CURSE OF SKULLS

Evening Star, Issue 19197, 13 March 1926, Page 21

CURSE OF SKULLS

GHOSTLY VISITANTS TO DOOMED FAMILY Below is told (from the 'Sunday Chronicle ’) an amazing story of the fulfilment of a curse once placed "upon a well-known North Country family. The legend is still spoken of with bated breath by the oldest inhabitants of the district. In the early seventeenth century there lived in Calgarth Hall, an ancient mansion near Lake Windermere, a man named Myles Philiipson, .who owned a great deal of property. Upon a farm on Phillipsou’s estate had dwelt for many years Knaster Cook and his wife, Dorothy. Knaster Cook was asked by Myles Philiipson to sell his farm, but declined to do so. In a towering rage ho hatched a terrible plot. He told Knaster Cook that he had given up all ideas of buying the farm, and invited him to spend Christmas at Calgarth Hall. Cook could not refuse, and accordingly went with his wife to Phillipsou’s home. Their hosts during the evening drew their particular attention to a small bowl of pure gold which stood in a prominent nosition in the dining hall, and it was obvious that the Cooks were fascinated by it. ACCUSED OF THEFT.

Next day Cook and his wife were at homo in their little village when a party of soldiers arrived, took them off to prison, and accused them of stealing the gold bowl, which actually the Pbillipsons bad buried in the garden. False evidence was given by witnesses, and the lives of Cook and his wife were sworn away. Hanging was the sentence for theft at that period, and sentence was duly pronounced.

Then, in an atmosphere tense with excitement. Dorothy Cook rose to hot foot, and with a finger pointed dramatically' at Myles Philiipson and his wife, screamed: “Aa there is a just God, you and your wife, Myles Philiipson, have damned yourself for over for our laud! Neither you nor your breed will ever prosper.’’

“Whatever cause you support shall lose Your friendship shall bo fatal, and all those that you and your breed shall love will die in pain and sorrow. You shall have no happiness in old house or new, for my husband and I will be with yon night and day,” # Sentence of death having been carried out, not a moment was lost by Myles Philiipson in seizing the dead couple’s property, and. before they had been even, buried, ho bad started pulling down their cottage, Dn the site of the Cooks’ cottage a new Calgarth Hall sprang up, and here the Pbillipsons made their homo.

Twelve mouths after these events Mistress Phillipson, in the midst of a Christmas night of revelry and merriran upstairs to fetch a jewel she wished to show her guests. She had just reached the third stair when sho suddenly stopped, dumbfounded. her eyes dilated with terror, for there, staring at her out of tlm gloom, perched upon the banisters, were two grinning skulls, one a woman’s with long dark hair and the other a man’s. With a shriek she collapsed. The whole party rushed up the stairs and there, on the banisters, were the two grinning skulls. It was no apparition, for one, holder than the rest, made a thrust with his sword at the skulls, and his blade touched hone. At 2 o’clock next morning, while all the guests were in their bedrooms, a terrible scream rang through the house. CURSE FULFILLED. Half-dressed, the guests rushed out, and to their consternation they found that the screams came from the ghastly mouths of two more skulls perched upon the banisters. A reign of terror began in the Phillipson household; neither servants nor geests would stay. Rut the Phillipsmis themselves, who did not lack courage, remained at Calgarth Hall. A series of disasters followed the appearance of the skulls. Phillipson’s business dwindled, ho lost a large stun of money, and there was very little to leave his son when ho died except Calenrth. Every member of the Phillipson family grew poorer and poorer, and misfortune a as their lot until the last member of the family d’ocl in extreme poverty. Thus was the curse of Dorothy Cook fulfilled to the letter. The skulls are said to be still at Cnlgarth, stored away in one af the cellars. They remain quiet unless there is an attempt to get rid of them, and then for weeks the old house is disturbed by screams and cryings.