Ghost Stories.
During the last few years, parties have found pleasure in exciting the public mind, by causing certain mysterious circumstances and noises at different times, and have occasionally been too successful. A correspondent has addressed a letter to us, from the neighbourhood of Keyworth, and announces the following particulars: –
“The Chilwell ghost having become defunct, another of a much more formidable description has made its appearance in the neighbourhood of Keyworth, at an old farmhouse (Nottinghamshire ghosts prefer lone places); it alarms us every night by its appearance as well as by noise: report says it has the usual evil propensity of pulling the clothes off the beds while the inmates are asleep, which, to say the least, is no joke at this inclement season.
It is slow in motion, dwarfish in stature, of the biped species, sex unknown, whether masculine, feminine or neuter. It appears every night, from dusk to daybreak, generally about the hovels, cart sheds, and cowhouses.
Two slaughtered pigs were hung up in an out-house, and it made a noise like cutting up the two pigs, all the night, by chopping, sawing &c.
One evening a man and a boy, of stout hearts, determined to attack it with bludgeons; it approached the boy first, and while he was in the act of striking at it, he fell backward, lost his reason and his eye sight, neither of which hehas yet quite recovered. The man’s firmness of purpose has forsaken him.
It is said a religious person has spoken to it, when it disappeared suddenly, and refuses to appear to the same person again.”
Thus has some silly individual imposed upon the credulous people, and has been enabled to create much confusion. We shall be glad to hear of him being detected, and suitably punished.
Nottingham Review and General Advertiser for the Midland Counties, 16th February 1844.