The Ghostly Adventurer
Scary Books: Apparitions; Or, The Mystery Of Ghosts, Hobgoblins, And Haunted HousesAbout thirty years ago, some labouring mechanics met one Saturday
evening, after receiving their wages, at a public-house, near Rippon, in
Yorkshire, for the purpose of enjoying themselves convivially, after the
cares and fatigues of the week. The glass circulated freely: every man
told his story, or sung a song; and various were the subjects of
conversation. At length that of courage was introduced; every man now
cons
to operate. One boasted his skill as a pugilist, and related how many
battles he had fought, and came off victorious; another related a
dreadful encounter he had lately had with a mad dog, whom he overpowered
and left dead on the field; a third told a story of his sleeping in a
haunted house, and his conversation with a dreadful ghost. In short,
various and extravagant were the different tales they told; until one,
who had hitherto remained silent, arose, and told them that,
notwithstanding their boasted courage, he would wager a bet of five
guineas, that not one of the company had resolution sufficient to go to
the bone-house, in the parish church-yard (which was about a mile
distant), and bring a skull from thence with him, and place it on the
table before the guests. This wager was soon accepted by one of the
party, who immediately set off on his expedition to the church-yard. The
wag who had proposed the bet, and who knew a nearer by-way to the
bone-house than his opponent had taken, requested of the landlady to
lend him a white sheet, and that he would soon cool this heroic man's
courage. The landlady, who enjoyed the joke, complied with his request,
lent him the sheet, and off set our wag with the utmost speed. He
arrived at the bone-house first, threw the sheet over him, and placed
himself in one corner, waiting the arrival of his comrade. Presently
after enters the first man, with slow deliberate pace; and observing a
figure in white, he felt himself greatly alarmed (as he afterwards
acknowledged). However, he resumed his courage, advanced, stooped down,
and picked up a skull. Immediately the phantom exclaimed, in a deep and
hollow tone, "That's my father's skull!" "Well then," replied the
adventurer, "if it be thy father's skull, take it." So down he laid it,
and took up another; when the figure replied, in the same hollow tone,
"That's my mother's skull!" "Well then," the other again replied, "if
it be thy mother's skull, take it." So down he laid it, and took up a
third. The apparition now, in a tremendously awful manner, cried out,
"That's my skull!" "If it be the devil's skull, I'll have it!"
answered the hero; and off he ran with it in his hand, greatly
terrified, and the spectre after him.
In his flight through the church-yard, he stumbled over a tomb-stone,
and fell; which occasioned the ghost likewise to fall upon him, which
increased not a little his fright. However, he soon extricated himself,
and again bent his flight towards the inn, which he soon reached; and,
bolting suddenly into the room, exclaimed, with terrific countenance,
his hair standing on end, "Here is the skull you sent me for: but, by
George, the right owner's coming for it!" Saying which, down went the
skull, and instantly appeared the figure with the white sheet on. This
unexpected intrusion so much frightened all the company, that they ran
out of the house as fast as possible, really believing it was an
apparition from the tombs come to punish them for their sacrilegious
theft. Such power has fear over the strongest mind when taken by
surprise! The undaunted adventurer, however, won his wager; which was
spent at the same house the Saturday following, when the joke was
universally allowed to be a very good one.
