The San Francisco call., 1906-04-15
Scouts the Possibility
Of Fraud in the
Work.
Experiments Carried
On in Interesting
Manner.
SPECIAL CABLE TO THE CALL.

SPECIAL CABLE TO THE CALL
LONDON, April 14-Spiritualists have
reason to be proud of a new scientific
champion. DR.. Charles Richet, member
of the French Academy and known in
scientific circles as the French Kel-
VIM, has just finished remarkable
series of psychic Investigations, during
which he believes he has practically
demonstrated the existence of real
ghosts. Professor Richet has subjected
his spirit manifestations to'the severest
scientific tests; and now comes out
boldly in their defense; stalking his pro-
fessional reputation on the accuracy of
his Investigations, and the reality of
spirit phenomena.
The photographs taken by Professor
Richet in connection with these re-
searches have been carefully examined
by Sir oliver Lodge, one of England's
most distinguished scientists, who pro-
nounces them genuine and confirms
Professor Richets statements.
1t will be remembered that Sir Will
liam Crookes also conducted investiga-
tions along the lines of Professor
Richet; but the Richet experiments are
so remarkable and SO convincing that
they might almost be considered the
last word as to the reality of ghosts.
Professor Richet was elected presi-
dent of the Society for Psychical Re-
search for 1905, and has recently been
succeeded by Gerald Balfour, ex-Cabi-
net Minister.
APPEARANCE IN KIOSK.
In the course Of an interview granted
the writer during a short visit to Lon
don. Professor Richet described his re-
markable Investigations In the follow
ing statement:
The phenomena 1 describe are Ger
tainly strange enough to provoke in
credulity, and l would have some hesi-
tation in bringing them to light were
1T not for analogous experiments of Sir
William Crookes.
Thanks to the kindness OF General
and Nine. Noel Of Algiers, and to the
goodwill and abnegation OF Made
moiselle Marthe B. the daughter of a
retired military officer, I was able to
pursue these experiments for a whole
month at the Villa Carmen, the resi-
dence of General Noel. Present at the
seances with me were General and
Madame Noel, NJ. Gabriel Delanne and
several others, whose names am not
at liberty to disclose. Suffice Ii to say
that 1 knew all of these persons per-
sonaIly; that had satisfied myself by
every scientific examination that fraud
was out of the question, and that the
phenomena are, In my opinion, unde-
niable
The appearances took place in a
small kiosk, situated in the garden OF
the Villa Carmen. This little house is
entirely isolated from the rest of the
premises, and is composed of one
room The windows were blocked up
and covered with canvas nailed to the
wall, and over the canvas was a thick
tapestry curtain, also nailed to the wall
Linoleum was nailed to che floor.
"In one corner of the room was a
'seance cabinet made by merely cur
tanning off the corner by means of a
canopy, suspended in the usual way
from rod by brass rings. Inside the
cabinet, during the seances, was the
young lady whom I call Marthe. She
was engaged to General Noels son.
Marthe was sometimes accompanied by
a colored servant, Aischa.
"Marthe was what we might call the
medium through whom the appear
ances or 'materializations' manifested
themselves. The seances took place in
the afternoons and evenings. and lasted
about two or three hours.
HEARS GHOSTS BREATHE.
ut was in this room that certain ap-
pearances made themselves known, not
ably q personality calling itself Bien
Boa. This parsonage presented all the
the seance cabinet, walk about, go and
come; 1 heard it breathe. and speak; /
touched It's hand several times, and
through the drapery with which the
hand was covered I felt the wrist, the
bones Of the wrist and metacarpus
yielding to my hand-clasp.
"One of the most remarkable mani
festati tions took place on Friday Sep
tember /. Marthe and Aischa were in
the cabinet, while in front OF the cur
tain outside were the persons I have
mentioned. I prepared bottle Of clear
baryta- water so arranged that by blow
ing into a tube the expired air would
bubble in the water. The personality
bent forward and after number of
trying efforts made the water bubble
In order to preclude the possibility OF
Marthe assuming this form through
fraud I am able to state that during
the experiments, while Bien Boa was
breathing into the tube. distinctly saw
the forms of both Marthe and Aischa;
while M. Delanne remarked aloud to
me that he could see the mediums face
and form, as well as that of her COM
panion, quite distinctly.
For some time the manifestation
tried fruitIessly to make the water bub-
bIe. and then finally succeeded. heard
the .glouglou' of the bubbles; and when
examined the water 1t had turned
ouite white-from the natural precipi-
tate of carbonate of baryta which had
formed. My eyes did not leave the tube
during the time it was being passed
from my bands to General Noel. nor
while Bien Boa was blowing into 1t. Z
ALL ATTRIBUTES OF LIFE.
"From other experiments conducted
during various seasances I am con-