Woman assaults man.
Mary Magg (49), married, Llanhilleth, was summoned for assaulting George Herbert Dyer, collier, Llanhilleth, on March 7th. Prosecutor said that defendant struck him in the face and also spat in his face, in the street. Tom Hill, Abertillery, and another witness gave corroborative evidence. Complainant stated that after a quarrel between her child and the prosecutor’s child, Dyer came to her house and became very abusive. A woman deposed that she saw no assault by Mrs Maggs. Mrs Maggs was bound over for six months and ordered to pay the court fees, 4s.
South Wales Gazette, 18th March 1927.
A House of Mystery.
Moving furniture and ghostly voices.
Strange, very strange, manifestations in the home of Mr and Mrs Dyer, who live in the mining town of Llanhilleth, (Mon.), have caused much perturbation. Mr Dyer’s family and friends and a score of neighbours swear they have seen tables move, door-latches lift of their own accord, and ghostly voices speak in the dark. They have also felt the touch of ghostly hands and heard strange noises.
Mr Dyer attributes the ghostly noises and voices to the spirit of his dead son Leslie. Not long after his death Mr Dyer went to a spiritualist seance in Abertillery, where a medium whom he had never seen before told him of the circumstances of his son’s death. Later another medium assured Mrs Dyer that she saw “Piccaninnies hanging blue garlands about her, and that when the blue flowers came she would have strange manifestations. Bluebells, it appears, were the favourite flowers of her son. This prophecy was fulfilled in the spring, when, according to Mr Dyer and his family and friends, the strange visitations began.
Mr Dyer has never held direct communication with his son, nor has Mrs Dyer, but in their son Hergert [sic], a boy of 17, they believe they have a medium with great psychic powers. When this boy is absent they can get no contact whatever with the dead; when he is present they say they have never failed to do so.
One evening, in the presence of a number of neighbours, a strange light appeared in the darkness of their doorway and moved towards the table. Another time they heard the tapping of the spirit, and the boy Herbert went out into the hall. He seemed to be frightened at what he saw, and they followed him out. They saw nothing, but they heard footsteps descending the stairs as though from a great height. The door of the kitchen was latched, but swung open. They shut it and it opened again. Again they shut it, and it was flung violently open.
A banjo belonging to the dead boy was seen to move in broad daylight from where it is kept on the floor and back again. It played tunes as it lay in the lap of the boy Herbert, who cannot himself play a note of music.
Mrs Dyer cannot keep a table-cloth on the table. Whenever she puts one on the table is violently shaken, and the contents upset. Watches are taken from pockets and then reappear. Tin canisters leap across the room, and on one occasion a walnut table was smashed to pieces in the dark, and the splinters were found on the floor when the light was put on.
Visitors say they have heard bells ringing above their heads and all about them while sitting in the house of the Dyers, who celebrated their golden wedding last February.
Cheltenham Chronicle, 18th August 1928.
Spirit messenger that got tired.
The Welsh house mystery.
Intense interest has been aroused by the phenomena reported in the house of Mr and Mrs Dyer, of Hafodarthen-road, Llanhilleth, Mon. Mr Dyer said yesterday that many people are sceptical, and at night crowds gather outside the house. Because he has refused admittance disturbances have occurred, and police intervention has been obtained. Two years ago Mr Dyer’s son Leslie died, and is said to be communicating through the medium of Herbert, another son. A “Chronicle” correspondent writes:
“Mrs Dyer agreed to a demonstration, and, with the boy Herbert, I went into a dark room under the stairs, where Herbert asked me to take hold of his hands and place my feet against his. I had not been there more than a few seconds when Herbert said, ‘Are you there, Leslie?’ and there was a loud rumbling noise along the wall. This was followed by strange, heavy knocking, and Herbert said that he had felt Leslie touch him on the head, andn asked me if I could feel it. I replied ‘No,’ whereupon Herbert said, ‘Touch the gentleman on the head for proof, Leslie,’ but there was no response. This was tried several times without effect.
“Herbert called in his father, who said, ‘Are we testing you too much, Leslie?’ and immediately there were three loud knocks, which Mr Dyer took to mean that Leslie was getting weaker. Therefore the demonstration ceased.”
Visitors are expected from the National Laboratory of Psychical Research. Mr Dyer has been out of work for two and a half years. His son Herbert has undergone several operations.
Nottingham Evening Post, 18th August 1928.
Llanhilleth Seance.
“Transparently childish” phenomena.
Mr Harry Price, honorary director of the National Laboratory of Psychical Research, London, and Mrs H. Lewis, a well-known London medium, were present at a seance at Llanhilleth in the early hours of Saturday morning to investigate phenomena that were stated to have occurred at the house of Mr and Mrs G. H. Dyer, of 28 Hafodarthen-road. Among others who attended were half a dozen journalists (including a representative of the Western Mail), Mr and Mrs Dyer, some friends, and the medium, Herbert Dyer, aged seventeen, who claims to have received messages from his dead brother Leslie. The seance was held in pitch darkness. As directed by Herbert, sometimes the circle held hands, and sometimes were quite free. When the light was switched on two photographs, one of the dead Leslie, and the other of his uncle, who was killed in the Great War, were found on Herbert’s lap. Some hours earlier they had been seen in frames in the next room, and when the investigators looked after the occurrence the photographs were not in their frames. The light was again turned off, and Herbert said, “Leslie is pulling at my throat.” A noise was heard on the table, and a scraping sound on the floor. Light revealed Herbert’s tiepin and handkerchief on the table. The movements of an electric torch, which had been on the window ledge behind Herbert, created a hitch. The torch was passed to three reporters in turn, and everyone was asking, “Who passed it?” Eventually, Herbert said, “Leslie tells me that he was going to pass the torch to everyone in the room, but the third person was sceptical, and it stopped with him.” Unfortunately, the torch was actually passed by the reporters concerned, so Leslie could hardly have had anything to do with it. The proceedings concluded when Herbert stated that the “power was getting weaker.”
