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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Jan 30, 2024 16:58:11 GMT
In 1816 a guard at the Tower of London was terrified by the ghost of a bear. He hit it with his bayonet--presumably affixed to his musket--but it went clean through the bear and stuck into the door. The guard was so scared that he later died. The bear was given the name Old Martin. I like the non sequitur ending. It is like something by Jack Handey. |
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Post by ripper on Jan 30, 2024 20:24:26 GMT
In 1816 a guard at the Tower of London was terrified by the ghost of a bear. He hit it with his bayonet--presumably affixed to his musket--but it went clean through the bear and stuck into the door. The guard was so scared that he later died. The bear was given the name Old Martin. I like the non sequitur ending. It is like something by Jack Handey. Apparently, George III was given a bear in 1811, which was called Old Martin, and kept at the Tower's menagerie. It's not quite clear if the ghost seen by the guard was actually that of Old Martin himself, or if the ghost was just named after George III's bear. |
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Post by dem bones on Mar 27, 2024 13:38:01 GMT
Attack on a Ghost
Midnight Struggle in a Churchyard.
Slashed it with a Sword
A curious point was raised in an appeal just decided by the Criminal Court of Meiningen, says the Berlin correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph."
A watchman, named Koenig, whose business it is to look out for fires from the summit of a tower in the historic Thuringian town of Wasungen, had noticed for some years past that on the stroke of midnight at the turn of the year a flickering light appeared in the churchyard below.
On December 31st last he betted a crony, named Bach, twenty quarts of beer that if he would mount that night to the place of vigil he would behold a ghost.
With a fine sense for actualities, Bach came to the rendezvous armed with a revolver and a sword, and accompanied by two sisters and a friend. Sure enough, at the first stroke of midnight a spectral light emerged out of the darkness.
The women fled terror-stricken, but Bach, with a cry of "All good spirits praise the Lord," discharged his revolver at the apparition, and then charged down on the churchyard, about a hundred yards distant, brandishing his sword. Discerning a figure in the darkness, he shouted, "Are you a spirit or a person? If you are a human being, answer!"
Receiving no response he laid about him with his blade. A couple of slashes with the weapon induced the ghost to declare him self as one Bernard Gunitel, who, in accordance with an old superstition, had made it a practice to gather in the churchyard as the New Year came in a few branches of a certain kind of buckthorn, which, plucked in such circumstances, has the reputation of being an infallible specific for most of the maladies of both man and beast.
The sequel to the encounter was that Bach was prosecuted for wounding the ghost, and was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. He appealed from this judgment, on the ground that he had really attacked a spectre, and that it was merely an accident that he had struck a man, but the Meiningen judges evidently held that ghostly apparitions were entitled to protection against violence, and confirmed the sentence.
— Yorkshire Evening News, 17 July 1907
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Post by dem bones on Apr 2, 2024 9:35:42 GMT
This may well be the most notorious example of a fatal 'ghost' shooting.  Phiz THE HAMMERSMITH GHOST! Thursday forenoon, at eleven o'clock, there was a Coroner's Inquest held at the house of Mr. Thomas Leigh, the sign of the Black Lion, in Hammersmith, on the body of Thomas Millwood, a Bricklayer, who had been shot on the Tuesday night preceding, by Francis Smith, who unfortunately mistook the deceased for a Ghost. The neighbourhood of Hammersmith has been for some time past in a constant state of alarm, on the supposed appearance of an Apparition every night, as the church clock struck twelve, in the field adjoining Black-lion-lane, which appeared as if covered with a shroud, and prevented the women and children from going out at night, and kept the men at an awful distance. After several fruitless attempts to discover the author of this phantom, Francis Smith, an Excise Officer, resolved to make a discovery, and for that purpose he took his fusee, and, after loading it with powder and ball, proceeded to the spot where the supposed Ghost generally to make its appearance. The first witness examined was the watch man, who, being sworn, related in substance as follows: — I met the prisoner on Tuesday evening; both he and I agreed to watch the appearance of the ghost, and, if possible, to discover who or what it was. Mr. Smith was to lie in wait, and I was to go my rounds. We previously fixed on a pass word, by which we might know each other on being challenged, as the night was very dark. In less than half an hour after, I heard the report of a gun, and on arriving at the place whence I supposed it proceeded, I met Mr Smith of Beaver-lane. I asked him what he had fired at; and he said he