The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-19
GHOSTS ROSES REAL,
THEIR ROBES TULLE
But How They Got into Mrs.
ThomsOn's Cabinet Is
Not Settled.
ONE LINCOLN'S FRIEND
Another, in Morosco Theatre,
Sighed, Kissed Raymond
Hitchcock's Hand.
ONE LINCoLN's FRIEND

| Sadly human, ana WnoSe OlltT VI 0o'VVN
to any medium that will tell him what's
written on sheet of paper in his safe
remains untaken. was the only person
on the stage of the Morosco Theatre
yesterday afternoon not introduced TO q
single one of the dozen ghosts thai
emerged from Mrs. Elizabeth Allen
Thomson's curtained cabinet.
Three self-appointed committees. each
consisting of six men and six women
followed one another In sitting on the
stage so as to get a close view OIL the
assorted ha'nts. or these thirty-slx
! thirty-five were led, one or two at a
time, up to the front of the cabinet to
be blessed and sighed over most cavern
ously by the figure draped in white. Joe
Rim would have been the thirty-siXth.
But for some reason, just as Mr.. KIM
was rubbing his fingers so he could give
the spirit picked out for him good
warm handshake, Mrs. Thomson's hus-
band, who was running the show, ordered
the lights turned on and said the seance
was ended.
So all Joe Rim could do was to take
( a header into the debate that followed
and offer sums ranging from 81 1000 to
/ $4,000 II he couldn't do stuff just like
that and II Mrs. Thomson could repeat
her materializations under test condt-
lions to be prescribed by him. This
caused so much palaver. with Raymond
Hitchcock. Houdini. professor or two.
and one OF the Watson sisters swirling
In giddy argument, that 1t is impossible
TO say whether any Of the challenges
tossed all over the theatre were actu-
ally accepted.
Ghosts Roses Real.
So the only points settled were these
two First, the roses OF the bouquet
presented to the jury of committees by
one of the spectres were real roses and
were even done up with florists's green
cry: second, the white robe worn i'm
partially by all the spectres was made
of tule. A professor said muslin"
ut gives me real pain" replied Clar-
ence Thomson. the mediums husband,
that this beautiful rich cloth. whatever
II may be, should be described as mus
IN. Did not any OF the ladies feel itY'
IT did," said an actress. 1T was
tulle"
"They are the same thing" bristled
the professor.
IF you had ever bought any tulle you
would know they're not the same thing, "
the actress blazed.
Mrs. Thomson's apparitions were
vouched for many years ago by Sir
Oliver Lodge, Sir William Croookee and
William T. Stead. They performed at
the New York Temple OF Modern Spir-
itualism in 1912 at 81 per admission
ticket for each spectator. An investi-
eating committee of the temple reported
the phenomena as interesting but not
evidence of spiritualism. The Thomsons
went abroad again, but now are living
/ in Chicago. Yesterdays was test
/ demonstration to, which had been IN
vited newspaper reporters, actors and
psychical researchers. The stage was
set for the first act of the regular play
In this theatre. "The Bat" The only
furniture was twelve chairs. six on each
side, for the committees The cabinet
was of thin boards on three side and top.
Dark plush curtains covered the front.
The usual inspection by reporters and
others revealed no hidyholes or trap
doors.
Ghost Friend of Lincoln.
Husband Thomson explained that the
mans voice that would come from the
cabinet was supposed 10 be that of Mrs.
Thomson's father, the late Gen. William
II. Shook, Commander OF Grand Army
post In Kentucky and a personal friend
of Lincoln" Experts had examined his
wifes throat, said Mr.. Thomson, and
proclaimed that such a voice could never
proceed from IL. Mrs. Thomson was in
troduced. She is tall and motherly look
ing and was dressed IN black
The six women OF the FIRST commit
tee Of scrutiny accompanied her 20 her
dressing room and watched her change
from her street attire to a black skirt
black slippers and a borrowed coat
She then came to the stage with them
and they reported that they had ex-
amined even her hairpins and that she
had nothing concealed. She entered the
cabinet. The lights were turned of
until there was left only a faint glow
from the wings. Mr.. Thomson said the
spectators would remember that all the
manifestations related In the Bible
took place in semi -obscurity" A dis.
tant plano helped the spooks to ma
| terisllze. The cabinet curtains rustlet
perceptibly Mr. Thomson held thu
| hand of the committeeman nearest the
cabinet and his daughter. who is about
| IL years old, that OF the nearest com
mittee woman The curtains parted and
n woman all In white. the veil covering
even her face and hands. swayed out
and held forth the bunch of red roses
/ She was just about as tall as Mrs
| Thomson. When she retreated into the
cabinet she pulled the curtains together
with her own hands.
! The next ghost had long black
whiskers, and with the white robe. re-
sembed n Bedouin sheik. The next Q
woman. sighed and kissed Raymond
| Hitchccck's hand. Within the cabinet q
voice, sounding strangely like q
woman trying to initiate man, said
throatily: Look real close at thu
face. children. Faces are fat yoc
| know"
No Word From stead.
Down in the audience Prof De. Kerlor
vice-president OF n psychicai congress
who had been one. OF the first men u
meet one of Mrs. Thomsons troupe o
ghosts, was saying: II asked her IL sh'
had a message for me from William T
stead. but she didn't say n damn thing"
Some hard human being remarked u
Mr. Thomson how curious II was that al
OF the spirits seemed to be of about Mrs
Thomson's height and build. When th'
lights were flashed on and Mrs. Thomson
In her black coat had gone to her dress
ing room and the cabinet had been ex
plored and found bare. Mr.. Thomson tool
occasion to cay that this was not true
as careful observation would have showe'
the various figures to be of differen
heights.
Prof. De Kerlor irritated Mr.. Thomson
by saying the demonstration carrie,
pri1na facie evidence that i was a fake