MESSAGES FROM THE DEAD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 25 April 1907, Page 4

MESSAGES FROM THE DEAD.

STRANGE STORY OF A SPIRITUALIST'S kETURN. "TOO STUFFY ON EARTH." NEW YORK, Feb. 24. The protagonists 01 physic research in America are intensely excited over a message which one of them, Professor James Hyslop, late of Columbia University, claims to have received from Dr. Richard Hodgson, who, in December last, suddenly departed to that bourne whence no traveller is supposed ever to return.

Dr. Hodgson was secretary of the Society of Physical Research. Some time before hia death he made a faithful promise to Professor Ilyslop as welt as to Dr. Isaac Funk, the head of a publishing firm, that he would, if possible, return from the "other side," and acquaint them with his experiences. Dr. Funk has now written a bulky volume entitled, "The Psychic Riddle," 011 the efforts Dr. Hodgson made to fulfil his promise. ' According to Dr Funk, the dwellers in Spiritrknd inhabit astral bodies and find the utmost difficulty in breathing in the stuffy atmosphere of the earth. Hence Dr Hodgson was unable to remain long in the vicinity of Dr. Hyslop owing to difficulties of respiration. He succeeded, however, through Hiss Piper, a celebrated •'medium,"' of Boston, in writing several messages to his terrestrial friend. He informed him that it was pleasant to die, that the severing of the soul from the body was accompanied by a shock which knocks everything out of the spirit-mind for a brief time, and that the voyage beyond was a delightful journey through ethereal atmosphere. Dr. Hodgson prayed that Dr Hyslop would be able to understand him so as to help on the work of the society. Then lie broke off the conversation owing to the intolerable stuffiness. Dr. Hodgson expressed the hope that his successor as secretary of the society would be a man who put more stress on the spiritual side than he did, while not neglecting the scientific Side. Dr Hodgson declares that his present life is infinitely more satisfactory than his life on earth. Dr. Funk and Dr. Ilyslop are both convinced that the messages from Dr, Hodgson are a stupendous achievement constituting a scientific demonstration of a future life. They are quite unconcerned at the trivality of the greater part of the messages which attribute Dr. Hodgson's respiratory afflictions to the terrestrial atmosphere. Moreover, Dr. Hodgson promised thera to confound all scoffers by reappearing at a later period, when his soul is attuned to a higher key of spiritual existence.