< Weird Phenomena (continued from page 12-26) >
apparently hopelessly gone, through the mystic instrumentality of that strange personage.— The Theosophist.
Mine
Not much of earth belongs to me. —All the Year Round. |
The Late Mr. Joad
Mr. George Curling load, of Oakfield, Wimbledon, who recently passed to the higher life, was until a year of his demise a liberal patroniser of mediums; he also was one of the witnesses in favour of Henry Slade during the time of the persecution and prosecution of the latter in London. He was a clear-headed investigator of the phenomena, and highly popular from his gentlemanly and kindly ways. Mr. Joad was one of several of the very best men interested in Spiritualism who retired into private life from general public work in the movement some two years ago. Subsequently he worked for a time with Mr. Serjeant Cox and others at some psychological researches at our office with the apparatus constructed by Mr. Frederick Varley for Mr. Blackbum, whioh researches have most unfortunately for the public interests of Spiritualism, been abandoned. He has left behind him property to the amount of £91,000, and a very large proportion of it he has given in charitable bequests. He was a good man, respected and beloved by all who knew him. Death has been busy of late among good and true men interested in occult subjects.
Spiritualism in Paris
A few days ago I had the pleasure of attending a meeting of the managers of the Paris Psychological Society, under the chairmanship of Mons. Fauvety. Its public and other meetings are held at No. 5, Rue Neuve des Petits Champs, the premises of the society, established twenty-four years ago for the publication of the works of Allan Kardec.
The “Society Scientifique d'Etudes Psychologiques” was founded four years ago. It studies every branch of psychology; it is open to the consideration of all religious and theosophical questions, and thus stands upon a somewhat broader basis than the older society. The meetings of the members and friends of the society are held every Friday evening, when correspondence is read, lectures are delivered, discussions take place, and experiments are made. Several writing and trance mediums are members of the society, and the communications they receive are examined and considered at the meetings. It has also established a “School of Mesmerism.” The organisation has about two hundred members, among them Mons. Fauvety (president), a literary man “philosophe;” Mons. Eugfene Nus, dramatist, poet and author; Mons. Bonnemfere, historian; Mons. Valles, engineer and author; Mons. Chaigneau, poet and author; Mons. Tremeschini, astronomer and mathematician; Dr. R. Thurman (vice-president), professor of philosophy; Mons, de Rappard, editor of Licht, mehr Licht; Mons, and Madame Leymarie; Madame de Morsier; Madame de Rosen; and Mdlle. Laserre, novelist.
In founding the Society it was necessary to obtain authority to do so from the Minister of the Interior, who gave his approval to the rules and constitution, which differ but little from those of any English society having the same objects in view.
Both this and the older society have had notice to quit the premises in six months’ time, as the building is to be pulled down to make room for the enlargement of a bank. As the rooms are in every way convenient, and considerable expense has been incurred in making them suitable for their present purposes, the coming evacuation is not liked. Mr., Mrs. and Miss Leymarie reside on the premises, in a suite of apartments adjoining those in public use. I had not the pleasure of seeing Mr. Leymarie on the occasion of my visits, since various duties had called him from home; on one occasion be was in attendance at the bedside of a dying member of the society.
During my present visit to France I have collected much information about Jeanne d’Arc, together with some photographs of historical monuments relating to her, and hope in a few weeks’ time to give a public lecture about my travels during the Christmas vacation, amid the scenes of her exploits.
Madame Leymarie informed me that about three hundred persons attended Mr. Husk’s recent stances in Paris. Of these, some two hundred and fifty were satisfied of the genuineness of the manifestations; the other fifty were not satisfied at all, but their explanations were of a startling nature. One of their theories was that Mr. Husk is a “nictolope,” a man who can see in the dark; another that he is a Hercules, able to lift sofas with his teeth; another that he is an acrobat, who can play musical instruments over the table with his feet, while his hands are held.
Bonlogne-sur-Mer. Wednesday.
Editor's notes
Sources
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London Spiritualist, No. 489, January 6, 1882, p. 6