Bridgeton pioneer., 1913-01-30

harvard University Accepts St0y00G
Fund to Study Psyehical Phenomenz.
spirituaIists Highly Pleased.
There were much head noddng ana
exchanging Of Il told you SOS" among
spiritualists and others devoted to psy-
chical research recently over the an
nouncement of DR.. James 2. HysIop OF
the American Society For Psychicaf
Research that he had again been In
communication with the spirit of VIII
liam James, late professor of philos0<
ply at Harvard.
In an article published in the journsg
Of the society, just out, DR.. Hysiov
gives details Of his latest conversations
with his friend in spirit land. H&
writes that the communication was
conducted through the medium OF
ffteen-y year-old boy, the son OF cleet
gyman, well known on both sides OF
the Atlantic" While entranced this
boy has been telling the Psychicai Re
search society man that '.poltergeists
will leave razor blades and matches In
places where they may do harm and
that an evil shade which turks in the
dark and hurls inkstands and heavy
stones at the heads Of true believers
should be watched out for. The au-
thority for the warnings in every case
has been the spirit of Professor James,
according to the boy. Shortly after the
death Of the Harvard philosophy pro
fessor DIR. Hyslop announced that he
had been communicating with him
through the mediums Mrs. Chenoweth
and Mrs. Piper.
DR.. Hyslop began his experiments
with the boy on Nov. 20. 1911. He
called at the home of the boys fathess
whom he calls "the Rev. DR.. X.," and
learned that Professor James had been
endeavoring to speak through DR.. KS
son. The next day the experiments
were resumed, and there were sons
rather remarkable and alarming doinga
Spirits Queer Actions.
There was violent table tipping and
leyitation in which the table rose two
feet from the floor. Then an attemps
was made for the translation OF OBJ
jects''- that Is, to see whether the sptr~
Its would move objects from one roons
3 tsDoers were closed again and the
lights turned out" DR.. Hyslop report
ed ''ln few moments something fell
sounding like two objects. Up went
the lights and within q few feet OF
each other were two pairs Of scissors
which belonged in another room. The
next were nail cleaner and the boys
knife. both from the room upstairs. !:
"Then drinking cup struck. the bog,
on the head and seemed to have hura
him. Next skate key from upstairss
then dozen marbles from rooms tive
flights up. A pipe stem was thrown
across the room from a table In the
corner. Then fountain pen from tho
library table where we were.
: Presently razor blades were throws
into the room. the electric light bulbs
were smashed with violently thrown
stone and book was hurled againss
the boys head. At similar seancs
later on man complained that his
pocket had been picked. A spirit had
distracted a 25 cent piece.
'Dr. X" says Professor Hyslom
asked Professor James to spell out
& the name OF the man who had infiur
enced both Of them, and first Balzao
was spelled out and then Goethe. both
wrong, and then Fechner, which was
correct Then l questioned the COM
municator, asking him If he had ever
communicated with me. Answer az
frmative. In Boston? Affirmative
Elsewhere? Affirmative. Near --f
Negative. North? Negative. Westf
Negative. South? Affirmative. All
these replies were correct" re
Harvard Accepts Study.
According to the journal of the So
cfety, Harvard university has accent
ed $4,000 endowment fund for
psychical research. In the announce
ment 1t is stated that this is the drst
official recognition of such study se~
corded by any American university.
The fund. which was esta bIished by
several individuals, is a memorial of
the life and work of DIR. Richard
Hedgson, secretary of the society from
1887 until his death in 1905
The journal in the current issue by
way Of comment says:
'The value of it lies chiefly in the
fact OF this recognition, as the fund ts
not large enough to do all the WORT
that must re done in this field. Be.
sides, no one can any longer question
the respectability of the work. Tue
objection which an uniformed public
has always raised-namely, that the-
colleges and universities have not ad-
mitted the work into their puryiew
point, cannot be presented any longer.
'"The acceptance of the fund makes
1t impossible for any other institution
In this country to disregard or to dis
respect the work. 1t has won its place
In so conservative university as Har-
vard-conservatiye In all the problems
that affect long despised phenomena.
1t Is In every way most welcome sit
uation. and we have to thank the con-
trfbutors for tho couraa which tAo~