Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-02
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Travellers by road between Oxford and
London have often been heard to say that
there ere few prettier towns in the South OF
England, and none more romantic, than
the ancient and picturesque borough OF
Rissborough.
Rissborough stands on the banks of the
Thames. The impression that it invariably
leaves on the mind Of the visitor who sees it
for the first time, is that of its striking re-
semblance to an old Flemish town. Its
long and roomy, though somewhat tortuous
High street, fanked on both sides by rows
of curious-looking shops, with quaint
gables. interspersed with still more curious
looking residences, many of them ivy
grown; its venerable Guildhall, standing
in the center of the spacious street, with
high-pitehed roofs and dormer windows sur
mounted with four glittering vanes, fixed
on slender iron shafts, one at each corner,
and a richly embellished medieval cross,
with old-fashioned climbing erests immedi-
ately in front of the hall, look as if every
detail had been copied from some old Flem-
ish picture. At either end of the principal
street there is a church, whose lofty embat-
tied towers seem as ii they had been built
as watchful sentinels to keep guard over the
ingress and egress, east and west. The
town remains very much as it was in the
DAYS of the Tudors, when its main portions
were built
As seen from the river, which runs strictly
parallel to it and here attains to one of its
noblest reaches, Rissborough loses nothing
of its peculiar charm. Ii the visitor hap
pens to be rowing or punting, or better still,
if he happens to be fishing from the opposite
bank, he will see the whole town mapped
out before him. bending from right to left
with the slightest imaginable curve. All
the houses are red-tiled, and the gardens on
the south side run down TO the river, whose
CLASSY surface reflects as in a mirror the
shades cast by tall elms and huge chestnuts.
with here and there a graceful birch and
dropping willow, which grows at irregular
intervals on either bank.
Beyond the town the eve rests on lovely
landscape of spreading meadows, green and
fertile, picked out with many fair wood
land bit, running up to fringe of low
lying hills, clearly defined against the sky
line which fills in the background of a
perfect picture of still, country life.
/ The highest of the hills (Which are not
more than five miles away, whose summit
is covered with thick growth of larch ans
Scotch frs, forms a notable landmark for
miles round, and is known in the locality
as Five Mile Camp-in allusion to its esti-
mated distance from Rlssborough. 1t is
! IL IL. L Al II
Windsor Castle, with its massive center
keep, and the splendid gothic pile of Eton
can be seen distinctly on a clear day.
But with this we have nothing to do.
The scene of our story lies four miles out,
on the way to Five Mile Camp.
The old eoach-road as it leaves Kiss
borough strikes out straight for the ridge of
hills just mentioned, and finally disappears
over one of the lower crests. A few hun
dred yards before the ascent begins, the
road sweeps past Clump Cottage. Between
Rissborough and Clump Cottage there are
no signs of human habitation except an oc-
casional farmstead, standing in the midst of
rich grass-lands, with now and again a
patch of arable breaking in upon the emer-
aid enamel. A lonelier situation whereon
to build house, despite its proximity to
the highway, could scarcely have been
chosen by recluse.
When it was built, Clump Cottage was a
substantial and attractive-looking villa
residence, standing in the midst of luxuri-
GUS piece of park land of some % acres-a
house which entirely belied its modest
name. There are no shrubs growing above
the low oak pRling, and there is nothing to
obstruct the view from the road. TIE
former owner knew that he had nothing to
fear from the prying of too curious neigh
bors, for neighbors he had none, as for the
chance wayfarers, they were too few to ex-
cite any dread of being overlooked. A
broad and perfectly straight carriage drive,
entered by handsome iron gates (there was
no lodge), and trinity kept, led to the house,
leaving the front and the stables, which lay
to the right, exposed to view. An important
particular, as will appear hereafter
The house stood on an irregular piece of
land. There was little depth behind, the
land lying principally to the right and left.
That to the left had been little disturbed,
bevond the removal of some old fences and
the planting of a large number of fruit
trees, giving to that side an appearance of
half meadow and half orchard. The land
on the right had been brought into cultiva.
ton by free use of the plough and the
spade, and converted into an extensive
kitchen garden, with forcing houses and
conservatories. Such was Clump Cottage
when built, and down to the period of the
events now to be described.
This pleasant dwelling, however, presents
q sadly altered appearance to-day. From
the circumstances now to be related, it has
acquired an unenviable reputation as the
scene of foul and terrible crime. Popular
rumor asserts that the house is haunted, but
that may be dismissed at once as "iust the
clasho O. the country"
Given a house situated in a lonely situa-
ton as the scene of a dreadful tragedy
which long baffled all efforts to unravel, and
the superstition of country side as vet un-
penetrated BY the modern spirit of research.
and all the materials required wherewith to
construct thrilling ghosk story are sup
plled. The simple facts are, that after the
details of the crime had been brought to
light. the dark memories which ever after
clung to il. acting in combination with the
retired situation, proved sufficiently re-
pressive to deter intending tenants from
taking possession. It was consequently
abandoued to neglect and decay until every
thing except the bare walls fell into ruin,
leaving it TO wear the utterly drear and for
lorn aspect it wears to-day.
Thirty years ago an advertisement in q
country newspaper announcing what auc-
tioneers are won't to call ian eligible piece
OF building land for sale, " met the eve of
Mr. Kenneth Frazer, attorney-at-law, as he
sat in his rooms in Finsbury Circus. It
was described as forced sale, in eonse-
quenee Of the intention of its owner Ga small
freeholder who colld neither live decently
nor starve on the lsnd) having decided to
seek fresh pastures and more rapid way TO-
fortune in the colonies.