The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-11-09
|HLST1RYS
MYSTERIES
THE SECRET OF CLAIMS CASTLE

THE grim walls of Glarnis castle. II
Scotland. have concealed a mystery
for q number Of eentures-conoeale
Il % well that no hint OF what II 10
or whence lie origin. has ever been
definitely brought 10 light But that
I the existence Of the secret IL vel
known throughout the kingdom Is ap-
parent from Sir Walter SCOTS refer
encs 10 a secret chamber In the castle
which by the law or custom OF the
family. must be known only 10 three
/ persons-the earl, the heir and the
third In the line OF succession r. The
popular version" adds the famous
novelist, is that there IL 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 vas
a human being-half frog and half
man-and recOunts the story OF the
Countess Of Glenshire, who finally sue
ceeded In penetrating to the hidden
room, only 10 die Of horror at what
she found there. This story, while
apparently well 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 20 her
end In any one OF a number OF ways,
and, IN order 10 cover up the manner
OF her assassination or accidental
death, II 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 IL 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 rafting OF the dice is still 20 be
heard. The earl Of Strathmore and his
eldest son, Lord Glamis, must each
hear this once. and IL is related that
the present lord has not forgotten the
effect II had upon him" But unless
stage-managed in a manner worthy OF
Belasco-with blush lights, skeleton
hands, and dice box suspended In
mld-air-it is hard 10 see how the mere
sight Of room where not unusual
torture was practiced centuries ago,
could have such a profound effect upon
those who visited II, nor how IL would
lead to such extreme measures for the
preservation Of secrecy.
Still another story, and one which
appears 10 possess elements of horror
and NJ least an approach Of plausibil-
fly not to be found In the other /
legends, Is that which appeared in
print In England only few years ago [
In the Castle Of CLAIMS" stated I
the writer, an eminent authority On /
such subjects, SIS a secret chamber /
which holds Cor is reputed TO hold a /
monster who is heir to the title and /
property. hut who is so hideOus that /
II Is necessary to keep him cut Of sight /
and possession. The secret Is known /
to only three persons, because, as the 4
deformed man Is the rightful earl Of
Strathmore he must be concealed In
order to safeguard the title of the
present earl, but the same misshapen
aspect which renders his Imprisonment
essential has also prolonged his life
far beyond the appointed span.
THAT there Is secret room IN the
castle is a fact well known not only In
the neighborhood, but 10 all who have
made an examination of the structure
Placed below the level Of the ground,
II Is apparently reached through a
concealed behind the paneled
walls Of one Of the many large rooms
on the first floor Those who retail
the story Of the monster supposed still
TO inhablt this chamber declare that
II is half reptile and half human thus
accounting for the fact that II has sur.
ylved far more than the usual span u
q mans life while others declare that
the creature died years ago, but that
lis mummlhed body remains as o warm
ing 10 The new heirs that their tenancy
u office is founded on deception, for
Tie tales about the chamber agree ia
,nly one particular that IFS occupant
IS the true earl Of Strathmore"
The truth or falslty Of these suppo-
,itloHs has never been settled. but the
'act remains that Glamis castle hides
j secret u some kind. which viii never
,e disclosed until the old pile Is torn
tone from stone