New-York tribune., 1919-05-20
Chaloner Cot
X-Faculty in
Bloomingdale
Says Before He Went There
He Could Only Write
Check; Since Then He
Has Written Many Books

Before John Armstrong Chalonder
was committed to Bloomingdale the
only thing he could write was a check.
While there his subconscious instinct
developed and led him to the discov-
cry Of his "X faculty" by means of
which ne could go into "Napoleonic
trance" 1t was while in this state that
the feats of his graphic automatism'
AIDED him in the production of the
many works on psychology he has pub
lished
testimony to this effect was given
yesterday by Mr.. Chaloner when he
'00k the witness stand in his $780,
wv libel action against "The New
l0fk Evening Post" in the Federal
District Court before Judge A. N. Hand.
II was while under cross examination
O7 Attorney Wherry for the news
paper that Chaloner was called on n
explain his tx faculty." He told -.
e'u'' and jury of his research n.o-,
10 Psychology, and held their ir+ouoa.
,4''asnout' Frequently the witness h.,
~ humorous answers to the questions
y M "nerry, drew gales Of laughter
Story of His Early Life
a. AZ Cnalcner, in his direct examina-
,'cn' SAID he was a great grandson Of
sO1h Jacob Astor, and was al one
a. .'' ,he husband of Amelie Rives. now
.as si fr'ncess Trouhetzkoy. He told Of
= .' early life, education and travcls
= ;nua ue'a'i ne told Of his studies at Co.
s.,' .s.a'Dia' and how subsequently he had
V1Oped :. and utilized the water power
A.. ~ "0snoke Rapids, Virginia. This
was barren waste, he said. and
ss.. - naa transformed it into a pros
=. .'as city Of several thausand peo-
=. Ar' Chaloner has 1865 900 in
49,. IN the Standard Power Com
t,a,i:- i 0i Roanoke Rapids and con-
fs"ns interest in the United States
ss''al ~ Company there.
l. mad the misfortune he said ar
H. s quarrel with my brothers and
p;ss p' over the marriage to Amelia
So because of the quarrel the cool
grew between the Rives and
So. l'sr families, so that when I was
~ I.s'ea there was only one member
"a .ae Chandler family present"
Hs.si meeting IN the old Kensington
d. II, ~ New York, my brother Win
d.. .handier and | had a violent
= hxsa'ion, axn and he even went so far as
a.. sf 10 strike me, his blood brother
sS IN December, 1886"
The insanity Proceedings
IA February 10, 1897, Mr.. chaloner
- ssanfor White an octor viz
am a. Merry Mills. DURING their
srs'Aa,ion Ar- White said:
kas. uoas sake, come and take
s' .s "a .ne metropolitan whirl."
y. - came on" continued the wit
b., ".u vent TO the Kcnsington
Ma. H,'er ] got there a doctor was
so az Dr.. Mosez Starr, an ocu-
~ a"o they toi me he would he
/. a'aen lnterexted in the change in
~" o. ny egcS, which waa yery
t.. ~ eyez had been brown. and in
s.la ney changed 10 gray and are
sssssy xsay: The doctor, however, was
IsS.az'n2 himself, and actually was
n s@i la examiner in Iunacy. To let
III s..e'stand, gentlemen Of the Jury,
mr. opened In the future want 10 !
a. you that I haze always been
4saos 20 INTO trancelikc state. al
40 not believe IN spirituaIinm
,ssse .sa'e this peculiar state OF mInd
'aseiousness. vaz interested
/ sseI>l ssDyeei at college and made a
+ II. ss.s rsssaseh in Psychology.
bssr.as INTO trance before Dr.
~, ., While mar in this state the |
sl4sr,ss ssok down what said and later |
- .sat | had made these expres-
'ss's In normal state. and on |