The Alleged Haunting of B---- House | Page 2

fourth
sound, the nature of which Lord Bute does not remember with the same
certainty as the others, but believes it was a shriek or scream. Such a
sound is described by other witnesses during the subsequent occupation
of the house by the H---- family. The fact that the sounds appear to
have been inaudible to every one except Father H---- is a strong
argument in favour of their subjective, or hallucinatory, character. It

will be found that this was very often the case with the peculiar sounds
recorded at B----, and even when they were heard by several persons at
the same time, there does not appear to be any ground for refusing to
recognise them as collective hallucinations.
Lord Bute's diary and recollections have been here quoted, not as
differing from, but only as being antecedent to, the following account,
which has been furnished by Father H---- himself:--
"I went to B---- on Thursday, July 14th, 1892, and I left it on Saturday,
July 23rd. So I slept at B---- for nine nights, or rather one night,
because I was disturbed by very queer and extraordinary noises every
night except the last, which I spent in Mr. S----'s dressing-room. At first
I occupied the room to the extreme right of the landing [No. 8],[A] then
my things were removed to another room [No. 3] (it seems to me at this
distance of time that this room faced the principal staircase, or was a
little to the left of it). In both these rooms I heard the loud and
inexplicable noises every night, but on two or three nights, in addition
to these, another noise affrighted me--a sound of somebody or
something falling against the door outside. It seemed, at the time, as if a
calf or big dog would make such a noise. Why those particular animals
came into my head I cannot tell. But in attempting to describe these
indescribable phenomena, I notice now I always do say it was like a
calf or big dog falling against the door. Why did I not hear the noises
on the ninth night? Were there none where I was? These are questions
the answers to which are not apparent. It may be there were noises, but
I slept too soundly to hear them. One of the oddest things in my case, in
connection with the house, is that it appeared to me somehow that (1)
Somebody was relieved by my departure; (2) that nothing could induce
me to pass another night there, at all events alone, and in other respects
I do not think I am a coward."
For the benefit of those who are not aware of the fact, it may be as well
to state that the class of people known as spiritualists, hold that when
raps are heard, it is the best thing for the hearer to say aloud, "If you are
intelligent, will you please to rap three times?" and if this is done, to
ask the intelligence to rap three times for yes, once for no, and twice for

doubtful. It is obvious that considerable conversation can be carried on
by such a code, and where it is inadequate, as, for instance, in obtaining
proper names, it is usual to propose to repeat the alphabet slowly,
asking the intelligence to rap once when the proper letter is reached.
This simple method was entirely unknown to Father H----. He had done
nothing but throw holy water about his rooms, and repeat the prayer
Visita quæsumus, which invokes the Divine protection of a house and
its inhabitants against all the snares of the Enemy, and which, therefore,
in no way concerned any person or thing which is not associated with
the powers of darkness. It was natural that no result should be
produced.
Sir W. Huggins told Lord Bute, as the result of his examination of
Father H----, that he felt absolutely certain that what the latter had
experienced was not the outcome of morbid hallucination, but that it
was possible that the sounds themselves might be hallucinatory or
subjective. To ascertain whether this were so, or whether they had any
physical cause, he suggested the use of a phonograph, as this would at
least show whether the sounds were accompanied by atmospheric
waves. Lord Bute happened to know Mr. S---- slightly, having met him
accidentally while travelling abroad. He accordingly wrote to him, and
communicated Sir William Huggins's suggestion. Mr. S----, after a
delay of some days, refused absolutely to allow any scientific
investigation to be made, a refusal remarkably coincident with the
recent refusal of his son, the present proprietor, to allow any similar
investigation with seismographical instruments. It would seem a
legitimate conclusion that neither father nor son doubted that the
sounds are of a