LONDON GHOST STORIES

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 280, 26 November 1938, Page 3

LONDON GHOST STORIES

HAMPTON Court Palace must be one of the most eerie places in the world. The spirit of Mrs. Penn, nurse to Edward VI., is said to have been seen in the vicinity of the palace on numerous and recent occasions, and, furthermore, the ghost of Katherine of Aragon in the Haunted Gallery. A policeman once told me in all seriousness that he saw eight ghosts strolling down the pace walk. There is a popular belief in Brittany, and also in some parte of England, that a sure way of getting rid of a ghost is to bottle it. Of course, this is a complicated business. Squire Blount, of Blount in Shropshire, had to undergo such uncomfortable confinement when he became a ghost. During his lifetime he was a drunkard and a quarrelsome individual. He had a very charming daughter who inherited her father's estate and fortune after his death in a drunken brawl. She shocked everyone soon afterwards by marrying her page. The squire's ghost was no less shocked at his daughter's mesalliance, so, to show hi 6 disapproval, he began to haunt the young couple at certain times.. The form of the ghost's operations generally took place when the two would be sitting at evening dinner in the large dining hall. The door would buret open and a huge vehicle, resembling a hearse drawn by four large black horses, -would drive in furiously, bringing with it an icy draught. After careering several times around the hall, the squire's ghost making ghastly grimaces at his daughter through the carriage window all the while, the coach would mount and drive over the table, then vanish through the opposite wall, to the accompaniment of diabolical laughter. Xo wonder that the hall was eventually left vacant!

By-- : Juliet Young j

In the end, the building was pulled down. This did not, however, prevent the squire's ghost from haunting the site of his old domain. Finally, it va« decided to try and bottle the spirit. The ceremony occupied nine clergy one dark night. When the ghost appeared they read the exorcism service over it; then, when it was felt that the spook had taken refuge in tlie bottle, they hastily put the, stopper in. The ceremony was carried out without a hitch, and the ghost was never seen again. There are numerous stories about "bottled" ghosts. There is one where a farmer in the south of England inadvertently opened a spook bottle, and out popped the ghastly figure of a decapitated ghost holding its head under its arm. From that day the ghost started appearing periodically. They tried to bottle it again, but of no avail—Mr. Spook had learned his lesson. London owns many ghosts. The British Museum is haunted by a "cough." It is in the Oriental department that this frightful noise is heard. Quite often a phantom boat is seen passing under Westminster Bridge; in St. James' Park a headless woman appears occasionally; Cromwell is supposed to appear in Red Lion Square at certain times, and the ghost of a woman dressed in black has often been seen falling from Blackfriars Bridge. These are just a few of London's well-known ghosts. Some phantoms have turned out to he mere humbug or coincidences. In Liverpool complaints were sent in to police headquarters that a whrt ?' spectral figure was seen to flit throug: | a certain district at. midnight.

The neighbourhood was terrified. A brave inspector offered to try and find out about it. He took a stout etic-k and awaited the coming of the ghost at midnight. Sure enough, just as the hour was striking, a white, eerie figure was seen coming along quickly in his direction. As soon as the ghost was within reach, the gallant official hit out with all his might. The ghost promptly crumpled up and lay at the inspector's feet. Afterwards, the inspector confessed that he was a shade disappointed at the result! It was not until the following day that the "spectre" recovered sufficiently in hospital to tell his tale. He was a tradesman who wanted to be in perfect bodily health. Every night, at the same hour, he had a run around the square, after taking off his clothes and donning a bed-sheet around his body to enjoy more perfect freedom of movement. The poor man was quite oblivion* of the fact that he was causing terror in the neighbourhood. The police let hi-t off with a caution. * ♦ ♦ ♦ Artificial Rain MACHINE for producing "artificia rain" has been deviled to coml'f the drought danger in the trans-Vo!' legions of Russia. Water will be raised from the vol by the powerful hydro-electric s a ' now beinpr built near distributed by a machine c , Jed a pump, pipes and what long-range rain de y , f*" roDe i the P" m P A tractor is u9ed . P f rom one place and to pull the machine AJ] _ Unton to another. of EydraScientific the ■«*»£ the tuauner to mere*.