The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-03

Tellin' troubles, cause you see
Dey'H tell 'em in hurry
Better far dan you an me
Could never hope to do it,
You must wait a little while,
But when congress once gifts to 1t
Dey will do it UP in style!
Z -Pittsburg Press.
Queer Psychic Phenomena.
Prof. James H. Hyslop. in the pro-
ceed1ngs Of the American Society for
Psyehical Research, just issued, de-
clares that the spirit of his dead wife
communicated with him. forecasting
the early death of her father-which
later occurred exactly as predicted by
the spirit; and that the spirit of this
dead father-in-law then sent messages
to him from across the void.
Taken at their face value the state
ments seem to establish at last the pos
s1blllty OF communication, in a partial
manner at least, between the living and
the dead.
Not the least interesting feature of
the latest developments is the fact that
Prof. HyslOp has been able to achieve
these most striking results through the
spiritualistic assistance of Mrs.
Smead, medium, whose powers, it is
claimed, far surpass those displayed by
Mrs. Piper, of Boston, who was made
famous by the late Dr. Hodgson.
Smead, by the way, is not this wom-
ans real name. She is the wife of an
orthodox minister living in an inland
village, who has never received a penny
for her service and has never given a
public exhibition of her powers. What
was accomplished by Prof. Hyslop and
Mrs. Smead together follows in the for
mer's own words:
THE next sitting was held on the
18th. My wife, who died in 1900, and
who has been frequent communication,
apparently, through Mrs. Smead and
other psychics, purported to commune
cate On this day. Almost the first thing
that she announced was the early death
of her father, who had been in i'll
health for some years. The fact was
wholly unknown to the Smeads. I my
self knew nothing about the critical
condition of my father-in-law at the
time of the sitting The
message which I have mentioned was
received, apparently from my wife, at
about II a. m. The next morning I re-
ceived a letter from Mrs. H., wife of my
father-in-law, written at noon and tell
ing of his condition, which was clearly
dangerous"
Continuing his report, DR.. Hyslop
says:
my wife made a reference to music
and then indicated that we used to sing
hymns together as if she were trying
to prove her identity to me, in a sltua-
ton of some interest to both OF US
Mrs. Smead knew that my wife was a
musician but she knew nothing what
ever of the fact that we used to sing
HYMNS together on Sunday afternoons.
In connection with the prediction OF
my father-in-law's DEATH" he says,
several pertinent illusions were made
which strengthened the evidence OF
supernormal information. The COM
mlInicator referred to his worrying
about his home affairs, and said that
he should not have any cares at this
time The pertinence of this cannot be
appreciated without knowledge OF
matters which are too personal ana TOO
private to mention.
"On January 5 had sitting with a
medium whom have called Mrs. Smith
in the journal, and my father-in-laW
purported to communicate, giving a
number of things in proof of his 1den-
tity. among them an allus1on TO my
believe in a future life in this one, he
would have to believe it after death
and spontaneously mentioned that ne
had met his mother.
"On January Z Mr.. Smead had an
other sitting, still not knowing tne
facts. and my father-in-law purporteo
| to communicate giving his name as
| George w. H. refusing to give more OF
| it and alluded again spontaneously te
his having met his mother He aise
| alluded to a negro servant ana correct
| w described her dress. rms fact ever
| 7 knew nothing about, and had to vert'
| fv bv inquiry of the surviving widow
..I wrote to ask Mr.. Smead if he ant
Mrs. Smead understood the meaning o
the sitting, appearing myself not tt
understand it. He replied that itswa'
| all Dutch to them, and expressing sur
nrise that 7 did not understand it, a!
the automatic writing had referred hin
| to me when he wanted to know wh'
was meant by the incomplete name. y
| New York American.