A Perth Mystery.
Alleged Spirit-Rapping
Investigation by the Police
For some time back a rather mysterious affair has been troubling the minds of the inhabitants of Market Street, Perth, and is exciting considerable interest, not to say anxiety, amongst a large number of people who have come to know of the affair. It appears that Mrs Dow, who is the owner of a provision shop in Market Street, has been for more than a fortnight greatly troubled by a mysterious knocking on the walls and doors of her dwelling-house at the back of the shop. At first she did not tell her neighbours of the affair, but there being no cessation of the queer disturbance the matter is now being investigated by the police, and is becoming notorious all over the city.
At night groups of people are to be seen in the vicinity of the mysterious house, and a thorough watch has been kept by the police and the friends of Mrs Dow to discover the perpetrator of the disturbance. Mr and Mrs Dow both declare the knocking usually commences between ten and eleven o’clock each night, when they have retired to rest. It continues without intermission until the early hours of the morning, thus putting all thoughts of sleep out of the question.
The knocking first commenced at the window, which looks into a side street off Market Street, and Mrs Dow, thinking it was some passer-by, did not give much attention to it. The knocking, however, was continued for one or two nights, and by-and-by it appeared to come from the wall next the passage leading to the house. The rapping was of a distinct and loud nature, and would continue for some time without stopping. Naturally both Mrs Dow and her husband have become very much alarmed, but being of a sensible turn of mind they have thought on all possible natural reasons as the cause of the sounds, but are unable to arrive at any satisfactory explanation. The walls of the house are solid, and are not lathed, so that there could be no possibility of the noise being caused by a current of air moving the lath. To make the affair more eerie the knocking shifts to the door and most alarming knocks disturb the peace.
On Monday night four policemen kept a thorough watch, and a large crowd of people assembled to wait the recurrence of the mysterious knocks. The policemen, who are certainly not of a superstitious turn of mind, together with other watchers, declare positively they heard the sounds. On knocking on the wall with a baton, the knocks would be answered in the usual mysterious fashion. Captain Bruce, of the Fire Brigade, did his best to solve the mystery, but, like the others, has not been able to do so. Holes have been bored in the wall, and everything done to discover the origin. A prominent ministerial gentleman in the city has also been called to give his opinion, but even that gentleman’s knowledge of “spiritual” affairs has been unable to exorcise the supposed “evil one.” Last night watchers were again on the spot.
A large crowd of people numbering several hundreds visited the house last night, and the policeman had plenty to do to keep order. By the younger generation the idea of a ghost was held with sacreligious contempt. Mr Buist, inspector of police, visited the house and made another thorough investigation. To a late hour the crowd remained in expectations of “developments,” but these were not forthcoming. Several conjectures have been made as to the cause of the noise, and by some it is remarked that every time the noises are heard Mrs Dow’s girl is in the room, and in close proximity to the wall. Perhaps this will be the end of the mystery.
Dundee Courier, 16th January 1895.
A Curious Story.
For a few days back rumours have been circulated in Perth that unnatural noises have been heard in a house in Market Street. In consequence crowds of people have gathered outside, and last night there were several hundred persons present. The matter was reported to the police on Monday, and that evening Mr Buist, the Superintendent, and several policemen were in attendance.
The noises are said to have emanated from a room at the back of a greengrocer’s shop. For a fortnight sounds as of some one knocking on the wall near the window were heard between ten o’clock at night and one o’clock in the morning. The room is occupied by a man and his wife and a girl about 12 or 13 years of age. At first it was thought that the noise was occasioned by some practical joker, and a watch was set by the occupier, together with some of his friends. No trace of the cause, however, could be discovered.
On Saturday a well-known minister in the city, on hearing of the affair, called at th ehouse and engaged in prayer, making special reference to the noises. This does not seem to have had any influence, but when the place was watched by the police that night there were no sounds. On Monday night, however, sounds were again heard by a policeman in the house, and also by Mr Bruce, Captain of the fire brigade. In order to discover their origin, the walls, which were solid, were pierced, but without success.
Last night Inspector Buist, Captain Bruce, and others visited the house, while, as already stated, there was a large crowd outside, but on this occasion no noises were heard. The crowd did not disperse till nearly twelve o’clock last night.
Dundee Advertiser, 16th January 1895.
A Haunted House in Market Street: Strange Occurrences.
For the past ten or eleven days an extraordinary commotion has been caused in a tenement of houses in Lickley Street, which branches off Market Street. Those who reside in this tenement have been complaining of certain occurrences which to them have a ghostly appearance. Unlike the majority of ghost stories, no ghost appears on the scene, but the inhabitants of this tenement complain of hearing mysterious sounds. These sounds have as yet not been accounted for.
Every evening about nine, or else about ten o’clock, the ghostly performance is begun. A series of slow hollow-knocks are said to be heard on the wall. These are continued at intervals usually until about three o’clock in the morning. These noises do not proceed always from the same place, but shift about, appearing at one time to come from one part of the wall and then another part, and sometimes the knocks are said to be even made on the doors of the houses.
On the first occasion they were heard the parties who have been principally annoyed by these goings on thought the sounds came from underneath the bed. The bed was pulled out, but nothing was seen. Under the impression, however, that rats had got into the mattress it was all torn up and destroyed and thrown away. This did not turn out to be the cause of the alleged ghostly visitations, for the knocking continued.
