IRISH GHOST STORY

Evening Star, Issue 20217, 3 July 1929, Page 1

IRISH GHOST STORY

TEHRIFYIHG ARPAPJTIQH *

Tl ic ‘ Irish 1 mlepcnJcri ’ publishes details ~( giio-t story which has been startling a large part of Coiinly Wicklow lor a con.sidci'able lime, (says the ‘ Alanclicder Guardian 1 ). All attempts to solve the mystery have 1 ailed, and different investigator' 1 have had to conless f hcni'elves beaten by ;he strange visitant.

Two year- ago a di-i,inguDublin <-iti i! purciiav.-d a iuum and li-diing rights ill a desolate pail of ('unity Wicklow. Wlicn lie went to iv-ide there dm ins the .-.ninmer months occurrences began by night. Bell- rang without apparein cause. door- supposed in be locked were hoard slamming, ami ghostly figures flitted through, rooms ami corridors. The wild of the owner nt the house awoke one morning- to bud three lighted caudles arranged around her hod. A lew mornings later six lighted candles similarly arranged were ton ml round a maid’s hod. This was more than the occupants of (ho house could stand, and they promptly returned to Dublin. Las? Christmas the sun of |hc owner of the house set out with four friends, resolved to pierce the mystery. Nothing happened till one oi ilia party left the house to recover something lie had left behind, in the motor car outside. Then from a dark window overhead ho saw an old-fashioned, hlnnderbu.s pointing at him. and as hecrouched for shelter lie observed a cowled figure leave the house and go towards' the outoH’e f 's. lie got. the impression that the stranger did not open the door on leaving Iho dwelling. While the young man and. Jiis companions were discussing the puzzling manifestation there came loud, report}; as of gunshots discharging, doors banging. and furniture falling. Then the cowled man appeared before them, a terrifying apparition, described as having a luminous face, malevolent expression, and ghastly gaps in his teeth, two of which were exceptionally large. The startled investigators saw- the cowled man. go upstairs. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, they endeavoured to follow, hut were driven hack by bottles and other missiles, which elaitered downwards with an awful din. Fvontually they procured lights, and worked their way to the top of the house, where through a trap door giving access to an attic they saw the apparition of the cowled man hanging fiend downwards. The investigators thereupon decided it was time (o go homo.

One suggested explanation is that the strange figure is what is known in Germany as a poltergeist—an evi! spirit full of malicious tricks. There are many more stories of the strange doings of this queer manifestation, but. one is especially worth recording. One of the youthful investigators made as soon as lie got home a sketch. of a cowled figure, with the intent ion of showing it to his lather, Jlis companions agreed that it was an excellent likeness, and he put it in his pocket. When, however, the youth later took the sketch from his pocket the drawing had disappeared, and the paper was blank. Other people intent on solving the mystery have since visited the house, hut the ghost did not turn rip for cmamhiat ion.