1928
Dec 16 - Dec 30
December 16, 1928.
Usual members of the circle present, including Mrs. Herling and Mr. Reed.
Guests: Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Pitblado, Mr. and Mrs. T. Cummings; Mr. Horst, Mr. D. B. MacDonald.
"District Attorney" present but no photographs.
Usual Group. Mr. Pitblado present. He sits in center of group immediately opposite Mary M. He acts as scrutineer. Examines the medium's face - sees that her hands are held by controls. Light appears. Only fairly brilliant.
Mary M. still suffering from heavy cold. Cough interferes with "voice" of control.
[The singing, stomping,etc., all apparently to produce the required energy.]
[Note: T. G. H. came to hold the opinion that this energy was produced by a breakdown of the cells of the body - probably the nerve cells. L. H.]
At 9:23 p.m., E.M. was in deep trance, and at 9:24 p.m. the writing automatism manifested. At 9:37 p.m., E.M. back to normal.
Mary M.: "You are to let that little lady at the bottom of the room come into the cabinet. I'm to go out. My cough's too bad. Her guide will talk. This is from Walter. Just a minute, please." (She becomes entranced)
"I think the medium will sit aside. Let the other lady come into the cabinet. You will hear something very much to your advantage. She can come straight through. I have my cords raised. Let my medium be put outside the circle. The gentleman ( Mr. Reed) had better come too. Take the seat on the left. Just a minute, please."
The change is then made, E.M. coming out of the cabinet and Mary M. moving forward into the center of the cabinet.
"The gentleman will come back next week. I will shake your hand." Here Walter shakes hands with Mr. Pitblado. Then the medium starts to cough.
9:20 p.m. Sitting began with singing "Unto the Hills."
9:23 p.m. E.M. in deep trance.
9:24 p.m. Writing automatism manifested.
9:37 p.m. E.M. back to normal.
E.M. then comes out of the cabinet, Mary M. moves forward into the center of the cabinet.
Walter: "Damn!, ( Stamps his foot) put her in a bucket of water!" (Referring to Mary M.'s cough)
T. G. H.: "Never mind, I'll give her something to help her."
Walter: "She must tie back her hair. She must have but one garment on. Please see that this is carried out. I am in earnest. It is a waste of time." (Medium coughs again)
Walter: "I would have liked to have taken the cords from the box in like manner but I can't use the instrument at all. The cold interferes very much. I am only showing the light for the benefit of the strangers. If you can return at the next sitting, I will do my best. It is the instrument; I am ready. Our friend is very anxious to talk to you." (Medium coughs again.)
T. G. H.: "Walter, did you find the names of the other ones on the plate?"
At 9:48 p.m. Walter shows his light. He moves it around so that all in the room can see it. It shines with a fair amount of brilliance for about a minute and a half.
At 9:53 p.m. the changes made. Mary M. goes to Herling's place, Reed to Cooper's, and Cooper to Reed's. Mary M. sits at the back of the room outside the circle.
We sing for a while, but Mrs. Herling asks that the red light be turned up a little, as she is accustomed to working in that fashion.
10:01 p.m. Mrs. Herling begins to show signs of restlessness, says that she feels as if there were a bandage over one eye. Mr. Green appears to be laboring under great strain, and Mary M. also seems to be going into trance again. Mary M. says she sees three lanterns in the cabinet; Mrs. Herling now seems to be in a semi-trance: says she sees a little boy putting something on the table, and says she smells a horrible lamp. Then the scene changes and a group of judges appear before her. She cries out "Poole, Poole, Poole!"
Mary M., entranced, says "Wonderful Words of Life." Mrs. Herling repeats these words, then says "Turn over the leaf. Oh, that old man!" She begins to count, stopping at number 45.
T. G. H.: "Who is speaking?"
Mrs. Herling: "Old minister (medium attempts to turn pages.) "Rest in the Lord. Shall We Gather At the River?"
Meanwhile Mary M. is entranced and begins to sing a hymn by herself.
Mrs. Herling stands: "Don't stick pins and needles in me. What do you think I am? Look what they're doing to my arm! Oh, don't put that on my mouth. Oh, I hate that chloroform!"
Mary M. stands and shouts: "Go, go! She claps her hands to emphasize her words. Black Hawk then appears through Mary M., making his customary bow.
Mrs. Herling: "Valentino. Oh, New York. Valentino is coming to you. Ooh, see the Indian! Oooh, actor."
Mary M. gives the strange moan which marks Black Hawk's departure.
