CRIME AND TELEPATHY.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVIII, Issue XXIV, 12 June 1897, Page 747

CRIME AND TELEPATHY.

Here is an interview had by a London reporter with Miss Maud Lancaster, a telepathist who is just now greatly exciting Great Biitain by her exhibitions of seemingly marvellous powers. * 1 am not attached to any foice,’ said Miss Lancaster, * and have certainly not done any work for Scotland Yard, as a London evening paper recently reported. I might begin by telling yon of an experience I had in New York. Walking down Broadway one day with a detective of Inspector Byrnes’ force, I started as a man passed us, and exclaimed, “ That man has committed a murder!” The detective laughed, but when I pointed out the man I meant he grew suddenly serious and told me that the person who had caused me to make the exclamation had indeed killed a man, but bad got off with a short term of imprisonment. * That was wondeiful, wasn’t it? And if you won’t put the names in your paper I will tell you of a curious experience last year in London. * I was sent for suddenly one evening by a lady who had lost her jewels. She suspected her maid, but, after passing in review all the servants of the house, I was convinced that the thief was not among them. ‘ Why ? Because—well, I will tell you something that will help you understand it. A hall fnll of people thinking of a mimic crime (as in my entertainments) do not give off as much magnetism as a single really guilty person, and it is by magnetism that my work is done. I went up to the lady’s boudoir, and I told her the drawer from which the jewels had been taken. She acknowledged I was correct; and then we went down into the drawing room, and I felt 1 was on the tight track more and more, till we reached the apartment where a man was standing. ‘ Instantly I was convinced he was the thief ; and, full of triumph, 1 was about to call the lady aside to tell her that the culprit was at hand, when she said : * “ Let me introduce my husband.” ‘ Pleasant, wasn’t it ? However, I broke it to her gently when we were out of the room, and, of course, was finely abused for my pains. But about a fortnight afterward my client wrote to me and said that her hnsband had owned up to taking the jewels, so my instinct was again justified.’ ‘Tell me, Miss Lancaster, if the pestle with which the recent railway murder was done was put into your hands, do you assert that would help you find the murderer?'

* No,' replied Miss Lancaster, ‘ that is not my work at all. That would be clairvoyance, which is quite a different matter. But I will tell you whit I could do. Had I been travelling by that train, and the murderer had passed the window after the crime, I would have got out and given him in charge. I would know in a minnte that he had committed a crime. He would appear to me as if enveloped in a red mist.' • Supposing now, Miss Lancaster, that you were taken to the compartment in which the murder was committed, could yon track the man in that case?’ ' That depends. If it was the same night, or even the next morning, it would be easy. Bub when other people have passed and repassed above the scene of the crime, the magnetism left by the murderer is disturbed and obliterated by their magnetism. I should like to have tried my hand at that murder,’ added Miss Lancaster, in a regretful tone, ‘ but it is too late now.’