4. That the glass of which the plates were made and on which the photos appeared, was different in colour and thickness from the glass of the Imperial plates brought by Mr. Price for the experiment.
This statement holds good. The plates have been examined and compared, and those who desired to guard the interests of Mr. Hope (or rather of truth) agreed that this contention was right, and that there had actually been a substitution of plates at some time by somebody. There we are all on common ground. How then, and why, were the plates changed?
Many who were convinced by experience of Hope’s powers and of his essential honesty, and who were aware of the bitter antagonism which exists against him, as against all psychic phenomena, in certain circles of conjurers and of sceptical researchers, and of indiscreet expressions before the experiment, were of opinion that the whole transaction was an organised conspiracy to discredit the medium. The packet of plates had been for several weeks before the experiment in the possession of the officials of the S.P.R., and was accessible to clever-fingered people who were hostile to Hope’s claims, and who had frequently averred that the opening of sealed packets was an easy process. There were other arguments which I will not state lest I should seem to be endorsing them. Let me say, at once, that I believe Messrs. Dingwall, Price and Seymour to be honourable gentlemen, however much I differ from their point of view, and that I will not advance any hypothesis which is not consistent with that position.[1]
At the same time, I would point out that all their difficulties, which have increased with fuller knowledge, are due to their own tortuous and indirect way of approaching the question. Suppose that instead of all this juggling of X-ray marks Mr. Price had simply initialled his plate the moment he took it from the packet as I and many other experimenters have done, surely if he had afterwards received an extra upon that initialled plate the test would have been complete, so far as substitution is concerned. If he had not done so, I am sure that Hope would have given him a second appointment, and he could have gone on until he had either succeeded or until he had proved that with an initialled plate Hope was helpless. Had this been done much trouble would have been saved, and the result been equally clear.
Or, again, when he was, as he says, morally sure that Hope had changed the carrier, suppose that instead of complimenting Hope upon results and suggesting that the image was that of his mother, he had said, “You will excuse me, Mr. Hope, but I must really examine you and your dark room, for I think I can find a marked carrier which you have concealed while you substituted your own.” A refusal from Hope would have really been a confession. But, all through, a tortuous course was preferred.
I have nothing against Mr. Price’s honour, but a very great deal against his methods, winding up with his sixpenny attack upon Hope, when the matter, as events have proved, was very far from being settled.
This pamphlet would certainly convey to the public the idea that Mr. Price looked upon psychic photography in general as the greatest humbug in the world, whereas since then he has signed a document which ends with the words:
“We are convinced that the test with Hope on February 24th does not rule out the possibility that Hope has produced supernormal pictures, or that he is able to produce ‘extras’ by other than normal means.”
Had he been wise enough to adopt this humbler tone in the first instance we could all discuss the question now in a more placid frame of mind.