Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-11-12
HAUNTED HOUSES.
Experiences OF Student In His
Search for Truth.

Search for Truth.
Robert Hagh Benson, in pau Mail tsSeeftt.i
The weight of human evidence for the
phenomena Of what are called "hsunted
houses Is simply overwhelming. II may
freely be granted that these phenomena are,
In sense, quite abnormal; they do not.
that Is TO say, readily adjust themselves TO
that practical, materiaiistic philosophy
which regards tables and chairs as more
''reaiT than Clet us say emotions.
OF eonvH emotions, according TO every
test except that OF the grossest physical
veritication, are, as We ALI know, far more
real than anything material, they are more
effective, they are of higher order OF
being, they change meas destinies and
their fruits are, Il would seem even to the
materialist, practically eternal. Yet, for
all that, in a confused kind OF way, We
regard them - passing and cphemersl
disturbances, since we cannot smell them
nor burn In fire, and we regard chair
as more solid, since we can sit on 1t.
However hard IL may be to at the
phenomena of haunted houses into this
heavy philosophy by which mos, of US
practically live, il must be remembered
that the extent, the duration and the in
,ensisy OF human evidences concerning
them make il absolutely necessary to re-
gard such phenomena-however we may
explain them away-as part OF the ex-
pericnce of the world. Stories OF the kind
are NOT peculiar to this country or that, to
this stage OF civilization or the other.
Piautus wrote comedy on the subject;
Shakespeare tragedy.
There are some elements in common, re-
vcaIing, 1t would seem, curious range OF
laws that would appear to underlie them
all But even these laws are not what one
would expect IL, that is, one seeks TO ex-
plain them on q msterialisfic or subjective
basis. II Ia not, for example, by any
means universal that the sensation OF fear
Is experienced by these who are personal
witnesses Of such things.
In three or four Of such stories "a have
come to me first hand, no tear was FELT at
all until all was over. Again, contrary to
popular belief, 1t Ia scarcely ever an in1agi-
native or highly-sirunR person who ex-
psrinnces the most startling phsnomcna.
A couple of middle-azed priests, young
sporting Engiishman, an x-proiessionai
boxer, two middIe-sged trschcrs-these
are they who have related to IRE the most
convincing and the most impressive his
tories that have ever heard. On seert&in
visit 20 America not long ago l received
information OF a haunted presbytery not
far from New York, and the following
week weat to sec IL. My friend and ar
rived after dark, and were welcomed by
the smiling Irish priest. The church and
the adjoining buildings stand in a fire.
queuted street; they are OF no particular
external interest. Next to the church,
and communicating with IL, is thin. red
brick building of two stories high, and
of only two rooms in depth. This lie the
original presbytery used now in its lower
story as a saeristy and in its upper as q
lumber room. Adjoining 1t again, ON the
side away from the church, Is the in
hsbited prcsbytery--a large, comfortable
building inhabited to the entire ex-
clusion OF the other since In the other life
had become impossible.
[A2A tBat k0t8k 10 tNaakH was
related to me simply and Internationally
by the present parish priest IS we sat In
his room and atterward wandered under
has guidance through the four or Eve
rooms OF the deserted house. Two very
curious sets of facts were related TO me.
! The first concerned the rather tragic
events that had taken place in the old
I A. al
| OF the windows and had been taken up
dead; a sacristan had been found dead at
| the foot of one OF the stsircases. Yet,
strangely enough, none of the sights
event ualiy seen In the house seemed TO
have any connection whatever with these
happenings.
Two young assistant priests, arriving
together and being informed OF the cur
rent reputation of the old house, laughed
the. whole affair to scorn, and insisted on
sleeping upstairs In the disused rooms. A
partition not so high as the ceiling
separated one from the other. On the fol-
lowing morning they requested that their
beds might be moved to the new pres
bytery, since for no consideration in the
world would they sleep in the old house
again. They had passed, they said, an APP
palling night of terror; there were con-
rinual movements about them and in the
air there were knoekings and low voices
| talking.
One OF the two a day or two later
brought to the house in the daytime his
own confessor, n monk, and sent him up
stairs alone. After an interval the monk
returned, completely self-controlled, and
related how, on coming into the front
room. he had seen Immediately Father A.
B., the late rector OF the mission, seated
by the window and saying his office this
figure presently vanished. IT IS INTEREST
ing 10 note that Father A. B. was not the
priest who had fallen from the window,
but had died quietly in his bed.
On another occasion the present rector,
my informant, was in the church while
two girls were arranging the altar flowers