Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1871-11-25

kessinger, German by birth, was in the ser
dent, then the highest functionary of district,
or sub-resldency. The family consisted OF only
two persons-hmself and his wife, a lady born
in the Indies. They had no children, but, on
the other haDd-a very common custom in
India, and especially in child!ess European fam
ilies-a little native girl, of about ten years of
age, had free and unchecked entrance to the
house at all times. The father Of the child was
Madame Kessinger's cook.
Herr Won Kessinger, Ike all the assistant
residents in Java, lived in what was called by
courtesy government manson, one-story
house standing in a garden. built OF wood, and
with the customary tied roof. One day the lit
tie Indian girl was playing about as usual in the
apartment of Madame kessinger, whose hus-
band was absent on a sO-called "tour of inspec-
tioh.' Suddenly the child started up. raa sob
bing 10 the lady, aud complained that some one
had sprinkled her white adbdgd tthe universal
native garment, open before, and like a coat
with red betel Juice.
The matter was Immediately inquired into.
but without reaching any result. Madame Kes-
singer supposed, very naturally, that the spots
proceeded from the rudeness of some one OF the
supelhuous hangeTs-on among the servants. A
clean frock was given to the child. and the
trouble was supposed to be settled. Immediate
ly, however, the little girl came crying before,
and again her kabaya was found to be stained
with the red-betel juice, and, at the same mo-
ment, stone. the size OF hens-egg, fell at the
rect OF Madame kessinger, as if thrown from
the ceiling. These same manifestations We're
repeated several tunes successfully within a
once sent servant TO the regent, or prince, OF
the natives, who lived opposite, to beg him to
come TO her Immediately.
The regent, who held his authority under the
Dutch government, was regarded as a man of
tried capacity and integrity. He fastened with
out delay to the house of the assistant-resident
and soon had an opportunity to convince himself
of the truth of what he had heard. He immedi-
ately took all possible measures to put an end to
the disturbance. He took possession of the
house with his retinue, and then sent every one
INF
theless, the spots continued to appear on the
clothing. Now and then, too, a stone fell, and
as the case remained inexpiicable, it was at
length resolved TO call in the chief priest that
the evil spirit might be exercised Meanwhile,
the twilight had fallen; the chief priest arrived
at the house, spread down his mats, and, having
seated himself, opened the Koran, and prepared
to read aloud from it by the light of lamp.
Scarcely, however, had he begun, when a blow
from an invisible hand knocked the holy book
in one direction and the lamp in another.
Madame Won Kessinger now became too much
alarmed TO think of spending the night in this
haunted dwelling with only the child, and ac-
cepted the invitation OF the regent to go to his
house with the little girl and remain until the
next day. While there, the child was
molested. Meantime, messengers were sent to
recall Herr Won kessinger, and scarcely had he
returned with his wife and the child to their own
dwelling when the same visitations were re-
peated.
During the night a stone rarely fell, and by
day the girl alone was stained with the betel-
juice, while every other person was untouched
The story OF this strange event spread quickly
to all the larger towns adjacent and finally
came to the ears OF the governor-general in
BuitenZOrg, who Immediately sent one of his
adjutants, Major Michiels, a veteran officer of
high character and intelligence, to bring back a
report of the facts.
tpon his arrival, Michiels found the whole
affair exactly as represented, and instantly made
his arrangements to sit the matter to the bottom
The house was surrounded with soldiers, and
persons were posted on the roof and in the nearest
trees. The apartment which he selected for
himself was metamOrphosed into a tent by me ans
OF white cloth; he then took the child on his knee
and again it was spattered with betel-j juice as
before, and again stones fell without, however
striking any one. The stones were of a yery
ordinary kind, such as were to be found every
where on the roads and in the garden-walks
When the sun shone hot, they felt warm; when
II trained, they were wet, as if just picked up.
Usually five or six fell in quick succession, after
which an interval of perhaps half an hour would
| follow without any. Nowhere did the finely
woven linen of the tent exhibit hole. The stones
| fell always in a straight direction from above,
and first became visible to the eye at distance
| Of six feet from the ground. On one day they
gathered up of these stones a tOlerably large box
full: Once only papaya-fruit, a sort of melon
| which grows on species OF palm, fell into the
| room, and, when the surrounding floor was
searched, the stem also was found from which it
was broken, From the leaf stem great drops of
the milky sap still exuded. At another time a
lump Of plaster, as large as a mans fist fell into
the tent, which, as was afterward found fitted
into the corner of the hearth in the kitchen. At
| another time the impression of a moist hand W as
plainly seen to pass across the surface of a pier
glass; and chairs, glasses, and plates, were
moved.
Michiels remained several DAYS at Sumadanp.
| but arrived at no solution of the mystery In
due time report of these strange occurrences
reached Holland, and even attracted the atten-
ton OF the king.
| In consequence of this, an order was sent to
India that another attempt to discover if possi-
BILE, the clew to these manifestations should be
made. The writer OF these lines found himself
| in 1854, in Sumadang, and occupied there the
| same house in which the Won Kessinger family
| formerly lived, and in which the scenes tust de-
scribed took place, and there were living at that
| time as many as twenty eye-witnesses of the
| occurrences. Most of these were natives bu,
there were among them two Europeans and their
testimony, given independently OF one another
is the basis of the present account.
| The kessinger family had long been gone
from the Indies, the old regent was dead, the
already become a grandmother, and was in the
! seryieeof Herr A. Band, a tea-planter of Java,
! but her early experiences had never been re-
| newed or explained.
| Several gentlemen offered a reward OF two
hundred gulden to any person who would give
| them an opportunity Of witnessing such gen
ddrna, as the natives called the manifestation,
| but there were no further revelations at that
| time. And the new investigations, like the
former, have had no decisive results.
General Michiels avoided, with sensitive re-
| luctance, in after years, any relation of these
! occurrences, and even any allusion to them, a
soon as he discovered that his account was usual
| ~ received with smile. In the year 1917 il
| happened one day that General Won Gagern,
| then accompanying the embassy extraordinary
to India, dining with him, pressed him to give
| some account OF the affair. Michiels refused al
| first, and yielded only after being repeatedly
| urged; but, as General Won Gagern could not
| represS smile, so violent scene took place i'm
consequence that he was finally obliged to make
| formal apology.
In consequence Of the personal commission OF
! the government, the present Resident of SUI
! madang takes a special interest in procuring
! intelligence from elsewhere with regard to this
| species Of spritism; and from the Regent OF
| Sukapure, in the southern portion of the re-
gency, he learned directly that. during the
| lifetime Of his father, a very similar case oc-
| CURED, in which he himself was personally con-
| cerned Some few miles from Sukapure there
| lived, at that time, family named Tesseire.
| NJ. Tesseire, native of France, was overseer
| of al indigo factory at that place, belonging to
the government. Although at that time (this
was in 1s34) the culture of indigo was regarded
as heavy burden by the natives, and the gov
| eminent was ultimately obliged to give it up as
| impracticable in that region, all accounts u.ite
| in saying that NJ. Tessere and his family were
| beloved by the inhabitants, and looked upon as
| good and friendly people.
| As this family was one day at dinner sudden
| ly there fell several large stones in the middle
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