The Equinox (Volume I, Number V)

THE EQUINOX Now in the millions of Seances of the last sixty years the “ evidential " records can be counted on the fingers of one hand. And it is not antecedently so very improbable that pure chance might dictate correct answers in so small a proportion of cases. Further, the spiritists have thrown upon science the task of proving a universal negative. If Sir Oliver Lodge, or Professor Munsterberg, or Lord Cholly Cauliflower, or Mr Upthe Pole comes to me with a tale 01 unicorns in Piccadilly, I merely humour him. Munsterberg, at least, might be dangerous. But I should not investigate his statement, and I certainly should not claim to be able to disprove it on a‘pn‘orz'grounds. Even in the evidential cases, there is so much room 101” a mixture of fraud, telepathy, chance, and hysteria, and humanity is so clever at stopping chinks with putty and then leaving the door open, that we must continue to suspend judgment. An amusing case occurred some years ago at Cambridge. I ofi'ered to re- produce roughly the performance of the Zancigs (which was then puzzling the 10011511 in London) without preparation. A stranger to me offered to act as my " medium.” The conditions were these. The ten small cards 01 a suit were laid on the floor; one was to be touched in the medium’s absence and in my presence The medium was to return and say which it was. The rest of the company were to prevent us from communicating if they could. Well, they tried everything. In a minute’s interview I arranged a button- touching code with my medium, and as each new restriction was put on me I managed to invent a new code. Shifting my pipe, coughing, arranging books, winking, altering the position of my fingers, etc, etc., all were provided against. Then I obtained a confederate. Ultimately the grand sceptic of all devised the following test just as I had passed the note to my medium, “ ΙΓ I can’t manage any of the old ways, I’ll try and write down the number and put it on the mantelpiece." And this was the test. The medium was to be taken from Whewell‘s Court (where we were) over to the Great Court 01 Trinity—well out of all hearing. I was to be left alone with the sceptic, who by this time suspected everybody 01 being a confederate. He was to touch the card in my presence and then take me away in the opposite direction. The medium was then (at a given time) to return, and tell the card. Now it happened that in the course 01 general argument about {air- ness, which 1 encouraged to enable myself to plot unnoticed in the confusion of talk, that I had stipulated {or my sceptic to write down the number that he had 162