The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1911-05-27
MRS. BULL had MANY VISIONS
saw SPIRITS UNDER BLOOMING
APPLE TREE ~ RROOKLIN.
Met. Prof. william james ~ Home Of
BROOKLYN Teacher and Later Defended
Iiin,-RefuseH 10 See Her Daughter
Except In Another Persons Presence.

Ilin,--RefuseH 10 See Her Daughter
Except In Another Persons Presence.
ALFRED. Me, May 2e. Miss Siri Swan
ander. who teaches school and lives with
her mother at e2eA Madison street. Brook
lyn. and Joseph q. Thorp were the only
witnesses heard to-day In the contest
over the will of Mrs. Ole Bull
MIR Thorp produced number Of letters
whic h passed between himself and his
sister. while Miss Swsnander told Of Mrs.
Bulls visits 10 her home and Of what she
saw at the studio house In Cambridge and
at Greenacre Farm in Eliot. Me. where
the Mystic Circle met.
Elaborating on their charges that Mrs.
Ole Bull wes under the complete domin8-
ton Of band Of Psychic conspirators.
Mrs. vaughn's attorney offered. evidence
that while Olca was critically Ill and In
danger Of dca,h from peritonitis in 1900
her mother hastcned from England TO
India 10 assist DR.. Bose. a Yogi philos-
opher, instead OF making the shorter
journey to the United States to attend
and comfort her only child.
Simult aneously IL was shown by the
testimony Of Thorp that Mrs. Bull. despite
All interest in DR. Bose which caused her
to cross two continents. manifested the
liveliest concern in letters and cables
relative to the condition Of her daughter.
IL ia the contention Of the opponents to
the will that Mrs Bulls conduct on that
occasion demonstrated her alleged ina
bility to follow out her own wishes
Another point in days evidence was
the assertion in one of Mrs Bulls letters
that she wanted her own will and Thorp's
drawn up in such way that Oleas hus-
band Henry Vaughn. could not inherit
anything from them.
II was asserted to-day that many
families were influenced by the Yoga cult
and that several prominent women be-
came insane az result of its practices.
A squad Of lawyers il In court to protect
the interests Of persons who may become
involved in the case indirectly.
One of the letters written by Mrs. Bull
to Mr.. Thorp contained the following
references to TIE late Prof William James
of Harvard and to Swami lectures in
Boston:
DIR. James's forbearance and chival-
rous support Of Miss Farmers ideas to
| the very last makes me regret more truly
her efforts to hurt him with her present
statement of considerations which Olea
reports to me For myself | feel that
silence is the best course. SO strong and
true man needs no defence from the
line of attack made and feel that to dis
cuss the matter now would be unworthy
under the circumstances One feels too
deeply the sorrow and loss to spirits Of
the universe's unkind temper that made
the last weeks of his work 40 difficult
| Miss Swanander told how she and her
mother frat met Mrs Ole Bull at lecture
in Brooklyn in February. i9Ae. given
under the auspices OF the Brooklyn Ethical
Association. of which Prof William James
of Harvard was the head
She said that they had met many times
thereafter and that last year Mrs Bull
Me. Miss Sarah J. Farmers advanced
thought farm
| when came TO Greenacre.- said Miss
SwanapCer, Mrs Bull was sick in body
and mind. She spoke TO me of her i'll
ness told her thought it was intesti-
nal trouble. She said no. that it was
not physical. She said that something
had come into her life malign influence.
which had sapped her life. bur now she was
better and that she had conquered that
influence. She told me that in overcom-
ing it her health had been broken She
said. however, that she might get better. "
Did she tell you the source OF this ma
lign influence" asked Attorney Whipple
! No." said Miss Swanander. Twice
she promised she would tell me but she
never did so One day she called me to
her couch when she was in the sitting
| autd SxBa 10, IL.
came to me from the spirit world He
stood by my couch under an apple or
| cherry tree In full bloom He spoke to
me and said. I have siri TO care for you ;"
Edwina Mrs Bulls grandson, also came
and stood by my couch in pink radiance -"
How long had you been at Greenacr Q
before she told you OF Swami viveka-
nanda?" asked Mr.. Whipple.
| Two days. answered Miss Swanander.
How recently had Swami appea red
before Mrs. Bull told you?'
"She told me at noon and he appeared
during the morning. She told me that
Swami had comforted her and that ha d
been sent by him. and that my mother
| would soon come and that she would get
well She told me Swami told her he was
caring for and looking after her and tina I
she would get well.
Miss Swanander then said that Mrs
Bull at the sanitarum in Brooklyn,
months later. had told ier OF other visits
she had received from the spirits of Swami
and Edwina.
Did Ole Bull also Gomez"
She spoke not as seeing him but az
hearing his voice"
We're there any meditations at Green
acre."
Yes, every time that Mrs Bull felt
strong enough she held meditations
who joined with her in these?"
Miss Celia Richmond who lived al the
hotel. and also Swami Bodenanda. Swami
Bodenanda conducted the meditations
whan he could be present
Did you notice what sort of room the
meditation chamber was9"
In this room she had the pictures of
those whom che thought most precious
At the meditations the Swami would read
the rajah yoga"
"Did she have an altar in the room?-
"les. al Greenacre there were pictures
! of Swami Vivekananda. Owani Rama
krishna Edwina ami flowers and some.
times fruit and incense on the altar"
Did Mrs. Bull 60 with you to Brooklyn?-
"She came later"
When she sent for your mother. did
she ask her TO bring DIR. Reed?"
Il told her it would he impossible. She
wanted us to 60 TO Cambridge. l was a
teacher and didn't want TO give up my
work
Attorney Whipple read q letter from
Mrs, Bull to the witness II was dated
| II ~-N -