The Portland daily press., 1899-01-05
MARBLEHEso GHOST CLOCK.
Keeping Vow Made by a Man shortly
Before He Died.

OF the fact that strange phenomena
exist which people are obliged to accept
without being able 10 explain them the
quaint little town OF Marblehead furnishes
an instance In the shape Of an old clock,
or the almost empty case Of one belong
lug to Mrs. Pitman, who lives on Reeds
hill, not far from the railroad station.
Even the most skeptical have been
obliged to admit Its existence and myster-
ious workings and to confess their ina
bility to explain the power that controls
1t or 10 advance any reasonable theory
upon the subject. 1t has been visited aud
examined by thousands during the past
few years-by clergymen, scientists. and
others of learning and experenoe--and
they have all come away satisfied that
there was no delusion or trickery in what
they witnessed, and filled with wonder at
what they had seen and heard.
IL Is simply the wooden case OF an old
fashioned eight. day clock, entirely desti-
tute Of works, and containing nothing
save the cooled wire that once formed q
portion OF the striking apparatus. 1t was
the property of Mrs. Pitman's father and
than Ii is now-without pendulum or
mechanism.
For some reason unknown to others 1t
was priced very highly by the old gentle
man and was kept on the mantel OF a
seldom occupied room OH the second noor
OF the house. Ths family, comprising,
besides Mrs pitmau, her father. children
aud br ,ther, were ohuroh-going psople,
and were never known so-called Spirit
ualists, and she knew nothing Of the mys-
FERROUS powers possessed by the old clock
until one evening when she heard 1t strike
clearly and distinctly rs II In perfect
order.
She listened with amazement until the
strokes ceased, and then, turning to her
father. was about to express her surprise
and ask him for an explanation OF the
wonder, when be said very quickly: 1t
is striking for me; am going away"
She laughed in disbelief, and he added:
al mean that l am going-neyer TO re-
turp."
those who die do come back sometimes,
she said, refusing to regard the matter
But he looked at her intently 90 he
said. slowly and solcmnly: Then, IL IL h
possible, will return 70 you, my oangh-
tor. and In u way you cannot mistake"
Nothing more was said at the time.
anu u lew udyb iotck VAC SfN 6ehsAoAA@S1
died-very suddenly.
Mrs. Pitman bad given little thought
TO her fathers words until one day when
in the room where the clock was kept,
she was startled by hearing 1t tick. with
the same regularity and distinctness as
though the missing works were again
within the case and moving the long.gone
pendulum.
She FASTENED to call her brother; and as
the two stood listening to the monotonous
tick tick" OF the invisible pendulum,
she told him for the 6rst time OF what
their father had said to her shortly before
his death.
He listened to her with Impotence and
when her story was finished he asked.
anerily, if she believed their dead father
would come back TO earth and manipu
late the old clock. And he warned her to
say nothing to the neighbors about the
matter for fear they might think her
crazy
Several olockmakers were called In,
but none Of them could lind anything to
account for the strange ticking within
the case, which now began 10 come quite
frequently.
Mrs. Pitman soon found that the clock
would reply to questions which could be
answered by q simple Yes" or mo, and
that the responses were always sensible.
and, when relating to future events,
borne out by the subsequent facts. These
answers would como not only foriher own
benefit. but for that of others as well, so
that many have consulted it through her
"msdiumship"-ifs such 1t can be called
and always with satisfactory results At
times. and when the visitors are musical,
there will be heard tinkling, as il in
Visible fingers were picking on the wire;
and, upon one occasion, there came TO the
astopished ears OF lady the opening
notes of an air which had teen the favsr-
lite Of a recently deceased relative. -Bos-
ton Transcript