The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-01-10
AN ENGLISH GHOST STORY.
A Strange Tale of q Special Funeral
Cortege at Knotty Ash.
From the Philadelphia Item.

Cortege at Knotty Ash.
From the Philadelphia Item.
l was proceeding leisurely on foot 20
Broadgeen when, on passing the church at
KnoJty Ash, my attention was suddenly
arrested by the strange and uucauny
appearance of its graveyards The time
was then shortly after midnight. The
whole burying ground seemed alive and
glisteniDg with a thousand small blush
lights, which appeared to creep in and out
OF the different graves, as If the departed
spirits were taking a midnight ramble.
l stood petrlfied, not knowing what
to make Of it, at the same time. exper-
fencing feeling Of horror which suddenly
took 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 assistance, giving
me for very short time the benefit OF her
companionshlp. And now appeared the
M st startling phenomenon of ell, pheno-
menon which caused my hair to stand on
end with fright, a cold numbness of horror
paralyzlng me In every limb, for, advancing
mp the road directly opposite to me, came "a
funeral train, the coffin borne along with
measured tread, covered with an immense
black pail, which fiuttered up in the mid
night wind.
AT first thought must surely be dream
ing, and therefore pinched myself in the
arm to ascertain il this were really the
case. But no, l certainly was not, for
distinctly felt the NIP. and was therefore
satisfied as to my wakefulness. What
could it all mean9 l asked myself as the
cortege gradually approached me, and
began 10 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 bf the eighteenth century.
They wore tie wigs, and some had swords,
as well as walking sticks mounted with
deaths heads. | observed only one really
young man among the crowd of followers
walking just behind the ootfin. His youth,
in comparison with the others, perhaps
made me take especial notice of him. He
was dressed in what appeared to be black
velvet, the wilderness of his rufiies standing
out In marked contrast to the somber nature
of his general attire. He carried a sword,
had dia nond buckles in his shoes, aud wore
his powdered hair in queue. The face OF
this young man was deathly pale, as we're
also the faces Of all the others accompany
ing him.
Instead Of the procession advancing to the
gate at which | stood, it turned suddenly
and entered the burial ground by the one
situated at few yards distance. AS the
colin was borne through this gate all the
blue spirit lights seemed to rise from the
graves as If to meet the cortege for the pur-
pose of escortinC the body to its last resting
place; these awful lights added considera-
bly, e. the ghastliness of the scene az they
hoated over tho coffin aud heads Of tho
mourners. Slowly the procession elided up
the pathway, passing the main entrance Of
the church and continuing its way in a
straight line, finally disappearing at the
back Of the ediace.
Where this most extraordinary funeral
went to or what became Of it cannot tell
but this much | distinctly aver, that coffin,
mourners and hghbs-evea the pale, flicker
ing mOo1light-all disappeared as myster-
iously as they came, leaving me standing in
the darkness, tran5iixed with estonshment
ana fright. Upon gathering together my
somewhat scattered senses | took to my
heels and never stopped running until
found myself safe In my own houss. In
fact, | scarcely remember how / got home.
After recovering a little from tho shock
Immediately aroused female relative, who
had retired for the night. aud related TO her
the above particulars. She assured me that
l must have been suffering from mental
haliucination, blt seeing the great pertur-
baton of my mind, and at the same TINA
knowing my natural skepticism with regard
to all so-celled supernatural phenomena,
she came TO the conclusion that, after all,
might possibly have seen what has been de-
scrlbed above.
The next day | made inquiries at the
neighborhood OF Knotty Ash, and ascer-
tanned from very old woman that she re-
membered a story in her youth having ret
erence to the mysterious and sudden death
of al OLD occupant of fhingwall hall, vino
was hastily and quietly buried, she thought
at midnight, in old Knotty Ash church.
yard IL SO, was this CHASTITY repetition
OF the event. got up for my benefit, or was
it portent intended to foreshadow the
coming of the dread visitor to myself2
Now, as l have before stated, | am no be-
lever in ghosts, but certainly this very re-
mGrkable experience Of mine has entirely
upset all my previously conceived notions
Of the subject, leaving me in quandary of
doubt. On the evening upon which l saw
tho mysterious midnight funeral at Knotty
Ash 1 was exceedingly wide awake; had
mot several cyclists on the Prescott road,
with whom l conversed, and had like wise
refreshed myself at the public drinking
fountain placed at the top Of Thomas lane.
Strange that Few hundred yards further
down the road l should encounter 50 ghastly
an experience-an experience l shall never
forget to my dying day.