THE GLOBE

London, England

22 May 1917

(page 1)

“TEMPLE OF THE ORIENT.”

LETTERS FROM SIR OLIVER LODGE

AND AN ADMIRAL.

The hearing was continued at Marlborough-street, to-day of the case in which Mrs. Mary Davies, psychist, is charged with professing to tell fortunes.

When the police raided her premises in Regent-street Mrs. Davies declared that it was a Masonic Lodge, but Det.-Inspector Curry informed her that he did not recognise that claim, and understood that she called it “The Order of the Temple of the Orient.”

Mr. Sharp (to Inspector Curry): Did you find a number of letters from eminent people?—Yes.

Just to mention two—Sir Oliver Lodge and Admiral Smith-Dorrien?—Yes.

Were they appreciative letters of her mystical powers as a spiritualist?—No.

Mrs. Bertha Brondle, who was sent by the police, stated that defendant said “spiritualism was like a gramophone needle.” By spiritualism she said that she could see any hereditary flaw in a person, which showed up as clearly as a gramophone needle showed a flaw in a record.

Defendant also said she would send witness some magnetised blotting paper to hold while she held the baby.

The Magistrate: How was blotting paper going to help you?—It was to help me throw out the disease. I do not know in what way.

In the witness box defendant described herself as a preacher, authoress, and medium. She was the wife of a naval pensioner, and her son was “a great hero,” who had been decorated. Her doctrine was spiritualism, and she had published a book called “My Psychic Recollections.” She denied that she ever told fortunes.