THE ALLEGED HAUNTING OF B---- HOUSE


It was in 1892 that Lord Bute first heard of the matter. It was not,
as stated by _The Times_ correspondent in that journal for June 8,
1897, in or from London, but at Falkland, in Fifeshire, and in the
following manner:--

There is no public chapel at Falkland, and the private chapel in the
house is attended by a variety of priests, who usually come only from
Saturday to Monday. Lord Bute's diary for the second week in August
1892 contains the following entries:--

"_Saturday, August 6th._--Father H----, S.J., came.

"_Sunday, August 7th._--In afternoon with Father H---- and John [Lord
Dumfries] to Palace, and then with him to the Gruoch's Den. He gives
us a long account of the psychical disturbances at B----; noises
between his bed and the ceiling, like continuous explosion of petards,
so that he could not hear himself speak, &c. &c.

"[Mr. Huggins afterwards recommended the use of a phonograph for these
noises, in order to ascertain absolutely whether they are objective or
subjective, and I wrote so to S---- of B----.]

"_Monday, August 8th._--Father H---- went away.

"_Tuesday, August 9th._--Mr. Huggins [now Sir William Huggins],