"PHOTOGRAPHS OF FAIRIES."

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 17017, 14 December 1920, Page 2

"PHOTOGRAPHS OF FAIRIES."

SIR A. CONAN DOYLE'S COMMENTS. '•Have not recent cablegramsreporte<l you to be a believer in fairies. a "Dominion ,, reporter asked Sir Arm . Conhn Doyle on Friday. ; Sir Connn Doyle procecdea to «pL>in. -That is not related to liu niitl "It is a separate line 01 de\ciopment entirely. \l mean it* not a human line of developmentat all. *lou ever, this is the origin ot th * "%"; Iu Yorkshire there have been I- 0 ™ graphs tnken by some meAu-htch purport to be the yhotograohs or fairies. I was not abfc mywlf'to go and see these people before I left Great Britain, but I sent a intnrt up to go into the matter. Hβ wasor opinion t'nat the peoplo wore I«-. «> genuine. They were, in fact, two little children who"had borrowed their fathers camera, and it seemed quite impossible that they could perpetrate a most, elaborate fake." , . 4 Certainly, .if there was any fake, i« was not tlJio sort of fake that children would be likely to perpetrate, tor at this stage Sir'Conan Doyle produced several photographs and showed them to the reporter. Each portrayed a child of perhaps seven years, accompanied by the prettiest little creatures, hardly nioro than a few. inches high, and sbnpcn in the fashion, that is a familiar memorv of the days when one pored over "Elves and Fairies" picture books. In one photograph «' little Puck-like personage was leaping airily upon the knee of the youngster. "We took the negatives to some of tibe highest photographic experts in London/ , Sir Con an Doyle, continued. "Some refused to give an opinion at all, on the ground that it was too incredible. They could not find any flaw. Others absolutely pledged their reputation that it was absolutely impossible there could ba a mistake. So I took it <m myself to publish the facts in tho Christmas number of tflio 'Strand.' "Since then, while I was in Australia, three more photographs were taken, so that there seemß to be an almost undoubted case for their truth. Now, the evidence is before tihe British public, and it is for them to decide. I If they can pick a hole in it I ehall bo very much interested." Pointing to the little figure that has been compared to Puck, Sir Connn Doyle observed with some enthusiasm:"Wonderful little creature—all' tike wisdom of the ages in his faco!"