Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-28
Uncanny Spooks Caught in the Drag
Net of Psychic Research.
The SUBSTANCE OF SPIRITS
Various Modes of Appearing and
Disappearing.
LOCOMOTION


Written for The Evening Star.
The hundreds OF ghosts being annually
brought to light in the dragnets of scientific
spook catchers conform to no general rules
as to appearance or behavior. Ghostland
must, In truth, be a realm of spicy variety
and absolute independence. A well-known
psychic researcher has lately given the
writer access to his voluminous records OF
thousand or more Of the most vivid phan-
toms experienced here and abroad within
the past ten years. Among their number
are the most respectable and best authenti-
Gated shades haunting our sphere during
this fin de steele decade.
Gray. rather than black or white, an-
pears to be the prevailing color worn by
these latter-day ghosts. Two houses one
In England and the other in Ireland. are
persistently haunted by what are called
gray ladies' The Irish spook of this
category recently stood In front Of bust
Of Shakespeare. hidden by her form. A
pair of shoes. thrown at her opaque sub
stance. penetrated 1t completely and crash
ed against the marble bust third gray
ghost haunting the ancient dormtory OF an
English college is. on the other hand, trans
parent The panels of windows can be
seen through its form fourth gray
ghost appears as a shadow. singularly dis
tinct and showing all OF the lines and feat
ures of human being. san another spook.
that Of Colonel Av-Meinander. seen in St
Petersburg. is gray shadow. In fact there
are too many gray ghosts for enumera-
ton. The 'Sheeted dead appear to be I'm
small minority nowadays Even black
ghosts seem to outnumber them. The
black shade Of an ancient clergyman often
seen in daylight upon an English country
road sometimes wears "A white film of
vapor enveloping his sable raiment. The
phantom of another clergyman, seen in
church. is described as "a black clear mist
with the outline of man" That of "a
little old woman in brown has long haunt
ed the front yard OF a certain cottage
while that of IAN old lady in green
bothers minister of the gospel.
Luminous Ghosts.
Many ghosts are peculiarly luminous
One is especially so when the moon shines
on it Blue lights have been often seen
after dark along the country haunts OF a
daylight ghost of black hue. Blue light
surrounded also the ghost of dead parent.
who came to inform his daughter that she
had lost favorite aunt The spook OF
dead friend appearing to another woman
Illuminated her apartment at night until IL
was as bright as day.
Modern Specters differ quite as widely as
to theiT substance. Many are vapOrous and
intangible. Others be distinctly felt
Some are so heavy that they can weigh
their victims down. Others are so filmy
that objects can pass through them. That
bl an p-'l woman Is or Il OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES,
ETHEREAL nature 1t is passed in a narrow
passage without being felt as it brushes by
A woman who saw the spook of man
sitting in a chair attempted to sit In it,
lap. but she penetrated 1t completely The
sperter of a friend haunting a gentleman
while the latter was driving home alone I'm
his gig caused dark shadow to envelop
him as ii bent over him one evening. Then.
again. there are some phantoms which take
forms other than human misty pillar
frequents a lane in locality Fisher
men, in another place. looking for the body
Of drowned companion, saw in the woods
nearby a sort Of cloud, whence issued
voice directing them to a spot where they
afterward found the corpse. Another
ghost. taking the shape of bright ball of
light, palish blue. was seen by a woman
when she entered her bed room in the dark
ness. Hanging between her and the cell
ing, it emitted no rays. The remainder of
the room was dark. As she left the room
1t remained, but when she returned it was
gone.
Sensation of Touching SpoOks.
Haunted people experience various sensa-
lions while touching ghosts. The rough
clothing of an invisible spook is felt to
brush against the skin Of one young wo-
man. Another specter had an icy hand
when grasped by a terrified woman One
woman on going upstairs at night saw
tall man directly in front of her. Recog-
MIXING him as dear friend, she reached
out to touch him. but her hand simply pen
etrated space. Later she received word
from India that this friend had died on the
Very date of the experience. Another wo-
man. who seized ghost in her room. saws
that it felt soft. like fiimsy drapery." and
seemed To be dragged from her by some in
visible power as 1t sank into the floor by
her bedside One ghost is accompanied by
Il wave of cold air. which chillS those who
draw near it: another is apparently warm
on very hot nights he is seen to mon his
face with handkerchief.
\ sPook which lay down by a friend in
bed placed its frozen lips against her
check. That some phantoms have apprecia-
bile weight is perhaps indicated by the case
of a certain woman visited by the shades
of two dead friends. They appeared behind
her while she was seated at her tea table
and. Gaming upon her shoulders, rendered
her immovable. She was unaware of what
had happened until her daughter. across
the table. cried out and gave the names OF
the intruders.
The majority of ghosts simply vanish,
like breath into the wind. Others make their
exits through bolted doors. samming them
loudly. Many of these doors are seen to
open, but later prove to be securely locked
on the inside. Numerous spooks have a hab-
1t OF vanishing as soon as spoken to. One
which haunts loney roadway fades away
in broad daylight and in the presence of
several witnesses closing in upon 1t from
in front and behind. A number OF ghosts
make their retreat through the floor. One
disappeared through it. Yet the door was
shut and locked. The man and his wife,
thinking the thing to be a visitor. were
following it close in the rear. Other spec
tiers disappear through solid walls, pene-
trating them as though they were atmos-
phere. Others, pursued in the open, retreat
to fences or hedges and there fade from
view. The shade of an old man. customarily
seen in an arm chair OF one haunted house,
invaria bly, rises from his seat and vanishes
in the air as soon as the door to the cham
Der is opened.
Ghost Faces Compared.
Ghosts differ quite as widely in facial ex-
preston as in other characteristics. One al
ways has a long, clean-shaven physIog-
Monty, cadaverous and pitiful in expression
Another clean-shaven spook wears his hair
high on his head and has generally dis
tinguished and gentle air. One of the per
cipients of a woman ghost. though fright
encd by its first appearance. afterward an
ticipated pleasure In the hope of seeing its
kindly disposed face. Its eyes were green
and glistening, but the rest Of its face was
mufilnd up" is recorded of another
haunt" A tall. black ghost frequently
seen upon rural roads paralyzed some chill
dren with fright when they looked up and
behold the awful expression Of its coun-
teIance. Women who saw its face at other