Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1876-05-04
Goblin Tricks.

LII OhO VI ShC hiOoo PiCoooue ou'A al
istocratic localities in our city, few
evenings ago, there were some strange
manifestations, by some supposed to
be spiritual doings. The bells about
the house commenced to ring. First
the front door-bell, then the servants,
then the kitchen, and then all the
bells rang at once. The inmates
watched first one then another of the
bells, but they always rang when
they were not watching. After
guarding outdoors and in until ex-
hausted, and they had become ex-
tremely alarmed, the ringing stopped
at 3 80 in the morning. rhe servant
girls gave notice that they would
leave the next day, but to quiet them
the gentleman of the house told them
that the disturbance was caused only
by electricity, and he would have the
bells fixed: and away he went to see
the bell-hangers and have them as
certain what was the matter. They
frightened some Of the wires and
loosened others, spending nearly a
day in the work. ~All right,now, said
they to the gentleman. You'll have
no further trouble" And so he paid
the bill Of 81. But the bell-hangers
had barely reached the street when
all the bells began to ring again, and
with astonishing violence, startling
even those sturdy men; and they has
tened "once more to the breach" :"
The next evening at IL o'clock. the
invisible "Swiss beil-ringers" CON-
menced their changing music again,
and continued it half an hour before
the closing note. For two evenings
they acted only as they were acted
upon by the tangible ~fesh-and-
blood" fingers Of doubling Thomas
es." 1t was thought that electricity
had completed its work, and there
would be no more trouble. but that
thought was a mistake. In the morn
ing the beds Of the children, with
their precious freight. were found
moved across the room, the location
of other pieces of furniture changed
to different parts Of the room, the
pictures broken down, and the cords
cut. The children denied that they
knew anything about it, except the
eldest, who said he had heard loud
raps around the room. This distur-
bance was repeated three evenings,
when the children were removed to
the parents room, as they were all
too much frightened to sleep in their
apartment. The next evening, how
ever, they returned to it, and they
were just comfortably ",urned in for
the night" when the piano commen-
ced to play. They opened the door
and listened, and it played most
beautifully, accompanying a lady's
voice 10 song Determined to see
whoit was they heard, they went
down stairs and opened the parlor
doors, when the music ceased, and
the instrument was found locked,
with no indications that any one was
near or had been there. The ques-
then arose, is this house haunted
Not being Spiritualists, but strict
members of an orthodox church, they
did not believe that the strange oc-
currences were due to a spiritual
agency. But something must be
done to settle the matter; they could
stand it no longer.
AS they owned the property they
did not wish to move out. For five
nights peace and quiet reigned with
in, the children occupying the room
adjoining that OF the parents, the
door being left open between the
apartments. One little boy went to
bed on the sixth night at o'clock,
and he had not been there long be-
fore the family saw the bed moving
across the room; loud rappings and
other singular noises were heard on
the furniture. The little fellow was
taken into the parents chamber
again. when an invisible power picked
him up, lifted him three feet, and
carried him along and placed him
back into his bed. The terrified pa
rents were now satisfied that it was
not done by any human agency.
While meditating as to what should
be done. the family standing in a
group in one corner of the room,
they all saw what appeared to be a
little boy emerge from the fireplace.
He looked natural, but thin and pale.
He went toward the door, and then
vanished before their eyes. This
frightened them more than ever.
They made their beds on the floor,
and all slept together.-Louisriile
Globe Democrat