Spook Sightings Of Yester Year - No. 21 - Some Short Spook Sightings

(From The Illustrated Police News, dated 17th February 1877)

THE HAUNTED MILL. 

(SUBJECT OF ILLUSTRATION) 

A sad instance of giving way to superstitious fears occurred on Friday last week at Newport. It would appear, from what our reporter has gathered, that a shadow has been cast on an oak fence which runs by the side of a large windmill, representing a death's head and cross-bones. This shadow was only to be seen occasionally, and a report was current that the mill was haunted, some dreadful crim having been commited within its precints. On Friday night Robert Pugh and James Owen, two working men, were so alarmed at the appearance of the ghastly shadow that, after a few moments of suspense, they both fled precipitately from the spot. The effect on Pugh was of a most serious nature.His mind has become affected, and the chances are that he will never recover his reason.

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(From the Edinburgh Evening News, dated Wednesday 11th March, 1874)

AN EDINBURGH GHOST STORY.

The Scotsman publishes the following "ghost" story :- An adventure which befel two guardians of the night in the small hours of yesterday morning has been thought worthy of some investigation, with the view of ascertaining if possible whether some one has not been playing a very improper prank. The story is that about 3 A.M. a private watchman named Clark, who was employed to look after a block of buildings in course of erection at Bell's Mills, Water of Leith, and his friend, the constable on the beat, were surprised by a tall figure, which, at leaast to their startled eyes, seemed to be in white, clearing a wall and alighting on the ground close beside them. A dog belonging to the watchman flew at the figure with a growl, but at a rate too rapid for the animal to cope with, it darted along the road towards the Dean Cemetery. As it ran the two men heard, or thought they heard, a clinking sound like that made by a horse with a loose shoe.

Too much frightened to watch the movements of their visitor, Clark and his companion took to their heels, nor thought of halting until they were a considerable distance from the locality. Pending the explanation of the affair, Clark has, it seems, refused to return to his post, and some difficulty was even experienced in getting the constable to look upon the matter in a business point of view.

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(From The Sunday Post, dated Sunday May 5th, 1935)

EDINBURGH GHOST WITH SPURS

SEEN GLIDING OVER FIELDS NEAR CASTLE

The ghost of Craigmillar Castle, an ancient and picturesque ruin in the vicinity of Niddrie Mains, one of Edinburgh's largest new housing areas, is "walking" again.

According to residents, the supernatural visitant is a man clad in old-world garb, who glides over fields adjoining the castle and vanishes within the ruins on the approach of mortals.

Last year at this time a scare was created in the district by the appearance of the spectre.

Ghost hunts were organised in an effort to "lay" the uneasy spirit. But always it vanished. Then at last it ceased to stalk abroad. Now it has reappeared. Reliable witnesses state that it is conducting itself in a similar fashion to last year.

It was last seen a night or two ago on the old side road leading from Peffermill Road to the castle.

The face of the spectre, which is attired in a long, dark-blue hooded cloak, is invisible except for a mass of tangled, black hair which falls over the forehead and through which eyes gleam menacingly on the approach of a mortal.

It wears heavy riding boots with spurs. On its last visit the alarm was raised and a number of Niddrie Mains young men instituted a ghost hunt. They found nothing.

Another man, however, who made an independent search, declared that he saw a shadowy being glide round the ruins and vanish through an old doorway.

Craigmillar Castle has been the scene of many dramatic incidents in Scottish history, but none has so far been quoted as an explanation of the attachment of the ghost to the old ruins.

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(From The Evening Telegraph, dated Friday December 21st, 1928)

GHOSTLY APPARITION ALARMS VILLAGE

The Woman In Black

The Shropshire village of Northwood, between Wem and Ellesmere, is in a state of excitement caused by a mysterious apparition.

Accounts have been given by independent witnesses of the appearance of a woman dressed in black, who vanishes in an instant when approached.

A farmer named Morris, and a workman named Peate, were returning home at night with a horse and trap when they saw the woman whom they thought they recognised as the wife of a local farmer. They stopped the horse to give her a lift, but she vanished, and they got out of the trap and searched in vain for her.

A man named Egerton, in the same district, was walking along the road at night, and saw the woman in the glare of a passing motor car.

The car passed over the spot where the woman stood, and he ran forward, expecting to find her body in the road. There was nothing to be seen.

Mr. Arthur R. Ellis of Wem, a dealer of wireless apparatus, was driving his car in the same district, and saw the woman, whom he knew well, standing in the road. He put on the brakes and swerved to avoid her, and pulled up, but there was nothing to be seen.

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That Craigmillar Castle ghost sounds awesome, doesn't he! Spurs! Great fashion sense....

Anyway, I'll be back tomorrow with another post, but in the meantime, be sure to check out what the other bloggers taking part in the Countdown To Halloween are up to by clicking the badge below!