Messrs. Herne and Williams have just returned from Llanelly, South Wales, where they have obtained most powerful and varied manifestations, including spirit photographs, taken by Mr. Shaw, at the studio of Howell, Brothers. The following declaration has been made by Mr. Shaw: "I do most solemnly declare and take oath that the socalled spirit-photographs-Nos. 1, 2, 3-taken by me are genuine, and that there has been no deception, collusion, or fraud of any kind in the production of them, and that no one but myself had anything to do whatever in the manipulation of them.-(Signed) W. GERMANIUS SHAW." In Human Nature for November, the editor, after quoting the letter of Mr. William Howitt, which appeared in our October number, goes on to say: We have seen a great number of other successful portraits of spirits which have been recognised in the most satisfactory manner, but the sitters have been in many cases persons in private life, and who have not energy of public spirit to push them to the front with their testimony. Others have been persons in such social positions that they dared not give publicity to the fact that they were interested in Spiritualism or had sat for a spirit-photograph. A praiseworthy exception to this too general practice amongst those who could really lend some influence to the movement is communicated in the following letter: "21, Green Street, Grosvenor Square, W. October 20, 1872. "Dear Mr. Burns,—I asked my friend Mrs. Hughes if she would be willing publicly to add her testimony regarding the genuineness of Mr. Hudson's spirit-photographs. I have much pleasure in sending you her answer: "I shall be most happy to lend what small weight my name may have to support that worthy and honest man, Mr. Hudson. One of the spiritphotographs I have was taken on a glass I brought myself and had previously marked. I also always went into his dark room on the several occasions I was there and followed the whole process, from the cleaning of the plate-never losing sight of it-till the spirit-forms were developed on it. I can, therefore, affirm that there was no imposition in the production of the spirit-images on my photograph-it was all honest and above board, and thinking it so, I am ready to declare it to be so to the world. Yours affectionately, "13, Grosvenor Square.' GEORGINA HUGHES. "I need scarcely add that Mrs. Hughes authorises you to publish her testimony in favour of Mr. Hudson if you think it will be useful to the cause of truth and justice. Yours very truly, "LISETTE MAKdougall GreGORY." The foregoing testimony, which is only one of several dozens we could adduce, is confirmed by our own experience, the result of successive sittings. We have not been able as yet to recognise the identity of the forms obtained, but there is no question in our mind as to the genuineness of the manifestation. When we have visited the studio in the company of sensitives, they have always felt the peculiar sensations indicative of spirit presence when the images of spirits were being taken. The spirits thus represented were not relatives, and therefore could not be recognised though answering to the descriptions given by other spirits. A very interesting development in connection with spirit-photography is the fact that, at Kingston-on-Thames, Mr. Russell has repeatedly obtained plates N.S.-VII. 2 M exhibiting what photographers would call unmistakeable signs of double exposure, a feature which is also observable in those pictures which actually contain the well recognised likeness of spirits, and therefore indisputably genuine. No doubt the considerations referred to have influenced many who have recognised the spirit-portraits obtained at Mr. Hudson's studio to withhold their testimony, but Mr. Hudson has been able to favour us with the following LIST OF SITTERS WHO RECOGNISE THE SPIRIT-PORTRAITS TAKEN BY MR. HUDSON. Count Wimpffen. Mr. Ainger. Dr. Dixon, 8, Great Ormond St., W.C. Mr. Raynald, 106, George Street, Mr. S. Hocking, Camborne, Cornwall. Mr. Triall, 14, Holland Cottages, Mr. B. Hawkes, 13, New Street, Bir- Mrs. Berry, Margate. Miss Kislingbury, Notting Hill. Mr.W. Arbuthnot, Upton Park, Slough. Besides these, there are others (some of high rank and social position) who recognise the spirit-portraits taken with their own by Mr. Hudson, but who have specially desired their names not to be made public. Indeed, the impatient clamour for recognised spirit-portraits of those ever eager to be the first to ring the loud bell of alarm, when there is nothing save their own indiscretion to be alarmed about, has been so widely and promptly met, that even the editor of the Spiritualist now says "We know that all along Mr. Hudson has obtained a certain proportion of real spirit-pictures;"" and possibly on every day of the week." This, then, being