MEGAPHONE AT SEANCE.

Western Star, 3 December 1935, Page 4

MEGAPHONE AT SEANCE.

WHAT TORCH REVEALED. MEDIUM FINED £6. A man told the Whiteley Bay, Northumberland magistrates that he went to a seance and, flashing an electric to'ch in the darkness, saw the medium with a megaphone to his Ups. John Hope, Whitley road, Wlntoly Bay, was fined £2 on each of thre« summonses alleging that he unlawfully obtained by false pretences 6d from Joseph Gibson Honsby, Alice street, South Shields, on three different occa- | sions with intent to defraud. i Dr Donald Harvey, prosecuting, described Hope as a. bogus spiritualist medium, and said that he had been carrying on in Whiteley Bay what Hope l himself termed “direct voice spiritualist seances.” Mr Harvey submitted that they were actually for the purpose of defrauding people of money. Joseph Gibson Honsby, giving evidence, said he bad been a spiritualist) for 18 veal's. When he first visited! | Hope’s place in Whitley Bay be saw aj notice outside leading, “Christian! Spiritualist Mission.” Accompanied bv friends, he went upstairs on July 20, and following the' example of other people sat at a table 1 and put his bands on the top. A plate was passed round and he contributed 6d. The room was then plunged in! darkness; He also attended seances at Hope’s room on July 22 and 27. On the third occasion the same procedure took place as at the two previous meetings end communications were received from’ voices. During the seance lie flashed an electric torch and saw Hope with a megaphone to liis lips with a Hack cloth draped over it. When the lights wo "o' turned up, Hope said : “I have boom expecting this during the whole of the! proceedings.” The voices heard in the) room had the same accent as that of Hope. In answer to defendant, Honsby! agreed that he received his Gd back fit) the close of the third seance. !

Hope, in the witness box, said hg had been a spiritualist for 36 years. He was unaware that he was holding a megaphone when Honsby switched on. the flash lamp. He must have been in a semi-trance. No charge was made for! admission, and file only money received wag voluntarily contributed