The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1892-02-04
LACKS TRUTH ONLY.
COLD FACTS DESTROY AN ENTER
TANNING GHOST sroRX

"Reminiscences Of Lord Lytton Which Are
More Valuable in Relation Than in
rruthfulness An alleged Haunted
Room which Did MOI Exist.
Romantic Lord Lytton was, but not
superstitious. His death. however, has
revived the story of the yellow boys
room, the ghost chamber said to exist at
Knebworth house, the beautiful ances-
tral home of the Lyttons for more than
600 years. At Mr.. w. P. Frith's door
must the charge be laid Of having put
the interesting tale in circulation. for we
find it first in his engaging volume of
"Reminiscences After relating West
woods experiences with the weird won-
an of the Maison Blob. the painter sup
plenients the story by another auecdote
Of more tragical Significance.
AT Kpebworth." he says. 1.-The seat
Of Lord Lytton, there is a bedchamber
called the yellow boys ROOM He then
proceeds to. relate that during a visit to
Knebworth, Lord Castlereagh, while the
guest of the grandfather OF late
British ambassador to Paris yas as
signed without.a a word of warning to the
mysterious and haunted room. Feeling
very tired he soon dropped into sleep,
but his uneasy slumbers were troubled
and it was not long before he awoke.
What it was which startled him his lord
ship never knew, but the sight which
met his eyes as he gazed at the still burn
ing fire in his room was startling enough.
The figure of a boy, with long, yellowish
hair streaming down, sat in front of the
fireplace with his back toward the Irish
nobIeman. AS the latter looked, the lad
arose. turned toward him. and drawing
back the curtain at the bottom of the
bed with one hand. with the other he
drew his fingers two or three times across
his throat. OF course the impression
produced on Castlereagh was decidedly
disturbing Bulwer insisted that he
must have been dreaming. but his lord
ship declared with emphasis that he saw
the figure as distinctly as he saw his host
at that moment, and that. far from being
asleep. he was wide awake.
A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE.
Mr. Firth then adds that Mr.. Bulwer
did not tell Lord -Byron's
carotid cutting Castlereagh''-tha the
yellow boy always appeared to any one
who was destined to die violent death
and always indicated the manner Of it
to his victim.
A more amusing and less unpleasant
incident is told of the same chamber at
Knebworth by our artist author, the
subject being a tinid, nervous brother
painter who spent night at the poets
lovely and stately retreat in Hertford-
Shire. The father of the author of "Lu-
eile." Mr.. Firth says. con6ded the de-
tails of the Castlereagh story to his
guest on allotting the yellow boys room
to him. reinarking on bidding him good
night. You viii not be frightened, will
your Moo" said the painter, with
an ashy face. well, it is getting late
what do you say to retiring? Yes, thai
is your candle. Too warm for fire il
your room. You don't mind? Coco
night. '''The rest Of the story shall bt
told" says Firth, ''in my old friends
words as nearly as can remember them
had seem" he went on, ''the inferna
room before dinner, and | thought i
looked n ghostly sort of place. and wher
| reached it that night what would no
have given to be back in my own room
at homet l looked under the bed, up tht
great. wide chimney, and had shocl
from the sight of my own face in ths
looking glass. No ghost could be whittier
than | was. | don't believe in ghosts
you know. but still it was really too bat
of Lytton to tell me such things just a.
l was going to bed. and then to put m,
in the very place. There WAS an awfu
old cabinet. 1 managed to pull open tn,
door and was tugging at the other. wheI
my candle went outflow, don't know
somebody seemed to blow it out.
cant tell you what became of it; all
know is jumped into bed with m,
boots on. and lay trembling there TO
hours. Frith-literally for hours-til
sleep took me at last; and never was
more thankful than when | awoke ant
saw the sunshining into the yellow boy
room.
NO TRUTH In THE STORY.
The circuinstantiality with which MI
Firth tells these short. tales must con
vince his readers that he is. thorough,
satisfied in his own mind that the Incl
dents which he carefully describes al
happened at Knebworth. And yet. i
that respect, he is altogether out in hi
reckoning There is no yellow boy
room in that grand old house of the Lyt
: tons at Knebwerth. Lord Castlereagl
never spent a night there, nor is itknowl
that he ever visited the place in his life
. In the autumn of 1884 l. spent two o
three very agreeable days at Knebworth
the guest of Lord Lytton, who very kindl
showed me erything of interest abou
his home and its charming surrounding
. Thought it strange that the yelloy
boys room-if there really was such
!, rooIn-had not been open to me. and tha
the very story associated with it in th
: Firth "Reminiscences had been kept bacl
: So sent of hurried note to Owe
= Meradith then nerfor1uinc his enlbass: