Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-24
NJDERN MIRACLES.
Rival Proteniers 90 Marvellous Powers. in
Gordon. ard rscir Test.

Eiyni PretenGers 90 Marvellous Powers. in
Lcrdor. ant cscir T'as:s.
There are row three American thauma-
turgists in London-Colorcl Olcott, the
thOosoph, ir1ng Bishop, the thoa@ht-rcld-
or. and >tuar; Cumberland, the mus'lc-rcll-
cr-Wriics Moucurc -. Conway in the san
Francisco CirOHicie. Mr.. Bislop at West
minister Palace Hotel, and Sir. Cumberland
at CLEARING Cross Hotel, are gidring at each
Other. and have made those neighbour
centres q busy lie very lively on success
siyc dlys OF this week. Nr. Bishop
was severely punished in his en-
counter with I.shouyhere. and 81 WIS
thought Lad fulfilled bis announced
intention q going out 10 the IN
dian theo.oIhi,ts. WAC are not skcpdcd
about miracles as are The 10 Gouers. He
bad originally claimed only 10 read pno.
ulc's thoughts oY iholr muscular sIggos-
tiops 81 she same, bu. aitC.W1rd began 10
talk OF his Ios,cs ION oi mysterious
power which he could no. comprehend,
Oy which be could read the nUm5ar o. a
bmi.rote without muscular Guidance.
He Cyacad the only tests which would
have excluded the possibility q cOilI-
sion, and tAat ended bis place IN the pub
iic Interest. Nir Cumberland starts where
Ei-hcD did. ard more tmpal,ic9liy; he
declares That 10 is all humbug - soy
that q man en- tell ano;hcr's abstract
thoughts, or even his concrete thoughts.
except go iar as he Is guided by that Other
consciously or Uucoueoi0usiy. u has been
pretty vel agrCcd auong instructed people
that 4 nan Of fine and careiuy-;raiged pr
ceptiOn can gather from the unconscious
movements 81 q susceptible subject int.ma-
tions ian object Of such subjects fixed nc
tenion. william Wide, brother OF Oscar,
tells me that he can succeed in ninety pr
cent. Ct his experiments OF this kind. and |
have seen a daughter OF the la,e Professor
De Morgan amu>e company in the same
way.
But professionals are subject 10 severe
temptations. II is not true that the people
wish 20 DC deceived, but il is true that they
cannot be excited by any scientific expert
Ucnt In the same way as by a supposed
supernatural event. The scientific men OF
England have for some time been making
efforts TO raise money FOR marine biological
sttiOns. ana have obtained about $50.
The other day General Booth asked sub
sUiptionS for new salvation station. and
in tWeuty-four hours received 10000
=
more people 10 witness a miracle than he
can TO witness u natural curiosity. The
skepjicism Of England has Veryaded the
masses more than they know. and they
aIe hungry for some new revelation OF an
unseen world and future existence. Con-
sequenily English science has to keep It's
tOUCh,toue in good condition. Under that
touchs;onc Sade's pretenSiOnS persisted in
the day that be declined 10 submit bis
"spirits To the test Of having to write
their messages between states locked to-
gdher. sir. Bishops discontinue fol-
lowed when he failed 10 read the number
Of tank-n &c known 70 be beyond the
.bnowlcdee OF any confederate.
Colonel OlcOd's claims are OF much
more pretentious character. He wears q
ring evoked ont OF fl1wcr by Nine. b.
yatshy; he shows an Oriental turban given
him in New York ly The mysterious Ma
hatma QKoot HoomD while he OK. II } was
physically in Thi6et, and he reDorts other
miracles Of equal dimensions as everyday
experiences among tbeOsophis,s. In jan
uary visited Nine. Blayatsky and her dis
ciples at their headquarters near Madras.
| saw no wonders, but ] heard n great
deal about wonders that occurred just
before | came. i saw the cabinet
where they occurred, ald various 90.
iects associated with them. These re-
minded me Of the man who told mar
vellous story, and ended by saying: And
there's the very room where ii occurred TO
prove it," Colonel Olcotps turban and
ring are witnesses OF equal validity, He
has recently met with the Society for Psy-
chical Research, whose members propose
to test Mime. Blayaiskr's powers to have a
letter delivered an London by the astral
(k0ot IloomD on the day that it is posted
10 India. They demand. with sweet sim
plicity, that the said letter should have
the Indian and London post-oiiice marks
oil the same dale stamped on the envelope.
Colonel Olcott prudently said that il could
be done II the right conditions could be
secured.
While in India was told by Mr.. Brough.
ton, administrator-general OF India, that q
letter was published In that country pur-
porting TO be written on the same day by
Mr.. Eglinton, London medium, on the
ship Vega, thousand miles away at sea.
II was also stated that the envelope OF the
letter bad been marked with three Latin
crosses tii y by this Mr.. Broughton's wife,
passenger ON the same ship. Bat when
tdingS returned to India from England IL
turned out that, despite Eglinton's sug-
gestions OF three crosses, Mrs. Broughton
had marked the envelope with a large aste-
risk. Poor Eglinton had no message potent
enough TO carry the tidings 10 Nine. Bia-
yatsky that their little arrangement bad
failed through an equally clever lady's per-
yere objection to crosses. The facts are
not disputed. And yet the "psychleals
are taking the theosophs seriously.
BY the way, no trick claimed for Nine.
Blayatsky Is more marvellous than one 1
saw performed by conjurer 10 Calcutta.
Let me premise that western reporters OF
Oriental iugglery are apt TO oricntalize their
statements remarkably. The mango grow.
ing out os floor or deck Is poor trick;
tho rope-ladder thrown into the air and
staying there for people TO climb up Is
unknown 10 India. as are some other
msryeis. Your readers will be fairly Jus
titled in suspecting similar oriental large
ne,s IN the following: Aman brought out