SPIRIT-WRITING CASE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19388, 24 July 1926, Page 11

SPIRIT-WRITING CASE.

CLAIMS TO THE COPYRIGHT. MEDIUM SECURES VERDICT. Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. (Reed. 10.35 p.m.) LONDON, July 22. The case in which Miss Geraldine Cummins, daughter of a Court physician, and described as an "automatic medium," sought to restrain Bligh Bond, a psychic worker of world-wide repute, from publishing a work entitled, "The Chronicle of Cleophas," has been resumed. "The Chronicle of Cleophas" purports to be an account of the Apostles and the early days of Christianity. Miss Cummins gave evidence in support of her claim that by means of. autosuggestion she threw herself into a dream state, in which spirit writing poured from her pen. Counsel for Bond said his client was frequently present nt those demonstrations. He claimed the copyright of the chronicle because the communications were addressed to him. Miss Cummins put forward the claim that Bond agreed that she should take one-third of the profits accruing from the publication of the work. Mr. Justice Eve expressed astonishment at the fact that, according to the writings, Clepohas spoke in Archaic English. He supposed that the original Cleophas spoke in Hebrew and not in medieval English. Bond, in his evidence, said he had been called in to assist in connection with the writings because it was known that he would be able to get writings of this character from a medium. In this particular instance Cleophas had called for him. The Judge : If you had Browning's poems and endeavoured to explain what Browning meant, you would not call yourself the author of them. They are just as unintelligible to the ordinary man as "The Chronicle of Cleophas." Counsel said that Bond was a inan of some distinction. The Judge remarked that he did "not care twopence" what Bond's reputation was. "There are a lot of things that want explaining," he concluded. The Judge decided that the copyright belonged to Miss Cummins. Bond was ordered to pay costs.

A message from London on March 28 said that a large number of spiritualists crowded the Chancery Court when Mr. Justice Eve heard a motion in which was raised the novel of copyright in a spirit communication. Miss Cummins, an "automatic medium," sought to restrain Mr. Bligh Bond, a psychic worker of world-wide repute, from publishing "The Chronicle of Cleophas." Both parties claimed the authorship of the script, which purported to be a continuation of the Acts of the Apostles. Miss Cqmmins claimed that she produced the chronicle in a trance. Mr. Bond asserted that his hand rested on that of Miss Cummins, and that therefore the chronicle was the result of his psychic cooperation. Counsel explained that the first article was an interesting addition to the story of Ananias and Sapphira. The Judge asked .whether the automatic writing was in English or in Greek. He was informed that the chapter concerning Ananias was in the handwriting of Miss Cummins.