The Best Ghost Stories
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"dey Ain't No Ghosts"
Once 'pon a time dey was a li'l' black boy whut he name was Mose. An' whin he come erlong to be 'bout knee-high to a mewel, he 'gin to git powerful 'fraid ob ghosts, 'ca'se dat am sure a mighty ghostly location whut he lib' in, 'ca'se dey's a g... A Genuine Ghost
(Philadelphia _Press_, March 25, 1884) DAYTON, O., March 25.--A thousand people surround the grave yard in Miamisburg, a town near here, every night to witness the antics of what appears to be a genuine ghost. There is no doubt about the existence... A Ghost That Will Not Down
(Cincinnati _Enquirer_, Sept. 30, 1884) GRANTSVILLE, W. VA., September 30.--The ghost of Betts' farm will not lay. Something over a year ago the _Enquirer_ contained an account or an occult influence or manifestation at the farm house of Mr. Colli... A Man Though Naked May Be In Rags
The coroner rose from his seat and stood beside the dead man. Lifting an edge of the sheet he pulled it away, exposing the entire body, altogether naked and showing in the candle-light a claylike yellow. It had, however, broad maculations of bluish ... A Model Ghost Story
(Boston _Courier_, Aug. 10) A very singular story which forms one of the sensational social topics of the day is the best authenticated of the many stories of the supernatural that have been lately told. Only a short time ago a young and well-kno... An Apparition And Death
The old family seat of the T.'s, one of the most prominent names in the community, is not far from the scenes of the above-mentioned adventure. In all this region of lovely situations and charming water views, its site is one of the most beautiful. ... An Explanation From The Tomb
In the diary of the late Hugh Morgan are certain interesting entries having, possibly, a scientific value as suggestions. At the inquest upon his body the book was not put in evidence; possibly the coroner thought it not worth while to confuse the j... An Idiot Ghost With Brass Buttons
(Philadelphia _Press_, June 16, 1889) In a pretty but old-fashioned house in Stuyvesant square--ghosts like squares, I think--is another ghost. This house stood empty for several years, and about six years ago a gentleman, his wife and little daug... Banshees
Of all Irish ghosts, fairies, or bogles, the Banshee (sometimes called locally the "Boh[=ee]ntha" or "Bank[=ee]ntha") is the best known to the general public: indeed, cross-Channel visitors would class her with pigs, potatoes, and other fauna and... Canon Alberic's Scrap-book
St. Bertrand de Comminges is a decayed town on the spurs of the Pyrenees, not very far from Toulouse, and still nearer to Bagneres-de-Luchon. It was the site of a bishopric until the Revolution, and has a cathedral which is visited by a certain... Dr Funk Sees The Spirit Of Beecher
(New York _Herald_, April 4, 1903) While he will not admit that he is a believer in spiritualism, the Rev. Dr. Isaac Funk, head of the publishing house of Funk & Wagnalls, is so impressed with manifestations he has received from the spirit of Henr... Drummers See A Specter
(St Louis _Globe-Democrat_, Oct. 6, 1887) [The last man in the world to be accused of a belief in the supernatural would be your go-ahead, hard-headed American "drummer" or traveling-man. Yet here is a plain tale of how not one but two of the west... Ghosts In Connecticut
(N.Y. _Sun_, Sept. 1, 1885) "There is as much superstition in New-England to-day as there was in those old times when they slashed Quakers and built bonfires for witches." It was a New York man who gave expression to this rather startling stateme... Maryland Ghosts
(_Baltimore American_, May, 1886) For forty years the Rev. Dr. B. has been the rector of a prominent parish on the Eastern Shore. He had, when the scenes recorded below happened twenty-two years ago, a mission charge sixteen miles distant from th... Mr Beecher Appeased
"When what seemed to be Mr. Beecher's embodied spirit appeared to me," Dr. Funk said, "I asked that very question. He smiled and replied that it was not a matter that concerned him especially, and that the whole thing was in the nature of a test, to... Mystery Of The Coins
Dr. Funk was especially anxious to have an opportunity to see and talk with Mr. Beecher, in the hope that light would be thrown on the mystery which surrounds a previous manifestation. Through the spirit of one "Jack" Rakestraw, who says he used to ... One Does Not Always Eat What Is On The Table