Afterwards Mr Price, in an interview, said that he was convinced the manifestations were not genuine. “It was transparently childish, and I was able to see through all the tricks. They were of an elementary character,” he added.
Western Mail, 20th August 1928.
Llanhilleth Spirit Mystery.
Remarkable Occurrences at All-night Seance.
Boy’s alleged mediumship.
Challenge by father withdrawn.
Remarkable happenings, which were stated to have occurred at the home of Mr and Mrs G.H. Dyer, 28 Hafodarthen Road, Llanhilleth, were investigated during a seance which commenced a couple of hours before midnight on Friday and lasted until about 3.30 next morning. It is stated that in the presence of the boy Herbert Dyer, who is 17 years of age, tables and other objects have moved in broad daylight, without the application of any visible force, mysterious rappings and rumblings have been heard, and Herbert has given what purported to be messages from his brother Leslie, who “passed over” a couple of years ago at the age of 12, dying in hospital as the result of an accident.
It was at the invitation of Mr Dyer that a “South Wales Gazette” reporter attended the seance, and there were also present at the commencement Mr Harry Price (hon. director of the National Laboratory of Psychical Research, London, and foreign research officer of the American Society for Pyschical Research), Mrs Lewis (a member of the National Laboratory), the medium, Herbert, his parents, four other Press representatives, a photographer, and a friend of the family. Later the photographer left, and still later another neighbour was called in and joined in the proceedings. Mr and Mrs Dyer’s two other children had previously been put to bed.
To while away the interval of waiting for one of the party to arrive, Mr Dyer told how, on another occasion, Herbert stated that “Leslie” prophesied that a crucifix would break into two pieces as they watched it, and that this actually occurred. Mr Dyer siad that he had himself seen “lights,” and the boy Herbert told our representative that his dead brother had often appeared to him, with a blue halo round his head. Herbert also said that his brother, before he died, claimed that he “could see angels.”
No sooner had the circle been formed round the table in the little kitchen, and the electric light extinguished, than, with dramatic suddenness, something fell upon the table, close to the edge, between Herbert and his left-hand neighbour, a London pressman. The light was immediately switched on, revealing a couple of postcard photographs which had earlier in the evening occupied frames in the adjoining room. The photos were immediately placed beneath the strings of a banjo on a small table behind Mr Price. Mr Dyer expressing the hope that they might be removed thence by spirit agency, and the banjo played. (Neither of these expectations, however, was realised.) A prayer and a hymn followed, and after a few moments’ waiting something clattered on the table, and the lectric light [sic] revealed the boy’s tie-pin lying on the table. Darkness again, another hymn, and two buttons wrenched from the lad’s waistcoat fell on to the table and thence to the floor. Herbert had complained that “Leslie” had him by the throat – a remark at which Mr Dyer expressed surprise, as Leslie had never before hurt him. Herbert then took off his collar and tie, apparently for his own comfort, and laid them on the table. There were one or two loud knocks on the table, which was purshed about, and occasionally a peculiar scraping sound was heard, and the suggestion was then made that perhaps Leslie desired the presence of Mr Thomas Hambley, a local believer in Spiritualism, and an officer in the local Boys’ Life Brigade, to which Leslie belonged in this life. Three raps on the table were said to convey “Leslie’s” assent.
After supper the sitting was resumed with Mr Hambley, and at Herbert’s suggestion (prompted, he claimed by “Leslie”), his father, Mr Price and one of the Pressmen examined Herbert’s bedroom – for what reason no one seemed to know. At all events nothing unusual was found, but when the trio returned there were some very violent manifestations – manifestations either of some occult power, or of sheer physical strength. A wooden form on which the young medium and two men of average weight were seated, was moved backwards, and all attempts to draw it nearer the table failed. This curious tussle with an inanimate seat in the darkness continued for several seconds, and eventually the two men confessed themselves beaten, and gave up the struggle. The light was then switched on, and the other sitters were amazed to find the form standing on its end!… Another long interval of waiting and “Leslie” then directed that one of the sitters, a Mr Morris, should be tied with rope, but though his injunction was obeyed it was countermanded shortly afterwards… More waiting, the tedium being lessened by the singing of a hymn, and then Herbert said the spirit of Leslie wanted Mr Price to loose his hands. Mr Price asked Herbert to make sure that this was “Leslie’s” desire, and on the request being repeated Mr Price obeyed. There was then more violent movement of the form, and a large electric torch, the property of one of the journalists seated on the form, was thrown on to the table, and later transferred from hand to hand, each person who received it disclaiming knowledge of having passed it to the next. Shortly afterwards, the sitter on the right of our representative received three eerie taps on the left side of his chest, which could be distinctly heard, and for which he could not account. Two of the guests then accompanied Herbert into the next room, and afterwards stated that the sofa had moved, apparently of its own volition, all three denying complicity.
