|
THE PEARL TIE-PIN CASE
Another interesting case involving Hester Travers-Smith is referred to as “The Pearl Tie-Pin Case.” Travers Smith was sitting at the ouija board with Geraldine Cummins, the 17-year-old daughter of a physician. The name of Cummins’ cousin, an army officer killed in France a month earlier, was unexpectedly spelled out on the board and then the message came: “Tell mother to give my pearl tie-pin to the girl I was going to marry, I think she ought to have it.” As Cummins was unaware that her cousin had intended to marry and did not know the name of the woman, she asked that the name and address of the woman be given. The full Christian and surname was given on the board along with an address in London. Either the address was not accurately communicated or was taken down wrong, as a letter sent to that address was returned. Cummins checked with other family members and none was aware that the cousin had been engaged nor knew the fiancée named. Several months later, the family of the young officer received his personal effects from the War Office. They included a pearl tie-pin along with a will naming the fiancée as his next of kin. Both the Christian and surname were exactly as given to Cummins, who would later develop into a world-famous medium and author. After hearing the story from Travers Smith, Sir William Barrett, professor of physics at Royal College and a pioneering psychical researcher, contacted Cummins and confirmed the facts, including the fact that the message was recorded at the time and not written from memory. “Here there could be no explanation of the facts by subliminal memory, or telepathy, or collusion,” Barrett wrote, “and the evidence points unmistakably to a telepathic message from the deceased officer.” – Michael E. Tymn |
See
“A Lusitania Victim Communicates” above for a more complete background on
Hester Travers Smith and Sir William Barrett. Also, see “interview” with