By the light of a tallow candle which had been placed on one end of a rough table a man was reading something written in a book. It was an old account book, greatly worn; and the writing was not, apparently, very legible, for the man sometimes held ... Some Famous Ghosts Of The National Capitol
(Philadelphia _Press_, Oct. 2, 1898) The Capitol at Washington is probably the most thoroughly haunted building in the world. Not less than fifteen well-authenticated ghosts infest it, and some of them are of a more than ordinarily alarming cha... Some Real American Ghosts The Giant Ghost
A case in point is the Benton, Indiana, ghost, which is attracting much attention. It has been seen and investigated by many people with reputations for intelligence and good sense, but so far no explanation of the strange appearance has been f... The Apparition Of Mrs Veal
This relation is matter of fact, and attended with such circumstances, as may induce any reasonable man to believe it. It was sent by a gentleman, a justice of peace, at Maidstone, in Kent, and a very intelligent person, to his friend in Lo... The Baggageman's Ghost
"The corpses of the passengers killed in the disaster up at Spuyten Duyvil was fetched down here and laid out in[1] The room was darkened and I could just make out the out that storage room," said a Grand Central depot baggageman. "That's what give ... The Fascination Of The Ghost Story
What is the fascination we feel for the mystery of the ghost story? Is it of the same nature as the fascination which we feel for the mystery of the detective story? Of the latter fascination, the late Paul Armstrong used to say that it wa... The Ghost Of Peg Alley's Point
Peg Alley's Point is a long and narrow strip of wooded land, situated between the main stream of Miles river and one of the navigable creeks which flow into it. This little peninsula is about two miles long, from fifty to three hundred yards in widt... The House And The Brain
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?--and by what? ghosts?" ... The Interval
Mrs. Wilton passed through a little alley leading from one of the gates which are around Regent's Park, and came out on the wide and quiet street. She walked along slowly, peering anxiously from side to side so as not to overlook the number... The Man Who Went Too Far
The little village of St. Faith's nestles in a hollow of wooded hill up on the north bank of the river Fawn in the county of Hampshire, huddling close round its gray Norman church as if for spiritual protection against the fays and fairies, the... The Phantom 'rickshaw
"May no ill dreams disturb my rest, Nor Powers of Darkness me molest." --_Evening Hymn._ One of the few advantages that India has over England is a certain great Knowability. After... The Rival Ghosts
The good ship sped on her way across the calm Atlantic. It was an outward passage, according to the little charts which the company had charily distributed, but most of the passengers were homeward bound, after a summer of rest and recreation, ... The Silent Woman
The uproarious merriment of a wedding-feast burst forth into the night from a brilliantly lighted house in the "gasse" (narrow street). It was one of those nights touched with the warmth of spring, but dark and full of soft mist. Most fitting i... The Spook Of Diamond Island
(St. Louis _Globe-Democrat_, Sept. 18, 1888) HARDEN, Ill., Sept. 18.--For some time past rumors have been circulated in Hardin to the effect that Diamond Island, in the river about two miles from this place, was the home of a ghost. The stories co... The Woman's Ghost Story
"Yes," she said, from her seat in the dark corner, "I'll tell you an experience if you care to listen. And, what's more, I'll tell it briefly, without trimmings--I mean without unessentials. That's a thing story-tellers never do, you know," she l... Tom Cypher's Phantom Engine
(Seattle _Press-Times_, Jan. 10, 1892) Locomotive engineers are as a class said to be superstitious, but J.M. Pinckney, an engineer known to almost every Brotherhood man, is an exception to the rule. He has never been able to believe the different... What May Happen In A Field Of Wild Oats
". . . The sun had hardly risen when we left the house. We were looking for quail, each with a shotgun, but we had only one dog. Morgan said that our best ground was beyond a certain ridge that he pointed out, and we crossed it by a trail through th...