GHOSTS OF ANIMALS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 November 1925, Page 4

GHOSTS OF ANIMALS

CATS BRISTLE AT CANINE SPIRIT

A belief in the survival of animals after death, based on apparitions be claims to have seen, is professed by the Rev C. L. Tweedale, “the Psychic Parson,” as he is sometimes called, who is vicar of AA'eston, near Otlev.

"AA'e have not only seen our own pets, but we have also seen apparitions of other animals in this house, and we have seen our eats here see apparitions in the house and rear up at them,” he told me to-day. “Our animals have also seen apparitions of people, and 1 have been present at the time.

“I want you to understand,” be went on, “ that 1 am n.ot a collector of spooks, t look upon these spiritual manifestations as Ijeing of serious religious import, and destined to have a profound effect upon religious belief in the future.

“1 ask you to believe what 1 am telling you. I tell it to you on my word of honour as an English gentleman and as a minister of the Christian faith.’ Mr Tweedale then told me some of the things that have happened in the vicarage. He had seen his Aunt Leah.

“She was dressed in a white robe of lace,” ho said, “ and was accompanied by ail apparition of a winged figure, something like a large bird with wings 2ft across. Six people altogether, including our servant, saw my Aunt Leah.

“My mother once followed the apparition and made repeated attempts 1o snatch it. lint her hand went through it. AA'heu it vanished from the room and went upstairs my mother clutched at it again, and there was a dog’s loud growling and a snarl. Ihe apparition appeared often and was seen by many people.

"One dav mv wife and mother saw a white dog in a cupboard under the stairs. It was mv aunt’s dog. ft used to follow her about with its eyes shining, and used to disappear when she disappeared.

“Twice the apparition of my aunt strong the gong in the hall, and once the dog bounded into it and made it sound. Auoihi r time the dog sprang at my wife’s shoulders, and caused her to break a lamp sbe was carrying. "Tbe apparition ol" my aunt spoke to our servant and said: “Tell Alary to conic to the Grey Room.’ Eventually the figure spoke to us in a tremendously loud voice, which rang through the house. She talked about her lile and her vault, and said she was ‘Leah’ from the other world. “It would take me 24 hours to tell you of all the apparitions in this house,” the vicar continued. “ I have been warned of the danger many times, and helped, and once, when I was threatened, there was a loud rapping on mv study door and a spirit said: “Ecar not—he will not he able to harm you.”

.Air Tweedale said that all of them had seen objects apparently pushed through the walls and though the ceilings, and come floating down like leaves in a summer breeze. Once, when his mother was injured, a pot of ointment which was locked in a cupboard came Hying through the wall near the windows. "II sounds impossible, 1 know,” lie said, " hut 1 solemnly assure you as a Christian minister that this is the literal and exact truth. "Another time my wife was playing the piano when an arm came from behind it and wavered over her music. I have hoard violins playing in the house, and the strings of instruneonts hanging on the walls have twanged without being touched by human beings. (luce a missing hunch of keys came from a wall and liii mv wife on the head. " I have seen a hall of fire in the church porch, alien I was preaching, and many people have told me. many times that when I preach the figure of a Roman Catholic priest in full canonical robes stands by me-—not only in my own church, Inn in other parts of England. This priest is always with

■Mr Tweedale showed a collection of spirit photographs taken by a working man. One showed Mr and Airs Tweedale, and looking over their shoulders a “ spirit face.” “Thai is my father-in-law,” said Mr I weedale. “ The photographer did not know we were coming and produced this photograph at once.” Air Tweedale himself once took a “ spirit photograph.” “Aly wife at breakfast said that a man with a heard was sitting next mv son. I ran for my camera, made a 25second exposure, and this was the result.” Air Tweedale showed me a photograph in which the dim outline of an old man could he distinguished. The vicar declared that the physic photographer had emerged successfully from the most rigid tests that could Inimposed upon him.