiled two"(books in defence of the South African war which were translated into 12 languages, 100,090 copies being given away. He was knighted in 1902.

Conan .Doyle was one of the originators of the volunteer corps during the world war, the first unit,'in which he served for four years, being formed by him at Oowborougli in August, 1914. He did much propaganda work, issuing- pamphlets on war topics, and a six-volume history of the war. He visited - the war-zones and wrote on his experiences there.

After losing his son in the war iie became an ardent .spiritualist, and *ince 1918 he has devoted his life to writing and lecturing on behalf of his new faith, his books including “A New Revelation,” “The Vital Message,” “The Wanderings of a Spiritualist,” a novel, “The Land of Mist” and a “History of Spiritualism.” In 1925 he established a “Phychic Museum” containing spirit photographs and other “evidence” on behalf of spiritualism . .....