Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-18
AN ENGLISH GHOST STORY,
Strange Tale Of q Spectral Funeral Cor
teGe at Knotty Ash.
From the Philadelphia Item.

teGe at knotty Ash.
| From the Philadelphia Item
was proceeding leisurely on foot to Broad
| green, when, on passing the church at Knotty
Ash, my attention was suddenly arrested by the
strange and uncanny appearance of its grave
yard. The time was then shortly after mid
night The whole burying ground seemed
alive and glistening with a thousand small
blush lights, which appeared to creep in and
out Of the different graves, as if the departed
spirits were taking midnight ramble. stood
petrified, not knowing what to make of it, at
the same time experiencing feeling of horror
which suddenly took possession of me.
Just at this moment the moon, which had
hitherto been more or less obscured by mov-
| ing panorama Of passing clouds, came, as it
would seem, to my assistance, giving me for a
very short time the benefit of her companion
| shin. And now appeared the most startling
| phenomenon of ALL phenomenon which caused
my hair to stand on end with fright, a cold
numbness of horror paralyz:ng me in every
| limb, for, advancing up the road directly op-
| posite to me. came funeral train, the coffin
| borne along with measured tread, covered with
an immense black pail, which tiuttered up in
the midnight wind
| At first thought must surely be dreaming
and therefore pinched myself in the arm to as
certain if this were really the case. Blu. no.
| certainly was not, for distinctly felt the nip,
and was therefore satisfied as to my wakefulness
| What could 1t all mean? / asked myself ms tie
| cortege gradually approached ME, and began
to distinguish the general outlines OF the bear
ers. These appeared to be elderly men and to
have lived in byGone aSe. All were dressed
| in the costume Of the latter part of the eigh-
| teenth century.
They wore tie-wigs and some had swords as
we'll as walking sticks mounted with deaths
heads. l observed only one really young man
among the crowd Of followers, walking Just be-
hind the coffin. His youth, in comparison with
the others, perhaps made me take especial no.
tice of him. He was dressed i'll what appeared
to be black velvet, the wilderness of his ruf,ies
standing out in marked contrast to the somEer
nature of his general attire. He carried
sword. had diamond buckles in his Shoes and
wore his powdered hair in queue. The face
of this young man was deathly pale, as were
also the faces OF all the others accompanying
him.
Instead of the procession advancing to the
gate at which Il stood it turned suddenly and
entered the burial ground by the one situa ted
at few yards distance. As the coffin was
borne through this gate all the blue spirit
lights seemed to rise from the graves, as ii to
meet the cortege for the purpose of escorting
the body to its last resting place; these awful
lights added considerably to the ghastliness of
the scene as they f1oated over the coffin and
heads OF the mourners. Slowly the procession
glided up the pathway. passing the main en-
trance OF the church and continuing its way in
straight line finally disappearing ut the back
OF the editice.
Who're this most extraordinary funeral went
to or what became of it / cannot tell, but this
much distinctly aver, that coffin, mourners
andlghts-even the pale, Pickering moonlight
all disappeared as mysteriously rs they came
leaving me standing in the darkness transtixed
with astonishmentandf fright. Upon gathering
together my somewhat scattered senses 1 took
to my heels and never stopped running until
found myself safe in my own house. In fact
can scarcely remember how got home.
After recovering a little from the shock i'm
mediately 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 hal
Inclination, but seeing the great perturbation
OF my mind, and at the aame time knowing my
natural skcpticism with regard to all so-called
supernatural phenomena, she came to the con-
| clusion that after all l might possibly have
seen what has been described above.
The next day made inquiries at the neigh
borhood of Knotty Ash and ascertained from q
very old woman that she remembered . story
in her youth having reference to the mystic
rious 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. II 30. was this ghastly repe-
tition Of the event got up for my benefit or
, was it q portent intended to foreshadow the
coming Of the dread visitor to myself
Now, as / have before stated. / am 10 be-
lever in ghosts, but certainly this very re-
markable experience of mine has entirely upset
ali my previously conceived notions of the sub
ject. leaving me in . qusndary of doubt. On
the evening upon which saw. the mysterious
midnight funeral at Knotty Ash / was exceed
ingly wide awake: had met several cyclists on
the Prescott road. with whom converted and
had Likewise refreshed myself at the public
drinking fountsiu placed at the top Of Thomas
lane. StrsSge thata t. q hundred yards further
down the read should encounter 20 ghastly "a
sxpsrience-an experienee shall never forees
70 my dying day.