The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-11
'I0t
Question of Wheth-
. er Human Person.
atty Survives Az
!" ter Death Arouses
. Interest Now in.
{, Circles Hithe rto
u n c o nc rned
q A bout Psychic
:. Phenomena
By HARRY ESTY DouNcE.
\ HE war has given the subject

HE war has given the subject Of
10 spiritualism, once anathema-
wA tized and long derided. some
thing Of an international standing in
good lay society. The so-called scien-
ttfic evidence that the spirit or per-
seonality survives death, and that COM
smunication Is going on between a
,4pirit world and ours. IS becoming a
prevalent interest among intelligent
ssnd reasonably hard headed people
America is rejecting the interest from
England. where 1t is intense. This
~ particularly true of New York city
and in circles not heretofore identified
With psychic research.
- BY good lay society, laymen as OPP
posed to trained scientists are meant.
for In the scientific circles of England,
Xrance and Italy. and to some extent
n materialist!c Germany, spiritualism
has had eminent investigators since the
'70s and there has been an imposing
array OF eminent believers. American
,eeientists also have gone into it, but
the number who have made extensive
Hesearch has been smaller and the ones
convinced could be counted on the fin
gers OF one hand.
= Among our thoughtful laymen-bar
the constitutionally superstitious and
Gyedulous and the members OF more or
less religious cults-the proportion of
Aceptics may not have been as large as
in England. but the proportion who
had given the subject no attention
either way has probably, Of late years
at least. been smaller. This in spite of
the fact that the Fox sisters, from
whom impressive modern mediumship
In dated. first heard and replied to
spirit raps" near Hydesville. N. Y, in
1S4s. One OF the sisters is said to have
tecanted later on.
-. A Change Sets In.
fS-Now a change has set in. To illus
,trate: It used to be a maxim OF pub
iishers that books on Spiritualism
wouldn't sell, and of editors that
stories involving the occult were use
less, as readers did not find 1t plausi-
BILE even in fiction. Mr.. Belasco pre-
scented the hugely popular David War
Geld In a play which turned upon the
apparition and influence OF the spirit
of the central character. Theatrically
fhe play was the strongest Warfield
had ever had. Scientifically its spir-
itualism was as up to date as study OF
me authorities could make 1t. Emo
tionally the appeal was Of the well
tried, sure fire kind.
OF The play didn't utterly fail, yet did
not begin to succeed as other Warfield
vehicles had done. The public took no
stock in ghosts.
o. To-day, If THE Return of Peter
Grimm" were on the boards in New
York, there Is reason to think its
fortunes would be different Drop into
the largest bookstore on Fifth avenue
and you find a spacious table piled up
with work on spiritualism. The pile
e constantly melting away and con-
ttantly being renewed The clerk says
the line has been their busiest all
spring. Many OF the books are brand
hew publications from publishers IA
knous for sound commercial sense. Toy
ehops report a new and lively call for
OuiJa boards.
r Two English writer's are largely re-
9ponsible for our reflection OF the
English interest One is Sir Oliver
Lodge. the physicist, also known
since the SOS as an Investigator of
eupernormal phenomena. and for
pauch OF that time as affirming that
living men are in touch with identi-
fable spirits of the dead The other
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, novelist
ana historian. a medical man to be-
SIN with. renowned from the Eski-
mos to the Patagonians as the author
Of Sherlock Holmes.
1t happens that both lost sons in
the war. and that both believe they
have heard from them since death.
The statement to this effect from CO.
nan Doyle (as the public will always
call him) Is recent. ana has not vet
figured In his books and articles. But