A MARVELLOUS STORY.

Colonist, Volume XLVII, Issue 11435, 14 September 1905, Page 3

A MARVELLOUS STORY.

Melbourne, September 13. An extraordinary story is told by Mr Thomas Welton Stanford, of Melbourne, brother of the late Mr Leland Stanford, founder of the Stanford University of California, regarding the collection of valuable antiques which was recently forwarded to that University, and which he declared were collected from ancient tombs in Egypt on his behalf by the astral body of a spiritualistic medium. According to the latest files of San Francisco newspapers, Dr. Jordan, President of the University, was unable to adopt Mr Stanford's explanation of the manner of obtaining the collection, and despite their great value he has been compelled i to decline the offered gifts. The story surrounding the arrival in Melbourne of these treasures is, remarkable. Mr Stanford is . a

spiritualist. So was his brother, , the late Senator Stanford, of the ., United States, and Mrs Leland Stanford, whose death occurred in eenaational circumstances a few months ago at Honolulu. Shortly after the latter's departure fromj Adelaide about four years ago, Mr Stanford discovered Charles Bailey, at South t-Yarra, a laundryman by occupation in the daytime, and a communer with the inhabitants of the astral world at night. Seances were held, and extraordinary manifestations are alleged to have been seen. Jungle sparrows from India, sitting in their nests and chirruping excitedly, were plumped down upon the circle. Coins of great antiqity and rarity were instantly produced. At one sitting Mr Stanford asked that a live ibis should be brought from Egypt, and it was on the table in ten seconds. Another member asked that Bailey should briDg a fish from the sea. A3 soon as the lights; were turned on those present saw a shovelnosed shark a foot and a half , long entangled in seaweed, from! which salt water wa9 still dripping. The most interesting articles that i arrived, supposedly from Egypt, at a j minute's notice, were rare coins of j the Bactrian dynasty of the Ptole-j mies and of the day of old Rameses. { There were also octagonal clay tables j covered with cuniform inscriptions j which were written in the dawn of , history, and parchments and papyrus ; containing hieroglyphics of the early Egyptians and the Jews.