665 C. From the Journal S.P.R., vol. v. p. 147. The following account of a very curious experience of Mr. Dickinson, a photographer, of 43 Grainger Street, Newcastle-on-Tyne, was obtained for us by Mr. E. T. Nisbet, of Newcastle-on-Tyne.

February 25th, 1891.

On Saturday, the 3rd of January this year, I arrived at my place of business a few minutes before 8 a.m. The outer door is protected by an iron gate, in which is a smaller lock-up gate, through which I passed into the premises. Having opened the office and turned the gas on at meter, and lit the gas-fire, I stood at the office counter for a few minutes waiting for the lad who takes down the iron gate at the front door. Before the lad came, however, a gentleman called to inquire if his photographs were finished; I asked him if he had the receipt (which usually accompanies any inquiry), and he replied that he had no receipt, but his photograph was taken on------(giving the date), and that the prints were promised to be sent to him before this call. Having got the date and his name, I referred to my book and found the order as he stated. I read out to him the name and address, to which he replied, "That is right" In my book I found a date given on which the negative was ready to be put into the printer's hands, and the date being seventeen days previous I had no hesitation in saying, " Well, if you call later on you will get some," and I called his attention to the fact that it was very early, and explained to him that the employées would not be at work until nine o'clock, and if he could call after that time he would be certain to get some of his photographs.

He said, "I have been travelling all night, and cannot call again." With that he turned abruptly, and went out. Anxious to retain his good will, I shouted after him, "Can I post what may be done ? " but 1 got no answer. I turned once more to the book, looked at the number, and on a slip of paper wrote, "No. 7976, Thompson, post." (This I wrote with pen and ink, and have the paper yet.) At nine o'clock, when Miss S. (clerk and reception-room attendant) came, I handed the slip of paper to her and asked her to have it attended to, telling her that the man had called for them, and seemed much disappointed that he had not received them before. Miss S., with considerable surprise, exclaimed: "Why, an old man called about these photographs yesterday (Friday), and I told him they could not be ready this week owing to the bad weather, and that we were nearly three weeks behind with our work." I suggested that it was quite time Mr. Thompson's were ready, and inquired who was printing the order. I was told it was not in print, and pointing to a pile of negatives Miss S. said, "Thompson's is amongst that lot, and they have been waiting quite a fortnight." I asked to be shown the negative, and about half-an-hour later Miss S. called me, saying, "This is Thompson's negative." I took it in my hands and looked at it carefully, remarking, " Yes, that is it; that is the chap who called this morning." Miss S. again referred to the fact that she had told the man who had called on the previous day that none were done, or could be done that week. "Well," I said, "put this to one side and I will see to it myself on Monday, and endeavour to hurry it forward." On the Monday (January 5th), I was in one of the printing rooms, and, about 10.30 a.m., having one or two printing frames empty, I thought of Thompson's negative, and accordingly went down to the office and asked Miss S. for it. " Oh yes," she replied, "and here are a few more equally urgent; you may take them as well." I said, "That cannot be, as I have only two or three frames at liberty " (she had about twenty negatives in her hand, holding them out to me); " give me Thompson's first and let me get my mind at rest about it." To which she answered, " His is amongst this lot; I will have to pick it out." (Each negative was in a paper bag.) I offered to help her, and she commenced at one end of the batch and I at the other, and before we got half-way through I came across one which I knew was very urgent, and turned away to look up the date of taking it, when crash! went part of the negatives on the floor.

This accident seemed so serious that I was almost afraid to pick up the fallen negatives, but on doing so, one by one, I was greatly relieved to find only one was broken, but judge of my horror to find that that one was Thompson's! I muttered something (not loud, but deep), and would fain have relieved my feelings, but the presence of ladies restrained me (this accident being witnessed also by my head-printer, Miss L.). I could not honestly blame Miss S. for this - each thought the other was holding the lot, and between us we let them drop. The negative was broken in two, right across the forehead of figure. I put the pieces carefully away, and, taking out a memo, form, wrote to Mr. Thompson, asking him to kindly give another sitting, and offering to recoup him for his trouble and loss of time; this letter was posted five minutes after the negative was broken, and the affair was forgotten by me for the time. However, on Friday, the 9th of January, I was in the printing-room upstairs when I was signalled by the whistle which communicates with the office, and Miss S. asked if I could go down, as the gentleman had called about the negative.

I asked "What negative?" "Well," she replied, "the one we broke, Mr. Thompson's." I answered, " I am very busy, and cannot come down, but you know the terms I offered him; send him up to be taken at once." "But he is dead! " said Miss S. "Dead!" I exclaimed, and without another word I hastened down the stairs to my office. Here I saw an elderly gentleman, who seemed in great trouble. " Surely," said I to him, "you don't mean to say that this man is dead?" "It is only too true," he replied. "Well, it must have been dreadfully sudden," I said sympathetically, " because I saw him only last Saturday." The old gentleman shook his head sadly, and said, "You are mistaken, for he died last Saturday".

"Nay," I returned, "I am not mistaken, for I recognised the negative by him." However, the father (for such was his relationship to my sitter) persisted in saying I was mistaken, and that it was he who called on the Friday and not his son, and, he said, "I saw that young lady (pointing to Miss S.), and she told me the photographs would not be ready that week." " That is quite right," said Miss S., but Mr. D. also saw a gentleman on Saturday morning, and when I showed Mr. D. the negative he said, 'Yes, that's the man who called.' I told Mr. D. then of your having called on the Friday." Still Mr. Thompson sen. seemed to think that we were wrong, and the many questions and cross-questions I put to him only served to confirm him in his opinion that I had got mixed; but this he said: No one was authorised to call, nor had they any friend or relative who would know of portraits being ordered, neither was there any one likely to impersonate the man who had sat for his portrait. I had no further interview with the old gentleman until a week later, when he was much calmer in his appearance and conversation, and at this interview he told me that his son died on Saturday, January 3rd, at about 2.30 p.m.; he also stated that at the time I saw him (the sitter) he was unconscious, and remained so up to the time of his death.

I have not had any explanation of this mysterious visit up to present date, February 26th, 1891.