Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-11-08
SHOWERS OF STONES.
They Rattle All Over the Cottage
of a rarrlflad CoIorad = a naIIx

! This little town OF j, 600 inhabitants
worked up into great excitement over
mysterious happenings which have
baflled every attempt at explanation,
says Culpepper, Va, letter to the
| Pittsburg Dispatch. Spiritualism, nat
ural phenomenon and fraud have been
alternately suggested 10 account for
| the strange things that have taken
place, though rs yet no one has been
able TO prove any thing except the bare
facts OF the occurrence.
The scene OF the mystery is the little
cottage occupied by colored man
named Richard Morton. For ten DAYS
Morton and his family have been ter
ritied by intermittent showers of stones
aimed at his house, and often at men,
bers of his family. His wife seemed
TO be the chief object of attack.
Where the stones came from, or how
propelled, seems inexplicable. Hun
dreds Of people have visited the locali-
/ ty, and the discussion of the mystery is
the one subject Of conversation here on
all hands.
On Sunday the buXom spouse Of
Morton was sitting on the little porch
in front of her home, with her baby in
her arms, and the half dozen other Off
shoots OF the family were playing about
the sward in front of the house. Sud-
denly "a stone was heard TO drop on the
porch, but whence it came no one
knew. 1t was soon followed by doz-
en- more, coming from all directions,
some appearing to drop from the roof
and others coming from the corn field
n al hn he oil
or the wood yard in front OF the house.
The whole family were stricken with
alarm. Morton, believing some mis-
chicvous person had contrived to an
noy him, seized a heavy stick and
searched about the fields, without
avail
AS the shower OF missiles continued,
the little family went in the house,
bolted the doors, barred the windows
and sat about in IA frightened manner.
Gee. sionally Il stone would be heard
to tap on either the weather boarding
or the porch floor, until dark, when no
further disturbance was made. Morton
lost no time the following morning in
working his way TO Mr.. Brooks house
and telling the experiences of the day
before. Mr.. Brooks laughed at the
superstition, looking on the stone
throwing as the work of one OF the
children.
For several days the family of the
colored man made complaints OF the
freaks that possessed this locality, but
the story received no attention except
from the colored people OF the neigh
borhood, among whom the news flew
like wildfre, exciting their magma
ton TO all sorts OF fears. The matter
finally became nuisance to Mr.. Brooks
and he determined to settle it, and Fri
day, putting II large caliber revolver
in his pocket. he started for the cot
tage.
Rev. W. T. Roberts, rector OF the
Episcopal church at Tappahannock.
Essex county, formerly rector OF st.
Stephens church. this place, was II
guest on the Brooks estate. He, to-
gether with dozen others living in
Culpeper and the neighborhood, &C
companied Mr.. Brooks.
When the party reached the cottage
Mr. Brooks announced that any
attempt at a practical joke would have
serious consequences.
After waiting few minutes stone
about the size OF hens egg was seen
coming from the corn-field just across
the road and about forty rods distant
The loud report of the revolver rang
out instantly, aud IA bullet went crash
ing through the cornstalks TO the spot
whence issued the missile. Mr.. Brooks
had acted exactly as he had threat :
ened. Not only himself, but every
member OF his party, felt a culver of
alarm for the result, and, Fastening to
the field, half expected to discover the
practical joke in the form of a dead
negro, but, after beating about N the
corn for some distance about the mark
ed spot, could find no trace OF the pro-
jector of the stone. They returned to
their stations, and again the revolver
was held in readiness. They were not
kept waiting long. Stones began
coming from various directions, in
front and from each side of the house,
one apparently having come over the
cottage. Again and again was the
revolver discharged at the spots
whence came the missiles, but with the
same results as that following the first
discharge,
Rev. Mr.. Roberts was particularly
active in endeavoring to solve the
enigma, being one of the party to
search the fields upon the discharge of
the revolver. The only result, how
ever, was a complete mystitication.
Mr.. Brooks, when speaking OF the
matter to. day said:
Il am free to admit that | am mysti-
fed regarding the cause OF the throw
ing OF these stones. OF the fact there
can not be the least doubt, and | think
the method | have taken in my endeav-
or TO arrive at the truth of the matter
was just about as effective as could
have been adopted. OF the people
who have commented on the phenome-
non ] have not seen one who could not
readily explain its cause. They laugh
at it as | did. and say the stones are
thrown by the boys here. 1t is those
who come and see for themselves who
have no explanation to offer. Ga sew
eral occasions when people have come
here there has been no stone throwing.
Judge Grimsby came out from Culpep-
er few days ago, when there was no