An Amusing Incident?

Items of general interest

Moderators: Global Moderators, Pandabean

Currie
Posts: 3924
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
Location: Australia

Re: An Amusing Incident?

Post by Currie » Wed Nov 10, 2021 3:44 pm

Thanks all,

Yet another resurrection, yet another terrified family.


Dundee Courier, Thursday, September 19, 1935

WIFE “IDENTIFIES” BODY.
Amazing Mistake.
Husband Found Asleep at Home

When a man collapsed in a Glasgow street a little girl thought he was her uncle.
So he was carried to her parents’ home in Elder Park Street, Govan, where they, too, “recognised” him as Mr Thomas Carberry, of Greenfield Street.
He died almost immediately and Mrs Carberry, who had been in the house a short time before, was sent for.
She, too, was convinced that the man was her husband, and neighbours came in and commiserated with her. They also “identified” the body.

Breaking the News

Mrs Carberry went home to break the news gently to her children.
Opening the door she almost fainted. Her husband was indoors—and fast asleep.
Thinking that she had seen an apparition, Mrs Carberry rushed back to her sister's house, where the body was.
Mr Carberry woke up with a start, and, wondering what the matter was, ran after his wife and knocked at the sister’s door.
Mrs Ramsey, the sister, opened it, could not believe her eyes, and slammed the door in his face.
Mr Carberry’s view of the strange proceedings can be imagined. He knocked again.
This time Mrs Ramsey said “Speak, so that I can know it is really you.”
Mr Carberry spoke. The door opened again and the situation was explained.
Meantime, Mrs Carberry is still suffering from shock, and Mrs Ramsey was so affected that she is confined to bed.

The dead man was identified as Alfred Bolton (23), c/o W. Grimshaw, 20 Elder Park Street.



Suspecting this story to be a fabrication I checked SP and there he was.
BOLTON, ALFRED, 23, 1935, 644/17 899, Govan

Wouldn't it be nice if there were enough columns on a death certificate to cover all that.

Alan

garibaldired
Posts: 642
Joined: Wed Nov 02, 2005 2:42 pm
Location: Dorset, UK

Re: An Amusing Incident?

Post by garibaldired » Thu Nov 11, 2021 8:41 pm

Another great story, Alan =D>

I wonder how the Bolton family felt!

Thanks,
Meg

Currie
Posts: 3924
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2007 3:20 am
Location: Australia

Re: An Amusing Incident?

Post by Currie » Sat Nov 20, 2021 9:48 am

Thanks Meg,

And to finish off this thread is a story that’s a bit of a haunt.


Dundee Courier, Monday, October 6, 1913

DUNDEE'S HAUNTED HOUSE.
“SPECTRE” APPEARS IN THE HILLTOWN AND WAVES GLEAMING HAND TO CROWD.

Dundee possesses a ghost. It is not a wandering spirit, stalking abroad at dead of night to frighten the more timid of the citizens. The Hilltown “ghost” is of a friendly disposition, and disports itself by waving a long bony hand, bearing a phosphorescent glare, to the watchers of the night.

Where the Ghost Walks.

The domicile of the “ghost” is a garret in the Hilltown which has been shut up for some time, but it does not disgrace its earthly abode by comporting from the little window of the attic facing the street, although there are many among the large crowds which congregate nightly in the Hilltown who imagine that they see the filmy outline of the apparition. What they really see is white wood around the window. The “spectre” favoured the window on the stair leading to the garrets. The window has no glass, but iron bars prevent the “kiddies” of the land running into the back court. Here it was that the “ghost” made its appearance, for now the window has been barricaded with wood, and the “spectre” will have to seek some new stage from which to wave to mortals.

Crowds Wait for the “Ghost.”

The “ghost” gave its first display a week ago, and since then its appearances have been somewhat irregular, although not a night has passod without a display. The ghostly performance soon became known, and large crowds have patiently waited for the free show. Just as darkness has begun to envelope the city people have thronged to the spot. Many of them, however, were unaware that the exhibition was to be seen only in the back court, and they hung about the street, gazing up at the attic window. Some of them thought they saw things, but others less imaginative drew a blank and left disgusted, but on many occasions the street was blocked.