On their return, the remainder of the sitters were requested to leave the room while those who had handled the torch were closely questioned by Herbert (apparently on the instructions of “Leslie”), who said that but for the action of one of the sitters he would have caused the torch to be passed to all in turn. There was apparently a rift in the lute, suspicion was in the air – and it was not all suspicion of the medium. However, Herbert’s cross-examination was met by a barrage of denials, and the seance was resumed. Soon a knife appeared on the table with a very material noise. The table drawer in which the usual implements were kept was opposite the “Gazette” representative, and could not have been opened without his cognisance. At the request of Herbert, hands had been unlinked, but there was a difference of opinion as to whether it was not preferable to hold hands, and in endeavouring to re-establish connection our representative touched one of the sitters on the hand. “Thank you, Leslie!” exclaimed this person, and our representative was so surprised that he hesitated about disturbing his belief, and decided not to undeceive him, thinking that a statement as to the origin of the “ghostly” touch in the presence of the whole circle might make the sitter (a firm “believer”) look somewhat foolish (if one can look foolish in darkness!).
The seance was now drawing to a close, the lengthy sitting having been a severe strain upon all, despite the hospitality dispensed by a genial hostess. Herbert announced that the communications were ended, and in response to questions as to whether anyone present was having a disturbing influence on the sitting, replied in the negative, but said that the cause was beer. A sitter admitted the “soft impeachment,” and confessed to having consumed a little of that beverage. He was requested to leave the circle for a while, but his absence did not appear to improve matters, and he rejoined shortly afterwards. Jocular questions were put to Mr Price as to whether “Leslie” objected to cider, and the reply was again in the negative. Mr Dyer protested against the note of levity which had been introduced, but Mr Price pointed out that it was not due to himself but to “Leslie’s” reference to beer, and, moreover, stated that he had attended many seances at which intoxicants were drunk without inhibiting genuine phenomena. The subject dropped, and the sitting was about to close when Mr Dyer expressed his disappointment with the results, and suggested that the boy should accompany Mr Price and others to a recess under the stairs, where mysterious sounds are said to have been heard when Herbert is present. Mr Lewis, Mr Price, Herbert, and one Pressman, then entered the recess, and a loud noise was heard. They changed their positions and the noise was not repeated.
Evidently feeling that his distinguished guests, who had come down from London in great haste to investigate, were not satisfied with the results achieved. Mr Dyer asked Mr Price and Mrs Lewis what they thought of the seance. “It has been most interesting,” said Mrs Lewis. “A very instructive evening,” said Mr Price, evidently choosing his words carefully. Further pressed, Mr Price said he would require a number of sittings before coming to a definite conclusion, and on being asked to pay a further visit, said he would be glad if Mr Dyer would acquaint him of any further unusual happenings which might take place.
Walking to his hotel after the guests had made their farewells, Mr Harry Price expressed the opinion that the time and trouble he had taken to investigate the matter had been wasted, and he attributed the various so-called phenomena to quite natural causes. Certainly it was possible for the photographs which fell on the table on the side next to Herbert to have been extracted from the frame in the adjoining room by someone prior to the commencement of the sitting. Nearly all the other curious happenings are attributable to human agency, the outstanding exception being the violent movement of the form on which two other persons besides the boy medium were seated. Looking at this slight and rather under-sized lad with unbiassed eyes, no one would suspect him of the possession of great physical strength. On the other hand, deception on the part of some of the sitters has been admitted in newspaper accounts of the affair, which state that the torch was passed along as a trap for the young medium, who alleged that the spirit of “Leslie” had himself passed the instrument. If Herbert was guilty of the deception implied, it does not rule out the possibility that other phenomena – not necessarily all, but at least some – were genuine. If not, then a tribute must be paid to his wonderful acting: few lads of his age could have simulated surprise so successfully when the earlier happenings were revealed in the glare of the electric light. Even the apparently mysterious movement of the wooden form, however, need not be put down to extra-human agency without further evidence, except by those who are willing to believe anything which seems to support a cherished theory. For example, though it might be difficult to believe that Herbert moved the bench, the possibility of its other two occupants having done so by their joint efforts, with the idea of deceiving the medium, must not be ignored. If the medium was deceived in this way by the other occupants of the form no reflection can be cast upon his honesty, since the movement was not prophesied by “Leslie.” The case of the transferrance of the torch, however, lies in a different category, for this “phenomenon” was predicted by “Leslie” through Herbert, whereas subsequent newspaper admission proved it to be no phenomenon at all – for, alas! in this wicked old world deliberate deception by human beings is not unusual.
The lesson of the whole affair appears to be that the conditions under which the seance was held were not stringent enough to rule out the possibility of deception by anyone present. No search of the medium was made, and during part of the seance, at least, the boy’s hands were not held by those seated next to him: and it is to be noted that on one occasion this release was effected at the medium’s (or “Leslie’s”) own request. The lack of more convincing phenomena, as compared with the alleged abundance of previous happenings, is thought to be many spiritualists to have been due to the adverse conditions from the medium’s point of view. Mr Dyer afterwards complained privately to our representative that the room was reeking with smoke, but it is only fair to state that in setting the example in this respect Mr Price sought the usual permission to “light up,” and was assured that it wwould have no detrimental results. Apparently beer, and not tobacco, is the special taboo of the mysterious forces beyond the grave.
