A DRAWING FROM LIFE BY JOHN CECIL CLAY
JAP HERRON
A NOVEL WRITTEN FROM
THE OUIJA BOARD
WITH AN INTRODUCTION
THE COMING OF JAP HERRON
by
Emily Grant Hutchings
NEW YORK
MITCHELL KENNERLEY
MCMXVII
COPYRIGHT 1917 BY
MITCHELL KENNERLEY
PRINTED IN AMERICA
THE COMING OF "JAP HERRON"
On the afternoon of the second Thursday in March, 1916, I responded toan invitation to the regular meeting of a small psychical researchsociety. There was to be a lecture on cosmic relations, and thehostess for the afternoon, whom I had met twice socially, thought Imight be interested, my name having appeared in connection with arecently detailed series of psychic experiments. To all those present,with the exception of the hostess, I was a total stranger. I learned,with some surprise, that these men and women had been meeting, with anoccasional break of a few months, for more than five years. The recordof these meetings filled several type-written volumes.
When word came that the lecturer was unavoidably detained, the hostessrequested Mrs. Lola V. Hays to entertain the members and guests by ademonstration of her ability to transmit spirit messages by means of aplanchette and a lettered board. The apparatus was familiar to me; butthe outcome of that afternoon's experience revealed a new use for thetransmission board. After several messages, more or less personal, hadbeen spelled out, the pointer of the planchette traced the words:
"Samuel L. Clemens, lazy Sam." There was a long pause, and then:"Well, why don't some of you say something?"
I was born in Hannibal, and my pulses quickened. I wanted to put ahost of questions to the greatest humorist and the greatest philosopherof modern times; but I was an outsider, unacquainted with the usages ofthe club, and I remained silent while the planchette continued:
"Say, folks, don't knock my memoirs too hard. They were written whenMark Twain was dead to all sense of decency. When brains are soft, themethod should be anæsthesia."
Not one of those present had read Mark Twain's memoirs, and the plaintfell upon barren soil. The arrival of the lecturer prevented furtherconfession from the unseen communicant; but I was so deeply impressedthat I begged my hostess to permit me to come again. For my benefit ameeting was arranged at which there was no lecturer, and I was asked tosit for the first time with Mrs. Hays.
In my former psychic investigation, it had been my habit to pronouncethe letters as the pointer of the planchette indicated them, and Mrs.Hays urged me to render the same service when I sat with her, becauseshe never permitted herself to l