The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-27
SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPH
INDUSTRY EXPOSED
Leader Of Spiritualistic Cult Tells
How He Helped the Fakir
+ Fake. r. :s..
New York Sun special Service.

Chicago, Feb. 27.-Dr. George B.
Warne Of Hahnemann hospital, leader
of the spiritualist cult in Illinois, yes
terday revealed the inner secrets of
spirit, photography, explained how the
credulous were deceived, and denounced
the mystic art as barefaced fraud.
~, aR5,eclarlng that spirit photography as
the physician showed how these photog-
raphers secure pictures of departed
relatives Of their clients and by a sim
pie method known to all photographers,
reproduce the picture Of their client
with pictures Of the spirits grouped
around his head and shoulders. The
spirits hayean earthlyappearance; some
wear standing collars and watch chains,
which do not smack Of. the ethereal
world to the uninitiated layman. :
Added interest was given t6 DR..
Warne's exposure, which follows the re-
port from New York that. DIR. Isaac G.
Funk of Funk &; Wagnalls, purchased a
spirit painting from the Bangs Sisters
of Chicago, when it was learned that
the Bangs Sisters care all the rage''
in Chicago's most exclusive occult
circles.
Patrons in High Life.
Such men as Judge Eugene Cary,
| Nestor of the Chicago bench, and Sena-
| tor J. H. Mitchell of Oregon, indicted
in connection with the land frauds in
! that state, are patrons of the Bangs
| Sisters, and have paid the mediums for
The oregon Senator o has eensui Hiif The
spirits thru the mediumship Of the
sisters.
DR.. Warne is one Of the leading and
best-posted spiritualists in the country
and the acknowledged leader Of the
cult in Illinois. He has made an in.
| vestigation of spirit photography and
spirit painting that has resulted in the
| exposure of both of the so-called spirit
| ual manifestations as barefaced frauds
He said:
had taken by s. w. Falls, a spirit
photographer, at PIG Wells street. Falli!
originally started out to disclose thu
frauds Of spirit photography, but thru hi:
disclosures learned the art so we'll that h,
suddenly found he was endowed with tn,
mediumistic sense and prefxed the wore
"spirit' to the photographs on hi
shingle.
Spirits Were Backward.
| called on him, giving him my nam'
and address, and posed before, his camera
The spirits were not working that day
he finally announced. "Call again in tw,
weeks and I think they will be In fin,
| running order-''
OF course, I was prepared for his game
and this merely strengthened my suspi
| cions. The reason the spirits were no
working that day developed later. Afte
taking my picture at the first sitting II
order to get the spirits to appear an
Epose for a photograph with me, it wa
necessary to collect pictures Of my. de
parted relatives.
! ,, T tbo
Thru a chain Of friends, who were a
anxious to investigate spirit photography
as myself, threw in the way OF MI
Falls pictures of Theodore Parker, tn
famous New England preacher, who wa
related to me, and pictures Of my tw
sons in-law,Y who have not yet Fdeparte
for mystic realms. When I came bacl
in two weeks, Falls was enthusiastic.
| - Spirits Finally Appear. -
"Ahr' he said, as sat before the cam
era, "a spirit is lowering over your shout
der. He is a handsome young man, wit
Ia carefully curled mustache. His, fore
head is high and broad and he is we
dressed. He has a message for, you
Thereupon he repeated message whic
he declared my son-in-law had sent me.
Another spirit appears he announced
1T Is a. young man. smooth shaver an
message for YOU" e..
Still another spirit appeared, accordin
to my friend, "a bald-headed man. wit
side whiskers, who is dressed in old-fash
toned STYLE"
Those were all the spirits who woul
appear that day, and I was told to com
again in fortnight, when Falls ez
pected to have a message from my wit
for me. OF course, the three spirits VIII
| &11 +
the people whose pictures I had Indirect
placed in the mans possession. Two {
the spirits have not yet departed th
mortal realm.
I heard that Falls was having gree
trouble in securing a photograph Of m
wife, so I had picture Of her given t
him, thru the same indirect channel
called again, received a message from m
!, wife, and 1t was announced my spir
photograph would be ready. Soon 1t we
produced. The only spirits T recognize
were those Of my two living sons-in-lav
? Theodore Parker. and my departed wifi
Among the other spirits were Indian
Puritans Arabs and beautiful maiden
whose photographs have graced old mage
zines and newspapers.
How Pictures Are Made.
The method employed in printing tt
spirit pictures 50 the spirits appeare
to be grouped around my head ar
shoulders, IS about like this: The PHI
tographer reduced the plate, on which m
likeness was reproduced, to transparent
in certain places. Behind these thinne
places small films or plates, with like
nesses of the Puritans, my sons-in-la
! and the rest Of the spirits were cemente
and the picture printed as compost
, whole, There are several other method
> but this is the main one.
+ understand that when these spirit PHI
tographers find difficulty in securing phi