WCP3469

[1]

Sellersville

July 25, 1906.

Dr Alfred Russel Wallace

F R S

Dear Sir

You will please pardon me for addressing this letter to yourself, without a letter of introduction accompanying it, as I have no one to give me such, I take this liberty to find out the truth, being a seeker after the same in the vast psychic field of which little is known [2] even though many are investigating.

Years ago when but a youth I came in contact with modern spiritualism, and believed that spirits could communicate with mortals, became an automatic writer, and some years ago became an associate member of the American Branch of the S for PR¹ and still continue so.

I have received truthful messages, and false ones also, through my own automatic writing. [3] When I became a member of the S for PR, I determined to make the experiment to try and get messages if possible from the members, who once belonged to it, and are now dead, it is these experiments which cause me to write this letter to you, to find out if possible whether there is any truth in certain messages received, and which I have already sent to the Boston office and am told, they have been [4] filed ever since I commenced to send them to Dr R Hodgson² which was the first year I became a member of the S for P R.

The question is, whether you will recognize any truth in these messages purporting to come from some of these dead members, or whether they are simply compositions of words given with no truth in them.

Some years ago I received a message, to the effect that Prof Henry Sidgwick³ twice president of the S for PR in London England. Said. [5] Alfred Russel Wallace was the friend of my boyhood days. This message I have among my records, but have not the time to hunt it up and give the date, but will give you some of the late ones received.

In an automatic conversation held with spirits purporting to be Prof Henry Sidgwick, Frederick William Henry Myers³, (whose full name I received in automatic writing, but had only known the initials of it before receiving it in full, in automatic writing, I [6] asked Dr R Hodgson about it, and in his letters to me, he had to inquire from someone else to find out whether such really was the correct name, and which proved such to be, and this record is in the boston[sic] office of this affair, if my letters have all been filed as stated.) and Dr R Hodgson on July 9,1906, the following message came.

Sellersville July 9,1906

About 3.10 Pm

Prior to our death our society hoped to establish facts, so that each member could give evidence, after such [7] member had died, ensuring complete proofs of spiritual existence. But only a few such members were able to consumate[sic] such facts, among those who did so, namely myself, with Alfred Russell[sic] Wallace, Prof Henry Sidgwick.

The above message is verbatim, just as received, of course you will know immediately upon reading, whether any such pact was between such personality and [8] yourself, but I do not know, and that is what I would like to know, whether it is true or not, having received message sitting at my desk, in factory of which I am foreman.

I have been receiving messages automatically, in such a peculiar composition, and so different from my own, that I feel convinced it is some outside intelligence, from my own, even though there may not be any truth in them. I receive these automatic writings in a normal condition during business hours. [9] I will now proceed to give other messages received lately.

Message

Sellersville May 13,1906

am.

Each officer of our officers, of our society, know of cases of supernormal circumstances, where no fraud can exist

Sidgwick

Message

Sellersville June 25,1906

am

We have at last resolved [10] to strike hard even though failure may attend our efforts. Officers actually disheartened on account of failure of certain methods of investigations.

Actual proof _X (interjected) received of ourselves.)[sic] _X of spiritual communications received including descriptions of certain idiosyncrasies of personality known to officers of society. Officers reticent at present, on account of _X (interjection) Prof Hyslops⁴ scheme of dissolving branch) _X dissolution coming, between American & British interest of psychial[sic] research _X (interjection [11] Therefore we will proceed to give you our views.) _X Our officers wary just now, because dissensions would soon destroy society, being interested ourselves, society our delight. Having been enabled to unsolve certain obscure questions of psychial[sic] research, unknown to those long engaged in such investigation. Interest manifested by securing such secrets, whose very existence unperceived, by even our shrewdest colleagues in [12] psychical research, such as interjecting irrelevant words into messages of truthful spirits by hypnotic power, thus destroying meaning thereof to such an extent, as to be unreliable for proof of spiritual existence.

Washington

Prof Henry Sidgwicke[sic]

diction

Question anymore

Answer no, next time we will give another secret unearthed.

Question, is the interjection of irrelevant words into message done unconsciously or with design

Answer, design in our case, but [13] sometimes did unconsciously by those most interested in proving spiritual existence because means used extremely sensitive, ether free to all.

Our societies standing at present extremely perilous because of members dropping out, becoming disgusted with proceedings of american[sic] scheme, to reorganize psychial[sic] research.

Handsome Harry

For Dr Richard Hodgson

(Verbatim)

[14]

In the Journal of June 1906 was advertised a meeting to be held July 4,1906 by the members and associates in the society rooms. This message came.

Sellersville July 5,1906

Balfour chairman

(Private Meeting — Mr Sidgwick — chair) [Possibly added later?]

