New-York tribune., 1904-09-17


Lodge 12mo pp. 1s7 Scott-Thaw Company
In his preface to this volume on the expert
Ynepts made with Mrs. Piper under the super
vision Of the Society for Psychical Research
Sir oliver Lodge. the president OF the society,"
explains that Il had been the intention OF Ihe
council to have such an account prepared ny
one Of its own members, but that. NJ sage
book seeming admirably to fill the need' they
have adopted IT, with certain notifications. ana
issued Il under their auspices. although us
claiming any sanction of his personal comments
deductions or criticisms. The volume gives
complete history Of Mrs Piper's mediumshlp'
both before and after she came under the eA-
elusive control Of the society, and apparently
has suffered little by the editing II mas re-
ceiyed at the hands Of the council. Mrs. Piper
as is well known, has for many years given her
services exclusively TO the Society for Psychlcai
Research and the seances have been held under
conditions which are convincingly prohioitory
of fraud or collusion DR.. Richard Hodgsoh
and Professor Hyslop, of Columbia University
whatever any one may think Of the conclusions
at which they have arrived, have carried on
their work in the spirit of the truest scientlhc
investigation.
Mrs. Piper undoubtedly goes into trance ana
while I'm that state apparently speaks anu
writes under the influence of ore or more con-
trolls" who represent themselves as the splrl'S
of persons formerly dwelling on this earth- Inc
lady is so evidently ASSOCIATED from her own
personality that she is able to write with her
right hand replies to questions addressed 10 one
..ao,.ro,, while answering orally queries ad-
dressed 20 another Various theories nave Oee',
n,t forth to account for her manifestations and
:. q =. o,,,;ops circumstance that DR.. Hodgson
and Professor ayslop who have had the most
extended and favorable opportunities Of expert
rnenting with her both incline TO the theory OF
sn,ritualisu a conclusion to which NJ. Sage
likewise Yields In spite of the fact which ne re-
cords with much minuteness of detail that on
the three actual test cases. where the aIlegeo
"snirI,s" could have proved their case without
a neradventure of a doubt. they miserably
failed
Every other experiment, however remarkable
Is explainable even II not explained, by some
other theory, telepathy, thought transferrence or
some force not necessarily external TO human
experience Every revelation made, however
obscure or remote, when correct must at least
have been known at some time by some person
then living. The failures were only in the cases
where deceased persons left behind them records
OF which they only knew the contents, yet when
ostensibIy in control of Mrs. Piper they were
unable to give the faintest clew to what they
had written when on the earth. Yet the medium
was able to give supposedly from the same
Spirits" other information OF a most intimate.
II inconsequential nature in regard to their life
when on earth.
It is an interesting story. not only in its de-
tails, but in what It shows OF the effect Of the
manifestations on observers. It is safe 70 say
that IN spite Of the conversion OF NIessrs. Hodg-
son. Hyslop and Sage. the source Of Mrs.
Pipers information about unimportant happen
ings in the life Of people both living and dead is
still an open question oddly enough. she her
self seems to think that some form Of tele-
pathy is responsible for what she accomplishes.