he moved on to the front of the fire. There he
stood looking at me, and a curious smile came over his countenance. He
had a stand-up collar and a cut-away coat with gilt buttons and a Scotch
cap. All at once he struck at me, and I had the impression that he hit
me. I up with my fist and struck back at him. My fist seemed to go
through him and struck against the stone above the fireplace, and
knocked the skin off my knuckles. The man seemed to be struck back into
the fire, and uttered a strange, unearthly squeak. Immediately the dog
gripped me by the calf of my leg, and seemed to cause me pain. The man
recovered his position, called off the dog with a sort of click of the
tongue, then went back into the coal-house, followed by the dog. I
lighted my dark lantern and looked into the coal-house, but there was
neither dog nor man, and no outlet for them except the one by which they
had entered.

"I was satisfied that what I had seen was ghostly, and it accounted for
the fact that when the man had first come into the place where he sat I
had not challenged him with any enquiry. Next day, and for several
weeks, my account caused quite a commotion, and a host of people spoke
to me about it; among the rest old Edward Pease, father of railways, and
his three sons, John, Joseph, and Henry. Old Edward sent for me to his
house and asked me all particulars. He and others put this question to
me: "Are you sure you were not asleep and had the nightmare?" My answer
was quite sure, for I had not been a minute in the cellar, and was just
going to get something to eat. I was certainly not under the influence
of strong drink, for I was then, as I have been for forty-nine years, a
teetotaler. My mind at the time was perfectly free from trouble. What
increased the excitement was the fact that a man a number of years
before, who was employed in the office of the station, had committed
suicide, and his body had been carried into this very cellar. I knew
nothing of this circumstance, nor of the body of the man, but Mr. Pease
and others who had known him, told me my description exactly
corresponded to his appearance and the way he dressed, and also that he
had a black retriever just like the one which gripped me. I should add
that no mark or effect remained on the spot where I seemed to be seized.

"(Signed) JAMES DURHAM.
"_Dec. 9th, 1890._"

Following the above statement Mr. Stead appends Mr. Kendall's reasons
for believi