THE GREAT QUESTION Since mankind came up out of savagery, the great problem has been: What is the ultimate end? What, if anything awaits on the other side of death's mysterious door? What happens when the hour strikes that closes man's earth career, when, leaving all the gathered wealth of lands and goods, he goes out into the dark alone? Is death the end--annihilation and repose? Or, does he wake in some other sphere or condition, retaining personality? Each must solve this great question for himself. Edward C. Randall. (1860-1935) - A prominent New York trial lawyer from Buffalo who served on the board of directors of a number of large corporations, Randall became interested in Spiritualism around 1890 following his attendance at a seance. Soon afterwards he established a 'Rescue Circle' in order to help 'earthbound' spirits progress. The circle comprising of Randall's wife and some close associates including a prominent judge Dean Stuart of Rochester, sat every week for over 20 years at the Randall family home. Soon after the sittings began Randall met Emily French, a 'direct voice' medium in her 60's, also from Buffalo.
Emily was from a well-known family, and had a reputation in her community as a person of integrity; she sat with the Randall's circle for many years until she passed away in 1912. During the long and dedicated relationship she never charged a cent for her time. In 1905 Randall wrote to Isaac K. Funk, a prominent psychic researcher and co-owner of the publishing house Funk and Wagnalls of New York & London, asking him to arrange for Emily French to be scientifically tested. Dr Funk agreed on condition that Mrs French would come to New York City and conduct sittings every day for two weeks in the homes of people she did not know surrounded by highly experienced and skeptical observers. Then 72 years old and not in good health, Emily sat with Dr Funk night after night with barely any time to rest after the journey from her home in Buffalo. Funk and his associates conducted tests that proved the voices did not originate in the vocal organs of the medium. Her Indian control "Red Jacket" had a loud masculine voice that would have easily filled a hall with a seating capacity of 2000 people.
The medium at that time was a frail old woman with a weak heart and was deaf, yet the sitters could hear every remark of the communicators. Night after night she produced magnificent direct voice phenomena as spirits communicated and told of their experiences of the afterlife. Dr Funk published the full results of these detailed tests in his book, The Psychic Riddle.A" Randall and French sat together more than 700 times and he stated, Hundreds, yea thousands [of spirits], have come and talked with me, and to many whom I have invited to participate in the work - thousands of different voices with different tones, different thoughts, different personalities, no two alike; and at times in different languages. Edward Randall's books documenting his experiences with Emily French include 'Frontiers of the Afterlife' and 'The Dead Have Never Died'