The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-07-13
ODD PSYCH|CAL CASE,
Goldsmith Claims Dead Artists
Spirit 0bsesses Him.
HEARD A STRANGE VOICE,
Frederic L. Thompson Takes Up
Painting and Carries on Robert
Swain Gifford's Work--Strains OF
Weird Music Heard as Scenes Fa-
niliar to the Artist Were Visited.


niIiar to the Artist Were Visited.
In long report Professor James I'll.
Hyslop, president of the American So
cIety For Psychical Research. gives an
account of the obsession of Frederic L..
Thompson, a goldsmith. by the spirit OF
Robert Swain Clifford, an artist. Mr..
Thompson has been obliged to give up
his own trade and devote himself to
painting the same scenes as the dead
artist and on different occasions has
heard words which seemed to proceed
from the artists spirit and the music
It loved, though no one was near to
produce It.
According TO Professor Hyslop, Mr.
Thompsons acquaintance with Mr..
Clifford was only slight, and be knew
practically nothing Of art outside Of
his own trade.
In the summer of 1906 Mr. Thomp
son was f1rst seized with the desire
to paint In oils. AS he gave way to
the impulse he lost his interest in his
own line of work and showed unex-
pected skill as an artist AS he worked
be felt that he was Mr. Clifford and
remarked to his wife. Clifford wants
to sketch" but 1t was not till six
months later as he saw the notice of
an exhibition In the American Art gal
leries of the work of ''the late Robert
Swain Clifford" that he discovered that
the artist had died about six months
before he first felt driven to the brush.
As Mr. Thompson went through the
Clifford exhibition he seemed to hear,
according to Professor Hyslop, voice
saying: "Ypu see what | have done.
Can you not take up and finish my
work." From this time on the I'm
pulse to paint was stronger than ever.
and by the following year he had pro-
duced several paintings of sufficient
merit to command fair price. One
Of his patrons was James B. Town
send, who remarked as be examined
the picture that It resembled those of
Mr.. Clifford.
Mr. Thompson came to Professor
Hyslop IN January, 1907, as he feared
that bis mind was giving way through
the strength Of the obsesslon. and Pro
fessor Hyslop gives details Of his Wis
It's to mediums, who had no idea who
he was In the following summer he
handed to Professor Hyslop some
sketches which he had made In the
summer and fall of 1906. Professor
IYx,ai,,ya ianEnd Ihnt,, nm
Then Mr.. Thompson went to the
summer home of Mr.. Clifford at Non
quit, Mass. which. he said, he had
never visited before. His object was
to discover certain scenes which had
appeared to him repeatedly in bis vi
sions. While he was there Mrs. Gif
ford took him into the studio of the
dead artist.
''To bis surprise says Professor
Hyslop, she saw on the easel an unf1n-
ished sketch which was absolutely
identical with one Of the sketches
which he had left in my hands more
than month before. He said In his
diary 1t almost took his breath away
to see the identity between this paint.
Ing and bis visions and sketches.
There were two other pictures on
easels which were identical With
sketches he had made, but had not
been left with me-"
Mrs. Clifford bore witness that to
make this coincidence the more strik-
ing the picture had been rolled up and
put away till after Mr.. Gifford's death,
so that Mr. Thompson had no oppor-
tunity to see 1t.
Mr.. Thompson pursued his search
for the places be saw in his visions
and discovered that Mr. Clifford had
been particularly fond of an island
which Is private property and only Wis.
lied after a permit has been obtained.
On this island Mr.. Thompson came
across peculiar group of trees which
had become familiar to him through
his visions.
HE stumbled upon Them" writes
Professor Hyslop, In his wanderings
about this island and started to sketch
item. when be heard a voice similar
to the one be had heard at the art gal.
lery and which said. Go and look on
the other side OF the tree. Though
some sixty feet away. he went for.
ward, and on the opposite side of the
tree he found the initials of Mr.. Gift
Ford carved In the bark Of a beech
tree In 1902
Other cases or identity between
sketches made after bis visions and
the actual scenes be found are men,
toned by Professor Hyslop. There
was one of forest rather dense. which
Mr.. Thompson sketched from hallu.
cination and then found the original
on another easel. though be did not
recognize It at the time. having for.
gotten that he had sketched it,
Mr.. Thompson had nther interesting
experiences on this island. which be
set down at the time In his diary. He
often heard music like that of violin
or guitar, says Professor Hyslop,
and hunted to see III be could find who
the performer was. But there ap.
peared to be no Que there except two
or three families of cafetakers.
The music was heard In different
places and al different times. land
once" SAYS Professor Hyslop. MIR.
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