The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-15
CLA|RVOYANCE
OR ELEPAIHY
Psychological World Agog
Over New Discovery.
BEECHER'S ASTRAL BODY
Said to Have Been Seen by
Reputable Persons.

l.
the report of Or. Isaac K Funk and tic
at5dayits of witnesses. Dr. Richard
HodEson, American head Of the Society
for Physical Research, said yesterday,
that he was not prepared to eliminate
the possibility of fraud from the alleged
revelations of the spirit Of Henry Ward
Beecher. by means Of which Dr. Funk
found the long forgotten widows mite
in his safe.
The deductions of DR.. Hodgson are Of
especial interest. as he is q recognized
authority in physical matters. and with
Frederick W. II. Meyers has just COM
pleted a book entitled. Human Personal
ity and Its Survival of Bodily Death"
DR.. Funk yesterday not only related his
conversation with DR.. Beecher, but sal
he had also talked with the spirit Of the
Rev. Dr. George II. HepwOrth. who urg-
ed him TO aid certain spirits in their con-
certed effort to communicate with living
men. Dr. Funk and DR.. Hepworth were
friends for twenty-five years. and they
had made studies Of spirituaiism in COM
mon
SO impressed is DR.. Funk by the COM
munications that he has made arrange
realm of spirits. He and Professor John
H Hyslop, of the Department Of Psy-
coIogy in Columbia University. haG a con
ference yesterday at the st. Denis, in
which they planned further Investigations
of the message about the ancient coin
which was owned by the late Professor
Charles E. West.
DR. Funk said that a few days ago
there appeared TO him the alleged astral
body of Henry Ward Beecher. and the
spirit told him that they Of the world
beyond were uniting in an effort TO COM
uunicate with their friends on the earth
side" and that they solicited earnest CO.
operation here.
DIR. Funk said that elaborate expert
ments with various mediums would there
fore be undertaken for the purpose OF
demonstrating whether spirits could be
nhaterialized under test conditions.
; Light on the communications from Dr.
Beecher and from Professor West was
shed yesterday by Joseph z. Jackson.
q student Of spiritualism. who said shat
for the last year the two spirits who were
friends on earth. have been heard in
Brooklyn seances asking that communi-
cation be opened with the world.
Professor West, who died f7out Two
years ago. was well known collector Of
ancient famous Widows Mite" cop
per lepton Of Palestine. intrinsically
worth a mill, but which is now valued
at $500 The coin was borrowed from
Professor West for use in illustrating
a dictionary Of DR.. Funk, who believed
that il had been returned
~ II
ed in Brooklyn he reports to DR.. Hodg
con he was informed by the spirit of
''Rakest<aw' that Mr.. Beecher, speaking
for Professor West. said that DR.. Funk
had the Widows Mite" BY a series OF
questions it was learned that the coin
was in a safe in the Office of the pub
Usher. The coin was found. as the al
legged spirit Of Beecher described.
The spirit had even differentiated be-
tween two similar coins. telling DR.. Funk
to send the darker colored one.
In Analysing and stating his conclu
sions in regard TO the coin case, DR..
Hodsson said yesterday;
II have Just received from DR.. Funk
an extended report of his experience, to-
gether with sworn afidavitts from wit
nesses in the case. There are four 50
buttons following four different hypothe
ses in regard to the case. These hypothe-
ses are fraud information derived from
telepa thical sources, clairvOyance and in
formation from incarnate spirits.
The public will be inclined to accept
the first hypothesis of fraud and will
have grounds for il. DR.. Funk denies
the supposition of fraud on the part Of
medium His belief in the genuineneSs
OF the case. however. does not eliminate
the possibility OF fraud and leaves US
that solution.
Professor West may have told many
friends during his life that the coin was
not returned. From people who knew
that the cein had not been returned the
medium might have received her infor-
nation and adroitly planned the whole
case. / do rot say that this was done.
but I am simply stating the possibii-
ties.
The medium knowing the coin was
not returned. might naturally conclude
that such a valuable article would 90
kent in a safe. II is common knowledge
that Professor West was an intimate
friend of Mr. Bescher. as he defended -re
preacher during all his troubles Il would
be q natural artifice OF the medium 10
put greater prominence 20 her disclosures
by saying they came through the great
preacher rather than through West Mr.
West is less known. and besides. greater
mystery Is produced by not revealing him
in the spirit OF communications
Now, for the test Of the black and
white coins. When DR.. Funk asked which
of the coins was genuine and which VAS
net. the form Of the question gave the
interference that there were two. II M
turally IS easy 10 deduct that a coin sew
real centuries old would be the black one.
The second hypothesis. telepath'c
of information. suppcsss that the case
IS genuine On the part Of the medium
Suppose that West did not tell anybody
about the lending OF the coin and its noa-
return His family and his friends IN
te-esteG in the ooins would know that
the coin was not in the collection and not
among Vests property. From the peo-
pie having this information the medium
through her secondary personality. he-
s-bliulinal consciousness might draw IS
information. Her secondary personality
might have guessed that the coin would
be in the safe
Or Funks brother said that he had
returned the coin This shows that his
conscious memory made mistake On
his secondary. sublininal memory. how
ever. was a record OF facts. The cashier
said that he had received the coin from
Or. Funk's brother and had returned II
20 West. His conscious memory was also
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