The Washington herald., 1907-05-18
CALLSSPOOKS WICKED
Dr.J. Raupert DiscOurageS
Spirit Experiments,
CATHOLIC CHURCH'S ATTITUDE
Lecturer says Pope Gave Him Per-
mission TO Warn Members of the
Roman Faith Against Danger.
Moral and Physical Decay Follow
Pyschic Investigation.

New York, May E.-Dr. J. Godfrey
Raupert. a member Of the London Society
Iof PsychicaI Research, who created
such furor IN the Catholic world by
his lecture on spiritualism at DelmOnicos S
Wednesday night, is here, not as was
supposed TO encourage delving into the
realm of the psychic. but to warn Catho-
lies Of the grave dangers Of tampering
with the spiritualistic.
In the first interview granted the Ameri-
can press DR.. Raupert who Is staying at
ST. Josephs Seminary. Yonkers, set forth
the facts Of his position.
Il am here. not 10 encourage spiritual
istic practices, but to discourage them
said the doctor, an erect little man, with
a military bearing. a sandy mustache. and
a slight German accent
"The Pope has given me permission TO
set the exact facts Of my spiritualistic
investigations before the members Of the
Catholic faith. and in this way point out
the dangers Of tampering with the inhabi-
tsnts Of the spirit world am commits
stoned to do all in my power to discour-
age spiritsm. I believe this can best be
done by showing the debasing effects of
spirits and communication Herewith Oh
the human mind BY practical lectures.
Have Evil Influences.
Let me say first that nearly all-if not
all-spirits have evil influences. You ask
me why this is You say there are good
men as well as bad ones, therefore why
are those not good spirits as well as bad
gnes? That is something I cannot say.
AS we do not know what spirits are, other
than that they are spirits, it would be
dogmatizing to try TO tell why spirits are
nearly all bad. Leaving that aside, how
ever l have proved conclusively by ex-
peTiments extending over years that spir-
its do exercise evil influences.
The Catholic belief. while il has for
hidden delving into the spirit world has
always acknowledged the existence Of
spirits and their communication with the
world They have believed that spirits
were Of a low moral order, and I have
proved IT, Why. my boy. these spirits
which 1 can invoke are making fun Of us
all the time They are ridiculing us. Per
haps 7 may call one. and it may say that
it is the shade Of Aunt Mary or Uncle
Tom But 1 don't know whether it is or
not. True. II may strive q prove it's
identity by saving things that only Uncle
Tom or Aunt Mary might have known. but
that does not prove its case. Spirits are
usually lot Of bl8ckguards and liars. Il
is d difficult and well-nigh impossible mat
ter 20 establish the truthful identity Of
spirits
ThOusands in Madhouses
Thousands Of people are in the mad
houses of the world simply because they
would not leave spirirualistic practices
alone Il is terrible-terTible-au the
sooner the people are shown the peril
they are in in tsmperiug with it the bet
ter.
"Hypn0tism is not without similar dan
gers. A passivity Of mind much like that
used in sp.rituahsn is necessary 20 pro-
duce the phenomena. IN hypnotism the
mind is also thrown open to external in
.telligeuce. It distUrbs the moral balance.
The mind no longer weighs moral ques-
Aa.I4N 'I'-a anu 4il A-4I Ail'A A-lt
is chaos and crime
NOW Dr. Raupert, ] want YOU to tell
me how YOU call these spirits.
knocks for Spirits.
The doctor smiled. why" said he.
II call them by knocks. For instance. if
I knock here on the wall" and the
doctors hand cIinched itself IN readiness
YOU viii hear footsteps echoing of down
the dark corridor
Go ahead said the reporter
Then suddenly his hand dropped to his
side. and he put his other on the re-
/ porters shoulder,
1t is best 10 keep away from IT,
young man" he said Sometimes ! for
get myself. II is best that we should call
no spirits. It might do some irreparable
HARM
DR.. Raupert said that there was no
doubt that people had often seen ghosts.
He said they were like the spirits he
! called. but that they appeared Unsum-
moned. He said they were usually harm
I less.