MEDIUM IN TRANCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21163, 21 April 1932, Page 9

MEDIUM IN TRANCE.

STRANGE COURT SCENE. CASE AGAINST NEWSPAPER. LONDON, April 19. The action for alleged libel brought against the Daily Mail by Mrs. Meurig Morris, ;i medium, was concluded in the King's Bench Division to-day. After an absence of about four hours the jury returned a verdict in favour of the defendant newspaper in regard to the plea of fair comment, but found that its allegation of fraud had not been proved. Mr. Justice McCardie expressed the opinion that the plaintiff was entitled to costs.

Regarding the plea of justification, Mrs. Morris gave notice of appeal. The Judge's summing up was interrupted by plaintiff, who stood up with her eyes closed and exclaimed in a deep voice: "Hearken to my voice, brother Judge."

Mr. Justice McCardie said: "We have had so much of this," and ordered plain- I tiff to be taken out of Court. As the usher approached Mrs. Morris, she said: "Do not touch her until I have left her body." Then she collapsed and was carried out unconscious. PREVIOUS INCIDENTS. SPIRIT CONTROL CLAIMED. LONDON, April 15. When Mrs. Morris was before tho Court to-day in connection with her action against the Daily Mail, a gramophone was produced and a record played of a sermon delivered by plaintiff while "under control" of tlie spirit she calls "Power. A baritone voice alternating with Mrs. Morris' normal tones rang through the hushed Court, spiritualists listening with bowed heads and clasped hands.

Mrs. Morris claims to bo controlled by other spirits, including "Little Sunshine, an Irish priest named Father O'Keefe, a French nun named Sister Magdalene, and an Indian squaw. She tearfully told Mr. Justice McCardie that Magdalene was present in Court, dressed in purple, and added, "I wish you could see her." Mrs. Morris* claim refers to an article in the Daily Mail, headed "Power's Sermon Jargon," and also a contents bill, "Trance Medium Found Out." Tho jury and the solicitors visited the British Movietone studios, and saw a "talkie" film of Mrs. Morris* trance sermon. Harold Avling, news editor of Movietone, in his evidence for tho defence, said the heat of tho studio lamp caused the breakage of tho microphone cord during the filming. 1 Mrs. Morris' representative later wrote for the pieces of the broken cord, but, as they had been thrown away, he sent two other pieces. At a, previous sitting of the court it was stated, in evidence, that, the microphone cord broke during the filming, and the microphone fell to the floor. Mrs. Morris explained that one of her "controls," Sister Magdalene, had told her thai, another "control," the Indian squaw, had broken the cord.