“Ghost” taps songs to order.
“Knockings” begin when girl lies down.
Neighbours’ sleepless nights.
From our own correspondent.
Mountsorrel, To-day.
A Mountsorrel schoolgirl, 13 years of age, has for two months been “haunted” by mysterious “knockings,” which resound on the floor and furniture whenever she lies down, preventing the household and even the neighbours from gaining more than a few hours’ sleep each night, and proving a sore trial to their nerves.
What has so far remained an unexplainable mystery is being widely discussed in Mountsorrel and the vicinity. A young schoolgirl is “haunted” by strange scrapings and tappings on the floor beneath her bed, which commence immediately she lies down. The manifestations have been going on for two months, but it was not until a week ago that they became really violent, and began to cause anxiety, and since then the family has found it difficult to get any sleep.
I interviewed the child and her mother, expecting to find the story, like others of its class, had lost nothing by being passed from mouth to mouth. Far from it. The story told me by the child’s mother, and the apparently indisputable evidence which was given me, appeared to savour of something which is not to be explained away by ordinary means.
The family live in a comparatively new semi-detached house, in which nothing mysterious has ever taken place before. When I arrived, in broad daylight, the “tappings” were in full progress, as the little girl was lying down upstairs, and I could plainly hear them from downstairs. When the child rose they ceased at once. The mother told me she supposed at first that they were caused by mice or rats, but as the sounds had taken place in each room, so long as the child lay down, and had even “scraped” the underside of the couch and the top of the dining-room table, they had been forced to give up the theory.
They had moved the child to her own room, and made her a fresh bed, but this had no effect, and the disturbances went on. The “ghost”, she said, would tap-out any song that was asked for, and would answer questions by loud raps indicating “yes,” and silence meaning “no.” On one occasion, she said, her husband had become infuriated at being kept awake, and told it to “clear out,” whereupon the bed was seized and shaken violently.
A fact which seems to preclude the “practical joke” theory is that as the girl is falling asleep the sounds become less distinct, till they cease altogether, to continue immediately she awakes. The little girl herself is a pretty child, of quiet habits, who is devoted to her “dollies,” and who, as she herself says, is “sick to death” of the disturbances.
Leicester Daily Mercury, 28th January 1924.
“Rappings” and their cause.
Probing the Mountsorrel mystery.
By a Psychical investigator.
The case of the Mountsorrel schoolgirl and the mysterious knockings is of more than usual interest. There are unusual features which raise it out of the ordinary, one of the most important of which is the fact that the noises only happen when the girl is lying down and awake. It is stated that the sounds become less distinct as she is falling asleep, finally dying away altogether, but I have not been able to investigate this phenomenon. In other cases where I have come into contact with “rappings” the manifestations only came when the medium is asleep.
These cases are always difficult to investigate, the more so as practical jokes in this connection have been somewhat frequent. It therefore becomes necessary to take this factor into consideration, and not immediately to postulate the psychic nature of the happenings.
An independent investigator of, presumably, unsympathetic nature, informs me that he made tests which seem to rule out the possibility that the noises were caused by direct influences. A doctor who attended the girl says she is a remarkably good hypnotic subject, and it has been suggested that on lying down she is able to throw herself into a hypnotic state, and to produce the rappings without the application of bodily force.
Personally – and here I lay myself open to criticism – I think this most unlikely.
After studying the girl for some time, trying to understand her psycho-mentality, I formed the opinion that although she may be a good hypnotic subject she has not sufficient powers of concentration to produce automatic hypnotism. Both she and her mother seem to be mediumistic to a certain degree, but it is more than probable that the control is another young woman, not related, who is staying in the house.
We made some interesting and, I think, important tests yesterday, although we were unable to get the little girl to lie down. Attempts to obtain responses in the way of automatic messages were singularly disappointing until the young woman referred to was used as a control. Only simple methods were being used and the atmosphere was quite unsympathetic.
Mrs. — was not averse to making the experiment, but after holding a pencil for a few seconds her hand began to tremble violently and seemed to be moved by uncontrollable influences. Unfortunately she became alarmed, rose from her chair, and rushed into another room, refusing to take any further part in the experiment. During this period there was a strong feeling of something impending, and I feel sure good results could be obtained if research was made in propitious circumstances.
The family are averse to publicity, or even to general investigation, because the neighbours talk of the house as being “haunted”, which is of course, nonsense.