believed he had killed the ghost. We walked on a little farther, and met two gentlemen, Mr. L— and Mr. S— , who were coming from the Plough and Harrow public-house, where they had been passing the evening. We walked on till we came to Cross-lane, and there found the deceased lying on his back, quite dead, with a gun-shot wound on the lower part of the left side of his face, which was exceedingly black from the gun-powder. Mr. Smith exclaimed that he had killed the man, and would surrender himself to justice! With some assistance the body was taken to the sign of the Black Lion, and Mr. Smith went to the White Hart. He had a gun in his hand, which I have no doubt was that which he had fired. There has been a great alarm in the neighbourhood of Hammersmith more than two months past, supposed to arise from the appearance of some person personating a ghost, always dressed in something white like a sheet or table cloth. On Thursday night last, as I was going my rounds on the Hammersmith-road — I believe it was about ten minutes past ten— I saw a tall figure, dressed in white, standing near the three-mile stone. When I asked what it was, it spread its arms, and I could observe, (when the sheet went on one side) metal buttons on dark a coat." Messrs. L— and S — , the two gentlemen above alluded to, were the next witnesses sworn, whose testimony being alike, we will give under a single head. I never saw Mr. Smith before, he being a stranger to me; as we were crossing the Turnpike road, to Lime Kiln-lane, we met Mr. Smith; he said he had shot a man, who, he believed, was no less than the ghost of Hammersmith, alluding to the deceased. A watchman then came up; they walked on, we followed, the conversation between us being on ghosts! We came up to the deceased, who was in a cross lane leading to Black Lion-lane, lying on his back, apparently quite dead. There appeared a gun-shot wound on the left fide of his face, near his mouth, and his face was exceedingly black from the gunpowder. The deceased was afterwards conveyed to the Black Lion public-house. A—M—, sister to the deceased, sworn. The deceased was about 22 years of age, by trade a bricklayer, On Tuesday evening last, he was with some friends in Black Lion-lane, when I accompanied him home to his own door. His wife was out ironing, and he went to meet her. As the watchmen were crying the hour of eleven, I heard a voice exclaim — "Who are you?" and "What are you? tell me immediately," when I heard the report of a gun. I went alone up the lane, on hearing that some person was shot, and there I found my brother, from whom I parted so very lately before, lying on his back quite dead. The wound was on the left side of his face, near his mouth. He was dressed in a white flannel jacket, and white canvas trowsers, such as he usually worked in." Here the examination of the witnesses ended. The Jury, after some considerable consultation, returned a verdict of "Wilful Murder!" The Coroner immediately committed Smith to gaol, to take his trial at the ensuing Sessions at the Old Bailey. It is almost incredible what an effect has been produced in Hammersmith by this supposed supernatural visitant. The servants of many families have been terrified. It will hardly be believed that a stout drayman was collared by the Ghost as he was crossing the church-yard, and though a very athletic man, was so frightened that he made no resistance, but ran off as fast as he could, roaring for help. It is said, too, that a team of horses were so alarmed at its appearance, that they ran away with the waggon a considerable distance. We shall not repeat the numerous ridiculous tales that are circulated, but shall conclude with observing, that if there is any individual privy to the transaction, it is a sacred duty he owes his fellow-creatures to divulge the principal delinquent, who, independent of the remorse of his own conscience, ought, and we trust will, feel the vindictive arm of the law. — Carlisle Journal, 14 January 1804 _____________________________ SHOOTING A GHOST. "The gamekeeper estate of an estate near Chateauneuf," relates the Echo du Cher, "was suddenly aroused from his bed by the barking of his dogs, and getting up and opening the door of his house, which was in a solitary position, he saw rise from behind a hedge of his garden a figure clad in white, bearing a lighted torch. As the phantom approached him, he levelled his fowling-piece at it, and exclaimed, "If you come from God, speak! but if you come from the devil, avaunt!" "Fool!' replied the apparition, "I am the spirit of your deceased wife, come to warn you not to marry the girl A —, for she is not worthy of filling the place in your bed which I occupied when I was alive. One only is worthy of succeeding me, the girl B —. Think well of what I tell you; if not — " At this point of the address the keeper fired, and the ghost vanished. On the following morning, the troubled spirit, in the person of the girl B —, was brought into the hospital at Chateau-neuf with a dangerous wound in her thigh, and on her deposition as to the manner in which she received it, the gamekeeper was arrested, and detained in custody to abide the event." — Illustrated London Life, 30 April 1843 |
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