Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-08-08

drels whonasoerer. that they are authorized ,o :,
Fuse de'ame, caiamniate, traduce, SANDER. Y
- s"u noei me, 10 any extent, in personal {
PLtSHe ABUSE And l do further proclaim, {
"no'soeseF u may concern, that they are hereb
pnhi;sn ~ ao"sorisea to write, iDdite, print
a"u circulate the same, and that / vii
honor, Tor either the use of the :. ram mn,.,;aj
or the fabrication Of any or all Of the above nam
ed articles connected with the 8. 4mer;c,n Sws
!em;' nor will I have recourse to mn; 6coI;a,
10 any case whatsoever, where a conxiafy has al
not secure to the culprit Sse1s rrhi0ifiom Of speci.
ready ' e%s"HuSnsrs may be Induced to invest a
Email capital in the business, from feelings oil
emulation, and an itching after experiment; BE
it it known for the especial encouragement OF all
scoundrels hereafter, as well as those VIM have
already been engaged, that | do solemnly pro-
pose on the list day Of April next, to give to the
author Of the most elegant, refined, aud ingenious
lie or calunny. a handsome gilt copy bound IN
sheep of the Kentucky Reporter, OF a snug plain
copy Of the United States Telegraph [bound III
dog since its commencement.
Given under NV hand and private seal, ChaD-
ing no seal of office, AT Nashville, in the State
of Tennessee, 18th July, 1881.
SAM. HOUSTON, r.. s..
Ghost or no Ghcst.-Every one remembers
the story of the London Cocklape ghost, where
a period ical knocking at the head Of the bedstead
OF a chamber-u aid, set all the Swans OF that
great metropolis to divine the cause. People OF
the first responsibility focked to the scene OF ac-
ton, and physicians in full practice we're found'
who kept watch for hours with the haunted sui
ferer, in hopes of tracing the phenomenon OF her
Affections to some natural cause. The same
scene is now en~acting in Albany. Acorrespond-
ent of the Albany Argus gives the following
statement under the head Of extraordinary
CASE"
From the albany .4rgus.
A female between l6 and II years OF age. the
daughter Of a widow woman, in moderate cIrcum-
stances, residing in Daniel street, in this city,
is the subject of the following singular disease, or
visitation:-.
She has been afflicted with hysterical or cpl
leptic fits, at intervals, during the last lS months;
but forseveral weeks, If not months, down to the
last week was in comparatively good health. On
Thursday evening as she was preparing to go TO
UGNs SiC uCdio SCtCiui Vh WIZ hSo' wa
Of the bedstead; and insisted that some one was
in the room, and it was not until a thorough search
had been made that she was satisfied to the con-
trary. She was not however much alarmed, and
slept we'll that night without farther interruption.
In the course of the ensuing twenty.f four hours,
she again heard the knocks; became consIdera-
bly, alarmed, and insisted upon removing to an
other room. She was gratitied, and a young wo-
man permitted to lodge with he.. She was not dis
turbed that night; but on the following day, and
every day and every night since. she has been
subjected to this strange affection. Attempts
were at first made by her companions and her
friends, to convince her that il was imaginary,
or that the noise was produced by themselves;
and these efforts aided in removing the strong
sense of alarm and apprehension which each re-
currrence Of the noise seemed to produce. But
when the knocks became so frequent and so
distinct, and under circumstance that they could
not be ascribedto any cause that she or others could
account for, she Welded to all the terrors of ex-
IRENE fright and alarm. Now as soon as they
are heard, she either falls into paroxysms and
spasms. during the continuance of which, the
strength of several persons is required to hold
her upon the bed, or she becomes inseDsible un-
der repeated fainting fits. In her lucid or qui-
ct moments, she seizes the head board with her
hand, and endeayOrs to hold 1t; OF removes as
tar from the place whence the noise last proceed.
ed as possible.
The knocks are rapid, distinct and loud into
nations; so heavy as to shake the bed, and so
loud as to be heard in the adjoining rooms, and
when the windows are up, in the street and adj
joining dwellings. They are never less than three
and rarely more than five at any one time. They
are heard at irregular intervals during the day
and night. Persons in the room at the time, not
only hear them distinctly, but when seated on the
bed, or standing near it, feel the conclusion. A
gentleman who with two or three neighbors sat
up with her during Sunday night, says that he
was standing at the head Of the bed, when it was
heard on one occasion during the night, and that
it was sudden and powerful enough to throw
his hand from the headboard, and that it was in
its nature, if not appalling, at least impossible to
account for.
Experiments have been made by changing her
position on the bed, but without success. If the
head be reversed, the knocking is heard in the