Leicester Daily Mercury, 6th February 1924.
Amazing Leicestershire “Ghost” Story.
Village’s Eerie Visitor.
“Ghost” that talks and sings rag-time.
Bottles hurled about.
Mountsorrel Girl’s Mysterious Companion.
(By our Mountsorrel correspondent.)
The village of Mountsorrel is the proud possessor of a ghost – not one that flits in and out of gloomy passages in ancestral halls, jangling chains and emitting uncanny noises at the witching hour of midnight. Mountsorrel’s ghost is a modern spirit. It has taken up its abode in a modern house, and appears quite conversant with up-to-date topics.
For instance, should a football fan desire to know how his favourite team will fare in the cup-tie, he consults Mountsorrel’s ghost. Moreover, the apparition is not adverse to “singing” – in its own peculiar way – the choruses of present-day songs.
However, let me tell the history of this ghost. I have been aware of the phenomenon from the very beginning of its appearance in the village, but at the request of the ghost’s host and hostess who hoped that the stranger would soon take its departure, I refrained from giving publicity to anything that would bring a crowd of curious folk to their door. But the fame of the ghost has got abroad, and visitors from near and far are daily to be found at the house.
The “headquarters” of the occult being at Mountsorrel is the home of Mr and Mrs Boon, in Danvers Road. Mr Boon is a carpenter carrying on business at Loughborough. Living with them is their pretty dark-haired daughter, Gwen, who is 13 years of age.
Now comes the most amazing feature of the whole affair. The ghost never makes its presence known except when the little girl is in the house.
To get to the very beginning of these strange happenings at Mountsorrel, one has to go back some two months. At that time scratching noises were heard in the roof at night, but as these sounds may have been caused by birds, little notice was taken of them. The noise, however, gradually moved to the walls of the bedroom, and then after three weeks the scratchings were heard under the bed and even in the bed.
Efforts were made to trace the origin of these nightly sounds. Mr Boon made a careful examination under the roof of the house, and took up the floor boards, thinking that possibly rats or mice were the cause of the trouble. But not a sign of any inmates of this description was found.
Eventually it was perceived that the scratching only happened when the child Gwen was present, and the parents decided to try and strike up a conversation with Mr Ghost. The experiment proved successful, and questions put to the stranger were answered by rappings. Many residents in the village have been to the house and heard noises, and any questions they have put have been correctly answered by means of raps.
Mr Boon tells me that the noises are only heard when his daughter is awake, and as Gwen is falling asleep the sounds become fainter. It has no physical effect on the child whatever. Two weeks ago the spirit disappeared, but has now returned, and not only scratches and raps, but has taken steps of a more violent nature. The bed has been stripped of the clothes, and ornaments and other articles have been strewn about and broken.
About five o’clock last Friday afternoon a small bottle was thrown at the child while she was in bed. She called her mother upstairs, and as Mrs Boon entered the room a small biscuit box fell at her feet, and when another lady appeared a dress was hurled at her. Since this hostile demonstration, Mrs Boon has removed all pictures and ornaments from the room for safety.
I interviewed friend Ghost the other day, and these are some of the questions put to it:-
“Are you a good spirit? If so, rap twice.” – Result: Two raps.
“If you are a lady, rap twice.” – Two raps.
“If you have a message to deliver rap four times.” – Four raps.
On Friday evening I asked the Rapper how many goals Mountsorrel Town would score the next day, and it knocked quite clearly three times. On Saturday Nuneaton Town were defeated by three goals to nothing.
Many other questions I put to the spirit – questions regarding my relatives, living and dead; what I had in my pockets; what I was to have for my dinner; my age, how many years I served during the war; how many times I was wounded, etc., etc. – were immediately and correctly answered.
During my interview with the ghost, Gwen was in the room. She sat on the dining-room table with her hands clasped in front of her, and her shoulders covered with a blanket. An extraordinary thing happened when I called my dog into the room. The spirit seemed to have made a bolt, for not a sound was heard. As soon as the dog was ejected Mr Ghost carried on the conversation again.
If a tune is called, the spirit obliges, and taps out the melody in correct time. “Bananas” is quite a favourite with it.
When the spirit recently made its “reappearance” it “knocked” that it was staying ten days, and would not again return. It “informed” me to-day that it had seven more days to stay, and its hosts will be heartily glad when it does depart, as they are able to obtain very little rest and sleep while it is here.
