The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1850-05-14

unSucceSS1ul cnQeaFoIS iitiue W uioeo'C ~
seems unerplainable by any snpposi,ion OF hu-
man agency
Six weeks ago last Sunday morning, on their
return from church, the family was alarmed at
finding the outside doors, which they had lock.
ed an hour or two previously, open, and piece
of black Grape tied to the handle of the front
door. Supposing the house had been broken
into for the sake of robbery, they Immediately
searched to see if they missed anything. They
found all the chamber and inner doors, many
of which they had left locked, wide open, but
nothing was missing. The next dav, on enter
ing the room occupied by the eldest daughter,
they found the window and looking glass coy,
cred over by sheets, and on the bed figure laid
out to represent corpse.
This discovery was followed, in the course
of few days, by strange noises about the
house, and by various articles being thrown
about, apparently by invisible hands, most OF
which seemed directed at the young lady. She
became very much alarmed, and eventually
was taken III, and seized with convulsions, from
which, for some period, it was feared she would
not recover. Notwithstanding the close guard
which was kept over her during her sickness,
strings, handkerct icfs, and other articles, were
from time to time found tied tightly around her
neck, and pillows from another bed, in the same
room, placed over and pressed upon her face.
Many such thing occurred, which it was impos-
sble for her to effect, without attracting the
notice of those who were watching by, and ia.
king care of her. After some days she recov-
cred, and was sent to neighboring village. A
day or two after her departure, things began to
be thrown about the house as before. They
consisted chiefly OF small articles, such as
nails, screws, pebbles, spools Of thread, etc.
During the young lady's sickness, neighbors
were called in, and became eye-witnesses to
many of the strange things which were occur
ring about the house. The articles which were
thrown about began to be. of larger dimensions,
"a spoon, knife, fork, book, or poker being
occasionally moved. The disturbance was nei-
ther constant nor regular. At times, nothing
Mt all would happen for hours, and again sue
cession of falling, or throwing incidents would
occur within few minutes of each other, and
in different parts of the house. The gentle
mans son, a Lad of some twelve or fourteen
years of age, far from being alarmed, found
great amusement in chasing and picking up the
moving articles
One evening he thus ran into a room adj DIN
ing that in which the family was sitting, whence
had proceeded the noise of something falling
to the floor, and Immediately uttered a piercing
scream. His friends going in found him on the
floor, writhing in fit. He was taken up aud
cared for, and recovered from it the next day,
when he said that the cause of his screaming
was, that somebody caught him around the
body, just above the hips, and was lifting him
up, as he feared, through the ceiling. Of the
fit he was not conscious. The next evening,
and every evening for about ten days thereafter,
at the same hour, and occasionally during the
day time, the boy was seized with similar fits,
which would last one or moro hours, and then
pass off.
To enunierate the articles thrown, and the
manner and appearance of them, aud above all,
the impressions made upon neighbors and stran-
gers who frequently were witnesses, would re.
quire not only whole columns but whole news.
papers, We shall have room for but few, and
In selecting them we shall not refer to what we
have already narrated They are vouched for
in the Most unequivocal manner, by gentlemen
who are in no way connected with the family,
and who could not, for a moment be suspected
of the least collusion, and are the result of ex.
amnatious made by them at the request Of the
family.
On one occasion, two gentleman Of our &C.
quaiutance made thorough examination of
the upper part of the house, leaving the whole
of the family below stairs. Having looked
through the different rooms without observing
anything unusual, they were retiring down
stairs, when fre.poker, which they had no.
ticed hanging on nail in one of the chambers,
passed near their heads and stuck into the floor
before them, near the foot of the stairs They
returned, and once more examined the premi.
ses. Nothing, and no person, could be found
The door of the chamber in which the poker
hung was closed, just as they had left it, but
the poker was not in its place. Moreover the
door was 50 situated, that 1t could not well be
opened without attracting their attention, until
they had passed further down the stairs than
they had done when the poker whizzed by.
A gentleman and his wife, who reside in the
vicinity, and had been with the family frequent.
ly while these strange things were going on,
found at another time, in room into which
they, as well as the family were passing and
repassng every few minutes, nine figures rep.
resentiug females in kueeling posture, before
each of which was Bible, opened, and pas
saoe therein marked in by turning down ofa