The evening times., 1899-06-08
TO PROVE THAT LIFE
EXISTS BEYOND Death
Investigations Of a Professor
of Columbia University.
James II. Hyslop Proposes to Dem
Onstrate Great Matters.
ing in the Line of Psychical
Research.

ton of the fact that life continues beyond
the grave is the object of the exhaustive
Investigations now being made in this city
by James H. Hyslop, professor CT logic an(
mental science in Columbia University.
Prof Hyslop declares that as scientific
man he had long ago accepted the mate
raiistic view, but for fifteen years had Ia
bored tirelessiy in the line of psychical
research. He has established many i'm
portant facts to his own satisfaction, but
is unwilling to state his conclusions in de-
! tail until he has finished his report, which
he hopes to make scientifically convinc-
| ing.
While unwilling to anticipate the seen
tifc features of his report, Prof Hys op
is willing TO stand by the general state
ment that he has found scientific proof of
the Immortality of the soul, or, at Last.
its continued life after the death of the
body.
He does not like TO say that he is cen
WINGED he has held communication with
| his dead father. because he modestly con-
| cludes that his own belief is not conyinc-
! ing to the public. but he says that the out
| come of the work of the Society for Psy-
chical Research will be such wave OF
excitement as the world has never seen be-
fore.
In recent years, he says, faith has
wahed, and many persons have abandoned
their ancient belief in spiritual things
They have demanded proof that there IS
another world. but when they hnd that
proof is furnished they will run mad like
wild animals in the turning of the tide
from mdterialiSm.
Prof Hyslop says that while he has IN
vestigated hundreds of other cases, he
finds that Mrs. Piper offers the best OPP
portunity for communication with The
dead, for the purpose of scientific res6 arch.
because the society has been able TO con-
troll her demonstrations for the last fiteen
years They have had contract with her.
so that they have been able TO get great
mass OF evidence.
Mrs Piper is a normal woman, who de-
votes her life TO the care of home and TO
the usual pursuits of an average woman.
The society has taken the greatest precau-
tions to prove her sincerity, and has even
employed detectives 10 see that she did not
have outside agents who furnished her
with information. The record of every
sitting for years has been kept TO the most
minute particular, every word uttered IN
her room being stcnographically reported.
The bearing of one statement uron another
has been compared. with the result that
Prof. Hyslop is compelled TO choose one OF
/ two decisions-that she has an infinite
mind or that she is controlled by the minds
of the dead
Prof. Hyslop took the precaution at his
first sittings with Mrs. Piper to wear i
mask entirely covering his face, and 10
hide his identity in every possible way.
When speaking to her he said very little,
and that in disguised voice. She told
his name at the end of the second sitting
and his fathers name at the end of tRe
fourth. although she had previously iden-
titled his father by unmistakable in
stances.
Mr. Hyslop's father has been dead about
three years. Before he died he had a con-
versation with his son on the SwedenboT-
gian belief. and al another time a talk on
the part telepathy played in the manifes-
tatiOns of mediums.
In one Of her sittings Mrs. Piper wrote
a statement from her control oil paper
pad, telling the Professor he would have
TO disregard both the Swedenborgian and
telepathy ideas. This is taken TO show
that his father had thought over the mat
ter and connected these two conversations,
or that the mind of Mrs. Piper was inf
mite.
olently made suggestions regarding his
Investigations and has really assisted him
in them. AS far as he can judge. he is
able TO convey them to the mediumistic
CONTROL which in this case he assumes to
be his fathers spirit only, assent and dis
sent-thst is to say, the control is able 10
know whether communications made are
proved or denied.
Prof Hyslop finds that there is also a
ion fraD n n
other; in other words. things that are left
in confusion at one sitting are cleared up
at the next. The ssyerest test, and the
cne which eliminates the hypothesis of te-
lepathy is the receiving of statements
which those present cannot verify. but
which are afterward verified by informa-
ton received from distant States. He has
already on hand lot Of information await
ing verification of this nature, but is very
sauguine that no mistakes will be found |
Prof Hyslcp has recently investigated
thousands of cases in New York which
were of no scientific value. In fact. he
characterizes them as simple frauds. He
says that slate writing, as it is usually |
practiced. is one of the easiest tricks i'm
aGinab!e. and he is convinced that he can |
make more money at slate writing than il |
would ever be possible to make as 4 teach |
er.
He says that the development of scien- |
tiic facts in this line is certain to result |
in deception by the wholesale. Persons |
will be hood winked and robbed by. fraud |,
mediums and all sorts of iniqutous de- |
vices. and he fears that they will learn |
better only after a very bitter experience. |
He was tempted to suggest that no midi |
ums be allowed TO practice except after |
securing 4 license from a board of scien- |
tific men, the best that could be secured, |
to decide upon the genuineness OF the |
practitioner.
He also thinks scientific men interested |
In this subject should be united in So |
ciety with strength or funds enough to en-
able them to push forward their investiga-
tion in q thoroughly scientific manner This
would relieve in some measure the danger
the public would be likely to experience
from the exposition of the startling facts
now promised.
While not fearing publicity. the profess
Or maintained that he was not yet through
with his experiments. He will remain in
Boston until Friday to hold personal sit
tings with Mrs. Piper and to carry on in
in other directions. He
thought il might be yer before ne could
complete report which he would be sat
SIZED could not be broken down.
Beet Sugar Bounty I'm Michigan.
Lansing, Mich. June Sin special
message to the legislature Governor Pin
Sl.- hat ha |