As in the case of the story of the "Haunted Farm," I desire to state
that I have not drawn upon my imagination for any of the incidents
related in the account of "The Spectre Hound." The story of the ghost
came to my ears from the lips of a friend, and being filled with
curiosity at so remarkable a story I determined to investigate it. For
this purpose I saw and interviewed all the persons whose experiences
are related in the story, and from them I received the substance and
detail of the above account. They are all perfectly serious, and
positively affirm that they saw with their own eyes the actions of the
spectre hound as recorded.
Their statements were given to me in the presence of reliable
witnesses; and my informants are still alive at the time of writing
(May, 1906).
The fishmonger whose statement is given above is a well-known Hyde
worthy, and I interviewed him at his own house on Thursday evening,
March 29th, 1906. I took with me two friends--well-known public men of
Hyde--as witnesses. My knock at the door was answered by the
fishmonger himself. I told him who I was, and my object in
calling--that it was about a ghost, a spectre hound--a great dog.
"Great dog," said he; "why, man, it was as big as a blooming cow. Come
inside."
With that we entered the house, and he related the story which is
recorded in the foregoing narrative. At the conclusion I suggested
that the spectre might have been a cow.
The man shook his head.
"It was no cow," said he solemnly. "It was a ghost. I never want to
see the thing again if I live to be a hundred years old."