The more so do I hesitate to believe and accept the above letter because, although my sainted mother had been in America for almost fifty years, she could not speak, read nor write English but Spiritualists claim that when a medium is possessed by a Spirit who does not speak the language, she automatically writes, speaks or sings in the language of the deceased; however, Sir Arthur has told me that a Spirit becomes more educated the longer it is departed and that my blessed Mother had been able to master the English language in Heaven. After the purported letter from my Mother had been written and I had read it over very carefully, Sir Arthur advised me to follow out the advice, given by my Mother,--to try to write when I reached home. I picked up a pencil in a haphazard manner and said, “Is there any particular way in which I must hold this pencil when I want to write, or does it write automatically?” _I then wrote the name of “Powell” entirely of my own volition._ Sir Arthur jumped up excitedly and read what I had just written. He saw the word “Powell” and said, “The Spirits have directed you in writing the name of my dear fighting partner in Spiritualism, Dr. Ellis Powell, who has just died in England. I am the person he is most likely to signal to, and here is his name coming through your hands. Truly Saul is among the Prophets.” I must emphatically state that this name was written entirely of my own volition and in full consciousness. I had in my mind, my friend Frederick Eugene Powell, the American Magician, with whom at the time I was having a great deal of correspondence regarding a business proposition which has since been consummated. There is not the slightest doubt of it having been more than a deliberate mystification on my part, or let us say a kindlier word regarding my thoughts and call it “coincidence.” A few days later Sir Arthur sent me the following letter in reference to my explanation of the writing of the name, “Powell.” “The Ambassador, New York, June 20th, 1922. “My dear Houdini:-- “... No, the Powell explanation, won’t do. Not only is he the one man who would wish to get me, but in the evening, Mrs. M., the lady medium, got, “there is a man here. He wants to say that he is sorry he had to speak so abruptly this afternoon.” The message was then broken by your Mother’s renewed message and so we got no name. But it confirms me in the belief that it was Powell. However, you will no doubt test your powers further. (Signed) “A. Conan Doyle.”