The Herald of Wales. — 1889-12-28 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

NEW FORM OF THOUGLIT I,EADING. FXTRAORPIN KRY SEANC.E.  At the invitation of Messrs. W. S. Parities and Richard L. Warner a representative gathering of the Isuidon Press recently assembled at! the Great Central Hall, Holborn, W.C., to witness a psychological study illustrated by Dr. Onofroft, M.D., of the University of Rome. That "there are more things in hesvein and earth than are dreamt of in our philosophy' is a bush never perhaps more 6pontuneoualy recognised than on the present nee. Con. The , acting manager was Mr. Walter Joyce, and "a thorough and impartlal investigation into this most extraordinary scientific t:emonstration of the ago" being desired, the audience was requested to "take the conduct of the seance ink, their awn hands, so that the might fully convince the:abases of the wonderful genuineness! of this psycheMgreal mystery." intreducing the doctor to the company Messrs. Purkies and Warner said that in order to ensure the requisite searching investigation a reliable and trustworthy committee, of whose bona Ain there could be no doubt, should be chcam from among those present, who might determine the tests to ho applied. This was accordingly done, and, the names of the following gentlemen were submitted and approved :—Messrs. Edward Terry, Oscar Wylde, Pereival Leigh, Under Sheri ti l3eard, Major Probyu, Monk, and Luther Munday. The first demonstration consisted in the supposition that a murder had been committed. The task of Dr. Onofroff was to discover (1) who was , the assassin ; (2) the victim; (3) the weapon (a ban), with which the crime was committed; (4) the place where it occurred; and (5) the part of the 'body stabbed. Whilst in pursuit of these objects the doctor's eyes are bandaged, as ' he stated that his nerves are so strong at the time he is carrying out such a work that except under the condition he is utterly powerless to accomplish the end he has in view. The test was in each instance sucoessfully performed to Ithe entire satisfaction of the spectators. The second experiment was as follows: Someone thinks of something he wishes the Doctor to do. In this case, the someone was Mr. Edward Terry, who put a number, consisting of four figures, perfectly unknown to anybody, in his pocket, the number being 1,151. This also the Doctor correctly guessed, amidst loud applause. By way of a third test of the Doctor's powers, Admiral Sir Edward InglefieM dcaired that ha should guess the number of his watch, engraved over a hundred years ago. This feat also the doctor marvellously accomplished, with the slight exception of one digit, the last, to which, however, he closely approximated.  This trifling deviation from absolute correctBees was, in an probability, owing to a deficiency in rapport= the part of the Admiral. The number of the watch was 1,782. Dr. Chufiroff guessed 1,785. Mr. Percy Read now thought earnestly that he world like the doctor to remove the hat of Mr. Pottinger Stevens from his head, and plaoe it on that of Mr. Wilfred Morgan, au act which ' Dr. Onofroff proceeded expeditiously to =cry -- Next, a lady of the company desired earnestly in thought that the Dr. Edwuid take from her the bag she was holdiag ia her hand and place it in that of her husband. It was done.  Two more exhibitions of Dr. Oucdroff's extraordinary powers were given by way uf fioutie. These were (1) that the Dr. should think a and extract from this lady's purse a coin pre-determined in her own mind, and (2) that ho should think of one out of a collection of about forty business cards chosen by Mr. Oscar Wykle, both which experiments resulted in complete stleoo3B.  Proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to Dr. Onoiroff for his ecient;tio and truly marvellous demonstrations, pr peed by Mr. UnderSheriff Beard. and also a vote of thanks to the committee for their services, proposed by ?Sr. Walter Joyce, the acting manager. Both votes were carried by aoolamation.