Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-10-17
"A REAL GHOST.SEER.

The ghost seer was a young candidate for orders,
eighteen years of age, Of the name of Billing. He
was known TO have very eXciable nerves, had al
ready experienced sensoral illusions, and was par
ticulary sensitive to the presence ofhuman remains
which made him tremble and shudder in all his
limbs. Preffe being blind, was accustomed to take
the arm OF this young man, and they walked thus
together in Pfeffel's garden, near Conar. At one
spot in the garden, Pieffel remarked that his com
panion's arm gave sudden start, as if he had re-
celved an electric shock. Being asked what was
the matter, Billing replied "Nothing." But on GO
ing over the same spot again, the effect Tecur
red. Inc young man being pressed to explain the
cause OF his disturbance, avowed that it arose from
peculiar sensation which he always experienced
when In the vicinity of human remains that it was
mrs Impression human body must be inferred there;
but IT Piciiel woGld return with him at night, he
should DC able to speak with greater confidence
Accordingly they went together to the garden when
II was dark; and as they approached the spot, Bill
ling observed faint light over it. At ten PAGES
from 1t he stopped, and would go NO farther for he
saw lowering over it, or selfsupported in the air,
It's feet only few inches from the ground, a lumin-
Gus female figure, nearly five feet high, with the
right arm folded on her breast the LETT hanging by
her slde When Pfeffel himself stepped forward
and placed himself about where the figure appeared
TO be, Billing said it now his right hand now
ON his left, now behind, before him. When
Piefel cut the air with his stick it seemed as if it
went through and divided light fame which then
united again. The visit, repeated the next night,
with some of Pieffe's relatives, gave the same
suit. They did not anything. Pfen,el then,
unknown 10 the ghost-seer had the ground dug up;
when there was found at some depth, beneath lay
err Of quickme, human body in progress ofdecom-
position. The remains were removed and The earth
carefully replaced. Three days afterwards, Billing,
from whom this whole proceeding had been kept
concealed, was again led TO the spot by Pfefel. He
walked over 1t now without experiencing any unu-
sua Impression whatever. The explanation of this
mysterious phenomena has been but recently arriv-
ed at. The discoveries of Won Reichenbach, of
which gave sketch in the first letter, announce
the principle on which it depends. Among these
discoveries is the fact that the Od force makes itself
visible as dim light waving flame to highly
sensitive subjects. Such persons in the dark see
flames issuing from the poles of magnets and crys-
tails. Won Reichenbach eventually discovered that
the on force is distributed universally, although in
varying Quantities But among the causes which
excite lis evolution, OF the most active is chem
lcal decomposition. Then happening TO remember
PetiePs ghost story, it occurred TO Won Rechen-
bach that what Billing had seen was possibly cd
light. To test the soundness of this conjecture,
Miss Reichel, very sensitive subject, was taken
at night to an extensive burying ground Wen
ma, where interments take place daily, and where
are many thousand graves. Che result did not dis
appoint Won Reichenbach'S expectations. Width
ersoever Miss r. turned her eyes, she saw masses
OF flame This appearance manifested itself most
| about recent graves. About very old ones il was
not visible. She described the appearance as re-
sembling less bright fame than fiery vapor, some
thing between fog and flame. In several instance:
the light extending four feet in height above The
ground When Miss Reche placed her hand OIL
it, it seemed TO her involved in cloud of fire.
When she stood in t,it up TO her throat. Sht
expressed no alarm, being accustomed to the appear
ance. The mystery has thus heen entirely solved
For 1t is evident that the spectral character of tht
luminous apparitIon in the two INSTANCES which
have narrated had been supplied by the seers them
selves. So the superstition has vanished but, a
usual. it yelled a iruth.-.Nayo on Popular Super
stitionS.