Dog goes mad.
Chorley couple “now believe in ghosts.”
Since moving into a Standish street house 17 months ago, a Chorley couple, Mr Allan Mather and his 21-year-old wife, have been troubled by peculiar noises and “the blurred shape of a face.” Last night, they had to have their dog destroyed because it had gone mad, and they have left their home and gone to live with Mrs Mather’s sister, Mrs Rita Rigby, in Bolton-street, Chorley.
Neighbours told a “Post” reporter today that they had heard nothing unusual. Mrs Mather has offered the key of her home to anyone sceptical about ghosts but there have been no takers so far.
Some time ago, the house was blessed by a priest and the ghost did not come back for three months, a “Post” reporter was told. Mrs and Mrs Mather thought everything was all right – but the trouble came back again last week.
Mr Mather, a building worker, returned home last Wednesday night with his wife. They found his sister Audrey who had been baby-minding, was terrified. He went upstairs and found the bedclothes on their bed had been moved into another room. Audrey told them that the dog had flown downstairs with his hair on end and was “frightened to death.”
Mr Mather described the apparition as “a filmy, blurr-lighted thing.”
“We never believed in ghosts before this” he added. They had heard footsteps, a knocking sound and moans.
Lancashire Evening Post, 6th October 1954.
But no ghost…
Crowds of sightseers gathered in Standish-street, Chorley, last night, outside the house which Mr and Mrs Allan Mather, a young married couple, have left because of ghostly noises and the apparition of a “blurred shape.” “It was like a football match crowd,” a neighbour told a “Post” reporter today.
Lancashire Evening Post, 7th October 1954.
Shock for a ghost!
A small fire broke out in Chorley’s haunted house – 105 Standish-street – on Saturday night. But the house has been empty since a young couple left 12 months ago after hearing peculiar noises and seeing “the blurred shape of a face.”
No spectre was responsible for the fire, which was behind the front door. It was caused by a firework set off by children probably in an attempt to scare the ghost.
Lancashire Evening Post, 3rd October 1955.