Reading 740-1

TEXT OF READING 740-1 M ADULT

Text

Date: 12/13/1907 Sex: M ReadingID: 4583

This psychic reading given by Edgar Cayce in Bowling Green, Kentucky, this 13th day of December, 1907 (?). No copy in our files. This account of it appears in Edgar Cayce”s diary as dictated to Gladys Davis in the summer of 1932.

[Edgar Cayce; T. B. House, Conductor; (?), Steno.]

Time of Reading Unknown.

1. One day, a man came to me and said, “Now, if you could take this gift to a place like New York, you could interest people with money and make all sorts of money out of it. I’m going to write a friend of mine there.” Some days later, he came to me with a letter. “Well, I have an answer. Our friend Paul Cooksey - [740]] says if we can convince him, he is ready to investigate.” I said, “Well, let’s try it - let’s tell him what he is doing right now.” He said, “Well, I don’t know whether we can do that or not.” I said, “I don’t know either, but if we can’t, there’s not much in it.” We undertook it, Dr. Thomas B. House conducting the reading.

2. The information was given that the young man was on Williams Street in New York and the hour was such and such. (That was the first time I knew there was any difference in time between New York and Bowling Green). He entered a cigar store. While he smoked a cigarette, he bought at this time a certain brand of cigar and went out smoking it, up the street to his office, and instead of waiting for the elevator (the reading said, “We will have him walk up so he will remember it”) he walked up the steps whistling ‘Annie Laurie’. In his office, he found a man waiting for him whose business was regarding a piece of property at the end of Williams Street bridge, and the case would be called in the Surrogate Court that afternoon at three o’clock. He turned to his desk and found three letters. One a bill, the other a business letter, the other, a letter from his sweetheart - which began “Dearest”. While he was reading this, the telephone rang and he talked with a man by the name of Donnagan.

3. This report was wired to him. The answer came back within the hour. “Your report absolutely correct. A friend and I will leave for Bowling Green this afternoon.” There were two or three more experiments with local men, Mr. T. and others connected with the bank. They finally agreed to finance the trip to New York, but I had misgivings about the character of the work. There were also family objections and I decided to go no further with it. A few weeks later, this same young man who first approached me came and said, “I understand you have a note in the bank. If you will give me three readings on wheat, I’ll pay that note.” I finally consented, provided he would have Dr. B conduct the reading and pay him for his trouble. He did this, and the records there show that he received twenty thousand dollars for his three days trading.

Reports

Reports & Follow-up

R1. 12/14/07 Ltr. to Joe S. Dickey:

PAUL COOKSEY ATTORNEY AND COUNSELLOR AT LAW 52 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK

Joe S. Dickey, Exq., Bowling Green, Ky.

My dear Dickey:

I have received this morning your letter of the 12th, and want to thank you for all the kind things you had to say concerning the young lady, and also for your good advice relating to my future life.

In answer to your second part of your letter (Which will, course, be held as confidential), I would say, that I am in position to present the matter suggested to some of the big moneyed men, including Mr. Ryan. However, the proposition is hardly in tangible shape to present to them. Your good faith and that of Mr. Cayce is evidenced by your offer to defray your own expenses in the event the result is not satisfactory. This is, of course, all that could be desired by these men, but they might balk at the words “satisfactory results.” What you regarded as satisfactory might not be so regarded by them, especially as there seems to be no way of ascertaining what the “other fellow” has dealt in that day or the day previous, - I mean, no way for them to determine this except the statement of Mr. Cayce.

The things you suggest that are possible with Mr. C. would strike a man as being beyond human powers; but if you will go somewhat into detail and let me have something a little more tangible to present, I will be in position to lay the matter before the parties you refer to, or some of them.

Let me hear from you at your convenience, and I will see what can be done at this end of the line. In any event, I hope you will be able to make millions, as you deserve to do.

With kind regards, I am,

Sincerely,

Your friend, Paul Cooksey

R2. 12/16/07 Telegram to Paul Cooksey:

POSTAL TELEGRAPH - COMMERCIAL CABLES

TELEGRAM TO: Hon. Paul Cooksey #52 William St., Room 805, New York, NY.

Will be in New York within three days with Cayce by all means be there. Joe S. Dickey.

R3. 12/16/07 Telegram to Joe S. Dickey:

POSTAL TELEGRAPH - COMMERCIAL CABLES

TELEGRAM

NO 11 V JS Q 13 Collect New York, NY.

Joe S. Dickey, Bowling Green, Ky.

Suggest you do not come here till you receive my letter Wednesday. Paul Cooksey. 7,45.P.M.

