The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1850-07-18

consent to attend one of the gentlemen
into the vault where the body was bu-
ried, and manifest its presence by a
knock upon the coffin. When the ap-
pointed hour arrived, the spirit was very
seriously advertised, that the person to
whom the promise was made Of striking
the coffin, was then about to visit the
vault, and that the performance of the
promise was then claimed. The COM
pany at once went into the church, and
the gentleman to whom the promise was
made, went with one more into the
vault. The spirit was solemnly required
to perform its promise, but nothing more
than silence ensued. The person sup
posed to be accused by the ghost then
went down with several Others, but no
effect could be perceived. Upon their
return, they examined the girl, but could
draw no confession from her. Between
two and three she desired, and was per-
mitted to go1ome with her father.
- This want Of punctuality in the ghost
gave fatal blow to its reputation.
Even the most besotted of the believers
were staggered by it. A Himsy attempt
was. therefore, made to restore the
ghosts credit, by asserting that the
coffin and corpse had been removed,
which, of course, had prevented the
spirit from giving the signal; but, on
examination, they were found to be safe
in the vault. Strict precautions were
now taken to guard against deception
being practiced by the girl; her bed
was swung in the middle Of the room,
like hammock, and she was closely
watched. Driven to her last shift, she
contrived to secrete, but not unseen, q
bit of board previously to her being put
to bed, and having, as she thought, Sc
cured the necessary materials for carry
ing on the trick, she ventured to declare
that she would bring the ghost at six
the next morning. In the morning she
accordingly began to make the accus-
toned sounds, and, On being asked il
she had any wood in the bed to strike
upon, she positively denied the fact
The bed clothes were then opened, the
board was found, and this simple process
annihilated the Cocklane Ghost.
Mr.. Kent, the accused person, had
in the meanwhile proved his innocence,
by certificates from the physician and
ap ,,hecary who attended upon the de-
ceased female The base attack upon
his character appears to have been
prompted by revenge While lodging
with Parsons he lent him some money,
which, after much forbearance, he was
compelled to recover by suit of law.
The malignant offender, however, did
not escape punishment; he, with others
who had lent themselves to his impos-
ture, being ultimately brought to trial
and found guilty of conspiracy.
1t IS curious circumstance, that the
mysterious noises heard at the house OF
Mr.. Fox, in Arcadia, (part and parcel
of the knockings at Rochester, were Of
similar character. They established,
if any thing, the murder of a pcdIar
some years ago; and the burial Of his
body in the cellar of that house. The
believers began to dig for the bones,
but having worked for a few minutes
gave up the search, relying on the
verify of the ghosts statements, rather
than on the demonstrations of the pick
axe. The questions asked were asked
by persons who for years before had
suspected certain party of having
committed the crime, and that party was
compelled to get his neighbours to certify
that ne had always borne the character
of an honest man. He fell into suspi-
cion because an old maid found his wife
altering two coats for him. which she
refused to account for to the inquirer 5
satisfaction