MORE SPIRITUALISTIC “MANIFESTATIONS”

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 29 October 1928, Page 3

MORE SPIRITUALISTIC “MANIFESTATIONS”

(To the Editor) Sir,—ln the, Monmouthshire mining village of Llanhilleth a seventeen-year-old boy lias set the whole of South Wales agog with excitement with his alleged ghostly happenings. An investigation has caused a well known conjuror to assert that “the whole thing is a farce —that the medium has been using his ingenuity to prey upon minds in a state which made them very ready to believe. All the tricks at the investigation were similar to those of the most elementary imposter” and when the medium was properly controlled there were no manifestations. In the dark the following ridiculous proofs of a “life beyond” were submitted. A photograph which had previously been hanging in another room was suddenly precipitated into the seance room. Marvellous ! But the medium was allowed into that other r,V>m after the lights were put out. Then the medium complained that he must blow his nose. His bands were temporarily released. On being again controlled the medium’s tie pin landed with a thud on the table. The conjuror in bis report says that he is certain that when the medium blew his nose he transferred the tie pin to his mouth and then blew it as far as he could on to the table. Spirits do some queer things and this one, “Leslie,” like all other “spirits,” has an original queer taste of his own. In this case, it is waistcoat buttons belonging to the medium which were transported around the room. The explanation is simple, as the conjnror asserts “that the cotton holding those buttons had been sawn almost through and the flying was achieved by getting one after the other against the edge of the table, and jerking suddenly downwards.” . A banjo which the “spirit” usually played upon was strangely silent when placed out of the medium's reach. A complete exposure of ’the alleged ghostly cappings and bangings which many believers had recognised as important messages from the "spirit world” was effected on'one of the investigators detecting the medium moving his heels against the wall of his room. lie shifted the medium to Ihe opposite wall and the “spirits” demonstrated with a different type of noise. When the medium was placed away from (lie wall the “spirits” refused to work. It is an unfathomable mystery why all 'spiritan 1 ist'ie manifestations to date have been so absurd. Such tomfoolery as is submitted is more than proof itself of its absurdity. And worse to relate, no sooner is one medium exposed In'trickery Than some new medium seek's to perpetrate the swindle with some modification, of the previous fraudulent methods.—l am, etp., ” ' '" ‘ "VY. E. WHITE. Nelson, 29th Get.