The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1860-05-12
From the y. Y. Tribune.
An Exorcist Wanted.


with which the Fox family opened the
spiritualist campaign at Rochester, many
years ago; how crockey took to Itseii
wings and flew away; how bricks started
out of the walls; how bells broke into
spontaneous naturalization; In fine, how
the lives of the family were plagued I'LL
they could have issued Il new edition OF
FoX's Martyrs. These stories had their
day, then died, and the spirits lett the
breakay. OF china To be done i'll the legltl-
mate way 10y the-cat.
But now, suddenly, the devil seems TO
have broken loose i'll Lafayette, near Syr-
acu>e Mrs j f. Clark, writes to the pap
ers Of the latter city saying that remark
able demonstrations have lately taken
place in the family of one Johnson. 1t
appears that this family consists of an eid-
erly couple and their grandchild, a girl of
eight YEAR 5 growth they are quite re-
spectacle people and cannot understand
why they have been selected for these de-
moniacal doings.
The tist thing these people noticed was
ludicrously annoying; their salt dish and
pepper caster were filed with water-a
most unreasonable joke. Then the dishes
began TO break themselves, and it was I'M
possible to lay the phenomena to the
charge of the cat, for it would have requir-
cd feline regiment to do the damage
that beieli the iuckless household; they
would lift themselves from the shelves, go
circling through the air, and bring up III
tra.mentary condition on the floor or the
domestic hearth The tables next began
to take exercise maxim. til" tour Of the
room with the most provoking cooiness !;
and if 10y chance they We're loaded with
Il Il,t nd lI.., "A
on their burden The prOprletors put Il
stop 10 this manifestation. however, by
mailing the peripatcctic furniture to th.-
side of the house But then the chairs
caught the exclusive mania, they would
RS" IRON the kitchen floor. and without
asking permission, 20 L. the wood-shed.
1t = noticeable that they never troubled
themselves 10 come bI,k Pals of water
l.cNt became Objectionable II! their habits,
uT,>ctiIn" tiicir Co"tcuts uron the floor. -
Nrs :. T. Clark says
At one time Mrs. Johnson set al empty
pail on the floor. and on crossing the room
it followed her. much ycXcd, she gave it
a push eXcla.uing. Go back where YOU
came from 1t oLryod, but Immediately
returned 10 her. crossing the room three
or four times
!; will be seen by this extract that Mrs
johnson was Oh terms OF agreeable taIn!.I-
aritv with her domestic utcucii.
At last. wII"u TIE kettles ia which the
family food was cooklug :l,.sl. q on ~piil!n .
their CU!It"nt-, mUch u the a-gr.,v@i.nm %
the family hunger. and when everything
seemed 10 be- hrcakin. up. the p-rplcNe,i
housewife determined To- adopt a n,w svs-
TEN Collecting her most valuable glA->-
ware INTO baskets, she proceeded tote
Them ., III, wall wirlt Nl;I.
temPtiu.: 10 do 80. a cuif,-,- pot deliberately
sailed from the cupboard and struck her
IN the back Naturally irrIraicd bv this
coward!y act. She callsd The young child
and IneiI ucIcd her To- hold the b,.lircreut
pot down urnii the floor. willie She herself
tiu.-iIcd li~hin. the baskets To rh, wall
but The coffee pot w... too >trou.. for the
infant and -he vL, forced To lei il go The
iii-tenpcred thin- AZ once flew up aud hit
Mrs Johnson again, upon whi IA the latter
yery property ih.,w il ii.;o Jl4c stove, say
!nc, with ;i.c spite ct "a woman ANNOYED
II svc!f cant rurn Tia" witches "ut al II.
!h" next performance III the d'ah"!''s.
rro-la.uimc Ma t,uata,i., hv ih. bod
ihi> Ji-,iriart.c.c w"ul,i roll Il clothes into
bail pat them unicrin,,th the hcd-tc.'d
I..cu scatter ii, bowel, OF straw about the
room. lravin. not a >p.aI Of ,lu.hug inside
u piu.-t,v wptIau, ~-wcd the bed N, w.;!I
>lout ~ me, tat when, flushed with antici
pai,G victory sac turned To- put away her
needle, the w": h Ma iiiTod oiIt III 4 twink
ling and tia, s,iaW fell -. :, iu>;l.ng shower
about the floor
For some time. the controlling spirits o'
thc>cautic, kept >unday w.th Old t.,>hioue,i
New Lli9laI.d polrlrty. and there WAS
que; "a HAT day But, about twu e.. X ,
a.u. MI Johnson >at down and heGIu L.
icad her D,b.c aloud Presently she heard
!, IIoi-y rappIt. "u the stove. but -!Ie had
hryolut toUlHt.Ch accu>t lmvd 10 household
,islji,r., To mind tbs much. and slI, only
raised her voice the louder Upon this the
rauI!nr lccauc - violent that the good
woman Mas forced 20 give uv hes devotional
GAGIC.>,, ti.vu voice spoke, and said
g" Viii burn your bib.e. WI. burn your
Testament. lwl.i break your stove ia npe!ces,
I Will break YOUR windows, ! Will tear VI
YOUR floor. after which lacoherc"t aud
+ lnl,iotis remarks the Bible was hustled
about tie room I'll IL was pretty much tom
To- picccs Subsequently, two other voice.
ioincd IL the ghostly task. sad one: II
!, tie spirit Ui this child mother who l.
dom. All this. No. SAID another, " II i
the devil y tAir, remarked pleasantly
II is one OF Your II. .lIbure.
These singular performances attract
crowds ofpeop.e, say, Mrs }. + Clark in
Syracuse paper, which, together with the
rIiinouS operations going on, seem more
than human patience can bear; and il
must be ack cknowledyed that this is very
mild way of putting the ease,
Ii is to be remarked that the Mrs J. +
Clark who narvates all this has not seer
any of the demonstrations herself, bu
gains her iItoi nation from a niece of til.
JohnsoIs, VIII" claims 10 have had 4 cola
and b met torn III pieces while paying
visit Of mingled coincidence and curiosity
10 the haunted family. 1t is quite probabl,
that i'll this case fiction is stranger thar
| truth.