The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-06-18
WERE WRITTEN
DURING A TRANCE.
.Pepper-v Vanderbilt Explains
Visit Of Indian Spirit
CONTROLLED BY BRIGHT EYES
Has No Recollection Of Letters That
Are Alleged To Be IN Her Hand
Writing.

NEW YORK, June Is. Bishop"
Mary Ann Scannell Pepper. the high
priestess of the Brooklyn spiritualisi
church. who married Edward Ward
Vanderbilt. the wealthy lumberman,
less than a month ago aud whose hon
eymoon was rudely disturbed about a
week ago by the brideg0oms daugh'
ter. Miss Minerva Vanderbilt, instltut.
Ing proceedings 20 have MIR. Wander.
bilt declared an incompetent. II much
concerned over the allegations that
have been made about the spirit letters
her spouse received from Little Bright
/ Eyes"
The letters In question. which pur.
ported 10 have come from Little
Bright Eyes" n spirit guide. through
the mails. via Germany. 10 Mr.. Van.
derbllt while Mrs Pepper was In Eu.
rope and which. II II charged. are In
the handwriting 81 Mrs Pepper. are n
prominent factor la the suit Miss
Vanderbilt. the petitioner. alleges that
I these letters were largely Instrumental
I IN influencing her father a. marry the
bishop" also 10 make will Ia the
bishops" favor and In making her
presents Of houses. money. candy aud
wearing apparel.
The bishop" evidently nealized that
these letters had "a he explained. and
hence through her counsel: Abram II.
I Daley. she filed an affidavit with Su-
preme Court Justice Maddox. In which
she explains substantially that she Il
not responsible when In n trance for
any letters that she might write. he
cause she II not conscious Of writing
them or OF mailing them. Incidentally
she describes her psychic power.
"For many years past" Mrs. Pepper
Vanderbilt says In her affidavit. u
have been subject 90 enhancement by
various spirits 81 departed persons.
aud when - fully entranced ! am ut
terry unconscious Of what say or do.
Not all spirits VI departed persons can
approach and control me.
1T Il well known fact among psy.
chics that Indian spirits are usually
\ Possessed Of strong magnetic power
and In the spiritual world are used
most frequently for the purpose Of en-
tranccmcnt ~ mortals. by which
means the mediums mental faculties
anil physical organization are subject
o. the strong viii u the controlling
spirit
'''rhe medium r. made 20 articulate
words mud write sentences more or less
perfectly. according 10 the complete
ness Of the enhancement by the con
trolling spirit II II frequently quite
impossible 10 utterly destroy the habits
and individuality Of the subjected me
dlnm 80 that her usual articuiations
and manner of writing will h. entirely
changed. though IN many instances
this has lccn done.
Il am aud have been for many year.
subject 10 the controlling power % the
spirit Of partially Indian maiden
named Bright Eyes by whom ] lie
come at times deeply entranced. and IN
this condition I am Informed and L.
licye I have written many letters and
mailed them 81 which I did not know
IN. contents and have said many
things a. numerous persons ~ which
had no knowledge These conditions
and manifestations arr common amone
mediums subject "a enhancement the
world over. 10 the hcst u my knowl
edge and lclief.
4 have no recollection of ever hav
Inc seen the letters produced In cvi
dcnoe 10y the petitioner or 81 having
written them or 10 mailing them. ! re-
call. however. that when In Europe
correspopded with my present hus
| hand"