New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-04-22
SPIRITUALISM IN COURT.
THE ALLEGED SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPH sWINDLEs-
EXAMINATION AT THE TOMBS--REMARhADLE
TESTIMONY OF JUDGE EUMONDS.

aud they comprise array Of crimes of almost every ue
scrpon-there has seldom II ever been recorueu o"Se
analogous that pending before Justice Do"Hns
an the ombs Police Conrt in which the people are the
prosecutors and Vim. II. Mumler OF No $50 BroadwaS'
Is the defendant The specific charge brought against
Mumler is that by means OF what lie termed SPIRITUAL
rotographs he has swindled many creduous persons,
brenreseptations leading the victims 20 believe that
by means OF communication with the spirit land 1t was
possible not only to bring back the departed
epirit but 10 photograph their immaterlal
FORMS thus forever perpetUating the memory OF their
spiritual presence How many have. been induced to
speculate the features OF departed relatives and
friends hard say but that the number was large
the prosperity Of Dir Numbers establishment seems to
have proven beyond controversy. and, at the same
time. that many duped and seemed to appreciate
the fact few, prCdisposed TO seize with morbid avn
fly anything savOring OF the supernatural gave impo
credencc to the spiritual photographer ana reIuseu "
be convinced OF what the majority Of the worid luy
Neved. On these parties MI. Mumler mainly reA'" 49,
evidence in his defense. A., oos.
The announcement that tho examination OF 'Ho '"
would he continued yesterday, drew together . s -
miscellaneous audience. Including a humooi VI W 49,
distinguished OF the believers H. ana propas"'O Oi w
doctrines of splrualsm, many legal gen'iene.' cur iUu
10 note tho POINTS law which might arse "u '
trial and shrinking Of miilleaged ladies' oche'crs
evjderv who watched tho proceedings Win an 'eloS'
scarcely exceeded by TINT Of tho party prihcipay CON
cerned The examination was held in INC opeci" oeS
s,ops Courtroom members OF tho pari disule uisheu
sniritualists among Judge EGmonds and Mi. NC
Donald). and the ladi's' DeiHg aeo"u1u-0u"'0" " ~
inside the railing.
The principal defendant Mr.. Mumlor, q man OF aDout
40 wears of age with dark har, beard, ana eyes ana
olive complexion was seated next ohs counsel 'Messrs
J. T. Townsend, Day and cx-Ffre Marshal BAKER, anu
appeared perfectly calm aud scpOssessed, ready AT
moment's notice 10 whisper to his counsel quesuoh
touching some Important point which he desired TO ene
from the witness Mumer's face is one OF the rev from
Which one fails gather any trace Of character Is
calm ana fthomlcss and although it would be harSh 10
soy that il is unprepOssessug yet race "o Va"
vonid scarcely DO able to believe ia at first sight
The Peoule were represented by Mr. Eldr1dSe oeHIy'
and tho first witness called Marshal joseph Ii.
Tooker, through whose instrumentaly the eP,i
photograph business brought to TIE ho''cc VI va, GU
thorites He deposed that In conseqH OF i"u' NC
ton received from SIR. p " Hickey OF Inc h''"', ''1
hIayor had ordered him "loOk up tue case "ilon
he did by assuming false name and having
his photograph taken by Mumler. Afier tne
taking of the picture the negative was SHOWN
him, with q din, indiStinct outline OF ghosuS
face staring out and he was told th' Tue
nctute represented the spirit Of his father1naw' he
however failed TO recognize the worthy old gentleman,
and cmphaticay declared that the picture neither re-
se%Se his %dD, NV h mSf ever Sc seen Snown The
other 1ortous Of Marshal lockers testimony were nO
81 TIE auesod eSinde and therefore 1t would be useless
to recapituate With this testimony the prosecution
For inc defense the first evidence introduced was that
Of Van p sliced rloioslrh"r o. PSt con
mud no device or trekery IN H. Mumler had pIo1ueee
spiritual photographs in his presence and from the cam
EN- in s al his gallery POugh'repse but with bis
knowledge Of photography knowledge e&ehning o.ed
several ycars-he wasutcIy unable to discover BOW the
thing hGd been done. lie Thought the same result COMO
be produced by natural or mechanical means Dut c0n
tI tic IJN' ''s''' -, :. -, o..,.,.r. to
tesiifcd: Thsve recolt6con of having met Marshal
messed desire TO have a spiritual Photograph taken:
asking ne whether could 90 ~ ana on Wnat Ig h
1esscd his inability to pay nat emon, gonn5ec 10 ard
ceiye - as deposit qua lot kmow Mnls ~ @ W.
