Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-04
SPOOK IN PARLIAMENT
THREE MEMBERS DECLARE THEY
SAW GHOST OF SIR CARNE RAsCH.
Special Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star
LONDON, May "a, 1905.
Whether he likes it or no, Major Sir Carne
Rasch is likely to be known hereafter as
the man with ghost By appearing in
the house of commons in spook form while
his corporal self was tucked away in bed,
suffering from illness, he has caused a
greater sensation by far than has ever fol-
lowed his appearance there in the flesh.
, Live ghosts of dead folk are rather COM
monplace. Nobody need apologize for be-
| leving in them But ghosts of people who
are themselves still alive are much rarer
| apparitions. Many people who believe in
the other kind of ghosts dispute their ex-
istence. Yet never was a ghost better
authenticated than Sir Carne Rasch's
wrath.
Sir Gilbert Parker saw it, and actually
spoke to 1t, not knowing that it was a
spook. Sir Arthur Hayter saw 1t, and
called the attention of Sir Henry Campbell
Bannerman to it. The leader of the oppcsi-
ton. not knowing that he was witnessing a
psychic phenomenon of profound interest.
cracked joke about it. Here are three
distinguished members of parliament, whose
united testimony would suffice to hang a
man, declaring that they saw another MEM
Der in the house when he was actually
miles away from it. Sir Boyle Roche once
declared that could be lin two
places at once unless he were a bird. But
Sir Carne has demonstrated that there are
other ways of doing 1t.
When Sir Gilbert first saw the phantom of
Sir Carne he nodded, but according to the
distinguished novelist, he received in re-
turn what looked very much like stare"
Then, as 1t had been reported in all the
papers that Sir Carne was Ill, Sir Gilbert
made some kindly inquiry to the state Of
his health. Silence was the only response.
That rather surprised him. But that was
nothing to the surprise he experienced
10 Cir 10 hod
suddenly and silently vanished. Then, he
confessed he began to fear that Sir Carne
was dead, and that 1t was his spirit, re-
leased from Its tenement of clay, that he
had seen.
Il am positive" says Sir Arthur Hayter
that and Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman
saw Sir Carne Rasch. We were struck by
two peculiarities-his extreme pallor and
visible n-himself-shness,' and by the fact
that he occupied a seat remote from his
usual place, which is above the gangway."
Sir He 1ry expressed the hope that Sir
Carne's illness was not catching. That was
meant as a jest-perhaps to hide, it has
been suggested, IAN involuntary sense of
mysterious unreality." But it would be diff
f1cult to conceive of any form of contagion
that would cause greater confusion or more
generally upset the established order of
things than one which sets peoples astral
bodies free to masquerade in their clothes
while they are lying sick in bed.
Sir Carne RaSch is about the last man in
the world whom one would associate with
anything ghostly. He is fifty-seven years
old and built on a large and solid scale. He
has never taken any stock in psychic phe-
nomena. He Is chairman of a brewing
company. He believes that parliament is
being ruined by too much talking and
strongly advocates placing limitations on
all speeches. In this respect he practices
what he breaches, with much satisfaction
to his constituency. Naturally SO unghostly
man objects to being mixed up with
ghost-even his own. 1t was entirely with
out his knowledge and consent that it broke
loose from him to visit the house of com
mons. In his bluff, military fashion, he
says that had any other than honorable
members Of parliament declared they had
seen him at Westminster when he was at
home in bed, he should simply have as
sumed that they had got 'em again." But
he admits that that explanation will not
meet the case.
Some psychic experts who have been con-
suited on the subject say that everybody
carries double around with him which is
liable to slip away from it's owner without
leave. That does not explain, though, how
an astral body can drag around the gar
ments OF daily life. Perhaps clothes have
ghosts, too.
Had Sir Gilbert Parker ventured to put
into novel such phantom as he has en-
countered within the prosaic precincts of
the mousse of commons, critics would have
told MIN indulgence in such fantastical nom
sense was not art-not the sort anyhow
tnat is appropriately spelt with big "a"
and Is rewarded with title.