Uncanny Manifestations. Ealing resident mystified. Inexplicable phenomena.
Mr Arthur H. George, of 28, Sunnyside-road, Ealing, a member of a well-known local family, and a respected business man, has recently undergone some decidedly queer and unpleasant experiences. Mr George carries on a stationer’s and bookseller’s business in a shop at 20, Bute-street, South Kensington, within about 100 yards of South Kensington District Railway Station. The shop is of the ordinary “lock-up” type, and forms the centre of a block of three-storey buildings. Bute-street is a short, quiet thoroughfare, leading from Harrington-road. There is absolutely nothing unusual in the character of the neighbourhood, the only point worth considering, in view of the strange occurrences which have taken place at Mr. George’s shop, being the fact that about fifty feet distant from No. 20, and underground, is the District Railway, and below that, the Brompton and Piccadilly Tube.
The uncanny happenings which have naturally disturbed and puzzled Mr. George, and have interested a large number of people, took place on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of August. The prosaic interior of this ordinary book-shop suddenly became the scene of peculiar, almost fearsome phenomena. Heavy books, packets of notepaper, and other articles began to jump about in the most remarkable manner. During the three days on which these inexplicable freaks continued, numbers of persons, including Mr. George, were astonished by being struck by six-shilling novels and packets of notepaper, which apparently “flew” about the place.
The things did not merely tumble down, but, if the witnesses may be believed – and there certainly is no reason for doubting their evidence – books and notepaper were impelled upwards or at angles which would at once dispel the idea that their movements were due to ordinary causes. Racks, books, and writing paper were continually dislodged, and even two electric globes in the shop window fell from the sockets in which they had been securely placed. With all these weird, extraordinary incidents, the occupants of the shop felt no vibration, and it is a significant fact that there was no sound of rattling.
Sworn Statements.
Two witnesses of the happenings have sworn the following statements before a commissioner of oaths, viz.:-
“I, Arthur Herbert George, of 20, Bute-street, South Kensington, stationer and bookseller, do solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:- The first of the strange series of events happened on Wednesday afternoon last. A book which was on a sloping stand in the window fell forward. I replaced it in position but it kept falling forward on the floor of the window. The next morning (Thursday), on opening the shop, I found that a large number of articles, books, boxes of writing-paper, and boxes of envelopes had fallen from the shelves of the window. I spent the whole of the morning in replacing the things, but as fast as I put them back they fell off the shelves again. The line of movement of the falling goods was uniformly towards the front of the window. There are four electric lights in the window. The glass lamps of two of them fell out.
“All this time I could not detect any unusual vibration. Then the disturbance spread to the interior of the shop. A book rack, which was on a massive wooden cabinet, sprang up and hit me on the head, and a bookcase, containing about thirty books, fell forward to the ground. Matters then got rapidly worse. Packets of note-paper weighing about 1lb., which were on the counter, and on the shelves, were precipitated into the air, flying several feet, and I and my young assistant were struck several times.
“By this time I was completely mystified and considerably alarmed, and I called in Mr. X., a surveyor, to see if he could discover the cause of the strange movements. While Mr. X was investigating he was nearly struck by a flying packet of note-paper, which he saw rise from a shelf. With rare intervals of peace, this kind of thing went on throughout the day. One-pound packets of note-paper flew from the shelves through the shop door into the roadway. Several times that day I had to close the shop, as it was dangerous for customers to be inside. Four pictures, which were hanging from nails, crashed to the floor, although the nails on which they were hanging remained in their original position, and the cord, in each case, was unbroken.
“On the suggestion of Mr. S. G. Adams, a neighbour, we placed a broad-bottomed tumbler, three-parts filled with water, in the window. The water at once commenced rocking violently, and after a few minutes, while my assistant and I were watching it, the tumbler overturned.
“On the following day (Friday) there was a continuance of the extraordinary happenings. Books, bottles of ink, and other articles tumbled off the counter and the shelves, and others flew about in all directions. In all, five people were struck by the flying articles. At four o’clock on Friday the movements suddenly ceased. I have occupied the shop for the past eighteen months. Nothing of a similar nature has occurred before.