Mr Dyer also thought that the investigation was not being treated with sufficient seriousness, though here he crossed swords with a more experienced believer in Mrs Lewis, who credits the unknown visitants with a sense of humour and a love of fun around a “circle.” That the sitting was frequently interrupted by switching on the light was another cause of complaint, though this was generally done with the specific object of ascertaining what had happened. The fact that one sitter was deceived by the touch of our representative into the belief that it was a ghostly caress, as already related, was, of course, no evidence of dishonesty on the sitter’s part, but was strongly indicative of the self-deception of which many spiritualists are victims. The sitter in question stated, either that evening or later (the writer forgets which) that the touch was that of a cold hand. As a matter of fact, his hands were uncomfortably hot all the evening, though he suffered from cold feet (literally, not metaphorically), for “Leslie” was said to object to the presence of a light from a fire during the seance, and the room became very cold as the night advanced.
It should be stated that our representative was among those (and they were probably the majority of the guests present) who were struck by the obvious sincerity of both Mr and Mrs Dyer. They had evidently been convinced by the earlier happenings at the house and outside, and in an interview with our representative on Saturday morning, when the “South Wales Gazette” man had occasion to call at the house, Mr Dyer stated that nothing would shake his conviction as to the genuineness of the occurrences of that morning and the previous night, and told of other incidents. Half-a-dozen men had once failed to hold down a table. A cushion on the kitchen sofa had been lifted by an invisible hand and dropped to the floor, and when replaced seem to resent the interference, for it rose again, sailed across the room, and struck Herbert on the chest. Mr Dyer invited our representative to question his daughter Lena, aged nine, on the matter, and she told the same story.
Himself and Mrs Dyer and Herbert (said Mr. Dyer) were on the sofa in the kitchen on the night prior to the seance, when the chair in front of the table drawer was mysteriously moved back in the darkness, the drawer was opened, and on switching on the light a knife and a newspaper which had been in the drawer were found on the table. Mr Dyer said that the drawer and chair were too far away for Herbert to have moved either.
On another occasion, said Mr Dyer, just before putting the children to bed about 10.30 p.m., the table moved about a great deal in the presence of himself and his wife, Herbert, and the other two children, and they realised that “Leslie” wanted Herbert. Mr and Mrs Dyer and Herbert went under the stairs, and Marie (aged 8) and Lena (aged 9) asked permission to come into the recess also, but were refused. “Leslie” then knocked three times, signifying “Yes,” and the children were accordingly allowed to enter. They had hardly closed the door before the younger girl exclaimed, “Oh, God bless you Leslie! He has shaken hands with me!”
At Mr Dyer’s invitation, our representative spoke to the two girls, who were obviously impressed by their experiences. Mr Dyer did not object to any questions being put to them. “Was the hand warm or cold?” was the first question. “Warm,” replied Marie – rather to the surprise of her father. Marie explained, in her childish way, that the hand retreated after shaking hers. “He pulled me right across the stairs by the pinafore,” she added.
The “South Wales Gazette” representative had previously been requested to express his opinion of the seance, and had stated that he believed it to be inconclusive. Mr Dyer then invited him to attend at the house on Sunday morning with a friend to witness a demonstration of his son’s strange powers, and expressed his conviction that remarkable things would happen. Our representative accepted the invitation, which it would hardly be inaccurate to describe as a challenge, but when he presented himself at the house on Sunday with a spiritualist friend, both were refused admittance, and were informed that under no circumstances would any Pressman be allowed over his threshold in future. This change of attitude was obviously due to critical accounts of the seance which had appeared in various papers the previous evening, and after a few moments’ further conversation our representative thanked Mr Dyer for his courtesy and withdrew. Mr Dyer complained strongly of rumours that he had been receiving payment from sitters at seances, and said there was not the slightest truth in such suggestions. Hundreds of people, he said, had congregated outside his door after reading the accounts of the seance in the Press, and had become very hostile, stones being thrown at the door. “I am determined to have my son tested,” he said, “as I am convinced that he is not as ‘clever’ as he has been credited with being.” A seance would be held at a house in Abertillery, and the boy would be thoroughly tested, but he had no fear of the result. Speaking of the Press accounts of the seance, Mr Dyer strongly criticised the conduct of some of the sitters in passing the torch with the object of setting a trap, and said that such a confession inclined him to the belief that when the boy stated that “Leslie2 had him by the throat the feeling must have been due to the action of an adjacent sitter.
The interview, during which Mrs Dyer joined her husband, served but to strengthen the impression previously formed of the sincerity of the parents’ belief in their son’s integrity.
It would, perhaps, not be out of place to describe a couple of previous experiences which befel our representative who was present at the seance, and which occurred on earlier occasions while attending spiritualist meetings at Abertillery. At one of these gatherings, held one summer’s evening, the medium stated that the spirit of a deceased person was present in the room, and had caused a certain delightful smell of flowers to appear for the comfort of a certain member of the audience. There was no doubt about the odour of flowers. A bunch of lilies of the valley, worn by a young woman only a yard or two away from our representative, was distilling its lovely fragrance throughout the hot and stuffy room, in which not a single window was opened. When the meeting was over the young woman expressed her amusement with regard to the incident. Was this not a case of unconscious deception on the part of the medium?
