Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1859-01-14
mr.. mansfIoId,s spiritual drawings.


HOW THEY WE'RE MADE--coNFEssIoNs OF
THE ARTIsr--A SPIRITUAL WEDDING.
Mr.. ]. II. Mansfield, Of Boston, has for
long time astonished people with his per-
formanccs as q spiritual medium. Letters
seut to him, under seal, and directed TO de-
parted spirits, II has been claimed, were
promptly and correctly answered, without
being opened. Rev John Pierpoint, il is
known, was in this way converted to the
spiritual faith through Mr. Mansfeld's mo
diumship
More recently, Mr. Mansfield has achieved
a wide notoriety by protesting to draw cray
on sketches of deceased persons, and has
palmed off numerous pictures as tho work
Of invisible agencies.
! 1t appears, however, that a real artist,
with flesh and bones, has appeared, TO con-
test the claims Of the spirits to these por-
traits. @. H. Callaghan, of West Newton,
avows himself the Workman; and although
a man who would become the agent of a
deliberate fraud has fow claims upon public
confidence, we presume he has the advaut-
age of his invisible competitors, and will bo
generally believed. He says Mr.. Mansfield
would not pay him for his work; and for
this reason he determined to expose him.
We extract the following from his state
ment:
81 took the ambrotype from Mansheld)
to my homo in West Newton, Mass, and
drew portrait about two-thirds the size of
life, and delivered it to him in bis Office
about two weeks afterwards. He was much
pleased with it and said it was perfect as a
likeness, then questioned mo as to whether
had shown it anywhere, to which an
swered in the negative. Ha said that was
all right, and that must keep dark and
tell no one that had drawn portrait for
him. | made no reply, but smiled at his
cooness, Nothing was said concerning the
price, but he asked me to call again soon.
| called in few days, and he told me that
the persons for whom the portrait was in
tended had seen it, and wore very much
surprised Mt what the spirits had produced,
but that they had not yet concluded to take
it, and that he was afraid that thoy suspect
ed roguery. Ho added that l must keep
still, and he could dispose Of it and pay me.
This was news 10 me, but said nothing.
He said that provided l kept dark ho could
give me as many orders as / could fulfill ;
that the mediumin Ohio% could not do them
as well as the one had done, and that if l
kept on drawing the spirits would come to
me. | laughed at the IDEA, and told him
that probably saw all the spirits l should
ever see. Mr.. Mansfield afterwards exhb-
tied to me copy Of tho picture l had drawn,
and the ambrotype from which had drawn
it, placed side by side in double case, and
said he intended to send them to France, to
show the people how well the spirits had
svcceeded. in drawing a likness of one de-
parted. Any person skilled in drawing
might easily have detected the picture as
having bccn copied from the one by its side,
from its being in the samo position with ;hc
same drapery and other accessories. Since
that time have drawn for Mr.. Mansfield
about thirty different pictures; upwards Of
oue-ffth of which were from ambrotypes
and daguerreotypes furnished mo by him
the remainder being from descriptions which
he gave. According TO Mr.. Mansfeld's
statement, tho most Of these pictures were
recognized and accepted as being likenesses
Of the persons they were drawn 10 represent
"Ono Of the last pictures drew for Mans
field was what purported to be the spirit
bride Of clergyman, Of Portsmouth, N. II
Mr.. Mansfield stated that they had great
wedding and married tho clergyman to the
spirit He told me tho name of the cler
gyman but have forgotten it. He soid be
was very wealthy, and instructed me tc
mako he. hair gold color and dress her il
white muslin robes. He represented tha
it was not so material as to the style Of face
so long as it was very beautiful; and the
name he gave to this spirit was Mary. HI
owned to the humbug of marrying the cler
gyman to the spirit, and we had hearty
laugh over it. Wanted rose drawn in tn,
brides hand, because, he said, the mInste
was fond otfowers. was paid six dollar
for this picture, and he said tho miustC
would only pay ten dollars for it. after
wards saw the portrait in his Office in
f massive gilt frame The next time called
it was taken away, and Mansfield said it wa
t to be hung up in the clergyman's church il
, Portsmouth He said that the ministe
t was delighted with it, and found only on,
fault, that the hair was not exactly of th,
right color but that the portrait had crea
t ted great excitement in Portsmouth.
*The Ohio medium here referred to, w
} believe has done some painting for Ere
, monters.