Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-03-16
GHOST HUMAN,
PRINCE SAYS
Residents Of Caledonia Mills
Refuseto Accept His
Theory.

fruit Sof, a weeks stay in the haunt
ed house." Of Alex Macdonald, de-
'clared thessadoptef daughter Of the
old farmer vas author of the sup
posedly supernormal fires and pranks
among the live stock which drove the
family from the old homestead in tho
dead Of winter. The ghostly slaps
which Harold Whidden. reporter n
2. o. Carroll, provincial detective
claim to have received were at
trihuted to natural phenomena by DIR.
Prince.
skeptics of Antagonist county are
shaking their heads today, however,,
n placing their tongues in their
checks. They characterize as absurd
the scientists nomination OF Mary
Ellen as combined author and cast of
their mystery while in a dream
state" and the victim Of an ALTERED
consciousness"
There is the possibility, supported
by a body of evidence" the report
brought about by a discarnate intel
igence. This is theoretical possibility,
whereas the external facts seem GER
tain" 49,.
DR.. Prince indicated the braid:ng
of the cows tails and the shifting of
a farm stock also probably was Il
result Of Mary Ellen's ALTERED state
OIL
The slaps that Harold whidden,
Halifax Herald reporter, n p. c.
Carroll, detective, claimed to have
suffered from a ghostly hand after
the Macdonald's had beer frightened
out of their home. however, were not
traced to Mary Ellen's hand.
Their experiences, said the report.
were probably of a supernorrhal
character, which does not necessarily
imply that the supernormal cause was
splritualistic. 1t may have been owing
to a observation-disclosures u which
is perfectly natural though impcr-
fectly normal"
Human Hands Set Fires.
In other words, DIR. Prince implied,
Whldden and Carroll might have
slapped each other-or might merely
have thought they were slapped.
: DIR. Princes summary Of his report
follows:
my visit of six nights and five days
at the house in the vicinity Of An
tigonish, n. s.. which has attracted so
much attention. ended Monday morn
Ing. 1t is difficult to condense a re-
port of some seven thousand words
into a much briefer statement and
only the salient points can be men
toned.
"The fires were undoubtedly set by
human hands. Judging by the ua-
mistakable signs left in the house.
The burns are never found on the
wall paper higher than the reach of
a person five feet tall, which Is the
height of the girl in the family. over
the bed which fills n end Of 4 room,
they are never higher than such d
person kneeling could reach, and in
v,,,ll,r ~, e,o1r,,y ,.@~{L1~ @,,> ,~,ll
not wish to stand on the bed.
"Other slightly higher places en-
the woodwork were always set on tire
by pieces of cloth, which could easily
have been tossed. In a recess over
a door where a fire occurred were
found the fragments of a pairs'f
gloves. undisturbed. and in the midst
of then a match where it coull not
have bcen prior TO the fire, nor lave
been placed there after its e~xtin.u!s'-
ment.
Girl in "Drcam States.
1.-The fires avoided starting before
a witness. as there was no occult rea-
son for doing. and avoided all parts
of the dining room and parlor Visible
from the meeting place in the kitchen.
An odorless. inflamable liquid was
found in a bottle en- a bearn %:h:ca
produced the described effects On wet
paper. Other induces were found
pointing to the same conclusion.
namely. hat a person five feat tai;
secretly performed the acts as OPP
portunity onered.
But l am of the opinion that th-
girl was not mentally culpao!". She
is mentally exceedingly young Tor her
years, and within the past year has
had singular dream states f!om
which it was difficult to ruust. her.
1t is very probable she was the vic
tim of altered states of consciousness.
about which psychology has !carne |
so much of late. Such was No
strably the condition OF E2thc: Coz.
around whom similar phenomena in
the greater Amherst mystery re-
volved.
THE experiences Of Messrs. Mid
den and Carroll when at the house
for the purpose of investigation b.?
way Of hearing strange sounds as of
footsteps and feeling actual sensations
are supported as supernormal expert
ences OF some kind by other cases in
vest gated at length by experts, and
which revealed no physical cause.
There was a wind during the night
which I passed alone in the house and
] examined the loose board which
some one suggested vibrated and
there was no movement nor sound.
For reasons which cannot here give
in detail, 7 regard the actual sensation
which both had as effects upon their
consciousness and not Of the usual
kind, and due to causes little under
stood.
Neighbors Doubt. Theory.
This new outbreak would be con
sistent with the theory hat the girl
was prompted by a iiscarnate agency
which nnuv found a now outlet OW my
to a peculiar quality residing in n
Of the men. probably Mr.. Whidden.
which quality has been given the
name psychic. In that ease Mr.. Car
roll also heard and felt because he
was with Mr.. Whidden who vas the
human wire, SO to speak. through
which the force or influence. whether
an unknown p%hychical one. or some
other passed, An experiment which
l performed, partly to pass the time
away, resulted in a sudden and vol
canic outburst OH automatic writing
on the part OF Mr.. Whidden. during
which an Ordinarily mild gentleman
became strangely Imperative. n like
apother person. the writing claiming
that the communication caused the
fires which OF course he might rave
done through the girl, according to,
the theory Of obses-'c.
tTo sum up, In my judgment. the
fires were caused by the hands of the
girl in the family and presumably
also the %loosening Of cattle. ETC.. also
were performed by her at %unnoticed
opportunities. although I do not ex-
pect the ,neighborhood ever to credit
this
"The acts were, however. almost
certainly without ~culpability on her,
~. H-. .H