New-York tribune., 1908-11-10
MONEY In SPIRITS
A $4,000 PRIZE OFFERED.
metropolitan Psychical Society UM
Pau 1t for Real Communication.

Here is oprortunity for any person endowed
with the supernatural power TO communicate with
the spirit world win 5000. The Metropolitan
Psychical Society makes that offer to any man OF
woman who can demonstrate this power beyond
any doubt
There are confidently believed to be large num-
Der in and near New York who think that they
possess this abnormal faculty About nfty OF these
answer TO the announcement of the prize offered
applied yesterday to W. S. Davis. at No z spruce
street secretary Of the Metropolitan Psychical
Society. About thirty set forth their claims
as worthy applicants in letters OF those who came
in person there were short haired women and long
haired men Some amateurs. others made
business of holding frequent seanc@s with the dear
departed.
The applicants had to pass preliminary test to
qualify for the 5000 sweepstakes The test was
not exactly of spiritualisto character but it tried
the occult power OF the medium But as the oner
Of the society reads;
Spiritists themselves offer very large volume Of
Questionable testimony in support of their claims.
but it seems to US that the only {estony I'M aG1S hi
because spritisrn is entirely de1sion but because
it may be; and because its record of credulity and
chicanery justifes our contenton.0 The PhtnoIm- an
vised by such investigators It is needless to say
that there is appalling dearth OF that KIND OF
testimony.
James Kellogg president of the psychical society,
made the guessing Of q number written piece
of paper the for the mediums to demonstrate
extraordinary powers. He wrote a number down
TO Thy out one man, but he fell down" To make
it worth while Mr.. kellogg took so from his
pocket and offered il special inducement to
the applicant to guess the number the paper,
but the latter failed qualify for the prize.
However he did not lose heart. ''WeT. I'm sure
he said TO Mr. kellogg. that my wife could tell She
can always tell how much money l have in my
pocket
well dressed woman presented herself She had
visions Of three or four 'Ceorgettes''-thats the
name of the latest In millinery-and two or three
Paquin gowns so sure she of getting that
$500. Mr.. Kellogg suggested the test.
Just a moment said the young woman, until
I get my mind in passive state"
She moved few feet and after getting
her mind into passive state, she announced that
she was ready. The letter b was her test but
she down the alphabet, stopping far away from
the second letter. She departed in state Of mind
that was not exactly passive.
Another applicant sad faced man who
looked as would spend the first quarter of that
5000 If it. for hair cut. Mr. Davis is an
observant man. He noticed that the man wore a
ceIuloid button on his waistcoat. On II was the
famous query of a well known candidate for the
Presidency OF the United States.
1t was Shall the People Rule?"
Mr.. Davis showed what he could do in the way
of second sight. You predicted the election of Mr..
Bryan he said. The applicant, with some sur
prise acknowledged the accuracy of this guess
That ended his claim.
An unknown reader OF East Side Yiddish
newspaper drifted into Mr.. Davis's Office. He had
read prize offer TO the Spiriualists. and he
came 10 warn the officers of the society against
Takers" But he couldn't speak English and the
services of a Mr. Levy were called In as inter
prefer The stranger was a Talmudic student and
he said that of the laws OF Moses was against
Uitchery and that he said is what Spiritual
ism is
There several applicants waiting at the
time and they could a chance at that 5000
1or, ora
all nountebanks' said the unknown East Slider, in
his jargon.
They are all nnountebanks.'' interpreted Mr.
Levy. in English, whereupon the waiting appli-
cants arose in rage TO defend their
cult against the base aspersons and the reader Of
the Yddish paper disappeared like something ethe
real.
The officers of the Metropolitan Psychica Society
have vet found a successful candidate for the
prize. They VIII GO on looking for medium who
can show them. but they will insist on elinlnat-
ing the possibility Of telepathy or fraud, and in
sst on the real thing in dscarnate communication