STRANGE, IF TRUE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 464, 27 July 1909, Page 3

STRANGE, IF TRUE.

A BIRD FROM “ NOWHERE.”

PRESENT FOR AN ACTRESS.

Wellington is shortly to be visited by Mr Charles Bailey, said to be one of the most remarkable spiritualistic mediums in the world, and one whose seances, held in Melbourne for nine years past, have been attended by thousands. He created a sensation some time ago by producing from “ nowhere ” curious living things, and articles said to be quite unprocurable in Australia. Be that as it may, a Wellington lady received as a present a few days ago a tiny bird in a cage, sent her from Melbourne by her friend, Miss Ola Jane Humphreys, the American actress, ' who recently visited Auckland. In explaining her “present,” Miss Humphreys wrote that she had been persuaded to attend Mr Bailey’s seances in Melbourne, at which he was to produce materialistic phenomena. There were present at the seance, besides herself and others, three lawyers. Two medical men, “ to prove there was no deception,” saw the medium disrobe completely, and don a suit of pyjamas. So attired, he was led into the room, and the lights were turned down. (Query : Why is it always necessary in these manifestations for the ‘ ‘ lights to be turned down ? ”) Within two or three seconds Bailey was telling Miss Humphreys that she would receive a foreign bird. Hardly were the words uttered when she felt a live bird in her hands. When the lights went up the “ spirit gift ” was examined. It was a small, brown bird, slightly smaller than a full-sized canary, with the feathers merging into dove-grey tint at the neck, and continuing all over its rather short head. It has black, beady eyes, and a rather large (not long) beak. This is the history and description of the bird that is now in Wellington. It is said that the bird was submitted to several ornithological authorities in Melbourne, but none could classify it. Where did it come from ? How ? None could venture even a guess. In higher spiritualism this is known as the act of passing matter through matter, a work said to be done by the inhabitants of the spirit world at the behest of some proper mediumistic authority.