Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1825-04-28
THE ACE OF WONDERS.
From the Lynchburg Virginiian.

gencer. Our distance from the Scene
of action, as well as the vagueness and
miraculous nature of the reports which
have reached us, totally disquaIify US
to form any opinion OH the subject
That DR.. McChesney's house has been
assailed, is evident-that the. assailants
are invisible, is equally agreed-tho'
opinions differ, as they we'll may, as to
the source from which the assault pro-
ceeds-seme, falling in at once with
the superstitious belief of supernatu-
raj agency, and others attributing it TO
human efforts. The editor of the Lex.
ington paper remarks, that he has ne.
yer seen any person who witnessed the
extraordinary scene himself, or who
had derived his information from DR..
McChesney, but from others who say
that they had heard the occurrences re-
lated by the doctor. But gentleman,
known to be of strict veracity, was i'll
this place day or two since, who not
not only confirms the statement made
by that paper, but goes still further
declaring that he himself was an eye
,citness to the events which he relates
that, not only stones, which are invisi-
bic till they strike, enter the house, and
like the locasts of Egypt, infest the We
ry" kneading troughs," but articles of
furniture are suddenly pushed from one
end of the room to the other with in
credible force. The family, annoyed
in this manner for one or two days, re-
moved from the house, but the evil fol-
lowed them wherever they went; and
we understand that they have again re-
turned home to abide the issue
Mrs. McChesney has been injured, by
one or two blows on the head, and her
comb has been several times knocked
off, without injury to her person. With
out intending to account for so strange
a circumstance, or TO decide upon It's
truth, eve tell the tale as it was told
to u.s." and leave our readers to make
their own conjcctures.
Lexington, (Na.) aprU l5.-Eyents
have happened in our town and its Vi
cinity, within few days, that appear
to have set every mind on the stretch,
to guess at their causes or divine what
their effects will be. The first we name
is that OF an express, who passed thro'
this place on Monday last. Various
were the conjectures respecting him.
Some supposed the Cover nment had
become advised of "a rising in the west
OF the Jacksonites, to oyerturn the pre-
sent administration, and that this ex.
press was sent on To propitiate, or take
measures to put them down. Others sup
posed he was an express from the post
office department going on to detect
some mail robbery. This was strength.
ened by his being supplied with horses
by the mail contractors on the route.
Others, more shrewd than all the rest,
have pronounced that the express is no
other than an agent from some mercan-
tile house or mandatory, hurrying to
Tennessee to buy up all the cotton, be-
lore the news of its rise can reach that
section Of the country. We leave these
guessers and their wonderment, TO re-
ate marvellous tale that has come to
town, which is greater tax on the
public credulity than to believe any OF
al! OF those conjectures put together.
1t is related, that some day last week
and from sources invisible, the house of
DR. McChesney, in the upper edge of
county, was assailed with
stones of various sizes, some ofthem so
hot as to hiss when they fell in water:
in broad day light, for several success
sive days, the visitation Of these stones
was repeated. The windows Of the
Doctors house were all broken.-Some
fell on the roof and bounded off, others
entered through thick plank that had
been used to close up the broken win
dows; that Mrs. McChesney had been
struck by two, one had cut her head
severely; the ladies of DR.. McChesney's
family had become so much alarmed as
to leave the house. At intervals these
stone visitations are said still to be re-
peated. The house is represented as 81
tuated in an open space, where it would
be impossible for any one to approach
within stone throw without detection.
This account we have received from
gentlemen of the first responsibility,
but who were not themselves eye wit
nesses-nor did they derive their infor-
nation from DR.. McChesney himself,
but from those that stated they had.
Superstitious fears are much excited
in some that attribute these showers OF
stone to supernatural cause. For our
selves, we doubt no: the house has been
stoned, the windows broken, &c; but
cannot think otherwise, at least for the
present, than that it is the mischievous
work of some, person or persons (per-
haps servants) about the house.
The Harrisburg Chronicle of Mon
day last, in announcing the adjourn
ment of the Legislature of Pennsylva-
MIA, says "the last days of the session
exhibited the two houses as any thing
rather than congregation Of grave