Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1886-10-20
philadelphia Times. !

l
A stone jar, weighing about four pounds,
which was placed on table in the house
of Frank Morley, at Gwynedd, slid from
the table at about 6 O clock last evening and
made an exit through the rear door, strik-
ing the earth about ten feet from the start
ing place, breaking into hundred pieces.
A reporter for the Times arrived at the
house at o'clock in the evening, just in
time to see small mirror hanging in the
front parlor crack as though it had been
heated and draught of cold air blown up
on it. These mysterious happenings have
been going on at Worley's residence for one
week, and the village has been thrown into
great state of excitement and the residents
are much mysti6ed. Last night great
many persons visited the scene of the strange
occurrences. Many of them ventured on to
the porch of the house, which is two
story frame structure, short distance from
the residence Of William M. Singerly, but
few had the courage to enter. The entire
house was lighted with candles, and in the
second floor chamber lies Mrs. Morley, who
has been Frustrated by a nervous shock re-
ceived from the strange influences which
appear to surround everything in the house.
Up to last Friday evening nothing vergiug
on to the supernatural had ever visited that
part of Montgomery county, and conse
uuently the excitement is so much the more
intense.
JARS FLYING THROUGH THE AIR.
Last Friday morning when one of the
family went down the cellar several fruit
jars were found lying broken near the win
dows, and inquiry disclosed the fact that
no one knew anything about them, and it
In 10 fhn b1ny
Later in the evening Matthew, son of Mr..
Worley, says that while standing in the
yard an empty glass jar came flying through
the cellar window as though it had been
thrown out by some one. He thought moth
ing of it, but when two more came out, he
thought it best to investigate. and accord
ingly he and his father started to go down
the cellar stairs.
AS soon as the door leading to the cellar
was opened several crashes were heard, and
the glass and chinaware in the house began
rafting at terrific rate, several glass cups
bursting as if though heated beyond the
powers of endurance. Father and son then
went into the cellar, where it seemed as if
all the hundreds of jars of fruit were trying
to see which could burst the quickest. Up
on examination nothing could be found
which would cause them to break, except
that some of them were little warm, and
it was thought the fruit had become fer
mented for some reason. Nothing more
was said or thought of the matter until Sat
urday night, wbsn the strange proceedings
began again. Crockery and glassware on
the shelves began to rattle. the lamps shook,
and everything bore the appearance of an
earthquake, with the exception that there
WAS no shock or jar to the house.
2 GLASSWARE Waiting AROUND THE HOUSE.
Tuesday the brittle articles began waltz
ing around the rooms and shooting through
the windows and doors. By this time it
became noised around the neighborhood
that spooks were working at Mr.. Worley's
house, and many curious people went to
investigate the matter. Among them were
Miss Ella Wilmer, Mrs. Theodore Foles,
and George Casner. They remained at the
house for over an hour, and at the end of
that time we're repaid for their trouble by
seeing the glass over pictures hanging on
the walls break in a mysterious manner
The windows were left open, and glass
cup and two glass chimneys placed On a
table in the centre of the room gave a warn
ing shake and suddenly disappeared as
though shot from cannon, passing through
the windows and striking the ground fully
thirty feet away.
The destruction was not accompanied by
any supernatural noises, the only sound be-
ing that caused by the wares striking the
ground. Almost hourly similar happenings
took place, and the unaccountable doings
are vouched for by Mrs. Annie Lewis, Mrs
]. Wiltbank, DR.. D. G. Land, William J.
Leonard, and others. By this time the ru-
mors that Mr.. Worley's house was bewitch-
a6 tod ,.,HO 81 Ill
and every train brought new recruits to
view the wonderful workings. The yard
was filled with all varieties of brittle ware
and the light things in the house had all
been spirited away. Wednesday night a
curious change took place in the programme
and instead of shooting out of the windows
. and doors, the articles began to fall from
the sdeboards and tables, smashing to
pieces as they struck the floor. The house
was beginning to look like total wreck
and old carpets were spread on the floors to
catch the debris as it fell, so that it could be
carried away.
DISHES DART OUT OF WINDOWS.
Thursday started in fair and proved to be
the most eventful day of the week. At
about 10 O'Clock in the morning, as the lit
tie adopted daughter of Mr.. Morley Was
carrying glass dish from the dining room
into the kitchen, it broke with crash and
cut her hands severely in several places
Experiments were then tried. Dishes were
placed on tables and people watched them
for few moments, when the dishes would
either slide to the floor or dart out of the
windows. AS the windows were kept clos
ed it made havoc with them and over a
score of panes of glass were broken in this
manner. About noon, as Matthew Morley
was standing with small china platter in
his hand. he says that it began to move in a
circle. He became frightened and let it 60,
thinking it would fall to the floor, but in
stead of doing as he expected, it went
through window as though thrown by
some invisible hand and struck the road
about thirty feet from where he stood. To-
wards evening affairs became much worse,
and by Thursday night hardly an article
made of earth, glass, or marble was left en-
tire in the house
large platter, two feet leng, one-fourth
of an inch thick, and weighing several
pounds, which was lying on the table while
supper was being prepared, shot through
the window and fell into the yard broken
into eleven pieces. About the same time
Six oil-lamps, placed in chandeliers in two
different rooms, fell crashing to the floor
The people in that vicinity became fright
ened, and it was thought best to take the
brittle articles from the house. Thomas
Jaquettea, a butcher of Gwynedd, volun-
teered to take them away, and while they
were being placed in a wagon several mir
rors broke. One marble statue was seen to
fly to pieces after it had been placed III the
wagon. Every breakable Article was then
removed, and the disturbances ceased.
Subsequently all of the debris was gather
ed up and dumped in an adjoining field,
where it now lies. less the many broken