so, we ask :-What occasion could there be to make spurious photographs when the genuine ones could be so much more easily obtained, and have been so obtained "all along?" Some months ago, when the screaming first began, it was asked in this Magazine-"Who has detected Mr. Hudson in the "I." act of fraud?" No one has yet stepped forward to say In place of this we have had only apocryphal stories, and doubtful inferences from ill understood facts; in fine, what is called circumstantial evidence. That the strongest circumstantial evidence is often deceptive, even in matters with which we are much better acquainted than spirit-photography, is well known. In a Report on Capital Punishment made to the Legislature of New York in 1841, it is remarked "No human ingenuity can conceive of cases in which evidence of this nature has seemed to bring home the charge to an individual more strongly, and apparently beyond the slightest possibility of a doubt, than some cases in which the innocence of the individual had afterwards, though too late, been established with equal certainty." The truth of this remark is shown by the citation of a large number of instances of the most striking kind. It is said that more than 100 persons in England alone have been convicted and suffered the extreme penalty of the law, who have afterwards been proved innocent. That should surely be a caution to us, lest we too condemn those who may be innocent. If the consequences of false accusation always fell on the accuser, charges of wrong doing would not be bandied about so freely and on so slight grounds. That circumstantial evidence is particularly inconclusive and even sometimes deceptive with regard to spiritual manifestations, of the laws, forces, and conditions of which we know so little, is well pointed out in the following letter which appeared in the Spiritualist of November 1st: Sir,-A statement is made on the first page of your paper for October the 15th which seems to me of great value : "A boy medium obtained some spirit hands, and a person present squirted some ink over the hands. When the boy was released from the cabinet his hands were covered with ink, and the youth was denounced as an impostor there and then. A gentleman was not satisfied. He tried experiments, and found that colouring matter placed upon the spirit hands afterwards appeared on different parts of the body of the medium." My object in quoting this is to call attention to the nature of the evidence required, in testing the genuineness of professed spiritual communications. This remarkable statement ought to teach us not to accept even what appears to be the strongest circumstantial evidence as proof, especially where the character of individuals is involved. I would apply this to the present painful controversy respecting Mr. Hudson and Messrs. Herne and Williams. I am not going to express any opinion as to the truth or falsehood of the charges made against them. Nor do I know what either yourself or Mr. B. W. Pycock might be able to state, if disposed to do so. But I do wish to say that it appears to me and to others with whom I have conversed, that the evidence which has been published is insufficient to justify the readers of it in returning a verdict of guilty. Also, bearing in mind the above anecdote, and the photographic possibilities which Mr. Henderson some time ago made us acquainted with in the pages of The Medium, I should protest against any inferences whatever which are drawn from an examination of photographs, or which rest upon circumstantial evidence however strong being accepted as proof of imposition. We ought to be more diffident in relation to subjects of which our actual knowledge is so very small. I would also venture to remind both yourself and your correspondents that it is entirely contrary to our English sense of justice and fair play, to expect answers from a supposed culprit to questions in reference to his assumed criminality. EDWARD T. BENNETT. Betchworth, Oct. 28th, 1872. The following letter also enforces the same lesson : To the Editor of the "Spiritual Magazine." SIR, The close resemblance to the mediums, borne by the materialised forms the two Katies to Miss Cook and Mr. Williams, and of Peter to Mr. Herne is highly suggestive. Thoroughly satisfied of the genuineness of what I have witnessed with these mediums, some ideas occur to me in connection with this. The materialised faces are as like as if they were casts from the mediums; we must assume from the subtle relation between the medium and the spirit that this is absolutely unavoidable. The direct spirit-voices, also, from the resemblance to the mediums have always been a difficulty. As the face is like a cast, it would appear reasonable to assume that a materialised organ of voice is formed a fac-simile of the