Posted on 30 December 2024, 7:01

This is a continuation of the deposition of Vice-Admiral William Usborne Moore (bottom right photo), as explained and recorded in my blog of December 16.

Admiral Moore, before the break, you testified about much of your research in England and started to tell us about your research in America.  I understand you made three trips to the United States, beginning in late 1904 and continuing until 1912.  Let’s continue with that.

“[Yes.] I had seen every phenomenon worth seeing in England.  I had read every book worth reading on the subject of spiritism, and a good deal of trash, including The Confessions of a Medium, which bears internal evidence of being written by an anti-spiritualist, and which, though pure fiction, has been put forward as a true narrative. I knew that, owing to our unfortunate climate, it was useless to pursue my inquiries further in [England] and I resolved to return to America to complete my study in December 1908.  This time I determined to go inland, where I was wholly unknown, and I spent two and a half months in Rochester, New York, Toledo, Ohio, Detroit, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois.  The evidence I obtained in these cities convinced me that I had been in direct communication with Iola, and with many relatives and friends through her influence, by the mediumship of professional and non-professional psychics.”

As I recall, Iola (top left photo) was a deceased relative of yours, but you gave her a pseudonym for family privacy purposes.  What phenomena did you observe?

“[Correct], but she adopted the name herself to avoid the unpleasant complications that may arise as to her identity among those of her friends and relatives who are not educated in spiritism….The phenomena consisted of automatic mirror-writing, materialization, direct writings, pictures precipitated by invisible intelligences, and the direct voice. The correlation of the evidence through different psychics who did not know one another, and in some cases had not even heard of one another, was striking, and – to me – conclusive of the genuineness of each.  I left the United States with an impression, not likely to be easily removed, that there was only one alternative to the spiritistic hypothesis – that of the continual presence of personating demons, able to read every thought of mortals, and to construct at will dramatic situations that answered every doubt and uncertainty in the mind of an investigator.  This is the Roman Catholic doctrine.  I reject it, not only because of its intrinsic improbability, but on account of the consideration of many incidents of a strictly private nature that cannot be here related.”

You reported on some very interesting phenomena with Joseph B. Jonson of Toledo, Ohio in 1909. Please tell us about that.

Moore testified that Jonson (upper right photo) was a powerful-looking man of 55, well educated, and of sober habits. The amount of light during his seances was always sufficient to see him outside the cabinet and that every precaution was taken to avoid confederates or any kind of fraud. Voices came via the direct voice, sometimes through a trumpet and other times without the amplification of a trumpet. Before his investigation of Jonson, Moore conferred with his friend, Homer Taylor Yaryan, who had served as chief of the secret service police under the presidency of Ulysses S Grant.  Yaryan had observed Jonson for years, even in Yaryan’s own house, and was certain that the phenomena were genuine. Jonson’s primary control was an Indian named Grayfeather, whose voice was not the same as Jonson’s. Moore further testified about his observations on January 6, 1909: 

“Including some repetitions, fifteen or sixteen materialized forms emerged from the cabinet and conversed with their friends while Jonson was out of it; six or eight came after Grayfeather had taken him inside – all of these in addition to the familiar spirits, the habitués of the cabinet.  One of the visitors was a nun, who had a very spiritual countenance and wore a bright silver cross about four inches long. She came especially for Mr. Z., but, at the request of the latter lady, she walked well into the light in order that I should be able to see her plainly. The effort was too much for her, and she doubled up, instead of gradually descending into the floor, which is the usual method of disappearance. Each member of the circle was visited by at least two friends who were recognized. Two or three men came to me whom I was not able to identify properly, one making semaphore signs with his arms.” (Grayfeather explained to Moore that they were attempting to materialize without his permission and thus were turned out.)

Your records show another sitting with Jonson on January 16. Please tell us about that one.

“In some respects this séance was better than that of January 6, for more forms appeared, but I did not like it so much, as the light allowed by the spirits in the cabinet was much less, no doubt on account of the [atmospheric conditions].  About twenty-five separate personalities manifested, counting the repetitions, there were over forty materialisations or etherialisations. For my part, I only saw the faces of two clearly enough for recognition.  These were Viola and Edna, the nun. Viola is a very lively girl of eighteen or nineteen, with long streaming hair; she touched my hand with hers. Edna came out four or five times, and gave me opportunities to see her face, dress, and cross quite plainly; Iola brought my father and mother. On one occasion, I went to the entrance of the cabinet, and saw two forms together, which I soon discovered were my parents, and the small form of Iola behind them.”

Very interesting, Admiral Moore.  Please tell us about your private sitting of January 29.

