Real Ghost Stories
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William T. Stead >> Real Ghost Stories
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_How a Double Saved a Life._
The Rev. Mr. Talbot, the father of my late pastor, gave me the following
account of the apparition:--
"My mother had an extraordinary power of foreseeing and also of seeing
visions. Of her premonitions and dreams I could give you many instances;
but as that is not the point at present, I will give you the narrative
of her other faculty, that of seeing spiritual or phantasmal forms which
were not visible to others. We were sitting at tea one evening when my
mother suddenly exclaimed, 'Dear me, Mrs. Lister is coming up the path,
with her handkerchief to her eyes as if crying, on her way to the door.
What can have brought her out at this time? There seems to be something
the matter with her head. I will go to the door and let her in.' So
saying, my mother arose and went to the front door, where she firmly
expected to find Mrs. Lister. None of the rest of us had seen Mrs.
Lister come up the path, but as our attention might have been occupied
in another direction we did not think anything of it. To my mother's
astonishment, when she reached the door Mrs. Lister was not visible. She
came back into the room much disturbed. 'There is something the matter
with Mrs. Lister,' she said. 'I am certain there is. Yoke the horse and
we will drive over at once to the Listers' house'--which stood about one
mile from our place--'and see what is the matter.'
"My father, knowing from of old that mother had reason for what she
said, yoked the horse and drove off with my mother as rapidly as
possible to Lister's house. When they arrived there they knocked at the
door; there was no answer. Opening the door they found no one
downstairs. My mother then went to Mrs. Lister's bedroom and found the
unfortunate lady, apparently breathing her last, lying in a pool of
blood. Her husband, in a fit of insanity, had severely beaten her and
left her for dead, and then went and drowned himself in a pond.
"My father immediately went off for a doctor, who was able to stitch up
Mrs. Lister's worst wounds and arrest the bleeding. In the end Mrs.
Lister recovered, owing her life entirely to the fortunate circumstance
that at the moment of losing consciousness she had apparently been able
to project a visual phantasm of herself before the window of our
tea-room. She was a friend of my mother's, and no doubt in her dire
extremity had longed for her company. This longing in Mrs. Lister, in
some way unknown to us, probably produced the appearance which startled
my mother and led to her prompt appearance on the scene of the tragedy."
This story was told me by Mr. Talbot, who was then a boy, seated at the
table at which his mother witnessed the apparition, and was regarded by
him as absolutely true. Evidence in support of it now will be somewhat
difficult to get, as almost all the witnesses have passed over to the
majority, but I have no reason to doubt the truth of the story.
_More Doubles Seeking Help._
The story of Mrs. Lister's double appearing to Mrs. Talbot when in
imminent peril of death, however it may be scouted by the sceptics, is
at least entirely in accord with many other narratives of the kind.
A member of the Psychical Research Society in Southport sends me the
following account of an apparition of a severely wounded man, which
bears considerable resemblance to Mr. Talbot's, although its evidential
value is nothing like so good. Its importance rests solely in the fact
that the apparition appeared as the result, not of death, but of a very
serious injury which might have had fatal consequences:--
"Some years ago, a lady named L. B. was staying with relations at
Beckenham, her husband being away at a shooting party in Essex. On a
certain afternoon, when she had, as she says, no especial reason for her
husband being recalled to her mind, she was somewhat surprised, on
looking out of her bedroom window, to see him, as she imagined, entering
the front garden gate. Wondering what could have been the cause of the
unexpected arrival, she exclaimed to her sister-in-law, 'Why, there's
Tom!' and went downstairs thinking to meet him entering the house. He
was nowhere to be seen. Not long afterwards there arrived the news that
her husband had been shot accidentally and considerably injured.
Directly they met she related to him her curious vision, and on
comparing notes it was discovered that it had certainly taken place more
or less at the same hour as the accident, the husband declaring that as
he fainted away his wife was most distinctly present in his thoughts.
There was, unfortunately, no means of exactly fixing the hour, but there
was no doubt at the time that the two occurrences--viz. the
hallucination and the accident--must have anyhow taken place within a
short time of one another, if not simultaneously."
Here we have an incident not unlike that which occurred to Mrs.
