The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-15
Why should Professor Hyslop Dis
credit Hts Predecessor?

The position Of Professor HYsLop OF CO.
lumbia University becomes more interest
ing as he dsclosos his point of view Some
OF his colleagues Of the faculty are good
naturally humorous in their comments
upon the Professors stupendous undertake
ing, while others manifest irritation Pro-
lessor HYsLnp himself Is calm and frank.
Speaking on Tuesday to reporter Of
THE Sun concerning the efforts of Mr..
HENRY RIDDLE and Mr.. LUTHER II. MARSH
to prove the immortality Of the soul and
the truth Of splrltualism by obtaining per-
sona interviews with SHAKESPEARE, ADAM,
EVE and others illustrlous in the worlds
history, Professor HYsLoP remarked that
his predecessors failed to convince the
world "simply because they failed to re-
duce the thing to scientific basis. Further
more, their so-called facts were not OBJ
tanned, as see it, In a thorough, scientific
way Again, they did not lay their whole
proof before the world, as shall do"
Is Professor HYsLOP 30 unfamiliar with
the literature Of quest which had been
going on for more than half century before
he Interested himself In it Does he not
know that Mr.. RIDDLE, through the abso-
iutely trusted mediumship OF his own
daughter, procured and reported COM
munications not only from SHAKE
sPEARB, sample Of whose posthumous
verse; We printed on Monday, but also
from FRANCIS BACON, WILLIAM the Silent
GEORGE WASHINGTON. CHRIsFoPHER CoLuM-
BUS, MOZART, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, QUEEN
ELIZABETH, Sir ISAAC NEWTON, LAFAYETTE,
RuA Da
LIZ, WILLIAM PENN, NAPOLEON BONA
PARrE, AARON BURR, ALEXANDER HAMIL-
TON, EDGAR A. Poe. JAMES FISK, Jr., MAR
TIN LUTHER JOHN CALVIN, SwEDENBoRa
THEoDonE PARKER, MOSES. PoNT1us Pr
LATE, and WILLIAM N. TwEED3
hioro impressive list Of witnesses 1t Is
difficult to imagine. A channel of COM
munication less subject to suspicion it
would be- hard to conceive. A more re-
spectacle investigator than Mr.. KIDDLE you
could not find; probably even Professor
HYsLoP does not bring to the investigation
higher earnestnoss Of purpose or superior
intelligence and industry.
Moreover, Mr. RIDDLE was assisted
throughout the Inquiry by an eminent
jurist, Judge JOHN W, EpMoNDs, formerly
OF the Supreme Court Of the State of New
York, and later Of tho Court of Appeals.
In this life Judge EDMoNDs himself
was an earnest investigator of the evil
dence OF the truth OF spirituaism, and he
wrote book Of two volumes containing his
conclusions. He died in 1874. In 1879,
when Mr.. kIDDLE engaged in his systematic
inquiry, Judge EDMoNDs came promptly to
his assistance, and throughout the inyesti-
CATION displayed constant interest In the
progress OF the attempt to demonstrate the
immortality OF the soul by proving the truth
OF tho manifestations commonly known
rs spirltualistlr. Fortunate Is Professor
HYsLoP II no has IN his undertaking the
beneft OF such export supervision and as
slstance from beyond the grave!
Under these auspices Mr.. RIDDLE was
able to offer to the scientific world lust
twenty years ago the remarkable series OF
communications which his SUCCESSOR Pro-
lessor HYsLoP, now somewhat contemptu-
ously dIsmlsses rs "so-called facts" Mr..
kIDDLE and thousands OF others believed
that the internal evidence of genuineness
waS complete. Here, for example, is an
other poem by WILLIAM SHAKRspEARR.
written in response to request for in
formation III regard to the rcincarnation
OF spirits
"Rein'Arnaton. my kind hearers. you will never
lind.
But IN the line OF fsrvency OF mind
For its treasures OF earth
Are OF heavenly BIRTH
Aud unless you reprsss the longings OF flesh
The pleasures Of heaven will hoH not 10 the brsast
hui within tho depths OF the basin Of rest
louwIll hnd yourselrkep by hand Of dissensiop.
which perhHpa' you may call In your hsArt'G best
Intention,
Hedr'rahsH, but not incarnation"
GEORGE WASHINGTON cont ributed this sim
guar confession and profession OF humility,
uLoH'E "'sHIS"ros is but hy-spoeL to hu.
hAn''ys progress. and must forget that was ever
more than ANornl uf the dust sent by my Mal.r 10,
soh'e good purpose, did not wholly 10 astray.
Duh odop! Twas very nearly lost to heaven y door