P.R._, vol. iv. pp. 117-119.

[38] "Human Personality," vol. ii. p. 580.

CHAPTER VI

PHYSICAL PHENOMENA ALLEGED TO HAVE OCCURRED IN THE PRESENCE OF WILLIAM
STAINTON MOSES

It is mainly due to the labours of Mr. F. W. H. Myers, after Mr.
Stainton Moses' death, that the Physical Phenomena alleged to have
occurred in his presence can be included among those for which evidence
of a scientific character is claimed. It is much to be regretted that,
during Mr. Stainton Moses' lifetime, although phenomena of a very varied
character were alleged to have occurred with great frequency during many
years, no scientific man of eminence appears to have joined in the
seances, except on one or two occasions. Perhaps the primary reason for
this was that Mr. Stainton Moses' own attitude of mind towards the
subject did not court critical and scientific investigation of the
phenomena. But even during the last ten years of his life, subsequent to
the formation of the Society for Psychical Research, of which he was an
original member, and not only that, but for nearly five years a
Vice-President and a member of the Council, so far as I know, no
sittings were held with him on behalf of the Society, and no first-hand
authentic records of the alleged phenomena in earlier years were placed
before it. One reason for this probably was that the Council of the
Society informally adopted a sort of understanding that its earlier
investigations should not be directed towards "Spiritualism," but mainly
towards those branches of the great subject which were, so to speak,
just outside the field of recognised scientific inquiry--such, for
instance, as Thought-Transference and Hypnotism. In this course there
was doubtless a certain amount of wisdom, but to it was due the apathy
and the ultimate secession of a few members who took great interest in
the formation of the Society. Chief among these was W. Stainton Moses
himself. In November 1886 he withdrew from the Society, considering that
the evidence of phenomena of the genuine character of which he had
satisfied himself beyond doubt, was not being properly entertained or
fairly treated.

Mr. W. Stainton Moses entrusted by will his unpublished MSS. to two
friends as literary executors, Mr. Charles C. Massey and Mr. Alaric A.
Watts. At the earnest request of Mr. Myers, these gentlemen permitted
him to see a large number of them. Thirty-one note-books were placed in
his hands. Permission was fur