The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-03-01
WoNDERFUL sIYsrERY.
Ghosts sitting for Their Portraits.
Departed Friends Photographed.
From the NssV York Sun.

who was what the spiritualists call a
Umedium," kept shop for the sale OF
iewelry in Boston. One important part
~ her business was the weaving Of hair
| into bracelets, lockets and similar arti-
Giles. as mementos OF friends, both liv-
ing and deceased. Usually there was
attached to these objects some provision
for photographed likeness of the per-
| son to be remembered, and at the solicit
| tation OF her customers she undertook
the taking of these likenesses In the size
and form required, and learned enough
| of the art to do 1t tolerably we'll. One
| dav, however, the chemicals failed to
work as usual, the pictures coming out
blurred and confused, and inexplicable
figures 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
uuaintance Of Mr.. W. II. Mumler, then
silver engraver In a leading silver
manufacturing establishment In Bos-
ton, who had some chemical
knowledge, though he was mex
perienced in photoGraphing. Mr..
Mumler, being entirely alone one day
in the photograph room, engaged in
experimenting, thought he would try
taking a picture, and, having got a
chair into the right focus, attempted to
photograph it. To his surprise on de-
veloping the plate, he found the chair
represented as filled by human being
dimly outlined, whom he recognized as
deceased cousin. How to account for
this phenomenon he knew not; but on
showing the picture to the young lady
for whom he was prosecuting his inqui-
ries, she, being, as we said, medium,
instantly pronounced 1t the portrait of
spirit who had taken this method OF
communicating with mortals on earth.
Following up the discovery, Mr.. Num-
IL,
time to this has been engaged in taking
these ghostly pictures, with remarkable
success For the present he has estab-
lished himself at the gallery of Mr.. w.
w. Silver, $50 Broadway, where our
reporter, In company with an eminent
photographer OF this city, whom we
shall call Brown, and a gentleman who
was fromerly leading banker and
stock broker In Wall street, visited him
yesterday morning.
WHAT THE PICTURES ARE LIKE.
Mr.. Mumler has preserved hundred
or so of the more remarkable photo
graphs taken, and our reporter saw and
examined them. They all present like
nesses of living persons, which look
being, indeed, taken in the regular
way. But behind, or at one side OF the
living sitter appears sometime only
head, sometimes head and shoulders,
and sometimes the full length of an.
other person, rather indtstlnct and
shadowy, but still In many cases clear
ly enough defined for likeness to be
recognized. They are, our reporter was
told, cases in which the spirit likeness
es have been taken without any living
sitter; others taken by the help OF pho
tograph of a living person, which has
been sent for the purpose; and others
In the night time.
REMARKABLE EXPERIENCES.
One Of the most remarkable of these
strange pieces Of work Is picture
taken for the ex-banker above men
toned. Several years ago he lost wife
to whom he was tenderly attached, and
who, as he believes, has never ceased to
be present in her spiritual form with
him. A day or two ago he sat to Mr..
Mumler, and on the plate there came
along with his an image of lady,
which he and his friends all declare to
be correct likeness of his deceased
wife. The face is perfectly distinct,
one arm Is thrown around her hus-
bands neck, so that her hand, holding
branch of what seems to be lilacs,
comes in front OF his breast. Another
picture being taken, the same figure
appeared in u different attitude, point
ing with one hand upward. On a third
trial, however, this figure disappeared,
and ike head of an unknown child
came instead.
Another picture shown our reporter
Is that of II well-known real estate
broker down town, near whom appears
a lovely child's face, fit for one of RAJ
phael's cherubs. Mr.. Mumler could
not tell, however, OF whom it was
likeness.
Oneparticularly touching picture was
taken for mother who, not long ago,
lost darling boy. As she sat before
the camera she mentally said, willie,
I wish you would come and place your
self as you used to when you said your
prayers to me- and in response to her
silent wish there appears child resting
his head upon her bosom, which she
AYERS is perfect likeness of her boy.
AT spiritual ScG1lce that evening,
message was received, purporting to be
from the child just mentioned. to the
effect that If his father would set to Mr..
Mumler, a better picture of him still
would be obtained. His father accord
inglY came and Sat, and in the picture
obtained there appears within the faith
er's arms charming boy of apparently
ten years of age, which is said by both
father and mother to be their child be.
yond a doubt.
An elderly gentleman, having sat for
his likeness, found 1t accompanied by
that OF a lady to whom he had been en-
gagged twenty years ago, and of whose
relation with him his own family had
not been aware. Sitting second time,
he got the likeness of a son who was
killed several years ago in Arkansas.
A distinguished miniature artist OF
this city, having tried the experiment,
was rewarded with q portrait of his
aged mother.
A lady's portrait was also shown, &C.
companied by that ola clergyman TO
whom she was once engaged, but who
has since died, and whom she had not
seen for twenty years. Many other
equally wonderful things were eXhib.
tied, but the general facts in all are the
same. or some pictures, OF which Mr..
MumIer had not retained copies, he
gives the following account:
The first ia a portrait of Mr.. Mumler
himself, with one hand on a chair, the
other holding the black cloth covering
inst taken from the camera. In the
chair sits half defined female form,
apparently about twelve or fourteen
years old. This was at once recognized
as deceased female relative.
The second picture has a lady spirit
sitting on chair, with white, unde-
fined mass of something behind her,
like two or three pillows. The features
are quite suuken, with serious ex-
preston. This is said to be likeness
Of the spirit sister of Mr.. J. J. Ever, as
she looked when wasted with consump-
ton. The father OF the deceased fully
recognized the likeness, as do the rest
OF the family.
on q chair, in which sits family de-
fined form OF a young man playing
upon guitar. This figure Is shown
more fully than the last, one leg being
visible to below the knee, the other not
being visible at all-looks as If moved,