“It was an interesting experiment and I was much surprised that it was so successful.  Jonson passed into the trance state in about ten minutes. In less than five minutes later Iola rose slowly out of the floor in front of me, outside the cabinet, and passed in between the curtains, thus keeping her promise of January 25. I went into the opening with Mrs. Jonson, who invariably accompanies a sitter—to lend additional power to the manifestations – and asked the spirit, ‘Did you make that inscription on the picture?’ A whisper came, ‘With the help of others.’ [Iola] then sank into the floor.”

Will you explain what you are referring to as the picture and the inscription?

Moore explained that between sittings with Jonson, he had visited the Bangs sisters of Chicago (lower left photo), known for their precipitated paintings of spirits. When a picture of Iola was precipitated, Moore said he gave up all doubts about her identity, as this was definitely the relative she claimed to be.  There was no inscription on the painting when he saw it in Chicago, but it was there when he unpackaged it in Toledo. 

Thank you for explaining that, Admiral Moore.  Please continue by telling us more about that January 29 experiment.

“My father and mother materialized. In these there was no possibility of error.  My father had a nose like the Iron Duke, and I saw him in good light three feet outside the cabinet; his prominent feature was clearly distinguishable.  Three men came out whom I did not know, one said to be Mr. Marshall Fields, a wealthy merchant of Chicago, but as I never knew him nor heard of him before this evening, I cannot answer for his identity”

Moore went on to testify that Detective Yaryan had explained to him that they do not always recognize their friends every time by their features.  At times, they see the face distinctly and at other times it is very vague, much depended on the conditions of the sitting, which varied considerably, often dictated by atmospheric conditions.  Sometimes there was no phenomenon at all. Yaryan also pointed out that the Jonsons did not always know who would attend a sitting and therefore could not have pre-arranged for the spirits of their deceased relatives and friends to “materialize” for them.  In addition, the Jonson would have required dozens of confederates of all sizes and shapes, including children, to be hiding in some part of their home, ready to sneak into their upstairs room and impersonate a deceased friend or loved one, all the while offering veridical information. 

You reported an interesting séance on February 1, 1909,  Please tell us about that one.

“Nineteen separate spirits manifested. Some of them reappeared twice or three times, one four times.  I estimated that over forty forms actually appeared during the séance. Including the repetitions, ten were for me.  Iola came first.  I saw her profile plainly; the right eye was closed. She talked a little in whispers, saying she was ‘going with me.’ It was a good representation, the face a good likeness, and the height and dimensions of the figure was correct. She stopped at the entrance of the cabinet rather too long and dematerialized in an unnatural manner.  During this séance, I saw several spirits dematerialize. Some descended into the floor slowly and, so to speak, naturally.  It was possible to follow their heads with the eye until the shoulders were level with the carpet.  Others doubled up before they dissipated, and a few fell over on one side…..My father and mother came together, the former wearing spectacles.  Behind them, I could detect a third form, of the right height and size of Iola, but, as she was in the shadow of the cabinet, I was not able {to see her features}….One old relative appeared to me, whom I recognized.  I kissed her, as I would when she was in the earth life, and she returned it; but the effect was too much for her, and she fell over on the side and vanished.” 

I have heard that Jonson was accused of fraud. What do you say to that?

“It is hardly necessary for me to say that the Jonsons have been accused of fraud, like all other professional psychics, good, bad, and indifferent.  I have never heard of an instance where a definite charge has been brought against them and been proved.  All I know of are the usual slanders by other competing mediums, by well-intentioned friends of the sitters, and writing private and public, by authors of the arm-chair type.  As Jonson sits outside the cabinet for a part of every séance, and his wife scarcely ever goes near him, the only question that can be raised by the most rabid skeptic is that of several confederates at each séance.  I consider that this may be ignored, for the following reasons:  They could not enter from below or from outside the house without observation, nor could they come by the staircase without passing the members of the circle; in cases when the sitters were over nine in number, they would have to go through the circle…[Moreover,] the expense and the difficulty of finding the histrionic capacity in the neighborhood forbid such an explanation of the supernormal phenomena that take place at these séances.”

Thank you, Admiral.  Any final thought before we recess again.
 