Talbot--the unexpected apparition of the phantasm or dual body of one
who at the moment was in imminent danger of death. Tales of this class
are somewhat rare, but when they do occur they indicate conclusively
that there is no connection between the apparition of the wraith and the
decease of the person to whom it belongs.
Here is another story that is sent me by a correspondent in Belsize Park
Gardens, who vouches for the _bona fides_ of the lady on whose
authority he tells the tale:--
"A Scotch waitress in my employ, whilst laying the cloth for dinner one
day, was startled by perceiving her father's face looking at her through
the window. She rushed out of the room and opened the front door,
expecting to see him. Greatly surprised at finding no trace of him,
after carefully searching the front garden, and looking up and down the
road, she came in, and sitting down in the hall nearly fainted with
fright. On inquiring for particulars she told me she had distinctly seen
her father's face, with a distressed expression upon it, looking
earnestly at her. She seemed much troubled, and felt sure something was
wrong. A few days after this vision a letter came, saying that her
father (a Scotch gamekeeper) had been thrown from a dog-cart and nearly
killed. She left my employ to go and nurse him."
_Two Doubles Summon a Priest to Their Deathbeds._
The next narrative should rather have come under the head of
premonitions, but as the premonition in this case was accompanied by an
apparition, I include it in the present chapter. It is, in its way, even
more remarkable than Mr. Talbot's story. It is more recent, it is
prophetic, and the apparitions of two living men appeared together to
predict the day of their death. The narrative rests on the excellent
authority of the Rev. Father Fleming, the hard-working Catholic priest
of Slindon, in Sussex. I heard of it from one of his parishioners who is
a friend of mine, and on applying to Father Fleming, he was kind enough
to write out the following account of his strange experience, for the
truth of every word of which he is prepared to vouch. In all the wide
range of spectral literature I know no story that is quite like this:--
"I was spending my usual vacation in Dublin in the year 1868, I may add
very pleasantly, since I was staying at the house of an old friend of my
father's, and whilst there was treated with the attention which is
claimed by an honoured guest, and with as much kindness and heartiness
as if I were a member of his family. I was perfectly comfortable,
perfectly at home. As to my professional engagements, I was free for the
whole time of my holiday, and could not in any manner admit a scruple or
doubt as to the manner in which my work was done in my absence, for a
fully qualified and earnest clergyman was supplying for me. Perhaps this
preamble is necessary to show that my mind was at rest, and that nothing
in the ordinary course of events would have recalled me so suddenly and
abruptly to the scene of my labours at Woolwich. I had about a week of
my unexpired leave of absence yet to run when what I am about to relate
occurred to me. No comment or explanation is offered. It is simply a
narrative.
"I had retired to rest at night, my mind perfectly at rest, and slept,
as young men do in robust health, until about four o'clock in the
morning. It appeared to me about that hour that I was conscious of a
knock at the door. Thinking it to be the man-servant who was accustomed
to call me in the morning, I at once said, 'Come in.' To my surprise
there appeared at the foot of the bed two figures, one a man of medium
height, fair and well fleshed, the other tall, dark, and spare, both
dressed as artisans belonging to Woolwich Arsenal. On asking them what
they wanted, the shorter man replied, 'My name is C----s. I belong to
Woolwich. I died on ---- of ----, and you must attend me.'
"Probably the novelty of the situation and feelings attendant upon it,
prevented me from noticing that he had used the past tense. The reply
which I received to my question from the other man was like in form, 'My
name is M----ll, I belong to Woolwich, I died on ---- of ----, and you
must attend me.' I then remarked that the past tense had been used, and
cried out, 'Stop! You said "died," and the day you mentioned has not
come yet?' at which they both smiled, and added, 'We know this very
well; it was done to fix your attention, but'--and they seemed to say
very earnestly and in a marked manner--'you must attend us!' at which
they disappeared, leaving me awe-stricken, surprised, and thoroughly
aroused from sleep. Whether what I narrate was seen during sleep, or
when wholly awake, I do not pretend to say. It appeared to me that I was
perfectly awake and perfectly conscious. Of this I had no doubt at the
time, and I can scarcely summon up a doubt as to what I heard and saw
whilst I am telling it. As I had lighted my lamp, I rose, dressed, and
seating myself at a table in the room, read and thought, and, I need
hardly say, from time to time prayed, and fervently, until day came.
