GHOSTS’ JAZZ

Southland Times, Issue 18830, 25 May 1920, Page 2

GHOSTS’ JAZZ

TO TINKLING OF TIN TEAPOT. SECRETS OF A SEANCE, An amusing account of a seance was given in the King's Bench Court, London, recently, at the hearing cf an action brought by Mr Percy Thomas Selbit, an illusionist, against Mr George Grossmith and Mr Edward Laurillard for damages for breach of agreement to place a West-End theatre at his disposal for public seances. Mr Selbit, giving evidence, said that after the defendants “turned down” his entertainment no other London manager would entertain it—in fact, opportunity was gone. Mr Justice Darling: There is something in a stage play, isn’t there, about a tide in the affairs of men? JAZZ BAND IN NEXT ROOM. Witness said that on the defendants' estimate of the audience who would attend he would have made about £4O net out of each performance. Expenses which he incurred in connection with the show were £BOO. When he produced the seance in a thirdfloor room at the Criterion restaurant, said witness, there was a jazz band in the next room, the “ghost careered round the stage to the tinkling of a tin teapot,” and the audience laughed instead of being impressed. Replying to his Lordship, Mr Selbit said the medium was able to read the gist of any letter written by a dead person, but the letter must be in his or a confederate’s possession. Mr Matthews: Before the case is over I will tell your Lordship how it is done. “GHOST'S” £3 A WEEK. Witness said that during the seance there was music, and a lady played a hymn—the only one she knew.— (Laughter.) His Lordship: What was the name? Witness: I think it was “Lead Kindly Light."— (Laughter.) Mr Matthews, reading from an article describing the seance, said: “On her lap various sweet-smelling violets scattered about. They always left her flowers.” Witness said that was so, and he got them from Covent Garden, The “ghost” who left the flowers got £3 a week.— (Laughter.) There was a seance at which Lady Glenconner, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sir Henry Lunn, and others were present. Some of the audience were believers and others were sceptical. LADY GLENCONNER’S VIEW. Mr Matthews; .Lady Glc-nconncr wrote, “I think the medium succeeded in satisfying the test. She is possessed of remarkable powers, and deserves our gratitude for placing them before this circle of investigators in so remarkable a manner. Counsel, remarking that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle placed a ring, having the initials of his dead son upon it, in the bag at the seance, asked: “Did the medium profess to give Sir Arthur some description of his son?” Witness; No, she merely described the ring, and left it at that. Did it strike you as being a singularly wicked and cruel thing to play on the feelings of anyone who was interested in getting into communication with departed people?—lt would be, but we did not do it. JET BLACK AND SNOW WHITE. Mr Matthews: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s view of the matter was: “All mediums may he divided into the jet black and snow white. The jet black are those human hyenas who deceive the living about the dead—the most horrible crime one can commit.” Do you believe Sir Arthur might believe that? Witness; I believe he is perfectly conscientious. At the rehearsal, added witness, the ghost wore, black shorts, with a white sheet over him.— (Laughter.) Miss Dorothy Winter, an actress, stated that she played the part of the medium. Her salary was £lO a week. Her seances had always been in private. “I would not say that my object was to forward the cause of spiritualism,” she said. “I might have led them to believe it. It is all part of the part I was playing.” Mr Matthews, for the defendants, said Mr Laurillard went to see the Lord Chamberlain in regard to the entertainment, and was told that he would produce it at his own risk, and on his own responsibility. Afterwards Mr Laurillard heard from his landlord that his consent would not be given to the entertainment under any circumstances. ' r he further hearing was adjourned.