R4. 12/16/07 Ltr. to Joseph S. Dickey:

PAUL COOKSEY ATTORNEY AND COUNSELLOR AT LAW 52 WILLIAM STREET NEW YORK.

Joseph S. Dickey, Esq. Bowling Green, Ky.

My dear Dickey:-

Your telegram of Saturday did not reach me until this morning on account of Saturday being a short business day in New York. Your two telegrams of today have been received. The latter one stating that you would be in New York with Casey within three days. I have wired you suggesting that you delay the trip until you hear from me. The reason for this is that I have as yet been unable to make a definite engagement for you with any of the men mentioned in your letter.

Your “reading” as to myself was correct in the main. As a matter of fact at the first hour named in your reading I was engaged in preparing papers in a matter for a client residing in Brooklyn. It had to do with an estate of a deceased person, all of which matters are transacted in the Surrogates Court situation situated in the New Hall of Records, which is only a short step from the Brooklyn Bridge connecting New York City and Brooklyn. I did have an an engagement for this afternoon to go over a matter with Mr. Downey (not Dolligan), your telegram reaching me two or three hours before that conference was to take place.

Of course, it is a hard matter to get busy business men interested in a thing of this kind and particularly at times like the present, in a matter that to the ordinary mind seems so impossible. It would be difficult also to get any person to consent to defray your expenses and pay a large sum for any information you might give unless we were in position to give some definite idea as to what the test would be. I suggest that some test such as the following might be proper.

A selected person is to pursue a prearranged programme of thought and action, Casey simultaneously or subsequently is to describe those thoughts and actions in such a substantial complete manner that a third person wholly ignorant of the prescribed programme will be able from Casey’s description to state the actions and thoughts pursued by the person first mention; that is to say, that there will be a substantial correspondence as to all essential details between the prearranged programme, Casey’s description and the statement made by the third party based on Casey’s description.

I would be glad if you would let me know what sum you will expect for each reading. It is quite probable that you will first have to make a demonstration to parties who might be interested and if such demonstration is satisfactory to them you would undoubtedly be able to make such terms for future employment as you might wish.

I have today asked for a conference with a party here who deals largely in stocks but as indicated above, it is difficult at these busy times to always be certain of an immediate engagement.

With kind regards, I am,

Very truly yours, Paul Cooksey

I will advise you of any developments. PC

R5. See Source File Key #740 for GD’s note for handwritten note jotted on back of Paul Cooksey’s letter of 12/14/07 re 740-1 Reports.

R6. 12/21/07 Ltr. to Joe S. Dickey:

PAUL COOKSEY ATTORNEY AND COUNSELLOR AT LAW 52 WILLIAM STREET NEW YORK Joseph S. Dickey, Esq. Bowling Green, Ky.

My dear Dickey:-

Your letter of the 18th has reached me late today. I have spoken to two or three parties in regard to Mr. C’s operations and while none of them is willing at this time to guarantee any expense or payment for demonstrations, they evince great interest in it and if you are able to convince them that Mr. C can “deliver the goods” you will have no trouble in making such arrangements for money as you may wish. I infer from your letter that you and your parties will make the trip on your own account and at your own expense, believing that you will be able to convince the parties here of your ability to do what you say.

I did not telegraph you today for the reason that it would not have reached you perhaps until too late for you to have started for Montgomery tonight. Of course, Christmas week is not the best time to see business men but we can arrange conferences with the three parties I referred to.

I think I will have no trouble in engaging rooms for you and your party. I suppose from what you say you desire rooms in a private house rather than a hotel. Please let me know when you will be here, the number and character of rooms you desire.

With kind regards, I am,

Very truly yours, Paul Cooksey

R7. 12/30/07 Ltr. to Joe S. Dickey:

“Personal” PAUL COOKSEY ATTORNEY AND COUNSELLOR AT LAW 52 WILLIAM STREET NEW YORK

Joseph S. Dickey, Esq. Bowling Green, Ky.

My dear Dickey:-

I have just received your letter of the 28th instant and have wired you that the Financier named in your letter had already been seen. As a matter of fact I think I mentioned in my first letter to you the name of Mr. Ryan as a prospective client of yours with Cayce. Immediately after the beginning of our correspondence I saw a man who was very close to Ryan and presented the whole matter to him, thereupon he called on Ryan and laid the case before him and it was my expectation and hope to have you and Cayce give a demonstration for the benefit of Ryan’s representative. In addition, I have arranged for a demonstration with the personal representative of Mr. August Belmont, and also for one large Stock Broker, and another man who deals largely in stocks. Furthermore, I have had a conference with a gentleman here who is perhaps the most successful playwright in America and who is a firm believer in the things Cayce claims to be able to do. I told this gentleman that I would be glad if he would be present at a time to be designated hereafter in order that he might meet you and Cayce. He showed great interest in the matter and said he would make an appointment for any time that was convenient for me. Thus you see I have not allowed any “grass to grow under my feet” but have been pursuing this matter just as urgently as was possible under the circumstances.

