Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-05

William intended using instruments specially de-
signed for test purposes, which he was confident
could not be operated fraudulently.
But Home. or the spirits, proved too strong
for Sir William Crookes and his instruments
In Sir Williams presence. in fact, there null
tiplcation of mysteries. The instruments registered
results that seemed inexplicable by any natural
law: lath, cast CarelesSly table, in the
air. nodded gravely to the astonished scientist and
proceeded to tap out messages alleged to from
up and down the room; invisible beings lifted Home
himself from the floor; spirit hands
and felt; an accordeon held by Sir William PLAYED
apparently of its vOtiOn, and afterWard
foated about the room. still playing. And all this.
according to the learned investigator in private
room that almost up to the commencement of the
SeanCe has been occupied living room, and
rounded by private friends of my own, who not only
will the slightest deception but who
watching narrowly everything that takes place"
In the end, so tar from announcing that he had
convicted Home of fraud, Sir William published
elaborate account of his seances. and gave his
solemn belief that with Homes assistance he had
succeeded in demonstrating the existence of a
hitherto unknown force. This scarcely what
had been expected by the scientific world, which
had eagerly awaited his verdict and loud the
tumut that followed But Sir William stood man
fully by his guns and Home,-bland. lnscrutable.
mysterious e,-hguratively struggling his shout
ders at denuncatons to which by this time he had
become perfectly accustomed, added another leaf
to his spiritualistc crown of laurels. and betook
himself to his friends the Continent. where.
cute his mission for many prosperous years.
Only One Reverse
A S matter of fact throughout the period of his
mediumship, that is to say, from 1851 to
1886 the of his death, he experienced only
serious reverse, and this did not involve any
posture of the falsty of his claims But it seri-
enough in all conscience, and calls for mention
both because it emphasizes the contrast between
his earlier and his later life. and because throws
luminous sidelght on the methods by which he
achieved his unparalleled success. When he was in
London in 1867 he made the acquaintance of
elderly, inpressionable Engishwoman named Lyon
who Immediately conceived warm attachment for
him and stated her intention of adopting him her
Carrying out this plan she settled on him the
snug little fortune of one hundred and twenty thou
sand dollars which she subsequently increased until
it amounted to no less than three hundred thousand
dollars. Home at the time a wldower, and it
his belief, as he afterward stated in court, that
the desired him to marry her.
In any event, her affection cooled rapidly
it had begun and the next thing he knew he
being sued for the recovery of the three hundred
thousand dollars. The trial celebrated case
in English law Lord Dunraven Lord Crawford
and other of Homes titled and influential friends
hurried to his assistance and many the atfida-
Wits Forthcoming to combat the contentious of Mrs
Lyon, who that she had been influenced to
adopt Home by communications alleged to come
through him from her dead husband Home him.
self denied that there any manifestations what
relating to Mrs Lyon whose story in fact,
discredited on cross examination that the pre-
siding judge the vice chancellor, caustically de-
clared that her testimony quite unworthy of
belief Notwithstanding this, he did not hesitate
to give judgment in her favor the ground that.
however worthless her evidence, it had not been
satisfactorily shown that her gifts to Home were
acts of pure volitlon, the presumption being that
no reasonable woman would have pursued
the she did unless under the pressure of
due influence by the party to be benefited.
Hypnotsm the Explanation
IF for g undue influence we read hypnotisnl. we