The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-12-10


natural phenomena, chemical in char
aCter.
Why is it that ghosts, since time
immemorial. kaye been so intimately
associated with graveyards? Why is
it that the dead in cemeteries are so
universally believed 10 walk" at
night? Why. when specters walk, are
they so generally accustomed Tin pop
ular belief to be sheeted-that is to
say, clad in winding sheets-though
nowadays people are nearly always
buried in ordinary clothing?
These questions. and others equally
interesting. in regard to phantoms, sci
ence is now for the first time prepared
to answer. AS to the first point, the
reputation graveyards have for being
haunted is attributable to the fact
that ghosts, of the kind now recogniz
ed as real, do actually and not infre-
quently walk about in such places
They are seen at night (rather than
in the daytime) because their chem
ical constitution is such that they can
not be visible except In darkness
Finally. they are Cor rather. appear to
be- 'sheeted' for the reason that the
gases of which they are composed
here we begin to come to the explana
tion-ficker and wayer in a fashion
suggestive of garments.
For some reason not easy to eX
plain, the dead are supposed to be
hostile to the living. Few people
there be who would not run, terror
stricken, from ghost. if they thought
they saw one. But, making all allow
ance for this fact, and for the infiu-
ence of Imagination, it still seems
strange that the conviction that a
graveyard is dangerous and dreadful
place to venture into at night should
be so widespread even among educat-
ed persons Nobody objects to enter
ing, or wandering through. a burying
ground In the daytime-rather the
contrary, indeed, most cemeteries be-
ing attractive spots. But at night 1t
is different.
The real cause of this fear lies in
the circumstance that phantoms, for
reasons presently to be made clear.
are, and always have been. haunters
of graveyards. People have been
frightened by them time and time
again, in such places. Other persons.
who have not seen them. and who
have protested disbelief, have never
thsless been influenced by testimony
of the sort. Not often has anybody,
witnessing a phenomenon of this kind,
attempted to investigate it. Much
safer does 1t seem under such circum-
stances to take to ones heels.
Nothing but the skepticism OF SCI
ence can fortify man against the
terror of such an experience. But, as
It CHANGED, some years ago, govern
ment anthropologist, of high reputa-
ton (now connected with the depart
ment of agriculture), Prof. w. J. Nc
Gee, had an opportunity to study this
matter at first hand. He was living
at the time in a small town, In the
middle west, where. only few weeks
earlier, burglar. engaged in the ex-
ercise of his hazardous profession,
had heen shot to death. Hastily bur-
led. he might have been expected to
refrain from disturbing the commu-
nity further-instead of which, he pro-
ceeded to walk" his ghost being re-
peatedly seen by number of reliable
witnesses, stalking about the potter's
field where his grave was located.
Professor MCGEE, being appealed to
on the subject, in his capacity OF SCI
entific investigator, finally consented
TO look into it. He went to the pot
ter's field on a moonless night. sat
down a short distance from the grave
fcarelessly left only half filled up)
which had been pointed out TO MIN as
that of the late burglar, and proceed
ed to walt fer something to happen.
Nothing did happen for quite "hlle'
and he was just making up his NINA
that he had come on fools errand
when he deserted dim light imme-
diately over the grave. AS he gazeo
It became steadily more vivld ana us
tinct. appearing to hover IN the ar
Aame-like. restless thing, about the
height of a man and rather strikihgiy
resembling the popular conception oi
ghost. .ho
When he attempted to approach tne
strange object it disappeared. ne
went back to the place where ne nau
been seated. and it became visible
again. Every now and then a gust 0,
wind would seem to blow it out ana
it would vanish for the moment pres
emily reappearing. Apparently It's
movements we're caused by the breeze
its wavering suggesting drapery. pu.
presently the professor saw another