Arthur H. George. 20 Bute-street, South Kensington. Declared at 85, Gloucester-road, South Kensington, in the County of London, this 7th day of August, 1907, before me, Edgar Todd Jones, a commissioner for oaths.”
A Neighbour’s Evidence.
Mr S. G. Adams, a curiosity dealer, of No. 23 Bute-street, who was in Mr George’s shop on the Thursday afternoon, has made the following statement:-
“I, Sidney Guy Adams, of 23, Bute-street, South Kensington, antique dealer, do solemnly and sincerely declare as follows:- I saw heavy packets of note paper and books jump off the shelves and the counter. They did not simply fall over, but went off at an obtuse angle. At the time I noticed no vibration. Had I not seen what occurred I should not have believed it. On the next day I saw similar strange things happen. I was struck on the head by a flying box of stationery. When on Thursday evening the glass of water was placed in the window the water almost immediately became violently agitated, although at the time I could feel no vibration.
S G Adams. Declared at 85, Gloucester-road, South Kensington, also sworn to before me, Edgar Todd Jones, a commissioner for oaths, this 7th day of August, 1907.”
A Surveyor’s Story.
A gentleman belonging to the staff of the surveyor who was employed by Mr. George, told the story of his investigations to a Pressman. He said:- “I went round to Mr. George’s shop on Friday afternoon to investigate. I walked from the front door towards the back of the shop. A packet of note-paper struck me on the back of the head, and another packet whizzed past my ear. I think it impossible anyone could have thrown them at me. Then I saw books fall from shelves, while I was watching, without an ostensible cause. I am quite unable to account for the things I saw happen there.”
Mr. George’s assistant, a young fellow of seventeen, corroborated the above statements.
Mr George, seen at Sunnyside-road, by a representative of this paper, was kind enough to tell something of his experiences. It was entertaining, almost amusing, to hear of the quips and pranks of Mr. George’s stock, but it was disappointing to find that he could offer no explanation of the cause of the mischief. His view of the matter is summed up in his statement that he thinks there must be some natural cause for the disturbances, but he has no idea what that cause is.
In reply to questions put by our representative, Mr George said:- “Nothing further has happened since the 3rd of August, I am glad to say. There have been all sorts of tales about, but personally I believe the occurrences were due to a natural cause. It has been suggested to me that they were due to vibration, as there are three railways – the Metropolitan, the District, and the Piccadilly Tube – near by, but nobody who was in the shop felt the slightest vibration while the things were moving about.”
“If there had been vibration powerful enough to send books and packets of paper flying about all over the shop, you must have felt it?” “Yes, that is the curious part of it. There are electric wires in the premises, but I cannot say whether they could possibly influence the movements of the books. There are flats overhead, occupied by private people, who have heard things falling in the shop during the night. South Kensington and Gloucester-road stations are being rebuilt. We are in between them, and it is possible that electric hammers or similar powerful implements may have been in use, but we have felt no vibration.”
“At what amount do you estimate the loss occasioned by the damage to your stock?” “About £10, apart from any loss of business which may result. The damage is chiefly to books. During the three days on which the disturbances occurred, I had several times to lock up the shop, for it was not safe for customers to enter.”
“I suppose you are pretty well satisfied that these queer happenings have discontinued permanently as nothing has happened since August 3rd?” “No, I am not. Until I discover the cause, I shall feel that I do not know what may happen. That is the annoying and worrying part of it. Personally I don’t think there is anything supernatural in it, but I can’t explain it. Many persons, most of them prejudiced, have attributed the occurrences to supernatural agency. The building is fifty or sixty years old, and I have been there nearly two years.”
“There is nothing sinister about the reputation of the premises; you know of no crime having been committed there?” “No, so far as the history of the place goes, there is no support for the ‘ghost’ theory. I am not a believer in ghosts or supernatural influences, but several people interested in psychical research have visited the shop since the occurrences became known.”
“Were the manifestations equally alarming on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of August?” “Well, the 2nd was the worst day. Then the shop window was almost a wreck. The two electric globes came out of their sockets, and actually shelves on brackets and cleats moved.”
