BACK FROM GRAVE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXII, Issue 11452, 28 February 1931, Page 9

BACK FROM GRAVE

< ‘SPIRIT THUMB-PRINTS. ”

ASTONISHING CLAIM

LAWYER AND HIS PROMISE

“A Boston lawyer has returned from the grave and made his thumbprint, one exactly similar -to that which he left behind before his death.” This astounding statement is made in' all seriousness by Hr 31. AY. Richardson, of Boston,

“These post-mortem finger-prints in. wax,” declares Hr. Richardson, may be said to constitute the first independent evidence of the survival of the individual marks of personality placed on permanent record under absolute test conditions.” For many mouths now alleged fin-ger-prints- and thumb-prints of dead people have been obtained hi the “Alargery” circle in Boston,. a circle arranged by Dr. L. R: G.-Crandon.

a Boston physician and surgeon, in order to smash the case for spiritualism. says a correspondent of the Daily 31a.i1.

To the doctor’s surprise, his vile, Alaroerv, a Canadian, developed mediumsliip suddenly, and produced “phenomena’ ’ of several kinds in die presence of hundreds of clergymen, scientists, - magicians and people or everv class and rank.

The purported spirit or AYaiter S. Stinson, Margery’s brother, who had died in 1911, which was said to have produced the phenomena, was challenged by Dr, Crandon to make his finger-print because that- was thought bv the police to be proof positive. After scores of thumb-print impressions had been made by the "alleged “AYaiter” on dental wax these were

established as being identical -Kith a thumb-print which it was found Valter Stinson had leit- behind on his razor on the morning of his death. Ail the members or the circle, as a consequence, had their finger-prints taken by a Captain Fife, a fingerprint expert employed in the Boston Xava! Yard. They were all placed on record, and the members of the cir- , cle all stated that, in the event of . their dying, they would attempt to return so that their spirits could produce finger-print evidence of their survival. . j Among- the sitters was Chas. Stanton Hill, a prominent Boston -lawyer. He, like the others, made a thumbprint. under the supervisison of Captain Fife, who certified it. Captain Fife had been coldly critical of the whole proceedings. ‘Y am not interested in spirits,” lie has declared scores of times. “I am merely watching the finger-prints.” On Septemehr 2nd Mr Hill died, Emht davs later, according to Hr. Richardson, he “first gav e evidence of his probable presence in tlio ‘Margery’ seance room by means of raps and faint whistling.” Then, less than six weeks after his death, came what th e circle claimed was the acid proof. “On October 12, Tinder strictly controlled conditions,” declared Dr. Richardson, “there were produced, on three pieces of wax, as many thumb-prints, pronounced on examination by experts to resemble exactly a print made during his lifetime of Mr Hill’s right thumb.” All the facts are being marshalled bv tlio scientific members of the “Margery” circle, and enlargements of the thumb-prints made before Mr Hill’s death and after are to be examined critically by Captain Fife, so that all the finger-print experts can challenge them.