Of course, you appreciate the necessity for secrecy in this matter as I do. Necessarily, however, I have had to speak somewhat in detail to several parties here from whom I sought a conference for you and Cayce and it is quite possible that through these people the matter has leaked out to Funk & Wagnalls, though I have had no personal connection with these people.

In regard to Ryan and other financiers here, it is absolutely imperative that any agreements to be made should be personally made in New York or made through me, for the reason that notwithstanding the supposedly high character of these great financiers, they have no hesitancy in undermining you or even their father if their interests financially or otherwise would be advanced thereby. I warn you in advance to be very particular what is said or done or agreed to with these people until either an agreement or the ready cash is forthcoming. However, these matters can be talked over at length when you come here, but be careful not to commit yourself until you get to New York. I firmly believe, as I have stated in former letters that if your man can do the things he claims to be able to do and can demonstrate them satisfactory to parties here you will have no difficulty in making such terms as you may desire after coming to New York and after we have talked the matters over fully.

Let me know when you will be here and what arrangements about rooms you desire. From what you said in a former letter you will be here and probably about the 10th of January by which time the Holidays will have passed and business will have assumed its normal condition.

With kind regards, I am,

Very sincerely yours, Paul Cooksey

R8. 1/14/08 Ltr from B. W. King:

BYRON W. KING VOICE SPECIALIST TEACHER, LECTURER AND ENTERTAINER President King’s School of Oratory, Pittsburg, PA.

Bowling Green, Ky.

Dear Dr. Gundy,

You may remember our experiments in Hypnotism at Sommerset, Ohio, some years ago. I wish you to see and test one of the best and most remarkable subjects I have ever seen. The gentleman who’s been there writes Prof. J. S. Dickey is well known here and of excellent standing. You will like him and Mr. Cayce also. I should like to know your opinion after you see them.

With kind regards,

Byron W. King

R9. 1/18/08 Ltr. to EC:

Office of BOWLING GREEN BUSINESS UNIVERSITY Incorporated BOWLING GREEN, KY.

Dear Cayce:-

I guess you understand this situation as well as I do. I don’t know who turned Father against our trip after we had already agreed on it. I told you this morning that I would have the money to-night and then Father fixed things so I couldn’t get hold of it. So I made another trial this evening and got part of the amount required but can’t possibly get the rest before Monday morning. Now here’s the proposition: I have some money already in it and am going to put more. That is neither here nor there. All I have ever spent is most cheerfully done whether we ever succeed or not. You are holding all your arrangements up on this matter. Dr. House is here on expenses and not making one cent out of his practice. I know all those things just as well as you. Our plans for our trip would have succeeded had we gotten off to-day. If that is the case, why won’t they succeed if you don’t get off till Monday? Don’t understand me as trying to keep putting you off for such is not my intention. God knows I want you to go on just the minute you can. Your very life, your fortune, your wife and child’s happiness is wrapped up in this venture and you must not let it fail. There never was anything accomplished that didn’t first have almost overwhelming odds to be defeated and it has looked that way in our case. I don’t want you all to do anything for my sake. While I need the money that I’m absolutely sure this thing would bring and all that, still I don’t want you all to lose a single thing on my account.

As sure as there is a living God, if you get to New York, then the fight is over and I am writing to know this: Can you and Dr. House arrange for him to stay here and leave Monday night with you? If so, I will have the balance of the money. I have half enough now and will finish getting it Monday. Write me just what you think and will do so I will know exactly what to do. I will wire Cooksey and make all other arrangements if you say so. It has come so near being a success, that it looks like a pity for it to fail just at the last moment. If Dr. House wants it, I am willing to pay him for Monday’s time in order that we may make it succeed yet. Cayce, if this thing did not have merit, I would drop it in a minute. If it has in it the great success for which we hope and know it has, then it mustn’t be dropped right at last.

If you get there, then the fight is over. There will never be another time when the thing is worked up like it is now. Can you wait till Monday night with the absolute assurances of going?

Answer.

Yours, Joe

R10. 1/20/08 Ltr. to Joseph S. Dickey:

PAUL COOKSEY ATTORNEY AND COUNSELLOR AT LAW 52 WILLIAM STREET NEW YORK.

