Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-23

VuIOrS III not UpllPNpTS.
The list Of membership In the British
Society for Psychical Research reads
like tho roster of the Royal Society.
In fact, the majority Of the presi-
dents of the British organization In
recent years have been drawn from the
membership of the Royal Society. d.
THE death of DR.. James II. Hyslop,
l. head of the American Society for
Psychical Research, breaks the last link
between the past and the present In
this field of investigation.
Prof. William James. Of Harvard (;
Richard Hodgson and Doctor Hyslop
were the most famous Investigators in
the line Of rsychical research that this
country has known.
The two former have been dead
number of years, and the death Of Doc
tor TIySlop last week leaves the field to
new generation of workers.
The last time | saw Doctor Hyslop
was in January of this year, when |
spent a couple Of hours with him in the
rear parlor of his home In New York
which was both his study and work
room.
He was then in poor health, but was
as brilliant and entertaining as when
I had last seen him five years before.
GIT WILL be thirty years perhaps
l. fifty, before the world will recog-
nizc at it's full value the work the So
ciety-mcaning the American Society
for Psychical ResearchShas been and
is doing" he said.
1T is work that develops very
n. 1pI 30 Ia
through such n mass of irrelevant ma
terial to find the few grains of truth
that lie concealed within.
"The world expects instant results.
1t docs not appreciate the difficulties
that surround every step we take. 1t
grows impatient, then skeptical, and
finally dcrisive and abusive. But the
light will come some day"
H'TNHAT man Hyslop was a nut"
L 4 Philadelphia gentleman widely
known a. II brilliant educator and an
all around we'll informed man made the
remark.
1t was but the echo of popular idea.
Doctor Hyslop was anything but a
nut"
The same might have been said Of
chologist the faculty of Harvard ever
knew: or of Richard Hodgson, n prod
uct of the great universities of Great
Britain, writer, student and a gen
tleman.
Doctor Hyslop was n particularly
cold blooded investigator.
Whatever may be thought of his work
or his beliefs. he had the courage Of his
convictions
He resigned his professorship in CO.
lumbia University to devote his entire
time to the study of psychic phenomena |:
the problem of communication with the
world beyond the grave.
Il have grown so accustomed to
abuse and attack" he said. that L
pay no attention to it. Now and then,
when some particularly prominent pub
lication attacks me or the society and
makes not only unfoundcd but abso-
lutely malicious misstatements, ] am
compelled to reply. 1t is to set them
straight, though, and not to gain pub
licity for myself"
WHEN Eusapia PaIladino was
w brought to this country half a
dozen years back Doctor Hyslop refused
to have anything to do with her. Yet
she was world famous psychic or me-
dium or reputed TO be so.
She had been investigated by Lom-
broso, Flammarion and other noted
scientists and bore the stamp of their
approval
Doctor IIyslop instinctively OWNED
an element Of at least suggested fraud
in her demonstrations, and never gave
her his countenance for moment
One of the most interesting questions
| in connection with his death is as to his
| successor
The American Society for Psychical
| Research has an endowment fund ap-
proximating 5000 1t has a mem
| bership Of thousands scattered over the
| United States, Canada and in foreign
| countries.
These members. as rule. are not
associated with So-callcd "spiritualist
bodies. They are largely of, ,the we'll
to do class, many Of them members of
the learned professions.
The parent organization. the British
Society for Psychcal Research, is a
body Of recognized standing in England.
1t has ugo and prestige. The French
society Of the same name is regarded by
some as the moro thoroughgoing and
ably conducted of tho two.
T HAPPEN to know that some very
L prominent men in the business and
professional life of Philadelphia are
deeply interested in this subject Their
name, however. have never been con :
nectcd with it publicly in any shape
or form.
Some Of them have had experiences
akin to those Of Doctor Conwel. They
are mon whose standing in the world
Of business Is Of the very highest and
whose word would be accepted unqucs
toned upon any subject.
I}ut the dread of publicity and the
feeling that they would be misunder
stood md made the target for criticism
and ridicule have sealed their lips excep
to very few intimate friends.
one subject upon which Doctor Hy
| ~ sop expressed himself fully anc
with considerable warmth the last tim'
I saw him was that of the famous Sey
bert commission for the investigation o
spiritualism.
II was undertaken under the auspices
Of the University Of Pennsylvania, tn
result Of beQuest to the University TO
the purpose.
Doctor Hyslop maintained that tn
investigation had not been conducte,
upou scientific lines, was inconclusiv
and conducted by gentlemen who wer
openly hostile to the whole subject.
lie told me that he had in his pos
session letters and documents to prov
the truth of his assertion, and volun
tcercd to place them in my possession
as soon as he found opportunity 10 I'm
earth them from the accumulated ma
! .or;oI of twentv- odd ypars