The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-21

for the midday dinner door which opened
open. began to move slowly and was shut
as with calm deliberation by unseen hands.
THAT was done, said mother quietly,
by the wind But she had scarcely spoken
before the door was opened and was fun 6
back to its original position with great
violence. At the same time two windows
in the room, which were raised to admit
the keen breeze from the Atlantic, were
lowered simultaneously. then In quick
succession they were raised ard lowered
many times, till finally. as they fell into
place, several small panes in each window
were broken into tiny bits.
These insignificant beginnings were only
the preludes to larger and more disastrous
results Frequently it happened, when
the family was seated at meals, milk, water,
tea, coffee and soup were flung into the
faces OF various members, in several in
stances inficting painful scalds and burns.
and at the same time the spoons were broken
or suddenly twisted out Of share in their
hands. At other times the tablecloth. with
the entire service and dinner, would be
pulled from the table and either flung on
the floor or thrown through the nearest
window, and in either case the savory meal.
with the crystal, silver and china, was
entirely ruined.
AT first the demonst ra tons were con-
fined to the dining room and my mothers
bedroom, but after a few days they spread
until there was not room in the house free
from the annoying and frightful phenomena.
At all hours Of the day and night, and at the
dows would be suddenly and violently
flung open or shut; the heavy. old fash
Toned furniture would creak and groan;
then, as if moved by unseen giants. it
would rush from its place in mad dance
about the room, and would either move
quietly back TO its accustomed place or
would be dashed to spinters on the floor
with noise like the ncentrated thun-
ders of the universe.
There was, Of course, constant and i'm
minent danger to the family in these mani
festations. for scarcely n day passed without
pictures or mirrors falling from the walls.
the topping over and complete wreck!ng
Of canopied beds, great, heavy wardrobes
and bureaus. tables and chairs; and on
several occasions some of the youn ger
children. being caught under falling objects,
received broken limos, serious wounds and
bruises and severe nervous shocks, while
at other times other members of the family
barely escaped death,
One afternoon in February. just az
entered the hall, glanced into the sitting
room and saw my elder brother. Robert,
sitting at a table reading. A low fire was
commotion on the hearth. To my sur
prise, saw one of the huge endirons lift
itself from the fire and begin to move
across the room. 1t gathered momentum
as it went, and rose swiftly in the air till
it reached the level Of my brothers head,
when it dealt him heavy blow on the
temple. He sprang to his feet. stunned
and bleeding. while | grasped the andiron
in my hands, trying thus to shield my brother,
but might as well have essayed to hold
thunderbolt. for it ,,Srenched itself free
from my grasp and struck my brother
a gain on the head.
.'Run.' called to my brother, run for
your life! II you stay here you, will be
killed, and l cannot help you The poor
boy did run out Of the room, and the andiron
followed, striking him with heavy blows
till the poor yG nod Ie'
Then the andiron moved slowly across the
hall. entered the sitting room and resumed
its accustomed place on the hearth.
THE next day my father. moved the
entire family to the other farm, leaving
the old home here closed We took nothing
but our clothes. for the other home was
furnished and my parents thought it best
to leave everything here unoisturbed. A
long illness followed my brothers frghtful
experience with the andiron. for several
produced fever which came very near to
proving fatal.
"For week or ten days We enjoyed
absolute freedom and quiet. Then quite
suddenly the strange manifestations began
again with increased power and persistence.
They did not vary much in character from
what we had experienced. Soon after we
moved from the old home here, Foster,
the great medium and clairvoyant of that
time, called on my father to question him
about the phenomena My father told
him the whole story, and Foster became
intensely interested. The news Of our
singular misfortune spread afar. and people,
many of them distinguished in the various
positions of life, came from all parts of the
country to see and investigate for them-
selves. Among the prominent Georgians
who came for that purpose were Henry
Grady, Bridges Smith, at one time Mayor
the Macon Telegraph"
Mr.. surrency then assured me that a.