New-York tribune., 1905-12-24
TVE ETTURE LIFE,

DR.. Richard Hodgson, who died in Boston last
week had long been an active officer OF the
Society for Psychical Research. During the
last few years of his life he had come to be-
Heve in the feasibility Of communication be-
tween the spirits of the departed and their sur
yfving friends Accordingly, few persons who
were once intimately associated with him are
planning in the near future to make what they
regard test Of the soundness Of that theory.
They will try to establish correspondence with
him through the agency Of well known medl-
um in Boston, Mrs. Piper.
Having made that city his home several
years ago DR.. Hodgson soon had occasion TO
study this woman. While in a trance state she
delivers messages, either orally or in writing,
which purport to come from the other world.
Previous to coming to America DR.. Hodgson
had exhibited a rare power of penetrating
fraud. He visited India for instance, TO in
vestigate Nine Blayatsky's wonderful per-
fornlances and found evidence that she had
wilfully practlsed deceit and iegerdemain. In
a similar manner he exposed the nickery of
various mediums who had fooled other students
of psychology. Eusapio Paladino was one of
these frauds. After he had observed Mrs.
Piper long and critically he became satisfied
that she was acting honestly In that opinion
William James, professor of psychology at Har-
ward eoncurred, emphasizing how exceptional
she was in this regard by pron0uncipg her
white blackbird."
The question as to the method and origin of
Mrs. Piper's messages, however. is distinct
from the question Of her sincerity. Various
theories have been advanced to explain her ut
terances In Science and the Future Life
Professor James II. Hyslop narTows the choice
to two: The acquisition of knowledge of GER
tain facts from terrestrial sources by telepathy,
and the "spiritstic' Tor spiritualistic) hypothe-
sis He himself adopts the latter, and DR..
Hodgson had also come to hold the same opin-
ion. The avowal Of that doctrine disgusted
some other members of the Society for Psychi-
cal Research and led to their withdrawal from
the organization. He was criticised, as Pro-
fessor Hyslop has been. for being too easily
persuaded. Still. few people accept the in
terpretation which these men put on the phe
nomena under consideration; and they viii up-
doubtedly be convinced that any communica-
ton that Mrs Piper may now make in the
name of DR.. Hodgson really comes from him.
Not many others will. It is probably true that
the vast majority Of intelligent believers in the
immortality of the soul do not regard il as
demonstrahle Most theologists and preachers
| hold that the hope of a future life Is matter
of faith and that the possibility is not 'suscep-
| tibe of direct proof
Just how Mrs. Piper gets hold Of facts which
are not known to anyone present or at least
have not been impaired to her by her patrons,
Is great puzzle There are indications of the
possession of sixth sense, which is active when
her other senses are dormant. Before any def
mite opinion about the existence of such fac
uity can be formed further investigation is
necessary. Telepathy seems to give more ra-
tional explanation of the Piper messages than
any other. The trivial nature OF the topics dis
| cussed in most Of these communications dis