Seeing Is Believing.

It was the same with those who were even in the back court. A few saw the “ghost,” others (the great majority) did not. A woman who had “seen the spectre” informed the “Courier” that she could not distinguish whether it was that of a man or a woman. “You just see a white thing, the head and shoulders, and the long hand shining out as if it were rubbed with phosphorus is pushed between the bars and waved as one does in bidding farewell to a friend. It is all over in an instant,” she added.

“A House of Murders.”

Various stories were afloat as to the cause for the appearance of the ghostly visitor. One tale was that there had been five murders in one of the attics, while another romance was that a miser had once resided in the house. The situation became so intense that the police were requested to take action. They searched the attics thoroughly, but nothing could be seen which could account for the haunted window. The explanation given is that the gas jet on the second stair is so placed that it casts the reflection of anyone passing on to the wall directly opposite the staircase window of the third storey. Anyhow, the spectre has now been laid. The window was barricaded with boarding on Saturday, which proved ghostproof, as the long hand with its phosphorescent glaze is no longer to be seen.




Evening Telegraph, Dundee, Monday, October 6, 1913

HILLTOWN'S “HAUNTED” HOUSE.
SHADOWY PERFORMERS SEEN
From Back and Front of the Building.

Hilltown's “haunted” house promises to be one of Dundee’s greatest holiday attractions. So far “Mr Ghost” seems to be in no hurry to return to the spirit world, and nightly he “holds audience” with thousands. Up Hilltown way the faith in him is unswerving. For a week the “spectre” has been in rivalry with the popular picture theatres, and his army of patrons is growing night after night. Opinion is divided as to the window from which the performance is given. Hundreds swear by the little attic window in the front, while quite as many refuse to be convinced that they are wrong by holding that the shadowy performer never leaves the stair window looking into the back court. And curiously both lots “see the ghost.”

The scare has made Hilltown a great centre of attraction. From far and near young, and old trek there. It is not given to everybody to be able to discover the spectre. and naturally they become unbelievers and the object of the sympathy of those who see. The mere suggestion that the “ghost” is a trick of the imagination is enough to raise a storm of indignation. The ghost is there, and woe betide the reckless individual who dares to scorn the idea. It was with a gleam of triumph that the “back court army” witnessed the boarding up of the back window. The house factor took this step to see if he could lay the ghost, and the “front street crowd” scornfully refused to give up their belief. Quite a number of folks imagine that they have a grievance against the joiner who, they say, has shut them off from the spirit world. Everything was going on fine until up came the joiner and slapped up a few boards.

“I haven’t seen the ghost since then.” So said a woman to a “Telegraph and Post” reporter who visited the scene. Others maintain, however, that the boards have had no effect, and that the long bony arm, shining as if coated with phosphorous, still continues to wave its blessing upon the heads of the watchers.
“Just the very place for a ghost,” said a nervous-looking man. “Do you know five murders have been committed in that wee attic room. What a story the walls could tell!”

The ghost has not taken to wandering about yet. That would not he quite respectable for one of his clan. The moment he leaves the precincts of that house of mystery, with its “tragic associations” he will dissolve into nothingness. And no self respecting ghost is going to take that risk and thereby disappoint the believers. Extraordinary scenes have been witnessed at the house. Hundreds of children crowd into the back court and then in silence gaze up at the boarded window. Someone shouts “Ghost!” and with whoops and piercing screams the bairns surge back into the street again.

The “aeroplane neck” used to be “the” thing. Now Dundonians have developed the “ghost neck.” Long spells of watching have seen to that. There is a suspicion that a practical joker has been at work. If that is so he had better get clear now. Delay is dangerous, and if fraud should be exposed some night there will be trouble in the Hilltown.



Hope that haunted,
Alan

(p.s. One of my lot giving people “aeroplane neck” in 1914. https://imgur.com/a/7SXZtM2 )

Post Reply