Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-10-08
" a. R r II n x
A virginia Ghos..
RemarkuJle AFFAIR The Case IN Cour.-
Testimony IF a Cathol,c Priest.

l J
A most remarkable case was tried on
"Wednesday in the Hastings Court. The
prisoner, Mrs Fanny BAggstt, who is res.
pcctahle lady, apparently about fifty years Of
age, was, during the whole trial (Which lasted
until six O'Clock p. ny cool, digniicd and
selfposscsed. COL jenkins, the Common
wealth's Attorney, prosecuted, and A. Noise,
jr., dofcuded Tho prosecutor was Mr..
Chiles, mastor 'nachinist at the Chesapeake
and Ohio Railroad. ahd highly respectable
gentleman. It will be reoollectcd that last
| May great excitement prevailed in Ninth
street, French Garden Hill arising ffom Very
extraordinary occurrences that were trans
piriug at Mr. Chiles' residence.
The street bell was rung constantly by un.
seen hands. Stones were thrown at and win.
dows broken in Mr.. Chiles' house, when no
human being Was in sight. The furniture I'D
the house was disarranged aud turned topsey
turvy. Neither time nor money was spared
in tho effort to fud the key TO the mystery, but
all in valid Finally, Colonel Bgbert, Chief
of Police, t5Ssther with detectives Parker
AMI Tyler, visited tho premises, and, after
thorough Investigation, arrested Mrs. Baggett
as the guilty party Mrs Baggctt solomnly
asseveratcd her innocence, but said that she
knew who did is-that cit was done by the
dead; ahd this remarkable statemciit che
repeated to the Mayor, and still adheres to-
Colonel Eybsrt, Captain Parker and detective
Tyler swore that they were satisfied from their
Investigation that Mrs. Bagget threw the
stones, and an old colored woman swore that
she saw Mrs. Bagget throw stones one morn
ing at Eve o'clock. that she acouscu Mrs
Bsggctt of it, aud that Mrs Baggett denies
having done it.
For the defence Mr.. Baggctt, afiss Baggctt.
and Mr.. Davis swore that they saw the bell
ring and stones thrown at Mr.. Chiles' house
when Mrs. l,aggett was in her own house, or
standing by them, aud when no human heing
was in sight.
Mr.. Chiles testified that he saw Mrs. Bag
gctt early ono morning in her garden pick up
something and put it in her apron, but this
Was oxplnined by Mr.. Baggett, who stated
that it was Corpus Christi morning (27th of
hlay), and that his mother was gathering
flowers with which to decorate the Catholic
Church. On ss.examination by Mr. Noise,
Mr.. Chies admitted that the furniture in the
house was disarrangcd, when it was impossi-
ble for Mrs Baggett to have access thereto.
Upon being questioned by Col. jenkins ac to
whether his suspicious fell upon any one, Mr.
Baggett said that he believed that everything
was done --bcll ringing, stone throwing. 60,
by supernatural means Colonel jenkins
asked Mr.. Baggett whether it was not against
the tencts of the Catholic religion to believe
in ghosts? 10 which Mr.. Baggett replied
that It Was, but he could not help his belief,
and that he was consoicntiously of tho opu-
ion that no human hands rang the bell or
throw tho stoaes at Mr.. Chiles' house Mr..
Baggett was about ono hour iu giving his tss.
ttmony. He was listoned to with marked
aud respectful attention by the court, jury
aud crowded Court House. He is gen.
tlcman Of education and very Intelligent,
twenty-five years of age, aud oficiates as
Priest at st. Peters cathedral
Colonel Danforth, Captain Henry aud 9TH
ers testified that thoy had been neighbors Of
Mrs. Baggett for years, and that she was q
perfect lady and most excellent ueighbor
No ahimus Was proved On the contrary,
the witnesses on both sides testified tha. there
had never beon any difficulty OF unpleasant
ness between the families. Mrs Baggett's
house is next door to Mr.. 0hiles', but aepara
ted by some five or six yards. Quite sharp
skirmish took place between Colonel jenkins
and Mr.. Noise. on the attempt made by Col.
oncl jenkins to let the detectives give their
conclusions to the jury as to the guilt Of Mrs
Baggets, Mr. Noise denying that sheir con-
illusions was evidence, aud that the rules that
governed evidence could not be reversed in
favor Of detectives. The denounssns Of this
strange trial was an aoquistal without the jury
leaving their box. " s
At tHa Gdio!dsiou Of the trial Mrs. Daggett
exhibited her fight hand Is the jury, which,
was 10 disabled by wound that u was svis
dent she could not thtow 4 rook ton yssds,
aud che tocK alleged 10 hs1e been thrown bSS
her must Have Bssa 'thrown fally fly Of sss.
4 " ysrds, 50 that Tho 'matssr still fdtnsiuss !