GHOST IN CHIMNEY

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 95, 16 January 1935, Page 14

GHOST IN CHIMNEY

Saragossa Excitement The chimney ghost of Saragossa, which has created great interest, keeps in good spirits, wrote the Madrid correspondent of ‘‘The Tinies” recently. The authorities having decided to act, the voice, located in the flue of an economical cooker, warned the occupants of the other eight flats in the house of the approach of the guardians of the law, calling each of them by name. The police escorted an examining magistrate, accompanied by two medical men. The water and light services were again examined by an expert and all wireless apparatus in the building confiscated. The inhabitants of the haunted flat were removed and accommodated elsewhere and a mixed posse consisting of several policemen, a doctor and three volunteers from neighbouring flats prepared to remain on guard all night. The public was prevented from approaching the house nearer than 30 yards. The economical cooker has been sprinkled with holy water from the shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar, Patron of Saragossa, and the women living in the flats have gone to be exorcised to prevent bewitchment. It is reported that all one afternoon recently the ghost talked almost incessantly. During the night the police were kept busy chasing fellow-apparitions which appeared on roofs and at dark street corners wrapped in sheets and cutting capers which scared a number of timid persons. Six of these volunteer ghostly brothers were arrested. It is not known if the ghost is of Aragonese extraction or an interloper. If it is Aragonese it is not likely that it will easily relinquish its apparently comfortable quarters in the flue. Even Napoleon found the Saragossans particularly unmanageable, and it is the tradition that if a hammer does not suffice they are prepared to knock a nail home with their heads rather than give it up. A special tourist excursion by motorcar from Bilbao to the haunted house has been organised.