Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-04-05
Painting Spirit Pictures.
CHICAGO MAN EXPLAINS HOW THE rRIcx NAV u
DONE.

From the Chicago Inter Ocean.
ABOUT nfteen years ago a medium named
barry created some excitement by painting pic
lures landscapes OF heaven as well as portraits M
| citizens OF the spirit land in an alleged trance
state. Then her little daughter Louise a child or
perhaps nve years OF age or less, was pushed for
ward as the one controlled by an old master on
the face OF It, the performance seemed inexplica-
Die, and attended an art seance 1t was mani
testify impossible for child of four to paint such
pictures for they were fairly clever and the con
ditlons seemed such as to preclude deception,
"The child was put into a trance by her mother,
anu anu given clean piece OF canvas to cover. The
ngnts were low, out the room was by no means
dark. There was no such thing as Changing can.
vases; moreover, the picture slowly grew under
painted by skilled artist Isat through seance
and went away utterly at loss to account for the
wonderful performance. '''0
"The little girl spent from thirty minutes tn An
hour In making her painting and when compietad
IL looked like an elaborate and Carefully WORKED
up canvas, rather dim and low in tone to be sure
put yet fairly good painting. Remember we
could see her work, and there was q smell OF oil
and turpentine used that was Of the earth earthy
| at work, broke ranks and made a rapid advance
| on the youthful artist There was good deal of
sppe 1i course put was not thrown out be-
tried TO grab the painting, but 1t was snatched
away just as got my hands on it. NY nnger
across the face OF the painting, and gathered m
| something that had the presence of mind to hanR
70; ! found S Later: on examination. that had
L
| experimented a little on the pointer thus ac-
Quired, and found that could turn out pretty
good article OF spirit picture. This Is the way
| went about II: l got chrome, with strong con-
l trasts OF light and shade, and covered the face
| carefully with sheet Of tissue paper. Then /
! gummed over the surface OF the paper and busted
| on puverized sugar until It was dead nat white
covered II with another sheet Of tissue SO that the
sugar would not be rubbed on. Ithen had surface
| that In dimly lighted room would pass for clean
| canvas BY applying mixture Of oh and turpen-
| tine the combination OF paper and sugar became
transparent at once wherever the brush touched
II. and that was all there was TO this particular
sprit-picture fake The palette OF the little girl
was covered with paint Of all sorts OF combinations
| which had been thoroughly dried 80 that It would
pot mix with the oil and turpentine. At dis
lance OF few feet only It looked as though she
| were really mixing her pigments. The most difil-
cult thing about this trick was the training OF the
child 10 do the trance act which, by the way, she
| did in an exceedingly clever fashion. The thing
| was exposed then In Boston, but have occasion.
| ally heard OF the same swindle being perpetrated
| In different parts OF the West. don't know, OF
course the particular kind Of sleight OF hand that
| Nine. Diss DE Bar Is practtctng, but have nc
doubt that II Is some clever trick similar to this
Boston one"