Weird Noises in the Night.
Strange happenings in home of Russian Poles.
Mice or ‘spirit’?
Suggestion of vengeance by departed occupant.
Amazing stories of spirit-rappings, nerve-wracking groans, terrifying rumbling noises, and sounds suggesting that plaster was falling from walls in a house in York-road, Leicester, are being told by a number of families of Russian-Poles living in different parts of the city. All the eerie sounds, it is said, emanate from the bedroom of a large house formerly used by the late Miss Annie Demidavitch, who died at the North Evington Infirmary over twelve months ago. Some of her friends make the suggestion that it is her spirit that is responsible for the ghostly happenings.
Miss Demidavitch worked in Leicester as a tailoress for many years, and for a long time slept in the garret of a large house in York-road, just off the Welford-road. a tailoring business is carried on downstairs. The fact that she was taken to North Evington Infirmary when her illness became really serious, is said to have caused her great distress, and some of the more superstitious of her friends say that it is not surprising that her spirit should have returned, “because of her removal to an institiution.”
After the death of Miss Demidavitch, the upstairs rooms in the house were occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Duggan and Miss Sharpe, who now all live at 16, Albion Hill, the home of Mrs. Duggan’s mother, who is also the sister of Miss Sharpe.
For a long time, it is said, noises were heard in the different bedrooms, but, curiously enough, the aunt and niece each thought the other was responsible for the sounds, and only referred to them on very few occasions. Miss Sharpe has since told her friends that the noises were “beyond description.”
Her story is that as she lay in bed at nights tappings would start and continue for long periods, and then there would be noises suggesting that plaster had fallen from the walls and ceilings. At first she thought that the most likely explanation would be found in the fact that either the dog or the cat downstairs had upset some of the furniture, or that pictures had fallen from the walls, and more than once she got up to try to ascertain the cause. On each occasion, however, everything was found to be in order, and thus the idea that a departed spirit had returned to her old home gained in strength amongst the friends of the dead woman.
“Once, early in the morning,” so the “Mercury” is informed, “there was a terrible rumbling noise, as though someone was dragging something across the floor. There was also sounds of heavy breathing and moaning. A woman occupied the bedroom at the time, and nothing was seen to account for the curious disturbance.” On another occasion it is said there were “rustling sounds as though someone was throwing handfuls of stones across the floor.” These have yet to be explained.
When Mrs. Duggan’s mother got a fairly large house in Albion Hill, Mr. and Mrs. Duggan were only too pleased to go with them, but Miss Sharpe remained at the house in York-road for a time. Within a few weeks, however, she was glad to quit being too frightened to remain in the room at night. She still works on the premises in connection with the tailoring business, but flatly declines to go anywhere near the bedroom at any time.
The only occupant of the house now at night is a tailor, also a Russian Pole, referred to by his friends as “Peter.” He says he has no intention of leaving and states that he believes that rats and mice are responsible for the tappings. Others, however, suggest that a scientific investigation should be carried out, because they believe no ordinary, everyday forces are responsible for the phenomena.
Leicester Daily Mercury, 13th January 1926.