Loughborough.
A Ghost.
A report prevails in the town that a supernatural visitant is in the habit of playing nocturnal tricks at a house of call on the Derby Road. Three or four gentlemen are said to have gone thither one evening to endeavour to discover the mystery; but they were unsuccessful, and one of them (celebrated in the musical line) had almost more of the ghost than his nerves could endure; so much, in fact, that he vows by the whole army of martyrs, he will never hurt apparitions again.
The vagaries of the unknown are similar to those of the whole invisible tribe, when they once take to annoying us for the good of our souls. One particular feat it performs is like sawing wood; another is the clever answers it makes to questions, by means of knocks; and it is said that if a certain quantity of knocks are given, the polite spirits return double the number. Some say the chairs and tables take a march round the room in a most stately manner; but this we cannot believe except upon ocular demonstration.
We suspect the ghost to be one of the same materials as that by which the celebrated Don Juan was tormented; an account of which the curious in such mysteries may consult in the last canto of the poem of that name, by Lord Byron. There is, we know, a certain person resides there, distinguished by ruddy cheeks and black eyes; who laughs eternally, and would glory in a “lark” of the kind.
Leicestershire Mercury, 14th May 1842.
(A house of call is somewhere where people would wait to be called to jobs, maybe a pub).
Correction. – In the “Ghost story” last week, by a typographical blunder “house of call” was inserted instead of “house of Mr. — —,” as written in the copy.
Leicestershire Mercury, 21st May 1842.