[136] At the present time (May 1894) "Dr. Phinuit" has, I understand, almost entirely ceased to "control" Mrs. Piper; his place being taken by the soi-disant spirit of a young American, recently deceased, who has given remarkable proofs of his identity.
[137] I am glad to be able to append the following testimonial to Phinuit's good qualities. An investigator who has had unusual facilities for observing both Dr. Phinuit and Mrs. Piper, after reading the account given in the text, writes to me: "I suppose the account of Phinuit is true as far as it goes, but all the same.... I suppose because he is more sympathetic, I am rather fond of Phinuit."
[138] At the evening sitting a servant unfortunately introduced the sitters by their real names, but the circumstance will hardly, I think, be held materially to affect the evidence.
[139] It is impossible by means of a few short extracts to give a fair idea either of the strength of the evidence for telepathy afforded by the phenomena observed with Mrs. Piper, or of the variety and complexity of the problems there presented. Readers who are interested in the subject are referred to the record of the observations made by the S.P.R., occupying nearly 400 closely-printed octavo pages. (Proc., vol. vi. pp. 436-660; vol. viii. pp. 1-167.) Further observations have been made during the year 1893 in the United States by Dr. Hodgson and others, the records of which have not yet been published.
[140] Chief Justice Way is the gentleman who acts as Deputy for his Excellency when absent from the colony.—A. W. D.
[141] It is hardly necessary to say that such an interpretation in no way reflects upon the good faith of the hypnotics. Hints derived from conversation overheard unconsciously might be quite sufficient.
[142] The statement sent to Mrs. Roberts was substantially a copy of the last nine lines only of the preceding account. No reference was made to the visit to the kitchen.
[143] Dr. F., who is still living, is disinclined to have his name published, as he does not wish to be troubled with correspondence on the subject.
[144] On a previous occasion she had described a skull in a surgery as a head, but "not a live head, and with no brains in it."
[145] Several instances of Mr. Keulemans' telepathic experiences are given in Phantasms of the Living (cases 21, 38, 56, 184).