MEDIUM AT COURT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18861, 8 November 1924, Page 2 (Supplement)

MEDIUM AT COURT.

" 1 SEE SPIRIT FORMS."

FORTUNE-TELLING CHARGE.

MINISTER AIDS AND ABETS.

'Spiritualism has received a decided setback at Brighton. In what v j.j regarded by spiritualists as a test case, the minister of the local church of " The Church of the Spiritual Evangel of Jesus the Christ," was lately fined 40s for aiding and abetting a well-known medium from tho Midlands, who was also convicted under the Vagrancy Act, and fined a Uke amount, for professing to tell fortunes fo deceive and impose upon His Majesty's subjects." The -(minister was Mr. John Joseph Goodwin and the medium, a native of Walsall, Mrs. Elizabeth Taylor Woodall. Both pleaded not guilty. The chief witnesses against the two defendants were tho wife and sister of a Brighton detective who made appointments with Mrs. Woodall for "reading," and each paid her 2s 6d. Mr. Kenyon, counsel for the prosecution, said the defendants would try to confuse the issue with a question of religion. " I submit that religion lias nothing to do with it at all," he said. "It is a straightforward case of fortune telling." Giving evidence, Mrs. Amy Hayter said: Mrs. Woodall took both of my} hands in hers and said, " You have* wonderful will power and would make a very good medium if you understood our" religion." She next asked, "Is your

husband alive ?" and I replied " Yes." Then she asked, "Do you get on well together ?" and I replied " Fairly well." She then asked the month in which I was born and the day of the month in which my husband was born. - I told her any birthday was in June, and she said, " Yours is a month of roses and you should both be very happy." Later Mrs. YVoodall said, " 1 can see 3'our. mother. She was rather stout." "My mother is not dead. She was never fat," witness told the Bench.

Oars is a Spiritual Work. Cross-examined, witness said she went for the police, but received no remuneration, and paid the 2s 6d out of her own pocket. Miss Elizabeth Hayter said Mrs. Woodall held both her hands and " gazed at me with a sort of vacant look." She said: "You have been imposed upon, but have now come to the time wheat you are more wide-awake." She then asked witness if there was any man in. her life at the present time. Witness said "No." Later the medium said: " I can see you at the age of 40 marrying a widower, but I can't see any children." Mrs. Woodall told her that the. 2s 6d she took went to the church. A detective said that when he saw defendants, Goodwin said, " I do not see how you can call it fortune-telling. Ours is a spiritual work. . . It is rather difficult to tell what is fortune-telling." When charged, Goodwin said, " I don't see how you can separate me from her, as I take the whole of the money for the benefit of the church."

A President's Protest. In her evidence, Mrs s Woodall said "I have clairvoyant vision. I see spirit forms.' I describe them, and often clairvoyantly I get a message from those spirit forms. I give those messages to those who come to one. I could give my descriptions in Court this morning if I were allowed." She denied the evidence of the prosecution, and said she never told fortunes or read cards or hands. The president of tho church, tho Rev. J. W. Potter, gave evidence, and with( respect to tho charges of 2s 6d made,'said:—"We protest our right to this in common with all tho free churches of the country. I took tho unusual step last night of protesting by doing exactly the same thing as Mrs. Woodall is charged) with."