More
-
The Credulous Peasants
No longer ago than the year 1788, when the husbandmen of Paris suffered so severely by the devastation on the 13th of July in that year, many of the farmers were positively so superstitious at their own created fears, that, notwithstanding conside... The Cripplegate Ghost
The following story, well authenticated in the neighbourhood of Cripplegate, will convince the reader, that vicious intentions are sometimes productive of much good to the parties they intended to injure. A gentlewoman in that parish, having la... The Cry Of The Peacock
'Damn the dice!' cried the elder of the two players, in a spasm of rage; 'damn my ill-luck--damn everything!' and as he shouted his imprecations he regarded his opponent askance, as if including him in his malediction. ''Twas a thousand to one ... The Dead Man And Anatomical Professor
Many, who were personally acquainted with Mr. Junker, have frequently heard him relate the following anecdote. Being Professor of Anatomy, he once procured, for dissection, the bodies of two criminals who had been hanged. The key of the dissecti... The Dead Valley
I have a friend, Olof Ehrensvaerd, a Swede by birth, who yet, by reason of a strange and melancholy mischance of his early boyhood, has thrown his lot with that of the New World. It is a curious story of a headstrong boy and a proud and relentless... The Death Bogle Of The Cross Roads And The Inextinguishable Candle Of The Old White House Pitlochry
Several years ago, bent on revisiting Perthshire, a locality which had great attractions for me as a boy, I answered an advertisement in a popular ladies' weekly. As far as I can recollect, it was somewhat to this effect: Comfortable home offered ... The Deserted House
ERNEST THEODOR AMADEUS HOFFMANN You know already that I spent the greater part of last summer in X----, began Theodore. The many old friends and acquaintances I found there, the free, jovial life, the manifold artistic and intellectual interest... The Devils Of Loudun
Loudun is a small town in France about midway between the ancient and romantic cities of Tours and Poitiers. To-day it is an exceedingly unpretentious and an exceedingly sleepy place; but in the seventeenth century it was in vastly better estate. ... The Diary Of Mr Poynter
The sale-room of an old and famous firm of book auctioneers in London is, of course, a great meeting-place for collectors, librarians, dealers: not only when an auction is in progress, but perhaps even more notably when books that are coming on fo... The Dominican Friar
An Extraordinary Event that happened lately at Aix-la-Chapelle. As the following story, which is averred to be authentic, and to have happened very lately, may serve to shew, that the stories of this kind, with which the public are, from time to... The Doppel-ganger
So this was the old home--the cradle of his race! Percy Osbaldistone of Osbaldistone Tower gazed curiously about him in what had formerly been the library, and espied a capacious Queen Anne chair by the fireside which looked inviting. Having ... The Double Mistake Or College Ghost
Mr. Samuel Foote, the celebrated comedian, played the following trick upon Doctor Gower, who was then provost of his college, a man of considerable learning, but rather of a grave pedantic turn of mind. The church belonging to the college fronte... The Dovecote
This is a department, in itself, not common among the farm buildings, in the United States; and for the reason, probably, that the domestic pigeon, or house-dove, is usually kept more for amusement than for profit—there being little actual profit abo... The Drummer Of Cortachy
What ancient Scottish or Irish family has not its Family Ghost? A banshee--the heritage of Niall of the Nine Hostages--is still the unenviable possession of his descendants, the O'Donnells, and I, who am a member of the clan, have both seen and he... The Drummer Of Tedworth
There have been drummers a plenty in all countries and all ages, but there surely has never been the equal of the drummer of Tedworth. His was the distinction to inspire terror the length and breadth of a kingdom, to set a nation by the ears--nay,... The Drunken Bucks And Chimney-sweep
On March the 19th, 1765, four bucks assembled at an inn in Grantham, to drink a glass, and play a game of cards. The glass circulating very briskly, before midnight they became so intoxicated, that not one of them was able to determine how the gam... The Dutiful Son
At the foot of the Oriental-Perfume-Mountain, in one of the most beautiful places of this celebrated district, the passers-by could see a small lodge. Chou The-favourable lived there with his mother. He was still young, being only thirty years old... The Dwarf Hunters
The heavy summer in the South is particularly hard to bear for those who are ill. The damp heat keeps them awake, and thousands of insects trouble their rest. Wang Little-third-one, stretched on his bed made of bamboo laths, where a low fever k... The Eight-mile Lock
