Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-10-22

From the New York Times
There are countries i'm which ghosts appear so
often that men hear of them with calm indiffer-
enee or smiling federation. In parts of Ger
many, for example. their fame is perennial. and
none Of their manifestations now excite excep-
tional wonder among grown-up men. So of
more northern continental lands. like Denmark
or Norway. and there is, perhaps, no longer
great surprise when ghosts are seen in Italy or
in Spain. But in England, where no true son of
Albion Is more afraid of nightly apparitiOns than
he is Of Afghan soldiers or Zulus i'm arms and
where. above all, superstition is rarest in the
world. they are as infrequent i'm their coming as
they are slow to obtain belief i'm their authenti-
city. And yet it is from England that some of
the best ghost stories of our time are given to
the world Why this is so, historians with sys-
TENS like N. Taine's may, perhaps satisfactorily
explain; but for US, since we are now to record
the latest English ghost story. and one Of the
best recently made known to US, facts alone
must be dealt WITH as they also must stand for
what they themselves are worth.
Unfortunately, We are without the names of
those who saw the ghost in question. But the
London newspaper which prints the stOry-nOne
other than the staid and practical Pal Mall Ga
zehte-vouches for its correspondents "gOOd
faith and professional acuteness of observation"
and adds that he substantiates the tale, with
full details of dates. names, and places, which
he Wthholds from publication solely out of con-
sideTation for the survivors. By using the word
survivors" it is not meant that any lives were
lost i'm this thrilling adventure. The word ap-
parently refers to the friends of the dead man.
or it may be piece of humor drawn from an
implication that every one concerned in the affair
is survivor in that he was i'm dire danger of be-
ing speedily made something else.
Our ghost was seen at MONDAY. Three persons
were at table, gentleman, his wife and friend
who is called Mr. A, and who was never before
i'm the town. who had never lived within two
hundred miles Of it, and who did not know until
day or two before he arrived that he should
ever visit it. While they were seated the maid
servant passed from the room into the kitchen
and closed the door. Mr. A. startled his friends
by then declaring that he had seen ghost. 81
saw spirit of a man following that woman"
he said, who, as he passed, said distinctly in my
hearing, God judgeth not as man judgeth.
was innocent of the murder for which 1 have
been hanged. was there, but did not strike
the blow" Mr. A. described his ghost SO care
fully that his description fitted exactly the hus-
band Of the very maidservant who had just gone
out of the room. The husband, a year or two
before, had been executed after trial for muir
der-a crime of the existence of which Mr.. A.
was absolutely ignorant. 1t was not believed
in that household that the right man had been
| hanged; the husband of the servant had died pro-
| testing his innocence, and although he was in
the fatal fight it was not by him. that the fatal
blow was struck; 80 the widow believed, and all
her friends as well, including her master and her
made forbidden subject in that house.
When the establishment caused by Mr.. A. g
declaration had somewhat abated, he was told
that the woman whom he had Just seen for the
first time with a ghost following after her was
the widow of man who had been hanged for
murder. 'There he is again" exclaimed Mr.. A.
some time afterward but while still at the table,
repeating the same wOrdS!" Still more sur
prised and becoming intensely interested, Mr..
A. g friend said he was soon going out and would
fhS,o -hnro <1o
A. was invited to go along, and it was intimated
to him that the ghost might point out the place
where the murdered man was found. When
they left the house Mr.. A. exclaimed, ''There, he
is following u.s." The road to him was entirely
unknown ground, and they had not proceeded
| far when his friend, without saying a word,
turned corner to make business cali. Imme-
diately Mr.. A. declared that his ghost was stand
ing at the corner and saying they had taken the
wrong road if they wished to reach the scene
OF the murder. In spite of this, the call was
made. The two men forward reached the
original road at point further on, and Mr.. A.
again saw the ghost waiting for them at this
second corner. For the next few moments not
word was said, but finally the men reached a
part OF the town when Mr.. A. pointed to q GER
tain spot as the one where the murdered man
fell, and it was the right one. He further said
the ghost repeated what he had formerly de-
clared, that it was not he who struck the fatal
blow. Mr.. A, it should be added, had among
his friends reputation for seeing" but we
have the best assurances that to this murder and
this town he had been, up to the day in ques-
tion an entire stranger.
Such is the story that comes to us 80 well au-
thenticated. 1t is especially remarkable, as has
been said already, because it comes from land
not thickly populated by ghosts, and is the more
interesting because it is a worthy companion OF
another story that is now about two years old
the experience Of his own in Lord Orford's
library. which an antiquary related in leading
London newspaper, and Of which cold reason
Ing has not, to our knowledge, furnished yet
any clear explanation. Mr.. AS affair is even
more extraordinary than that, and unless Dr.
Beard can explain it away by references to his
successful enterprises last winter, it apparently
must remain so.