The Washington times., 1904-05-08
The Rev Isaac Funk, D. D., Methodist
Clergyman and Distinguished Editor,
Sponsor for Amazing Story.
Ghostly Help, Laboriously Examined and
Abundantly Proven, Battles Some Well
Known Psychologists.

who had ever had any immediate ac-
quaintance with Mr.. Beecher:
g have in my pocket letter from
Rev. DR.. Hills, Mr.. Beechers success
sor. Is that what you meanT
THE answer was:
=" No; am told by a spirit present,
John Rakestraw. that Mr.. Beecher, who
is not present, is concerned about an
ancient coin. The Widows Mite This
coin is out OF its place, and should be
returned. 1t has long been away. and
Mr.. Beecher wishes 1t returned, and he
looks to you, doctor, to return it..
Not a Guilty Conscience.
Il was considerably surprised. and
asked:
What do you mean by saying that
he looks TO me to return It? have no
coin OF Mr.. Beecher'si"
don't know anything about 1t, ex-
cept that l am told that this coin is cut
Of its place, and has been for a num-
Der OF years. and that Mr.. Beecher says
you can find II and can return II.
Il remembered then that when we
were making The Standard Diction-
ary,' some nine years before, l had
borrowed from a gentleman in Brook
lyn-a close friend of Mr.. Beecher.
who died several years ago-a valuable
ancient coin known as The Widows
Mite He told me that this coin was
worth some hundreds of dollars, and
unoer promise that 1 would see that
IL was returned to the collection where
ii belonged. he would loan il to me
Although a member of DR.. Richard S.
StoSrs church, this gentleman re-
manned a conspicuous friend of Mr.
Eeecher all through the famous trial
which so severely tested the loyalty of
many OF Mr.. Beecher's friends.
Thought 1t Had Been Returned.
II said 10 the control:
Z" The only Widows Mite" that has
ever been in my charge was one that
borrowed some years ago from a gentle
man in Brooklyn; this I promptly re-
l turned To which the control replied:
This one has not been returned
! And then, after a moments silence
he said:
Do you know whether there is a
large iron safe in Plymouth church,
II answered: I do not
He said: am impressed that this
coin is in a large iron safe; that It has
been lost sight oSf 1t is in a drawer in
! this safe. under a lot OF papers, and
that you can find IL. and Mr.. Beecher
| wishes you to find it.
II said: DO you meat that this safe
is in Plymouth Church,?
an Large Iron Safe"
HE said: I don't know where Il is.
I am simply impressed that II is in a
large iron safe. IN a drawer. under a
lot of papers. and has been lost sight of
for years. and that you can md it; and
Mr.. Beecher wishes you to find it. That
is all 1 can tell you.
With that the incident apparently
ended. But the next day. in his Of
fee. DR.. Funk. much puzzled, consulted
with his associates, learned from his
cashier that a coin said to be an original
Widows Mite had been used in the
preparation of the dictionary. and was
told that it had been returned to its
owner.
Found Coin as Directed.
Il told him TO go to the large iron
safe continues Dr. Funk, 1--WE have two
safes in the cashiers Office and have
his assistants help him see whether that
coin was anywhere in the safe. In about
twenty minutes one OF his assistants
came into the Office and handed me an
envelope in which were two Widow $
Mites The envelope had been found
in a little drawer IN the large iron
safe under a lot Of papers, where II
had lain forgotten for q number OF
years"
The narrative in DR.. Funk's words
continues through many pages. Every
detail Of the event Is examined under
. an
establish that the moon is made Of
green cheese are offered to prove every
link in the chain. The result Is that
narrative given above as abundantly
sustained by trustworthy testimony.
A Choice of Explanations.
These possible explanations are Of
cred:
/ Fraud.
2 Coincidence.
g. Telepathy and clairvoyance. cover
ing hypnosis, trance. subliminal person
atty, etc.
l. Spirit communication.
NO explanation explains" notes the
author, that does not cover in a rea-
sonable way all OF the facts involved
On this showing the case was sub
mitted 10 the widest study II received
an exhaustive examination from the So
ciety Of Psychical Research. Forty-two
eminent students went over the facts
carefully. And the result of 1t all is
merely this-'We DO not know"
One Of the Fox Sisters.
The book develops, among other per
} sonal facts. that DR.. Funk began his in
vestigation many years ago. I'm the
year 1s7S.'' he says. Il determined 10
make a serious investigation OF spirit
ualism, having dabbled before somewhat
in the waters. ! quietly found the ad-
dress OF Mrs. Margaret Fox Kane, one
Of the celebrated Fox sisters with whom
the phenomena OF Spiritualism are said
TO have started in 1913. I went 10 her
home wholly lnannounced, nor is there
any likelihood that she had in any way
heard OF me
Mrs Kane lived in a poor neighbour
hood in New York, on the second floor.
and, as ] afterward discovered, she was
very poor financially and unfortunately
had become addicted 10 strong drink.
IL is a fact 10 be noted that a number
OF the earlier mediums fell victims 10
evil habits-a fact that told, rightly or
wrongly, against the cause OF Spiritual
ism.