It was in the August of 1889, when I was just arranging my annual holiday, that I received the following letter. I tore it open and read:— "Theodora House-boat, Goring. "Dear Mr. Bell,— "Can you come down on Wednesday and stay with u... The Fakenham Ghost
The lawns were dry in Euston Park; (Here truth inspires my tale) The lonely footpath, still and dark, Led over hill and dale. Benighted was an ancient dame, And fearful haste she made To gain the vale of Fake... The Fault And Its Consequences
When Dawning-colour was on the point of dying, he called his mother to him. "Mother," he said, "I am going to die. I do not wish White-orchid, my young wife, to feel herself bound to keep the widowhood. When her mourning will be finished, she w... The Female Fanatic And Heavenly Visitor
The following curious affair happened a few years since at Paris, and is well attested by a gentleman of the greatest respectability. A widow-lady, aged about sixty-two, who lodged in a two-pair-of-stairs floor, in the Rue de la Ferronnerie, wit... The Female Sprites
In September 1764, the following extraordinary incident happened in the family of a clergyman then living in Bartholomew Close. The gentleman and his wife returning home about eleven o'clock from a friend's house, where they had been to spend th... The Floating Head Of The Benrachett Inn Near The Perth Road Dundee
Some years ago, when I was engaged in collecting cases for a book I contemplated publishing, on Haunted Houses in England and Wales, I was introduced to an Irish clergyman, whose name I have forgotten, and whom I have never met since. Had the inci... The Floating Wonder Or Female Spectre
The bridge over the river Usk, near Caerleon, in Wales, is formed of wood, and very curiously constructed, the tide rising occasionally to the almost incredible height of fifty or sixty feet. The boards which compose the flooring of this bridge be... The Four-fifteen Express
AMELIA B. EDWARDS The events which I am about to relate took place between nine and ten years ago. Sebastopol had fallen in the early spring, the peace of Paris had been concluded since March, our commercial relations with the Russian Empire we... The Fresco
In the Great Highway of Eternal Fixity, Mong Flowing-spring and his friend Choo Little-lotus were slowly walking, clothed in the long light green dress of the students. They had both just passed with success their third literary examination, an... The Frightened Carrier
In October 1813, a little before midnight, as one of the carriers between Nottingham and Loughborough, was passing near the village of Rempstone, he was extremely surprised at meeting what he thought was a funeral procession, marching in a most so... The Ghost In Love
On the 15th day of the First Moon, in the second year of the period of "Renewed Principles," the streets of the town of the Eastern Lake were thronged with people who were strolling about. At the setting of the sun every shop was brightly lit up... The Ghost Of Miser Brimpson
BY EDEN PHILLPOTTS I Penniless and proud he was; and that pair don't draw a man to pleasant places when they be in double harness. There's only one thing can stop 'em if they take the bit between their teeth, and that's a woman. So there, you ... The Ghost Of The Hindoo Child Or The Hauntings Of The White Dove Hotel Near St Swithin's Street Aberdeen
In the course of many years' investigation of haunted houses, I have naturally come in contact with numerous people who have had first-hand experiences with the Occult. Nurse Mackenzie is one of these people. I met her for the first time last year... The Ghost On Ship-board
A gentleman of high respectability in the navy relates the following story. "When on a voyage to New York, we had not been four days at sea, before an occurrence of a very singular nature broke in upon our quiet. It was a ghost! One night, when... The Ghost Seen By Lord Brougham
It is comparatively easy, when seated before a roaring fire in a well-lighted room, to sneer ghosts out of existence, and roundly affirm that they are without exception the fanciful products of a heated imagination. But the matter takes on a very ... The Ghost That Got The Button
BY WILL ADAMS One autumn evening, when the days were shortening and the darkness fell early on Hotchkiss and the frost was beginning to adorn with its fine glistening lace the carbine barrels of the night sentries as they walked post, Sergeants... The Ghost-extinguisher
BY GELETT BURGESS My attention was first called to the possibility of manufacturing a practicable ghost-extinguisher by a real-estate agent in San Francisco. "There's one thing," he said, "that affects city property here in a curious way. You... The Ghost-ship
BY RICHARD MIDDLETON Fairfield is a little village lying near the Portsmouth Road, about halfway between London and the sea. Strangers, who now and then find it by accident, call it a pretty, old-fashioned place; we who live in it and call it h... The Ghostly Adventurer
