Omaha daily bee., 1907-04-21

childlike confidence in the Aundel ghost,
who is a gentle old man.
He comes and asks to see the duke or
duchess and pleads for assistance and aims,
By the time the person to whom he has
spoken returns with food or money the old
man has invariably disappeared. This sad
ghost never walls and walks or otherwise
makes distressing noises but the interest
ing fact remains that the household 10
which he presents himself never dreams Of
doubling the prophecy his appearance i'm
piles.
For the last 800 years he has been paying
Arundel these brief visits, and there are
hundreds of houses in England that boast
ghostly guests equally infallible in their
dismal predictions The ghost that worries
the Percy family at AlnwicS castle assumes
the guise of a saddled and bridled but rider
less gray horse. He is seen grazing in the
park and then disappears
Even in this most enlightened day there
are standing in civilized England many
homes that, ruined by their ghosts, are now
rotting slowly down for want of human
tenants. In Kent, not far from Canterbury
a famous mansion Of Tudor times has re-
Gently been turned out to grass, 30 to speak
It had always possessed an evil reputation
for ghosts and finally was thrown into the
market. It changed hands frequently, for
the ghost in the oak room demoralized the
hardest For a space Of sixteen years II
stood untenanted, when at last a rich south
African bought It. He devoted a large
sum OF money to its restoration and lived
In IL one year
The worst trouble he had with the ghost
was in a sort OF wrangle over a portrait.
1t was a precious Van Dyke, that portrait,
and likeness OF one OF the ancient swash-
buckling owners of the estate.
Having paid a goodly sum for this paint
ing when be bought the house, the million
aire owner hung up his Van Dyke in the
haunted oak room. Again and again the
picture fell from the walls, again and again
its owner who jeered at ghosts, replaced IT,
determined not TO be downed by a mere
spook.
At last, in a rage. the resident OF the an
Client manor had the painting built into the
wall Promptly It began to crack and rot 50
badly he was forced to remove It, and a
short while after he was found dead In his
chair in the notorious oak room.
The physicians said heart disease. but the
family said ghosts and moved. All the
carved wood work, mantelplece, etc, have
been torn out OF the house, and now II
SLhEQh a prey 10 hteuh anu weather. only
the ghosts are IN possession.
Up in one OF the northern shires Of Eng
land recently a ghost has been dragged into
court. pretty house occupied by the poet
Stephen Phillips had to be given up because
Of the annoyance caused by an inexplicable
agency.
Some years ago a murder was done in the
grounds Of the building, and since then II
has been seriously troubled lately the
haunting influence became so vexatious
that the poet. a peace loving man, con-
cluded that he had a good excuse for break
ing his lease and trying for quieter
quarters.
Instantly the owner began suit for libel
He called in counsel TO defend the house Z
reputation. and the legal brains OF a British
court took the ghost into grave considera-
ton, but 50 far nothing satisfactory 20 the
complainant has been decided
Mr. Phillips has settled down IN a new
ghostproof home, and the popular English
mind seems TO agree that In spite Of science
and the twentieth century It is Just as vel