The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-02
SPOOK RAISING CHAMPIONSHIP
DIT. FUNK CHALLENGES DAVIS
ON BEHiLF or MRS. PEPPER.

na,is Replles That He VIII DO Anything
Slrs Pepper Can do Under the Same
iOns-SuEgestlon That Ghost
Be Engaged to Referee the Setto,
c,s>nowER-i can call spirits from the Vastly deep.
HrrsrrR Why. so can /: can any man
Rut VIII they come, when you do call for them
GifNp Why. L. can teach thee 10 command
tae Devll.
nor md can teach thee COZ, to shame 1.-The
Il, .IIas truth. TEL truth aBd shame the Devil.
n thou have power TO raise him. brngihlm
niihcr.
And % be sworn have power 10 shame him hence
o. while you live. tell truth and shame the Devil.
The gage OF battle has been thrown down
and accepted in the big fight between the
medium smashers and the medium sup
porters Of Brooklyn. DR.. Funk, on behalf
Of his phenom, Mrs. May Pepper, has
challenged W. S Davis, the ex-medium. 70
test of his powers Of jugglery. Mr.. Davis
ha. accepted on condition that straight
Queensberry rules govern. He makes no
stipulation as 70 ringside weight, forfeit
or side bets. He wants only a clean break
and no hitting in the onches.
Or Isaac Funk, who has been getting his
name into the newspapers considerably
Of late in connection with Mrs. Pepper
sent this letter to The Sun yesterday
TO THE EDITOR or The SUN-Sir. Mr.
" : Davis announces that he Is an ex-
medium. and that he, If given a chance,
Will duplicate through fake methods all
that Mrs Pepper does. and will then explain
The process This. II sincere, is a move
IN the night direction.
AT the risk Of unpleasant notoriety and
endless misrepresentation, it has seemed
TO me- well worth while to try to find out
whether fraud can explain all the so-called
psychic phenomena, or whether IL Is true
that we possess nearly all of us in rudi-
mentary form, n few in functional state
any or all Of such faculties as telepathy.
c.airvoyance, clairaudence, prescience, and.
beyond ALL the ability to commune with
inteihgences that are outside of visible
bodies which, if true. might give greatly
needed note Of scientific certainty to
ligion This problem Is regarded as immi-
nent and important by such leading scien-
fists as Crookes. Wallace, Richet, Lodge,
James and others. Why should il not be
Investigated fully and squarely?-It is
worth It. My interest in the present ag-
tatiou is TO see the subject so pushed to the
front "a to compel far more thorough
investigation than it has yet had by psychol-
ogsts and other trained scientists.
A TO Mr.. Davis's challenge. I will agree
TO pay all the expenses for hail in which
he may give such public demonstration,
on the single condition that he will prac-
tcally duplicate the tests OF last Sunday
evening in the presence of a COMMITTEES.
say of seven. who shall determine the ar
rangements and pass judgment on the
SUCCESS or failure OF the tests, three Of this
committee to be selected by Mr., Davis
and three by Judge Daileyif he is willing
and these six to agree upon the seventh.
Now that have completed my series OF |
tests with Mrs. Pepper, will not the press
permit me an explanation or two and a
suggestion? Is it wise for the public TO
give heed TO the thousand and one rumors
and guesses that settle around the head
OF n psychic investigator like bees in swarm
ing time, especially If he be one who n Chilly |
or wrongly happens to be somewhat in the |
public eye? In this country it seems we'll
nigh worth the reputation Of a man for /
sanity to give serious attention TO this |
subject and yet, if is ever solved, il must
be solved by men who have some what OF
a reputation.
The following IA Illustrative: 1t has
been published far and wide in the last
was stolen from me at Mrs. Peppers church,
and from lawyer friend of mine a wallet
filed with gold Neither was true. nor is
the statement tru that my house is filed
such visitor in twenty Ave years. | did not
say as published, that to investigate a
medium one should become childish
Instead, ! quoted Huxley, where in his
he says, To become
successful investigator of any new truth
L IA necessary 10 sit down before IL as
little child and ask questions not to dogma
lie Nor am making. IA another charges.
money by having my book. The Widows
Mile. sold at Mrs. Peppers meetings
A. the request of Judge Daley ten copies
IN all were sent to the church, and the
gross eeipts donated for the benefit OF
he church, fund for poor children
Il did not pay 81 500. but less than S10O,
'or thai series Of Chicago pictures and for
number Of other test experimental
we're secured TO complete a chapter on
rauds In a new edition of a book should |
% able to detect wherein is the fraud.
Knowing Mr.. Davis TO be an expert in the
axe business | consulted him, telling him
hat the matter was to be strictly private
Until other Investigations were completed
! seems that among the virtues Of fake
nedunshp the keeping of ones word ,
5 not 10 be rockoned on. Mr.. Davis's hole ,
n the floor and alcohol transparency ,
n Of the A. B. C. Of investigators and have 4,
zen for a quarter Of IA century. !
The purpose In the test last Sunday was :
o exclude confederates / put no stress
yhstcver on the blindfolding- was the
MEDIUMS suggestion. My test involved. :
u The selection at random by me Of letter a
Wholly covered from uLder a pile of 800 ,
atter,; ~ A careful observation OF the !
markings on the outside Of the letter both !
'hen handed II TO the medium and when n
received II back from her. (9) The marking n
{ the letter by me after l received it back =
nd then putting 1t in my inner coat pocket
. The getting Of the names and addresses
Z the owners Of the letters when they came
Or them after the meeting. (5) The eventual
Of the owners and their cross \
his plan II carefully carried out should
Nclude confederates Whether | carried
out carefully OF not the public will be u
bic TO Judge when | have made my full r,
Namlnation and published the results In q
lh five letters were read while the medium 6
as blindfolded | saw the picking up by N
n medium Of the four letters which have q,
cen spoken Of and the placing Of them b
d one side Of the pulpit. think this was
one thoughtle ssly, but carefully avoided A
lese four letters and all others that could al
p seen. ! noted also tine envelope which pl
le seemed TO use as a marker in her Bible 4.
would have been the height of folly in CO
er TO have slipped that up her sleeve
: charged. for she could very easily have
the same result far better
Y having half a dozen envelopes up her
eevc when she came into the pulpit. an