About thirty years ago, some labouring mechanics met one Saturday evening, after receiving their wages, at a public-house, near Rippon, in Yorkshire, for the purpose of enjoying themselves convivially, after the cares and fatigues of the week. The... The Grey Piper And The Heavy Coach Of Donaldgowerie House Perth
Donaldgowerie House, until comparatively recent times, stood on the outskirts of Perth. It was a long, low, rambling old place, dating back to the beginning of the seventeenth century. At the time of the narrative it was in the possession of a Mr.... The Hammersmith Ghost
In the year 1804, the inhabitants of Hammersmith were much alarmed by a nocturnal appearance; which, for a considerable time, eluded detection or discovery. In the course of this unfortunate affair, two innocent persons met with an untimely death;... The Haunted Ale-house
'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,' so Donald Macgregor muttered to himself as he strode cautiously down the water of Coquet, halting at the many crooks of that wayward water to spy out the land as he went forward. He had already good... The Haunted Beach Or Power Of Conscience On A Murderer
BY MRS. ROBINSON. Upon a lonely desert beach, Where the white foam was scatter'd, A little shed uprear'd its head, Though lofty barks were shatter'd. The sea-weeds gath'ring near the door, A sombre path displ... The Haunted Bed-room
A young gentleman, going down from London to the west of England, to the house of a very worthy gentleman, to whom he had the honour to be related; it happened, that the gentleman's house was at that time full, by season of a kinswoman's wedding, ... The Haunted Castle
The castle of Ardivillers, near Breteuil, was reported to be haunted by evil spirits. Dreadful noises were heard; and flames were seen, by night, to issue from various apertures. The farmer who was entrusted with the care of the house, in the abse... The Haunted Photograph
BY RUTH McENERY STUART To the ordinary observer it was just a common photograph of a cheap summer hotel. It hung sumptuously framed in plush, over the Widow Morris's mantel, the one resplendent note in an otherwise modest home, in a characteris... The Haunting Of The Wesleys
The Rev. Samuel Wesley is chiefly known to posterity as the father of the famous John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, and of the hardly less famous Charles Wesley. But the Rev. Samuel has further claims to remembrance. If he gave to the world Jo... The Hauntings Of ---- House In The Neighbourhood Of The Great Western Road Aberdeen
The following experience of a haunting is that of Mr. Scarfe, who told it me some few summers ago, expressing at the same time great eagerness to accompany me on some of my investigations. I append it as nearly as possible in his own words:-- ... The Heroic Midshipman Or Church-yard Encounter
At a respectable inn, in a market-town, in the west of England, some few years since, a regular set of the inhabitants met every evening to smoke their pipes, and pass a convivial hour. The conversation, as is usual at those places, was generally ... The House And The Brain
LORD EDWARD BULWER-LYTTON A friend of mine, who is a man of letters and a philosopher, said to me one day, as if between jest and earnest: "Fancy! since we last met, I have discovered a haunted house in the midst of London." "Really haunted?-... The Hypochondriac Gentleman And The Jack-ass
A sober gentleman of very great respectability, who was low-spirited and hypochondriac to a degree, was at times so fanciful, that almost every rustling noise he heard was taken for an apparition or hobgoblin. It happened that he was abroad at a... The Ideot's Funeral
The following extraordinary affair happened about ten years since, at a village in the north of England. About midnight, the minister of the parish was not a little alarmed at hearing the church bell tolling. He immediately dispatched one of his... The Inextinguishable Candle Of The Old White House
There was once a house, known as The Old White House, that used to stand by the side of the road, close to where you say the horse first took fright. Some people of the name of Holkitt, relations of dear old Sir Arthur Holkitt, and great friends of ... The Innocent Devil Or Agreeable Disappointment
The following story is extracted from a letter I received, some time since, from a friend, on the subject of apparitions. "Returning, one evening in the summer, to my apartments, at a short distance from town, I was invited by my landlady, a bri... The Lady And The Ghost
BY ROSE CECIL O'NEILL It was some moments before the Lady became rationally convinced that there was something occurring in the corner of the room, and then the actual nature of the thing was still far from clear. "To put it as mildly as poss... The Lady Of The Black Tower
BY MRS. ROBINSON. "Watch no more the twinkling stars; Watch no more the chalky bourne; Lady, from the holy wars Never will thy love return! Cease to watch, and cease to mourn; Thy lover never will retur... The Last Ghost In Harmony
