Evening Star Newspaper, May 10, 1931, Page 78

Bertillon Methods to Identity Maj. Crittenden Van Wyck, Retired United " THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, MAY 10, 1931.™" States Army Of ficer, Outlines His Plan to Provide Means by Which Exponents of Spiritualism May Of fer Material Evi- dences in Confirmation of Their Beliefs. Death mask filed away in several well- guarded reposi- tories are urged as one of the methods for identifying spirits. BY KENNETH W. BARR. HONOLULU, April 26, 1931. spiritualists succeed in pro- do communicate with those 1i ? Will famous skeptics of the alleged spiri existence at last be forced to admit that spirit ualism is based on proved fact? Yes, answer a number of leading exponents of spiritualism. Due to recent contributions How? By actually identifying the spirits they claim are hovering about us at all hours of the day and night; identifying them by the same unique method used by police detectives to catch criminals: the Bertillon system of fingerprint- ing. To make the identification quadruply skep- ticproof, an international file of footprints, pho- tographs and death masks, in addition to the fingerprints of tens of thousands of persons who will attempt to communicate their jden- tity when they pass into the next world, will be maintained. NE of the first to suggest the possibility of proving spirit existence once and for all Wwas Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, probably the most active and sincere of all proponents of spiritualism. Before his death he had his fin- gerprints filed away. While many mediums have since reported conversations with him from the “other side,” none has produced his fingerprints o prove to the satisfaction of the Ilay mind that the creator of Sherlock Holmes s still “alive.” Several months ago Judge Charles Stanton Bl of Boston, who was associated with the for in various parts of the world. These impres- sions should be kept under strict surveillance, in charge of Bertillon experts engaged for that purpose, and no one permitied access to them except for purpose of comparison. “For example, if during a seance 8 spirit leaves an imprint of his finger, hand or foot upon dental wax placed in the darkened room for that purpose, that could be sent ’\h will be adopted. To set a good example, he has his hand, foot and face impressions and photograph to four different archives. Pingerprints of spirits have been obtained “Margery is the gifted wife of Dr. L. R. G. , & ished Boston surgeon. 1911 her brother, Walter, was killed in an auto- mobile accident, In 1923 Mrs. Crandon, always referred to in psychical annals as first displayed characteristics of psychical me- diumship, the alleged control -being ber parted brother, Walter. Once during a pirits the passing of the years,” continued Maj. Van Wyck, “the problem of obe taining material proof of the existence of spirits began to impress psychical siudents more and more. For instance, some time ago Dr. Crane don, husbend of Margery, wrote. ‘The probe This may be discredited. No$ investigator is yet convinced. I am sure g continued tnquiry will demonstrate 1t to » 0 (Copyright, 1931.)