GENUINE TELEPATHY

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 19, 22 January 1921, Page 9

GENUINE TELEPATHY

ARGUS AND HIS; FATHER

PROSECUTED

THE MAGISTRATE'S FINDING.

<BI TBIKIBAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

AUCKLAND, 21st January.

Judgment was given in the Magistrate's Court by Mr. J. W. Poynton, S.M., in the case in which Charles Louis Gopeland, professional entertainer, and his son, Argus N. J. Copeland, aged 11 years, were: charged with pretending to tell fortunes, pretending from skill and knowledge in occult and crafty sciences to discover where and in what manner any goods and chattels supposed, to have been stolen 'or lost might be found, and using subtle craft to deceive and im,pose upon His Majesty's subject*. The case was heard on Monday last, an adjournment being made to allow the boy to demonstrate his alleged telepathic powers before the Magistrate and representatives, of the Press.,

On that? occasion the Magistrate stated . that he had personally tested the boy's powers and had expressed regret that the subject had not received, the 'scientific investigation it deserved.

This demonstration was given in open Court before judgment was delivered, the Magistrate ruling that only, representatives of the police, officials of Court; and representatives of the Press might submit tests, seeing that if unofficial people were concerned it might be said that the defendants had confederates- present. None of the tests involved alleged the foretelling of future events, being confined solely to thoughtreading. The mothod followed in most cases was to show to the father articles which the boy, who was blindfolded, and sat beside the Magistrate, usually de-. scribed accurately. Cards selected from the pack were correctly named arid, in several instances, written questions were correctly answered. : One Court official asked how many ■ subjects he had sat for in a recent examination, and in how many he had passed. The correct numbers were given. The questioner, of course, was m possession of the result of the examination.' -.'•'■..*. 'It appeared that the boy could usual-, ly read his father's mind and occasionally the minds of other people, the demonstration being similar to that sometimes seen on the stage. '■ ■ '•■ ' ■. NO INTENTION TO DECEIVE. In his judgment the Magistrate saidl the-boy was sometimes sensitive, to thought forcei emanating from , his father's , brain. If, was not a case of cod© or apparatus to convey surreptitiously the.father's impressions, but' a 'genuine instance of telepathy. Dealing with the fact thatj at entertainments, answers were given- by the boy to questions as to future events, Mr. Poynton said thai this pretended) divination of the future was as old as humanity. In the present case stress had .bean laid by the defence upon the evidence given by some witness** upon the correctnessl of the boy's, predictions. ','That does not convince," said the Magistrate. "Every fortune-teller, astrologer, or other humbug could bring similar. evidence." The father's engagement, he proceeded'/ 'was to exhibit the boy's telepathic powers, 'but the public had afterwards ■ asked for more. •The average theatregoer was not so much interested.- in the -scientific aspect -of telepathy as in the result of .'jnoxi horse races,' a love affair, or business ventures, and' it' would •be difficult .in-' deed to prevent fortune-telling creepingi in. .The father, believed in the boy's prophetic powers, so there was no. intention to deceive on his part. .'• / . INJURIOUS' TO THE PUBLIC. After citing cases . on'the .subject which, ■ said- ■ the Magistrate, gave but little authority, Mr.. J?oynton said' that under the law if a person butting cards or, reading tea leaves, or..otherwise in-, dicating the future, had no belief in it, and said so, there was no- offence. | An offence consisted in undertaking to I tell fortunes. " That was/ professing, to divine the future, and it was, immaterial whether an offender believed in his powers or not. The law did not recognise such a power, and undertaking to exercise it was an offence'in itself. In this.case there was a pretence to'divine the future, and it was' injurious to.-the public to Tely on such forecasts. ""What is the good of doing anything ?T-4t is all ■written in the book of fate,'.' was a bad mental condition to, get- into.'.' Apart from the parasites encouraged ,by belief in fortune-telling the....self;reliance and resourcefulness of individuals were/ weakened if. belief in,-fatalism was..developed. Progressive peoples were- those who believed their futures were in their own hands. ... '• .'''■'■'..': NO WISH TO CONVICT. • Although he thought ,an offence bad been proved, he did not wish to convict the defendants. The father was sincere in his confidence in his boy's powers, and the boy was' under his father's influence. He was a fine lad in every way, and it would be wrong in the circumstances to convict him. He would.-be admonished and discharged. As this was a, test case, the father would.be discharged on payment of the costs of the prosecution. The Magistrate added that it was regrettable, that the boy's powers 'were', not being' investigated and. recorded ■by scientific men. He was very .intelligent, and did not become unconscious during the seances, so his feelings and impressions could easily, be ascertained.' Mr.. Fleming who, with Mr. Rodgers, appeared for. the defence, thanked the Magistrate for the sympathetic hearing! he had given the case, but said he was not sure that he agreed with the.judgment on law, and .indicated that an .appeal might be lodged. His contention, as stated prior to the, delivery of the judgment, was that, the iboy could foretell the future in so far as the future had its roots in the present.