Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1872-12-19
Yelisfellameuns &eadimg.
GHOSTS IN CHARLESTON.
From the Charleston News.

From the Charleston News.
GHOSTS IN CHARLESTON.
Charleston is determined not to be behind
the times, even in things so unsubstantal as
ghosts. The excitement Of the Surrency mys-
terry has hardly died away, and the memory
of the dish-throwing, brickbatting and clock
twisting is still fresh in the popular mind,
when genuine Carolina spirit, which makes
no distinction on account of race, color or
previous condition, awakes from its slumber
and drives a whole household into state Of
frenzied terror.
THE SCENE OF THE TROUBLE
is a quiet.lookiDg two.story house on the north
side of Tradd street, three doors west of Meet
ing street. It has long been looked upon as
haunted house, because of the pranks which
ghostly visitors were said to play at night.
One of the former tenants was startled by
seeing live Goals hop out of the fireplace and
skip across the room unearthly noises were
heard in rooms, the doors of which were
locked and bolted just before cock-crow the
covering was violently dragged off the beds,
leaving the hapless slumberers to shiver in
the cold. The subjects of these pleasant ex-
periences moved away in hurry, and the
house, which is now rented by colored wo-
man, named Emma Moultrie, rested in peace
until last Monday at noon, when
THE SPIRITUAL HIGH-JINKs BEGAN.
Emma Moultre was at her shop in King
street; two of her friends, named Priscilla
Simmons and Carry Butler, remaining in
charge of the house. The front door, which
opens on the garden, was not closed, and, soon
after midday, lump Of coal was thrown into
the front room, and fell upon the floor. A
little later a smaller piece of the mineral
whzzed into the room. No attention was
paid to these occurrences, it being thought
that some bad boys outside were the culprits.
But Priscilla Simmons grew tired Of the one
sided game, and sent child to the door to
drive the boys away. No one was to be seen.
The child remained on guard, and while it
was there another piece of coal flew across the
room, coming, this time, from the opposite or
north side. The two women hastily closed and
fastened the doors, and ran upstairs to q
small room on the second story, every door
and window in which they carefully shut.
They had hardly composed themselves, when,
in quick succession,
TWO CHUNKS OF COAL BANGED ACROSS THE
ROOM,
and these had hardly come to dead stop
when child's doll on the mantel sprang from
it's place and flew across the room, striking
heavily against the wall. This was too much
for ordinary nerves. The two women made
for the door, but before they could get out a
hair brush, as if instinct with life, darted af-
ter them. They flew down stairs, closely fol-
lowed by a glass medicine bottle which reached
the ground floor at their heels.
PALsIED WITH FRIGHT,
the women sent for some of their friends, and
dispatched messenger for Emma Moultrie,
who is a quiet, sensible woman, not easily
scared. When she reached the house, with
several acquaintance, she closed the outer
doors and set to work to investigate the mys-
terry. This was at about halfpast six. As
the conclave were listening to the astounding
history
DISH DARrED FROM THE CORNER
of the room, in full view, and fell, without
breaking, in a rocking chair, which chair
rocked steadily for several minutes. The mys-
terious part of this operation is that the dish
was known to be outside of the house, in tub,
when Emma Moultrie and her friends came
in. Just before this quantity Of nubbins Of
COAL cLArrERED DOWN STAIRS,
to the surprise of the whole party. These
were growing rather weak in the knees, but
they managed to keep up their courage until
a large brick was thrown with great force from
the back.room into the front. This demoral-
lied the ghost.seekers who beat hasty retreat.
The few who remained witnessed pieces Of
coal and brickbsts darting across the room, at
intervals of five or ten minutes, and late at
night Emma Moultrie sent to the Guard-house
and asked for help. A detective went to the
spot, and examined the whole building. Doors
were found locked, and windows barred. Ev-
cry hole and corner was looked into, and the
dust of ages severely scrutinized. There we're
the brickbats and the Jumps of coal, but there
was
NO SIGN THAT HUMAN AGENCY HAD
anything to do with the mysterious business.
Things were quiet for the rest of the night.
Early yesterday morning number of curious
persons Aocked to the spot. Twenty persons
or more were standing in the rooms peering
about when brick was thrown from the north
room into the south room. Immediately af.
terward similar brick was thrown from the
south room into the north room. There was
general stampede. Later in the day an old
man came in who declared that
he DID NOT BELIEVE IN SPIRITS.
In his opinion it was stupid trick; he
wasn't afraid, not he! AS he spoke broken
brick came from the dead wall in the north
west corner and sped across the room, just
missing the top Of
THE scoRNER's NOSE.
That old man stampeded and has not since
been seen at No. 81 Tradd street. This was
at about 4 o'clock. Later in the evening
another brick flew out, striking woman on
the wrist and foot. The coal and bricks were
thrown with amazing force, and were seen by
at least twenty persons. All day long crowds
of visitors hung about the spot, but at II
o'clock last night
THE HOUSE WAS PERFECTLY QUIET.
The Ne,us has no theory to offer in expla-
nation of the strange occurrences above recor-
ded. They were seen, and are vouched for,
by Emma Moultrie, Priscilla Simmons, Carrie
Butler, Susan Doyle, Thomas Mcpherson,
and others, who tell a straightforward tale
which cannot be shaken by severe cross.ex-
animation. These are the facts. The know.
ing ones must make just such an explanation
of them as will suit their own ideas. 1t is