Gwen Boon, of Mountsorrel, concerning whose weird experience an article appears on page one.
Leicester Evening Mail, 11th February 1924.
Strange Rappings
No Explanation Yet of Mountsorrel’s ‘Ghost.’
“Late Dweller on Earth.”
From our own correspondent. Mountsorrel, Tuesday.
Since my interview with the “rappings” as reported in last night’s “Mail,” I have been considering the evidence for and against the various hypotheses put forward to account for the phenomena. In the present article, I am confining myself to what I have seen and heard personally. The four hypotheses that seem to me to call for investigation are as follows:
1. That it is a visitor from the realms of the supernatural. Points in favour of this view, which is very strongly held by the parents of the girl are (a) that when the messages relate to subjects of a religious character, or to the departed, the tone of the rappings is very subdued, (b) the gift of prophecy, as illustrated by the correct forecast of a local football match, (c) the fact that the spirit itself avows that it is the spirit of a one-time dweller on earth when questioned on the subject, (d) it will return no answers to people who admittedly do not believe in its spiritual character.
An objection to the view is that the rappings only occur when the child is covered with wrappings of some sort over her shoulders – surely a spiritual force would not be dependent on a physical condition of this character.
2. That it is a case of hypnotism. This hypothesis assumes that the child is possessed of such strong hypnotic powers as to cause her audience to believe that they hear noises which are in reality non-existent. A similar case – but said to be due to ocular instead of auricular hypnotism – is that of the famous Indian rope-climbing trick, in which the audience is hypnotised into believing that it sees a boy climb up a rope apparently suspended from nothing in particular in the air.
This view explains the scratchings and rappings, but not the fact that correct answers are returned to many questions, of which the child can have had no previous knowledge. Also, the child’s will-power does not seem at all abnormal.
3. That it is a genuine case of thought-reading. This would explain the correct answers, but not the rappings.
4. That it is a fake. Nobody yet has been able to throw any light on the origin of the rappings in any shape or form. Nobody is getting any pecuniary gain out of the seances. There is none of the darkened room element which is the chief feature of many seances.
Leicester Evening Mail, 12th February 1924.
The Mountsorrel “Ghost.”
Cures suggested by the Doctor and the Vicar.
(By our special commissioner.)
We have been to many Spiritualistic seances in our time and have had actual contact with a number of so-called “ghosts.” On one occasion, a “ghost” became so familiar that it brought articles from the spirit world; and on another occasion we shook hands with the spirit form. We have also been honoured with investigating positions next to some of the best-known mediums in two continents; but we have never yet seen anything that convinced us that the souls of departed humans are hanging about this world doing nothing and waiting to be used for the excitement of so-called investigators.
We were not surprised, therefore, when the Mountsorrel “ghost” informed the company last night that she did not like us. She was quite frank about it.
In a matter of this kind, which is causing a good deal of excitement in the village and district, we considered it advisable to examine for ourselves. That is why we went out to see this new form of alleged spirit manifestation. For there were certain claims about the business which were new, and the “Mail” is always looking for the truth, and sometimes finding it.
The Mountsorrel “ghost” is a scratching ghost. It first made itself unpleasant by operating on the ceiling, and in the bedrooms. Now it seems to confine its attentions to a table, although it also last night conveyed messages on the back of a sofa, and on a chair. That is, when the girl of 13, who is the medium, lay on the sofa or sat on the chair, the “spirit” tapped or scratched replies. Taps meant yes; scratches – and some of them were vigorous – stood for no.
But always the girl had to have a rug round her. At first she wore a brightly-coloured tablecloth. Then she thought another rug would be better and that was substituted. Her hands were always covered, although she demonstrated that they were clasped in front of her (under the rug).
There is always something concealed about these seances. Either the room must be in dark, or there must be a cover of some kind. Here it is a rug that must always be used. The “spirit” will not come to the girl unless she has the rug round her, and it does not tap out messages except when the girl is either sitting or lying – although formerly it operated on the bedroom ceiling.
The vicar had been yesterday afternoon, and we imagine he must have been more or less convinced that he had been in the presence of a spirit, and that the spirit was not a nice one. For he left a small crucifix, evidently with the Sign of the Cross belief that evil spirits can be driven out by it.
