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THEHACKNEY EXPRESSAND©tefar.BATUEDAY, AUGUST 24, 1895.SUPERSTITIONS.Classic” Hackney has hardly advanced its reputation during tho last few days.The political performance of Mr. Herbeht Robertson, M.P., in seconding the Address in the House of Commons, does not appear Co have added much lustre to the glorious traditions of the past. And certainly the craze for ghost-hunting'* in the old churchyard will not enhance tho intellectual roputo of tho inhabitants. Whether the craze took its rise from an old woman’s disordered fancy, or from tho vagaries of some ghostly joker, is not very clear. It may be—and most likely is—a canard manufactured for tho silly season. In any case, the incident, or series of incidents, serves to show that a large amount of superstition still lingers in the educated breast of the end of the nineteenth century. Tho hunting, as might bo oxpected, has led to a large display of rowdyism; and the light fingered fraternity appear to have used the opportunity to some purpose. Theoldest inhabitant is carried back to thedays of his youth, when the hollowed turnip, curved with eyes and mouth, and illuminated with a tallow candle, did duty in frightening the belated wayfarer. Itwollers in villages fifty years ago will remember the ghost of the suicide buried with a stake in his inside at the cross roads; and tho ghost of the drowned interred in a corner of the old churchyard. There was surely somo lane or path leading from his village where the ghost walked upon occasion—a terror to be avoided by a long oircait on return from a neighbouring town late at night. It may be Bomo lonely pool had devoured a whole carriageful of ladies and gentlemen in the dim past, whose ghosts—horses, carriage, and all—might be met at midnight driving round the lake. In those days of ignorance the superstitions of tho people were winked at,” and even the learned did not always escape less vulgar forms of the same failing. But in the days of Board Schools, advanced science, a free Press, and cheap literature things have greatly improved, and ghosts in general have been laid. It remains therefore for Hackney to be laughed at by London and the country, whilst its nightly congregation of ghost hunters assemble in the churchyard in search of they know not what. In this category, of course, we do not include tho light-fingered gentry already referred to. Indeed, tho whole question is rapidly becoming one of police, and it may be hoped that very soon measures will be taken to put a stop to the disgraceful exhibition. It is unbearable that night should be made hideous, persons injured, and property destroyed under conditions which are certainly a hundred years behind the times. r Mf . .'T •' i •* *, »Bide, which happily was promptly done. To get upwards of 250 passengers orer the aide of tho I.yon was no easy matter, and Mr. Gates pays a high tribute to the conduct of the crew and passengers, although a few of the French women screamed a good deal. Whilst waiting for their turn, Mr. Gates's daughters began to loosen their boots and to prepare for possible immersion; but happily they were soon transferred to the ** Lyon, although one of them sustained a aeriouB injury to the ankle. Our worthy neighbour had the satisfaction of joining them on the deck, and of offering np devout thanksgiving to Almighty God for the safety of his family and all on board. Tliia was accomplished in the case of tho invalids and children by throwing a plank between the vessels. It .was worthy of note, too, that some portable luggage was saved, in the shape of handbags and the like, but that was all. In the meantime tho vessel gradually settled down. The engineers and crew took to a couple of the boats, another boat was floatiug about the deck, and a fourth boat went down with the vessel. It was 4 o'clock in the afternoon when tho vessel was struck, and at 4 40—the time at which she was due at Newhaven—the11 Seaford disappeared in tho waters. The Lyon” had received considerable injury, but her bulkhead saved her, and it is indicative of the feeling of safety possessed by the rescued passengers that they immediately formed a sort of committeee and collected over £30 for the crew of the Seaford,” who had lost everything. There were also Americans and others who bad been left without a penny to take them home, and means were found to provide for their immediate wants. The Lyon reached Newhaven at 8.30, and received a very hearty welcome, tho reception of the rescaed being all the warmer when it is remembered that almost the whole of the crew of tho lost vessel were Newhaven men. We very heartily congratulate Mr. Gates and his daughters at their escape and safe* return, and although they have suffered loss of baggage, that is a small matter when it is remembered what might have happened if the collision had token placo in a rough sea or during the darkness of night. Mr. Gates wishes to add a word or praise to Captain Gauvin, of tho ‘‘Lyon,” for his prompt oction in lying-to, which tonded so greatly to tho rescue of the passengers.WmiDtrotaothW(wllitme a •drwicoth.di*nuth.onahfoinitso:mi* *inm.heA '‘GHOST IN HACKNEY CHURCHYARD.ID/KOCTVBXAL BSCITBMENT.An extraordinary scene was witnessed during the early hours of Wednesday morning in tho churchyard of the parish chureh of St. John at Hackney, when fully 1,000 men and women turned out from their houses in the neighbourhood to hunt for a supposed ghost. For some time people passing through the churchyard late at night have beenstartled by tho appearance of a ghost.’’ Women ith fright, and the evening nowshave fainted wi papers have published sensational accounts of the strange affair. Between ten and eleven o’clock on Tuesday night a mixed crowd began to assemble at the rear of the church, where “ the ghost ” was supposed to be, and whero in the usual way very few persons pass after about eleven o’clock. A long wait until midnight, aud then, as no ghost appeared, the crowd went in search of it. Armedwith lanterns and candles, aud carrying sticks andrailings fromstones, tho crowd climbed thepathways, and took posseasi * tombsto‘‘AFTER THE BATTLE.”W r give in our correspondence columns as much spacB os we aro able this week to tho discussion of the topic opened by Mr. Belstead. We have had to excise all matter that might be held to bear upon points raised in the election petition which has been lodged by Mr. Cremcr. Our correnpon-donts will easily see tho reason for this, whilst the allegations are sub judice. On the general question there is plenty of room for the expression of opinion, and certainly there are some matters of history referred to which help to the better understanding of political developments, whereby men are now facing each othor who aforetime worked shoulder to shoulder. We think the present discussion may do auWe good. It is of course desirable that personalities should be eyoided, and wo have thought it right only to publish letters duly signed by the writers. This is not the time for corameut, but the proceedings in the law courts are looked forward to with much interest by a great many porsons. _Tub Parseo community lo England have arranged to enCertain Mr. Bhownaggree M.P., to dinuer attheof the burial-ground. Graves and tombstones were clambered over, and recently restored mouuda were trampled down. A portion of the crowd looked upon the whole affair as a joke, and consequently every few minutes the cry was raised of There it goes and immediately the whole crowd rushed in the direction indicated. Others amused themselves by making the night hideous with imitations of unearthly cries, and flfengh the police were requisitioned to clear tho place it was not until the verge of daylight that tho last few stragglers went away. The damage to the graves was very groat, and efforts will be made to prevent any further demonstration. Many complaints were made by those present of haring their pockets picked. It is an ill wind that blows nobody good lack. The second muBtcr round the old church of St. John began as early as eight o'clock on Wednesday night, and a big muster of very substantial and nnghoatly constables tried in vain to disperse it. At midnight the ghost-hunters in the churchyard numbered several thousands. The witching hour passed, but no spectre came to make the night memorable in the annals of Haokuey. At one o’clock, however, a large sheet of newspaper-said to be the Daily Chronicle—was soea to float from a tree to the ground, and for a few terrible momenta assembled Hackney thought that the awaited weird one was anigh. Tumult and ut made the night hideous. People were crushed and injured, but the perpetrator of the paper joke escaped nunoticed from tho tree in the confusion Some arrests were made from amonget the disorderly element. Lightning flashed, and as tombstoqo after tombstone was Ut up the cry qf M The Ghosfc' The Ghost! grew wilder. Towards dawn the mob had dispersed. It appears that the tomb from which the ghost is snppoecd to appear is grave at the back of the church, the stone representing three boys playing at cards on a tublc-The origin of this device is explained as follows Several years ago, three boys were playing cards for money, when one of them who was losing very heavily, exclaimed, May God strike me dead if I do not win tbis game.” Whou ho rose to loavo the tabic he dropped dowu dead, and his ghost it is whioh is supposod to haunt the spot. On Thursday, at the North Londou Polioe-conrt, George Bnerley, of Launsten-road, was charged with disorderly oonduct at the ghost-hunting, aud fined 10/-' or seven days.I
Newspaper Details
Hackney Express and Shoreditch Observer
London, Middlesex, GB
Sat, Aug 24, 1895
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Paulette D.
OH, USA 16 Jan 2017
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