A NOISY "BOGGART."

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 22, 26 January 1935, Page 6 (Supplement)

A NOISY "BOGGART."

SCREAMED LIKE A CHILD. ASTROLOGER'S AID INVOKED. The following appeared in the "Manchester Courier" in 1852:, The inhabitants of the village of Blackley have been thrown into a state of considerable excitement by the alleged reappearance of a ghost, or "boggart." The house where this unearthly visitor has chosen to take up its winter's residence is a very old building adjoining the White Lion public house, occupied by a person named William Whitehead, -a clogger, who lias resided there for the last ton months. He states that he first heard tho "boggart" about six weeks ago, when it made noises like the cackling of a hen, or the moaning whistle on a railway; and when any of the family stood upon a certain flag in the back room it screamed like a child. Whitehead removed tho flag, and, after digging a hole several feet deep, found a cream jug filled with lime and bones. A village conference was assembled, and several declared that the bones wero those of a human 'being, and that at some period a person had been murdered, and, of course, buried in a cream jug! The "boggart" is heard every night in the week, and occasionally during the day. The ancients of the place declare it is "Old Shaw's wife," a woman formerly resident in the Old Hall, which stood near to the haunted building; others say its appearance is consequent upon the wickedness of some of the neighbours. On Saturday evening it made greater noise than usual, and on Sunday Whitedigging nearly all day in search of the supposed spirit. The cellar stops were removed and a very large hole, nearly sixteen feet long, four feet wide, and above five feet deep, was excavated —of courso without success. The family state that a few days ago tho kettle (full of boiling water) was removed from the fire to tho middle of the floor. An astrologer from Manchester, with his magic books and , peeping glasses, has visited tho house, , and persons looked through the latter t,o see if they could learn whence came ■ tho spirit. An old man named George , Horrox, who once resided in the dwelling ; declares that 011 two occasions he saw tho ghost, in the shape of a young \ woman, and it occasionally made noises \ like the rumbling of stones. Several ] others give similar accounts, and they do not hesitate to say the house has , been haunted for the last 85 years. The | man who resides in the building shows . no symptoms of fear; on the contrary, . he dec-lares he will find out what the < annoyance proceeds from before he gives . in, but it is in vain to tell many of the ■ old people that it is anything but a . "boggart," or ghost, and many families have left on that account. It is rathor astonishing to see so many people in the 19tli century running to visit a haunted dwelling; but numbers are attracted n , tha place, and the publicans and beersellers will no doubt reap a .rich harvest from the boggart-hunters. The police officer, who resides only a few yards distant, and is professionally a sceptic iu all matters relating to supernatural appearances, seems likely to* have his duties increased by " this troublesome iuiri'-. ,