The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-10-12
TALES OF SPOOKS
WARNED HIM AND VANISHED.

And Just When He Thought He Had
"Joekeyed the Ghost" the Prediction
Became Faet-story of a specter
Dog and the Legend Of Lady Howard.
Belief In specters. phantoms and ap-
partitions still fingers in many parts OF
England. We scoff at ghost stories as
stufr that Is considered ridiculous by
nil persons Of sound education and
common sense" and yet mixed in with
the legends of wraiths and hellhounds
are some true tales that are hard TO
explain from the standpoint of natural
cause and effect.
A strange story Is that told OF the no.
torious second Lord Lyttleton, who is
said to have been as evil as bis father
was the reverse. He died when In his
prime under the following we'll attest
ed circumstances: A few days before
his death Lord Lyttleton saw enter his
room woman who told him that on
the third day after her appearance he
would die. He was very much fright
ened and extremely depressed by the
occurrence, but on the morning of the
third day his fears had abated some
what, and he had to breakfast with
him party which included Lady
Flood, Lord Fortescue and two of the
Misses Amphlett, to whom he said, If
live over tonight l shall have jock
eyed the ghost. for this is the third
day" In the forenoon the party set
out to Pit Place. Lord Lyttleton's coun-
try seat near EPSON, and were not
long arrived when his lordship had
suffocating at, but recovered suffi-
GENTLY to dine with his friends at 5
o'clock.
BY what Is described as "a friendly
trick" the watches and clocks through
hour. The evening passed, and Lord
Lyttleton's spirits recovered their usual
gayety. AT half past II he retired,
and, according to his Wallets report,
"he kept every now and then looking
at his watch. Within a min
ute or two Of 10 by his watch he
asked TO look at mine. His
lordship then put both to his ear to
make certain that they went. When
1t was near the real hour Of II he
said: Come; III wait no longer. Get
me my medicine. I'll take it and try
to sleep" 1t appears that the valet
stirred the draft with a toothpick,
and this anCered Lord Lyttleton, who
sent him for a spoon. When the man
returned he found his master In fit.
Instead of attempting to relieve him
he ran for help. and when he returned
with the alarmed guests Lord Lyttle-
ton was dead.
a peculiar class of apparition in
which many persons believed is that
OF specter dogs, which are again d.
vHR ed into three kinds: % Black dogs
that are fiends In disguise; (2) evil
spirits that hunt souls in this guise;
81 spirits OF the wicked departed
made to take this shape for their sins.
These black dogs are OF all sorts and
sizes. big dogs and little dogs, long
haired dogs and short haired dogs.
meek dogs and fierce dogs, but as a
rule the standard specter hound is
huge, most ferocious looking and
shaggy like wolf and, we are told,
packs of these hellhounds have been
seen, sometimes hunted by a hunts
man whose description much resem-
bles the popular conception Of the
devil.
A famous story is told OF a goblin
sok
mansion at Lyme Regis, in Dorset, that
had been partly demolished and turned
into farmhouse, in which lived an old
drunken farmer. Having been urged
to drive out the black dog by his COM
panions, he seized the poker and rush
ed at the dog, which sprang up instant
ly and rushed upstairs, followed by
the tipsy farmer 1t fed into an attic
and. hey presto jumped clean through
the ceiling. The angry farmer struck +
at the place. when. to his Arrangement,
down fell from the hole he had made
mn old fashioned money box, which .
proved to be full OF gold and silver
coins of the reign of Charles |. The .
dog was never again seen In the house,
but 1t is said to haunt lane which
leads to 1t. where 1t can be seen at
midnight and which bears the name
of Dog lane" while Il local Inn dis
plays the sign "The Black Dog Inn"
Lady Howard. who lived in the reign
of the first James and was as famous
for her wit as for her beauty and her
wealth. was also possessed of good
many bad qualities. She had four hus-
bands, whom she killed off rather rap
idly and was very cruel TO her only
daughter For her sins she was trans
formed when she died-so the story
runs-into a black dog, and Mt midnight
she runs between Fit2ford, her one
time residence, and Oakhampton park
In order to carry to the place from
which she started n single blade Of
':rass, This she is doomed to do until
he has removed every blade of grass
rom the park.-London Globe.
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