St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1909-10-02
Ghost Of Daad Aviator Sends FFaternal Ness.
sge % Russian Aviator.
Che MEDIUM AN AMERICAN
And Paris is All Agog Over the Controversy.
stead. Famous Newspaper Kan, Conveys
Message.

IA widespread sensation, not limit
"a to spirituslistic circles, has been
caused BY the extraordinary story
told to che Paris Matin BY ". T.
Stead. the FelLknown journalist. in
which be reports a conversation he
held 81 Sept. is with the spirit Of
The French aviator, Lefebyre, who
was killed recently in an aeroplane
accident. The practical outcome Of
the spirits communication was TO
prevent the Russian aviator, N. Bolo-
tof, TO whom Mr. Stead conveyed
Lefebyre's warning, from making an
aeroplane ascent at ChaIons with a
motor which, according TO the spirit,
would fail TO work at the critical
moment.
The relatives Of Lefebvre, through
the mouthpiece of Lefebvre's former
employer, the engineer Lambert, are
protesting against the publication of
M. Stead's article as unfair to the
memory Of The late aviator, and the
outrage BY a tactless Englishman
upon She feelings Of the mourners.
Altogether, the elements Of d very
pretty quarrel have been created by
DR.. Stead's amazing tale, which is
being discussed with equal passion by
ayiasors, spiritualists and critics of
manners.
sMr. Stead, it must be explained,
founded some months ago, at Torbray
House, ii the Strand, London, a kind
81 spiritualistic exchange presided
over BY q spirit named Julia, who Is
AS eager as MFR. Stead himself to
bring living persons into communica-
tion with their departed friends and
relatives and build a bridge across
the borderlaud between this world
and the next.
The members Of this spirit ex-
change meet every morning at 10I
o'clock, with Julia in the chair, but
she ii visible only to the mediums
present.
'.Mr. Stead relates that on Sept. IS
last he had been asked by the Prin-
cess Wiassemily to accompany her on
a tour to Melon le Grand, near Cha
Ions, to witness the experiments
which her son was going to make
with an aeroplane on the following
Monday. On Sept. Is, after r~eceiv-
ing two brief communications from
Julia, the clairyoyant employed at
the exchange said he heard another
voice speaking. Mr.. Stead inquired
who 1t was, and the answer came: ri
have been dead for some time. My
name is Lefebvre.'
HMr. Stead, who had been abroad
at the time Of the fatal accident to
Lefebvre, did not recognize the name,
which was equally unknown to all the
other members Of the circle.
''Mr. Stead then inquired Of the
spirit whether it knew Bolotof's
aeroplane.
Yes was ~the.reply, and tell the
young man not ID be too rash. | do
not think there win be an accident,
but the motorS should be carefully
tested. Do not go up yourself. I'll
shall be- at Chalons with you, for /
write on the subject through your
interceding spirit.
IN reply to Mr. Stead's question,
he said be did not know BoIotof, but
had met him, and gave his former
profession as a mechanician. On the
following day Lefebvre's spirit, with
Che assistance of Julia, described to
Mr. Stead the accident which had
proved fatal to him. He experienced,
he said, a sense Of falling, but lost
consciousness before reaching the
ground. He felt no pain nor physical
discomfort, but it seemed to him that
bis spirit YVES projected outward. He
had the sensation of rapid rotation,
;hen found himself in the air, looking
Town npon BIS own corpse and the
mashed ~aerOplafe lying Oh the
below. It was not disagree
ible. He was aware Of the presence
+ J very powerful being who claimed
iin and who desired to write bY |
ItsAds hand. j