The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-04-06
TAKEN UNDER TEST CoNOl
TlONS"-ONE is APPARENTLY
SPIRIT OF HER HUSBAND.
she is NOT A BELIEVER IN SPlR-
TIsM, BUT IL PUZZLED BY
STRANGE RESULTS.

Two OF the accompanying photo
graphs OF spirit pictures and ar"
now in the possession Of Mrs. NauGe
Risker OF this city. The first photo
graph Is a likeness Of Mrs. NtSEerS
late husband. John Risker. who died NJ
Darleston, IN South StINordShire, Eng
land, August 10. 1916. The ether TWO
photographs were taken under test
conditions" at the studio OF Mr.. VIII
liam Hope at Crewe, England, Dccem-
Der 81, 1915. Mrs. Risker Identifies on"
photograph as O likeness OF her nus
band, while the other spirit" face IS
unknown to her. These pictures. to-
gether with others in Mrs. RiSkerS
possession. constitute q very interest
ing exhibit Of the so-called spirit
photography.
How They Were Made.
Mrs. Risker has made her home in
this city for over year. coming hfre
about a year and half ago from Egg
land. She declares herself to be an
.agnostic towards splrltual:sm and does
not attempt TO explain the origin or
the pictures, but gives the following
account OF the test conditions under
which the pictures we're made:
81 heard OF this photographer
through some friends OF my hus-
bands she says, land being very
lonely after his death I was persuaded
to give Mr.. Hopes supposed psychic
powers a trial. I investigated him
thoroughly before going 70 his studio,
10 his 0A0ninnnaSs
medium was vouched for by such peo-
pie as Miss Estelle Stead. the daughter
Of W. T. Stead. | then made my ar
rangements for a sitting through a
friend, withholding my name and any
information concerning my past his
tory. | did not wear mourning when
visited his studio, and so far rs know
ne had no means OF knowing that
was a widow. ! bought my negatives
at Darleston and kept them with mo
constantly from the time Of the rur-
chase.
Medium Didn't Touch Them.
ARRIVED at the studio placed the
negatives IN the camera myself. took
them out and developed them myself.
following directions given NE by Mr.,
Hope. The developing fluid was pre-,
pared by a friend OF mine whose non
esty Is above question. do not know
how the pictures came there. but can
certify that the mediums hands never
touched them"
Following her first sitting on Decem,
Der 81. Mrs. Risker was present at sew.
eral other seances at the Hope studio,
The spirit photographs" which were
made on these occasions were well dc
fined enough to arouse much interest
In that part Of England. The pictures
In question appeared IN THE Mer
curry" an English weekly, and are re
tererd to IN book on psychic pheno
mena written by the Rev. Walter
Wynn, q Church OF England clergy
man
Don't Altogether Accept Il.
Mrs. Risker IS not protested sptri
tualtst, emphasizing the fact that
while she believes the photographs
were produced by some super-norma,
means, she IS not prepared 10 accept
unquahfedly the spiritualistlc explana
ton Of the phenomenon. Other photo
graphs IN Mrs. Riskers possession art
extremely interesting, Many Of the
faces, which appear In most cases
shrouded by thin material resen
bling yelling. she says are unknown t
her, although the likeness OF her huS
band Is easily recognizable.