GHOSTS!

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3702, 11 October 1927, Page 3

GHOSTS!

DOINGS IN THE DARK. HAIR-RAISING STORIES FROM WAIHI. Auckand, October 9. Down W'aihi way there are ghosts! At least, everybody in the district swears that a ghost gallivants at night. t So startling are the hair-raising stories that have been told that the people of Thames, Paeroa and Waihi are, without being compelled by Curfew law, locking all their doors and windows after dark. Most of the stories have a strong Edgar Allen Poe flavour, and gripped by this ghost, scare, the women and children of W'aihi are thoroughly alarmed. After dark, 30 or 40 men, looking very bold, have paraded the town armed with vicious looking bludge-

Actually, the police do not give much credit to the statements, although members of the force have been making searching investigations.-

One story is told by a doctor. Driving to a ease late one night, he saw a figure dressed in conventional “apparition” apparel standing’ in the roadway. As soon as the doctor started to pull his car up, the ghost raced into the bush by the side of the road. After the ghost raced the doctor, but no trace could be found. Another story comes from Thames. Going home one night, a man saw a tall figure standing in the roadway. The man stopped and the figure advanced. “What are you staring at?” it asked. “I think you are this ghost,” said the man. Slowly and haughtily the figure undid its dark overcoat, at the same time raising his face, which was masked. Phosphorous lit up the clothes under his overcoat and his masked face shone brightly. The man broke 10 seconds in a sprint down the road, and the figure faded away. Going home after midnight from a dance at Waihi, a youth saw a white robed figure racing round the Recreation Ground. It was 2 a.m. The figure raced on, and the youth raced home. This morning another story came from Waihi. A well-known woman made a most definite statement that about 3.30 o’clock, after the street lights had been put out, a form appeared on the verandah of her house. A. powerful electric torch flashed through the' window, and this was followed by a peculiar hissing noise like that of some mechanical toy. The apparition entered the house by the front door, which had blown open, and stood at the bedroom door for a few moments.

According to the woman, it wore .i c-]jnll cap with white streaks and was dressed in a dark suit. She was awake at the time because the heavy gale had forced the front door, but she was too scared to give any alarm to the people of the house.