Evening star., 1960-01-25
The
Rambler
Goes
To Baltimore
By JOHN McKELWAY

Iuuuy, SCOcKy hungarian
with wild white hair, was
sitting at the dining room
table lecturing, with gestures,
in a Viennese accent. He had
been asked by the Parapsy-
chology Foundation of New
York to investigate the
strange explosions in the
house. Some people said the
sailing sugar bowl, the oScil-
lating chandelier, the pop
ping flower pots were the
work of the wind. Others
maintained a nearby sewer
had something to do with it.
DR.. Fodor positively stated
1t was the work of potter
geistS, or NOISY ghosts"
Wandering in and out of
the living and dining rooms
as DR.. Fodor spoke were a
newspaper reporter, a radio
reporter, a television repair
man, who suspected a high
frequency was causing vi
brations, and a man named
Douglas Dean, 43, a native of
England, an assistant in
research" with the Parapsy-
chology Foundation. There
was also Edgar G. Jones, a
retired fireman, a placid
man, who owned the house
and lived there.
And there was Mr.. Jones'
grandson, Ted Pauls, IT, a
thin youngster with a pallid
complexion. His parents were
working. His father is a taxi
driver. They also live in the
house.
I'm these cases." said DR..
Fodor, who is a psychologist
and practicing psychoanaly-
siSt, there is usually an indi-
vidual who may be harbor-
ing great tension. 1t is either
a. repressed aggressivenesS
or, as in the case of the boy,
a violent rage to create-to
be productive.
Frequently" he con-
tinued, his words flowing, I'VE
find a definite association
between puberty and potter
geistS. In puberty, there is a
violent biological explosion.
We feel energy is released
like a bolt of lightning-and
the subconscious may direct
this force at a certain object.
Il say this boy is a wonder
boy Look at his writing.
This is all he wants to do.
He Is too smart for school.
He rarely leaves the house.
He should be a writer.
II have given his ego a
boost, an uplift. l do not
think the explosions will
take place again. This is my
therapy."
The boy, Ted, seemed
pleased. He went upstairs to
get a copy of a weekly paper
he turns out on a duplicating
machine in the basement.
There are II subscribers.
Mr.. Dean was taking pic
lures Of the broken china
and the broken window,
shattered by a flower pot
which rose and then turned
at right angles and smashed
against the window" as ne
said.
Il am investigating the ex-
plosions," he said, fascinated.
They have come from
within the object. I have
catalogued the SO incidents
for my report to the Foun-
dation."
The television repairman
wandered down in the cellar
and looked at the pipes. He
seemed perfectly at home. He
had volunteered his detec-
tion talents and had been
dropping by the house regu-
larly. He did not accept DR..
Fodor'S explanation.
Mr.. Jones showed the
visitor the damage. In the
cellar, he had tied a rope
around a china closet.
$50 that thing" he said,
explaining, cant get in
there"
There was an overturned
chair, an overturned lamp
and some broken bottles with
caps still in place.
"The ornaments on the
Christmas tree have busted
each Christmas for the last
three years." he said simply.
While no one had seen the
explosions, Mr.. Jones said he
had seen a small, artificial
Christmas tree rise up about
a foot and then drop to the
floor. He had also stopped
the swinging chandelier.
DR.. Fodor bade the boy
goodbye and left with Mr..
Dean.
Riding back to Washington
the visitor read the boys
publication II Seerns tO deal