SCIENTIST AT SEANCE

Evening Star, Issue 20010, 30 October 1928, Page 1

SCIENTIST AT SEANCE

DR TILLYARD’S STORY DEAD MAN WHO SWORE MASCULINE VOICE DISTINCT PROM-MEDIUM’S. Tho claim that a series of seances have -proved tho survival of human personality after death is made by Dill. J. Tillyard, a scientist of some note, whoso mother lives in Worthing, Dr Tillyard was up to recently assistant director and chief of tho Cawthron Institute, Nelson, New Zealand, and honorary vice-president of tho National Laboratory of Psychical Research, London. Ho is a],so a Fellow of tho Royal Society, the Geographical Society, the Linnoan Society, and the Entomological Society, and has published 150 scientific papers dealing with insects. Detailing his experiences at one of the seances—they were held in Boston (Mass.), and all were attended and controlled by him—Dr Tillyard describes how a man named Walter Stinson, who died in 1912, “ evinced a personality independent of tho medium by speaking in a distinct masculine voice, whistling and swearing, and also loft his thumb prints in dental wax in the dark move auickly than an ordinary man could do them in the light. “ Aly own conclusion,” writes the doctor, “is that Stinson has fully proved in a scientific manner his claim that his personality has survived after physical death.” This amazing story is told by the doctor in ‘ Nature/ a scientific journal of wide repute, which analyses Dr Tillyard’s claims in a leading article of several columns. Its conclusions are that the evidence on which the doctor bases his claims is not strong enough to justify them. The seance at which the finger prints of the dead man are alleged to have been reproduced was held on June 1 of this year at the bouse of Dr Afark Richardson, of Boston.

Besides Dr Tillyard himself there were present in the seance room: The medium, Airs L. R. C. Crandon, the wife of a doctor, and sister of tho dead man. Walter Stinson, who was killed on August S, 1912, in a railway accident.

Captain Fife, the finger print expert of the United States Navy Yard. MAN ON GUARD.

Air J. W. Evans, B.A. (Cantab), a young entomologist, guarded the door of the room from tho outside. A red shade was placed over the electric light.

Previous lo the seance a numlicr of pieces of dental wax tailed “Kerr” were in the absence of the medium marked secretly by Dr Tillyard and Mr Evans; a number given to each, and a piece broken off tho side. Other implements for marking thumb prints were also provided. _ Describing the dead man’s operations, Dr Tillyard Avritos;

“With tho red light frequently turned on to verify the position of the pieces of ‘ Kerr,’ to remove each one from tho cold water Avlien ‘ Walter ’ (tho dead man)_ reported it done, or to put a new piece in the hot water when he asked for it. wc bad a most, extraordinarily quick and accurate performance by ‘Walter ’ of tbc technique of making thumb prints. SEVEN GOOD PRINTS.

“In taking Alarjcry’s (Mrs Crandon), Captain Fife’s,'and rny oavh Thumbprints—Avbicb 1 did Avithin bright light within a few minutes of tbc end of tiie seance—considerable difficulties Averc met Avitb, especially owing to the wax melting too much if Hie Avater Avere too hot.

“ 1 timed Captain Fife, a fingerprint expert, taking his own thumbprint, and it took him ten minutes. “‘Walter’ did seven good prims in tiiq dark in about half an. hour, remarking that it was easy for him, as he ‘carried his cold about Avith him/ “On one occasion be said ‘No’ in a. loud voice as I was about to put some ‘Kerr’ into the dish. DEAD At AN SPEAKS. “On a second occasion.” continues Dr Tillyard, “ Avbilo J Avas looking straight at the medium, lie said, ‘Go ahead.’ “I noted that neither the medium’s lips nor her Iniynx moved at all. “ When doing the fourth print ‘ Walter ’ said that it Avould proA'O to be a mirror imago of his ordinary thumb-print. I'bis we A'crificd as correct later. During the seance 1 was frequently touched and stroked by ‘ Walter’s ’ telcplastic terminal, and Avater was sprinkled OA'cr mo. “Altogether, ‘Walter’ made seven clear right thumb-prints, all of Avbieh were markedly different from the thumb-,prints of any of those present.” The ulnar area of the prints, adds the doctor, agreed exactly with Hie same area of a thumbprint found on Stinson’s razor, Avbicli be used on tho morning of the fatal accident. HUMOUR FROM BEYOND. Summarising the result of two seances, Dr Tillyard says:— “The ‘Personality’ of 1 Walter ’ is sboAvu to be independent of that of tbc medium by the possession of a distinct masculine voice and strong whistling powers, these never proceeding from the mouth u: larynx of the medium; by his alert mental powers, tendency to impatience, and the use of swear words: by a marked sense of humour, a. Canadian accent, and many other qualities which cannot fail to produce in a sitter the definite feeling that bo is dealing with an independent personality. “Besides this,” bo adds, “‘Walter’ slioavs that he ha: the poAvcr of smell, can see in the dark can handle delicate objects and place them accurately in the dark Avilbout doing any damage/’