The second incident occurred during a similar meeting, also at Abertillery, at which a young woman who was alleged to be “under control” gave an address which was nothing more nor less than a curious jumble of words, with only here and there a glimmer of meaning. The strangest part about the whole proceedings, however, was the speaker’s use of the word “vendetta,” while still supposed to be “under control.” The word was not used in its correct sense of “a feud,” but as though it indicated a dagger or similar weapon, for the alleged spirit, speaking through the mouth of the medium, described a person who held a “vendetta” in his hand, ready to strike. The meeting was concluded, our representative, wishing to be fair in his judgment of the medium, enquired of her whether she was actually “under control” when delivering her address. “Yes,” was the reply. “And in that state, are you yourself aware of what you are saying?” “Oh no!” was the ready answer. “What is the meaning of ‘vendetta’?” was the next question. “Oh, a dagger, or a knife, or something like that,” was the reply, and then, apparently realising that she had by some means given herself away, the “medium” became very angry. It was of course, a very curious circumstance, hardly consistent with genuineness, that the “medium” both in her normal state and when “under control” (and presumably not responsible for her words) should have reused the word “vendetta” in an incorrect sense – and with the same incorrect meaning on each occasion. This medium had the reputation among local spiritualists at the time of being “wonderful.” She certainly filled at least one listener with wonder – that she should have been able to “get away with it” so often. – G.R.
South Wales Gazette, 24th August 1928.
An Abortive Seance.
In connection with the recent unusual occurrences at a house at Llanhilleth, as reported at length elsewhere in this issue, a seance was held on Tuesday night at the house of Mrs Hone, a well-known Abertillery spiritualist, in Blaenau Gwent. No members of the Press were invited to attend, although the object of the proceedings was presumably to test the genuineness of the manifestations at Llanhilleth. As a well-known public man, Councillor M. Sheean was asked to be present, however, and the circle included others. The medium was Herbert Dyer, son of Mr and Mrs G H Dyer, of Hafodarthen Road, Llanhilleth. It is stated that after attempts had been made for some time to establish communication through the agency of the boy, failure had to be admitted.
South Wales Gazette, 24th August 1928.
Ghostly visitations. Puzzling incidents in a mining town. Eerie links with dead son. Family’s awesome experience.
When the blue flowers come, strange manifestations are promised, said Mrs Dyer, a resident of Llanhilleth, a mining town in Monmouthshire, where ghostly visitations have caused a sensation among the inhabitants. Mrs Dyer’s family and friends and a score of neighbours swear they have seen tables move, door latches lift of their own accord, and ghostly voices speak in the dark at the home of the Dyers. They state they have felt the touch of ghostly hands and hear strange noises. But stranger things are promised “when the blue flowers come again in the spring.”
Mr Dyer attributes the ghostly noises and voices to the spirit of his dead son, Leslie. Before the funeral her dead son appeared to Mrs Dyer. She said she saw a strange light playing about his head. Not long afterwards, Mr Dyer went to a Spiritualistic seance in Abertillery, where a medium whom he had never seen before, told him the circumstances of his son’s death. Later, another medium assured Mrs Dyer that she saw picanninies hanging blue garlands about her, and that when the blue flowers came she would have strange manifestations. It appears that bluebells were the favourite flowers of Mrs Dyer’s son.
This prophecy was fulfilled in the Spring, when according to Mr Dyer and his family and friends, the strange visitations began. Mr Dyer has never held direct communion with his son, nor has Mrs Dyer, but in their son, Herbert, a boy of 17, they believe they have a medium with great psychic powers. When this boy is absent they can get no contact whatever with the dead. When he is present they say they have never failed to do so.
Mr and Mrs Dyer celebrated their golden [sic] wedding in February of this year at their home. One evening in the presence of a number of their neighbours a strange light appeared in the darkness of their doorway and moved towards the table. Another time they heard the tapping of the spirit, and the boy Herbert went out into the hall. He seemed to be frightened at what he saw, and they followed him out. They saw nothing, but they heard footsteps descending the stairs as though from a great height. The door of the kitchen was latched but swung open. They shut it and it opened again. Again they shut it, and it was flung violently open. There were coats hanging in the hall. The men saw nothing, but they say they felt people brush past them. A banjo belonging to the dead boy was seen to move in broad daylight from where it is kept on the floor. It played tunes as it lay in the lap of the boy Herbert, who cannot himself play a note of music.
Mrs Dyer cannot keep a tablecloth on the table. Whenever she puts one on the table it is violently shaken and the contents upset. Watches are taken from pockets and then re-appear. Tin cannisters leap across the room, and on one occasion a walnut table was smashed to pieces in the dark and the splinters were found on the floor when the light was put on. At a tattoo somebody called out halt, and the tattoo stopped at the sound. Visitors say they that they have heard bells ringing above their heads and all about them while sitting in the Dyer house.
Meath Herald and Cavan Advertiser, 25th August 1928.
The Llanhilleth “Seance”.
Views of Mr Harry Price.
“The whole thing a farce.”
