“GHOST” SCALDED

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 December 1940, Page 6

“GHOST” SCALDED

EFFECTIVE COUNTER MEASURES. FOLLOWING FEATS OF BLACK MAGIC. A “ghost” has been laid by the heels at a farm about 12 miles from Bredasdorp, South Africa. For a long time mysterious nocturnal happenings in one room of the farmhouse were ascribed locally to “goelery,” or black magic. n . Small stones fell on the floor duung the nocturnal visits, photographs were continually dislodged from the wan, and a pair of wire-pincers which disappeared from the house a. long while ago suddenly made its reappearance in the haunted room. This had been happening in spite of all “precautionaiy measures.” Many people have visited the laim and several have been in the room itself when the mysterious incidents occurred. Doors and windows have been tightly closed, but this did not stop the “goelery." The haunting did not stop a member of the household from sleeping in the room every night. He locked the dooi every flight, but the following morning always found it wide open. The visits have now stopped as. a result of “counter-measures.” While the disturbances were taking place in the room one night boiling water was thrown about in all directions. On the following morning a coloured man —evidently the cause of the black magic” —was found to be seriously burned about the legs and he was immediately dismissed from employment. It appears that he had a grienvance against somebody on the farm and, a report states, used this method to revenge himself.