AFTER-DEATH SEANCE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 169, 13 April 1935, Page 18

AFTER-DEATH SEANCE

Strange Case of Lady Caillard

When Lady Caillard died recently she left with her friends a message asking that a special seance should be held as soon as possible at her house, The Belfry, at which she would attempt to communicate with them from the “other side.” She indicated how many should be present and who thev should be. This seance was held in a room only a few yards away from where Lady Gaillard’s body lay One of the friends she chose to attend this remarkable meeting was Mr. Maurice Barbanell. the famous spiritualist. Here, exclusive to the “Sunday Chronicle,” is Mr. Barbanell’s own account of what happened:— ' “She kept her promise," he says. "We felt invisible hands presenting us with some of the Howers that had been placed in the room and we heard her voice.” This seance is the astonishing sequel to a great spiritualistic romance. Some time ago Lady Caillard published a book of .messages which she announced had been conveyed to her by her dead husband through a “communigraph,” a device invented with the object of receiving tapped communications from the “other side.” . She said that the late Sir Vincent Caillard bad told her that when the book was finished her “early work would be completed and her suffering at an end.” That is what happened. The book was finished and the messages were given in the “Sunday Chronicle” after a seance at which Lady Caillard insisted on first obtaining Sir Vincent’s permission. Then a few days ago Lady Caillard died Two days after her "death," Lady Caillard returned and spoke at a seance at her home. Thus she fulfilled a promise made before her passing. She had asked for a special seance to be held as soon as possible after her passing. The sitting, at which nine people were present, was held in the special seance room, where for months past she had received three times a week communications from her husband. Sir Vincent Caillard. At her express wish the chair in which she used to sit was placed in the circle, as she regarded herself as one of those who were going to participate.

Her voice was weak, but sufficiently clear for all of us who knew her intimately to be able to recognise it. She greeted us all in turn, calling some of us by the nicknames she always used when she was on earth. Not long after the seance opened we all felt invisible hands presenting us with some of the Howers which had been placed in the room. The first spirit to come through the trumpet, which is used to intensify the voice at this type of seance, was that of the Hon. Charles Molesworth, the son of Lord and Lady Molesworth. who , frequently attended the seances. There was no mistaking his voice. 1 have heard it so often. He greeted his parents with Hello, Daddy! Hello, Mummy! It is splendid here to-night,” he said. “What a long time it is since I spoke. Don’t be downhearted.” It was really unnecessary for him to say this, for there were no signs of the mourning usually associated with death. All those present believed that death meant but the opening of the door to a larger life. .Soon he referred lo the arrival of Lady Gaillard in his world. Using the nickname by which she was always known, he said: “My Aunt Wendy is much happier where she is now.”

I He was immediately followed by Sir Vincent Caillard himself, a voice I have heard in this seance room at least a score of times. Sir Vincent was very emotional. He had seen fulfilled his prophecy that his wife was going to join him when the book which be had written from the spirit world which was published. He had told her that it would be her last job on earth. It was, for shortly afterwards she-was taken ill, "Mv heart is satisfied at last," he said. “Before I really speak may I thank you all, my loyal friends, for your help to my wife. [am extremely happy.” Then, addressing Lady Caillard’s nephew. Gunner Moir, lie said: "Gunner, I want to thank you and your mother for all you have done. I am deeply grateful." His next message of praise was for Nurse Hughes, who had faithfully attended Lady Caillard through her long illness. He assured her that his wife was perfectly happy and would try to speak to us presently. Then he gave a remarkable test. The day before the sitting 1 was handed a sealed letter, addressed to myself, marked, tn Lady Caillard’s handwriting. “Please deliver after my passing." In it was a letter she had written just before her operation in which she asked me to do certain things for her. Sir Vincent revealed that lie knew about this message. Then he told the nurse that Lady Caillard had received the nosv she had placed in her bedroom. Speaking of his wife, lie said: "She will soon be able to speak to you as clearly as I can.” Then came the dram'a of the seance. At first we only heard sibilant whispers from the trumpet, but these gradually gained in strength until we heard: “Difficult to speak.” The trumpet, made slightly luminous with phosphorescent paint, moved slowly round the darkened room, touching each of the sitters in turn. It was Lady Caillard’s spirit greeting to her old friends. We urged her to speak, to make an effort, for the returning spirit always finds the first communication difficult. We were not unmindful of the fact that it was only two days after her “death.” Then quite clearly Lady Caillard’s own voice was beard: “I thought I should do it. lam very happy.” She expressed her delight that one of her last wishes, the illumination of the neon cross over The Belfry, the house where we met, had been carried out. It is to remain alight until after her memorial service. “I am glad the cross has been lit,” she said.

Then the trumpet moved slowly to her nephew. Once again the trumpet, moved. There was a message for Lord and Lady Molesworth and then the trumpet moved towards me. Lady Caillard spoke again. “I promised I would speak to you. God bless you.”

This was very remarkable, for when I used to call to see her during her illness she promised me that she would return as soon as she could after her passing.

She had kept that promise. She spoke for perhaps ten minutes. AH of us agreed afterwards that it was her voice, not as loud as when she was in normal health, but resembling the voice in which she spoke during her illness.

The lights were raised. The seance was at tin end. It had lasted nearly two hours.