GHOST STORIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1675, 15 February 1913, Page 5

GHOST STORIES.

TOLD BY PROFESSOR A. W. STOKES/ '% ■ Some strange stories of "ghosts": woro ' told by Pro-lessor A. W.'. Stokes to tbl ■- H,? V I T ■ al, i, U? 50 ? rn mako fun of.:";': S nlr! « w^ 80 , days ' S"id Professor' '': btokes, but m-bygono days a thbstW : .- visitor was treated in avcry serious man-', v .. ni ( f « ai '° edUw >ted now,; and the: ghost, for tho most.part, lives only in Ilia ■"' imagination, of uneducated pcoplo/ Anion* : uncivilised-tribes tho ghost still l'Ssway.- In .savage:parts tho ghost is Blill-'v'.-"'. ""t!, ? R ,n ar w I V\H t0 5* iu England." V wiV • I? "*?' In , d »«l-.Eegiuisnt.almost ■'"■:- : -' broke into, mutiny because of ha apparik '..:' lion they witnessed one dark night.- .'■ Dangling apparently' without stipporS " l ' was a white shirt,. on;tho top'of which"' V'.' seemed to be a,fiery head. One of tho : - officers,- nioro daring than tho rest, fired ' "'■' at.tho object,' and fortunately'broke tha ''' string, and down came:tho dreaded'nipht-'.- : mare at his fcot< '•'■' ' •'■'.■ .';/:■■• " . '~, , Hammersmith- was alarmed'oho'night v '" ■ 'in the year 17ft) by. tho report.'that: o '-". ghost" had been, seen in Hie "churchyard.'"' "' Many people flocked to tho scene, and as :: quickly ran off, as their, gaze fell ii a : ' : white-robed spectre standing in a-meluic."' ■■'.' ing.attitude; against'the/railing's of the " ; cemetery.. Tho apparition was so hideous -, : - and uncanny that it frightened one'old "■■''•'.' lady.to death.,. The graveyard at last bo- - ; ■ ' caiuo a place of horror; and nobody would' '-';"' go near it at night-time. Eventually ono v - v. man, named .Francis Smith, went out.- '- ■armed with a blunderbuss, determined to >'V test- the genuineness of tho ghost. When '.-'■''-": ho.camoupon tho white-robed spectre ho : '' poured- the contents of his gun into its'- 1 ' 1 "' middle regions. <. Tho next: morning a V' bricklayer ■ was discovered. shot dead biT': tho. spot where : the ghost.had held .his'• ' ■ nightly "at homo." " ~,: . :'.:'(■: Many years ago thcro .'lived in tiio',•''■ Mmones.a miser nonicd/Solombn. Pajis. "'' ■' crs-by were surprised one morning to find ■ >T' that Ins shop was shut. Days passed, and '■,■'■'''■ 6t »l oolomons shop remained locked up," At. last the door.was burst open, and a •' rigid search was carried out, but no tr'aco'''• ■ of Solomon could bo found. The story -i "' got round that tho'placo. was haunted,' and for a long timo tho shop remained •'. ''•'-'• untenanted. .At last'a' young- riion do. < ' cided to re-open the premises, and tho ': : story goes that ono : night he was visited '•"■'■ : by Solomon's ghost, who pointodMo a ■'■■'■■■ wainscot.. The next morning.tho young:. ."-.:. man broke down (ho wainscot, and, euro-: <" enough, found Solomon's skeleton and his •■ gold.- ■■'•■-. -.',: ' - ,■-.:■•■., '-../., Tlio explanation of this and.many other - extraordinary,.stories of ghostly happen* .'"",'"' ings Professor Stokes is inclined.to ,afc. ! ,.'.-v. tribute to n slight derangement oftho > mind, brought about by constant assbcift-- ; ,'-: tion' with objects connected with dead pe'ty'v.';■;;■''■ sons or constantly hearing an. uncanny; '.'".''. 6tory. of a supposed eorio visitor. ' ■•'.{'