Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-04-01
GHOST MYSTERY
is SOLVED BY
NEUROLOGIST
By FREDERIC ). HAsKIN.

by FREDERIC J. HASKIN.
New York, March 31.--Are
ghosts nervous disease? Is it a
| kind Of hysteria which causes
young persons to torment their
families with flre-raisihs, sieIght-
iof-hand performances and surreD'
itltious rapping and knocking, thus
icontrlving to make 1t appear that
a house Is haur ted?
In the recent Antagonist case.
investigated by Dr. walter f.
Prince, of the New York Psychical
Research society, the ghost turned
tout TO be a sub-normal girl, foster
daughter OF the terrified McDon-
lads, given--according to DR.. Prince
Ito peculiar dream states. 1t
seems possible, therefore, that
other historic ghosts may be ac-
counted for by similarly afflicted
The idea is not new. Long be-
fore Antgonsh leaped into the
limehght as the home of spiteiui
spooks, a British man of letters
advanced the suggestion That neu-
lrologist was the proper person to
DC set on the lltil VI az a. i'Nu'iNS
ghost.
in tracing the history of haunt
ed houses" says this gentleman,
IL have been struck with the iact
| that in many instances the ghostly
activities invariably center around
la certain member Of the family
usually a young woman. In these
Instances, the ghosts atrocities are
always the same. There is mystic
lrious knocking at sudden Intervals;
household articles are moved OF
flung about, and fires break forth
lin unexpected places. am con.
WINGED, however, that these Wild
disturbances are not always qe-
lliberately planned. There Is
,certain spontaneity about them
which leads me to conclude that
they are often involuntary like the
peculiarities of chorea-ln snort,
that they are the symptoms of a
nervous disease. At any rate, 1t is
noticeable that they always cease
when certain member of the lam
lily is absent from the house"
Another Nova Scotia Ghost.
A celebrated instance of this kind
is the Great Amherst Mystery, In
which the ghostly manifestations,
which spread terror throughout
Nova Scotia some forty odd years
ago. all conferred around a young
woman named Esther Cox. Like
the Antigonish spook, the Amherst
ghost or ghosts attracted VIDE
spread attention; made a convinc-
ing impression upon the credulous'
and finally lot of money for an
actor, Walter Hubbell, who had the
sagacity to put them into popular
book form.
The Teed family, which was vic.
timized in this case, contested OF
Mr.. and Mrs. Teed, their children,
Willie, aged five years, and George
aged II months, as well as the wires
two sisters, Jennie and Esther cox.
They lived in lonely farnlhous IN
Amherst under practically the same
as the McDonalds in
their farmhouse at Antagonist.
The first alleged supernatural
disturbances occurred in the room
of the two girls, Jennie and Esther,
who slept together. They were just
going to sleep one night when Es-
Their suddenly leaped out or bed,
screaming that there was a mouss
in the mattress. Upon investiga-
ton no mouse was found, but an
innocent pasteboard box under the
bed Jumped into the air and fell
over on its side.
After this, the ghost or ghosts
started in on their campaign or
petty frightfulness. When Esther
was in bed, the bed clothes would
fly off her and settle into a far
corner Of the room.s When they
were replaced, the pillow under
her head flew out and landed in
the center of the floor 1t, also.
was replaced, upon which it again
flew out, hitting Mr.. Teed in the
face. Whereupon, it is reported.
Mr.. Teed unsclentifically left the
room. declaring that "he had had
enough Of it,
The next night. the sound OF
scratching on the wall was heard
for the first time. "All looked in
the direction from whence the
sound came" say the reports,
when to the family's great aston
ishment there could be plainly
read these words: Esther Cox, you
are mine to kill Everybody could
see the writing but a moment be-
fore nothing was to be seen but
the kalsomined wall"
Now articles began to be mys-
teriously movec about the house.
sometimes violently and sometimes
surreptitiously, according to the
mood of the ghost. "All saw
lighted match fall from the ceiling
to the bed" continue the reports,
"having come out of the air, which
would certainly have set the bed
clothing on fire, had not Jennie
put it out instantly. During the
next few minutes. eight or ten
lighted matches fell on the bed and