BY NELSON LLOYD From his perch on the blacksmith's anvil he spoke between the puffs of his post-prandial pipe. The fire in the forge was out and the day was going slowly, through the open door of the shop and the narrow windows, westward to the... The Laughing Ghost
Siu Long-mountain was one of the most celebrated students of the district of Perfect-flowers. Having mastered the mysterious theories of the ancient Classics, he took a fancy in the researches of the Taoist magicians, whose temples may be found in... The Leaden Ring
"It is not possible, Julia. I cannot conceive how the idea of attending the county ball can have entered your head after what has happened. Poor young Hattersley's dreadful death suffices to stop that." "But, aunt, Mr. Hattersley is no relation ... The Lord Warden's Tomb
My companion had surprised me by a sudden change of demeanour, for which I could not account, and I was watching him out of the tail of my eye from behind a pillar in the nave of the church which we were exploring. We had just been viewing the rec... The Lunatic Apparition
The celebrated historian De Thou had a very singular adventure at Saumer, in the year 1598. One night, having retired to rest, very much fatigued, while he was enjoying a sound sleep, he felt a very extraordinary weight upon his feet, which, havin... The Maniac Or Fatal Effects Of Wanton Mischief
Some years ago, a very intelligent, handsome, and promising youth, whose names is Henry Pargeter Lewis, the son of a respectable attorney, in the town of Dudley, was placed for a probationary time, previously to an intended apprenticeship, with a ... The Marble Arch
When the troubles began to break out in Hankow, many families were alarmed. Those who were not ignorant of the powerful organisation of the revolutionists left the town as soon as possible, anticipating that it would soon be plundered and burnt. ... The Merewigs
During the time that I lived in Essex, I had the pleasure of knowing Major Donelly, retired on half-pay, who had spent many years in India; he was a man of great powers of observation, and possessed an inexhaustible fund of information of the most... The Milkman And Church-yard Ghost
A man much addicted to the heinous sin of drunkenness, in coming home late one winter's night, had to cross Stepney church-yard; where, close to the foot path, a deep grave had been opened the day before. He, being very drunk, staggered into the g... The Mother Of Pansies
Anna Voss, of Siebenstein, was the prettiest girl in her village. Never was she absent from a fair or a dance. No one ever saw her abroad anything but merry. If she had her fits of bad temper, she kept them for her mother, in the secrecy of the ho... The Mummy's Foot
BY THEOPHILE GAUTIER I had sauntered idly into the shop of one of those dealers in old curiosities--"bric-a-brac" as they say in that Parisian argot, so absolutely unintelligible elsewhere in France. You have no doubt often glanced through the ... The Muniment Room
My uncle had succeeded late in life to the family estate in the north of England, which was situated on the wild moorland of north-west Yorkshire. With him the entail would end, and though it was known that the estate had been much impoverished... The Mysterious Island
In the beautiful Chu-san archipelago there is a small island where the flowers never cease blooming, and where the trees grow thick and high. From the most remote antiquity nobody has been known to live in the shade of this virgin forest; the fern... The Mysterious Mr Home
"So you've brought the devil to my house, have you?" "No, no, aunty, no! It's not my fault." With an angry gesture the woman, tall, large boned, harsh visaged, pushed back her chair and advanced threateningly toward the pale, anemic looking y... The Mysterious Sketch
ERCKMANN-CHATRIAN I Opposite the chapel of Saint Sebalt in Nuremberg, at the corner of Trabaus Street, there stands a little tavern, tall and narrow, with a toothed gable and dusty windows, whose roof is surmounted by a plaster Virgin. It wa... The Mystery Of The Circular Chamber
One day in late September I received the following letter from my lawyer:— "My Dear Bell,— "I shall esteem it a favour if you can make it convenient to call upon me at ten o'clock to-morrow morning on a matter of extreme privacy." At the a... The Mystery Of The Felwyn Tunnel
I was making experiments of some interest at South Kensington, and hoped that I had perfected a small but not unimportant discovery, when, on returning home one evening in late October in the year 1893, I found a visiting card on my table. On it were i... The Nocturnal Disturbers
The following authentic story is related by Dr. Plot, in his Natural History of Oxfordshire. Soon after the murder of King Charles the First, a commission was appointed to survey the King's house at Woodstock, with the manor, park, woods, and o...