The opinions of Mr Harry Price, hon. director of the National Laboratory of Psychical Research, on the recent seance at Llanhilleth (fully described in last week’s issue of “The South Wales Gazette”) are given in the course of an interview with the famous psychic invesetigator in the “Empire News”. It will be noted that while our representative came to the conclusion that the “manifestations” might have been due to trickery, Mr Price goes further, and states unequivocably that the whole affair was a farce, and due to fraud.
“I am satisfied that the whole thing is a farce,” said Mr Price to the “Empire News” interviewer. After referring to the widespread interest in the affair, Mr Price remarked that prior to this investigation the boy was working quite uncontrolled, and always in the dark, and under such conditions even a novice might accomplish much.
“The first manifestation,” said Mr Price, “came before the lights had been out for very long – but it was not totally unexpected. I felt the boy’s arm move slightly, and then there was a sound as though something was slithering down his coat, and I was not very surprised when Herbert said: ‘Leslie has thrown some photographs into my lap.’
“The lights were lit and sure enough there was a photograph in the lad’s lap – a photograph which had previously been hanging in a frame in another room. Very strange, you may say. Yes, but … Herbert had been into that room after the lights went out, and it would have been a simple matter for him to slide the thing out of its mount, hold it between arm and ribs, and release it at the right moment by moving his arm slightly. And as I had noticed an outward movement of the arm immediately before the picture fell, I, personally, am satisfied that that is exactly what happened.”
“A little later on Herbert complained that he must blow his nose, and his hand was released for that purpose. He was controlled again and about a minute later I heard a blowing noise followed by the sound of something falling. Lights went on and Herbert’s tie-pin had apparently been taken out and flung on to the middle of the table. What had happened of course, was that when he blew his nose he transferred the tie-pin to his mouth and later blew it as far as he could without making too much noise. At least I am certain in my own mind that that is what happened. The next move in the game was an announcement by the ‘medium’ that Leslie did not like his hands being controlled so we released them. Not many minutes later a form on which some of the people were sitting toppled over. Since his legs tensed at the moment of the fall, and everyone knows the amount of leverage one can get with one’s legs, I do not think that happening calls for any supernatural explanation.
“Oh, that reminds me that there was one trick – it came next – which, although very simple, was extremely ingenious and, as it was quite new to me, compensated amply for my long journey to Wales. The effect it achieved was to send two of Herbert’s waistcoat buttons flying across the room – an event which prompted poor Mrs Dyer to beg ‘Leslie’ not to pull off any more of Herbert’s buttons as she had to sew them on again. Unless I am very much mistaken the cotton holding those buttons had been sawn almost through and the ‘flying’ was achieved by getting one after another against the edge of the table and jerking suddenly downwards!”
After alluding to the torch episode, Mr Price recalled Herbert’s request that those who had handled the implement should retired to the next room. “While he was there,” explained Mr Price, “still in the dark, he slipped a table knife up his sleeve – or at least I am sure he did – with the result that after he had returned we were treated to the marvellous manifestations of a knife being fetched from the kitchen by ghostly hands and flung down on the table where we were sitting. Elementary trickery, that. The banjo would not play that night – principally, I believe, because I very ostentatiously put it in such a position that Herbert could not reach back and touch it without moving his chair.
“As a last experiment I asked to be taken to the cupboard under the stairs from which whizzing noises, squealings, and bangs were supposed to come. Herbert, controlled on either side, took up a position close to the rear wall, which was of three-ply wood, and when the lights went out weird noises were heard – and this is how they were produced. Mr Price then stood up with his heels against the walls of his office – and by moving his heels gently to and fro produced many loud and unearthly noises. Realising what was happening I asked the ‘medium’ to move over to the opposite wall. He did so, but the wood was of a different kind and he could not produce the same sound – although he tried – so we were treated to rappings and bangings; his heels hammering against the wall, of course. I then led Herbert to the middle of the cupboard, where I kept him sandwiched closely between myself and another observer, and although we waited for a full ten minutes nothing happened at all.
“In conclusion I can only say that I am satisfied the whole thing was a fake, and that although Herbert is certainly ingenious, he was with the exception of the flying button trick, playing tricks which are both old and simple.”
South Wales Gazette, 31st August 1928.
Ghost angry with visitor. His veracity attacked. Llanhilleth, Mon.
Psychists, mediums, and clairvoyants have written to Mr Herbert Dyer, of Hafodartha-road, the owner of the house which is said to be haunted by the ghost of his 12-years-old son Leslie, who died two years ago, writes a Daily Mail correspondent. They all want to come to shake hands with the ghost, for this ghost is no ordinary poltergeist. It is said that it can take ornaments from a mantel-shelf, move chairs, tables and pictures like any ordinary poltergeist., and do even more than that. It shakes hands with you, according to a dozen people who have already had this privilege, reads your thoughts, plays “The Old Brigade” on a banjo when the lights are out.
I have sat in the kitchen and watched the tea-table move across the room and a chair jump when somebody was sitting on it. And I have heard eerie noises in a dark cupboard, but I have waited in vain to see the ghostly hand and to hear the banjo. Nothing will happen in the house unless Herbert, the 17-year-old son, is there. Herbert was Leslie’s great chum, and it is through him that the poltergeist sends his messages. Mr Dyer told me that he and his wife have tried in vain to get in touch with the ghost when Herbert is out of the house.