Joseph S. Dickey, Esq. Bowling Green, Ky.

My dear Dickey:-

Your two telegrams of yesterday and the telegram of Mr. Cayce reached my home address sometime during the day on yesterday. Unfortunately I was out of the city all day and did not return until last night about ten o’clock. I also found awaiting me a long distance phone call from Bowling Green and assume it was from you. I immediately got in touch with the long distance operator and waited up until about twelve o’clock at my home for a call from the long distance people but none came. I wired you this morning telling you to have Mr. Cayce delay his trip until you received my letter on Wednesday. I also received this morning a telegram from Mr. Cayce asking a reply to his telegram of yesterday. I wired him to see [send?] telegram to you this morning which I had already sent.

The fact is that two of the parties to whom I expected to introduce Mr. Cayce are now out of the City, one in Boston and the other’s present whereabouts I have not learned. I am informed, however, that the party who is now in Boston will not return for a week or ten days and the other party perhaps not for a week. This state of affairs makes it uncertain when they can be seen. If their return should be delayed for ten days this would interfere with arrangements I now have which compel my being away from New York; besides just prior to my departure I will, of course, have more to do that I can very well attend to and could not give the proper time to Mr. Cayce. As you know, I expect to be in Bowling Green early in February and shall leave here some days before that time, as I have one or two business engagements in Louisville which may occupy two or three days just immediately preceding my arrival in Bowling Green. Therefore, it seems necessary, so far as my connection with your matters is concerned, that Mr. Cayce’s coming here be delayed until sometime in February. It is probably that I will be back in New York sometime around the middle of February, after which time I can take up this matter with Mr. Cayce, or with you if you come here. In the meantime, I can see you both at Bowling Green and talk over the matter fully and outline just what our procedure here will be.

I think it would not be wise for Mr. C. to come here during the absence of two parties named as the party showing the most interest in this matter is one of those who is at present away.

With kind regards, I am,

Very truly yours, Paul Cooksey

R11. 1/20/08 Telegram to EC:

POSTAL TELEGRAPH - COMMERCIAL CABLES

TELEGRAM

NO 8 V S Q 8 Collect 50 Cts. New York, NY. Jan. 20, 1908.

TO: Edgar Cayce, Bowling Green, Ky.

See telegram to Dickey of this Morning.

Paul Cooksey, 2,20.P.M.

R12. 2/08 (?), Sunday, Ltr. to EC:

Western State Hospital, [originally W. K. Asylum, Hoptown, Ky.] Hopkinsville, Ky.

Dear Cayce:-

Please write me your N.Y. plans. Is Dr. House still in N.Y.? You haven’t give out the plan, have you? It’s bound to succeed & God knows we need the money. If it succeeds I will be able to go to Sanitarium if I really need treatment. They put me in here because I stuck to you in the face of them all.

You’re playing for high stakes, old soldier.

Yours, J. S. Dickey

R13. 5/10/35 See 921-1 at 22 Willams St., NYC, opening with the statement, “Yes, we have been in this building before.”

R14. 1/12/44 See 3554-1 at 150 Williams St., NYC, opening with statement “Yes, this is two doors above where we once had another body, Paul Cooksey.”

R15. 3/23/74 GD’s note: Just today I have found some of Paul Cooksey telegrams and letters in an old box of post cards preserved by Gertrude Cayce from her Bowling Green days when she was a member of a Pen Pal Club. This box was brought to me by Hugh Lynn and Sally Cayce to be kept in the vault. See the Paul Cooksey letters above.

Background

Background

B1. See 740-1, Par. R15 material which turned up in an old file in March, 1973.

B2. 12/13/07 (?) Telegram sent to Paul Cooksey:

POSTAL TELEGRAPH - COMMERCIAL CABLES

TELEGRAM

TO: Hon. Paul E. Cooksey, #53 William St., Room 805, New York, NY.

Please exert your power to secure audience with some man as per letter 12th. If it will strengthen case will secure reading about doing of any special man you designate at any time and wire same to you that it may be used as convincing proof. If you need any assistance or money is needed to prosecute matter to successful termination, wire me or draw. After once seeing what can be done, will be a go.

Joe Dickey, V 1 OK M)Q LO.25/A.M.

Mentioned Entities

New York City, Paul (Apostle), Joseph (Husband of Mary), Kentucky, Gertrude Cayce, Gladys Davis, Hopkinsville, Hugh Lynn Cayce, Ohio, Records (Atlantean), Trial of Jesus

Source: The Complete Edgar Cayce Readings, A.R.E. CD-ROM (2006). Reading 740-1, ReadingID 4583.