Bridgend Chronicle, Cowbridge, Llantrisant, and Maesteg Advertiser. — 1883-12-07 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

EXTRAORDINARY APPARITION AT MAESTEG.  THE GHOST OF A MURDERED MAN.  *though ghosts are not believed in to the extent that they were, and spirits, fairies, kr., in this matter-of-fact age, are very much at a discount. yet there happens sometimes—unless people tell enormous lies—a re-appearance in this world of the departed, the mystery of which cannot be explained away. Very few people now-a-days believe in ghosts, and if a Shakespeare were to write another .• Hamlet," he would most assuredly leave out the ghosts. However, the sceptic might, by paying a nocturnal visit to Craig-y-fedw, have the satisfaction of beholding a real ghost wandering about the locality, stopping outside a dwellinghouse, and sometimes entering it. The trouble. signs made by ghosts were nightly heard for some weeks past at this dwelling-house—a loud, rumbling noise; banging of doors; and clattering of windows occurring in the night time. Tile inmates, disturbed and annoyed by this continual uproar, were greatly perplexed in not discovering the cause of it. A member of the family one night, while still seeking to solve the mystery, saw a man sitting on the window-sill outside; there was nothing extraordinary in that, but on the following night, when the usual noise was heard, the same figure was again seen, and on being ap' proached it vanished. The inmates by this time grew alarmed, and quitted the house, and told the neighbours what they had seen and heard, and a description Owen of the man, or ghost. He wore his cap on one side, had on a monkey jacket, buttoned up, and a moleskin trousers. The curiosity of the neighbours was roused, end some who watched the house recognised the figure as that of Edward John, who was murdered near that spot about twenty years ago. Edward John had been drinking at the house which he now haunts; it was then a beerhouse. He left the house at closing time, and was never afterwards seen alive. His body was hound next morning in the river, and bore evidence of foul play. There was very little water in the river, and the assumption of death by drowning ems contradicted by the doctor. the head and other parts of the body had been badly beaten. An inquest was held, and an open verdict returned. Noose was charged of being cmcerned in the murder, and the mystery attending Sled Jones's death remains unsolved to the present day. There were three men residing in the locality who were strongly suspected by the people of being the perpetrators of the murder, but there wits no evidence to jeatify the least suspicion, and, therefore, they could not be interfered with. A short time before the murder some cattle in the place had been mutilated by having toeir tongues cut out. Ned John said while at wok that he could, if he chose, tell who were the men who mutilated the animal,. Dead men tell no tales. Such wee the expression tilted as explaining the motive for the murder. Various are the speculations as to the object of the ghost in re-visiting the place. Some propose that two or three persons should in.erview it, while others affirm that the figure is the devil. and object to the visit on that ground. This assertion was met by the rejoinder that if Satan appeared in human shape he was never perfectly like a man. Some of his limbs would be out of proportion to the rest of MS body; he would have cloven feet, Au.. and he was obliged to curl up and conceal his tail in some ports of his clothing, for, whatever shape he took, he could not get rid of the tail; that often, too, the devil ' was disguised as a large drake, and tide awful quack I was enough to frighten people out of their wits. It was in this form that the de'il fiightened Tam 0' Shanter  Ae dreary, windy, winter night, rhe stars shot down we sklentin light, We you mysel' I got a fright, Ayont the lough ; Ye, like a rash-buih, stood in sight Wit' waving sough. rhe cudgel in my niers did shako, FAch bristled hair stood likes stake,  When wi an eldritch stour 'quatek! quick !' Among the springs; A wa' ye squattered like a drake On whistling wings." It is, however, agree 1 that the visitor at Craig-y-frdw is a genuine ghost, and there is little else spoken about in that locality just now. The inter view proposed, if the ghost will speak, will doubtless be very interesting.