“I do not deny that communication with the spirit world is full of perplexities.  Answers to questions put to spirits are often contradictory and apparently misleading.  Generally, this is owing to the difficulty experienced in describing to beings who are functioning in three dimensions what is taking place in a region inhabited by those who are functioning in four or more.  But the essential points are gained quickly by the earnest investigator; he soon learns that he is destined to live again; that immortality is a fact; that he can commune without much difficulty with those whom the world calls dead….The difficulty of our spirit visitors in communicating at all must be enormous.  We ply them with questions, the majority of which they are not able to answer because they have not yet reached the higher spheres; they make the attempt by stating what they have heard from others, and are, doubtless, often incorrect…[Further,] the higher spirits are hampered by the personality of the medium.  To us, it is highly important that the medium should be an ignorant person, unable to form any theories for herself, so that we shall receive the undiluted message.  But here is another side to the question.  When the psychic is densely ignorant it appears to be impossible, at times, for the spirit to get through any lofty ideas.  I have watched this often.”

The deposition of Admiral Moore will continue on January 13.

Michael Tymn is the author of The Afterlife Revealed: What Happens After We Die, Resurrecting Leonora Piper: How Science Discovered the Afterlife, and Dead Men Talking: Afterlife Communication from World War I.
His latest book, No One Really Dies: 25 Reasons to Believe in an Afterlife is published by White Crow books.

Pete,

Thanks for the information on Ivor Gratten-Guiness. There are indications that there are many “impostor” (earthbound)spirits pretending to be once-famous people, so, clearly, much discernment is required. It’s a Catch 22 situation.  I plan a future blog on this.

Mike

Hi Michael
Ivor Grattan-Guiness of the SPR talked about his experiences of physical mediumship in the 1960s in a YouTube interview that I’ve been unable to find again. He came to my attention via his participation in the scole group and his comments about what he witnessed.
He said that in the early days he used to travel up to London on Sundays to attend a seance. In a matter of fact way he talked about the regular appearance of spirit forms on these Sunday outings away from his regular work.
He mentioned on one occasion that Sir Oliver Lodge appeared who said something really banal. He then went onto say that he was sure that he would have expected Lodge to have said something far more interesting. I don’t know what to make of it as I have been unable to watch it again. He said it was Lodge but seemed to suggest that it wasn’t !
Again though this was still happening in what I would call the recent past from someone I regard as an impeccable source. He used to see these apparitions on a weekly basis.
Pete Marley

SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS by Adin Ballou page 3.

4. Presenting apparitions, in some instances, of a spirit hand and arm, in others, of the whole human form, and in others, of several deceased persons conversing together ; causing distinct touches to be felt by the mortal living, grasping and shaking their hands ; and giving many other sensible demonstrations of their existence.

My friend from high school of 60 years when I first told him of my ability in 1987 (I told him first) said to his wife If anyone but Bruce told me about his ability to have after life conversations I would have said “He would what we term a Crazy” (he has a Degree plus Masters in psychology).

About two years later his late father appeared to him. We are 1000 miles apart. His father had died after WWII from injuries when he was only 1-2 years old. His father (he didn’t know it was his really his father at the time and needed to search for photos which were locked away to minimise the pain of loss) appeared in the back garden for about ten minutes. My friend and his wife looked out the window and both saw him. He was smiling but no conversations.  The clothing was old style. They knew not to rush out but to enjoy the experience.

My friend contacted me to say he had joined me in the Crazy world. I said that it was very unusual for such spirit power to appear without any assistance.One way manifestations are not very common.

He asked What did it mean? I replied Love. Can I do it? I replied No.
Thanks,

Bruce

Michael,
Yes, it is a conundrum that many intelligent, accomplished and esteemed men of the past believed in (or promoted a belief in) spirit interactions with the physical world.  Their observations and reports of materializations or direct voices are intriguing and make me wistful that, if they are still happening, they are not reported today.  I have wondered about that and look forward to your future blog and an opportunity to discuss why that is. - AOD

Michael,
It is interesting to read about your experience with “flying saucers” when you were 13 years old.  At about the same time that you saw the saucers I was 10 or 11 years old and had a vivid dream about a fleet of low-flying flying saucers flying over the neighborhood.  That dream has stayed with me for 75 years.  In fact, it is the only dream that I can still remember.  It is as vivid in my mind’s eye now as it was when I drempt it.

As you know, I am a fan of the Bangs sisters.  W. Usborne Moore visited them in 1909 and 1911 and had a precipitated picture of “Iola” made.  That precipitated picture is the one you included at the beginning of this article.  According to Moore, it was precipitated by the Bangs sisters in 25 minutes while he was sitting within 2 to 2.5 feet in front of it.  After the picture was precipitated, it was horizontally flipped so that instead of Iola facing right, she was facing left or vice versa.  That’s something that can be easily done in Photoshop today but was evidence of spirit involvement in the early 1900s. - AOD

Amos, thanks for the link to Helen DeVito. It is because so much of today’s mediumship is of the clairvoyance or clairaudience type and requires so much discernment relative to imagination, coloring of the message by the subconscious, etc., that I take very little interest in it and prefer to continually explore the mediumship of yesteryear, especially the direct-voice, but also materializations. I find it difficult to believe that Admiral Moore and dozens of other esteemed researchers just imagined dozens of materializations or that their subconscious minds created the various voices and facts expressed, or that they were hypnotized by the mediums to believe that they saw them or heard them. Once or twice, maybe, but not dozens or hundreds of times, as reported by Moore, Geley, Richet, and many others. 

