The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-04-17
THE SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHS.

Spirit ualistic Gentlemen In Large Array mt
the Ton,bs-Positive Agency Of the Spirits
ProcIaimed-I.ine OF Defence i'm the Forth.
coming Examination.
Persons Of spirituastic proclivities, as is well
known, make up the majority Of those appearing at
the Tombs Police Court. IL was SO yesterday. The
spritualistIc proclivities OF the mornings assem-
blage, however, were diverse from the ordinary
channel--not the besotted, wre,ched maudlin sub
Jects OF benzine and fusel OIL but those having to
do, or rather protesting to have 10 do with the
spirits OF the Vastly deep, or heavens above, or
anywhere where the spirits Of the dead make
their abode when freed from the cerements OF
our earthly clay. In other words, the crowd was
made up OF spirttuasts-l0nQ haired, eallOw
checked, sanron-huod gentlemen, the very tones OF
whose voices were sepuchrai Tue occasion OF their
presence was an expected examination In the case
Of William H. Mumer, the spirit photographer, whose
arrest on charge OF perpetratlng deception and
fraud upon the public through the medium Of alleged
tie HERALD. Ex-Fire Marshal Baker and Albert
Day appeared as counsel for the accused Ex-Judge
that was done, announced himself only as the friend
"Xre you ready to proceed with your case s'' asked
''Yes, sir,n answered ex-Judge Edmonds Eve
have from twenty TO thirty Witnesses mere from Bus
ton, Poughkeepsie, Buffalo and elsewhere.
.ifhe Mayor sent the case here" remarked the
Judge, land expressed desire to be present al tne
examination and asked me to postpone II on account
"Of course the Mayors wishes must be regarded,
but VIII you allow" asked the-Judge "Mr. Baker
10 read paper prepared on behalf Of the accused,
rs showing the line OF defence we propose to enter
upon" M
"why do you wish to read t nows' inquired
Judge Bowling.
''fhe late publications in the papers have de
str0yed MIR. Numbers business, and through giving
this equal and Immediate publicity we desire TO re-
store the public confidence, to which he Ia Justly Ell.
titled urged Judge Edmonds.
81 have no objection TO having the paper read
answered the Judge, and II was read accordingly.
The document was as follows:-
We propose to prove that there Ia no trick, fraud
or deception In what are called spirit pictures by
the accused; that In order TO produce those pic
lures nothing more Ia done or used by him than by
ordinary photographers In producing these pictures
than mere resting his hand on the camera; that the
spirit pictures coming or abstanng from coming Is
IN no respect subject TO his control voton; that
the process Of taking them has been again and
again. carefully scrutinzed and watched IN It's every
step by men OF intelligence and by those skilled In
the art OF photography, whereby II has been asccr
tanned beyond doubt that there Is no fraud or de-
ception about 1t; that there has been produced
on the same plate with the picture OF living person
the picture or ghostkc image OF persons who have
| died, which have been recognized by those who
knew them IN life; that this has been done In cases
where there was no likeness or picture In existence
| OF such deceased person, and whom that operator
had never seen OF heard Of that u ~ now some tbr-