Newspaper Clipping of the Day

Via Newspapers.com

There's that old saying about how nothing is certain but death and taxes.  Well, here's a story that manages to combine the two.  The "Nevada State Journal," October 1, 1907:

LONDON, Sept. 30--Tax Assessor H.M.W. Richards called on the 300-year-old ghosts in the eerie predawn hours today to support the claim of their host, the owner of a lonely country mansion, that his taxes should be reduced because the house was haunted. 

The investigation took all night. As the sun rose, Richards stumbled from the ancient 12- room cobwebbed mansion and left immediately without comment for an extended weekend in other parts of the country to consider his decision. 

Richards was aided in his investigation by a London medium, Mrs. Florence Thompson, four psychic investigators, the caretaker and newsmen--10 persons in all.  Mrs. Thompson insisted the ghosts kept the rendezvous. 

According to the legend, the house is haunted by the ghosts of a beautiful young girl and her handsome lover who crossed the wishes of the girl's father. The irate father shut both of them in a cellar closet and they died in each other's arms. Since then their spirits have been earthbound. 

The present owner, D. Key, of Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, whose family has owned the mansion for the past 100 years, complained to Richards that mansion has been haunted ever since that closet door closed and no one would live there except the caretaker, Miss Amy Dickinson, gaunt and crippled 67-year-old spinster. Because of this, Key said, he wanted a tax reduction. 

Richards, tax assessor and a member of the city council of Apsley Guise, Bedfordshire, which heard the complaint, was not convinced. He wanted a demonstration.

Unfortunately for Mr. Key, although Richards eventually came to the conclusion that the house was indeed haunted, the Luton area assessment committee felt otherwise.  Ghosts or no ghosts, they ruled, Key had to pay his taxes in full.

It was a nice try, though.