Though it is explained in regard to the manifestations of a daylight ghost at Woking, that “the facts are quite simple,” there is a good deal of apparent mystery in regard to their origin. There are said to be repeated moans and shrieks in a modern villa of the “artistic” kind at Woking.
Not only have the family heard them, but they have fallen on the ears of visitors, among whom has been Mr Gerald Balfour, brother of the Leader of the Opposition. The singular part of the matter is that the uncanny noises are heard by day, and not by night, about noon being a favourite hour of the “spook.”
On one occasion when the resident was in his bath the unearthly and awe-inspiring sounds were noticed, and “appeared to come from just behind him.” On another day there is this entry in the tenant’s diary: “Wednesday, 10th. – 6.30 a.m., loud wails and shrieks woke the children. The cries were repeated nine times.”
Coventry Evening Telegraph, 22nd May 1911.
Daylight Spook That Shrieks and Knocks.
Queer phenomena in a Woking residence.
Yesterday’s doings.
Mr Gerald Balfour among the ‘ghost’s’ large audience.
From our special correspondent. Woking, Saturday night.
The town of Woking is just now pleasantly excited over a ghost which in several particulars presents features of novelty. Woking, except for a neighbouring cemetery, does not suggest spectres, for most of the town is new and bright and cheerful, and the spot which the ghost – as it may for the present be called, in the absence of any other explanation – haunts is one of the brightest and most salubrious districts, covered with pretty modern villas.
One of these at present is occupied by Mr George Holroyd, whose father is a member of the firm of Friary, Holroyd and Healy, the famous Surrey brewers. It is a charming house, obviously of recent date, standing in its own grounds. Its most attractive feature inside is a large hall, with a railed gallery running round it. Above this is the roof, for the house is one of two floors. This hall is the scene of the mysterious manifestations which have begun during the last fortnight.
Mr Holroyd has lived in the house for just over a year, and nothing in the least weird or uncanny had happened until Thursday, May 4. On the morning of that day, just before noon, the maid heard from the hall what she described as shrieks and moans. The maid was in the kitchen at the time. Just afterwards, Mr Holroyd’s son, a youth of twelve years, also heard similar noises. When Mr Holroyd was informed of this, he laughed at the suggestion, and said it must be the result of imagination. The following morning, however, precisely the same noises were heard at the same time – about noon.
Mr Holroyd and his wife were then in the house, as well as the children, the governess, and the maid. Since then the sounds have been repeated about fifty times, generally in the morning and evening, but never at night. That, perhaps, is the most curious fact, for as a rule these manifestations are during the hours of darkness.
The voice seldom varies, except in its volume. Mr Holroyd describes it as a shriek, as of a woman in pain or terror, followed by a moan. It has been heard as early as half past six in the morning, the occasion being Wednesday, May 10, when the cries, echoing through the house, woke the children in their bedroom. On that day the “voice” was especially persistent, and was heard nine times in three hours up to half-past nine, and again several times at noon, as well as in the evening. That day, in fact, holds the record at present for the now familiar demonstration. It has been heard as late as a quarter to nine in the twilight. On Tuesday last two very loud shrieks were heard at that time.
Saturday and Sunday last were a blank – which suggests that the “ghost” was spending the week-end elsewhere. But there were several performances yesterday. “At ten minutes past eight o’clock when I was just getting out of my bath,” said Mr Holroyd, “I heard a very shrill shriek which seemed to come from just behind me. This was succeeded by a long moan, apparently from the stairs. Twice this afternoon the sounds were heard, at one o’clock and at four. On the first occasion Mr Gerald Balfour, once the President of the Local Government Board, and the brother of the ex-Prime Minister, was present, while at four o’clock there was quite a considerable audience.”
Mr Balfour, whose interest in psychical matters is well known, has paid several visits to the house. Last Wednesday he heard the phenomenon twice, and he was also treated to a kind of “extra turn” by hearing the electric bells ring without visible agency. On that day also there was an unexplained tapping on the windows, but not much weight need be attached to that.
In addition to the shrieks and moans Mr Holroyd has heard what he describes as thuds on the stairs, when there was nothing to account for them. The shrieks and moans have been heard by at least a dozen people, and as Mr Holroyd’s house is now the Mecca of enthusiasts in these matters the roll is likely to be lengthened. He himself and Mrs Holroyd preserve an open mind. They are both possessed of iron nerves, and their attitude towards the strange noises is one of mingled curiosity and annoyance. Their young son is happily of the same philosophic temperament.
Various suggestions have been made to explain the noises. In the hall is a stuffed owl in a glass case, and one of the first explanations offered were “owls.” But Mr Holroyd happens to be particularly familiar with the cries of owls, and, though he admits that the bird can make the strangest sounds, those that are daily heard are, he declares, utterly unlike anything that an owl is capable of. They can, he says, be likened to nothing but the shrieks of a woman.
Even the house dog, a fine bull terrier, is said to be disturbed in his mind. When he hears the shrieks and groans he growls, and hurriedly retires from the hall, and seeks the seclusion of the dining-room.
