Evening star., 1922-10-29
:"Our American Adventure"
Detroit Amateur Mediums Work and Mass of Psychic
Phenomena at Toledo Described by Creator of
Sherlock Holmes.
BY SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE.
Sherlock Holmes.

saw. You could have heard a pin
drop during your whole hour and q
half of speech. Greater subject could
no man have. Poor humanity. how
obvious truth"
Mother and Nephew In Spirit.
We did not leave Toledo without
sitting with Miss Ada Besinnet-in-
deed, it was the prospect Of such
sitting which caused me to add Toledo
to my list of fixtures. I had already
sat four times with this medium In
England and was certain not only OF
her honesty. but of the extraordinary
nature of her powers. Twice during
my sittings 1 have seen beyond all
dead in front Of me. once that OF my
mother and once that of my nephew.
Oscar Hornung. The latter smiled AT
me. I saw the flash of his teeth ana
I noted his large gray eyes. Wniie
those of the medium are hazel. Botn
INV mother and my nephew were
looking very well and happy, clean-
cut and refined in expression. though
my mother retained. or at any rate
reproduced, her wrinkles. l may ado
that one of these sittinGs was IN my
own home, on which occasion every
one of NV non-spiritualist friends had
the same experience. The faces are
often not evidential and mask-nKe.
but occasionally are intensely ahse
and exact in detail. They sometimes
bear some resemblance to the medium
herself in the early phases. but after
the power has increased you get OLD
men. babies and double faces at tne
same time, so that there Is no posi-
bility of stimulation. l am. no"eset.
quite prepared to accept the we" tnat
when the power is low the race may
be a mask of ectoplasm built up on
the mediums own features as moid;
Such a process is no less WonderIui
than an Independent materializatloh.
There is ample evidence. however
that the latter occurs as well.
Guide and Messenger Invited.
Neither Keedick, my manager, nor
widdecombe, our guide. nad ser
psychic phenomena. though ootn ha9
been so mixed up with Sir oiiEer anu
with myself. I was glad. tnereiore'
when Miss Besinnet EXTENDED III.
yitation to them to be present. lnu
other sitters were Mr.. Roche. Eers
leyel-headed. middle-aged Journallst.
who had closely watched the meu.uI
development for some years. ana !niee
or four members OF her usua, aun
who by their sympathy might coun-
teract the somewhat neutral VIZ"
tions of the newcomers.
The seance was very retndt hao y,
one and absolutely convincing h,s ~
who were present. Briliiaht heS
orc mart of the mediums power. anu
even before she had sunk into trance
they were flying up in graceiui cu,.e
&c high as the ceiling ana circihs
back upon us. One nearly resteo upu
INV hand. 1t seemed to be a coio iisn'
and its nature has never oId ne" vital
light Of the freely may be an an,
alogy. The gramophone was tnen
started to give vibrations. ana pre-
emily very beautiful whistnns I,iA
ed with the music. l asked 1t TO STOP
and then to continue; so nh"ne as 10 oI
that it was not itself a gramophohe
record. In each case it obeyed-
nowerful male voice then sang Two
songs with a vigor and charm wien
would be worth handsome saiary
in the halls. This person explaaneu aair
Dan. who had died in the Philippines
Several times. Mr.. Roche tells me,
he had materialized and stood. visible
10 the waist, saluting in military
fashion. A beautiful tambourlne ac
Compartment to the gramoPann1 gram P.anoTe i0 a
anish dancer. who has also repeat
edly shown herself
sympathetic Movement.
Sentimental songs IN a strong
female contralto followed. The ma
tsriaIized lips and cheeks have been
touched by DR.. Pyle. the family physi-
clan, and others quite separate from
the medium, but it Is found that
sympathetic movement occurs in the
mediums own organs. which can,
however, be mufT1ed In cloth without
in any way affecting the sound. The
Intelligence explained this by saying:
"The mediums throat and organs are
used. but she does not do the wins.
tling and singing. We use her and
build up from her"-a somewhat enig.
matte saying in our present state OF
knowledge.
This varied entertainment was pre-.
sided over by a very cultural and
laconic Indian, Black Cloud. who oc-
casionally shoots out an order, and II
is enlivened by a small girlish spirit
named Pansy. with a squeaky child
ish voice. who moves about. makes
remarks and, in spite of the dark,
reproves you at once IL you yawn. Sne
is not in sympathy with the silent
indian and is inclined to be pert. for
when he said. "Sauaws talk too much"
she answered, Some chiefs talk too
much sometimes" which ELECTED a
grunt Of contempt.
Copyright BY Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1922.
for United States and Great Britain.
n NJ - N