Mrs. Herling then writes on a paper, calling attention to the Egyptian Man, and saying that we are getting on fine with the experiments. She says: "All right, take it off my face!" In a very emphatic manner; Mary M., at the other end of the room, stamps her foot, seeming to make an effort to send someone away.
Mrs. Herling: "Hello, Jim. Jim, get me out of this. Oh dear, this is horrible in my mouth."
Mary M. claps her hands.
Mrs. Herling: "Get off the chair. Get off it! Oh, there's Sir Walter Raleigh! Look at his big collar. Oh, it's funny. Look at all the paper. He's writing with a feather pen. His Lordship with his velvet dress, and the old Queen. She stands daintily on the robe of Sir Walter Raleigh."
At this point Mrs. Herling bows, breathing heavily and moaning. She speaks: "Kings and Queens, when we wrote upon the stones instead of paper. Still we live. Good night." Walter Raleigh says "Good night. Where we wrote upon stones instead of paper - in England. Good night. Still he lives." Mrs. Herling sits down, breathing very heavily.
Mrs. Herling: "Oh, oh, who's playing the banjo? What are they doing to me? Look at my face!"
Mary M.: "I will go now." She bows thrice, raises her right hand in salute, and utters the strange high-pitched moan of farewell.
Mrs. Herling: "Pooley, Pooley, Pooley."
E.M.: "Arthur, come to Poole, speak to Poole."
Mrs. Herling: "Growing older. Pooley, Pooley, Pooley ... Now, just look at them in the boat."
Mary M. (entranced): "John Cameron."
Mrs. Herling: "They are drowning, drowning."
W. B. Cooper: "Have you a message for us?"
Mrs. Herling: "They've gone down in the water."
Mary M.: "Do you remember me. Greyfriars Church, Edinburgh, 1769."
Mrs. Herling: "Jim, Jim."
Mary M.: "Scottish martyr: John Cameron, Covenanter ... Do you remember me ... do work as the Master."
Mrs. Herling: "Mar ... Mar ..."
Mary M.: "John Calvert(Calvin?) ... Martin Luther! (Here she stands, with her right hand extended in front of her.) Not a new religion but a re-awakening! Not a new religion but the old, old story, a new re-incarnation! (Claps hands). The just shall live by faith! Where is your faith that you sit in a little room?" What are you looking for? The face of someone you could not recognize? Oh, if you would wake up and remember that Christ died and bore our sins for us, you wouldn't sit in a little room looking for something you would not recognize. It is not the new religion, but the old, and ever new. Get down on your knees and pray, and you will see with your own eyes your loved ones."
"The just shall live by faith. You would not know me if I gave you my name, for you never saw me. Get out into the world among the poor and degraded and give them your love and tell them about the Master."
Mrs. Herling: (in semi-trance) "My father's been preaching. He's always praying. Oh dear, oh dear."
Mary M. is now controlled by an entirely different personality, who gives the impression of great kindliness and sweetness. She speaks in a very pleasant tone of voice: "Friends, friends, it is good to be with you here. It is so nice to be able to come among you."
W. B. Cooper: "What is your name?"
Mary M.: "I have been with you many times before. I am the Wanderer. But oh, friends, there is a great work to be done. You are not here by chance. Nothing is done by chance. It is an inspiration. There are great crowds around you, watching, waiting, listening, trying to pick up a word here and there. Let your thoughts be pure and good; they carry as a pebble in the sea, further and further, and by and by it will sink into some little flower ... Our friend who was here before me was rather boisterous but he is so good. He believes in this work, my friends. It is very difficult for me to explain. Let your light so shine before men that they will understand what it is you seek ... There is a great force of power here. Good night, my friends, good night!"
Mrs. Herling then passes under the influence of several people in turn. First her Japanese guide speaks for a few minutes; his pronunciation is very strange and difficult to understand. Then a woman calling herself Mary Nichols, purporting to be the medium's mother, talks for a while. She speaks of Mary M.'s heavy cold, and also of her son who is ill in England. She adds that there have been tests during the evening, and that her child will be successful.
The third control displays a very powerful tense manner and staccato delivery of speech. He purports to be James Nichols, the medium's brother. He too speaks of Sir Walter Raleigh, who, he says, will write and speak and give great messages. Says that Sir Walter is interested in certain things that have been received; he has wished that the most beautiful stone (that has been buried) could be returned to the present descendants. Nichols asks that his sister be told not to give up, that she was sent to do work, just as each was. He then says goodnight.
