Spirit Of Uncle Tom “100 Per Cent. Fit” At Seance

Northern Advocate, 8 March 1943, Page 6

Spirit Of Uncle Tom “100 Per Cent. Fit” At Seance

Sitters at a seance were warned not to be alarmed if they were kissed by a spirit, said a witness at Cardiff recently. Austin Hatcher (45) and Emily Little (37), of Windsor Place, Cardiff, pleaded rot guilty to five charges of pretending to hold communication with spirits. Mrs Emily Libby, wife of a police officer, who gave evidence at the previous hearing of attending seances, was cross-examined. She was convinced that the voice of “Colombo” was Hatcher’s voice. “Awful Fraud” On one occasion a human hand touched her and caught hold of her handbag. She knew someone was moving about the seance room because luminous objects were blotted out. “I was convinced it was an awful fraud,” added Mrs Libby. Her sister-in-law, Mrs Olive Rees, who attended a seance conducted by Hatcher on September 7. said a luminous trumpet approached and touched her on the knee. A voice said: “It’s for the new lady.” Mrs Rees asked: “Is it Uncle Tom and a reply came: “Yes. Tom on your father’s side.” She asked: “How are you, UncleTom?” The reply was: “100 per cent and no bones broken.” Uncle Tom Cobley” When Mrs Rees explained that she had no Uncle Tom, the chairman, Mr Gilbert Sheppard, remarked. “It might have been Uncle Tom Cobley.” Mrs Rees, continuing, said that once a voice purporting to be that of a woman’s husband who died recently was heard. “It was moving to hear the stress in the woman’s voice as she made replies,” she said. She was convinced every voice was that of Hatcher. In cross-examina-tion witness said Hatcher had previously told the sitters not to be nervous whatever happened even*if the spirit kissed them. The hearing was adjourned until November 3.