Paper attracted considerable attention on account of certain phases of catalepsy. Baggally^{5 nothing in Journal about him} [Possibly added later?] refused to believe our assertions about catalepsy, and also refused to believe spirit return, now cannot convince himself [15] that either is true after years of investigations, believes materialism to be the end of all earthly life. Assurances are however felt, that even Baggally cannot explain away certain phenomena by other that spiritual hypothesis. Balfour however declares, spirit return assured, therefore our council evenly balanced between two great thinkers. Balfour succeeded in decidedly lessening materialism in [16] council members by his spiritualistic ideas. Balfour succeeded in lessening critizism[sic] of spiritual mediums. Baggally cannot believe in another life, because communications are so variable as to be considered untrue, even by spiritually minded investigators. Disbelief of spirit return growing abnormally, because certain ones have not been able to manifest their spirit. Even spiritualists ardor dampened just now, on account of certain methods of investigations failing to [17] bring successful results of spiritual evidence, namely on account of highly connected individuals who have passed into death, and could give no account of themselves so far satisfactorily

Our officers fear disaster of psychial[sic] research

Handsome Harry

for FWH Myers

Balfour cannot disbelieve your statement, being thousands of miles away it is hardly plausible you should be able to find out [18] just what such mens[sic] ideas are Myers

Having been able to connectedly to[sic] deliver our communications, we will now depart to our seperate[sic] spheres in our life

Frederick William Henry

Myers

(Verbatim)

I would be very thankful Iif I could get answers to following questions.

1st Was Prof Henry Sidgwick a friend of yours.

2nd Was there a pact between Prof Henry Sidgwick and [19] yourself.

3 Do you recognize in messages any peculiarities, which could be considered as belonging to person whose name is signed to messages. purporting to be Prof Sidgwick

4th Is the person Baggally what is claimed in the message a materialist to your knowledge.

5th Is Balfour what is claimed by the message, spiritualistic in his ideas.

6 Do you know whether Dr R Hodgson & Sir Oliver Lodge⁶ had [20] a pact, as such a message came, and is recorded in boston[sic] office, and in it was mentioned another pact would soon be given, this is the only one mentioned sinse[sic] the one wherein Dr R Hodgson & Sir Oliver Lodge were to have had one, which has neither been affirmed nor denied by boston[sic] office, so I do not know whether that message is true or false, entirely in the dark as to some of these messages given, but have had some confirmed in a general way. Have been told to become inquisitive, [21] name signed to message

Alexander Akeakof, and am waiting with patience to hear, whether there is much truth in messages, or very little, that could be construed as coming from spiritual intelligences, once mortals, and members of the S for PR on earth here.

Of course I would not be at all surprised, if you deemed it proper to answer my questions, to find out that probably yourself and Prof Sidgwick³ had probably only [22] known each other as aquaintences[sic] or only by reputation as scientific men, and that no such a thing as a pact had ever been thought off[sic] between you, but still am placed in the position that I do not know, until message is either denied or affirmed, or it may be true in part only.

I once sent a message to Benares India, to Mrs Annie Besant⁷, one of the most beautifully worded messages I ever received, yet it was pronounced spurious and not as coming from her [23] friend H P Blavatsky⁸, as was singed to message, by Mrs Annie Besant in a letter which I received in reply to my questions whether she recognized any tests in the message.

I cannot conceive what is the object of such spirits, if spirits they are, in sending such messages, but there must be some cause for them to do so.

Here on earth men lie for dollars & cents, and various other causes, in the [24] spirit world I have been told spirits lie for prestage[sic], but just what benefits are derived from such a course of action I am unable to comprehend.

I once sent a letter to editor Wm Stead⁹ in London, giving messages which purported to come from John Cecil Rhodes¹⁰ his friend, he informed me his friends[sic] name was Cecil John Rhodes. He would not say that he had not said, what was claimed in the messages, but they were not definate[sic] enough, but one thing was established, I noticed [25] in my automatic writing when the name Cecil was signed, it was signed each time, with this kind of a C which I had never used, and editor Stead said Rhodes ^used such a C in signing his name.

I positively did not know anything about such an affair, as this C, until informed by editor Stead, and it must either be called an accident, or it must be some outside intelligence, either Rhodes, [26] or some one who knew how Rhodes signed his name.

Such a theory as that my subconsciousness guessed such a thing and then sent it out at the ends of my fingers, while in a normal condition, and wondering what will come next is altogether unreasonable to me, and I prefer to think that spirits have found out a way of sending messages through my brain, not understood by myself or anyone else to the present time.

Many years ago I read [27] your article. If a man die shall he live again, and I thought I should love to congratulate you upon the moral courage which was exhibited in putting before a skeptical world such honest convictions as I perceived in the little booklet, and which have sank[sic] deep into my mind. After many years the opportunity has presented itself, and I hope this letter will not give any offence as it is written with a view [28] of finding out the truth which is not known up to the present.

Yours Truly | James Rosenberger [signature]

Sellersville

Bucks Co

Pa