I recall speaking with a clairvoyant medium at a conference many years ago and she said she thought all that old stuff was bunk, simply because she was a “medium” and wasn’t capable of producing such phenomena.  So many others today ask why we don’t hear much, if anything, of the materializations and direct-voice today.  That has been discussed in previous blogs and would take too many words to summarize again here, but I’ll plan another blog to again discuss the various reasons why we don’t have it or at least hear of it (although we do hear of it here and there).

Meanwhile, I’m still trying to discern the vision I had of a “flying saucer” at about age 13, as I was headed for the back steps of my family home.  I can still see it, a silvery, saucer shaped object that seemed to be hovering not much more than a few hundred feet overhead—not directly overhead but over two or three houses to my right.  I observed it for maybe 5-10 seconds before it zoomed away. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I have not imagined anything like that since then and am not even sure I had heard of Roswell at the time.  I’m wondering if I was abducted and programmed to take an interest in all of this seemingly crazy subject matter. I should be focused on more important things, like who is going to win the Super Bowl than on idiotic spirit manifestations. 

Michael,

I would like to add some information to your excellent article. (I know a Sally Davis from the Theosophy Society in Australia but I am unsure if it is the same Sally.)
 
“Seen and Unseen” seems to have made Kat Bates rather a star in the spiritualism world.  She was encouraged to write several more books between 1908 and 1920, on her experiences in spiritualism; on where she thought the movement ought to be going in the future; and on the new age of Mankind’s spiritual evolution that she was taking part in.  Kat was friends with Usborne

Comments on William Usborne Moore by Sally Davis: I think that in 1904, the Usborne Moores were new friends of Kat.  William Usborne Moore (born 1849) had been in the Navy, mostly serving in the Pacific and Far East, until 1901.  He and his wife had married in Australia in 1877.

As late as 1903 he did not believe in spiritualism, but under the influence of Kat and others, he changed his mind and became a keen and rather credulous investigator of mediums.  Kat became a good friend of both William and his wife Maria Gertrude and visited them very often at their seaside home in Southsea.

Sources for him: a short entry on wikipedia.

Times
Wed 8 May 1901 p5 a letter mentions Captain Usborne Moore as still on active service: commander of HMS Dart which was based in Australia.

Usborne Moore’s book The Cosmos and the Creeds: Elementary Notes on the Alleged Finality of the Christian Faith was published in London: Watts and Co 1903.  In Glimpses of the Next State… pix Usborne Moore said that The Cosmos and the Creeds was a defence of the teachings of Jesus, against the doctrines of the Church in the centuries since – a point of view Kat will have agreed with.  On px of it, Usborne Moore said that when he wrote The Cosmos and the Creeds he was not a spiritualist.

And on the organiser of these seances, Robert Gambier Bolton: there’s a short wikipedia page on him as an author and photographer.  There’s more at http://www.bonhams.com, a photograph of a lion taken by Gambier Bolton (1854-1928) the first well-known photographer of animals.  FRGS.  FZS.  Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society.

At findagrave.com there’s information that he died in Bournemouth; perhaps Kat kept up their friendship when she too was living there.

http://www.wrightanddavis.co.uk/GD/BATESKATLBD19031907.htm

Thanks,
Bruce

Here’s some nice short advice from Helen DaVita about developing mediumship.  - AOD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKR0Hlycww0

Amos,

I have asked the same thing about infants, but there is so much about the “higher self,” “group soul,” and “fragmentation” of the soul that is apparently beyond human comprehension. Here is what Admiral Moore wrote: (As noted, he didn’t understand it, either.)

“During my investigation a sad accident happened to an infant in my family, causing its sudden death. Mrs. Wriedt arrived in England a few days after; and, in her presence, I enjoyed intercourse with my relatives, who told me in the direct voice of its reception into the next state. ‘This little one was removed for a purpose; though physically normal, it was psychically abnormal; had it lived to maturity, it would have been a highly developed sensitive.  It loses nothing by the loss of earth experience; it will grow up in the kindergarten, a part of what is termed “celestial life,” where it will develop as speedily as if it had remained on earth; in one respect, that of articulate speech, it will develop even more rapidly.  [I cannot understand this, and simply record what the voice told me.] Infants in spirit life—in the celestial sphere—grow up entirely unsullied by earthly emotions.  They are the angels of God.  They know nothing of love as mortals understand that word, until, at some future time, they may find their soul-mate. The infant for whom you mourn is in the charge of [named a near relative], who will educate it. As present, it is too young to be taught, but it has sufficient understanding to know that it is loved. You will be informed, from time to time, as to how it is progressing.”

