The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-01-17
THE SECRET OF CLAIMS CASTLE

THE grim walls of CLAIMS castle. 1
Scotland, have concealed 4 myster
Tor number of centuries eonceale
II so well that, no hint of what 1t !
or whence its origin, has ever beer
definitely brought to light. But tina
the existence Of the secret Is wei
known throughout the kingdom is ap
parent from Sir Walter Scott's refer
ence to secret chamber In the castle
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 successlon" 1.-THE
popular version" adds the famous
novelist, "is 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
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 to 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 to her
END In any one of a number of ways.
and, In order to cover up the manner
OF her assassination or accidental
a6pQfh n 10 ho In tbo
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 rafting of the dice Is still to be
heard. The earl OF Strathmore and his
eldest son, Lord Glamis, must each
hear this once. and 1t Is related that
the present lord has not forgotten the
effect 1t had upon him." But. unless
stage-managed In manner worthy of
BelascO-with blush lights, skeleton
hands, and a dice box suspended In
mid-air-it Is hard to see how the mere
sight OF room where not unusual
torture was practlced centuries ago, I
could have such profound effect upon {
those who visited it, nor how 1t would {
lead to such extreme measures for the /
Of secrecy.
Still another story. and one which
appears to possess elements of horror S
and at least an approach Of PLAUSIBLE L
|ty not to be found In the other o
legends. Is that which appeared in Z
print in England only few years ago: II
In the Castle of Glnmis," stated 1
he writer, an eminent authority on
'uch subjects, us a secret chamber D
which holds (or Is reputed to hold) a
Monster who Is heir to the title and O
property. but who Is so hldeous that II
Is necessary to keep him out of sight
nd possession. The secret Is known Y
o only three persons, because. as the
eformed man Is the rightful earl of
he must be concealed in
rider to safeguard the title of the
resent earl, but the same misshapen
spect which renders his Imprisonment OF
ssentlal has also prolonged his life tn
ar beyond the appointed span. tn
THAT there is secret room In the to-
astle Is fact well known. not only In co
ie neighborhood, but to all who have In
lade an examination of the structure. RI
laced below the level Of the ground, da
Is apparently reached through a mi
concealed behind the paneled TIL
alls OF one OF the many large rooms ex
4 the first floor. Those who retail at
lie story Of the monster supposed still
inhabit this chamber declare that ha
is half reptile and half human, thus to
for the fact that 1t has sur tut
we'd far more than the usual span of 81,
mans life-whlle others declare that co,
Q creature died years ago, but that the
, mummified body remains as a warn sti
& to the new heirs that their tenancy Of
office is founded on deception, for ma
Q tales about the chamber agree in rar
ly one particular, that its occupant dar
the true earl Of Strathmore." Me
The truth or falsity of these suppo-
ions has never been settled but the
It remains that CLAIMS castle hides I
secret Of some kind, which will never to
disclosed until the old pile Is torn all
NE from stone 9th
and