Identifying Historical Personages
Of course, a close, personal identification, similar to that stated in
the above recital, is impossible in cases when the spirit claims to be
some well-known historical personage. But in the last named class of
cases it will be found possible to ask questions concerning the life and
career of the supposed celebrity, and to form a general idea of the
correctness of the claim by the quality and general character of the
a
swers given. It will be found that genuine spirits are nearly always
anxious to definitely establish the truth of their claims to identity,
and will often go to great pains to do so. The character of the language
employed, the grammar followed, and the general evidence of the
intellectual capacity of the spirit, all these will be found useful in
testing cases of claimed identity; and no genuine spirit has any just
cause to object to such tests and questions, if made in the proper
scientific spirit, and with ordinary politeness. In short, treat the
spirit just as you would were he in the flesh, speaking to you over a
telephone, and endeavoring to establish his identity; this will always
be a safe and just rule to employ and follow.