The house has been thoroughly searched by the police, and the services of an electrical engineer have also been retained. He has not yet finished his investigations. When he has, and when the Psychical Research Society have brought expert knowledge to bear on the mystery, it may be explained.
Lloyd’s Weekly Newspaper, 21st May, 1911.
The spook stories which every now and then get into the papers are very aggravating, for, like serial instalments, they generally break off at an interesting point, and we miss the subsequent chapters. The Woking “daylight ghost” promises well, though why a ghost should take up its inconsequential abode in a modern villa seems rather peculiar.
The shrieks and wails and moans suggest a screech owl suffering from indigestion after a night’s hunting; but as Mr Gerald Balfour and the Psychical Research Society are on the track we must wait patiently for the result of their investigations. We hope that the result will be made public, just to satisfy curiosity, for it happens so often that when a natural solution has been found nothing more is said about the matter, and the consequence is that for all we know mysterious noises and unnatural activity of inanimate objects are going on in “haunted” houses all over the country.
Westminster Gazette, 24th May 1911.
Daylight Ghost.
Shrieks and wails in villa.
Throughout the ages, whenever man has not been able to account for any phenomena, it has been usual to attribute the cause to supernatural agency. This is the only reason for describing the manifestations which have become notorious in Woking during the last few days as a “ghost” story.
The facts are quite simple (says the “Daily Chronicle”). Rather more than a year ago Mr George Holroyd became the tenant of a furnished villa on the outskirts of Woking. Originally intending to remain there for only a few weeks, he has – owing to reasons into which it is not necessary to enter – occupied it up to the present time.
The villa is quite a modern effort, belonging to the “artistic” style. It is built of red brick, stands in its own grounds of about half an acre, and altogether it is about th elast place in the world which might be suspected of harbouring ghostly visitants. The main feature of the interior is a large hall, round which, on the bedroom floor, is a gallery. The usual rooms – dining and drawing, and so on – are disposed to right and left of the hall; at the back are the kitchen and scullery.
Until about a fortnight ago Mr Holroyd, who lives in the house with his wife and children, a governess and a madiservant, enjoyed the customary quiet existence which one naturally expects in the salubrious neighbourhood of Woking. It was on the morning of May 4 that this peaceful atmosphere was disturbed. Just before noon the maid heard a loud shriek, apparently proceeding from the hall. She is described as a rather timid girl, who is in the habit of using a night-light in her bedroom. Mr Holroyd’s son, a bright boy of twelve years of age, was in the house at the time, and also heard the strange noises, which were repeated a few minutes later.
On being informed of the matter Mr Holroyd determined to stay at home the following day to see what happened. On Friday, at about the same time, similar shrieks and moans were heard. “I was skeptical at first,” said Mr Holroyd, to a “Daily Chronicle” representative. “I am not a believer in spooks, and both my wife and I fortunately possess strong nerves; my son, too, is interested, but not in the least frightened. The suggestion has been put forward that the noises are made by an owl. As it happens, having lived in the country nearly all my life, I am particularly familiar with the cries of owls. Those which I have heard perhaps forty times in this house are quite unlike any cry produced by an owl. I can only describe them as the shriek of a woman in pain or terror, and the shriek is generally followed by a low moan.”
“It is,” said Mr Holroyd, “impossible to locate the source of these voices. Generally speaking, they seem to come from the roof of the hall, yet this morning, when I was in the bath-room, the yell – as I heard it – seemed to be just behind me.”
A curious fact – considering all that has preivouly been known concerning the habits of spooks – is that the manifestations are confined to daylight. The latest recorded time at which the sounds have been heard is 8-15, in the twilight; the earliest, 6.-30 a.m., when the sun has long risen.
As might have been expected, the manifestation have excited the interest of spiritualists. Mr Gerald Balfour, brother of the Leader of the Conservative party, has paid several visits to the house, and on two occasions has been fortunate enough to hear the shrieks and groans. It is understood that he will enlist the services of the Psychical Research Society, in the hope of solving the mystery. Mr Holroyd was good enough (writes the “Daily Chronicle” representative) to supply me with a copy of the diary he had kept since the manifestations began. It runs as follows: –
Saturday, 20. – 8.10, very shrill, when I was getting out of my bath. Appeared to come from just behind me. 11.15, long moan one o’clock, when Mr Balfour and several other visitors heard it. Twice about 4 o’clock.
As I was leaving the house I noticed a fine bull terrier asleep in a basket in the haunted hall. “Does the dog take any notice of these sounds?” was the obvious question. “It is a curious fact,” said Mr Holroyd, that though the dog has always been chained up at night in the hall, and was quite comfortable, a month or two ago he became uneasy, and disturbed us so much that he was left unchained. I don’t know whether he slept in the hall, but now, whenever these strange noises are heard, he retreats to one of the rooms, generally the dining room, and growls.
Attempts will be made to solve the problem this week – if it admits of a psychical solution – as several eminent spiritualist mediums have offered their services. An electrical engineer is also making investigations which may be fertile. The Woking mystery will, at any rate, be thoroughly explored.
Belfast Telegraph, 27th May 1911.