Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1867-11-22
EFfom the Scottsville Register
The Mysterious Affair at the Residence Of
Mr. ]: s. Noon, of Albemarle.

rom tut CCOStStlllc hcHlSlCi.j
The Mysterious Affair at the Residence Of
Mr. ]: s. Noon, of Albemarle.
SoorTsvILLE ALBEMARLE Co.; Va. 4
November 18th, 1867.
About ten months ago, candle box, filed
with rags, saturated with whisky, was placed
against side Of Mr.. John S. Moons house
Eve miles from this place, and ignited -
Ahout o'clock at night. the fire was dis
covered and extinguished and the unburnt
rags discovered to be fragments of garments
missing from MI Moons house, in the then
past several months Whether this effort to
burn the house had any connection with what
has followed, is not known.
Mr.. Moon was not again nolested that he
is aware Of, until Spring opened, when a
member of his family saw man standing
motionless few feet in front Of his house,
late at night.
On another occasion, two men were seen
to walk back and forth across the yard.
On another, occasion, a negro woman re-
ported she saw black looking man crouched
at Mr.. Moons front gate. late at night; ana
on another occasion, also late at night. a
similar looking man was seen crouched near
the gate, who afterwards got up and went
towards the house.
During Mr.. Moons absence, attending
Court, about that time, his parlor door which
had been carefully shut and locked. (the kew
being left in the lock at night,) was found
kopen in the morning.
IHanight u 50 Afterwards, lyarlor Vim
dow which had been fixed with straw stuck
in the crack Of it, was found to have been
hoiste6 the store room door was found open
(unacE6untably) several mornings about that
time.
After this, Mr.. NJ fixed his inside and
outside doors and windows in such Way as
to know if they were disturbed, and found
they were repeatedly opened He watched
on the inside Of his house for good many
nights nearly all night, but failed to detect
any one attempting to enter No one dis
turbed the house the nights he watched.
One night about six weeks ago, Mr.. M.
fastened all the doors and windows carefully
lie was the first one to get up the next
morning, and found his inside dining-room
door had been opened la store-room door
opening into the dining-room had been I'M
locked and opened "a door opening into the
kitchen from the dining room had also been
unlocked and opened, and the sliding kitchen
door had leen moved back. A light had
been seen to flash about the house that night
after the family had all retired. From the
store-room about four or five pounds Of SUI
gar, gotten and weighed the evening before,
had been taken, and the whiskey out of a
demijohn, known to have been full the night
before, was missing. By the sugar, was a
basket of silver ware which was not disturb
ed.
The next night, Mr.. Moons son about IA
years old, was sleeping in his fathers office,
which is about 100 yards from the house
On this night an effort was made to hoist the
window, which awakened his son. Heiumped
up, saw man run of-got his gun and
made inefectualspursuit.
The next night, a noise was heard in the
dining-room, and a man seen from an upper
window to run off from the house through
the back passage door, which was found
open, though carefully closed short time
before. This door-Aad not been locked, be-
cause Of sickness in the family.
The next night some one was heard to
stumble on an open shed over the back pas
sage door-a loud crash Immediately follow
ed. Upon going out, Mr. Moon found on
the ground, not far from the shed, several
ladies' and children's garments, taken from
the upper part of the house, and the remains
of two plates taken FROM the dining room,
wrapped up in them-also, Bible taken
from the dining room mantle-piece, few
feet off. A child's bonnet wrapped up in
a roll Of children's clothes was found on top
of the shed.
The next night was dark, windy and
rainy. About midnight, a. pane of glass in
one of the dining-room windows was sma sh-
ed in, and the sash raised Some one was
heard to jump in, and when the alarm was
given, to jump out again-no one was seen.
The next night was windy and dark, and
the rain fell in torrents. Every door and
window was carefully closed by Mr.. NJ. ex-
cept the back passage door, and he placed
all of his family in his chamber a room
opening next to him. He sat in this open
door with his gun in his hand about two
hours, when suddenly his chamber around
the corner from him was bursted in with a
loud crash He rushed to the spot, but
could not have seen or heard a man moving
in three feet Of him, on account Of the dark
ness, wind and rain, and the cutlery Of his
family. He then closed, and locked the
door in which he sat. and in order to keep
from being seen against the sky, crawlets
around to the front of the house, and placed
himself 20 yards in front of his front door,
where he remained until about day While
there he heard the rattle Of a sash Of a glass,
but could see nothing for the darkness. In
the morning he found that the putty around
a side light in his front door, next TO the
lock, had been cut out, evidently with tiI6|
the duvI. ~ effort,
which was neafly Successful, had also.been
made TO force Ii the side light sashes and
the PANELS below them.
The next day was clear, and Mr.. Moon
made arrangements for eight Of his neigh
bors to surround the house about half an |
hour after the moon went down, which it /
.