This spirit either did not understand the significance of the Cross, or was not a bad spirit. At any rate it was still there last night, and it indicated that it intended to stay for another fifteen days.
The doctor had also been – although the girl looked strong and well – and we are tempted to think there is more in his advice if Mr. and Mrs. Boon want to get the sleep which is now driven out of the house by the “manifestations.”
His suggestion was that the young lady should be taken to the Royal Infirmary for a week. We think that would give the “spirit” a rest, and would not seriously upset the patients at the Infirmary – although any other institution would do as well.
The parents appeared genuinely interested in what was taking place, and did their best to help the “spirit” in entertaining us.
The villagers also are very interested. Mysteries are always attractive. “You have to put your name down and wait your turn,” we heard some of them saying last night in their efforts to restrain the eagerness of others who wanted to see. “She’s got too much electricity in her body: that’s what’s the matter,” said another knowing villager: “and it is coming out in this way!”
That may be – or may not be; but we suggest that the Mountsorrel “ghost” will be no more than a passing wonder, as so many “ghosts” have been.
Leicester Evening Mail, 13th February 1924.
The Mountsorrel Gent Again.
Bedclothes torn from the bed, furniture moved from its place, and articles hurled at the heads of astonished onlookers. Such are said to be the happenings in a Mountsorrel house to which attention was drawn in the “Chronicle” a fortnight ago by the tales of uncanny rapping whenever a 13 year old girl lay down.
The occupants of the house which is in Danvers Road, are Mr and Mrs Boon, their daughter Gwen and a young married couple. The new developments according to a correspondent began this week and the household suggest that the cause of the disturbances is a “spirit” which wishes to give them a message.
“The counterpane was torn off my bed,” declares one of the occupants of the house. “It was then folded neatly up and thrown on the floor, and a minute later my daughter had a similar experience. A short time afterwards a hat box was taken from a shelf and thrown at my feet.” Another occupant of the house was said to have had a biscuit tin thrown at her and the 13 year old daughter, who is supposed to be the suitable medium by which the manifestations take place – had an alarm clock dropped on her head from a height of two or three inches.
“As proof of this,” states the Leicester “Mercury” correspondent, “I was shown the bruise it had left on the child’s head. When I arrived the family were enjoying a ‘concert’ by the ‘ghost’ which was tapping on the floor the rhythm of any tune called for. I was told that as the family were in bed their beds were seized and violently shaken for some minutes. This disturbance did not cease until they had gone downstairs.”
Nuneaton Chronicle, 15th February 1924.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Discusses Mountsorrel Girl and Psychic Disturbances.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous creator of Sherlock Holmes, having had the facts of the recent alleged spirit manifestations at Mountsorrel placed before him, has sent his comments to the Editor of the “Leicester Mail.” It will be re-called that a girl of 13 at Mountsorrel was the centre of what were regarded as spirit disturbances. There were noises on the ceiling. The parents were kept awake. Things were thrown about, apparently without anyone touching them. When the girl was covered with a shawl messages were tapped out on the table, or wherever she was sitting, in reply to questions asked by anyone who was present. The “spirit” was not always present, or would not always answer. But usually it was very obliging.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is a close student of psychic phenomena, and after reading the “Leicester Mail” reports he writes:
I should say that the reports of the psychic disturbances at Mountsorrel are very consistent with those which break out so often in what are called “polter-geist” hauntings. Many hundreds of these are on record, the more famous being that at Epworth in 1716, which was carefully reported by the father of John Wesley. The young daughter, Emily Wesley, was the involuntary medium on this occasion, for the sounds followed her through life.
More important still was the outbreak at Hydesville in New York State in 1848. Here the mediums were the two little Fox girls, who were also followed by the sounds through life. In many cases, however, the incidents are sporadic, and nothing more is heard of it. It is when the female child is approaching the age of puberty that this phase of psychic phenomenon is most violent, though occasionally a lad is the centre of the strange force.
There was such an occurrence in Somersetshire last month, where a house was almost inhabitable. I was able in that case to give the occupants some advice, and the nuisance was brought to an end. It sometimes happens that the child, either through the force of suggestion, or out of pure mischief, begins to simulate the phenomena, and is caught at i, so that the whole episode is discredited. An unprejudiced judgement is needed in such circumstances.