When I was called in the morning, I sent a message to the lady of the
house to say that I should not go to the University Chapel to say Mass
that morning, and should be present at the usual family breakfast at
nine.
"On entering the dining-room my hostess very kindly inquired after my
health, naturally surmising that I had omitted Mass from illness, or at
least want of rest and consequent indisposition. I merely answered that
I had not slept well, and that there was something weighing heavily upon
my mind which obliged me to return at once to Woolwich. After the usual
regrets and leave-takings, I started by the mid-day boat for England. As
the first date mentioned by my visitors gave me time, I travelled by
easy stages, and spent more than two days on the road, although I could
not remain in Dublin after I had received what appeared to me then, and
appears to me still, as a solemn warning.
"On my arrival at Woolwich, as may be easily imagined, my brother clergy
were very puzzled at my sudden and unlooked-for return, and concluded
that I had lost my reckoning, thinking that I had to resume my duties a
week earlier than I was expected to do. The other assistant priest was
waiting for my return to start on his vacation--and he did so the very
evening of my return. Scarcely, however, had he left the town when the
first of my visitors sent in a request for me to go at once to attend
him. You may, perhaps, imagine my feelings at that moment. I am sure you
cannot realise them as I do even now after the lapse of so many years.
Well, I lost no time. I had, in truth, been prepared, except hat and
umbrella, from the first hour after my return. I went to consult the
books in which all the sick-calls were entered and to speak to our aged,
respected sacristan who kept them. He remarked at once, 'You do not know
this man, father; his children come to our school, but he is, or has
always been, considered as a Protestant.' Expressing my surprise, less
at the fact than at his statement, I hurried to the bedside of the
sufferer. After the first few words of introduction were over he said,
'I sent for you, father, on Friday morning early and they told me that
you were away from home, but that you were expected back in a few days,
and I said I would wait.' I found the sick man had been stricken down by
inflammation of the lungs, and that the doctor gave no hope of his
recovery, yet that he would probably linger some days. I applied myself
very earnestly indeed to prepare the poor man for death. Again the next
day, and every day until he departed this life, did I visit him and
spent not minutes but hours by his bedside.
"A few days after the first summons came the second. The man had
previously been a stranger to me, but I recognised him by his name and
appearance. As I sat by his bedside he told me, as the former had
already done, that he had sent for me, had been told that I was absent,
and had declared that he would wait for me. Thus far their cases were
alike. In each case there was a great wrong to be undone, a conscience
to be set right that had erred and erred deeply--and not merely that, it
is probable, from the circumstances of their lives, that it was
necessary that their spiritual adviser should have been solemnly warned.
They made their peace with God, and I have seldom assisted at a deathbed
and felt greater consolation than I did in each and both of these. Even
now, after the lapse of many years, I cannot help feeling that I
received a very solemn warning in Dublin, and am not far wrong in
calling it, the Shadow of Death.--T. O. Fleming."
_A Double From Shipboard._
During my visit to Scotland in the month of October the subject of
Ghosts naturally formed the constant topic of conversation, and many
stories were told of all degrees of value bearing upon the subject. The
following narrative came to me as follows: We had been visiting the
Forth Bridge, driving down from Edinburgh in the public conveyance.
Shortly before our visit three men had fallen from one of the piers of
the bridge and been killed. The question was mooted as to whether or not
they would haunt the locality, and from this the conversation naturally
turned to apparitions of all kinds.
As we reached Edinburgh on our return a middle-aged passenger who had
been seated on a seat in front turned round and said, "What do you make
of this story, for the truth of which I can vouch:--A young sailor,
whose vessel at that moment was lying at Limerick Harbour, appeared to
his father, who at that time was at home with the rest of his family in
Dublin. He appeared to him in the early morning. At breakfast his father
told the rest of his family that he had seen his son, who had said to
him: 'In my locker you will find a Bible in the pocket of my coat. In
that Bible you will find a place-keeper which was given me by my
sweetheart after I left home, and on it are the words, "Remember me."'
