A Preposterous Ghost Story.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 86, 24 January 1885, Page 4

A Preposterous Ghost Story.

Sir Edmund Hounby, who is in England, ought, "Truth" thinks, to make some reply to the statements of the "Overland China Mail " and other newspapers connected with China. Sir Edmund published a ghost story. He has been long a Judge, and his statement, if contradicted, would have become one of the accredited and prove I ghost stories which pass current amongst silly people. According to him, he was in bed on the night of January 19, 1875, at Shanghai. Bis house was closed, and by hia side slept Lady Hornby. Suddenly he heard a knock, and thon a Mr Laing, the editor of an evening newspaper, walked in. He requested Sir Edmund to dictate to him his judgment in a divorce suit that he was about to deliver the next morning. This lie did, and Mr Laing disappeared. The next morning the judgment was delivered. But Mr Laing was dead. At an inquest, it was shown that he was in his room at twelve, when his wife went to ask him whether he was soon coming to bed. He replied, '• I have only the Judge's judgment to get read)'," At a quarter to one, she came again, but did not disturb him. At half* past one, she discovered that he was dead. Before him was a note-book. It contained the following entry: "The Chief Justice gave judgment this morning to the following effect " ; and then followed a " few lines of indecipherable shorthand." Sir Edmund the next day told his wife of what had occurred, and also told a brother Judge. Wow here we have certain specific facts vouched for by a Judge. What, however, are the real facts? 1. Sir Edmund was married on April 25, IS7B, asd therefore his A\ife could not have been sleeping by his side. 2. The judge to whom he told the story the next day was not in Shanghai, font in Japan ; therefore, lie could not liave told it to him. 3. The judgment was delivered ten days later ; therefore it was not delivered the next morning. 4, There was no inquest. 5. Mr Laing was not dead when his ghost roamed into Sir Edmund's room for a report of the judgment. Ho aroso on that morning at eight o'clock, visited his oflice, then returned to his room todre'.s, and a few minutes later was found dead on the floor So much for a Judge's ghost story, and, by reflecting on its inaccuracies and absurdities, we may form a prstty fair estimate of the ghost stories of people who are not judges.

It may interest young men who leave their country for their country's good, and who hope to find lucrative employment in continental towns, to hear that for a vacant situation in one of the Parisian Banks— a place worth £48 a year— there were no les* than 6,000 applications.— " Truth."