The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-05-29
PSYCHOLOGY AROUSlNG
SCIENTIFIC INTEREST
(From the Springfield Republican.)

(From the Springfield Republican,
DR. Isaac K. Funk of the Funk &
wagnalls publishing house has brought
out a book containing his recent ex-
periences in the line of psychic pheno-
mena. It's particular feature is the
case of tfthe widows mite" which DR..
Funk made public about year ago.
and which was noticed in these coll
umns at the time. He afterward
submitted a description of his expert
ence to a number of distinguished psy-
biologists in the United States and
Europe with questions as to an ex-
PLANTATION, and the answers add much
to the interest that properly may be
felt in the case.
DR. Funk's story in brief is this:
Early in 1908 he was asked TO attend
sitting given by a Spiritualist
medium. widow of IS years, near his
home in Brooklyn. The woman never
took money for her services, but con-
Quoted seances as "a weekly prayer.
meeting of. the fanily. living and
dead During the trance on the
evening in question the medium was,
or professed to be, in control by the
spirit of George Carroll, former
friend of the woman. Through the
medium the masculine voice Of George.
asked iii any one present had anything
that belonged to Henry Ward Beecher.
DR. Funk said he had letter in his
pocket from MFR. Beecher's successor,
Rev. DR. Rillis, and asked If this was
- eoid fnSa
voice. but am told by spirit pres
emf, 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. Mr.. Beechev looks to you.
| doctor, to return It. Or. Funk recall
ed that he had nine years before bor-
| rowed such q coin from 81 Brooklyn
friend, but that it had been promptly
returned The voice replied that this
/ coin had not been returned, but WAS
| located under some papers In draw
er of a large iron safe. DR.. Funk was
| So impressed that the next morning he
/ asked his brother, who had been the
I business manager of the Standard die
ffonary. whether the ancient coin bor-
rowed of Prof. Charles e. West now
/ dead. had been returned after use In
making a cut for the dictionary. The
brother was sure it had been, but to
make certain the office safe was
i searched and in a drawer under a lot
of papers vas found an envelope with
i two widows mite coins in it, one
Light and one dark-the light one hay-
ing been used to make the illustration
| and the dark one rejected as spurious.
DR. Funk without saying anything
| more about the matter, attended the
| next seance, and thus relates what
passed:
The following Wednesday evening
| recalled the incident of the coin to
| the control. There are two of them,
| 1 said. Now, George. can you tell me
| which of the two is the right one
| Without hesitation he answered: THE
black one" was certain that the
lighter one was the correct coin, as
that was the one We had used in the
| dictionary I asked him whether he
was sure it was the black one. His
| reply was instant: Certainly" The
control further explained that the coir
should go to some place in Connecti-
cut and said that DR.. Funk had re-
ceived it from a friend of DR. Beecher
women's school on Brooklyn flights.
Prof West had been principal of thai
school, and. Furthermore. DIR. Funk
had the two coins submitted to ex-
perts for decision as to which was gen
] uine, and received verdict in favor