That day at noon the young sailor, after making ready dinner for the
crew, went up aloft, missed his footing, fell, and was killed. His
effects were fastened up in his locker and sent through the Customs
House to his father. When they arrived the locker was opened, and
exactly as the apparition had described the Bible was found in the
pocket of the coat, and in the Bible a place-keeper, which none of the
family had seen, on which were the words 'Remember me.'" "But," said I
to my fellow-passenger, "how do you know that the story is true?"
"Because," he said, "the sailor was my brother, and I remember my father
telling us about the vision at the breakfast-table."
Unfortunately I did not ask for the name and address of my informant. We
were just alighting from the drag, and I contented myself with giving
him my name and address, and asking him to write out an account with
full particulars, dates, etc. with verification. This he promised to do,
but, unfortunately, he seems to have forgotten his promise, and a story
which, if fully verified, would be very valuable, can only be mentioned
as a sample of the narratives which are reported on every hand if people
show any disposition to receive them with interest, or, in fact, with
anything but scornful contempt.
Chapter II.
A Dying Double Demands its Portraits!
Perhaps the most remarkable and most authentic ghost is a ghost which
appeared at Newcastle, for the purpose of demanding its photographs! The
story was first told me by the late secretary of the Bradford
Association of Helpers, Mr. Snowden Ward. I subsequently obtained it
first hand from the man who saw the ghost. Running from the central
railway station at Newcastle, a broad busy thoroughfare connects Neville
Street with Grainger Street. On one side stands St. John's Church, on
the other the Savings Bank, and a little past the Savings Bank,
proceeding from the station, stand the shops and offices of Grainger
Street. It is a comparatively new street, and is quite one of the last
places in the world where one would expect to find visitants of a
ghostly nature. Nevertheless, it was in one of the places of business in
this busy and bustling thoroughfare that the ghost in question appeared,
for that it did appear there can be no manner of doubt. Even if all the
other cases published in this book were discarded as lacking in
evidential value, this would of itself suffice to establish the fact
that apparitions appear, for the circumstances are such as to preclude
the adoption of any of the usual hypotheses to account for the
apparition. I called upon Mr. Dickinson at 43, Grainger Street, on
October 14th, examined his premises, was shown the entry in his book,
and cross-examined himself and Miss Simon, the lady clerk, who figures
in the subsequent narrative. It will probably be best to reprint the
statement, which originally appeared in the _Practical Photographer_,
merely filling in names and supplementing it here and there with a
little more detail:--
"On Saturday, the 3rd of January this year," said Mr. Dickinson, "I
arrived at my place of business, 43, Grainger Street, Newcastle, a few
minutes before 8 a.m. The outer door is protected by an iron gate in
which is a smaller lock-up gate, through which I passed into the
premises. Having opened the office and turned the gas on at the meter,
and lit the gas fire, I stood at the office counter for a few minutes
waiting for the lad who takes down the iron gate at the front door."
Mr. Dickinson told me that the reason he was down so early was because
the lad who usually brought the keys was ill, and he had come earlier
than usual on that account. The place is lit with electric light. Mr.
Dickinson does not remember turning on the light, although, as it was
only eight o'clock on the 3rd of January, he must have done so in order
to read the entry in the book.
Before the lad came, a gentleman called to inquire if his photographs
were finished.
He was a stranger to him. He came into the room and came up to the
counter in the ordinary way. He was wearing a hat and overcoat, and
there was nothing unusual about his appearance excepting that he did not
seem very well. "He said to me, 'Are my photographs ready?' I said, 'Who
are you? We are not opened yet.' He said his name was Thompson. I asked
him if he had the receipt (which usually accompanies any inquiry), and
he replied that he had no receipt, but his photograph was taken on
December 6th and that the prints were promised to be sent to him before
this call.
"I then asked him whether it was a cash order or a subscription one. The
reason for asking this is because we have two books in which orders are
entered. He said he had paid for them at the time; his name would
therefore be in the cash orders. Having got the date and his name, I
referred to my book, and found the order as he stated. I read out to him
the name and address, to which he replied, 'That is right.'
"Here is an exact copy of the entry in the order book:--
7976. Sat., Dec. 6th, /90.
Mr. J. S. Thompson,
154, William Street, Hebburn Quay.
6 cabinets. 7/- pd.
