A Considerate Ghost.
There having been stories circulated relating to the “haunted Turner farm,” four miles south of the village of Byron, in Shiawasse County, Mich., a lady from Byron recently visited the locality, and sends her observations to the Detroit Free Press, as follows:-
Arriving at the farm, Mrs Turner, in explanation of the phenomena, said that she did at first think the stones were thrown by human persons, but is now perfectly satisfied that they are not. She did not believe in the supernatural, but had always been a Methodist, and previous to August last had never seen or heard anything she could not account for. Continuing the recital, Mrs. Turner said that her husband had purchased the farm a little over six years ago, and at that time it contained a lot which had been used as a burying-ground by former owners.
According to the terms of the bargain the friends of those buried there proceeded to remove the bodies, Mr. Turner assisting them in that work. A gentleman living in Flint, named Brown, had a mother buried there. He was very angry about the removal of the body, and was heard to say many times that if there was such a thing possible, and he should die first, he would haunt Turner for this act.
Last August Brown died. That same month this stone-throwing was commenced. The Turners assert that they did not know of Brown’s death until some time after. The first stone thrown was one evening about sundown, while Mrs. Turner was milking, the stone falling by her side, about the size of a man’s fist. She immediately called to her son, about ten years of age, not to repeat the act, as he might frighten the cow and hurt her. He replied that he had not thrown anything.
Just then two more came down, one striking near her and the other near the child. Mr. Turner, who was unharnessing his horses near by, called out angrily, looking about to see whence they came – “There, that will do; throw no more stones here or you will find, whoever you are, two can play that game!” More stones came flying, and both Mr. and Mrs. Turner began to search for the person throwing the stones. They found themselves puzzled to find out from what direction they came, for they could not see the stones till they were within a few feet of them, and apparently coming from all directions.
This sort of thing kept up for several days before they informed their neighbours and friends, and asked for help in finding the cause. The neighbours came, and the stones continued rapidly falling about them in their search for the person throwing them. Everybody gave up, declaring they could not solve the mystery.
A peculiarity of this stone throwing has been that with all the apparent recklessness with which they fell, there has been no one hurt. They have passed by the persons so near as to brush their clothing, and then fall, to the ground near by, not even denting the soft ground. Mr. Turner last fall was very anxious to have snow fall, as he reasoned that if the stones were thrown by living individuals, their tracks would betray them. The stones continued to be thrown all winter, even when the snow was deep. They would fall upon the roof of the house and roll down, leaving scarcely a vestige of their course in the snow. No tracks of persons whatever could be found.
Mrs. Turner says it is more as if the stones were swiftly carried by than thrown. Certain of the stones were carried home by the neighbours and privately marked. These identical stones would soon be found again in Turner’s yard.
A thousand or more persons have visited the place, and a great many have themselves seen the stone-throwing, but vastly many more have waited and went away without seeing it, and have pronounced the whole thing a humbug. Mrs Turner says the stones ordinary commence to fall at ten o’clock in the forenoon, and continue to be thrown until dark. None have ever been hurled after dark. None were thrown on the occasion of the visit here described, the last having been seen on Sunday afternoon. The shower of stones is not so great as last summer, and the family are in hopes it will stop altogether.
Monmouthshire Beacon, 4th September 1875. (and many others)