SPIRIT-RAPPING EXTRAORDINARY.

Southland Times, Issue 973, 22 June 1868, Page 3

SPIRIT-RAPPING EXTRAORDINARY.

In the Court of Vice- Chancellor Ghffard, on Monday, April 20, the hearing commenced of the case " Lyon v. Home." It-was instituted by a lady named Lyon, the widow of a deceased merchant, against the well-known table-turner, table-rap-per, and so-called " spiritualist," Daniel Douglas Home, who now calls himself Daniel Home Lyon, and claims to be a spiritual medium, with power to evoke the spirits of deceased persons, to compel the restoration of moneys and securities for money to the amount of £60,000, -which the plaintiff gave to him and transferred for his benefit, when, as she alleges, she was Bubject to great influence and ascendancy by him, owing to her belief at the time in his pretended spiritual powers. Mr ~W. M. James, Q.C., opened the case by reading from the bill of complaint the substance of the plaintiff's case, and an affidavit of the plaintiff in substantiation of it, as follows : — The plaintiff, Mrs Lyon, is a lady, advanced in life, whose husband died in 1859, leaving her the absolute control over a large fortune. She alleges in her affidavit that before dying her husband informed her that he believed a change would come in seven years from his death, and that they would meet. This she interpreted to mean that she would die in 1866, but in that year her views j on the point changed, in consequence of information received by her from a female photographer in "Westbourne-grove to whom she had gone to have a photograph of her deceased husband copied. The photographer told her that death was unnecessary in order to meet him, and directed her to become a spiritualist. She also lent Mrs Lyon books on the art of spiritualism, and directed her attention to the great head medium, Mr Home, who had just opened an Athenaeum, at Sloane-street, for the encouragement of the belief. Mrs Lyon was also advised to become a subscriber to the institution. She immediately wrote to the defendant, Home for a prospectus and particulars of the Athensum, and offered, to pay a subscription. Mr Home having sent her no reply, she stated that, on the 3rd of October, 1866, she went to 72, Sloane-street, where the Athenaeum was.and where Mr Home resided. She was shown upstairs into a room where Mr Home was sitting in company with a table, which, directly after the plaintiff had stated the case, began, with praiseworthy zeal, to rap a message. Home said at once that "this was a call for the alphabet." Up to that time the plaintiff was ignorant that messages arrived from spirits through medium only, and that an arrangement had been come to between the invisible world and the visible table ; that one rap should signify the negative, three raps the affirmative, and five raps a call for the alphabet. The modus operandi by the alphabet was that on each letter being pointed out or uttered the spirit rapped when he had got the letter he wanted, and so somewhat painfully the oracle was delivered. Home then, by means of the alphabet applied orally, developed the following message from the spirit of the deceased Mr Lyon : — " My own beloved Jane, — I am Charles, your beloved husband. I live to bless you,, my own precious darling, lam with you always. I love, love, j love you." The spirit further added, "I ! have no power to speak more ; but I will I

never leave you more, my own darling." The plaintiff, who was greatly cheered and comforted by this precious intelligence, propoaed to reward Mr Home by a handsome subscription, but having no cheque with her, she postponed the donation till a second interview, when among other things the spirit, interpreted by Home, informed her " 1 luve, love, love you. Bo very calm. I will touch you." These interviews appear to have been worth to Mr Home, or his Athsenum, the sums of £30 and £50. The plaintiff had no child by the deceased spirit, but this omission was rectified at a third interview between Home and the plaintiff at the plaintiff's house. The spirit then, with Home's assistance, communicated the tidings. " I love Daniel," meaning presumably the modern prophet, "he is to be your son ; he is my soff— therefore yours." The table then ecstatically kicked up its legs, and the spirit continued, "I am happy, happy. In a little time I will make myself visible to you. O, do not say that the light of other days is gone. I am with you," or words to that effect. The effect of thiß intelligence was overwhelming. The defendant, Home, further informed her that it was the will of the spirit that she should adopt him as her son, that a friend of Home's named Hall should be sent for, and that she should produce stock receipts for the sum of about £24,000. Under the inflnence, as Mrs Lyon alleges, of Home's spiritual powers and ascendancy, she went on the 10th of October, 1866, to the Bank of England and there transferred the sum of £24,000 stockto Home. Shortly after this Home, at another spiritual interview, assured her that it was the spirit's will that she should destroy her existing will and make another will bequeathing everything she possessed to Home, and that a Dr Hawksley and a Mr Buder were to be the attesting witnesses. The will to this effect was soon afterwards prepared for the defendant by William Martin Wilkinson, a solicitor of Lincoln's-inn-fields, and was executed by the plaintiff, and attested by Mr Wilkinson and Mr Hall. The plaintiff's property is said to be worth nearly £150,000. It is not surprising that, on the strength of these spiritual communications, Home enrolled a deed on the 3rd of December, 1866, by which he assumed the name of Lyon. On the 10th of the same December the plaintiff was again induced to go to the Bank and transfer to Home £6700 more atock. On the 12th of December she executed a deed-poll prepared by Wilkinson, and not approved by any solicitor on her behalf. This deed recited her intention to transfer the above sums of stock for the absolute benefit of Home, and she did thereby, in order to " remove all doubts, suspicions, and controversies, irrevocably declare that such gifts were made of her own free will and pleasure, and without any influence or control" by the defendant Home. On the 19fch of January 1867, another deed was executed by her, also prepared by Wilkinson, and also nofe approved of by any solicitor on her behalf. By this deed, which was made between her and Wilkison, after a recital that she was entitled to £30,000 then out on mortgage, and that it was her intention to make further provisions for her adopted son, she thereby declared that she had of her free will and pleasure, and without any influence, control, or interference by him, determined absolutely and irrevocably to settle the said sum for his benefit, retaining the interest only during her life. The deed then contained a settlement of the money and the securities for the same for Home's benefit, and a proviso and declaration by ' the plaintiff that such settlement was absolute and irrevocable, and should not be disputed, by her or her representatives, and that what was ! thereby settled Bhould be in addition to previous gifts. On the 21st of February, 1867, she was again induced to go to the Bank and transfer £2290 stock to Home's name. On the 13th March, 1867, Home or Lyon Bold out £20,000 stock and advanced it to Wilkinson, or others, on certain mortgage securities. The bill then concludes with a charge that the plaintiff discovered she had been imposed upon, and that the gifts had been made under the spiritual influence of tbe defendant, and submits that she is entitled to have the gifts set aside. The bill prays that the gifts may be declared void, and for a retransfer of the funds, and a retransfer and assignment of all securities for the same, and for a writ of ne exeat reqno. The plaintiff's case is not yet concluded and the witnesses have yet to be examined. It is, perhaps, fortunate that this writ having been granted, and the defendant arrested upon it, all the moneys and securities in question have been brought into court. There is, therefore, a certainty that the subject matter of the contest is in safety whilst the contest is pending.