The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-18
West 7benty-third Street.


ness appears to be In tho hand. and the sitter
must talk to the hand to be understood
| The writing produced Is very different from
Mrs Piper's ordinary writing; 1t shows indi-
| vidual differences, but belonging to the sam
generic type on the whole. with different al
| legged communications. and does not resemble
| the writing OF those persons when living any
more than it does Mrs. Piper's Other indirect
communications frequently purrort to be pres
| ent at sittings. and the consciousness OF tho
hand listens to them with the hand. as though
they were close by as 1t listens to the sitters.
presenting the palm OF the hand, held in
| slightly different positions for the purpose by
different direct communicators.' so as to
! bring usually the region OF the junction be-
tween the little finger and the palm toward
the mouth Of the eitter. Often there seems to
be confusion between direct and indirect
communicators,' but there never seems
to be confusion between the person.
ality using the hand and the person.
ality using the voice. There are usually
marked indications. toward he end OF sitting.
OF increasing weakness on the part OF a con-
trolling consciousness. and It ceases to man
ifest withdrawing apparently from any gov
ernance OF Mrs. Piper's organism. and leaving
1t In what appears to be much the same state
as Immediately after what seemed to be the
complete disappearance when she was passing
inert and lifeless for a short time. and then
Mrs. Pper's consciousness appears in the re-
verse order OF Its disappearance. But in pass
Ing ont OF trance the stages are usually OF
longer duration than when she enters 1t. She
frequently repeats staten nts apparently made
to her by the 'communicators' while she Is In
the purely subiminal stage. as though she was
a spirit controlling her body but not In full
possession OF 1t. and after her supraliminal
consciousness has begun to surRe up into view.
she frequently has visions apparently Of the
distant or departing 'communicators.
In connection with the idea that two differ
ent personalities control the right hand and
the voice at the same time. Dr. Hodgson has
the theory that the left hand might be con-
trolled by still another personality. His ex-
perlments along this limo have been only
partially successful. and he believes this 10 due
partly TO the fact that tho left hand does not
make good writing machine.
Mrs. Piper has been giving sittings most
OF the time for about fifteen years In 1899
she underwent surgical operation for the
removal OF a traumatc tumor, thereby getting
rid OF continual course OF ill-health which
had troubled her for many years. and which
had interfered much with her slttinRS
In 1895 she underwent another operation, as a |
result OF which her general health was greatly
improved. During the period OF her convales-
cence she gave up sittngs for several months,
but resumed them again in Octotsr OF 1898 |
Almost simultaneously with this resumption
Mrs. Piper ceased almost entirely + use her |
voice In sittinEs, the communicates t,nce that |
time being confined for the most palS to writ |
ing, This Improvement In physical hsalth has |
been attended by other marked changes in |
t hrs, sd rlpsrs methods i at sittinss stead Of
was apt 10 show in earlier years she now !
passes into frances calmly and esaiy and |
OF dislike and shrinking when she vas losing |
consciousness she now seems to rejoice at her |