The Wadsworth dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1892-1899, 1893-03-08
MYSTERY IN A CONVENT.
A Baltimore Church Bell That Persists In
Ringing Nearly All the Time.

"A q AAAo WILL A6A Nv bAAI
most unreasonable hours and in the most
mysterious manner, has caused quite q
scare among some of the Sisters Of Notre
Dame. who occupy the picturesque little
convent adjoining the Catholic parochial
school Of st, Anne, on the east side of
the York road. On Saturday, Nov. 8,
the mysterious occurrences began at the
convent by the ringing of the doorbell.
One of the lay sisters went to the door,
but nobody was there. 1.-THE prank of
some mischievous boy" she thought.
Soon afterward the bell rang again,
and the sister went to the door q second
time, but no one was to be seen there or
thereabouts. The bell kept ringing at
intervals during the rest of the day,
greatly to the annoyance Of the sisters.
At length one of the sisters took her sta
ton in the vestibule determined to as
certain who was ringing the bell. The
instant the bell rang again she opened
the door, but saw no one. While she
was standing in the doorway the bell
continued to ring violently. She was
satisfied that the ringing was not caused
by any one pulling the knob of the door
bell ON the outside.
At night, when the sisters retired, the
bell rang again. It continued to ring at
short intervals all night, and deprived
some Of the sisters CT sleep. The bell
rang all day Sunday. and could be plain
ly heard in st. Anne's church during the
celebration of high mass. The sexton,
Joseph Helencamp, was finally called in
to make an examination. He traced the
bell wire from the door to the bell In the
kitchen, but found nothing wrong.
While this examination was going on the
bell kept ringing. Finally the sexton'eut
the bell wire. This. failed to stop the
bell from ringing. No electric wires Of
any kind are about the house. Il was
finally decided to detach the wire from
the bell entirely. This was done, but it
did not stop the bell from ringing. In
deed the bell rang more violently than
ever, as II rejoicing at being freed from
the wire.
Rev. William E. Bartlett, pastor Of St.
Anne's church. was called in. He ex-
smined the bell carefully, but conld not
solve the mystery. Take it down." was
the next order. The bell was removed
and was hung up for two days In Father
Bartlett's house, but did not ring there.
twas then then replaced in the convent,
w%hereupon it began to ring again vio-
iently.
Father Bart. the assistant pastor, ex-
.~As-aI kho ho11 ssrrrA4 a. ~~, - ia
he, 'sand I'll put it up SO that it won't,
ring The bell was taken down and
put mp by Father Bart. 1t kept on ring
ing, however, and nobody could stop It.
It rang 30 violently that the spiral steel
spring attached was stretched straight
out, and the bell oscillated with such
force that it beat against. the ceiling.
The priests were completely mystiied.
Over ascore Of members Of st. Anne's
church were called in to examine into
the strange antics Of the bell. but mons
could discover the cause Of it's moye-
ments. The bell rang 80 loudly at night
that Sexton Helencamp was called in to
remove 1t, so that the sisters could sleep.
He has since placed it In position every
morning and removed it at night. One
Of the lay sisters cannot be induced 70,
remain in the kitchen when the bell be-
gins to ring. She. always runs ptecipi-
lately from, the room at the first tap Of
the ben. ~.
Every Sunday since Nov. 8 the wor-
shippers at st. Anne's church have heard
the noisy bell while at mass. Sexton
Helencamp took it down once and hung
it in a shed in the rearof the housesfor
two days. During that time everything
was quiet, but when he replaced 1t In
the convent it resumed It's violent ring
ing. Every part of the bell was care
fully examined, as well as the pieces
used to attach it to the ceiling. The
bell wire was also inspected infinitely,
but nothing could be found to account
for the strange actions Of the bell. It
was suggested that the trouble MIGHT
have been caused by q rat or a o
This could not be possible, because the
bell rang when absolutely detached from
the bell wire.
Sunday during vespers, the bell kicked
up such q rumpus that Father Bartlett
left the sanctuary several times to stop
it. The bell is still hanging up in the
convent in its accustomed place and still
continues to ring violently. The exami.
nation is still in progress, but the prob
lem is as far from being solved now as II
was when the bell began its new career.
Baltimore American.