AN UNBURNABLE WOMAN.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3398, 31 January 1920, Page 7

AN UNBURNABLE WOMAN.

HANDLES BLAZING LOG. CARRIES IT AROUND. .Had Queen Mary, Queen Elizabeth, or one of the uious Illoll3.l'Clls of Spain, who vied with each other -in the kindly art of burning the devil out of heretics at the stake, come across Mrs Annies Hunter, of Bournemouth, England, they would ha.ve been .3 bit; puzzled as to know what to do. She is a medium whose controlling spirits are said to be able to interpose an invisible non-conducting medium between substances and the naked hand.

The natural assumption is that the trick——if 'tl'ick_ it bo——is due to some pl‘otocti\'o hcaxt.-I'—cpcll'ingA solution spread on the hands. The argument against this is that if any such sub. stance were known it would have an enormous mal-kcvt- value as a hcat-re-raining "agent for coating steam I)il)Qs_ Besides, any thick layer of substance would be detectable.

Mrs Hunter claims to possess tliis power of handling fire without injury when she is under spirit contl'ol. She gave a" small sozl.llce before a stwcliety interested in psychic matters ,and ‘.l Daily Express represcntaive was invited to be pl'esen't.

NO HYMNS, NO HUi\*[Bll(—l. The sitting was entirely {dil'l'el"on‘l' fl-our the usual. spiritualistic Seance. There are no hy~lnns, there nwas no darkness‘, and. every possible _pl'ccantion against fraud and trickery was encouraged. The people present w:lllted the truth. The Daily E_\'pl'Css re-prc-selltati'vo was taken ‘EO the cellar ro select his own log, and chose a piece of dry deal, part of :1 builder '.~: scuntling. It was ':Lbout three inches square and ten inches long. He was then introduced to Mrs Annie Hunter, ‘the mediunt, u kindly, middle-aged woman, dressed in an ordinary dress of redish material. She has dark, sunken eyes, and does not‘ strike ta casual. observer as being anything more than a normal individual. Her hands are soft and yielding, yet she is able to carry flaming logs on them.

The room was a bare studio, with 3. plain linoleum-covered floor with ‘.l dozen wooden ‘chairs. A bright coke fire burned in the fire place. The log was put on and was soon blazing. it was not jto-uchcd until rold hot and thorouglily charred on all sidc-s. In order to destroy any suggoctioli of prepared hands, _the xiiedium washed them tho-I'oug'hly with soap and \\“3il.‘l‘. The sitters, a group of ‘rm: people. then tok their seats, and ;\'ll's Huntm‘ pa:+s;‘<l rapidly into tho controlle~d stale. Ho1'c0«11tro1 is statml to be itlm spirit of a, Parscc who died hundreds of years ago, and when entranced she Speaks no Emgglisll. A GLOWING LOG FROM THE FIRE.

In a minute or two she began to speak «and words that sounded like “-Hoot-al-a-massa, Norusi, Va.-lack-a in-inassa.,” oceurreld frequently. “She was violent, expostulative, shaken and excited. The words poured out in a quick unbroken stream. She stood up and waved her hands and gesticulated. Then she pounced -on the glowing ‘log flaming among the coals, and kept juggling it from hand to hand. The log was naflame and showered bits of burning charcoal, sparks and ashesabout the floor. -She did this twice, putting the log back into the fire to flame again. The Parsee language stopped, and an English spirit control, 13. “healer,” translated the words. “He is doing this in order that you may know that there is a. connection between the pure spirit. of Fire and the Great Spirit,” was the gist of the communication. Then came the Parsee again, and Mrs Hunter seized the: 10g and held it down -on the head of the Daily Express representative. Bits of burning charcoal and ash fell off, and, despite the psychic theory that ‘the log -is wrapped in a flame-proof psychic en. velope, his hair singed nicely. THE’ PESSMAN BURNED.

Again the log was put b’:lck in the firc. It was then carried by fhe medium and laid on the open palm of another woman. 11: ‘ was not. there long, but. quite liing enough to have burned it under normal condiliong_ She fol! no pain. .I\f't«~r an. inf-:>1-v-.11 :1 ‘trial was made with 'dll()Hh:‘l’ log. The medium held the ll(‘.\‘.' }>]u7.ing log on HlO head of a colonul for appl'oxinmtoly two sec. onds. If did not 'afl"oct him, or his }mil'.

Later ‘rho Daily Expl'css I‘(3prosoll the firo. It was ilnpos.<il_)lo to hold if for oven :1 fructioiial part of 3. second; yof ;\lLl‘s Hunter was able, in (':11-1-}.- ii round the whole circle in her hands. The ]‘>m'fol‘nmn'r:c is .'p9l'pi(}Xi])g', 'l‘]lm-0 Wzrg no cabincf. no dz-1.2-knoss. none of t-11L} usual dubious zippnnzlgos of spiri~ fualism. It all took place \\'il'hin I 1 t’\\’o]v«- foot (‘il‘r:h'* in full light‘. Whothor it is -due fc- spirit p(m'cl'.s, 11>‘ .\T2‘.~‘ .Huut"‘s' bti-iiC;\'o.~;. 01' \\'hulhoi' if is 1! natural phenomenon and she 45 net :4, :u

Hitivo to I'cd—hor lugs, «and is not I'-ili':.l--by fire, is-a moot question. C-:r:;-.in--1y she does things that are not v~.«>rlml], It was an a.<folli.<hin~g exhibition. Her po\\'cl's are said to be developing gmdually, and she hopes to be üblc to (:;2;':'_'.' 11Cd~hn’r coals \\*il’ll equal facility soon.

ENGLAND’S TERRITORIALS. HCl4[l;‘Ml:.‘ O 1“ RIJOBGANIS;\'I7.I(')IN. l.ONl)ON_. Jan. 28. The Go\'cl'nmentllas approved the I'corganisa.lion of Tel'ritor'ials, including obligation to serve oV'ersc'as in extl'unlo nuximml o.nlor'gonc_y, but not until I'o.<el-ve.< are called to the colouArs, and subject to the Sanction ‘Of Parliament. The special reserve is also I'o- - '