mediums; this would acccount for the resemblance in its tones. From these known facts it is clear the mediums themselves are more the victims of what appears a cheat, than other people, and have to take all the responsibility, whether they will or not. It is inconceivable to suppose that any mediums from choice would present spirit-voices to be heard, and spirit-faces to be seen, so like as to be taken for their own. We can get a lesson from this experience. As purely circumstantial evidence to convict a medium, it is really worth nothing with all its apparently undeniable evidence of fraud. Photographers know all about exposures, "single," "double,' "under" and "over"; but we must confess, learned as we had become of late in such matters, that the "double" part played by the spirits with the mediums, is inexplicable by the wisest of us, including the photographers. Why don't they "expose" the spirits? G. CHILDS. We were recently conversing with a gentleman who was much with the Davenports, both in England and on the continent of Europe. Count W was present, and the conversation turned on some spirit-photographs lately taken at Kingston-on-Thames, which the Count had seen, and which had on them marks of apparent double exposure though the plates had been only once exposed; but which photographs had been destroyed by a malicious spirit, said to have been a former tenant of the house. Our friend who had been with the Davenports (and who has been quoted as "a great authority" in the matter of spirit-photographs), said he knew that spirits could thus destroy photographs from an instance in his own experience. A photograph of the Davenports had just been taken and placed on the mantel-piece against the wall. While conversing, they noticed a peculiar vibration in the photograph. On examining it they found that, during the few minutes that had elapsed, the collodion had been scratched through, and the portrait in part erased, though there was no visible means by which this could have been done. Yet, though the fact was witnessed by himself, it is probable that scarcely a photographer from John O'Groats to Land's End could be found to credit it; and should something like this happen to a spirit-photograph in Mr. Hudson's studio, would it not be cited, even by some Spiritualists, as conclusive proof that a pointed instrument had been used to erase evidence of fraud-say to obliterate marks of "double exposure" about which a clamour was being raised. Mediums are peculiarly susceptible to the influence of those about them, and if instead of that kindly sympathy they might naturally expect from Spiritualists under such trying circumstances as are above referred to, they encounter suspicion and mistrust, and the worst construction is put on facts which are exhibited through their unconscious agency, we not only do them personally great injustice, but may very prejudicially affect their mediumship, and they will naturally be tempted to suppress, as far as they can, all facts in their mediumship, however interesting and valuable, of which a full and satisfactory explanation cannot at once be given. It is to guard against such results that we have of late. recurred so frequently to this subject. Our experience fully bears out some excellent remarks in the last number of the Spiritualist to the effect that the best tests and manifestations (in which we include spirit-photographs) are given when the mediums are honoured with that confidence and respect which from the many proofs they have given of their integrity, they in general are entitled to claim. There are many mysteries in Spiritualism, as in everything else, of which it is true wisdom to say frankly-"I don't know;" for if we profess to know when we do not, a little access of true knowledge may at any time expose our empty pretensions to shame. In bringing this controversy (as we hope) to a close, a brief résume may be fitly given of the facts and considerations we have from time to time presented in favour of the genuineness of the inculpated spirit-photographs: 1.-That those who have personally and practically tested the matter by careful investigation and experiment, who have narrowly watched the whole process from first to last, who have themselves selected the plates used, or have taken and marked their own plates, and even used their own camera, have testified to the entire genuineness of the spirit-photographs taken by Mr. Hudson, or by themselves in his studio. Nor could some of the effects obtained be produced under the same conditions by any known process. 2. That forty sitters whose names are given (besides others) -many of them well-known as intelligent Spiritualists, have severally certified that they recognise in photographs taken by Mr. Hudson the likeness of their departed friends or relatives. |