The Japanese control returns to say goodnight.
Mrs. Herling: "Oh, look at the big Indian! Ooh, the fathers. Oh, those judges. They're satisfied ... that old-fashioned feather - he's making him write. He's funny, isn't he? It's all to be shown to the world. Good, Hamilton, good!" (She gradually becomes normal)
Mary M., still entranced, says she is going on Walter's train; that he is going to Boston, to 10 Lime St.
T. G. H.: (to Walter) "Is the Chief at home?"
Walter/Mary M.: "He's a big piece of cheese!"
A little more general conversation, and sitting closed.
December 23, 1928.
Circle, consisted of Mary M. and Elizabeth M. in the cabinet,
Dr. T. G. Hamilton; W. B. Cooper; Mrs. Alder; Mr. H. Reed; Mrs. Herling; Mr. D. B. MacDonald; Miss A. Turner; Lillian Hamilton; Mr. H. Green; Dr. J. A. Hamilton; Mr. Isaac Pitblado was seated inside the circle in front of the table opposite the cabinet. Hands were held throughout. Outside the circle were Mrs. Pitblado; James and Margaret Hamilton.
The sitting commenced at 9:04 p.m. with the singing of "Lead Kindly Light". At 9:08 p.m. E.M. was in deep trance, and writing automatism manifested in six intervals between 9:12 p.m. and 9:25 p.m. At 9:26 p.m. she was back to normal consciousness. (Stevenson, Livingstone, and Stead - as usual.)
A few minutes were occupied with the opening of the cameras. At 9:25 p.m. Mary M. stamps her foot, and we begin to sing: "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood". The circle is slightly changed in order, E.M. coming out of the cabinet and taking a place in between W. B. Cooper and T. G. H., Mary M. is controlled on her right by Dr. J. A. Hamilton and on her left by W. B. Cooper,
Some ten minutes elapses while E.M. recounts her clairvoyance. Then at 9:35 p.m. we begin to sing, "There Is a Fountain"; we go through it once, and the medium, entranced, says "Let us have that one over again." We repeat it, Mary M. joining in in a hearty manner.
At 9:40 p.m. the teleplasmic voice is heard. Walter speaks with considerable difficulty, and very softly, but quite distinctly: "I see you've got the Lord High Commissioner (referring to Mr. Pitblado.). Good evening. You've come to spy over us? Well, notice that your medium's hands are both held. There, that's all right. Now will you place your hand all over her face?" Mr. Pitblado does so.
Walter: "You are sure there's nothing on her face? Remember, you are on your oath. Nothing on her face?"
Pitblado: "It's all right, Walter. I'm quite sure there is nothing there."
Walter: "Thank you. Thank you."
Then a very peculiar sound is heard like the quick intake of breath and the voice is gone. It has lasted about two minutes.
Walter: (through the medium) "How about the Golden Slippers. Have you still got them ? Let's have them ."
Time: 9:44pm.
Everyone joins in the singing, Mary M. doing a clog dance in time to the music.
At 9:47 the medium stands up and pushes back her chair, saying:
"Sh-sh. Cease! Cease! Are you ready? Get in line. After you have taken the first picture, I will count twenty."
Dr. T. G. H.: "Will we have the usual signal counting one, two, three and firing the flash two seconds after third count?"
Walter: "Yes, and then you will get ready for the second picture. Then I will count twenty; then one, two, three, and on the third you will go. Do you understand? All right. Sing a little something bright."
While we are singing the medium breathes rapidly and heavily and at 9:50pm the control cries out "one, two, three." The flash is taken at 9:51.
T. G. H. and Mr. Reed prepare their cameras for a second picture while the control counts very slowly up to twenty. While this is going on one of the sitters seems to be under very great stress and breathing heavily and twisting around on his chair. Then when the twentieth count is reached the control says "Ready, One, two, three." The second pictures is taken at 9:58pm.
Walter: "I have given you your old friend again, Spurgeon. I have someone on the other plate. Your old friend ..."
[ Photo of second Spurgeon ]
[ Photo ]
[ Photo ]
[ Photo ]
[ Photo ]
[ Photo ]
[ Photo ]
[ Photo - Mary Marshall's father in teleplasm about 7 minutes after Sprurgeon ]
T. G. H.: "Yes?"
Walter: "I'll just let you guess! Let your little friend tell you."
W. B. Cooper: "How about a picture of yourself, Walter?"
T. G. H.: "Oh, I guess he is more in the business than in the camera."
Walter: "There are two pictures, one on each plate. The second one is not so good. I brought it from her mouth."
