The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1921-01-21


Ever since the visit of Sir Oliver
Lodge to the United States an increas-
ed interest has been developed in
psychic communications
Mr.. ]. H. Brown OF Bosom, reprints
a letter in the Boston Transcript, writ
ten by Mr.. Henry James, the eminent
Era alish novelist some years before his
death to a friend in Paris, which is
most remarkable and may interest
scme cf the readers Of the Banner:
"a really astounding communica-
tion, says the eminent author, Il have
Just had from or througha 'medi-
um in America (near Boston,, mes
sage purporting to come from my
mother, who died twenty-five years
ago, ard from whom it ostensibly pro-
ceeded during a seance at which my
sister-in-law, with two or three other
persons, was present. The point is
that the message is an allusion to a
matter known s(so personal is 1T to
nlygelf) to no other individual in the
world but menot possibly to the
medium or to my sister-in-law and
an allusion so pertinent and initiated
and tender and helpful, and yet so
unhelped by any actual earthly know
ledge on anyone's part, that it quite
astounds as well as deeply touches
me- IfIthe subject of the message
had been conceivahly in my sister-in-
laws mind it would have been, an in
teresting but not infrequent case OF
telepathy, but, as say, it couldn't
thinkably have been, and she only
transmits it to me, after the fact, not
even fully understanding it. So, re-
peat, / am astounded.'
The writer to the Boston Trans
cript says that "the number Of emf
nent men from Sir William Crookes
and Alfred Russell Wallace to Sir
Oliver Lodge and Henry James, who
have testified to the validity Of these
communications would seem to give
this whole question a status, and to
lift it to a plane Of philosophic and
scientific Importance demanding the
most serious consideration and inves-
tigation.
Alcng the same lines We remember
General Alfred Aver said to us that on
an occasion about the close OF the
war between the states he heard a
DISTINGUISHED officer Of the Confeder-
ate army in conversation with his
father say that while at dinner with
his family suddenly one Of his daught-
ers stood up and in great distress ex
claimed. Brother IS killed."
Then she explained that she wildly
saw the battle line Of the two armies:
saw the flags waving and the officers
urging their men forward; she saw the
federal soldier fire the shot that kill
ed her brother saw the spot pierced
BY the bullet; saw the blood gush
forth; saw Tow her brother was dress
ed, ard saw him fall.
It was afterwards ascertafned that
her brother was killed on the day and
at the identical moment she saw him
fall and tsat he was pierced by the
bullet at the identical spot she de-
scriebd.
The December issue Of Current
Opinion contains a description of and
comments upon .Edison's Apparatus
for the Benefit of Those who have
Passed or"
Believing that the article will prove
interesting to a number of our read
ers interested in these mysteries OF
life, we quote the article entire:
A machine which could be operated
by personalities which have passed
on to another existence has for some
time engaged the thoughts of Thomas
A. Edison. Edison does not assert
that our personalities do pass on to
another existence. He admits that he
knows nohing on the subject. He does
think it possible to construct an appa-
ratus which win be so delicate that if
there are such personalities who wish
to get in touch with US in this exis-
tence, this apparatus will at least
give them a better opportunity to ex-
press themselves than the fitting
tables and raps and ouija boards and
mediums and the other methods now
thought to be the only means Of com
munication.
These are Edison's own words, Al,