MEDIUM BAFFLED

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 257, 26 July 1930, Page 24

MEDIUM BAFFLED

Failed to Read Spirit Code

HOUDINI, DOYLE’S FRIEND If the late Harry Houdini could have heard himself described as a “spiritualist” a few days ago in Sydney, he would have turned in his grave. When he died (from a blow delivered in fun by a friend), Houdini was In the thick of an anti-spiritualist campaign, as a result of which several fraudulent mediums were fined.

Incidentally, this attack on spiritualism embittered his long friendship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Doyle, who always insisted that Houdini performed his stage tricks by spiritualistic means (in spite of Houdini’s frantic disclaimers), was accused by the conjurer of having attempted to trap him with a fraudulent seance. Houdini idolised his dead mother, and (according to Houdini) while waitin • for him to join them, Lady Doyle “pumped” Mrs. Houdini for particulars of Houdini’s mother’s life.

Lady Doyle then insisted on an immediate seance (herself and Houdini alone) and in a “trance” repeated the Information as if obtained from the spirit world. Mrs. Houdini, however,

had already warned her husband by code. Houdini published this story liefore his death.

He left a message in code with his wife. Many mediums tried to rend it, and one, the Rev. Arthur Ford, claimed that he did so in 1929. Ford was exposed by the N.Y. “Graphic,” which got the code message before Ford’s seance, got a confession froin Ford, and showed that Ford and Mrs. Houdini bad planned a lecture tour on the strength of the “spirit revelation.”

Mrs. Houdini has since disowned Ford, and acknowledged that no one has read the real message. No success has followed other code or secret message reading. F. W. H. Myers, the psychic research expert, left a message in a sealed envelope, and in 1904, after the world’s mediums had had attempts at it, It was opened. None had given it. J. A. Gilbert, in 1917, agreed with his wife on her death-bed on a countersign known only to themselves. Up to 1925 139 mediums had purported to give the sign from the spirit world. Not one was correct

From the opposite standpoint, spiritualists argue that all these (in especial, Houdini) were sceptics, and a sceptic has little power over spirit communications on the “other side.”

Conan Doyle, however, is another matter, and they promise a fair chance of success.