A London ghost story that has it all. History, murder, and a chilling series of hauntings. Even Alfred Hitchcock makes a cameo appearance!
On the 16th of December, 1897, William Terriss, one of the most popular actors of the day, arrived at the stage door of London's Adelphi Theatre, located on Maiden Lane in Covent Garden.
As he stooped to put his key in the door, somebody ran across from the opposite side of the road and struck him several blows on the back. Mistaking the blows for a friendly pat on the back, William Terriss turned to face his attacker, whereupon the man plunged a knife into the actor's chest.
Having been carried into his dressing room, Terriss died just a little before 8pm that night.
The attacker was Richard Archer Prince, a minor actor who had become jealous of Terriss's success.
Although Prince was found guilty of the murder, it was judged that he had been insane when he had carried out the act, and he was sent to Broadmoor Asylum.
According to some accounts, as William Terriss lay dying he vowed, "I will come back."
It wasn't long before his ghost was making appearances, both at the site in Maiden Lane where his murder had taken place and inside the Adelphi Theatre.
But then, in 1955, there were press reports that his ghost had also been seen in the depths of Covent Garden Underground Station.
In this video, we tell the story of the murder and of its supernatural aftermath, as we visit the site where he met his "untimely end" as well as the various locations where his ghost had been seen.