CHARGE AGAINST SPIRITUALIST.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17428, 12 April 1922, Page 7

CHARGE AGAINST SPIRITUALIST.

FINED FOR FORTUNE-TELLING. LETTEE TROM SIB CONAN DOYLE. (srECIAL TO "the press.") WELLINGTON", April 11. A ens© involving much that was of somewhat unu.vuul interest was concluded in the Magistrate's Court hero yesterday. It was taken before 3lr F. K. Hunt, S.M., cne of the Shrewdest and most ready-witted of New Zealand ma-gistratcs, and was remarkable also for some passages between him and Mr Sievwright, who was defending Jonathan Page, charged with having undertaken to tell fortunes on three occasions,, and alternatively with haying used "certain subtle means, to wit, simulated spiritualism, to deceive and impose upon persons." There was considerable argument between Mr Sievwright and the Magistrate as to whether the re.igious belief of the Spiritualists should be t:ike ; i into consideration or not. The Magistrate said; "If you can satisfy me that he (the accused) was piercing the veil of the future by predictions based upon ascertainable facts, or according to rea,son, I will consider it." Mr Hunt added that he was not going to listen to an exposition of spiritualism. Mr Sievwright: But it is claimed by those interested in this church that what is said at tinese meetings is said on ascertained or ascertainable facts, from knowledge and from reason, and they go one stage further, and say from communications with the spirits oV those who are departed. I say, in order to appreciate their attitude, with. regard to the statements made on those bases, the Court ought to know what 19 their religious belief. His Worship: I quite disagree witlh. you, the mens rea is not an essential part <.of this offence at all. Mr Sievwright: We must know what spiritualism is before we can say, "You have no ascertainable facts to give advice upon." 1 am here to tell the Court that the advico given by these people is not fortune-telling—that it is based on iieason.

His Worship: Let me write it down. Their advice is "based on reason, on truth, on knowledge, on ascertained and ascertainable fact 3, and on.communications they (have received at five shillings a. head. Mr Sievwright: If your Worship and the sub-inspector are going to make a ridicule His Worship: lam not going to make ridicule. Sub-Inspector McNamara: But if a Spiritualist comes up to the standard of a fortune-teller, he has to put up with a prosecution. His Worship: That is so. At a later stage, Mr Sievwright proceeded to contend that there were persons who, on facts and communications t'hat they had received, were able to foretell future events. A samplo of foretelling the future was to be seen in the meteorological prediction 'to a. mariner of coming storm and disaster. His Worship: Exactly; but if he took my watch, wound the chain round his finger, had a few spasms, and told mo something else was coming, it would not be of much value, would it?

Mr Sievwright: I don't know whether those spasms took place. Sub-Inspector McNamara: Murrav described it as great mental etress; Hayhurst called it a shudder. Counsel submitted that those who passed the legislation against fortunetelling had never contemplated its operation against such a thing as spiritualism in its modem form. Hk Worships I promise you that if spiritualism is going to tell fortunes, it tvill be legislated for, and that definitely, and there will be more than a month's lhard labour. Mr Sievwright: Of course, your Worship does not know, but I can say this: that the Spiritualists propose to go to Parliament to get protection for their religion. His Worship: We shall see if the Legislature will allow them to carry on fortune-telling. Mr Sievwright: They have allowed Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to' come througjh New Zealand.

His Worship": Really, now, come, you don't put that man in the same class I Mr Sievwright: He was on the same platform when Sir Conan Doyl© was in this country last year. Mr McNsimara.: The man who milled the curtain-strings was there, too. Mr Sievwright: Well, why didn't the police take a similar course of action against Sir Arthur His Worship: Because he didn't undertake to tell fortunes. You won't suggest your client knows anything about Sir Conan Doyle. Page: I do, sir: His Worship:' Well, I have a'letter from Sir Conan Doyle in front of me. He says: "I never heard of Mr Page, nor has he, as far as I know, any message from me." The letter was shown to Mr Siev■wriftht. . Mr Sievwright: This letter (addressed to a Mrs -) was written before Sir Arthur Conan Doyle visited. New Zealand, therefore there is no contradiction of my client's statement. He cam© (here four or five months after thie letter was written. It seems that there has been, some influence behind the case, which has been putting forward letters of this sort to your Worship. His Worship: If I were keeping the letter to myself it would be different, but here I am showing it to you. Counsel desired to explain the "somewhat trivial nature" of some of tho i matters spoken of by the defendant. Those, trivitil matters, h© said, wero just the things that most intimately concerned ft person. It would be useless for Page to talk scientific phenomena. His Worship: No, ho talks about throwing a frying-pan about. Mr Sievwright: And, according to the that is what he bad seen. Hia Worship: Yes, makes it homely. Joseph Henry Fabling, an ironmongers salesman, who is president of the' Wellington Spiritualist Church, said Pago got £4 a week. Page was th© principal speaker, and the present medium of the. church. At the Wednesday nigSht meetings it waa Pago's practice to pick up articles from the table. In those articles he could feel certain vibrations.

Hl3 Worship,: Does he ever mnkc a. mess of it—pick up something and feel no vibrations,!' Witness: No, ho would got the sack. I suppose there ia always some influence in cverv article. Necessarily ho feels that influence, and describes something be sees. Did you know ho was making these appointments in the daytime yes, it is part of his business. recommeud peoplo to have interviews. Do vou approve of a tee being charged?— Certainly. I think, to take a man's time and give him nothing vs hardly a fair thing. Sub-Inspector McNamara read to the witness a description of a seance at whidh a music-box was said to have floated round in the' air, dispensing sweet melodies. "Do you believe," be said, "that that music-box went round in the air?" . , "I do; IJiave actually seen it, re : plied the witness - There was. applause from the crowd or rsetatore in the. Court. His Worship: will have the Court cleared if there is any more of this. Inspector, you keep that Court quiet, or I will clear Sub-Inspector McNamara: Very well, sir, I will. There was no further demonstration. Page was fined £5 on each of the three charges. If Page does not pay there will be a month's imprisonment.