The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-01-12


Beresford's recent death in the 500
railroad wreck a fortnight ago seems
to have been heralded In the custom
airy manner by the appearance Of the
ghost Of the wife Of Sir Tristram Ber>
esford at Curraghmore, the ancestral
home Of the Beresfords and one Of the
grandest country places in the south
of Ireland. This ghostly Lady Beres-
ford. arrayed in the garb of the be-
ginning of the eighteenth century, with
fair hair and a broad black ribbon
tied around the wrist Of her left arm,
always shows herself when any death
or misfortune IL about overtake the
house of Beresford. 1t is, perhaps, by
reason of this that the Beresfords are
all 80 intensely superstitious. Indeed,
the present head of the house, Lord
Waterford. gave a rather amusing IL
lustration of this popularity on the
occasion Of the birth of his eldest son
and heir, little Lord Tyrone. He owns
fine house in Cavendish Square,
London, which, unfortunately, bears
the number 10, and so alarmed was he
lest this unlucky number should cast
blighting influence over the social
ed "happy event" that he actually
leased for couple of months another
furnished house in the same square,
and it was there that the birth of the
child took place. Young Lord Water
ford, who is married to daughter Of
Lord Lansdowne, has now two boys.
After them, in the line of succession
to the marquisate and estates, comes
Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, who
has no sons, and after him the ten
year-old son of the late William Beres-
ford and Of his American wife, q
daughter of Commodore Cicero Price,
of the United States navy, who was
married in turn to Louis Hamersley,
Of New York, and the late Duke of
Marlborough, before becoming the
wife of "Bill" Beresford.
With regard to thS Lady Beresford
who always heralds death in the
Beresford family, there is strange
story. concerning the black ribbon
which the ghost is said always to wear
on the wrist, and which figures also
on her portrait. It seems that she had
a romantic election for the Lord
Tyrone Of her day. and. filled with
doubts and fears as to the value of
their religious opinions, they made a
solemn promise to each other that
who died first should, If permitted by
the Almighty. appear to the survivor,
for the purpose of proving the exist
ence of the Divinity. Fifteen years
later she came down one morning to
breakfast, looking very much agitated,
with a black ribbon tied round her
wrist. Her husband asked her If she
had hurt herself, whereupon she earn
estly entreated him not to inquire as
to the cause of her wearing the rib
bon. saying, "You will never see me
again without It," She then eagerly
and anxiously asked whether any let.
tiers had arrived. and. on being ques-
toned by her husband. remarked that
she expected to hear Of Lord Tyrone's
death. which. she declared. had taken
place on the previous Tuesday. Her
husband laughed. But in the after
noon letter was brought in, stating
that Lord Tyrone had died on Tuesday
morning at Dublin. To the amazement
of Sir Tristram Beresford. his wife,
instead of manifesting grief, showed
feelings of relief. and exclaimed: II
can now give you a most satisfactory
piece of intelligence. am going to
become mother. It will be boy
and an heir to your estates" The
son was born within the year, who in
course of time inherited mot only the
Beresford title and estates, but. mar
rying Lord Tyrone's only child and
heiress of all the LIE Poer property,
was created Earl of Tyrone himself,
his father-in-law's title being revived
in his favor.
That Black Ribbon on Her Wrist.
Many years afterward. when on her
deathbed. Lady Beresford revealed to
her eldest son and to Archbishop
William King, of Dublin, her spiritual
adviser and most intimate friend. the
reason for wearing the black ribbon
on her wrist. She declared that on
the night preceding che arrival of the
announcement of the death of the last
of the La Poer Earls of Tyrone he had
appeared to her sitting by the side of
her bed. On her screaming with fright
he exclaimed: "Have you forgotten
our promise to each other? I died on
Tuesday morning at 4. have been
permitted to thus appear. to assure
you that the revealed religion is the
true and only one by which we can
be saved. am suffered to inform you
that you will seven months hence be-
come the mother of a son, who will
marry my infant heiress, and that you
will die in your sixty-eighth year"
Lady Beresford continued: II begged
him for some convincing sign or
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