Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-01-10
GHOSTS OF ANIMALS
COME BACK 70 r
Many Strange Superstitions Current Respecting Domestic
Pets-Phantom Foxes Seen-0ne Man Says HI
Saw Horse Long Dead.
From the Pittsburgh Leader.

From the Pittsburgh Leade
From time s~fmmemOrial psychologists
have dealt with the return of the spirits
of human beings to earth after death. Yet
in few cases have the return of animals
to l.fe after death been noted or dealt
with. OF course. unthinkingly men have
been made to come back on horseback, as
see the "yhite horses OF The ONDonog-
hue" which are supposed TO arise from
the Lakes OF Killarney once every year.
their riders on their backs. Then, Of
course. there have been the white horse OF
the Peppers and other famous ghostly
steeds. but always in mpan with the
wraiths of men. The appearance of the
animals alone after Heath has not gem
orally been noted.
There are many stories of psychical APP
pearances. all Of which are trying % the
credibilities. Others, even the most skep-
tical nave been compelled to admit, bear
a large resemblance of fact about them.
Deep thinkers and able minds have held
tenactously that the natural and spiritual
worlds are closely allied. Lord Kelvin.
even Darwin himself. nave not been cred-
ulOus nor spiritual men. but they could
never be brought to say that believers in
the occult We're Overcr.dulOus or insane.
Horatio tells Hamlet that his fathers
ghost would much amaze him. Doubt
less it did. out the appearance Of the
ghosts OF animals does not seem to have
any such effect upon many of those who
profess to have seen them.
Most instances. of course, came from
Ireland. which is peopled by a highly or
ganized Celtic race, and which is the home
and habitat of elves. ghosts and fairies.
But they must not be given less credence
when properly authenticated.
Everyone knows something of the Irish
banshees. weeping wraiths of women who
predicted by walling the death of a MEM
her of certain noble Irish houses. 1t is
not likely that any one really saw a ban
shee, but millions of Irish people will as
sure you that they have heard her. Many
Of the great Irish families had their per-
sonal banshee. and 1t is a mark of birth
and at least former, II not present. glory
to be able to say, or to say whether able
or not, There is a banshee in my fam
fly
As most Irishmen descend from a king
there were kings in every back garden In
lreland-mOst ,rishmen can truly lay
claim to having a banshee in the family.
That the mystical women walters have
ever followed an Irish house abroad is not
proved. The banshee seems to have no
liking for leaving Ireland.
There are in st. Louis certain descend
ants of '~'banshee" families. Notable
among these are the O'Reillys. OF which
Andrew j. O'eRilly. late president of the
board OF public improvements: his brother
Andrew j.. O'Reilly, late president of the
O'Reily are members. The O'Neills, the
famous princes of Ulster. of whom the
late Frank OiNeill vas a lineal descend
ant, also possessed their banshee, No
doubt many other Irishrnen in st. Louis
can truly lay claim to the distinction of
aristocracy conferred by having a ban-
shee in the family" \
On Of the best authenticated stories
of the appearance of animals after death
is that Of the famous '"Foxes of the Cor
manstowns." one of the great Irish
houses and largely connected with many
English families of note. The story runs
that the original GOrmanstOwn was. at an
early age. lost in the woods and, like
another Romulus and Remus. sucked by
a she fox. Now it is said that the foxes
of Meath have never forgotten their
said, and many Irishmen can be found to
confirm the phenomenon, that about the
time a Gormanstown is to die the foxes
surround Gormanstown castle. This
strange phenomenon was seen when the
18th viscount died IN 1860. and again in 1876.
when the 18th viscOunt followed. To this
time no particular record of the phenome-
non has been kept. but in 1907. when the
14th viscount was i'll. data was kept. His
widow. who Is still living, stated that the
foxes appeared barking and making 9TH
err uncanny noises" Lady Gormanstown
added that it was not until the 18th Wis
count died that any record was kept.
Many visitors to the house bore similar
testimony.
OF course, it is possible that some re-
taaner of the family may have a way Of
winning foxes from their dens. 1t can
be done. But these do not seem to have
been live foxes. When this 18th earl died
mis- son and successor. the present earl, in
. letter to the New Irish Review. wrote
that = in the chapel sitting by his
fathers bier he heard noises outside -
u q dog wanted admission. Opening the
door he found . full-grown fox ct the por-
tai n several more around the church.
The daughter of the 18th earl, sister OF the
present earl. also bears testimony that the