The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-02-22
THE HAUNTED soHOOLHOUsE
AT NEWBURYPORT, MASS.

,FrOn Flank Leale's Illustrated Newspaper
Against natural doubts in relation to
supernatural appearances, etc, there Is
accumulatIug a mass Of curious tcsti.
mony; and there has recently occurred
III Newburyport, In the northeastern part
If Massachusetts,, series OF manifesto
tous which seem 10 add something 70
lheyeight of.eyidence. These manifesto
lions take place In o schOolhouse. The
building Is Of the "distric" type, being
one story In elevation, with On ordinary
singled pitch roof lthas four windows
Of common size, fitted with green blinds
on either side, and the entrance door, 81
the end, opening upon the street Tit
house Is surrounded by hall an acre o
bare, grayelly yard, and II is in the midst
Of neat and populous nCighbOrhood
about third OF q mile from the principal
street oil the town.
For the past two years the school has
been taught by Miss Lucy A. Perkins, q
Young lady OF exceptional wit and intellt'
Sence, She Is of a somewhat nervous
temperament, but only enough to dis
ducily relieve her from charge oil
apathy. Without being disposed TO asCribe
what she says and hears 10 the Influence
ofmalign spirits, she Is too keen and sen
sltive to permit the troubles to take place
without strenuous and well directed at
iempts to discover the secret.
The previous teachers had experienced
AunoyanSa9similsr In character, but they
had all been of lesser force and impor'
lance. -a
Since she took charge Of the little com
mUnity, the disturbances have steadily
increased until they have reached their
present semi.tragic chatacter. They be
gan In the usual way; knocks were deliv'
cred with more or less frequency on the
door, walls and ceiling, and upon the fur
nlture Of the schoolroom. The teacher
Tor many months Gained the fears oil
her pupils by intimsting that the noises
were the result Of natural causes, but the
troubles gradually became so great that
the impression went about that the school
house was haunted.
The attention Of the older people was
not generally attracted TO the reputed
phenomenon until quite recently, and II
seemed that as the excitement arose, the
trouble aud hubbub augmented CORES
pOndingly.
The most common disturbance which
now agitates the school, Is violent
pounding which seems to be upon the
aoor, walls and ceiling, and which varies
lnpower from the strong to the prodig'
ouS. Il commences when the schOO
Inst opens, and on some occasions 1t con
unues without intermiSsiou Tor the whole
session, two hours and a half. At Other
Times it comes at irregular intervals
beating now o slow and measured, and
now upld volley oil deadened blows In
'le aisles, wainsCotings and closets. Al
sui other times the blows subsIde into
simple, sharp knocks, which, like the
iouuer sounds, have + rowing disposition
10 the garnet there seems still another
sott Of noise Of the same class. It seemI
mat something Is being continually
IhfoWn upon the ceiling Of the schoo
room, and this manifestation Is inter
:petsed with sounds resembling the driv
inS Of nails and the dropping Of boards
and so closely are real sounds initiated
That all who have heard them invariably
recognize them. Il Is not inlrequent tina
he volume Of blows Is so great that tn
Rotations Of the scholars are interrupted
aud the teacher obliged to await tn
pleasure Of the powers that be before pro
ceeding with her lessons.
The schoolroom Is ventilated by mean
Of a circular aperture iu the cetnre OF III
ceiling, which aperture. may be coyere
and uncovered Of will by means Of q ira
door, two feet square. This e manage
y Tue teacher, by the use Ola con
Which delcendS into the schooiIoom, an
which l. commonly fastened 10 a smG
Seat nailed to tho moulding Of the vii
nov 10 frame in,the centre Of the partition
lae opening and closing Of tho ventlIato
ssens to be matter Of special agrava
Hon to the genius OF the garnet, Tor u
aNemptsto raise the trap are lreQuentl
sealated. Ono day In October Miss Pc
n9s pulled the cover up in the usual va,
AND fastened the cord, Is she was Rccui