The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-02-01
BLACK MAGIC
IS PRACT|CED
Secret Societies in London Where
the Evil Spirits Are
Brought to this
Earth.
MANY ARE BELIEVERS
If spiritua'Ism Can Summon From
Heaven, Others Can be
Brought From
Below.
by Ed l.. Keen, London Corresponds
ent of the United Press.l

ent of the United Press.l
LONDON, Jan. 31.-Students of the
occult-as well as the general public
have taken lively interest in the I'M
qualified assertion made by Manager
Robert Hugh Benson, of the Roman
Catholic church, that "black magic is
still practiced here in England. Ac-
cording to this eminent churchman
and author who recently has devoted
much of his time to physical research,
there exists today in London, secret
societies which regularly attempt the
summoning of evil spirits, with all the
accompaniment OF obscene oaths,
horrible incantations, and the various
greusome rites employed by opponents
of witchcraft in the middle ages.
Manager Benson says he knows per-
sonally two men who are members of
such a society They frankly claim
to be in league with evil spirits, just
as the old witches did" he declared,
when interviewed on the subject They
are we'll educated, but whether they
are mad or whether they are merely
liars, am not qualified to say. But
| / do know that they attempt the black
art" He explained that they use the
rites principally as means of men
tai concentration for the purposes Of
exercising malevolent influencs
over persons whom they wish to in
jure. The monsignor does not be-
lieve in the possibility of materializ-
ing either good or evil spirits, and he
ascribes the alleged manifestations of
the ''blac kmasicians" as we'll as
those of the spiritualists to telepathic
Influence upon the subconscious mind
of the spectator or auditor.
Commenting on his statements.
General Sir Alfred Turner, England's
leading spiritualist, and who claims
frequently to have conversed with
the materialized spirit of the late w.
T. Stead, said to this correspondent:
unfortunately we spiritualists can
not deny the existence of black
magic; we can only deplore it. We
know that it is possible to summon
the evil spirits from the other world,
just as good spirits are summoned.
of this terrible business. Black magic
is not only attempted but it is sue
cessfully practiced in England by a
great many persons. ] have seen it
but only once. The rites are even too
horrible to describe. | shudder every
| time | think of them, and only wish I
could wipe the experience from my
memory. You may gather some idea
of the gruesomeness of it when I tell
you that a huge bowl of steaming
blood was one of the properties util-
lied 1t must not be supposed that
| these practices are merely revival
/ of an ancient craft. The rites have
Ijbeen handed down secretly and by
| word OF mouth only for centuries
past.
A distinguished investigator of
1 psychic phenomena-no a spiritualist
who has written several books up
on the subject, asserted that he knew
personally of three black magic" So
cities in London. of course said
he, their operations are surrounded
with every possible safeguard of Sec
recy Only the initiated are admitted
to their meetings. The candidate has
to take a fearful oath, in which he
agrees to forfeit his life should he di-
vulge any of the doings of the society.
Recruiting for these organizations Is
being conducted more extensively than
one would suspect, so little does the
general public know OF the business.
, Emissaries of the societies are in tne
habit of frequenting meetings and so
) cial gatherings where advanced
} thought is supposed TO predominant
over the every day variety, and here
they often find fertile field. Sir Al
fred Turner is quite right in saying
| that the spiritualists of England have
+ no connection with the yotaries of
( black magic | know OF no society or
4 association of spirituallsts in the
! country and my acquaintance with
D theb is administrations teaches or