The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-10-30
A GREAT GHOST STORY.
Some EXCITEMENT CREATED IN
ENGLAND BY SPIRITS.

Newspaper Correspondent Witnesses a
Funeral Train Received by the Spirits
of the Dead In a Suburban Cemetery.
He Was Wide Awake.
l was proceeding leisurely on foot to
Broadgreen, when on passing the church
at Knotty Ash my attention was sud-
denly arrested by the strange and I'M
canny appearance of its graveyard. The
time was shortly after midnight. The
whole burying ground seemed alive and
glistening with thousand small blush
lights, which appeared to creep in and
out of the different graves, as IL the de-
parted spirits were taking a midnight
ramble. ! stood petrified, not knowing
what to make of it, at the same time ex-
periencing feeling Of horror which sud-
denly took complete possession of me.
just at this moment the moon, which
had hitherto been more or less obscured
by moving panorama of passing clouds,
came, as it would seem, to my assist
ance, giving me for very short time
the benefit of her companionship. And
now appeared the most startling phe-
nomenon of ala phenomenon which
caused my hair to stand on end with
fright, cold numbness of horror para
lying me in every limb, for, advancing
up the road directly opposite to me,
came funeral train, the coffin borne
along with a measured tread, covered
with an immense black pail which flut-
tered up in the midnight wind.
At first thought l must surely be
dreaming, and thereupon pinched myself
in the arm to ascertain If this were real
ly the case. But, no; certainly was
not, for distinctly felt the nip. and was
thereupon satisfied as to my wakeful-
ness. "What could it all mean?" asked
myself, as the cortege gradually ap-
preached me and began to distinguish
the general outlines of the bearers.
These appeared to be elderly men and to
have lived in bygone age.
All were dressed in the costume Of the
latter part of the Eighteenth century.
They wore tie wigs, and some had
swords, as well as walking sticks mount
ed with deathheads. l observed only
one really young man among the crowd
of followers, walking just behind the
,offin-
his youth in comparison WIFI tho
others, perhaps, made me take especial
notice of him. He was dressed in what
appeared to be black velvet, the white
ness of his ruffles standing out in marked
contrast to the somber nature of his gen.
eral attire. He carried sword, had
diamond buckles on his shoes, and wore
his powdered hair in a cue. The face
of this young man was deathly pale, as
were also the faces of all the others ac-
companying him. Instead of the pro-
cession advancing to the gate at which
stood, it turned suddenly and entered
the burial ground by the one situated at
q few yards distance.
AS the coffin was borne through this
gate all the blue spirit lights seemed to
rise from the graves rs if to meet the cor
tege for the purpose of escorting the
body to its last resting place. These
ghastliness of the scene as they fioated
over the coffin and heads of the mourn
ers. Slowly the procession glided up the
pathway, passing the main entrance of
the church. and, continuing its way in
a straight line, finally disappeared at the
back of the edifce.
Where this most extraordinary funeral
went to or what became of it l cannot
| tell; but this much l distinctly aver,
that coffin, lnourners and lights-even
the pale, Pickering moonlight-all dis
appeared as mysteriously as they came,
leaving me standing in the darkness
transfxed with establishment and fright.
Upon gathering together my somewhat
scattered senses | took to my heels and
never stopped running till | found my
self in my own house. In fact, scarce
ly remember how got home.
AFTERTHoUGHTs.
After recovering a little from the
shock l Immediately aroused female
relative who had retired for the night
and related to her the above particulars.
She assured me that must have been
| suffering from mental hallucination, but
seeing the great perturbation of my
mind, and at the same time knowing my
natural skepticism with regard to all SO
called supernatural phenomena, she came
to the conclusion that, after all, might
| possibly have seen what has been de-
scribed above.
The next day made inquiries in the
neighborhood of Knotty Ash, and ascer-
tanned from very old woman that she
remembered a story in her youth having
reference to the mysterious and sudden
death of an old occupant of Thingwall
Hall, who was hastily and quietly buried
she thought, at midnight, in old Knotty
Ash churchyard. If so, was this ghast
ly repetition of the event gotten up fol
my especial benefit, or Was it portent
intended to foreshadow the coming ol
the dread visitor to myself?
Now. as have before stated, am nj
believer in ghosts, but certainly this re
markabe experience of mine has entirely
upset all my previously conceived no