HAUNTED BY FIRE GHOST.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16732, 13 May 1922, Page 3

HAUNTED BY FIRE GHOST.

WET CLOTH BURNS.

PRANKS WITH CATTLE. Several scoffing and resolute amateur parties of ghost layers have been frightened off by manifestations believed by them to be unearthly. Dr Walter Franklin Prince, director of the American Society for Psychical Research, in response to an appeal, has journeyed from New York to Nova Scotia to investigate a series of extraordinary occurrences on a lonely farm in the isolated village of Caledonia Alills. The farm is situated in Antogonish County, and to reach it Dr Prince who was accompanied by a scientist from Dalhousie University and other adventurous and incredulous persons, including a Canadian detective, is travelling by sleigh through deeo snow, for the place is situated twentyfive miles from Antigonish, the nearest railway station, which in turn is fifty miles from Halifax.

TEMPTING THE “ GHOST." With them the party is taking beds and other furniture, provisions, and— the usage of the spooks if they feel inclined to resort to them—bells, whistles, rattles, and other noise-pro ducing paraphernalia. Out of seventeen mysterious cases be has investigated Dt Prince admits this is the most mysterious of all. Until a few months ago, when driven from it in terror, the little one-storey-and-attic farmhouse, situated a long distance from any other dwelling, had been inhabited for some years bv Alexander Af\acdonald, severity years old, his wife and their adopted daughter, fifteen.

The pranks of the spook began when the cows in the barn were found loosed from the stanchions, or changed to others. Supposing he had to do with a practical joker, the fanner fastened the animals with heavy chains to posts it was impossible to move. They \vol4ld be found repeatedly, within five minutes after he left the barn, loosed from the chains and trembling and perspiring with terror. This suddenly ceased, and the farm house began to catch fire. The first time the blaze was on the bare ceiling. This was put out, then an upholstered armchair flared up. No sooner was the fire extinguished than the wall took fire, and next a couch. FAAIILY SCARED.

There was no possible explanation of these outbreaks, oocurring sometimes under their very eyes, and the frightened family, extinguishing all lights and the fire in the stove, removed all the lamp oil out into the snow and sat up shivering, afraid to retire. Suddenly they were terrified to see a piece of wet paper on the table before them, burst into flame. A wet dishcloth just out of a pail also flared up. Thou the window blind in. the next room was seen to be on fire, and after that had been put out the paper on the wnh began to smoke, then a wooden chair

THIRTY-EIGHT FT RES IN THIRTEEN HOUR.S.

Between four o’clock in the afternoon and five o’clock the next morning no fewer than thirty-eight out breaks occurred and were extinguished without the Alacdonalds and three neighbours—summoned from the nearest house a mile and a half awaybeing able to ascertain the cause of them, or the weird blood-curdling noises heard at intervals in the air about the room.

Then the nerve-shattered family moved out bag and baggage, and have not since returned.

All the United States and Canada are now expectantly waiting to see what will happen to Dr Prince and his spook-laying party. Tt sounds a good deal worse than ths uujTa ghost.