“Is there any basement or cellar to the premises?” “No. It is a most peculiar case altogether, and we should very much like to get to the bottom of it. That is what I don’t like, not being able to find the cause.”
An Investigation.
A visit to Mr. George’s shop revealed nothing so far as a possible explanation was concerned. The counter, shelves and cases appeared to be quite solid and substantial. As to the fabric of the building itself, it is difficult to see how it could be affected by vibration from any cause unless the adjoining buildings were similarly affected, for it stands well towards the centre of a firmly built and extensive block.
On the shop floor was a large black patch caused by the breaking of a big bottle of ink, which “jumped” off the counter. In a corner was a pile of books, which had, according to the witnesses, become temporarily animate, and damaged themselves. These books form an important piece of the evidence on behalf of the supernatural theory, for mere falling from the counter or a book-case could not possibly damage them as they are damaged. One or two which our representative picked up were well-bound six-shilling novels, with their stout covers almost broken in two. To have become so damaged they must have been absolutely hurled about by some powerful force, for a fairly well bound book will stand a lot of knocking about before the centre of the front cover from top to bottom shows an injury which, if one did not know of the circumstances, one would unhesitatingly declare to have been made by some malicious person who had deliberately tried to break the cover in half.
An Important Witness.
An important and reliable witness was Mr Adams, the curiosity dealer, who has a shop opposite Mr George’s. His evidence is important, because he is a trained electrician, and it is particularly reliable because his investigation of the phenomena has been carried out from a purely scientific, dispassionate point of view. Mr Adams said: “Owing to the continuance of the strange occurrences in his shop, Mr George asked me to go over and tell him my opinion. While I was in the shop I was struck on the head by a book which, Mr George believes, was lying on the counter.”
“But you are five feet and six or seven inches in height, and the counter is only about three feet high? If the book came from the counter it must have sprung upwards?” “Yes, it must. I was standing with my back to the counter. It was certainly a very weird affair. As Mr George said, it was getting beyond a joke. I watched him put things in their ordinary places, and within a few minutes down they came. The affair caused quite a sensation round here. If I had not absolutely seen the occurrences, I could never have believed they had happened. When I was first told of them I had strong suspicions that the assistant was playing practical jokes, but it could not have been that, for on one occasion the things came down when he was outside the shop.”
“Can you suggest any explanation?” “No; I have had a fairly good scientific training, but I cannot think from a scientific point of view of any cause for these happenings.”
“What about possible electric influences?” “I don’t think you can put it down to that. As I said to Mr. George, if there had been enough electric power to have caused the damage which has occurred, he would not be here to tell the tale. Besides, there would have been electric flames all over the place.”
“Have you thought of what people commonly call supernatural influence?” “Well, I am not what you would call a religious man, but I don’t believe an Almighty would use His powers for the purpose of creating such freaks as have occurred in Mr. George’s shop. I should not like to say there are not such things as spirits, but if there are I don’t think they would play such tricks. They may have been due to some natural force which has not yet been discovered. That is all I can say.”
And so the mystery remains unsolved.
Middlesex and Surrey Express, Wednesday 21st August 1907.
The extraordinary happenings in an Ealing bookseller’s shop at South Kensington, which are recorded in another column, make a strange and really inexplicable story, worthy of the attention of the Psychical Research Society. Nowadays, the idea that mischievous spirits worry mortals by their elvish pranks is pooh-poohed by the majority of people, but, when something happens which cannot be explained from the materialist or scientific points of view, these same people shake their heads and wisely murmur that “it is very mysterious.” Mr. George’s experiences are certainly mysterious, and the more so, because the evidence in reference to them is so clear. Heavy books, packets of stationery, and electric light globes, have jumped about in the most extraordinary fashion, and their queer evolutions, so far as they have been recorded, have been performed in broad daylight, and in very substantially-built premises, situated in the midst of a solid block of three-storey buildings without basements or cellars.
