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A group
of undergraduates had formed the Brasenose Hell Fire Club based
on the notorious High Wycome Club during the 18th century.
The
north wall of the college faces one side of Brasenose Lane, than
as now, a dark forbidding place at night with the ground floor windows
covered in wire mesh twisted around iron bars, making it impossible
to enter of leave that way.
Towards
midnight in December, the Revd T.T.Churton, Vice-President and Fellow
of the college was walking down the lane towards Radcliffe Square
and although it was dark he could clearly see the shape of a cloaked
man standing by one of the windows.
As
he got closer he identified the window as belonging to the rooms
occupied by the president of the Hell Fire Club. The cloaked figure
seemed to be helping someone through the window, yet the Fellow
knew that was impossible.
As
he got closer he could see the screaming undergraduate's bloody
face being divided into the exact shape of the wire mesh. Yet still
the cloaked figure continued his deadly task, ignoring the panicking
Fellow.
Reaching
the main lodge gates he banged on them until the surprised porter
let him in. As he did so both men heard screams coming from the
meeting of the Hell Fire Club, the members rushing out into the
quad. On entering the rooms the porter found the president dead
on the floor covered in blood.
Later
the members admitted that they were conducting a Black Mass trying
to summon up the Devil. Towards the end of the service the president
burst a blood vessel and died. Yet no one could explain why he had
wire mesh marks on his face,
To
his dying day the Revd Churton swore he had seen the Devil that
night, but he was the only senior witness and he had consumed a
few glasses of vintage college port earlier.
That
Edward Trafford, the President of the Brasenose Hell Fire Club did
die that night and is still in college records.
From Derek Honey
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