Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-01-05
A. CONAN DOYLE GIVES.
VIEWS ON SP|RITuAL!sM
Firm in Ills Belief That Mediums
Exist for Communicating
With the Dead.
VEIL THIN BETWEEN WORLDS
quotes Many Remarkable Personal
Experiences to Uphold Theory ct
Spiritual Messages to Those in the
Flesh

icS-ltI publivist and historian who
has ioeomc a convinced spirl;uaiist.
has accorded me a striking interview
on tn" subject OF Life After Death"
Sir Arthur now has even a more
vital reason than his Intense interes,
in this great subject. FOR recently he
suffered heavy bereavement by tho
death OF his eldest son. AIugslcy Conan
Doyle, i medical student. and his only
son OF his first marriage
Angs!cy Conan Doyle Was an ex-
"cptionally pTomising young man. lie
VAS twenty-six when he adopted tn.
medical profession. following the foot
steps of his distinguished father. The
younger DOYLE enlisted in the begin
Ming OF the war and performed lengthy
services at the front. where he became
captain OF the Ftrsi Hampshlres
II" w..s severely wounded last May.
Under the British Army Councu's in
Htructions ordering former medical
students to return to civiI life. Ain=slcy
Conan Doyle resumed his studies and
entered ST. Thcmass Hospital, where
he was regarded as an exceptionally
brilliant. Keen and hard working stu
dent
Jus, as Sir Arthur was coming to
,he h.aiiorn, at Noit.neham 10 address
death and Afterwards" lie received
ns.ws Of his sous dean in spite Of
ne heayy shock and sorrow, Sir Ar
thur iuln!l.d his engagement
= have not tried 60 get IA commune
cation with ms SON. said SIR Arthur
shall be able TO 10 so hut | Shall
not try unul i comes naturally Ny
son was not "a spiritualisC
lie Vas. think. a little afraid o!
the subject and Wig always r.luctaui
about discussing il lie had. hrw.vcr.
heard me Lecture on spT!tuaiism. ana
and belief rerardi1g it This HilI help
nm IN return!n. Tor 4 is always
'otnnunicat" !. he has previously had
some "instruciior. You may be Ger
tain, however. that 4 | do ia time re-
.eiNe MESSAGES purportins to com.
from my son in the other world. /
shall test them most .i.idly. for
ann always on the outloois FOR fraud in
these matters. ANA accept az evidence
no in:ssag regarding jhv nuthentici,y
~ Wh.cn ,here. cE' hY The sliehtes,
mat shall receive communications
sooner or later"
Meanwhile. In the Intervals Of ad.
dressing audiences AN oyer the country
on. the subject % Sp!TitutIism which
No regards as Tie most iiHportau;
question with which thu human rae. IS
concerned, ana constantly writing
hh"ut II win all III" fore OF his lit
eraiy genius combined With in,cus,.
conviction. this tN-phy irIIn-a Tor-
rner out-and-cU; mni-rlalist and lOgi-
can tn" VERY last man in England
come a convert to tn" ,UIt OF shirt
ISM. IS gladly placing his services ana
,hS experience which he has gained at
the disposal %! other aneuishcd pa
rents who have lost sons either II,
az as result OF TN" war. with tie
object of assisting them 20 zee INTO
communication Win the boys who hav,
pa scd over"
SAYS IIE KNOWS or, THOSE
CnMMtNIciTING WITH SONS
In his extraordinary book "Th. New
h.I m h..
OF this year. in which hc cxpounls his
belief that psychiG phenomena have
relates his own psychic experience.
sIrce the beginning Of his thirty years
n then knew OF thirteen mothers Of
dead soldier boys who were IN com
iHMnicaiion with their sons He nplv
teliS me thnt the number OF such
mothers Of whom h. has Personal
knowlcdsc has grown to thirty. ana
mat. IN many instances he himself has
placed th"in IN position 10 establish
his communication. And in all lh.-
cases, he declare, the result has been
iiIinGS o: great JOY"
In each case said Sir Arthur the
mus band where he * alive. * agreed
as I" the evidence. In only one or TWO
"u' OF these. thirty cases, a. far as
know. was the parent acquainted with
psychic matters before the war.
j. , ~ enGTE l lasr wher. communicaHon
mother is able 10 recognize almost inn
m.diatnlN that il is really her dcad
dunn. 1T the very ou,sc; The lni,cr
VII VIII say, see tall fellow, with =
soma soma description: isn't his name lack?
Then Will follow rcminisccucc OF the
noy earthly lif". in most cases details
That could not possibly be known. to
or imagined ~ any onc--to say noth-
ing 81 perfect, sirancer--nnt init.
relations OF this particular family.
soinc instances moreover. as in
1 A,l,,
so renihri;nhlr book regarding their
y With Inc LONE matiers connected
touched upon which were not known,
TO ms parents, hut which. upon in
c c"Sais"''on, pr9ve !" nv ,pcrfoctly ac-
SastN i"inn" r' iioS" foys' life in The
,,it %Hr- ,.ool Z a. in many cases
riabiH hearing testimony to the dcnari
c 20, ones romni%t" happiness ana cx-
h hrsSsl ngos ms ferwrnt desire that his
OF II and that far from mournips. MIN
e., lost they should go on living hap
Rod that needs to eIapsc brrnr,. 70
union takes place
SEVERAL CASES UtyH
THEIR OWN IRREGULARITIES
Several Of these cases have nccuIi,r
tiles of Their own, In two of them the
ilgIrcs Of the dead lads have appeared
nesi m,eo the mot her. r., in piro;ograph
(mother came through a stranger To-
No IN the correct address of the mo-
Their was given: Tncn communication
later hcca'ne direct. In another ease
me method Of sending messages was
10 give reference TO particular paDcrs
AMI lines % books in distant libraries,
INC whole converting message This
hrocodure was TO ru'c out all fear of
tclcp3thy. Verify there is no posaihic
way ny which (" truth can he proved
ny which tbs truth Of the possibiIity
o. c1mmnIicnti9m with the dead has
How is Il mother. say. an American
mother who has lost her son in the
munication with him asked.
How" repeated SIR Arthur. There
IS me diiicnliN! There are true men
and there arc frauds Yon have 10
work warily So far as professional
mediums go, you will not lind it diff
hcult TO get recommendations Even
Win the best YOU may draw entirely
blank The conditions are very elm-
siNc Md yet some, get the result a.
once. We cannot lay down laws he
cause the law works from tho other
side az well as this. But nearly every
woman is an undevciopcd medium Let