The almost incredible antics of an ordinary bookseller’s stock are not the nervous imaginings of any particular person. The phenomena have been observed and testified to by a surveyor, a trained electrician, Mr George, his neighbours, and his assistant. Not one of these people, not even the surveyor and the electrician, who made their investigations from a coldly scientific standpoint, can suggest any possible cause, except that of vibration from the underground railways fifty feet away from the place. That does not answer the problem at all, for in the collected evidence of witnesses, it is distinctly and emphatically stated that no vibration was felt while the uncanny manifestations were in progress. The human body is quick to feel vibration, especially if the tremors are sudden, and it must be assumed that people in the shop would have noticed any vibration which would have been powerful enough to make articles weighing over a pound jump upwards.
Further, it is doubtful whether shaking, or what one would ordinarily call vibration, would make a heavy book jump upwards. It might make things simply fall from a shelf, but to make them spring upwards would require something like a severe jolt from below. Another point against the vibration theory is the fact that the shops, four or five in number, which are nearer the underground railways than Mr. George’s establishment, were not disturbed on the three days in question. In the circumstances, the only thing to do is to agree that it is “very mysterious.”
(same page as above, in ‘Notes of the Week’).
Uncanny Manifestations. Possible explanations.
As considerable local interest was aroused last week by our account of the queer occurrences at the bookseller’s shop occupied by Mr. A.H. George, of 28, Sunnyside-road, Ealing, at South Kensington, we have followed up our investigations by making further inquiries as to whether there has been a recurrence of the books and stationery “jumping.”
A “Middlesex County Times” reporter, who called on Mr. George, was informed that although there had not been what could be correctly described as uncanny manifestations for nearly three weeks, there was a mild recurrence on Wednesday and Thursday, when heavy packets of stationery fell in the shop window.
Our representative asked: “Did the stationery jump about as on previous occasions?” “No, it just fell down, and on these occasions my assistant and myself felt some bumpings from under the floor. I went and complained to the Brompton and Piccadilly Tube people.”
“Supposing the disturbances are not due to railway operations, which seems rather doubtful, as your neighbours have not suffered, can you suggest any other probable explanation?” “Well, I have been advised that, through some defect, electricity may have come up through the walls from the railways, and affected the metal and other conductors which are in the shop.”
“You have no evidence which gives a reliable explanation of the phenomena.” “No, I have not. The recurrence shows that the cause, whatever it is, is not entirely removed. If it continues, I shall have to leave the place.”
Middlesex and Surrey Express, 26th August 1907.
Flying Books.
Repetition of the Strange Happenings in Kensington Stationer’s Shop.
Many Cracked Volumes.
There has been a repetition of the mysterious commotion among the books and stationery at the shop of Mr. A.H. George, 20, Bute-street, South Kensington, and the bookseller is at his wits’-end to probe the strange phenomena.
“Again,” said this gentleman, “on the same days of the week as formerly I heard a noise in the front part of the shop, and when I got to the window I found that four or five heavy packets of writing material had been mysteriously pitched forward among the miscellaneous articles displayed below the shelf on which they had been standing. That shelf is very firm. It is wedged in and strongly secured, and the packets have a broad base, so that they should not easily collapse. Next day the same packets tumbled again. I returned them to their places, and am awaiting succeeding developments. The previous experience – when, as I stated in the affidavit published in the ‘Weekly Dispatch,’ the contents of all my upper shelves apparently took wings, and decidedly flew about the place and damaged my head – has left me with £10 worth of damaged books and general stock. Here, you see, are cracks in the covers of the books some inches long. They will give you an idea of the velocity with which the volumes were hurled through the air.
“My landlady and a surveyor saw the stuff flying about. The surveyor wrote to the District and Metropolitan Railway Companies. Their consulting engineer, Mr. Harley Dalrymple-Hay, called on me and assured me that the trains run under Harrington-road, some yards away, and not under this shop. I would prefer to look to natural before supernatural causes. Yet would even the rumbling of the trains throw books and packets weighing a pound each nearly the length of the shop? I do not think so. I thought that electricity might have shot them from their shelves, but the electrician I have had in to repair my broken globes informs me that if the current was strong enough to do that much it would decidedly make me and my assistant jump too. We have felt no shocks. So I am still utterly bewildered, and go about in fear of another shower of heavy missiles. I have a bump on the back of my head from the last.”
Weekly Dispatch (London), 1st September 1907.