The West Virginia journal. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1864-1877, 1869-03-10
From the NetE York Srm. "
a WoNDERFUL,MYsTEisY.- :
Ghosts Sitting for Their Portraits.
HISTORY OF rHEMoHDER.

Ghosts Sitting for Their Portraits.
HISTORY OF THEwoHDER.
About eight years ago A young:lady,,
who was what tho spiritualists call NJ
medium" kept q shopfor the sAlo Of,
jcwclry in Boston. Ono important
part Of her business was Tho weaving
Of hair into bracelets, lockcts and SIM,
liar articles, rs mcmcnlOcs OF friends.
both living aud deceased. Usually
there was attached TO these objects
some provision for photographed
likeness Of the person to be remember.
cd. and ut the; solicitation Other Gus
toners shc undertook ths taking OF
these likencsses III the aize and form
Isequi1ed,rAndsl RnstirAaenglksefs ths
art to DO it tolerably well. One day,
however, the chemicals filled TO work
as usual, the pictures coming out blur
rcd aud confused, and ilrcxpIicable fig
ures like stars and comets showing
themselves, instead OF the image OF
the sitter. In studying into the cause
Of the difficulty, the lady made the &C.
quain,ancc Of Mr. ". II. Mulnler tEcn
i silver engraver in Il leading silver
manufacturing establishment in Bos-
ton, who had some chemical knowl-
edge, though he was inexperienced in
! tplut0graphing. Mr.. Mnmlcr, being
cntrely y alone one day in the photo
graph room, engaged IN experiment
ing, thought he would try taking n
picture. and. having got chair into
lhe right focus. attempted 10 photo.
graph il. TO his surprise on develop
Ing the plate. he found the chair repre-
scented as filed bya human being dim
Is outlined. whom hc recognized ~ II
! deceased cousin. How 10 account for
this phenomenon hr knew not; but on
showing the picture to the young lady
for whom he WAS prosecuting" his in
quiries, she being. rs We ,saId, mcdl-
um. instantly pronounced It the por.
trait OF u spirit who had taken this
method Of r0mmuuicHtin. with NOR
tails on earth. Following up the dia.
covcry, Mr.. Mumlcr experimental fur
thcr, and from that time TO this has
been engaged in taking these ghoStly
pictures, with remarkable, success. For
the present he has established himself
at the gallery Of Mr.. ". ". Silver, G3O
Broadway, where our reporter, IN com.
pany with an eminent ,photoefaphcr OF
this city, whom We shall call Brown,
land gentleman who waa formerly q
! lending banker and stock broker in
Wall street. visited him yesterday
morning.
WHAT THE PICTURES ARE LIKE.
Mr.. Mumlcr has preserved hun.
'drcd or so Of the more remarkable
photographs taken. and oar reporter
! saw and examined them. Thcyal pre-.
sent lil;cnesAcs oflivin2 persons. which
look exactly rs ordinary photograE'
do. being. indeed, taken IN the regular
way. But behind, or ut one side Of the
living sitter appears sometimes only Il
head, sometimes q head and shoulders,
and sometimes the full length OF an.
other person, rather indis,inct and
shadowy, but still in many cases
clearly enough defined fora likeness to
! be recognized. They are, our reporter
WAX told, cases in which tho spirit
tlikcncsscs have been taken without
any livin. sitter; others takcn by the
help Of n photograph Of Il living per-
con, which has been sent for tho pur-
pose; and others in the night time.
REMARKABLE EXPERIENCES.
One of the most remarkable OF these
strange pieces Of work IL n picture tax.
en for tho cx-bankcr above mentioned.
Several years ago lie lost Il wife TO
whom hc wns tenderly attached. and
who, NJ he believes, has never ccased
to bo present in her spiritual form with
him. a dny or two ago lie sat 10 Mr.
Mumler, and Oh the plate there came
along with his an image Of n lady,
which lie and his friends all declare to
be correct likeness OF his deceased
wife. Tho face is perfectly distinct,
one arm is thrown around her hus.
bands neck, so that her han.l, holding
n branch Of what seems to be lilacs,
comes in front of. his breast. Another
picture being taken, the same figure
appeared in different attitude, point
ing with one hand upward. On a
third trial, however, this figure disap-
pearcd, aud tho head Of an unknown
child came Instead.
Another picture shown our reporter
IL that Of q well-known real estate
broker down town, near whom appears
q lovely child's facc, lt for ono OF Ra.
phael's cNcrubs. Mr. Mumler could
not tell. however, Of whom II was Q
Likeness. .... g,
One particularly touching picture
was taken for a mother who, not long
ago, lost darling boy. As she sat be.
tore tho camera she mentally said :
"Willie, I wish you would come and
place yourself ne you used TO when
you said your prayers to inc" land IN
response to her silent wish, there ap.
pears n child renting his head upon her
bosom, which she AYERS is perfect
likeness Of her boy. -.
At . spiritual !sdnee that evening, q
message was received, purportiug to
be from tho child just mentioned. to
the effect that il his father would set
to Mr. Munlcr, Is better picture Of him
still would bo obtained. His father
accordingly came and sat, aud In the
picture ob;ained thoro appears within
tho fathsr. arInS = ehsrIuiug hoy OF
apparently ten years Of age, which 10
aid hy hoth father and mother To be