Early this morning a man and two women called at the house and asked if they could see some manifestations, but Mr Dyer said that he was not going to have the house made a peep-show, and sent them away. Immediately they had gone, said Mrs Dyer, there was a loud rapping on the table in the kitchen, and Leslie inspired Herbert to say that he was glad they had sent the man away because he was a liar. When an ornament moves or when there is a rapping on the table Mr Dyer says: “All right, Leslie, boy. Wait a minute, Herbert is coming.” And Herbert goes into a dark cupboard under the stairs to receive a message.
Mr Dyer and his son Herbert tell me that as they were walking down a mountain a bunch of flowers were thrown out of space at them. Herbert picked them up and said “Thank you Leslie!” A curious thing is that the flowers were picked up a few yards away from the Dyers’ house.
Preperations are being made for a seance of psychists. Seventeen Spiritualists have already witnessed the phenomena, and all declare that whoever goes to the house must be convinced. One sceptic left the house half-fainting.
Hong Kong Daily Press, 11th September 1928.
Control by the dead.
Strange case of Welsh boy medium.
Seance tests.
From our special correspondent.
Cardiff, Tuesday – A 17-year-old boy medium, stated to be under the “control” of a younger brother who is dead, is shortly to attend seances at which distinguished spiritualists will be present. This is the outcome of extraordinary happenings which have taken place at Hafadarthan, Llanhilleth, in the Western Valley of Monmouthshire, and the Pear Tree Stores, Abersychan. In the past six months, Herbert, son of Mr and Mrs G.H. Dyer, of Llanhilleth, has been the medium through which strange manifestations have occurred.
At these seances musical instruments have been played, such as a banjo and a flute; the “control” has written his name in pencil on paper provded for the purpose; articles of furniture have been thrown about the rooms and pictures have rattled on the walls. Not only have these things occurred at seances, but I am assured that they have taken place in broad daylight and when as many as a dozen persons have been present.
“I am anxious to get to the bottom of these things,” said Mr Dyer, the father, “and because of that I have allowed the facts to be brought to the attention of the British College of Psychic Science, of which Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is president, and of the Psychical Research Society, with which Sir Oliver Lodge is connected.” It is understood that as a result arrangements will be made for the boy Herbert to appear at seances at which distinguished investigators of psychical phenomena will be present.
It is asserted that the boy Herbert comes under the “control” of his brother Leslie, who died at the age of 12 1/2 years about 2 1/2 years ago. Herbert is a delicate lad, and, like his dead brother, shows symptoms of meningitus – and he has undergone five operations at the Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport, for this trouble.
Latterly, the “control” of Leslie has been weakening, according to the boy Herbert, and he has come under the dirction of his dead twin sister, Florence, who died when she was 5 1/2 years of age.
Daily Herald, 17th October 1928.
Without a Light. Herbert Dyer (17), a Llanhilleth labourer, was summoned for riding a bicycle without a light at Llanhilleth on October 26th. P.C. Price proved the case, and said defendant pleaded he had only got on the machine a short distance away. Defendant said he was taking the machine home to get a light. He was ordered to pay 4s. costs.
South Wales Gazette, 9th November 1928.
Psychic Research.
Sir, – Saturday’s issue of the “Westminster Gazette” reports Mr Harry Price, of South Kensington, London, has made for the testing of a young Austrian medium. It is all very interesting from a psychic researchist’s point of view, and I as a researchist anxiously await the final result of this test. Some months ago there came to public notice a young medium in Llanhilleth, Herbert Dyer by name, whom I took in hand to test in my own research laboratory, and came to the only conclusion possible, that the boy was an extraordinary medium. After some months of supervision in my own offices, I decided to take the lad to London to be tested by the London research officers, which I did by taking him to the Research Offices, Tavistock Square, London. In the presence of Dr Woolly, and Sir Ivor Clarke the lad was tested in my presence on three separate days, and was proclaimed by the office, over which Sir Oliver Lodge is President, to be a great medium, so I claim that we have in our own locality sufficient material for investigation without looking abroad.
Yours etc., Walter J. Jordan, Welsh Research Officer. Psychic Research Laboratory, Snatchwood Road, Abersychan. April 14th, 1929.
South Wales Gazette, 19th April 1929.
Dismantling Craze. Llanhilleth Youth’s Greatest Delight.
A youth stated to have a mania for pulling things to pieces was placed on probation at Abertillery on Wednesday accused of stealing part of a magneto, value £1, the property of Ralph’s Garages (Limited), Abertillery. The youth was Herbert Dyer, aged seventeen, of Llanhilleth, the “medium” who created a stir some months ago by claiming to receive spirit messages from his dead brother Leslie. Police-sergeant Argue said that he interviewed Dyer, who at first denied knowledge of the affair, but afterwards admitted taking the parts and hiding them in his father’s workshop at Llanhilleth. In reply to more questions, Dyer told the sergeant, “I don’t know what made me do it, as the parts I took are no good to me.” Dyer told the magistrates that he had no intention of stealing the parts. He only wanted to take the magneto to pieces.
The boy’s father, G. H. Dyer, said that his son was “very impulsive,” and was never more delighted than when pulling things to pieces. The boy had had four operations to his head. The doctor had said he was developing the same symptoms of tubercular meningitis that his brother had died from.
Western Mail, 23rd May 1929.
Youth and Magneto Parts.
