Lab
Library
Journal
Shop
Sign in
to keep
Share image
1
303
The Book of Dreams and Ghosts
·
Andrew Lang
140
At
this
point
the
old
lady
became
conscious
that
she
was
telling
the
story,
and
no
more
could
be
got
out
of
her.
The
name
of
the
lady
who
keeps
a
secret
of
145
years'
standing,
is
the
name
of
a
witness
in
the
trial.
The
whole
affair
is
thoroughly
characteristic
of
the
Highlanders
and
of
Scottish
jurisprudence
after
Culloden,
while
the
verdict
of
"Not
Guilty"
(when
"Not
Proven"
would
have
been
stretching
a
point)
is
evidence
to
the
"common-sense"
of
the
eighteenth
century.
{141}
There
are
other
cases,
in
Webster,
Aubrey
and
Glanvil
of
ghosts
who
tried
more
successfully
to
bring
their
murderers
to
justice.
But
the
reports
of
the
trials
do
not
exist,
or
cannot
be
found,
and
Webster
lost
a
letter
which
he
once
possessed,
which
would
have
been
proof
that
ghostly
evidence
was
given
and
was
received
at
a
trial
in
Durham
(1631
or
1632).
Reports
of
old
men
present
were
collected
for
Glanvil,
but
are
entirely
too
vague.
The
case
of
Fisher's
Ghost,
which
led
to
evidence
being
given
as
to
a
murder
in
New
South
Wales,
cannot
be
wholly
omitted.
Fisher
was
a
convict
settler,
a
man
of
some
wealth.
He
disappeared
from
his
station,
and
his
manager
(also
a
convict)
declared
that
he
had
returned
to
England.
Later,
a
man
returning
from
market
saw
Fisher
sitting
on
a
rail;
at
his
approach
Fisher
vanished.
Black
trackers
were
laid
on,
found
human
blood
on
the
rail,
and
finally
discovered
Fisher's
body.
The
manager
was
tried,
was
condemned,
acknowledged
his
guilt
and
was
hanged.
Marker
Marker
Fine marker
White-out
Fine white-out
Circle
Paint
Unmarker
Hand
Scalpel
Dice
Sieve
Purify
Undo
Redo
Start over