Michael,
I think this is an interesting series you have undertaken about Admiral Moore.  I look forward to the next installment. 

I always feel compelled to comment when the topic of infants in the afterlife is brought up. I can’t integrate the concept of an infant in the afterlife with a belief that it is consciousness that survives death and that most if not all consciousnesses have had multiple incarnations in various and sundry physical forms most of the forms living to adulthood in some lifetimes.  I hear some of the current mediums allude to deceased infants in the arms of their grandparent in the afterlife, or that the infant is growing up there playing with other children; meaning that somehow, cell division is occurring and that there are tangible bodies in the afterlife, undergoing biological and hormonal development as they do on the physical plane, that is, on Earth.

That doesn’t make sense to me, if I think that consciousness is an energy form that really doesn’t need a body to contain it, at least not a physical form as humans are known to be.

Now I have heard some people say that consciousness in the afterlife can appear in whatever form it so desires.  If that be the case, then I suppose there are some spirits that choose to appear as infants or children in the afterlife for some reason, maybe just to initially be recognized by relatives who meet them when they pass over, but surely, they could choose to appear as adults too, even as adults from other lifetimes and would have no need to “continue to grow” in the spirit world.  But if that were the case, they probably would not be recognized by their relatives. 

I think this idea was well portrayed in the movie “What Dreams May Come” starring Robin Williams.  In that movie a relative (a son I think or other close acquaintance) appeared to him in several different forms.  Now I know that a movie is make believe but it was a nice portrayal of the concept of a Soul Consciousness being able to choose to appear in different forms.  I recommend that movie for those who have not seen it.  I think it captures some ideas of the afterlife, at least on the lower planes, very well.  - AOD

Mike,

I had never come across an account of so many forms assembled for a single seance; also new to me was the various ways they exited the seance. Finally, I was impressed by the difficulty that spirits have in trying to communicate with us through mediums: some mediums know too much,  while others know too little. Anyway, there is enough proof of survival here to satisfy any unbiased seeker.

Thanks for the suggestion, Amos, but books about mediums of yesteryear do not seem to do well, especially physical mediums.

Before Moore studied Jonson, in 1907, researcher Hereward Carrington of the Society for Psychical Research observed Jonson at the Lily Dale Spiritualist camp and wrote him off as a fraud. Although Carrington would eventually be won over to a belief in Spiritualism, including physical phenomena, he was known primarily as a debunker at that time, especially of physical mediumship.  Both Carrington’s objectivity and scientific acumen are clearly in question from his report.  He found nothing conclusive relative to fraud and only speculated on how the “tricks” might have been done. As an example, he noted that a cabinet curtain could be seen blowing with every materialization and saw this as highly suggestive of fraud.  However, Dr. Cesare Lombroso, the distinguished Italian physician and researcher, reported “undulations, inflations, and flingings” of the curtain of the cabinet in his investigation of Eusapia Paladino and saw it as a “true spouting fountain of air” related to the materialization phenomenon.
 
A “form” came to Carrington claiming to be that of his long-deceased sister.  He reported that his sister died just after birth before he was even born and so he had no way of verifying this was his sister.  Moreover, he stated that she appeared as a girl of about 17, whereas his sister would have been about 40 had she lived.  He saw this as evidence of fraud.  Carrington seems to have been unaware of spirit testimony that infants continue to grow in the spirit world and that they often show themselves as a prime age.  At that time, a woman of 40 might not have appeared in the prime of life.
Carrington’s report made no mention of whether anyone at the séance knew he was coming or knew anything of his family history, including whether he had a deceased sister.  Since Carrington was born in England and moved to the Unites States in 1899, at age 19, it would have been extremely difficult for Jonson to have explored his family history.

Carrington ended his report by saying that there had been another report of Jonson being a fraud, and so he saw no point in further discussing it.

Again, indications are that Carrington was out to debunk everyone during his early years as a researcher, but he gradually changed and wrote a number of books in favor of mediums and mediumship.

I love this man.

Based on Usborne’s report, Joseph B. Jonson appears to be a spectacular materialistic medium yet there is a paucity of articles about him on the internet, and PSI Encyclopedia has nothing about him.  I think this is an opportunity Michael for another book!  - AOD