The Herald of Wales. — 1889-07-13 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

SERIES OF GHOST STORIES. CAWOOD CASTLE.  Anyone conversant with the less-known judicial records of the past, is well aware that supernatural evidence frequently formed an important factor in ancient criminal trials. One of these curious oases is recorded in Aubrey's "Miscellanies," that medley of useful and useless matters, as having taken place in the immediate vicinity of Cawood Castle, Yorkshire. The depositions made at the trial, but for one extraordinary and all-implortant piece elf evidence, were of common-prace type. According  broaght out in the eourse  of 'investigation, the facts" Were these:— On Monday, the 14th of April, 1690, William Barwick was out walking with his wife, Mary Barwick, close to Cawood Castle. From motives not divulged at the trial, although shrewdly Crat by Aubrey, he determined to murder a poed conveniently at hand, he throw her in. Deeming, doubtless, that the body would soon be discovered where it was, be went the next day to the place, procured a huge spade, and, getting the corpse out of the water, made a grave close by, and buried it. Apparently satisfied that no one had witnessed his ghastly deed, Barwick actually went on the day he had committed the murder to his wife's sister, and informed her husband, Thomas Lofthouse, that he had Waken his wife to a relative's house in Selby, and left her there: Lofthouse, however, according to his deposition on oath, avtr.ed that on the Tuesday after the visit of Barwick, "cheat half an hour after twelve of the clock, in the day-tline, he was watering quieltwood, and es hewas going for the second pail, there appeared, walking before him an apparition in the shape of a woman. Soc:n after she sat down over against the pond, on a green hill. Ho walked by her as ho wont to the pond, and as he came with the pea of water from the pond, looked sideways to see If she sat in the same place which he saw she did." The witness then observed that the apparition was dandling " aomething like a vrhite bag " on her lap, evidently suggestive, indeed, of her unborn babe that was slain with her. Lofthouse now emptied his pail of water, so he averred, and then stood in the yard of his house, to see if he could still see the woman' a Agues, but she had disappeared. He described her attire as exactly similar to that worn by his sister-in-law at the time of her mender, but remarked that she looked extremely pale, and that her teeth were visible, "liar visage being like his wife's sister." Notwithstanding the horror ot this apparition Lofthouse, according to Aubrey'a account, aid not mention anything about it to his wife till night-time, when, at his family duty of prayers, the thoughts of the apparition were so overpowering, that they interrupted his -devotion. After he had made an end of his prayers, therefore, he told the whole story of what he had sewn to his wile, "who, laying the whole circumstances together, immediately inferred that her sister was either drowned or othewitte murdered, and desired her husband to look ater her the next day, which was Wednesday in Easter week." Lofthonee now recalled to mind what Barwick had told him about having left his wife at his uncle's at Selby, and therefore went to him and made inquiries, and found that neither the wan nor his wife had been seen or heard of there. This information, coupled with the appearance of the apparition, increased his suspicions against Barwick to such a degree, that he went before the Lord Mayor of York, and obtained a warrant for the arrest of his brotherin-law.  . The culprit, when arrested, confessed the crime, and the body of the murdered woman being disinterred, was found dressed in clothing similar, apparently, to that worn by the apparition. Ultimately Barwick suffered the extreme penalty of the law for his crime.