Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-16
A GHosTLY PHOTOGRAPH.
A Picture on a Window Pane.

An object well worthy of scientific in
vestigation may be.seen in the window of
the drug store at No. ass South Western
avenue, between the hours of and
every evening. The object in question is
nothing more nor less than an ordinary
pane of plate glass, and at any time except
the hour specified there is nothing about it
that would attract attention; but as the
sun wanes in light and heat each
evening it eXerts an influence in
the glass that is believed by many
to be supernatural, and there are hum
dreds of people in the neighborhood who
Will not, under any circumstances, go
near it. Here is the story of the wonder
full glass, as told by DR.. A. X. Smith, in
whose drug store the pane is kept: About
three weeks ago an East India Jew, who
was possessed of many eecentricities of
character, boarded in house few doors
east of the drug store on Taylor street,
and occupied the front room on the second
floor, the windows of which faced the
west. The Jew took sick, and died after
an illness of a few days. He was dressed
for burial, and laid out in the centre of
the room directly i'll front of the window.
About half-past seven o'clock on the
evening of the second day after the funer-
al the dead mans wife was sitting in the
same room weeping over the loss of her
husband, when she CHANGED to look to-
ward the centre window. AS she did so
she uttered a piercing scream and rushed
toward it and began to pass her hand gent
ly over the lower pane, speaking words of
tenderness and love in her own language
as she did so. When the people IN the
lower portion of the house rushed into the
room, in response to the wOman's scream,
they saw her kissing the window pane
and acting in such a peculiar manner that
they at once concluded that she was in
lan
ever, in such manner as to eX-
pose the pane, and the people in
the room saw a sight that brought forth a
yell and a general rush for the stairs lead
ing to the ground floor, for there in the
glass was as perfect a likeness of the dead
man as the best photographer could pro-
duce. The eyes were closed, the features
were calm, and the beard and hair were Just
as they had been arranged for the burial.
The picture showed the head and a por-
ton of the bust almost to the waist. A
linen handkerchief that had been placed
across the breast of the dead man when
he was laid out was also accurately repro
duced. The wife of the deceased is of a
superstitious turn of mind, and firmly be-
lieved that her husband had returned to
express some wish he desired fulfilled and
stayed constantly by it. The story of the
''apparitiono spread through the neigh
borhoOd like wild fire, and hundreds came
at all hours of the day to see it, MANY
who came in the morning and early after
noon, and failed to see ANYTHING. pro-
nounced the story a canard; but those
who returned and viewed the glass
at the hour specified were aston
ished to see the picture as it had been
represented. DR.. Smith was a doubling
Thomas for while, and would not even
take the pains to go into the room and
examine the glass. He did so at length,
however, and was astOnished beyond de-
scription at beholding the picture, or
whatevar it is, as it was a perfect like
ness of the departed Jew, whom he had
known quite well, the face and features
being identical in every particular with
what is supposed to have been the
original.
The glass is placed in the show window
facing west, and during the dav it is n
very innocent appearing piece of glass.
but when the sun reaches a certain point
the lineaments of mans bearded face
gradually begin to appear, and in about
ten minutes the picture is complete. pre-
sentlng an appearance not unlike the
negative OF photograph, only it is some
what more distinct. The glass has been
washed over and over again with strong
chemicals, but its wonderful popularity
cannot be destroyed, and incredulous per
sons may have their curiosity fully graft
fed by visiting the show window named
between the hours Of 7 and Sip. M, as at
5 O'Clock the picture begins to grow dim
ana quickly disappears altogether, DIR.
Smith says that during the past week the
picture has grown somewhat dim. but not
to any great degree. He is anxious for
some one to explain the mystery or scien-
tifc freak.