Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-12-05
TRUE GHOST STORIES.
An English Admiral who Saw His
Sons Apparition.

/ know Of a distinguished admiral who
was reading the paper one day when he
suddenly exclaimed. II have just seen
-" naming his son, who was lieu
tenant in the navy on the West African
station. "Ile is on shore. being carried
by sailors. He is very i'll or dying, and
he is wearing a marines cap 1t was
afterward shown that his son. who was
on some expedition on shore, had been
suddenly struck down with fever and nj
the time in question was being carried by
sailors and, what was more strange, he
had some time before lost his own cap
and was wearing such cap as his father
had seen, which he had borrowed from
marine.
OF these stories there are n great many.
One of the best authenticated OF them is
the incident in which Captain Sherbroke
OF the Thirty-third regiment, afterward
General Sir John Cope Sherbroke. and
Lieutenant George Wynward of the
same regiment were concerned. One aft
ernoon in 1888, when they were with the
regiment in Canada. they were both sit
ting together in Wynward's quarters
1t was about 4 o'clock. They had both
dined, but neither had taken wine. The
room they sat in had two doors, one open
ing into passage, the other into Wyn
wards bedroom.
The only way into the sitting room was
the door from the passage, and the only
way into the bedroom was through the
sitting room. The two oniccrs were read.
ing some military subject together, hav.
ing left mess early to pursue their studies.
Sherbrokc, happening to look up from his
book. observed tall youth of about 20
years Of age. whose appearance was that
of extreme cmaciation. Struck with the
appearance ot a perfect stranger he
turned ir nls friend and directed his at
tention to the guest who had broken into
their studies. AS soon as Wynward saw
the mysterious stranger he became very
agitated. 81 never" Sir John Sherbroke
used to say in telling the story afterward,
saw living face assume the appearance
of a corpse except Wynward's at that
moment Good Cod" Wynward ex-
claimed. at is my brother" The strange,
seemed to go into the bedroom. They
followed him and found that there was
no one there. They took note of the hour
and day. When the mail came from
home, there was a letter to SherbrokC
from a mutual friend asking him to break
to Wynward the news that his favoritt
| DTOtncT WIS ucdu. ne Uuu uleu Oh tue
| day and Mt the very hour on which Wyn
ward and his friend had seen his spirit
pass through the apartment.
There is one point that occurs to one OF
reading this story Did the young mar
die in England at o'clock in the after
noon on the day in question or did he die
at the hour that the clock would hav,
pointed to in England when it was p
nj. in Canada? In a good many OF thes,
stories the difference OF time AT differen
parts OF the world seems to be ignored
The story, however, seems TO have plent,
of evidence to rest on. 1t was published
in 1898 by Mr.. Jarvis in his "AccredteC
Ghost Stories" and there is a note to thu
effect that relation Of Wyuward's haC
read it and stated that in all importan
circumstances it was strictly true. Thcl
the author says that Sir John Sherhrok
often told the story, and Sir John livet
for some five years after the book wa
published. In discussion In Mote
and Queries" n writer who seems to hay
known the family bears witness to tn
correctness Of the story. One impOrtan
point is that after the apparition had bee
seen and before the news had come on
Wynward and Sherbroke spoke freely 1
their brother officers Of what they ha
Household Words.