New-York tribune., 1919-04-10
His 'X-F acuIty'
Real, Chaloner
Plans to Prove
Files Documentary Evidence
i'll Court of Ability to En-
ter ''Napoleonic Trance"
TO Base Sanity Upon 1t

Documentary evidence of John
Armstrong Chaloner's faith in his "X-
faculty. Of the feats of his graphic
automatism" and his ability to go into
a trance ara become the image of Ma
poleon Bonapartc, was filed yesterday
in the United States District Court.
The papers were filed by Chaloner's
attorney, Frederick A. Ware, who in
clients sanity when his libel suit
comes up tomorrow
The paper dealing with Chaloner's
discovery Of his second self is a re-
port made December 10, 1900, by DR..
Horatio Curtis Wood, then clinical
professor of diseases of the nervous
system at the University of Pennsyl-
vania. After several talks with Chal-
oner, Dir. Wood expressed the opinion
that he was mentally peculiar but ap-
peared at that time to be sane.
Chaloner's introduction to his second
self was his recognition of his morn
ing premonitions. This was in 1898,
he told the doctor. In that year he
began to notice that when he had any
plan of Importance afoot he generally
woke up either exhilarated or de
pressed. He noticed also that when
exhilaration possessed him the plan
he had in mind turned out to be sue
cessful, and when depression was his
morning master the plan was a flivver.
Guided by Warning Moods
He acquired such self -diagnostc
ability that he was able to take advan-
tage of these warning moods, and if
he awoke depressed would change
whatever plan he had in view for the
day. A feeling of Indifference meant
that the day held nothing of impor-
tance for him.
In the latter part of December,
1896" the report continues. "Chaloner
accidentally discovered that at certain
times and under certain conditions if
he took a pencil in his hand it would
write without his making conscious
effort or giving direction. At times the
pencil would write nonsense This
nonsense was not incoherent in the
slightest degree; grammar was correct,
sense always perfectly plain; only the
nonsense referred to impossible state
ments and alleged prophescs made
about him.
A little later Chaloner noticed that
the quirk that had got into his pencil
sometimes wagged his tongue and that
he spoke without conscious cerebra-
ton. From this semi-trance state it
was only step to the "Napoleonic
trance" Chaloner's own account of the
Napoleonic trance" and it's profound
effect upon "the distinguished sculptor,
Mr.. s. g." is recounted by DR.. Wood,
as follows:
"ln communicating with my X-fac-
uity by means Of vocal automatism
winch IS also one of my trancelike
states, / was informed by my X-faculty
that 1t would like me to go into a
Napoleonlc trance 1t gave me to un-
derstand that / would represent the
death Of Napoleon Bonaparte by so do
ing, and that my features when nv
eyes were closed would resemble
strongly those of the dead Napoleon
Bonaparte. This was in February, 1897
THE distinguished sculptor, Mr.. S
g., calling at the hotel, / asked him
If he would like to see me enter q
trance. | was interested myself from
scientific point Of view to know Just
what ! would do in trance, never
having entered one before Mr. S. G.
expressed keen interest in seeing me
in trance.
Used n Shaving Mirror
II then took, under tho direction of
my x-facuty, n small hand mirror
hands and holding It rigidly extended
above my head, stared at my eyes for
several moments without any result.
did not know but what the expert
nent was about 10 prove abortiyo and
ridiculous. 1t WAS one or the most
daring experiments | have ever en-
tered upon for that reason.
After minute or two OF com
plets paasiyity and riRdity, for tho
hrst time In my life ! experienced the
entrance 70 q trante. The first symo-
toms ] had we're slow, deep brcnths.
utterly Involuntary on my part These
gradually increased In force until they
fesembled What ! Imagine aro death
gasps, by which ! mean rnhn dying
nnd gasping for breath
"Jh"se gbsDs continued in fr~dIeney