The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-12-24
ASTRAL BODIES ON A SW00P
D.xzY TRAIL FROM CHICAGO By AN
UP-TO-DATE MAHATMi.

UP-TO-DATH MAHdThA.
IL Led to stars and Desert. and Mystic
Places, but the Young Woman's Fol-
lowers Now soorn Her-Chemist's Annly-
els of tho Drug She Gave the Cause OF II.
CHICAGO, Dec 23.-'Thls il the true story OF
the a cline and fall Of the North CLARK street
Bocioty nr Amateur Psychical Research. "
wa composed Of some Of the swels Of ono OF the
richest parts Of the city. II Is composed Of segfa'
ratod mournors, each Of whom glances al the
sthor askance as they pass by The riso oil "
WAS duo 70 an intense and honest desire on inc
mar, Of tho idle mon and women to investigate
Abe unknown. Tho destruction OF II 10 due 10
John H. Smithers, a retired boot and shoe dealer
With an inauisiuyo and grovelling soul But
for smithers the society would now DO in the full
hush Of its beauty and usefulness, and It's own
private Mahatma would have been odding 10 her
bank account II came a bou, In this way
Tho North Clark Street Society for Psychieai
Research was organized with the idea that Psy-
vhism and Theosophy were one and the same thins,
II cared nothing about vulgar spooks. IL wanted
eiamor and mystery and glory. hrented rooms
which wsro fitted up with luxury. 1t acquired
. vast amount Of paraphernalia. hhad iargon
Of ib own. IL met twice week, always her
Shoate hours and II devoted Itself heart and soul
70 the elucdaton OF the secrets that have puzzled
discover that some Of its members began 10 develop
apheard OF powers. Miss Belle Mary Guessaz.
for instance was able TO lay her taper fingers
upon heavy oaken table and cause II 10 rear upon
ats hind legs and prancc. Mrs. Margaret Neazey
HsnAre, under certain influences. went into q
france and talked. for cultivated woman, re-
NArkably bad grammar. Mr. Charles Eugene
Aainnio received messages from departed friends,
many Of whom had owed him money.
Tho most remarkably developed member OF
Ohsm all was Mr.. Joseph p. Hunnaker. retired
banker, IS years old who had habit Of sinking
10 sleep in his velvet upholstered arm chair and
Permitting his astral body TO soar all over the
world and in between tho stars. II was Mt Hun
hsker-and Alr. Hunnaker's experiences
Kept tho society from becoming faintheartcd and
loubuul at times Mr. Hunnaker's belief In his
krango flights was profound and unsuitable.
h n true that his heirs have moro than once NUT
terod something about "dopcs and vaguely
threatened 70 haul him into a lunacy court but
h laughed them 70 scorn. He said that man
kho had an undoubtcd astral body inside OF him
bould afford 10 treat with contempt lowiy scohers
whose tiny souls were wrapped up In dollars
One night, SIX months ago, Mr.. Hunnaker said
shat no was tired Of the table-tilung powers OF
Blister Guessez 81 the ENHANCED bad grammar OF
Blister Henarie aud Of the spook messages Of
though apparently they had not the sense 10 know
It, and man with astral body W hich he could
control at will could have more experiences In q
minute than common Spiritualists in year.
He quoted 10 them the sagest utterances OF Ma
hAtma Koot Hoomi. OF the desert Of Cobb. and
volunteered TO find with his own astral body a
Anhatma able " lead them into the higher lfo
without effort on his part or danger 10 them.
Smithers. the boot and shoe man. did not Join IN
lhs debate but declared that he was willing 70 Y
Tho limit TWAS accordingly resolved that Brother
Hunnaker should start his astral body upon search
Tor suitable MAhatma at his earliest con venience
The expenses, II any were TO be borne by each
male and female momber share and share alike.
