The Washington times., 1926-04-02
MESSAGE
IS F|ASCO
BY LUTHER A. HUSTON
international Eews Service

stage a sort OF spirit marathon,
by which sword was to be trans
ported more than, 100 miles through
the air and delivered to one Mo-
rimichi Shinagawa, alleged possessor
OF occult powers. has ended in
fiasco which has set all Tokyo to
talking
The reason. given for the failure
by the promoters OF the stunt was
that the ethereal messenger en-
countered strong winds and othcr
handicaps and could not make the
grade Apparently the celestial
marathoner was out Of training.
Waichiro Asano. head of the Psychi-
cal Research Society of japan. was
the originator of the scheme. Asann
announced that On a. Sunday after
noon he and his disciples would
building in Tokyo and there, after
requisite mystic ceremonies had
been performed. sword would ma
terialize out OF the air and come
to rest in the hands Of Shinagawa.
LuO nuElOU9 6WWEW
The sword. according to Asarto.
was at that time buried beneath
Mt. Diamond. ! in Dewa province,
about 10 miles from Tokyo. along
with some forty other swords. II
was to be conveyed to the hands
of the waiting Shinagawa by the
spirit Of one Makamura Nyudo.
with which ASano claimed to be In
communication The experiment was
to be made in broad daylight ana
a number of distinguished public
men were invited to be present.
On the appointed day some $50
rather skeptical spectators ap.
peared, Asano likewise appeared,
bringing with him Shfnagawa and
a dozen other deyotees, CARRIED Ia
thin robes of white.
Al prayer was chanted Shina.
gawa grasped sceptre in hts hand
and waved 1t while the PRAYER was
offered to all the gods. 20 gods!
o gods. Eight million gods" the
occult chorus nurmured after the
manner of worshinpers at the
shrines OF Japan. Then the prayer
stopped.
Having Hard Time
Shinagawa's face. underwent Il
Asanor' Asano .knelt down with
his ear to Shinagawa's lips and
listened. After an interval Shina-
gawa announced that the sword
was now flying oyer the KwaTto
plain toward Tokyo, bat on account
Of the high wind it is having
hard time to continue its flight.
He haZarded guess that the
blade would arrive about 4:30 b. m
So the spectators waited. At 4:30
ShinAgaWa resumed his trance
like attitude and shortly after an
nounced that the sword had reached
the Kanayanias mountains at Ota
and was flying toward Mt. Talao.
in Tokyo prefecture. AS he finished
spea King tablet purporting 70
have come from the Usui Shrine
appeared In his hand. He declared
II. TO be the vanguard OF the sword.
Sum Went Down
But still. the sword did not APP
pear and the winter sun was sink.
Ing, Some Of the spectators began
to get, impatient and to murmur
about 1t. So Shinagawa announced
that the sword had arrived at. Mt.
Talao but weather conditions
there are the worst ever encount-
cred and the spirit that is trans
porting the sword has become very
tired. 1t will be necessary to leave
the sword at Mt Takao."
1t was g. o'clock and the thinly-
clad disciples were shiyering Even
Shinagawa was trembling for
reasons that obviously were not
occult. Asano announced that an
other attempt would be made to
summon the mystic blade at
later date. But. it was noticeable.
as the spectators filed out, that
none stopped to ask for tickets to
the next seance.