Early yesterday morning, when the old clock of Eckington Parish Church had just struck two, one of the guardians of the night was proceeding on his beat the vicinity of the church, ” with measured tread,” when he was not a little surprised with very strange noises proceeding from the churchyard. With tremulous and cautious step ho ventured to the wall which surrounds the burial-ground and saw a figure white moving to and fro. The apparition, turning its attention to the officer, said, “all solemnly,” ” Who are you, and whence do you come?” The officer very promptly told the ghost who he was, when the latter invited him to ” come forward,” assuring the officer that he need not be afraid—he would not harm but protect him. The ghost then adopted means quite contrary to those which would induce the policeman to approach him by giving vent to screams of ” murder.” The officer, however, after his amazement was somewhat abated, did approach, and who had made night hideous, instead stalking off ” like an ill-used ghost,” was captured, and discovered to be a tradesman named Septimus Staton, of Mosbro’, who had been visiting the haunts of Black spirits and white, Red spirits and grey, throughout the day. He was almost state of nudity, having nothing on but his shirt. He said his family had turned him out of doors, and that he had been canvassing for Egerton and Strutt in the Liberal interest. About this time his son came upon the scene and tried to persuade his father to go home, but, being of an aristocratic turn of mind, he declined to do so, unless he was provided with carriage. As this accommodation was not vouchsafed, he thought it advisable that he should go and see the Rector about it. Instead of being accompanied to the rectory be was taken to the police-station, where he was detained till daylight. Then he was furnished with a suit of clothes and taken home. The poor man has been for time demented.
Septimus Staton 1805 – 1872 was a Sicklemaker, Farmer and Alehouse Keeper, ie The Butcher’s Arms were Gyzells Hair Shop is now on Station Road, at the Crown Corner. Septimus died on 27 April 1872.
Sheffield Daily Telegraph – Thursday 09 September 1869 (Linda Taylor)