II II not now known. and probably never will
bo known lust what the astral body Of Hunnaler
did, nor whore IL went in its effort " and the
propor teacher Hunnaker in the flesh Is unwtl-
Ing 70 talk about H. II Is certain only that at tho
nsxt meeting Of tho North Clark Street Society
Dor Amateur Psychical Research the Mahatnis
sppsared. nwas not an ancient Drowned, dried
up Indian with bent form, long white whiskers
and shaggy eyebrows TWAS young and beau
yiful woman, large as to bust and hips small as
20 waist and erect as 10 figure, with thirty.two
dazzling teeth in her head and voice that rang
Ako bell. She was not clad in the time honored
q pe sae hs es
mA. She Told them that her name was Irene
Dubosc; that she was the daughter Of French
nan who settled in India three centuries ago:
THAT tho North Clark street method Of pursuing
Theosophy and psychicGl research at one aud tho
Same time was all wrong; that there was nothing
in psychicai research, anyhow, and every thing
IN Thoosophy. She taught the gradual develop
pem e ho lower soo OF ANIMAL and
Afo and she announced with posiuveness that
mons ago she had been stork on the banks Of
tho Nile while Hunnaker had been a turtle.
Sois. while Mr.. Gsinne had been a fish, She had
6o recollection In a previous stage Of existence
pf anything which in the Icmo,est degree rcsem
bled Smithers the boot and shoe man, and she did
bot notice the women atnl This caused Smithers
% regard her with suspicion, and the women ,c
look upon her with positive dislike. On the
whole, however, the men welcomed her with en-
uhuaihsm-she was such adepafture from al Vista b.
tshod ideas Of Mahatmas aud in lime the women
learned W endure her.
II Is declared by the members Of the former
podety that there never has been 81 fascinating
talker IN petiicoats and there never will be- again
Susintances She had been hand in glove viii
Amo. Blavatsky, and had sat at the feet of tina
kifted woman only long enough TO aud out tina
Sho Qrepe) had forgotten more than she (lilhy at
sky would ever be able to learn. She had tangled
her lily fingers in the beard OF koot HOomi had
AT the pretensions Of Claude Fails Wright Sh,
was not entirely disinterested and bencyOleu
or her ahss Se Ia s
bearers. and the society numbered thirty mem
bcrs Az she promised to bring them in It'll,
while, however TO a state ia which they wuult
Bach discover their astral bodies and USE them a
will she held her services to DO cheap. Hun
maker. retired banker, thought so, too, and cheer
FULLY Clipped In AN extra twenty dollar note I,
testify TO his appreciation OF her worth, Thi,
sort Of thing continued for several nights o seyera
months and II was noticed by some ot the womer
that upon each occasion Of her redppearhnC,
Aahatma Irene Dubosc wore gown OF even richie
texture and displayed even more diamonds II /.
likely that the lectures at $50 night would hav,
been still in progress mad not the groveing Smith
ors arisen in the very middle oil an impassona I.
sentence and declared that he wanted results
Whereupon Irene invited each member Of III,
society TO her apartments in Ashland Boulevar,
on the following night
. Debating Win himscf nrNt dNr, Smithrrs foun,
himself unable t. explain the undOubted influence
which the woman Possessed over his companion
and In a mildeT d. gree himself She In
remarkably large black and expressive eyes, an'
he tried TO persuade himself thst,iw was hypnOlism
but found there wrrc many things which FORBADE
the acceptance o. that explanation. lie coult
not base II upon the ground ui her feminine per
Hnnality, becluss the women, much thoy dis
liked her at FIRST, had asn come under her dom
tnanCe. she is fraud" said Smithers. ian,
there is no doubt about that. The only way II
which TO detect her Is IL attend her seanCe
row night, watch her carefully catch her in som
Other yOodoO business nd pose hcT To her upcS
Tno thirty members 81 the North Clark Stree
Society for Amateur psycilical Research VIII
entered the apaf tnenlS al MHlhtma Irene lmbos