Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-18
Beans and Such Things Do
Spooky Tricks.
FEARLESS FAMILY PUZZLED
Unnatural Activities of Household
Articles Surprising.
WATCH DOG ENJOYS G0INGS-ON
Visitors to Old House Where Small
Things Dance About Fail
to Solve Mystery.

GROTON. Conn. August 1s.-This town
is excited indeed over the amazing hap
penings at the fine old farm of William
Hempstead. a mile east of New London.
All day yesterday visitors went out in
automobiles and carriages to study the
mystery.
| Beginning week ago. small articles
such as beans. spools of thread, knives.
marbles etc, have been moving about
the house in broad daylight. Although
the house is next to the old Knowles
family cemetery. the phenomena do, not
seem to be of the ghost or spook variety.
The manifestations never take place at
night.
| House Has No Traditions.
The house was built in the long ago
and is two stories high. roomy, in good
condition and happily situated. In the
center is an immense chimney eight by
ten feet square. So. far as the owner
knows, there is no secret closet or room
in the house.
| A week ago Mrs Hampstead, who is a
| remarkably comely woman of forty-nine
with snOw-white hair and a youthful face,
was alone in the house. The stairs lead
| ing from the dining room to the second
floor have door at their head that on
occasion was fastened on the downstairs
side. Suddenly a spool of thread that
had been in a work basket in the second
story chamber came bounding down the
stairs and moved across the floor of the
dining room. Mrs. Hampstead looked up
the stairs. The door at the head was still
closed and fastened. Later, while no one
else was in the room. bean traversed
the room and struck her in the face. 1t
did not harm her, but was a most discOn-
certing circumstance.
| The family consists Of Mr.. Hampstead,
a refined and practical old gentleman of
seventy-odd years. He does not believe
in spooks. His wife has no superstitions.
They have been married thirty years and
have lived in the old manse since their
| wedding. Having no children. they adopt
| ed thirteen years ago the young son Of
Mrs. Hempstead's sister. frankie Gardi-
ner. and gave him their name. The boy
has a brother. Charles who is about his
own age. There are employed on the farm
| Gilbert Edwards. a lad of sixteen, son of
| neighbOr, and three hired men.
How Activities Began.
when these strange things first be-
gan to happen said Mr.. Hampstead
yesterday, II said nothing, because L
didn't want any one to think that I was
deluded. l was in the cornfield one day
| when marble such as, the boys play
with about the house fell at my feet
I-OOklHS TOWARD the mouse, l saw tndC
screen in the second story had been
pushed aside and cloth was being
waved from the window. Going into the
house, l found that no one had been in
| the room where the cloth was waved.
No one had thrown a marble. The hired
/ men were at work and the boys were
out of the house.
Il said nothing. but on Friday we dis
covered beans moving about the house
in most astonishing fashion. They
we raised and had been laid out on the
attic floor to dry. OF course, beans will
sometimes dry in the pods. and on a
hot day will split open and bounce
around, but / never saw any beans that
could come down the attic stairs. move
around the room, cut square corners
and fall on the floor. There was bean
in the northeast room that came out Of
the north WALL sailed across the room,
cut around the sewing machine and af-
ter making several corners fell on the
floor. Naturally we began to get nerv-
, Gus when marbles that the boys had
not touched for months began to move
about the house. They would come in
| at door. move across the room and
stop. We made certain that it was not
the work of the boys because these
things happened when the boys were out
of the house.
For instance. several old rusty keys
that had been lost for years came
bounding down the stairs from the
attic into the rooms upstairs and were
picked up ! made sure no one was
up in the attic l have heard some Of
our visitors account for the thing by
electricity. We have q telephone, and
the wire runs half around the house and
in at the dining room window. But
have never heard that a telephone wire
| would do this thing"
Watch Dog Enjoys It.
One peculiar thing about the phenomena
is the queer action of Tige. the watch
dog. when anything happens. He capers
about the yard showing no supernatural
| fear or agitation. but every indication Of
joy. Tige is a special friend. by the way.
of the two boys who live at the farm.
! Mrs. Hampstead said yesterday:
1T is true that these things have hap
pened, but l am not superstitious. They
are accomplished by some natural law,
but how do not know. No, do not sus-
pect the boys. Things have happened
that could not be accounted for by them.
am not worrying over it. but l wish
| the manifestations would stop, for my
work is getting behind hand
c. NJ. Miller. proprietor of livery
| stable, who drove visitors out to the place
| several times during the week. said yes
| terday:
II was there when something queer
| happened. We had searched the house
from top to bottom. thinking that perhaps
| in hooks down stairs. We were standing
| in the attic and frankie. the thirteen
year-old boy, was there. when suddenly a
knife that had been lying in a basket of
tableware in the attic suddenly Topped
| out of the basket and fell on the floor.
No one was near 1t
| While the reporter was in the bedroom
| on the second floor just over the dining
room. talking to Mr.. Hampstead, a bean
suddenly went sailing across the south
east bedroom and fell bounding on the
bare floor. Where it came from could
not be told. The old house has many
rats and squirrels live in the roof, but
even they could not do some Of the things
that have hapr ened. There are swallows
| in the chimney, but they never come into
| the attic. Altogether 1t is a most remark
able daylight mystery. The phenomena
seem to be passing, for nothing happened
| all day a:urday or Sunday till the bean
| fell in the bedroom upstairs.
SUES HIS MOTHER-IN-LAW.
DR.. Simpson Asks for SIC, 900 Dam
! apes-Seouel to Shooting