Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1914-11-17
Furniture Thrown About and Brok-
en-Lights Extinguished
and Frequent Noises
are Heard.
THE CAUSE IS YET UNKNOWN
Members of Family Sorely Distressed
Curious People Add to the
Annoyance.
HE CAUSE IS YET UNKNOWN

In order to correct wild tales that
have been flying about the city con-
corning the strange disturbances at
the Jameson home on Boone street
it has been thought best to go to the
home and obtain information direct
ly from members of the household
and to look at the destruction which
has been wrought in the house.
With this object in view a Free
manTribune reporter visited the
house yesterday afternoon. There is
no doubt as to the destruction
brought about by some inexplainable
means, who or what is the agent for
the demolition of furniture, window
panes, dishes, ETC., is matter which
is best answered by silence.
The unknown forces which have
brought these things about began
their work last Friday night at 9
O'Clock. At that time Mrs. Jameson
felt the covers being pulled from her
bed: a moment later the door knob
was ratified and other noises made
which were heard by all the other
members of the household, who are
a daughter, granddaughter and
small children. Mr.. Black, the som
in-law, was absent from the house
at that time. Mrs. Black became
very much frightened and ran from
her room, getting into bed with her
grandmother. At that moment a
rocking chair in the room began to
rock violently, although no one was
near it, and picture upon an easel
in the corner of the room was shak-
On about violently. Mrs. Jameson
had turned on the light and then
arose and started to dress when the
dresser cover was jerked violently
off with everything on it, to the
floor.
The dresser cover in the next
room a moment later was jerked
from the dresser and some old
WEIGHTS which had belonged with a
set of scales were thrown about the
floor. The occupants Of the house
hold, after a few moments, started
down the front stairway when the
electric lamp in the hall was broken
to pieces. The family proceeded in
to the dining room and shower OF
empty paper boxes and papers which
were on a small table in the corner
OF the hall were thrown at them.
They managed to reach the phone
and call for Mr. Black to come home.
He came and upon several members
OF the family attempting to go with
him up stairs, the lights in the
house went out.
They proceeded into the room
where the baby lay in its crib and
the baby bed was shaken violently,
the pillows and covers jerked from
the bed and the baby taken out OF
its bed and lain upon the floor. The
shaking of the bed could plainly be
heard all over the house. VIM. Arm
old. who lives in the neighborhood,
was summoned to come with lights
and he did so, taking his light up to
the electric meter which he found
unattached. He has been there at
different times, remaining on Sun
day night until 2 o'clock a. m. Mr..
Arnold is as much non-plussed as
any who have been in the home as
to the agency by which these things
have been accomplished
There have been tales of members
of the home being hurled about, but
this is untrue, the only instance in
which any living thing was touch
ed being the removal of the baby
from its crib.
The family slept down stairs in
one room on Saturday night and
nothing was seen or heard until
next morning at 10 o'clock when a
large cupboard full of dishes in the
dining room was thrown violently
to the floor, every dish being broken
and the piece of furniture being de-
molished. Relatives of the family
were in the kitchen at the time.
Since that all manner of things have
happened. Yesterday the bookcase
in the sitting room was thrown to
the floor, breaking the glass and al
most demolishing it. The case was
set up by Mr.. Arnold who started
home after performing the act only
to be called back before he was
hardly out of the yard, the bookcase
having gone over again. Three