The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-26 00:00:00

DEATH FROM FRIGHT,

Yesterday morning Mr. H. R. Walthew, deputy coroner,
held an inquest at the White Hart Tavern, Kingsland-
road, touching the death of a young woman named Priscilla
May, aged 19 years, who lost her life through the practical
joke of a servant, in dressing up as a ghost.
Mr. It. May, a tradesman carrying on business at 145,
Kingsland-road, said that deceased, his daughter, was a
dressmaker. She was in perfect health when, about four
months ago, she went to Mr. Blyth's house in Hyde-park-
gardens to do some work. She returned three days after-
wards looking seriously affected in health. She could hardly
breathe. Her nostrils were greatly distended, and were
plugged. She said that she had been terribly frightened
the night before. As she was going upstairs, she stated,
with the governess and the servant, past the bath-room,
the door of the latter was seen to be open. She asked the
servant to close the door, and the latter was going to do
so, when something all in white threw the door wide open,
and appeared from the darkness. She said that she in-
stantly fell back screaming into the arms of the governess,
Blood gushed from her nostrils, and she was carried down-
stairs insensible. A doctor was sent for, and the servants
remained up with her all night. It appeared that the ap-
parition was a servant, who dressed herself all in white as
a practical joke. Deceased never recovered from the shock.
She lost her appetite and her mind became affected. She
gradually sank, and died on the 19th inst.
Sophia Sturgeon said that she was a servant in the em-
ploy of a gentleman residing at 30, Upper Hyde-park-
gardens, Bayswater. On the night in question witness was
preceding Miss Clarke, the governess, and the deceased up-
stairs, when she heard a supernatural "scream to imitate a
ghost." Deceased gave a scream, like a laugh, and fell.
Witness believed she fell upon the stairs. Deceased had
been bleeding from the nose during the day. A doctor was
sent for. Witness said that Emma Frisbey, the nursery
govvernees, came to the door of the bath-room in her white
night-dress as a joke. Witness would swear none of the
other servants were in the secret.
Emma Frisby, nursery governess, said that she made her
appearance in white merely to frighten the person going up
stairs. The other servants knew nothing of her intention.
She told deceased that she was very sorry that she had so
seriously frightened her, the whole affair being a frolic
"out of her own head."
Mr. Waller said, from what he could ascertain, the ghost
was not pre-arranged by the other servants.
Mr. A. Catter wood, surgeon, said that he was called in to
deceased, and found her suffering from loss of blood from
nausea, sleeplessness, and want of appetite. Latterly she
became affected in her mind. She would not look at witness
or answer when spoken to. He believed she died from an
obscure affection of the brain conjoined with hysteria. Her
death was decidedly accelerated by the fright.
The Coroner said that the act of dressing up as a ghost
was very foolish, and very dangerous. It several cases it
produced idiotcy, and in the present instance it caused death.
It was but right to consider, however, that the young woman