T. G. H.: "Walter, can't you tell us who the two faces are on the other plate, the one with a five faces on it? There are two of them that we do not know."
Walter: "If you send them to the land beyond the sea they will be recognized. Send them to someone whose son is over here. His grandfather is on it. He is on the other side of the veil. (To Mr. Reed). Have they closed the one on the roof?"
Mr. Reed: "Yes. (Mr. Reed's camera is placed on the gramophone, which is fastened up on the wall.)
T. G. H.: "Will you have a talk with us for a while, Walter?"
Walter: "Uh huh"
T. G. H.: "Sleepy?"
Walter: "We neither slumber nor sleep; that is on the material plane."
Pitblado: "Walter, could you show us some light?"
Walter: "My power is exhausted."
T. G. H.: "Could you explain to us about the light? Sometimes people ask us and want to know how it is made up."
Walter: "Just tell them that you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. And if there are some who will not believe, let them come and be convinced. Someday I hope to produce a light everyone can see; a light in the red light. It is a force I produce from the breast of the medium. I can only take it from her breast or from the crown of her head."
T. G. H.: "Walter, I was examining some of the pictures with a magnifying glass and I found two cords going to the bell box from the medium."
Walter: "Yes, perfectly right. The one goes from the top of the box and the other from the bottom."
T. G. H.: "I noticed that the one from the bottom of the box is tortuous, while the other is straight and taut."
Walter: "The one is from the back of her neck and the other from her mouth. Negative and Positive. The force that rings the bell is my hand. It is like the something in the cord of the electric light. Where do you get the light from unless you produce? My hand is on the box."
T. G. H.: "In one of the pictures I notice a coil of cord? What is its purpose?"
Walter: "These are stored for other purposes."
T. G. H.: "Do you have cord connections?"
Walter: "I have to take from each one. How else do you think I would do it, if not by a flimsy cord? You have seen it in other places, in a much larger form. Does it worry you? It is not necessary to show them , but I can produce the cords that come from each person and go into the mouth of the medium."
T. G. H.: "I wish you ..."
Walter: "I knew you'd say that. You know, I'm not like the boy who would never say the first letter of the alphabet, because if he did he knew people would ask him for the next letter, and so on ..."
"I wonder what our friend thinks of it all. (Speaking to Mr. Pitblado). There is a friend of yours here, one you knew very long ago, a lady, who has been passed over many years, I won't say how long, because then they would know how old you are. Oh, my, but we're solemn!"
Pitblado: "I'm trying to think who she was."
Walter: "Don't think here, do it when you go home."
Pitblado: "Could you ring the bell for us?"
Walter: "No, I have no more power. But if I can come back ..."
Pitblado: "I've never heard it here, you know."
T. G. H.: "Walter, Mr. Green saw a picture of a fingerprint earlier in the evening; it looked like a thumb print. Do you know anything about it?"
Walter: "I'm not guilty. It's a dear friend of his. He will get more. Keep up the good work, friend!"
The medium then stood up, bowed three times, saluted, and thus announced the presence of Black Hawk.
Black Hawk: "Good evening, friends, good evening. I am very glad to be with you again. Paleface is very busy and has left; he will be back again. I am just keeping guard. There are a great many beautiful spirits here, and it is very difficult to keep them on the outside. Each is anxious to come through, some for the first time. Each is anxious to give a message. Paleface will not allow them to come through and use his power. I take my instructions from him. There is a lady here who seems to be very anxious to come: she has snowy white hair, she is not very old, not thin, and is wearing old-fashioned clothes. She has on a black lace cap. She just gives the name Phoebe. I go now. Goodbye."
The medium bows three times, salutes, and utters a peculiar moaning cry, with which this particular control always says farewell.
At 10:24 p.m. there is an attempt at a whistle, which keeps time with the singing; and one minute later, Walter speaks with his direct voice:
"Spurgeon is here. He says that he came into touch with so many people. He wishes that he could get into touch with his own friends. Could you send his picture to James Spurgeon?"
T. G. H.: "You couldn't give us his address, could you?"
Walter: "I can't do that."
T. G. H.: "Isn't his other son living?"
Walter: "Yes, Thomas. Twins."
T. G. H.: "Oh, I didn't know that."
Walter: "You don't know everything."
T. G. H.: "No, Walter, I don't, that's true."
Walter: "Yes. You're only a little tiny tot. But never mind. You're doing a wonderful work - but this is just my fun. Will you shake hands with me?"
