STRONG "GHOST."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 158, 6 July 1937, Page 8

STRONG "GHOST."

WOMAN ATTACKED.

SON KNOCKED DOWN. SEQTJSZ. TO HBAIfCR (Special.—By Air VaSL) liOXDOSf, June 17. A few yards of white muslin vert produced as evidence of the stripping of a "ghost" —none other, it wee stated, tihan "White Moose," spirit of the phosphorescent elates. Spiritualists craned their necks in the public gallery at Greenwich Police Court as the alleged supernatural excursion! of "White Moose," embellished by references to trumpets, a tambourine, a enrtaincd cabinet, handcuffs, and a dim red lio-ht, were obtruded into analytical daylight. A frail, grey-haired -widow toM of » seance in a Blacfcheath attic at wJiidi an electric torch was flashed and tiie "spirit" with the phosphorescent elates aggressively materialised —so aggressively, she declared, that he knocked her down. This strange episode was recounted by Mrs. Violet Buckthorpe Evens, of BesJey Heath, widow of Paymaster Lieut.-Com-mander Evens, of the Royal Navy, at the hearing of a charge against Clive Holmes, aged 47, an engineer, of Tβ* Grove. Blacteheath, S.E., of obtaining 4/ by false pretences, charged Mrs. Evens for attendance at a seance at vbxa. Holmes was the medium. Queer Rooms. She described a series of visits to the Holmes' house, where he and his wu* were known as Mr. and Mrs. cliif ?> "? which there were two queerly furnished rooms—an attic equipped with a o« high cabinet with curtains instead ol doors, a gramophone, a table, trumpets, a tambourine, and slates made luminooe on one side with phosphorus. Another room was furnished with an altar, pulpit, religious pictures, and "the usual appointments of a place Ot worship." The attic was the scene of the seances, which, said Mrs. Evens, had an average attendance of 20 women and a few men who were regularly present. Mrs. Evens gave the magistrate, Mr. Dunne, a verbal picture of a typical seance. "We had a hymn . . . the gramophone played . . . the electric lamp was removed and a dim red one fitted in ita place. "Holmes *at in a chair, to which be was handcuffed by one of the men, wl»° kept the key. Still handcuffed to the chair, he was placed in the cabinet and the curtains wore drawn. ••The red lamp glowed like a night light. On my first visit 1 saw a white form approach, carrying a luminous slate. 1 said. 'Is that you. iJaduyT , (meaning my husband). lli.ro were three taps on the slate, whi h 1 had been told meant "Yes.'. The ujij'diiuun then faded away. After a few .ainiite* pause a while form approached others.' Three pictures were shown in court which Mr.-. Evens said \\\ re r-"!d by Holmes as studies <<i "Wlii-p Moose,' his Indian spirit guMc. H.)»!:;e» -nd the "spii it" l:a»e m-:. l vin brothers, so much were the;. ~.i )i;•■■ ~ : '<"pt that "White Mouse" hid a' • i ! uri-i, of leathers. Flashed on Torch. Mrs. Evens said that mi hci lr.*t visit to a seanee at Holmes' li.'ui-e. her -0-years-old son carried an eVit'.i- t>>rch. At the dramatic lnoraiin •; i'hi , ■■manifestation'' he flitshod t iie tor- !i I'lli in the '■spirit's" fare "My boy cried. "It's you. C li\-■.' ITnluies said nothing, but set about ii.y i -y with tlie luminous sl;::cs. My l«i\ up h chair to protect ;tnd Holmes then attacked me. ki.'>e':ing » !e down. "I was terrified. Everything ended in confusion —and my son tore -.he white shroud of! Holmes'" back." The hearing was adjourned.