Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-19

y
imagine the robust
Anglo-Saxon of his response. Another night
and more knockings, followed by such noise
in the room over our heads. as if several people
were walking. This time, to quote further from
Mrs. Wesleys narrative as given in letter to
her absent son Samuel, the tumult was so out
rageous that we thought the children would be
frightened; so your father and rose, and went
down In the dark to light candle. Just as we came
to the bottom of the broad stairs having hold of each
other, on my side there seemed as if somebody had
emptied bag OF money at my feet; and on his as il
all the bottles under the stairs (which were many
had been dashed in thousand pieces. We passed
through the hall into the kitchen and got candle.
and went to see the children, whom we found asleep
With this the Rev. Samuel seems to have come
round to the fanily's way of thinking; for in the
morning he sent messenger to the nearby village
certain Mr.. Hoole, would ride over and assist him
in "conuring" the evil spirit out of his house
Burning with curiosity, Hoole made such good time
to Epworth that before noon he was at the rectory
and eagerly listening to an account of the marvels
that had so alarmed the Wesleys.
Other Ghostly Marvels
TN addition to the phenomena already set forth. he
j learned that while the knocks were heard in ali
parts OF the house. they were most frequent in the
ohdrsns room that At prayers they almos. nyaT
when Wesley began the prayers for King George
and the Prince of Wales. from which it was inferred
that the ghost was a Jacobite; that often sound
was heard like the rocking of cradle, and an
other sound like the gobbling of turkey. and yet
another something Ike man. in a loose night
gown trailing after him =; and that if one stamped
his foot, "Old jeffrey" the younger children
had named the ghost, would knock precisely as
many times as there had been stampings.
None of these major marvels was vouchsafed to
Hooe; but he heard lknockngs in plenty, and after
night of terror, made haste back to Haxey having
lost all desire to play the role of exorcist His fears
may possibly have been increased by the violence
of Wesley, who, after vanly exhorting the ghost to
speak out and tell his business, hourished pistol
and threatened to discharge it in the direction
whence the lnockngs came. This was too much
for peace loving, spook fearing Hoole. Sir, he
protested, "you are convinced this is something
preternatura1. so, you cannot hurt it; but you
give it power to hurt YOU" The logic of Hoole's
argument is hardly so evident as his panic. OFF he
galloped, leaving the Rev. Samuel to lay the ghost
as best he could.
After his departure wonders grew apace. Thus
far the manifestations had been wholly auditory:
now visual phenomena were added. One evening
Mrs. Wesley beheld something dart out from beneath
a bed and quickly disappear Sister Emilia, who
was present. reported to brother Samuel that this
something like badger, only without any
head that was discernible." The same apparition
came to confound the man servant, Robert Brown.
once in the badger form, and once in the form of
white rabbit which turned round before him sew
era1 times" Robert was also the witness of even
more peculiar performance by the elusive ghost.
" Being grinding in the garrets, and happening
to stop little, the handle of the mill turn [sic
round with great swiftness" 1t is interesting to
note that Robert subsequently declared that moth
ing vexed him but that the mill was empty. corn
had been in it, Old Jeffrey might have ground his