T. G. H.: "Of course. But we're all pretty little ..."
Walter: "Oh, no, you're not. I'm just having my little joke. I know with whom I can joke ...!"
10:29 p.m. (Here the strange, sucking noise is heard, and Walter now speaks through the medium): Your second picture is not very good. However we will try again, but not tonight. Some other time."
T. G. H.: "Well, we can always have the two shots ready."
Walter: "How about a third? The third time is always the best, you know. If I find three flashes too much for the medium I will tell you. Would you like to see some ladies?"
T. G. H.: "Sure."
Walter: "Would you like to see some friends from the higher planes? I will try to get them . They are always willing, but it is more difficult, because of the contact. I will try it with the help of our friend Spurgeon. He is on the higher plane. He has passed through a high test: his work is vastly different from mine: he has a great deal to undo in your plane; the things he taught when he was on earth he must undo (out loud and very emphatically). He must teach a different damnation! Not the old fire and brimstone one; he did not believe it! He preached it day in and day out, but he never believed it. He always believe that there was a love without fear, and so he goes back to the planes he left. He was not true to his convictions. That applies to preachers as much as to anyone else. The illiterate and the poor have a better chance up here; the more educated you are the harder it is to unlearn ... We have schools here but we don't learn ABCs; we learn to do the work of the Master. It has to be done. Oh, you have no idea, it is so different, so beautiful and so bright! It is difficult to undo. It is only the people who believe and know that they have the easiest time. There are many who have been on the mental plane for years and years and years, and have not made much progress. I cannot tell you why; I do not know these people. There are vast multitudes; I couldn't describe them . They are not congregated in crowds, for there is space and more space. But the little children here have the best time. If you on the material plane who have lost little children could only know how happy they are here ..."
T. G. H.: "How could you explain the fact that some people have a long life?"
Walter: "I can't tell the advantages of a long life. We are here for a purpose. Sometimes the love of your friends on this plane brings you over here. I must go now. So long everybody!
Sitting came to a close at 10:39 p.m.
[Mr. H. Reed brought his own camera, placed it in the room, took it home and developed the film picture of the same faces.]
[Mr. Pitblado and Mr. Green were present during development of first plate.]
December 30, 1928.
Usual E.M. trance writing and visions. She leaves the cabinet and Mary Marshall comes forward to the center of the cabinet.
Mary M. is very restless. T. G. H. gets up to open cameras and Mary M. says to be very careful, don't break. Mary M.'s feet start to go. The "engine" starts to get up steam. T. G. H. opens lenses. While this is being done the "engines" keep going faster and faster.
At 9:30 p.m. we sing "There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood." The new Bell-box rings seventy-one times. Time 9:30 p.m. to 9:32 p.m.
By 9:34 p.m. forty-two more rings. Rings keeping time to the music. The medium is perfectly still while Walter accompanies us on his bell. Every ring of the bell requires the pressure of a $.25 piece. Mary M.'s hands held by W. B. Cooper and J. A. Hamilton. Mr. Pitblado feels and controls hands (double control). Walter puts Mary M.'s hands under Mr. Pitblado's on the table. The bell now rings thirty-two times. Mr. Pitblado has hold of medium's both hands, also the controller's hands - hands in a heap in the center of the table.
Pitblado: "Ring now! (Two long rings). Three short and two long." This is given at 9:36 p.m. and Mr. Pitblado reports that there is no muscular movement of Mary M.'s hands or body during the ringing."
Mary M. is restless. We sing at 9:38 p.m.. Telephone rings. Bell imitates it. At 9:39 p.m. bell rings eleven times. We sing "Golden Slippers." Bell rings forty-one times.
Walter: "I would like a little red light for the gentleman to examine the bell. He may pass his hands over her head but very gently. Do not lay hands on her head."
Mr. Pitblado does so and examines the bell box, depressing the lid so as to make it ring twice. Walter thanks him and says that he will give us something important at the next sitting. T. G. H. asks about one of the previous pictures.
Walter: "I told you one was Spurgeon and the other would be known to the medium."
T. G. H.: "Have you considered proving your own personality?"
Walter: "All in good time. Bye and bye. These things can't be rushed but must be brought out very slowly. So long."
[Isaac Pitblado - a very noted Canadian Corporation lawyer. In 1934 elected to .... of the Law Society of Canada. A king's Counsel. A witness of high standing and recognized authority in the legal world.]
