KILLED BY A "GHOST."

Shannon News, 5 February 1926, Page 3

KILLED BY A "GHOST."

■— ♦-* TtiR'RIBMS KEVENGK. i LKGAL IMIOHLKM IN HUNGARY. Whether a "Ghost" can "bo guilty of mured is Hi" • :stniordm«ry question w'-tli which th<- court of justice at Sswliiok. a town cast or the Hungarian f-apiial. will soon have to deal. Hon von Komjalh. a wealthy Jandowncr, of CasUe Mi-zopuszta, near Szolnok, was found dead in bed. Ihe cause of his roaih was a pussde to doctors, lor lie was a particularly health yman, and heart failure seemed out of the. question. There was no signs ~of a struggle/ in the room. Some week's later, piercing cues were heard coming during the night from the bedroom, now occupied by Fran von K.oiujafh. Servants, who j rushed to see what was tho mathc.r, :cimd Her in a state-of object terror. Not for a considerable time could she i explain thai, she had seen a most terr- ' ibic apparition. The family doctor refused u> believe the story of a ghost, and save it as his opinion that Frau von Komjjatn had awakened terrified out of a bad. dream. But next night the visitation was repeated, and Frau von Kamjath was discovered in a fainting condition by her servants. Mm repeated her story of a terrible apparition which, had ssudcdnly risen up in the middle of the room and then disappeared. Sh c bad locked her door and the windows as wA\ before retiring to rest. The doctor then called in detectives, and on the following night a watch wa s'set. Th<; "Ghost Walks. At midnight came- the apparition. At four lpersons were awake, but no on c heard the ghost enter the room. Sudenly, -there it was, a real ghostly figure, with most hideous features and spitting'flames from mouth, ears, eyes, and nose. For a while none of the four persons dared to move. Then the detective pumped up from the sofa and | seized the figure; a few seconds later the two others from outside came to i his assistance .and held th e "visitor." Frau von Komjalh shrieking loudly was able to turn on the light. Then the ghost threw off his weird garb—his long, white robe and his appaling "head" with lights inside it. the ghost was young Stefan Horvath the son of a peasant woman who lived on- a small farm near the castle. He confessed on the spot and told his His mother had, -when a young *ntt prcttv peasant girl, been led astray by Herr von Komjalh. When he (yiofaii) was born, the ]o.-d of the manor threw her aside, compensating her by giving her a miserable couple of acres of land The mother and son would ],av e been content with their lot.had not the beautiful Laei herr Von Komlath's daughter of a subsequent, marriage, always made a point of treating Stefan like, a dog and of riding over the poor farm of the Horvaths and damaging their meagre crops. A MoUiev's Help.

They resolved to b ( . avenged, and hit upon the idi'.-.t of a "ghost," winch, Stefan said, cost them great trouble to make. "It succeeded all right," he remarked, "in the first instance, Herr von Komjath was really frightened to death. But Frail von Komjath has a strong heart." The mother as well as tho son is now to be charged with murder. She always accompanied him, lit the light ■of the ghost's "head,' "opened the door quietly for him ami let him out at the window. The legal position is difficult, though Stefan doubtless caused the death of Herr von Komjath, it was by means r.ot mentioned in the Hungarian penal eodf.