11 B. W. T. STEAD AND THE ALLEGED SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPH
OF PIET BOTHA.
LTO THE EDITOR Or THE " SPECTATOR." J
reply to the question asked by your reviewer in last week's Spectator (p. 63), I may say that the portrait of Piet Botha is no mere shadowy figure. The features are clearly marked, and the portrait was recognised at once by Mr. Wessels, to whom it was shown by chance, as a relative of ho3, and by Mr. Poultney, who as Commissary-General of the forces of the Orange Free State during the war was personally aeqoainted with Piet Botha. The only other suggestion that has been made to account for the appearance of his portrait Oh the background of my photograph was that the photographer may in some way have secured a photograph of Piet Botha, and have faked the photograph. The answer to that is that have been trying to get a photograph of Piet Botha in L'°Iadon ever since, and have totally failed. At the time the Photograph was taken I did not know of any one in London 1°10 knew that there ever had been a Piet Botha. The name was given to the photographer in reply to an unexpected question from myself as to whether or not Ile could obtain an answer to. a question from the being who was visible to him, although invisible to me. I have had scores of sittings 'with the same photographer, and I do not remember on any previous occasion having asked him to' obtain an answer from the invisible form which he alleged to be present. If I had not asked the question, I should never have beard the name; nor, in all probability, would it ever have been shown for identification to the Boer delegates when they were in this
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