THE SPIRIT WORLD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14143, 19 August 1909, Page 6

THE SPIRIT WORLD.

TESTING A MEDIUM.

[BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN COREDENT.]

Wellington, Wednesday. Mr. J. W. Poykton*, Public Trustee, who was a member of . the committee of scrutiny appointed at the medium Bailey's opening seance in this city, in conversation with a reporter to-day, mentioned, that he was not satisfied with the demonstrations, which have aroused considerable discussion here. Mr. Poynton is a keen student of psychic phenomena, and admits that he believes in "apports,'' though life has never seen one, but he contends that the test conditions in Mr. Bailey's case have not been rigorous enough.- He referred to the possibilities of trickery in the medium business, and submitted that mediums who profess to give displays of the .apparently supernatural should submit to the most rigorous tests, and strip to the skin. " A thin man," he continued, "can easily conceal apports if they are not bulky or ponderous'.,: Artificial cavities could be easily arranged underneath the clothes - but a $out man could not do it so well. A thin man had the added advantage for the purpose of a thin neck. As a rule, stout men had but little room to spare between the collar and the neck, but a thin man could have there strings leading to his apports, which -would be concealed, and when the lights were turned down or out, the apports could be drawn up. A small bird was, indeed, very small when the feathers were pressed well down to the skin. Things like clothes or small bags would lie close to the chest, and could be brought up between the collar and the neck quite easily."