London stories: brave ghost hunter or common killer? (6 photos)

All sorts of superstitions and urban legends are a certain component of the life of society.





After all, this is a great way to make money on tourists and get an emotional high, imagining a possible meeting with some horror.



And the Londoners of 1803 aspirated for several months told each other the story of a ghost that had been roamed the city streets causing trouble. figure in white hoodie scared two women to death. Chariot driver stagecoach, almost killed the passengers, collided with a ghost. A a certain brave watchman was not at a loss, he chased after the disturber of the peace and allegedly pulled off his shroud. What led a group of men to the idea that that a dirty ghost can be caught.

The guys began to patrol the streets at night. And during another night vigil local tax inspector Francis Smith I noticed a figure in a white shroud slowly wandering from the city churchyard. Subsequently, the man claimed that he demanded the ghost to stop and warned of the consequences. Not seeing (or not wanting to see) a reaction, he heartily loaded the shot into the figure.





And he made a real dead man out of a fake ghost. Since the charge hit an ordinary bricklayer who wore a typical his guild's working suit - light-colored trousers, a vest and a raincoat. unfortunate moved to the nearest pub, but help poor Thomas Millwood is no longer could.

Unexpected recognition



Entrance to the lane which is the only remaining trace of the old village of Hammersmith

Smith was placed in jail on murder charges. And through a couple of days the shoemaker John Graham came to the station with confession. Man confessed that he was the same ghost from Hammersmith (the area where events happened). And he was forced to take these measures by his own apprentices. The boys made the Graham kids stutter with stories about ghosts, and he decided to take revenge and scare them a little.

Arguments and Decoupling



A high-profile trial began. Smith insisted on his innocence. The townspeople supported the man, saying that his everyone would have done the same. Moreover, the inspector warned the victim about intention to shoot and demanded to stop.

A witness was found - the sister of the murdered mason Anna. Woman testified at trial that Smith had addressed her brother. But between conversion and Too little time has elapsed with the shot. And Tom is just physically nothing managed to do - neither stop nor try to explain something.

But, one way or another, a man died. And the jury admitted accused guilty and sentenced to hang. Unfortunate hunter on ghosts he almost executed the sentence himself in execution in the courtroom, gasping in horror. But the judge decided to wait and gave a resonant matter to the king himself.

George III, although he was the ruler, but in ghosts and all other nonsense, too, sincerely believed. And therefore replaced the penalty with a year forced labor. To which Smith was unspeakably delighted.



And the local Black Lion pub, where the body of the unfortunate man was delivered accidentally killed bricklayer, diligently supports stories about ghosts, attracting tourists. During this time, the legendary ghost acquired a crowd of comrades. Which visitors regularly see. Although it cannot be ruled out that they are "seen" by alcohol consumed by visitors in industrial scale.

And the trial remained in the history of criminal law. And on The case has been repeatedly cited in other cases. As a result defendants were given the right to invoke their personal subjective the vision shown in the commission of the crime.