The St. Charles herald., 1922-10-21
THE SECRET OF CLAIMS CASTLE
THE grim walls Of Glamis Castle III
cocx0HSw by IH< AtzEZ

THE grim walls Of Glamis castle. IN
l. Scotland, have concealed a mystery
for a number of centuries-cOnceaieo
It SO we'll that no hint OF what IL Is
or whence its origin. has ever Deeh
definitely brought to light. But that
the existence of the secret Is wen
known throughout the Kingdom ls ap-
parent from Sir Walter Scott's refer-
ence to a secret chamber In the castie
which "by the law or custom OF the
family, must be known only to three
persons-the earl, the heir and the
third in the line Of succession! Ihe
popular version" adds the famous
novelist, as that there is some horrible
remembrance connected with the Sc
cret which has existed for the past
two or three hundred years"
One writer claims that the mystery
concealed in the secret chamber was
human being-half frog and nan
man-and recOunts the story or the
Countess of Glenshire, who finally sue
ceeded In penetrating to the hidden
room, only to die of horror at what
she found there. This story, while
apparently we'll authenticated by writ
ers of the period, has little foundation
in fact-apart from the detail OF the
sudden and unexplained death OF the
countess, who may have come to her
end in any one Of number OF ways
and, In order to cover up the manner
of her assassination or accidental
death, 1t is more than possible that the
story Of the chamber Of horrors" was
spread broadcast through the sur
rounding country.
Another version Of the secret OF the
castle appears In an old history OF
Scotland, where 1t Is stated that
"there is one chamber In the castle In
which, some centuries ago, two gam
blers were walled in and condemned to
continue their ghostly play, and where
the rattling of the dice is still to be
heard, The earl of Strathmore and his
eldest son, Lord Glamis, must eacn
hear this once, and it Is related that
the present lord has not forgotten the
effect it had upon him." But, unless
stage-managed in a manner worthy OF
'Belasco-with blush lights, skeleton
hands, and q dice box suspended II
mid-air-it is hard to see how the mere
sight Of q room where not unusua
torture was practiced centuries ago
could have such profound effect upoi
those who visited 1t, nor how 1t wouit
lead to such extreme measures Tor tn
preservation of secrecy.
Still another story. and one whicl
appears to possess elements OF horro
and at least an approach Of plausibil
ity not to be found in the othe
legends, is that which appeared Il
print In England only few years ago
I'm the Castle Of Glamis," states
the writer, an eminent authority o.
such subjects, sis a secret chambe
which holds (or is reputed to hold)
monster who Is heir to the title an
property, but who is 80 hideous ina
It is necessary to keep him out OF sign
and possession. The secret Is know
to only three ssersons, because. as Tn
deformed man is the rightful earl Q
Strathmore, he must he concealed !
order to safeguard the title OF tn
present earl, but the same misshape
ASPECT which renders his imprisonmer
essential has also prolonged his III
far beyond the appointed span.
.That there is a secret room in tn
castle is a fact well known, not only
the neighborhood, but to all who hav
made an examination Of the structur
Placed below the level Of the groun
il is apparently reached through
staircase. concealed behind the paneie
walls Of one Of the many large room
on the first floor. Those who reta
the story Of the monster supposed ST.
to inhabit this chamber declare tn
il ia half reptile and half human, th'
| accounting for the fact that 1t has 81
yiyed far more than the usual span
a mans life-while others declare tn
the creature died years ago, but tn
: its mummified body remains asa war
. ing to the new heirs that their tenan
{ a. office Is founded on deception. I
9 the tales about the chamber agree
i onlv one particular, that its occupa
y q Il the true earl Of Strathmore."
:: The truth or falsity Of these SUPP
q sitions has never been settled. but I
: fact remains that Glamis castle hid
! secret Of some kind. which will ne,
he disclosed until the old pile Is to
= | ~+cro from atOn0.