Newspaper Clipping of the Day

Via Newspapers.com

Bring on the Christmas ghosts!  The "London Sunday Mirror," December 23, 1923:

What would Christmas be without its ghost stories? The children love them.

A Christmas " ghost " has arrived almost opportunely one might say. But it has not chosen a big city like London for its appearance. Cities are probably too dull, unromantic and unbelieving. These things are done better in the country. This year's ghost has chosen a Devonshire village near Taunton as its theatre of operations.

Moreover, Monkton Heathfield, the name of the village, has quite a ghostly sound about it. But the unearthly visitant does not seem to be a monk. It is quite up to date in the sense that, instead of choosing an ivy-clad castle for its operations, it has ensconced itself in a newly-built house. The residence in question was erected for his own occupation by a Mr. Gardiner, a jobbing builder, and during the last few days articles of furniture have been moved about the house without apparent human agency.  So uncanny has the situation become that Mr. Gardiner and his son no longer sleep there.

The trouble began when an extraordinary noise was heard, and Mr. Gardiner was struck on the back of the neck by an orange which a moment before had been reposing on a plate on the dresser.

Other inexplicable occurrences are related by neighbours, who were interviewed yesterday by a Press representative. 

A chair jumped from the floor on to the table, and a matchbox, which was on the table in the kitchen, suddenly rose several feet into the air and then fell to the ground. 

A pair of boots emerged backwards from the cupboard. 

Two Prayer-books and a large postcard album flew from a bookshelf to the opposite side of the room. 

The climax was reached when amazed witnesses saw a lamp rise from the table and gracefully volplane to the kitchen floor.

These things have happened not only at night, but during midday meals, when knives have moved from one end of the table to the other. 

The pepper-box has taken to walking. 

So far no explanation has been found for the phenomena.