specially commissioned by Andrew Jackson DAVIS 20
60 10 Boston, where Mnnler WIS operating, ana make
n strict investigation into his process made tue IN,
vestgatOn with the consent OF AumeT. ana thpugn
nG no trek or denice and Convinced that the
spectral peinres appearing on lotograPas OF nEing
actually and truly benesscs OF those dcIltcu u,
and produced by means other than those kh9wh 20
artists kuow Of two or three methods u pioJjucig
person behind the sitter, another by means OF peculiar
means When Marshal Tooker called me- I told him.
as generally most persons that the Spiritual picture
closely in sympathy with hlm MIS- n9ihef va tone
rally N to room TiT% tu be system OF philosophy
euaiiat ng Andrew Jackson DAVIS would prefer
JUDGE Edmunds, Of the most distinguished advo-
kn"T1 Mr. Mnmler some Two or weeks; the Oc-
eason OF NY becoming acquainted with blm ma gone
10 his gallery witd Dr. john f. Geary ana Mr. iuut, ~
tie Invitation of the former, 10 have my ph0logthph
takeu had two pictures taken. assuming disIent at
tude each time. 1.-TWO photographs slO"nJ iheS"HIo
the photographs in ore, / assumed position
Which allowed only the taking OF my sde-facs; ~ the
other, i faced the eauerW one one OF tbese
pictures is a face winch think recognized the other IS
lures OF Inc Judge each lSss near the upper right
hand corner dun outline 81 female lace suIciehty
disupct however to that the lady WAS very bead
tiful IL would appear that spiritual ADMINISTRATIONS
aboundcd That OCCASION Tor ne faces on nrse
live and detailed several facts and circumstances
knowledge many years ago. Returning TO Mnnlfr he
said | know a great many persons WHO nave visited
cess procuring spirit pictures II departed friends MI
Ilvermore OF Sallsi has becn pecniary s1geessIIi.
ing young man seated IN penlye1 attitude MN DIS
eyes cast downward Behind ls CHAIR ana leaning over
whose hands rests on ms shoulder TINS Is the
most 81 the pn.oeP% peoent declared
that by known 10 them, other than The bodily
presence Of behind the chair could tie picture
Of the lady's hand be pIOduccd) Spiritnaiss reason
that these photographs actual pictures OF dsenbode
spirits bnt they do not know am myself prepared
to express definite opinion believe however that In
time the truth Cr f1siy OF spiritual photography VII DO
demonstrated an spirituasin itself las been demon
stratcd and therefore say that IL would be best 10 wait
and sec. The art is Is yet IN IT'S infancy 80, a.. Il.
Crosse xamned They charged me $40 for the ir9t SIT
ting and s. each OF the oteT atthe time NY picture
was taken there we're present MeesTs Grey uuhl, anu
humlel; watched the operator clOseY %hIG he was
taking tho picture but could detect no Haud OF course
with my limited knowledge OF me pholograpme ars,
would not nave Deen able to tel II nc had nstd auuu
lent means 10 effect his end have definite opinion
MUD never 10 form an opinion WITHOUT
knowledge Invariably when / have done so,
that the camera can take photograph OF spirit and
believe also that spirits have maieraltynot gross
teral enough visible to the human eye for have
seen them oty a few days since / was in court in
for tho amount claimed 10 bo due on u certain policy
no Low 4