Leicester Evening Mail, 18th February 1924.
Remarkable psychic phenomena.
Investigators hear strange rappings in Mountsorrel home.
Girl severely tested.
Exhaustive and searching inquiry into the uncanny happenings at Mountsorrel has has been made by one of the foremost Scientific Investigators. Mr E.J. Dingwall, whose research work has been worldwide, and who is recognised by the greatest authorities on psychic phenomena, has supplied the “Mercury” with an exclusive report. This report is especially notable in that Mr Dingwall does not look for spiritualistic evidences. Rather does he approach these cases in the cold, detached spirit of scientific research.
The Mountsorrel “poltergeist” case ranks as one of the most interesting on record. When, nearly a month ago, the “Mercury” exclusively described the uncanny rappings going on at the house of Mr and Mrs Boon, Danvers-road, there was, at first, a certain amount of scepticism. Some people put it down to imaginations, a few connected it with spiritualism, and others even went so far as to talk of a deliberate fake. Within a few days several people of undoubted integrity had confessed themselves absolutely mystified at the knockings which occurred whenever Gwen, the 13-year-old daughter, lay down.
That the knockings were heard on many occasions was solemnly asserted by individual observers, many of them of high intelligence and not likely to be easily deceived. Every one had similar descriptions. The girl would cover herself with a shawl or blanket, and after a short interval slight tappings would be heard on the table, the wall, floor or other parts of the room. Apparently they did not emanate from the immediate vicinity of the child and the conditions did not make any collusion with other people practicable.
In response to questions, replies would be given by a roughly arranged code. Some of these replies were frankly ridiculous, but, it must be confessed, not more so than the majority of questions.
In an endeavour to obtain expert advice, I made extensive enquiries in well-informed circles in London last week, with the result that Sir A. Conan Doyle expressed the opinion that the girl was an unconscious medium. The Hon. Everard Fielding – a prominent member of the Royal Society for Psychical Research – told me it had all the peculiarities of a case of poltergeist.
Representative investigators were greatly interested in the happenings as described in the “Mercury,” and as I endeavoured to recount them in some detail. In the end Mr E. J. Dingwall, the research officer of the Royal Society for Psychical Research decided to make a personal investigation. It must be borne in mind that the Society, which is the premier body of its kind in the world, is engaged exclusively in research. Whatever individual views the members hold, the work is done on strictly scientific lines, is absolutely impartial and unbiassed, and the docketting of cases – both fraudulent and genuine – is of enormous value. Mr Dingwall has had experience of all kinds of psychic phenomena in every part of the globe, and I have no hesitation in saying that he enquired into the Mountsorrel case with an open mind, absolutely scientifically calculating. He has no pre-conceived notions in these matters.
On Thursday evening I was privileged to be present at the opening of his investigations. The company present in the Boon’s villa consisted of Gwen, her mother, father and brother, a young married couple staying in the house. Mr Dingwall, the Editor of the “Mercury,” the Mountsorrel representative of this journal, and myself.
Members of the family told the investigator what had occurred as previously reported in these columns. It was remarkable to note their dispassionate expression and matter-of-fact acceptance of the somewhat alarming happenings. Gwen, however, seemed to be highly-strung, and at first declined to sit. Mrs Boon told us there had been manifestations when the girl was standing up. This quite recently, but not very distinctly.
The son also produced a piece of paper with an alleged “message,” said to have been given by raps signifying the moment to stop when the correct letter in the alphabet was reached at recitation. Gwen, who was sitting on a small kitchen table with a cloth over her shoulders, here burst into tears and exclaimed: “It won’t come now!” Some time elapsed before she would be pacified, and not wishing to cause any annoyance or alarm, the investigators were preparing to leave the matter alone for the night, when Gwen volunteered to try again. Eventually we distinctly heard rappings in rhythm at the request of Mr Boon’s son, together with some of the less sensible replies to a number of questions. Under more severe tests by Mr Dingwall some extraordinary results were obtained.
At first the research officer confined himself to asking simple questions, gradually working up in what I was afterwards told was the usual way, to endeavour to get an idea of the scope of the phenomena. The responses first obtained consisted of rappings and scratches on the walls, floor and tables. “How many cigarettes have I in my case?” was asked. The reply was six sharp raps, which happened to be correct. It is worthy of note that Mr Dingwall had not smoked while in our company, and nobody knew that he was the possessor of a case. How many cigarettes were in another case and the number of matches in a box were incorrectly described.
