The Number Man

Chingle · Joined: 20 Apr 2011 Posts: 8 Location: Lancashire

Ok, I'll put this here... not exactly ghosts, but a great tale I read.

The background. This was published in Fortean Times "weird Year 1996," but it predates that by some years. Several years ago I contacted the author , Martin Cannon, who said he wasn't aware that it had been reprinted, and that he was embarassed by it.

By the story (a true story.) A man, aware at night in the pre-internet days finds out about "loop lines" - cut a long story short, these are telephone service lines, which if used correctly, can in effect form a free chat service - a very primiative form of chatrooom, I suppose.

What he recounts is that he would, at time, hear a series of numbers read out, over and over again like "18, 19, 20, 18, 19, 20.." and also a rushed burst of unpunctuated pseudo-speech, which sounded a bit like Spanish (but wasn't.)

What got worse was that he would, sometimes get a call himself- and be greeted with such a message or the speech.

He also recalls chatting to people who seemed "too good to be true" and requested information about him.

Whilst not, strictly, ghosts (if true- and I think it is- it's probably connected to Spies and "numbers stations") but none the less, bloody spooky- especially them calling him.

bitterbuck1 · Posted: Wed Jun 01, 2011 4:19 pm Post subject:

I Googled Martin Cannon, Fortean Times and read more
information on this. Interesting.