THE LATE HENRY SIDGWICK.

Evening Star, Issue 12883, 4 August 1906, Page 11

THE LATE HENRY SIDGWICK.

TO THR EDITOR. Sir, —In an article .copied in the ‘Star’ recently from the ‘Daily News’ (LoT-don) the ivriter omitted to state that Profes■or Sidgwick, having witnessed some extraordinary phenomena in a friend’s residence, none being present except members of the family, he came '<* the resolution to ‘investigate to tho how thes'e wnndrous m-nnifes-tat ions were produced. For that purpose, he, in coninnetion with some other scientists and physiologists, engaged the celebrated Newcastle mediums, Miss Wood and Miss Fairlamb (both being under twenty rears of age), for twelve months, conducting a senes of experiments at Newcastle, at Mr Balfour’s house in Carlton Gardens, Loti don, and at Oainhrid jjg at Professor Sidgwick’s res’denco Mr F W. H. Myers the distinguished author of ‘ Human Personality and Survival of Bodily Death,’ gives a vivid description of what took place at one of the meetings and the complete tests that were applied in order to render it certain that the phenomena were not produced by the mediums themselves. For example, a curtain across the comer of a room formed the cabinet. In this was placed a mattress, on the bare floor. The medium’s wrists were tied securely with tapes, having two ends a foot or more long; these were tacked down to the floor then covered with sealing-wax and sealed.’ Under these conditions one or more forms came out from the curtains, sometimes to a considerable distance, and touched each one present. The light was just sufficient to sec the figures, which were sometimes those of children and sometimes of adults. Other Mantling phenomena occurred in the room. The medium was afterwards found either awake or still entranced, with the tapes, knots, and seals all apparently untouched! otiil, this was not sufficient to cxciud© impoitnre. The medium might have provided nerself with taper, tacks, wax, and a copy of the seal. To render this impossible at each seance the width, quality or color of the tape was d.fferent, the sealing-wux was of another color, or a different seal was used, so that on no two occasions were the conditions all alike. Still the wondrous phenomena went on occurring. Then a hammock was procured for the medium to lie in, and this hammock, by means of pulleys, was connected with a weighing machine, so that the medium could not leave it without instant detection ; and still the phenomena were produced, and the medium was found afterwards comfortably lying in the hammock.

Thereafter was founded the Physical Research Society principally by Professors Sidgwick and Tynduli, composed of scientists, naturalists, and others of European reputation who have done so much, as the writer of the ' Mail' asserts, in clearing the rubbish heap of ghosts' stories accumulated by impostors and tricksters, while genuine Lianifestations woe cureiuily sifted. For a lengthened period bishops, professors, and the Anglican clergy generally inveighed at the manifestations as being produced by legerdemain, if not by deception and lmpcsture. Throughout Scotland authors and ministers fiercely denounced from Press and Pulpit that these phenomena were produced by the Evd One, and searchers of the Phydicai Society were candidates for everlasting perdition. That extraordinary appearances take place before certain constituted individuals theie is not the least siiadow of a doubt, otherwise philosophers, scientists, ohemis»ts, physiologists, clergymen, authors, and editors axe notorious inventors.

The query arises: What mysterious powers or iniluen.e possessed byaeimpie mate or female bound with ropes ajid cords and sealed with was can reveal the appearance of grandfathers and grandmothers—friends long since passed away to spectators and artistic searchers —children to bereaved parents?—can bring in fruits and flowers into locked rooms and fastened windows, nng handbells, play on accordions 'Scots wa hae' and ' March of the Cameron men' without visible hand performances; and last, and not least, letters alleged from ghostly friends in their veritable handwriting, are most inscrutable, placed in locked boxes? ■

Strangely, eminent investigators were and still are at sixes and sevens among themselves over the phenomena. Men of science—such as Sir William Crooke.*, Sir Oliver Lodge, Dr Richard Hodgson, Professor Hyslop, Mr William Howitt, and several others^ —strangely believe that the spirits of the departed can communicate with the living; while Professors Sidgwick, Tyndail, Varley (the celebrated electrician) disbelieve that do not produce the manifestation, but are of the opinion a new power existed within some individuals which was only partially revealed. A letter by the eminent journalist Robert Chambers to the eminent naturali-t Dr Wallace shows him to have been one ot the few men of science who admit the verity of the phenomena of spiritualism to be real as di;tmtiuished from imposture. His idea, however, was that the term supernatural was a grand mistake. We had only to enlarge our conceptions of the nntural and all would be right. Profesor Will ; am James, one of the greatest physiologists in England, is convinced of unique powers of the subjective mind or subconscious self as the cause of these appearances. The celebrated Darwin, of 'Origin of Species' fame, who so wondronsly traced his ancestor from the primordial fungus to the mite, then to the gnat, and by regular gradations to the ape. which sprung up by leaps and bounds into a professor of Hebrew, the original linguist, failed to trace her lad whip further back than a fashionable monkey—"A very tall pig with a very long nose" Sends forth a probocis right down to ■ his toes, And then by the name of an elephant

goes Which nobody can deny. "An ape with a pliable thumb and big brain," When the gift of the gab he managed to gain, As lord of creat'on ertiVWied his reign, Which nobody can deny.

Darwin, before his demibe, was induced to app a-r at one of the seanrei, was greitly impressed by the manifestrtioa , but. stubborn as ever, would not yield to the prevailed opinions that they were once of the human species. We old colonists do not require any mani* festations to convince us that tlr n j s a hereafter. We believe in the ep: .ualisra of the Holy Bible, expounded and enunciated every Sabbath by our faithful and eloquent pastors; and long may such continue.—l am. etc., * ' Stedman. August 4.