a half feet in
height. The folds of shining drapery hung from her head in gipsy
fashion, which she opened for us to see her round black face. I was
quite close to her, but did not pat her face and woolly head as I have
done before. She climbed upon the medium's knee, and then came close to
us again, and then disappeared....

"The meeting then concluded with prayer and doxology. We then seized
hold of the medium's hands, and held him until the company retired, and
then went through the undressing and dressing process as before, every
article of clothing being rigidly examined as removed. We then searched
the corner as before, and found all intact, and not a sign anywhere of
the abundance of drapery we had seen."

Sixteen ladies and gentlemen present at the meeting allowed their names
to be published as a testimony to what they saw. The evidential value of
the seance depends entirely on the honesty and truthfulness of Mr.
Slater and of the two friends who assisted him in the carrying out of
the precautions taken.

Mr. Slater had been in the York Post Office for over thirty years, and
for nearly seven years before his death in 1902 had occupied the
position of superintendent. Mr. Slater was a frequent contributor to the
newspaper press of his own district, and also occasionally to other
periodicals. He appears to have been a man of considerable intelligence
and force of character, and to have been widely respected. I am informed
by Mr. J. P. Slater, a son of Mr. J. Slater, and who is in the Post
Office at York, that the name of the "Middlesbro' medium" was Kenwin,
and that he was an "ordinary working man" in some steel works. He died
six or seven years ago.

CHAPTER X

"SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPHY"

For over thirty years photographs have been taken in London, on which,
when they were developed, figures appeared for the presence of which
there seemed to be no physical cause. They appeared both with
professional photographers and in private studios. Two or three
professional photographers laid themselves out to encourage such
appearances. Others were annoyed by them. One in particular, whom I knew
personally, was greatly annoyed in this way, fearing it might injure his
business. Naturally, but unfortunately, the term "spirit photographs"
was invented. Unfortunately, because, granting the reality and
genuineness of some of the results, it by no means follows that a
"spirit" stood or sat for its portrait, as a human si