The sun., 1902-03-09
SURE THAT THERE ARE GHOSTS
THE REV. DIR. SAVAGE GIVES THE
GROUNDS OF HIS BELIEF.

Examples OF Apparent Spirit writing and
other Communications From the Other
world which Have Come Within His
Experience some Tests OF Mediums.
In an interesting article on Results OF
Psychical Research which appeared IN
she March number OF Ainsiee's Magazine,
the Rev. Minot j. Savage, ID. d. says that
he is perfectly certain that such things
as ghosts exist. but he is not ready TO
explain their origin or nature.
DIR. Savage gives several examples OF
spirit writings and communications from
the dead. He offers them as typical cases
classed as mental phenomena and says
that his purpose in making them public
il 90 place the intelligent reader in such a
position that he may be be able TO make
up his mind as TO what theory seems best
fitted 20 account for the facts The author
explains that he deals with occurrences
with which he is personally familiar
The first example given, DR.. Savage says,
occurred here In the immediate vicinity of
New York. young man who had been
studying abroad and WAS OF anything but
an imaginative temperament. had returned
home apparently in perfect health and
II was his habit after dinner to go out
on the piazza and walk up and down smok-
ing his pipe. One evening he came in
quietly and without talking 10 anybody
went 20 bed. The next morning he said
TO his mother:
Mother. have something very sad TO
tell you You must be strong and brace
yourself 10 bear II. am going IN die very
soon"
When asked for an explanation he said:
Last night when | was walking up and
down on the piazza. smoking, a spirit APP
peared and walked up and down by my
side. have received my call and am going
to die"
The mother, OF course seriously troubled,
sent for a doctor and told him the story.
He made a careful investigation, found
nothing the matter with her son and treated
the whole thing az a bad dream or n hallu-
cination.
The next morning the young man did not
seem quite so well, but the doctor said
there was nothing the matter and tried TO
laugh the family out Of their fears. The
third morning the young man appeared TO
BE- still worse and the doctor was again
summoned.
Then he discovered a case Of appendicitis.
The young man was operated on and died
in a couple OF days. From the time Of the
vision until his death not more than five
days had gone by.
Some time after this experience the
mother visited a psychic here in New York.
She made no previous appointment, but
went as a perfect stranger and awaited
her turn.
The sons spirit seemed 10 be present
AT once and told the mother a series OF
very remarkable things which, by no pos
sibility, could the psychic ever have known.
Then in answer TO the question; who
was II that you saw that night?' the ques-
ton being purposely framed so as not TO
appear 10 refer TO anybody out Of the body,
he said that il was his father. The father
had been dead some years.
DIR. Savage says that his daughter made
an appointment with Mrs. Piper under an
assumed name and went 10 her utterly
unknown. friend had given her three
locks of hair. She knew nothing about
them, not even so much as whether they
had been cut from the heads Of people
living or dead
After Mrs. Piper had gone into a trance
the locks Of hair were placed in her hand
one at time. She told all about them,
gave the names OF the persons TO whom
they belonged and the name of the person
who had given them 10 her, told whose
heads they were from, whether the persons
were living or dead and in regard 10 one
of them, asked why they had cut of the
extreme ends of the hair, where II was
lifeless, instead of nearer the head. The
daughter made notes Of what Mrs. Piper
said and later found that she had been
accurate in every particular.
Another case which DIR. Savage gives
is that of friend, the daughter of a New
England clergyman, whose husband in
later years was also minister When
she was a young woman the mediumistic
mower would take possession of her, some
times against her will. She never sat for
nav. but sometimes would oblige a friend
who desired 20 witness experiences of this
sort.
One day a German, evidentlya gentle
man, whom she did not know, came and
begged for a sitting. She consented and
among other things, began 10 jabber sounds
which 70 her were without meaning.
When the influence had left her she was
going to apologize by explaining that she
had seemed forced 70 utter these sounds
and was not able TO control herself. The
German told her not 10 apologize or explain.
He said that she had rendered him All
incalculable service. He assured her that
she had been speaking in German and that
his father had been talking to him.
Then he went on 10 explain that hir father
had died suddenly, leaving his business
affairs 50 entangled that they were utterly
unable TO straighten them out. He needed
certain information he said. which he had
no way of obtaining This, he said, his
father had given 20 him through her and
the matter was perfectly plain.
DR.. Savage tells Of Boston clergyman
who was very active in charitable work.
AT his death his parishioners We're scattered.
The widow of the colleague OF the clergy
man was the medium in this case, though
she had never seen medium in her life.
She had nothing 70 do with ordinary Spirit
ualisnl. did not believe in ii and vas, IN fact,
opposed 20 II.
The deceased clergyman talked 20 his col
leagues widow and made her the agent In
charitable undertakings. She would re-
ceive orders to go into town 10 certain
street and number and would be told that
there she would find persons to whom she
should minister.
Cases like this occurred frequently. She
would follow these directions, knowing
nothing of the case except that which had
thus been told 20 her. and she said that
mistake was never made
She always found the person and the con-
dition as they had been described 10 her.
ll..gN 81 h.a