A Whitechapel Ghost.
A coke throwing spirit in the ghetto.
There is an epidemic of ghosts in England and Wales just now. The ghastly spectre of the Llynfi Valley, in Wales, is still at large, and the natives tell weird stories of its wrestling capabilities. A spook in the North has been hitting people on the heads for weeks, and is still undiscovered. And now there is a “ghost” in Whitechapel. This ghost walks in the neighbourhood of Tenter Ground, which is just off Leman Street, and within a stone-throw of the police station.
Its chief recreation, says the “Leader,” is hurling lumps of coke through unoffending windows of the peaceful inhabitants of Scarborough Street, and its pranks have been so consistently amazing and dangerous that the Vicar of St Mark’s Church has offered a reward of £5 for its apprehension! That is a new way of “laying” a ghost, but it has not borne fruit yet.
The funny thing about the Whitechapel ghost is that the Vicar himself (the Rev. Michael Rosenthal) has been accused of being the spectre. A more unlikely ghost never said “Boo” on a dark and dismal night. Mr Rosenthal is a Jewish gentleman who has been converted to Christianity. He is a mild and benevolent old gentleman, and he says that the ghost is much more material than most spectres. “It all began this way,” he said to a representative. “Some time ago, when I was alone in the vicarage, I was hustled out of bed in the middle of the night by a violent ringing of my front door bell. Upon opening the door, I was confronted by 50 or 60 excited people who shouted out, “There’s coke flying from the vicarage!” They seemed to have the idea that I had been throwing coke. Indeed, they were quite angry with me; and , consequently, I called in a constable and demonstrated that there was absolutely no coke on the premises. Still, it kept on “flying” and the noise of broken glass at the back showed that it was doing mischief.
“The police watched day after day, but could discover nothing. Then hot coke – hot and smoking – began to fly through the air and smash windows, and hit people on the head in Scarborough Street, and damaged the property at the back of my vicarage. I had a detective watching from one of my attic windows all day. He actually saw the coke flying, but could not trace the ghost. Then I went away for a fortnight’s holiday, and the ghost completely vanished. I was due back at about four o’clock on a Wednesday afternoon; but there was some delay and I did not reach the vicarage until about midnight. But it is very strange that soon after four o’clock, when I was expected back, the ghost began again.”
From another holiday Mr Rosenthal returned on Saturday. During his absence the ghost has been silent again – so, at least, say several of the inhabitants of Scarborough Street. A pretty Jewess, arrayed in splendid New Year finery, said all was quiet now. “But it was very frightening while it lasted,” she added. “So much coke has fallen into the backyard next door to our neighbour. Mr S— (who is something to do with the Synagogue, and a most respectable man) has collected a large sackful. But either the ghost is tired or the coke supply in Tenter Ground has run out. There’s no more trouble now. I’m thankful to say – ” At that moment, there was a crash on the pavement, and a little squeal from the Jewess, who jumped back and turned pale as a scattering of broken coke fell around her. The ghost had begun again!
Essex Guardian, 17th September 1904.