870 A. The following account (taken from the Journal S.P.R., vol. ix. p. 284) is translated and abridged from the Vessillo Spiritista for June 1900, where it appeared under the title of "A Good Proof of Spirit Identity".

Naples, January 20th [1900].

On the evening of January 12th, 1900, during the usual weekly sitting, in the presence of Sig. G. V. de Simone, his wife and two young daughters, C.

Orsini and the present writer, a good proof of identity which had been asked for was received from the spirit of Arturo de Capua. It had been asked for under conditions which excluded every possibility of voluntary or involuntary, conscious or unconscious suggestion, as it was impossible that what was unknown and always had been unknown to all present should be suggested, and this makes it of more value than a volunteered proof, which might have been prepared beforehand by the medium.

This spirit of Arturo has given in many sittings many moral and intellectual proofs of his personality which were recognised by his mother and brother Avo. G. de Capua. The Neapolitan verses which he improvised (and I say improvised, because the suggestion was made at the moment), written with extreme rapidity through the medium Signorina O. de S., resemble closely in form and matter those written by him during his life on earth.

Proofs of this sort, however, although perhaps convincing to those present are of little value to strangers, who want records of facts which exclude any such hypothesis as telepathy or self-suggestion on the part of the medium. Therefore on this evening I asked the spirit of Arturo if he had any precise recollections of his earthly existence, and if he could give me some fact, of his own choice.

He answered me by automatic writing thus: "My dear Cavalli, I have, it is true, advanced; but I recognise you, in a state of calm which I have acquired, and which formerly I did not possess; as for my remembrances, know that not only does it give me great fatigue to recall them, but it also causes me great pain; and it is for this reason that I rarely seek to revive them".

Then I replied that I did not wish to cause him pain, and would content myself with asking him to give the names he remembered of his dearest friends.

None of those present had known Arturo when living, much less the persons or names of persons with whom he was acquainted. So this would be a good proof. The spirit willingly assented. After a short time he wrote with his accustomed rapidity: "Emilia, Paolo, Elena, Annina, and the lady who gave me the cigarette, and whose name I cannot recall. Those are the people of whom I was very fond, after my intimate friends, and who are still dear to me." "So far good, but the best part is still wanting," - I observed - "the surnames. Do you remember them?" "Yes." "Can you and will you give them?" "I cannot." "At least tell me if the four names have different surnames." He answered that the two first had different surnames, and the two last the same. Immediately afterwards he expressed a desire to write again and wrote, "I add to these Carlo Ricci, whom I still love so much; do not be so exacting, do you understand?" The spirit insisted that all this was correct and expressed anger when I doubted it.

As soon as I saw his brother, Guglielmo, I showed him the communications. They were all absolutely correct, the names given, and the lady of the cigarette, but Carlo Ricci struck him above everything! "He was Arturo's dearest friend," his brother told me.

Although older than Arturo, Carlo Ricci and his father had always had the greatest consideration for him, and Arturo was devoted to them both and preferred their company to any other.

Arturo's mother, whom I also questioned, confirmed everything that her son Guglielmo had said. . . .

But to return to the communication given by the spirit of Arturo on the evening of the 12th, we can add another valuable particular. He gave the names of four persons, as we have said; among these was one Paolo. When asked about him at a following sitting he answered by automatic writing: "Paolo is the father of the lovely Nanninella." This was correct, and when asked for some further particulars of the lady who gave him the cigarettes - amongst other things, whether there were dear friends of the lady's living in the same place with her, - he answered: "The lady has dear friends near her, and they are of my family." Both these facts had been absolutely correct at the time of his death. But the interesting point is this - that when asked to name friends living in the same place as the lady, he named his family. Those present at the sitting, and all who knew Arturo's family, knew that for some months they had changed their home. The spirit, however, apparently judging from the past, did not think of their present changed habitation, and concluded that they were still living near the lady.

V. Cavalli.

As witness of the facts narrated above, I affirm that they are perfectly true. C Orsini.

Similar testimonies are given by Vincenzo de Simone and Guglielmo de Capua.