A REMARKABLE DOG.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLII, Issue 1734, 9 February 1921, Page 9

A REMARKABLE DOG.

"HAS HE OCCULT POWERS?" FURTHER PARTICULARS ABOUT "DARKIE." Some further particulars regarding the old blind dog at Christchurch that is credited with mind-reading powers are given in Saturday's issue of the Christchurch "Star." An opportunity to test the old blind dog's powers was given to a newspaper man this week at a private exhibition in Christchurch (says tne "Star.") This "seance" was not a thorough test, and so far as it went it disclosed hardly anything that might not have been explained on the score of trickery, although nothing of the sort is suggested. For a time the dog was inattentive and not 'working' well, and during this time he became so tired with constant barking that towards the finish, when answers were coming out very accurately, the dog was so tired that to have continued would have been cruel. Another exhibition was promised under more favourable conditions. In the present article, therefore, it is proposed to give an outline of how the exhibition was conducted, at the same time commenting on the tests and whatever interpretation might be placed upon them. But a little introduction to the dog is necessary. "Darkie" belongs to Mrs M. H. McGibbon, of 107, Chester Street, Christchurch. Mrs McGibbon can "converse" with the dog, but the greatest success has been attained by her son, Mr W. S. McGibbon, who conducted the trial in the present case. / In one sense the conditions were favourable for the test, inasmuch as there was absolute quietness in the drawing-room; but it was not "Darkie's" home, and there were several strange persons in the room. These distractions were calculated to upset an inquisitive little dog to sfame extent, and he sniffed around xhe room, at chairs and tables and doors. The film over both eyes seemed to be a pretty good guarantee that he was stone blind, apart altogether from the assurance of his owner. He soon hopped up on a chair close to a table where pieces of meat and cake were kept in readiness as a bribe. Mr McGibbon explained that "Darkie" was growing old, and had not been worked for some time; that his throat was becoming sore as the result of constant barking, and that he tired more easily than of old. This was apparent in the earlier stages of the trial. "Darkie" was offered a piece of meat as a bribe, but first of all he had to answer questions. His only method of answering was by barks—sharp little barks, sometimes given in quick succession and sometimes slowing off gradually, as if large numbers were such an effort that they had to be dragged out of him. In such cases the suggestion was easily formed that the dog was under some hypnotic or other influence, and was responding under pressure to the mental influence of the master. The great majority of the answers given by the dog were correct. The following dialogue actually occurred: —• Give m'e six.—Six barks. Divide six by two. —Three barks. If I give you a pound and tell you to spend two shillings, what percentage is that?—Ten barks. How many rods in an acre?—Four barks. Furlongs in a mile—Eight barks. Divide that by two, add two, and take away one.—Five barks. How many sixpences in five Bhilings?—Ten barks. These tests all related to questions that could be answered by numbers, but Mr McGibbon changed his interpretation of the barks in asking for certain words, as the following questions and answers will show: — What is the gentleman writing on? —Five barks (paper). What is he writing with?—Six barks (pencil). Another variation of the dog's men. tal agility was given in indicating any given letter in the alphabet by barking once for A, twice for B, three tiVnes for C, and so on down the alphabet. An Instance of the kind was given in the following questions:— What am I feeding you on?—Four barks (meat). What kind of meat? —Four barks (lamb). How far down the alphabet is the first letter?—Twelve barks (1). The second? —one bark (a). I will let you off with the third, but what is the fourth?—Two barks (b). So far as they went the answers appeared to be quite genuine. They were elicited without any sign of trickery, such as the tapping of a foot or anything that would have given the dog his cue as to the number of barks required of him. At the most the dog only needed to learn, by telepathy or any other means, the number of barks he was expected to give. To have claimed more would have been to claim that the dog understood English; was a good average speller; knew the value of a sovereign, could add and subtract, and understood measure and all the little things that it takes a,human being longer than the average dog's life to master. Another thing that suggested merely the establishment of a code of number signals was that whenever a big number was in question the master said: "I will give you so many in," and left the dog to bark a comparatively small balance. The reputation of the little dog, however, has been built up on answers to questions that his master does not know. There was no time to go fully into such tests on the present occasion, although a lp.ter test was promised, but a couple of tests were applied. A visitor produced a bunch . of keys, saying that he did not know the number of them. He closed his harids on took place between master and dog:--How many keys in Mr 's hand? —Ten barks. (A count of the bunch showed nine keys and one little plate, like a key.) I don't want the name-plate—how many keys to turn locks with? —Nine barks. How many figures on the plate?— Thee barks. What is the unit? —Five barks. What are the tens? —Four barks. Hundreds? —Three barks. In this case the figures—l4s—were unknown to Mr McGibbon. The dog barked the units and tens, and although he failed on the hundreds, Mr McGibbon stated that he frequently gave three barks for 1, and lie presumed that he was spelling the figure out. Numerous other questions were answered acording to the formulae accepted by Mr McGibbon. The largest number of barks that the dog was asked to give related to the letter P. for which sixteen barks were given quite correctly. The flower in a gentleman's buttonhole was asked for and the dog barked nine times, which was regarded as a correct answer, seeing that Ow flewei: was a carna-

tion. The time was also given by the drawing-room clock, and Mr McGibbon claimed that without anyone in the room looking first at their watch the dog could give the correct time. On this occult side of the dog's performance, however, there was no opportunity to dwell.as he showed a very strong inclination to stretch out and go to sleep on the carpet, and the sitting was adjourned. It is only fair to say that "Darkie" is claimed to have performed some really remarkable feats in the way of giving the numbers of banknotes that nobody in the room has known. Possibly other tests may be obtained for publication later.

The discovery of the dog's power was made accidentally. "Darkie" was always more or 1 less spoiled at home, being blind. A chair was set at the table for him, and he used to bark for food. Once when the dog was unusualy silent Mr McGibbon said, "Bark for it." The dog immediately barked and Mr McGibon was astonished to find that he would bark for whatever number of times were asked. It was four or five years before this was known outside the family circle, and it was not until he began to tell young girls their ages that anything occult or telepathic was suspected. ,