Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-03-02

PHENOMENA ATTENDING GIRL ONLY
TWELVE YEARS OF AGE.


For some weeks past, Putney has been
in state of excitement in regard TO certain
strange phenomena reported as attending
the person of a young daughter of Nelson
c. Newcemb. The facts in regard TO the
matter, so far as we have been able to OBJ
tain them, are substantially these: Mr..
Newcomb is a farmer, "a years of age, son
of Mr.. Geo. w. Ne wcomb, one OF the sub
stantial men of Westminster, and resides
upon the so-called Asa washburn farm, on
East Putney brook, near the Westminster
line. His family consists of his wife, aged
80, and three children, aged respectively
u, @ and years. Living in the family, al
so, is Miss Bagley, sister of Mrs. New
comb, and a hired man, Eugene Brown,
formerly of Vernon, who has been
in the employ Of Mr.. Newcomb only
about three weeks. The house is an old
style one-story farm house, with four
rooms arranged about huge chimney in
the centre, and a cellar underneath. The
front door opens into an entry from which
one can go into either the parlor on the left,
the kitchen straight ahead, or mount the
stairway on the right, to the unfinished
chamber above. The cellar-way under
meath these stairs opens into the
kitchen. Attached 10 the north side of the
house-which fronts the east-is an ell part
containing small bedroom opening only
from the kitchen, and a room beyond, for
merly used as kitchen but now only for
storage. There is no cellar under the ell
part. There is but one other bedroom
than that mentioned, which is in the south
west corner of the house, and is entered
either from the parlor in front or from the
kitchen by passing through the pantry.
1t was in the bedroom first referred to
as the family inform us-that these strange
phenomena were first observed, and the
time was the night of the 18Th of last De-
cember. The bed was occupied by Miss
Bagley, the sister, and Mary, the Oldest
child. Mr.. Newcomb had been away with
his team, and coming home tired had gone
10 bed before the others and was asleep.
Suddenly several loud raps were heard on
the wall, apparently on the outside of the
bedroom. The occupants OF the room were
good deal startled. and the raps continu-
ing al intervals, Mr.. Newcomb was aroused
and undertook to find out the cause but
though he went out doors and around to
the bedroom window, failed to find any
tr aces of any person or thing which could
have caused the alarm. The noises, how
ever, did not cease until midnight or afler.
In the morning further examination was
made without avail.
Nothing of an unusual nature occurred
after this until about the middle of Janua-
ry, when phenomena of a different kind
began 10 be manifested, which since then
have occurred with increasing frequency,
variety and power. Eggs, which were kept
in a small box under the cellar stairs, were
missed, ard afterwards found in various
parts Of the house, or out doors upon the
snow, -sometimes dropping upon the
lounge, sometimes hidden in coat sleeves,
sometimes broken and sometimes uninjur-
ed and all this with the cellar door closed
and the eggs untouched by human hands.
To make assurance doubly sure, the plan
has repeatedly been adopted of marking
the eggs. The first occurrences of this
k ind were looked upon in the light of
Warnings but one day the eldest daugh-
ter, Mary, was set 10 watch the eggs in the
lar and placed in the west bedroom-while
Mrs. Newcomb, in the absence Of her hug
band, went amer one of the neighbors,
whose presence, it was hoped, would put
stop TO the witchery of the eggs for the
time being; and on her return Mary de-
clsred that the eggs few out of the box
while her eyes were upon them. This cir
Gu instance first led the family to suspect
that the phenomena were directly associat-
ed with Mary. And SO subsequent facts
have proved. We are told that books from
the bureau are wont 10 hide them selves in
oul-of the way places articles of furni-
ture, ETC., follow her from one room to an
other when she passes out; the tea-kettle
an d griddles fly off The stove, so that it is
unsafe to have her in the kitchen while the
ookng is going on; and if she goes out
doors to slide, ten to one Il the sled don't
whop over and refuse to let her get on. Tho
other day, the "spirits" wouldn't let her
come back in the house when she wanted
to, an d she had to be helped in. 1t is par
tic uarly dangerous to cross her or deny
her wishes. Then something is sure to be
injured or destroyed. The other day her
ia Their was getting ready to go TO "the
street" Quincy villsge) and she wanted to
go with him. He thought she hadn't bet
ter go; but while out getting his team
ready, as Mary sat on the lounge, "some-
thing" cut one of the shoes she had on all
to pieces, as with a knife, and her mother
says she herself saw the operation, though
she couldn't see the knife. Mr.. Newcomt
coming in Immediately after, took the shoe
and carried it to the village, and before he
came back the other had been cut in sim
liar manner. The shoes are now to bt
seen by any one who desires. Pins anC
needles are sometimes thrust into her feel
when things don't go right. The other day
large dolls head was snatched from thu
hands of the little three-year-old girl by an
invisible power and thrown through win
dow with such force as to break out two
thirds of the sash.
But in some respects the most remarka
BILE phenomena associated with this re
markable locality remain TO be mentioned
About three weeks ago the Stats of the bed
stead in which the girl and her aunt sleep
imbibed the notion of falling out-some
times one, sometimes two or three of then
and would continue TO drop out as fast a
they were put back. This now occurs ev
cry night. At all times of night, too ma.
be heard sounds as of a hand stirring a.
the straw bed, or of somebody sawin
wood and this without regard to whethe
the occupants of the bed are awake O
asleep.
With these evidences of genuine spirit
presence, of course communications wer
sought aud were readily received. Th
shodas M Saveral denArted persons at di