STRANGE STORIES OF APPARITIONS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 24, 22 July 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

STRANGE STORIES OF APPARITIONS

FAVORITE DOGS AND HORSES EETURN AFTER DEATH. Writing in the National Review, Captain Humphries gave a number of strange cases of apparitions which, he says, are all well authenticated. That of a hoy happened in the Midland counties of England at a house where the captain was frequently present, and the story can lie vouched for by the mothef and father of the boy, also the former's maid and the latter's nurse. The boy was four years old, and spent much of his time in the company of a large white cat, which shared his joys and pleasures. The cat died, but its decease was carefully guarded from the child, when some weeks afterwards the boy asked why it ( was that liis old cat only came to see him at night, and that immediately after going to bed, but before falling asleep. Upon being questioned, he said, 'it looks much the same, only thinner; I expect as he goes away all the daytime he is not being properly fed." This went 011 at intervals for about four months. A LAME DOG'S VISITS. Another instance comes from Ireland, and thought that isle is peopled by a highly-strung Celtic race, whose land is essentially the home of the supernatural in fairies and ghosts, less credulence must not be placed' on the following narrative:—A woman living in County Roscommon constantly saw the footmarks of, as she describes it, a "good-sized dog" in one of the rooms of her house. She never saw the animal itself in either material or spirit form, but her mother did. She said it was brown, with two white paws; it walked to a chair near to the open fireplace, looked round, smelling the ground, walked slightly 'lame on one hind leg, and then passed out of the room by a side window in the large old-fashioned bay. The occupants of the house had only been thjire some two years. The apparition was not seen for the first six months, but this may be accounted for by the fact that it was summer, and the family who lived in the old mansion for generations were never there in the summer. Upon mentioning the apparition to an old woman, who lived in the neighboring village, she said that the late Sir A had a dog of that color, and markings as described, which was accidentally shot and limped ever afterwards. The animal was devoted to his master, who sat much in a chair near to the hearth referred to. The present owners did not possess a dog. At the same place a black dog was frequently seen in the avenue close to a tree near to the main drive, and the horses in the carriage nearly always shied, particularly about dusk, and on more than one occasion refused to pass the spot.

DEAD MARE REAPPEARS. The reappearance of a mare after death came immediately under the writer's own eyes, for it took place at his own home in the centre of England, where he was then living. A chestnut mare died after a protracted illness, leaving behind a colt about five months old. An old retainer of the family who at long intervals used to visit the scenes of his earlier labors, and had heard of the mare's death, said to the writer one day when round the stables: ''The Jnare," calling her by her name, "is not dead yet." Upon being told that she was and buried, he expressed profound surprise, and would not believe it "Why," he said, "I saw her not ten minutes ago go into her old box to her colt, and heard the latter neigh." This accounted for much before and afterwards. The colt was often heard to give the sound of welcome when apparently alone, and would be subject to intense fits of depression. We used to- remark how it never seemed to forget its mother. The colt was removed to another box, and the old oile was painted, etc., but a favorite hunter of the writer's refused to enter the box for a long time afterwards.

A DOG THAT WAS RUN OVER. The following story was told to the writer by a friend and his wife, whose statements he has no reason to doubt; Whilst resident in South Africa: their bungalow was situated close to the railway, from which the pardon was only fenced off bv a dwarf wall. At this time they owned a fine mastiff dog which, owing to its perfect manners, was allowed to roam about. Unfortunately one evening, having strayed on to the line, and stepping out of the way of one engine, it was run over and killed by another. Some months afterwards the engine-drivers of two evening trains always gave prolonged whistles with their engines. This was very annoying to the late dog's owner; the wife, too, was in delicate health, and often lying down about that time. The husband waylaid one of the drivers after duty one evening, and asked if the whistling weer really necessary, as there were not any signals in view. The man at first resented being questioned upon the subject, but upon the plea of the wife's illness the request was further pressed. Thi; man then suggested that the writer's friend had the remedy in his own hands, as the whistling was only done to prevent the dog being run over, for he was often trespassing on the line, and never moved unless so warned, when he usually passed over the low wall already spoken of. The description given of the offending dog agreed in every derail with the one that was run over. This apparition continued for some months at frequent intervals.