The Sun. — 1844-03-29 (London, England)

PROVINCIAL PHYSICIAN.  THE HAMPSTHWAITE GHOST. • Perhaps no similar affair, if we except the Colliugham ghost, has greated greater consternation in the minds of the credulous and superstitious, nor caused more speculative opinions among those more sceptical and better informed than to allow these remains of dark and superstitious ages to take possession of their minds, in this age of reason and refinement, than that of the Hampsthwaite ghost, as mentioned in the Conrant of the 14th instant. It has been the country gossip for many miles round, and numbers have flocked to the place from different neighbouring towns and villages to witness, if possible, its nocturnal peregrinations and internal antics. Some have been so much alarmed by this invisible visitant from t,be world of spirits, as they supposed, as to declare they would never again, while clothed in matter, seek the society of such an immaterial being. While others, of stronger nerve, and better judgment, have expressed their opinions that it was not a disembodied spirit, but the work of a biped or quadruped, yet still without being enabled to detect the of.. fender ; and the whole matter has been enveloped in the most profound mystery until a few days ago, when we understand the Rev. Mr. Shann, who is the owner of the property, and not willing to be persuaded nor easy to be duped by such a strange affair, procured the assistance of an active and ingenious policeman, from Leeds, who by lodging three nights upon the premises, unravelled the whole mystery. And surely a more ingenious contrivance, or better conducted scheme, could not have been put in operation for this purpose than the one referred to. It is supposed to have been the freaks of the servant girl. She had, in some part of the house, concealed from view, a ball suspended by a string, and to that another string was connected similar to the connections of a bell-wire ; this was constructed in such a manner as to allow the ball to come in contact with a thin ceiling, or partition, when pulled by the attached string, which caused the ball to rebound with a greater or less degree of force to suit the caprices of the operator, which by her mechanical skill, in working either by light or strong jerks, made the noise appear either in a remote part of the house or near at hand. This was the greatest perplexity to those who went for the purpose of discovering the affair ; while at one moment it seemed almost lost in the distance, at the next, booming close in the ear. In addition to the the above mechanical contrivance, she had also others, it is said, by scratching and thumping on the floor when opportunities offered. Since the above discoveries, the girl has been dismissed from her situation, and since then this evanescent intruder has discontinued its visits. What can have been the motive of this foolish girl, or whether she has had instigators, we cannot tell, but some of the ultra-suspicious gossips in the neighbourhood, and who love to dwell upon the marvellous, assert that she is possessed of a demoniacal spirit, and that since the commencement of these fantastic freaks, they have discovered an alteration in her general appearance, especially by a strange obliquity of vision. We understand that she is a nativo of Kirkby.Overblow, and has been in Dalby's service three years. Does it not appear strange that this affair should have been so long concealed from the inmates of the house, especially as Miss Dalby, as we are informed, was her sleeping partner ?—Correspondent of the Yorh Ootrot,  Major-General Sir Robert Sale is to be Quartermaster-General to the Queen's Troops in India, vice Churchill. deceased. PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE,—We understand that 11014 A shloy Mitouplai6s extending his benevolent exertions to the case of the unhappy officials compelled to sit during the debates in the House of Commons. The Ten Hours' Bill for the regulation of the factories is to be followed by a measure limiting the speeches of certain long-winded Members to a duration of only ten mitinte§! Thl§ §chone is to be introclueeft ?I,§ Tsll.l 3111inte Pill far the regulation of the unsaiis-factories.—Punch. THE CONVICTED MURDERER,—The execution of George Lowther, who is now lying in Yorlr Castle, order septenee of death, for th@ 111nrtier of the gamekeeper of the Marquis of Normanhy, will take place on Saturday, the 13th of Apra, should a reprieve not be received in the interim.— York Courant.  - ---