WCP1570

Transcription (WCP1570.1349)

[1]

Frith Hill,

Godalming,

Jan. 11th. 1888.

My dear Mr. Myers,1

I have now the pleasure to send you the papers received from General Lippitt,2 as follows: —

1. Letter giving statement of case of Spirit Identity of "Nellie Morris".

2. Confirmatory letters (two).

3. Evidence of Gen. Lippitt’s Military position.

4. Testimonials of Gen. Lippitt’s Legal ability & private character (3).

5. Testimonial to gen. [typographical error] Lippitt’s truthfulness &c.

6. Explanatory letter from Gen. Lippitt.

———————-

A. Statement of Test, by giving deceased wife’s birthday.

———————-

I shall be glad to hear what you think of the completeness of this evidence, and if you can suggest any additional facts that would strengthen it. I am sure gen. [typographical error] Lippitt would obtain them for me if possible.

If you think of publishing this ca[s]e in the "Journal" I would, as the facts are all given in the form of letters to me, summarize the letters as to character &c. which you would hardly publish in full, but which you might say you had seen.

I have myself marked on the margim [typographical error] of principal statement the successive tests of identity [typographical error] in blue pencil, and the several distinct mediums through whom the tests came in red pencil — the former being 14, the latter 7, in number. I never myself recollect having met with a case supported by such a remarkable series of tests.. The hair I have tied on to a piece of paper to prevent danger of loss or accident. Neither my wife,3 nor another friend to whom I have shown it, know a single person whose hair can be said to match it. Perhaps you will ask your wife & any other lady the same question, as the comparative rarity of the exact tint & the fact of its having been at once recognised by two persons independently, is a weighty piece of evidence. To any one who knows the great number & co,monplace [typographical error] character of American public mediums, & how completely each of them is absorbed in their own business, the idea of a widespread conspiracy between them to deceive one person, whose visits to most of them could not have been foreseen, & who moreover is not in the habit of making any of his experiences public, — will seem absolutely impossible, yet it seems4 to me the only supposition that will 5get rid of the force of this case. What say you?

Believe me | Yours &c | ARWallace

Myers, Frederic William Henry (1843-1901). British poet, classicist, philologist, and founder of the Society of Psychical Research.
Lippitt, Francis James (1812-1902). American lawyer and spiritualist.
Wallace (née Mitten), Annie (1846-1914). British. Wife of ARW; daughter of William Mitten.
‘yet it seems’ in pencil by typist.
From ‘get’ to the end of the letter in pencil by typist.

Please cite as “WCP1570,” in Beccaloni, G. W. (ed.), Ɛpsilon: The Alfred Russel Wallace Collection accessed on 5 June 2025, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/wallace/letters/WCP1570