Arthur Ford - Fletcher's Dialogue

Fletcher's Dialogue

Ford had an aversion for having his messages verbally recorded. It seems that completely detailed notes were avoided. There is also some question of their accuracy. Ford claimed that it was Fletcher who spoke to the living revealing information that was completely unknown. The following are some examples of dialogue: "You come from part of the country", "I see you have just flown in from the west coast", "You seem to be quite a traveler", "Another preacher tonight", "The worried man in the corner", "The woman with a pencil", "The name is Harry, Henry. No, it is Harrall", "You had a relative who died in World War I".

In a typical sitting with Ford the communications were rambling, disjointed, only infrequently smooth-flowing. There was a lot of groping for the proper phrase, expression or a name. Often Fletcher would make one try at getting some evidential fact straight, then back up and run at it again. For example:

"Anyone here called Melton—Jane Melton?" A hand goes up.

"Your brother Albert is here."

"No, I never had a brother Albert."

"Oh yes, you had."

"No."

"Think again."

Yet out of the meandering, sometimes seemingly random, process emerged—exact names, odd details, exceedingly private trivia—which hit the sitter with dazzling force.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Of course, little Bertie who died young."

Ford claimed he had seen every miracle performed by Jesus duplicated; except the raising of the dead.