Herbert Dyer (17), labourer, Llanhilleth, was summoned for stealing parts of a magneto value £1 the property of Ralphs Garages Ltd, Abertillery. He pleaded not guilty, and said he had no intention of stealing it. Abner Ralph, a member of the firm of Ralph’s Garages Ltd., said he missed parts of a magneto off one of the firm’s motor lorries. He did not know the defendant. P.S. Argue said that on the 9th inst., in consequence of a complaint from the last witness, he made inquiries and interviewed the defendant informing him that he had reason to believe he knew something about the magneto parts. Dyer admitted that he was in the garage with two other lads the previous evening, but at first denied the theft. When witness suggested the lads should be produced, he admitted he had taken the parts and had hidden them in his father’s workshop, adding, “I don’t know what made me do it, as the parts I took are of no good to me.” Defendant said he did not take them with the intention of stealing, but of putting the parts together and returning them. The Chairman: are you interested in the mechanism? – Yes, anything like that. You took them apart for the pleasure of putting them back? – Yes. Mr Beynon: Do you attend the Central School? – No. P.S. Argue: I believe he did at one time. The lad’s father said he was a very impulsive boy, and liked putting things together. He had never known him to steal anything. The boy had four operations to his head in Newport Infirmary. He did not think it was a case of theft. Replying to the Chairman, he said the lad was too delicate to work. He suffered badly from hemorrhage. Defendant was bound over in the sum of £5 and placed on probation for 12 months.
South Wales Gazette, 24th May 1929.
Llanhilleth Seance.
Girl’s powers as a “medium.”
About 12 months ago public interest was aroused by the claims of Mr G. H. Dyer, of 28 Hafodarthen Road, Llanhilleth, that his sixteen-years-old son possessed remarkable powers of “mediumship,” and a full report of a seance held at the house was at that time fully reported in the “South Wales Gazette.” A similar claim has since been made by Mr Dyer regarding his nine-years-old daughter, Marie, and on Monday evening a demonstration of her powers was given in the presence of several investigators in an empty bedroom at the house. There were present in addition to the medium, Mr and Mrs Dyer, and Mr T. Morris, Llanhilleth.
According to a story told by one of the investigators, they were asked to arrange chairs and tie up Mr and Mrs Dyer, Mr Morris, and the medium Marie. Marie was tied hands and feet on a chair in the centre of the room, and seven ordinary chairs were arranged around her. Mr and Mrs Dyer and Mr Morris were all securely roped hands and feet to the chairs, while the four other chairs were occupied by the “investigators,” who were untied. On Marie’s lap was placed a small harp, a dulcimer, a tambourine, and a hand-bell, a toy violin, and a bunch of artificial flowers. The candle was then extinguished, and after Mr Dyer had opened in prayer the hymn “Rock of Ages” was sung. There then followed a scuffling noise on the floor, and when the candle was lighted it was found that the flowers had been scattered all over the room. Marie’s hands were still tied. The flowers were put back on the medium’s lap and the candle again extinguished. Suddenly the dulcimer began to play to the tune of “Rock of Ages,” and at the same time the harp was twanged and the violin was thrown across the floor.
The light revealed that the flowers had again been moved to the four corners of the room. Marie’s hands and feet were still tied, as were also those of Mr and Mrs Dyer and Mr Morris. All the articles were put back on the medium’s lap and the light again extinguished. Immediately the instruments started to play, the bell rang violently as if it had been flung about in the air. It was then flung on the lap of one of the investigators, closely followed by a tambourine and a bunch of flowers. The candle light showed that Marie’s chair had been moved. She was lying on her back with her hands still tied behind her.
After several similar demonstrations the seance ended, and it was found that all ropes were as they had been tied originally. Mr Dyer said he was fully convinced that there was some strange power working in the house.
South Wales Gazette, 6th September 1929.
Spiritualists’ Thanksgiving.
Harvest thanksgiving services were held at the Central Spiritualists’ Rooms, Market Street, on Sunday and Monday. On Monday evening Miss Marie Dyer, of Llanhilleth, was the “medium” at a sence, when successful demonstrations were reported. A sale of fruit and a social were also held the same evening.
South Wales Gazette, 20th September 1929.
Llanhilleth Boy In Trouble.
Herbert Dyer (18), the Llanhilleth medium, who some time ago claimed to have received spirit messages from his dead brother, was accused at Abercarn Police-court on Thursday of stealing a coal bag belonging to William Butcher, coal merchant, at Crumlin. When interviewed by Police-constable Bishop, it was stated, Dyer said “I do not know what made me do it.” Mr G H Dyer, the father, said that his son had four operations to his head and was not responsible for his actions. In order to keep him “off the road” he had let him work on a lorry for 3s.3d. per week. H ewould rather him be sent to a home, as he could not be responsible for his actions. “Sometimes he has the mind of a child,” said Mr Dyer, “and other times he is as intelligent as a man. He has a genius for machinery.” Mr TR Jenkins (a magistrate): And for coal bags, too. Superintendent Spendlove stated that the boy was at present on probation on an accusation of stealing a magneto at Abertillery. Mr DJ Thomas, the probation officer, told the magistrates that the boy was impulsive. The Chairman (Dr E M Griffith) said the case would be adjourned for two months and in the meantime the probation officer would report as to the boy’s conduct.
Western Mail, 1st November 1929.