Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-21
SPIRIT WORDS WASTED
Messages of Dead Prove Moth
ing, Says HamIin Garland.
CHALLENGES OLIVER LODGE
Work of Italian Scientists of Much
More Value, He Asserts.
WONDERFUL ASTRAL FORCE
Remarkable Test Discovered in
Turin-Progress Made in
the Laboratory.
WONDERFUL ASTRAL FORCE

| NEW YORK, September 21.-ScientistS
| in this country who have devoted years
to the phenomena of alleged messages
| from the dead. spritualism and psychical
mysteries as developed by so-called me-
diums are not inclined to make much
| of the revelations Of Sir Oliver Lodge,
who in the last week startled thinkers of
England by announcing his belief in COM
munication from beyond the grave.
| The distinguished English investigator
came out boldly in the Psychical Re-
search Society's Journal and gave details
of messages received from dead mem
bers of this society through the pen of a
medium known as Mrs. Hollandrones.
Among those who, he asserts. commune
Gated were Mr.. Quincy. one of the found
ers of the society. and F. H. w. Myers,
who was a famous writer.
The former was rather more specific in
describing the condition beyond the
grave.
II appear to be standing behind
sheet of frosted glass;, wrote the pen
| held by the medium, (which burs the
| sight and deadens sounds. debating 1eeD-
Iy to a reluctant and somewhat obtruse
secretary. A feeling of terrible impa-
thence burdens me. 1 am so powerless
to tell what means SO much"
Most Definite of All.
Mr.. Myres is quoted as telling that at
the hour of death he became completely
unconscious. The last thing he felt was
the touch that closed his eyes. The
journey to the "plane" he now occupies
was unknown to him and Il am not
conscious of return journey. as it were.
When / communicate in this way L am
conscious of strain and effort, but can
not note the stages of the way.
Sir Oliver Lodge presents a great num-
Der of other messages. Some explain
is an "obscuration of consciousness by
reason of which 1T is SO difficult to COM
| municate with the living. Others explain
that the difficulty is that the living per-
| sonality is on a lower plane, and can
not receive messages from those who
have quilted the prison of the flesh.
| Hamlin Garland whose series of arti-
cles on The Shadowy World" which ap-
peared in Everybodys Magazine, are
about to be published in book form, and
| who is regarded an authority on psy
chic science. declared that Sir divers
| details added nothing to the already
vast quantity of similar material; con-
| tributed nothing to science or logic.
| These spirit messages he said, "are
Just as indefinite and vague as those
| which are alleged to have been received
| through hundreds of mediums. The SOL
diers always want help; they are work
| ing ana lHcS nave uiiCullieS bul
| they have never presented anything
act enough on which to found theory
| Il do not say that they may not even
| tually contribute to some solution of psy
| chic mysteries. But at the present time
| it Is not the MESA ge from the dead that
| interests investigators. They do not care
what a grandfather or an uncle or even
| a distinguished writer ramblingly COM
| municates. They do not intend to con-
| fuse spiritualism with science, nor give
| 1t place with religion.
Extraordinary Progress Made.
But they are making such extraordi-
nary progress with laboratory tests. We
are on the point of discovering a new
and wonderful force, which suggests laws
heretofore not apprehended by science.
and apparently controverting all physi-
Cal laws"
II is difficult for the layman to make
the distinctions that Mr.. Garland makes.
For example. at the recent tests in Italy.
at Naples and Genoa, in presence of
world famous scientists ghosts were pho
tographed, astral hands and faces APP
peared in the room, an astral woman'S
lips kissed one of the investigators and
phantom forces moved heavy pieces OF
furniture and registered great weight on
recording Instruments
Since time immemoria the ghost
story has been sonnet hing to chill the
spine, if well told but not taken seri-
ously. The haunted house Is to be
| found in nearly every community. Chill
dren run home wide eyed and gaSping to
tell that they saw a ghost down by the
old schoolhouse." Grown folks, at night.
when the children are in bed. sit by the
| fire and huddled together, listen to some
| narrative that raises the hair, but con-
VinceS few.
| Now come photographs of astral bodies,
| showing the expression on their faces.
particulars of their raiment; on wet clay
suddenly appears the print of a human
| hand. Some of the scientists like DR..
Foa believe these phenomena to be in the
! domain of natural forces and the result
| of a transmutation of psycho-dynamic
energy accumulated in the medium
| Lambrose announces his belief in the
| theory of "disembodied spirits. but does
not indorse the theory of the return of
the dead. sticking" as Mr. Garland nuts
it. ION the question OF identity"
Italians Make Headway.
| ''Of much more moment to human
beings than the messages of Sir Oliver
| Lodge said Mr.. Garland. ARE these re-
suits now being accomplished in Italy
| through the famous medium Eusa MIA
! Paladino a woman fifty-three years old.
! a native of Bari, but long a resident of
| Naples. She is uneducated, but intelli-