"The above was written in pencil; on the margin was written in ink,
'Dec. 16,' which, Mr. Dickinson explained, is the date on which the
negative came to the office, named and numbered, and ready to go to the
printers.
"Below this again was written in ink.
5th.--3 Cabinets gratis, neg. broken, letter sent asking to re-sit.
"In my book I found a date given, on which the negative was ready to be
put into the printer's hands; and the date being seventeen days
previous, I had no hesitation in saying, 'Well, if you call later on you
will get some;' and I called his attention to the fact that it was very
early, and explained to him that the employes would not be at work until
nine o'clock, and if he could call after that time he would be certain
to get some of his photographs. He said 'I have been travelling all
night, and cannot call again.'
"Some short time before I had been at a hydropathic establishment in
Yorkshire, and had travelled home at night. When he said he had been
travelling all night, I remembered my own journey, and I thought perhaps
he had been to some hydropathic establishment to benefit his health; and
finding that he was getting no better, he had come back, perhaps to die,
for he looked wretchedly ill. He spoke weariedly and rather impatiently,
when he said he could not call again.
"With that, he turned abruptly and went out. Anxious to retain his
good-will, I shouted after him, 'Can I post what may be done?' but I got
no answer. I turned once more to the book, looked at the number, and on
a slip of paper wrote _No. 7976, Thompson, post_. (This I wrote
with pen and ink, and have the paper yet.)."
Mr. Dickinson said he had handed over this piece of paper to a
representative of the Psychical Research Society who had lost it. It
was, however, a mere memorandum written on the back of a traveller's
card.
"At nine o'clock, when Miss Simon (clerk and reception room
attendant, a bright, intelligent young lady) came, I handed the slip
of paper to her, and asked her to have it attended to, telling her
that the man had called for them, and seemed much disappointed that
he had not received them before. Miss Simon, with considerable
surprise, exclaimed, 'Why, an old man called about these photographs
yesterday (Friday), and I told him they could not be ready this week
owing to the bad weather, and that we were nearly three weeks behind
with our work.' I suggested that it was quite time Mr. Thompson's
were ready, and inquired who was printing the order. I was told that
it was not in print, and, pointing to a pile of negatives, Miss
Simon said 'Thompson's is amongst that lot, and they have been
waiting quite a fortnight.' I asked to be shown the negative, and
about half an hour later Miss S. called me saying 'This is
Thompson's negative.'
"I took it in my hands and looked at it carefully, remarking, 'Yes,
that is it; that is the chap who called this morning.'"
Mr. Dickinson said he had no difficulty in recognising it, although
the man wore a hat and top-coat when he called, whereas in the
portrait the sitter wore neither hat nor top-coat.
"Miss Simon again referred to the fact that she had told the man who
had called on the previous day that none were done, or could be done
that week. 'Well,' I said, 'put this to one side, and I will see to
it myself on Monday, and endeavour to hurry it forward.' On the
Monday (January 5th) I was in one of the printing-rooms, and about
10.30 a.m., having one or two printing-frames empty, I thought of
Thompson's negative, and accordingly went down to the office and
asked Miss S. for it. 'Oh! yes,' she replied, 'and here are a few
more equally urgent, you may take them as well.' I said, 'That
cannot be, as I have only two or three frames at liberty' (she had
about twenty negatives in her hand, holding them out to me); 'give
me Thompson's first, and let me get my mind at rest about it.' To
which she answered, 'His is amongst this lot, I will have to pick it
out.' (Each negative was in a paper bag.)
"I offered to help her, and she commenced at one end of the batch
and I at the other; and before we got halfway through I came across
one which I knew was very urgent, and turned away to look up the
date of taking it, when crash! went part of the negatives on the
floor. This accident seemed so serious that I was almost afraid to
pick up the fallen negatives, but on doing so, one by one, I was
greatly relieved to find _only one_ was broken; but, judge of
my horror to find that that one was Thompson's!
"I muttered something (not loud, but deep), and would fain have
relieved my feelings, but the presence of ladies restrained me (this
accident being witnessed also by my head printer, Miss L.).
"I could not honestly blame Miss Simon for this--each thought the
other was holding the lot, and between us we let them drop.
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