ˈɔːθɚɹ ˈændɹuː lˈaɪsɪt sədʒˈɛsts ðæt ˈɑːɹθɚ kˈoʊnən dˈɔɪl ɛŋkˈɜːɹɪdʒd ˈeɪ "vˈʌlnɚɹəbəl" bˈɛs tə bᵻlˈiːv fˈoːɹdz klˈeɪmz ðæt hiː kʊd kˈɑːntækt ðə dˈɛd ɪn ˈɔːɹdɚ "tə wˈɪn ɐn ɪmpˈoːɹtənt vˈɪktɚɹi fɔːɹ spˈɪɹɪtʃˌuːəlˌɪzəm".
Author Andrew Lycett suggests that Arthur Conan Doyle encouraged a "vulnerable" Bess to believe Ford's claims that he could contact the dead in order "to win an important victory for Spiritualism".