“Can you make a noise like wood being sawn?” brought forth a startlingly realistic imitation, and similarly with the sound as of nails being knocked into wood. Mr Dingwall then borrowed a hair-pin and placed it on the back of his hand. He suggested that it be removed. It was apparently knocked off as if by a tangible object. The investigator placed his hand under the table, and was apparently able to feel it touched. I have used the word “apparently” in stating the facts to emphasise that it was the phenomena being investigated. If fraudulent, it was evidently very clever, and if genuine it probably constituted one of the most remarkable cases ever properly considered. Mrs Boon states that she distinctly saw a light under the table.
I should like to again emphasise the non-committal attitude of Mr Dingwall, and it is important that this should be realised when reading the following report, which he has presented exclusively to the “Mercury.” He states:
“The Montsorrel Poltergeist case presents several features of great interest which are not usually found in cases of this kind. Generally speaking these manifestation appear to be quite uncontrolled, and although some young person is usually in the case the phenomena cannot often definitely be attributed to the youngster in question. In this case, however, it appears certain that the daughter of the disturbances, whatever their origin may be.
“Unlike other Poltergeist cases the phenomena seem in this instance to be produced at will, or rather they seem to occur under certain conditions which can be arranged in advance. In this respect the Mountsorrel case can be said only partially to belong to the true Poltergeist class, and in this way it becomes connected with the ordinary class of so called Mediumistic phenomena. Since no good case of this kind has ever been observed in detail by properly equipped scientific investigators, it is premature to offer any theories which may shed light upon the processes at work.
“I have myself observed some of the phenomena at Mountsorrel. From whatever point of view one may choose to regard them, a careful, systematic inquiry is certainly desirable.”
The case will continue under the observation of the society, and it is possible that highly important scientific data may be obtained as a result.
Mr Dingwall will, of course, report in detail to the Psychical Research Society, and his report will appear in due course in the published proceedings. Before leaving, the investigator gave Gwen adn the family some good advice, and he insists on the necessity of the girl being carefully tended. Warning is given that inquisitive inquiries may be positively harmful. I am glad to call attention to this, and trust the expert advice will be respected.
Mr Dingwall and a member of the Psychical Research Society spent a long time with the girl yesterday. In spite of the advice given, Mrs Boon, when the knockings re-started after the visitors had left, asked: “Have you got an arm?” She states that the form of a clenched fist materialised under the tablecloth. This greatly alarmed her, and she has promised not to do anything of the kind again.
Leicester Daily Mercury, 23rd February 1924.
Village Scare.
By Mr. Leicester.
In a book on occult lore recently I came across a reference to the “Mountsorrel Ghost”. It is one of those subjects that occasionally crop up in local conversation. Twenty years ago, the matter caused a great stir and excited world-wide attention. A colleague who had some part in the investigations revives my memory. The manifestations in a villa off the main road took the form of articles of furniture being mysteriously moved, coverings being jerked off the bed occupied by a fourteen-year-old girl, and other hair-raising circumstances.
An attempt was made by a clergyman to exorcise the “ghost” but this had no effect. Eventually psychical research investigators took the matter up and arrived at certain conclusions. The long and short of these was that in opinion was expressed that the girl, who acted as an involuntary medium, was the centre of some supernormal force, as distinct from a supernatural visitation.
Whatever it was, there is no doubt that weird happenings took place in th ehouse – happenings not easy to explain in normal language – and the trouble finally ceased when the girl grew out of it, so to speak. At any rate, the “Leicester Mercury” investigator at the time – an extremely sceptical type of man – was extremely impressed and, as he confesses “scared out of my wits” by what he saw and heard.
There were columns in the Press, and “ghost stories” in rivalry came in from all over the world. But the Mountsorrel one, by common consent, was the only genuine and original one functioning. Technically it was a “poltergeist,” one of those words often lightly mentioned but only properly appreciated by those who come into contact with such rare outbursts. It refers to a “mischievous spirit,” from the habit of things being thrown about by unseen power. Historic references are many. The more scientific investigation of to-day admits the incidents, but talks more about undiscovered emanations from an unwilling human power-house rather than of spooks in the old-fashioned manner.
Leicester Daily Mercury, 11th June 1945.