Francis Smith Shot James Millwood in Black Lion Lane

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Francis Smith thought he was finally catching the hammersmith ghost. But when he stepped closer, he realised he hadn't caught a ghost after all. He had in fact shot dead a 23 year old bricklayer and plaster who was called James Millwood. It's the only case in English legal history where somebody has been shot dead mistaken as a ghost.

In the winter of 1803, residents outside of London reported strange encounters with a ghost. Some said it looked like Napoleon Bonaparte, or a horse without a head. Others said the ghost breathed fire and smoke. By Christmas, there was a “full-scale phantom panic.” Shortly after the New Year, one man decided he’d stop the ghost once and for all.

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