Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1882-12-06
STORIES ABOUT GHOSTS.
Ho,c London Untelierer Was Sorely PuS-
SIeR.
London Spectator.

1t is proverbially difficult to prove a
negative; but it is not only difficult, it is
| impossible to disprove the existence OF
ghosts, or their occasional apparition to
mortal eyes. Even if it were possible
has ever appeared on earth, science, wheth.
err physical or metaphysical, supplies NO
calculus for the disproof of ghostly appa-
ritions in the future. We may even go
further, and say that the progress of
physical science has made belief in ghosts
easier instead of harder. The most
advanced conclusions in regard to
the laws of light and sound go to show the
possibility of innumerable sights and
sounds about US, which may be invisible
and inaudible simply because we have nc
organs sufficiently delicate to apprehend
them. 1t is certain that some of the lower
animals far surpass us in this respect; so
far, indeed, in some cases, that their supe-
riority, did we not know it as a fact, would
seem quite as incredible as ghosts. The
microscope has discovered world of Or
gained existence close to US, of which the
naked eye knows nothing. Recent discov-
cries in the sphere of sound are not less
startling. To put an arbitrary limit to
these discoveries, and declare dogmatically
that science has reached the end Of its
tether in such matters,is not the mark of a
scientific, but rather of an arrogantly pre-
| JUDGED. mind. What has science to saw
against the existence of beings so ethereal
as to be incapable of apprehension by hu-
man senses, save only under abnormal
conditions-either by temporary exalta-
ton of the human faculties, or by such a
modification of the normal laws of spirit
| ual substances as shall bring them tempo
| rarily within the cognizance of human
! senses? Absolutely nothing.
We are not arguing in favor of belief
| Of ghosts, Or in the manifestations of So
| called spiritualism. We are arguing against
the unscientiic habit of mind which would
forbid on a priori grounds, any kind of "a
| tional investigation. No doubt the vast
| majority of ghost stories are myths, and
we have never seen any exhibition of ''spir-
itualism'' which could not be explained
by slight-of-hand. But the widespread
belief in such a phenomena is
surely reason for inquiry rather than
for a dogmatic tabooing of the whole sub
ject. There is a residuum of stories Of a
supernatural, or at least preternatural,
away. Take, for insrance, the Wynyard
ghost story. Two brother officers, who
were also intimate friends, by name Sir
Wynyard, were with their regiment, the
Thirty third, in Canada, toward the end of
the last century. AS they were sitting one
afternoon in Vineyards room, in broad day
light, both of them saw a tall and ex-
fna oil %o1 20.
few moments in the doorway, and then
passing slowly through the room into an
adjoining bedroom, out of which there
sitting room. "Great God, my brother.'
exclaimed Wynard, and both followed the
apparition into the bedroom, but saw no
more of it. They took notice of the day
and hour, which happened, as the event
the death of younger brother of Lieut..
Wynyard, to whom he was fondly attached.
Sir John Sherbroke, however, was an un-
believer in ghosts, and persisted in hoping
that some natural explanation of the APP
partition might eventually turn up. An in
cident befell him some years afterward
which promised for a moment to Justify
his skepticism. After his return to Eng
land, he was one day walking along Pic
cadilly with two friends. when his atten-
ton was suddenly arrested by a man on
the opposite pavement who was the fac
smile of the mysterious apparition in
Canada, except that he did not look so
emaciated. Delighted at this opportunity
of verifying his skepticism, he crossed the
road and, accosting the stranger, told the
story of the Canadian apparition, and
asked for an explanation. II have never
been in Canada" replied the stranger;
''but 1 am not surprised at your mis-
taking me for my lamented young
friend, poor Wynyard, whose ghost
is said to have appeared to your
self and his brother; for we were so like
each other that we were constantly mis-
taken, the one for the other.'' The point
o. the story is that Sir John Sherbroke
never saw the Wynyard whose apparition
he had seen in Canada.
The story is we'll known, and the pres
ent writer once knew an old Peninsula Of
ficer who heard the story from Sir John
Sherbroke's own mouth. A story of diff
ferent kind, but not the less remarkable in
its way, was related to the writer of this
within the last few weeks. Major -,
an officer now in the guards, and we'll
known in London society, was some years
ago with his regiment in Canada. One day
he received letter from brother-offcer,
then on leave at home in Scotland, recon-
mending to his good Offices young friend
then on his way to Canada. Accord
ingiy, Mr.. s.. the young gentleman in
question, was received Hospitality by Ma
ior-, and became frequent guest at
the mess of the regiment. He appeared at
breakfast one morning with look of ex-
treme detection, and explained, in answer
to inquiries, that he had seen in his sleep
that night his own tombstone, with his
name and the date of his death, namely,
June II, 1867. ''They have not given you
a long time to prepare" remarked Major
-, seeing that this is April" This was
said for the purpose or rallying Mr.. s.
out of his fit of low spirits, Major - be-
ing then, as he is now, an unbeliever in
ghostly visitations. Mr.. s. gradually
recovered his spirits, and in course of tire
started for the United States. On taking
leave of him, Major -jocularly observed,
''Look out, old boy. for the 18th of
june" Some weeks afterward Major -
| CHANGED to read in newspaper an account
| of his young friends death. He had landed,
together with other passengers, from a
| river steamer at place which was infested
| by Indians. An armed sentry was placed
| on the bank to prevent surprise by the
Indians. Young Mr.. s. had returned