The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-04
DR.. FUNK AND WIDOWS MITE.
STRENUOUS EFFORTS or TIE
DOCTOR TO INVESTIGATE.


--A-------.
Full Power Of the Psychicai Research So
ciefy Empleyed-Mrs. Piper Gees 70
Boston, where Conditions Are More
Favorable for Spirit Communication.
Since the spirit of Henry Ward Beecher,
speaking through the spirit Of John Rake
straw, requested the Rev. DR.. I. X. Funk,
the well-known publisher and Prohibi-
ZIONIST, TO return to the heirs Of the late
Prof. Charles e. West the old Jewish coin
known as a widows mite which he bor-
rowed nom Prof West In 1898 In order TO
make cut OF It for the Standard Diction-
ary DR.. Funk has not only sought some
explanation Of the affair from practical
men of science and business. but has also
consulted number Of Spiritualists on the
subject. While he has asked the men Of
science and business whether they think he
is the victim OF fraud or not. he has been
asking the Spiritualists why Prof. Charles
F. West didn't speak for himself instead
of getting his friend Henry Ward Beecher
TO attend TO the matter. and why, when
Mr.. Deecher undertook the job of getting
the coin back from DR.. Funk, he used the
spirit OF 90 humble . person Is John Rake
straw. instead Of speaking up In meeting
himself. In explanation one well-known
medium said TO Mr.. Funk,
1T takes time In the spirit world for Q
spirit TO perfect himself In the art Of getting
in communication with this world. Prof.
West died only about two years ago, and
il would be very remarkable II he was able
at so early date to communicate with his
friends on earth. Even Mr.. Beecher. who
died in the sos. might have difficulty,
under the most favorable circumstances,
of getting into communication with whom
soever he wanted to.
Doubtless Prof. West spoke about the
matter to Mr., Beecher. knowing that he
was q great friend Of DR.. Funk in life, and
asked him to get word to him about the
coin. Mr. Beecher's spirit might not know
just where to get hold of DR.. Funk, and
fbs sa sssd who sSod .sY
knowing that DR.. Funk would be at a sesnce
which ne was going to attend offered his
services to Mr.. Beecher's. spirit They
do things In the spirit world much a. they
do in this world, end Rakestraw's part In
this matter Is quite easy to understand
DR.. Funk has been advised'by the Psy-
chical Research Society. Just what means
they are using TO find out whether the COM
munication about the coin really came
known medium Of tho Psyo6ioal Research
Society, Ia at present trying nightly to get
into communication with the spirit of Mr.
Beeoher to ask him about the matter. Moth
Reso Irs Mn eStireiy SATISFY Dr. Funk that
the matter of the coin was q straight out
and-out communication from the spiritual
world, although II MrB. Piper cannot reach
Mr.. Beecher she 10 TO make try at Rake
on the matter. The atmosphere there Is
said TO be especially favorable to spirit
communication.
Although there arc some soeptics who
see an explanation Of DIR. Funk's expert
Enlistment, q man named Rooney. intro
d,iced him into the seanoe whore Mr..
Beecher's spirit friend, Rakcetraw, adj
dressed him on the subject Of the widows
mite: Ds Funk y s. ,as e. that MI; Rcney
straw locating that long-forgotten coin in
the drawer Of his safe.
1t appesrs now that Roney not only told
DR.. Funk about the aged widow medium,
occasion Of the message from Mr.. Bsecher
land has been thers With him einoe. But
DR.. Funk says that Roney couldn't have
known anything about the coins IN the
safe, a. he never saw the inside Of the safe,
Raymond. who ~ supposed TO know every
slip Of paper in the safe, didn't know any
thing about the coins being there. Mr..
Roney has made an afhdavit That he b not
tn .S 5 Sur rn q 'p sSs
Funk 10 satisfied that he u not
DR.. Funk told yesterday Of another feat
ure Of his experience with the spirit. Of
Rakestraw. 1t seems that he went back .
ton Of Rakestraw. He wanted Rake
straw to name the friend Of Mr.. Beecher
who was so anxious about the coin. Neither
the spirit nor the medium had been able
up to that time to g give the +, name 9 Of the
the coin, DR.. Funk knew he borrowed 1t |
from Prof. West. but he wasn't letting on |
what he knew.
On this third vist he told George Carroll,
tn, the c ont spirit, to tell sa to iGsr
Mr.. Beecher's friend from whom he had |
borrowed the coin. Rakestraw couldn't |
name the man. but the medium, who was |,
in trance. announced that Rakestraw |
and kept pointing to It whenever she de- /!
mapded the name Of the owner Of the coin. |
Now, George said DR. Funk to George !
Carroll, the control spirit. who was talking |
through the medium. where IL this schoolf'
-Wheresbouts In Brookiynf' demanded |
.on the Heights eaid George Carroll.
1t Is a young women's school. That's all |
can get out Of Rakestraw;
women's school on the Heights In Brooklyn. |
DIR. Funk thinks this Is Just a. remarkable |
a feat as the one where Rakestraw identified |
Prof. Vests coin by its dark color when |
DR.. Funk thought that the >hght-colorcd |
widows mite In his possession was the one |
he had borrowed from Prof. West.
DR.. Funk repeated yesterday his assertion /
that he Is no believer In Spintualism. but is
merely an investigator. What be wants /
Is an explanation OF this coin incident, and |
he doesn't care whether II comes from the ,
Psychical Research Society or from some
private dividual.
DINNER TO AN EXPLORER.