Those residing in the building beginning to feel that they could not stand these extraordinary proceedings much longer called in the aid of the police, but even although the police have been investigating the matter, and in spite of the fact that on one occasion three policemen were stationed on the premises said to be haunted, the people are still kept awake with the nocturnal noises wandering about the walls and doors. The people who are troubled with the workings of these apparently supernatural forces disturbing their night’s rest are much put about.
The ghost story has become pretty well known throughout the city, and considerable numbers of people have been attracted each night to the mysterious house. The knocking accompanying the noises have never been heard during day time [sic. Article then follows the one above from ‘On Monday night…’ to ‘these were not forthcoming’]. Several conjectures have been made as to the knocking, one of which is that it is done by some one on the premises.
Perthshire Constitutional and Journal, 16th January 1895.
Laying of the Ghost.
The Perth ghost story continues to engross attention, and the publication of the mystery in yesterday’s Courier gave rise to much discussion in the city. The conclusion arrived at in the report that the alleged spirit-rapping was the act of a young girl about twelve years of age, who resides in the house, has been credited everywhere.
It is stated on good authority that one of the “ghost” hunters actually caught the young girl in the act. Her modus operandi, he alleges, is that with the handle of a knife she administers the necessary knocks on the wall. At that time she is lying in bed, and cautiously slips her hand between the bed and the wall, and at the proper “eerie” time the amateur ghost commences operations. The solver of the mystery declares he felt the vibration on the girl’s arm as she was giving the knocks, and, on raising the bedclothes, revealed the whole affair.
On Tuesday night, when Inspector Buist and the Courier reporter were on the watch, the spirit unfortunately did not favour them with a performance, but on the previous evening, upon “sould and conscience,” a couple of policemen declare they heard the queer noises, which they were unable to fathom. At that time the girl was abed, but on Tuesday, when no noises were heard, the girl was sitting at the fire-side.
There are people credulous enough to believe that there really is “something” in the affair of an “unearthly” nature, and it was probably with the expectation of seeing the apparition that groups of people continued to wait outside the house in a drizzling rain, and last night the same was repeated.
Stories are current of the silly conduct of some of the weaker sex, but be it remarked that amongst the males the absurd ghost theory is even still entertained. What can be the girl’s motive is not known, and vague rumours are current that the whole thing is done for a purpose. If so, the whole ruse has been excellently carried out, and reflects on the ingenuity of the perpetrator or originator, and the purpose, if it is to cause a sensation, has succeeded admirably.
Dundee Courier, 17th January 1895.
Market Street Mystery.
Yesterday small crowds, consisting principally of children, hung about the premises in Market Street in which the mysterious noises have been heard during the last ten days. In the evening, though the weather was wet and disagreeable, a number of persons gathered round the door, but the crowd was small as compared with that of Tuesday night. Amongst those present was a large proportion of young men and women, many of whom knocked upon the door and windows, till the tenant of the place felt so annoyed that he went to the Police Office and asked constables to be sent up to clear the street. The crowd, however, dwindled away before there was any police interference, and by ten o’clock only a very few persons remained in the vicinity. The matter has caused a great amount of talk.
Dundee Advertiser, 17th January 1895.
Cock Lane To Perth.
The “Cock Lane Ghost” has obviously not been properly “laid,” otherwise Perth would not to-day be in a state of trepidation over its uncanny cantrips. The curious story that comes from the Fair City of mysterious knockings on walls and doors is of the very nature to tickle the curiosity of Mr Andrew Lang, Mr Myers, the Psychical Society and all others who make “copy” for the magazines out of spiritual visitations.
The ghost in Perth, as it was in Cock Lane, prefers the calm of the evening for the demonstrations of its presence, and it has as before a system of going about the business from which it never deviates. When the Dow family, Market Street, have retired to bed, it starts knocking at the window, proceeds to the wall, and then shifts to the door, keeping up this simple but monotonous programme till early morning. Not only the inhabitants of the house, but any number of others have heard the knocking night after night, and have utterly failed to understand how it can be accounted for.
So persistent has been the rapping that the services of the Police Force, the Fire Brigade, and the clergy have been requisitioned to unfathom the mystery. The police, to the number of four, surrounded the house and prepared to arrest anything suspicious, but they naturally failed to lay hands on an unpalpable shade. It had even the affrontery to knock back when they knocked with their batons on the wall, which is solid and unlathed. Then Captain Bruce of the Fire Brigade instituted an examination of the most exhaustive nature. Holes were bored in the wall, and everything else was done calculated to discover the origin of the sound. A prominent clergyman took the investigation up on his own initiative, but inasmuch as the exorcising of malignant spirits by bell book and candle is no longer encouraged by the Presbyterian Church, no good came of his interference. The ghost, which has evidently been in the auctioneering line, continues to tap on quite cheerfully.
So intense has the excitement become in Perth that the thing has now become a sort of evening entertainment for the people . They crowd round the house and listen to the thumping as if it was to Padrewski “pawing the ivories,” and a superintendent of police, with a posse of men, had to keep order.
It is to be hoped that Perth will not display too great alacrity in plucking the heart from its spookish mystery by finding that some of the Dow family snore in a staccato fashion, for there are vast possibilities for Perth in the proper utilisation of this ghost. Ghosts are notoriously rare now-a-days, and if this Cock Lane ghost redivivus can only be encouraged to keep up its end of the show for a few months, special excursion trains could be run from populous centres, and great advantage would accrue to the Fair City therefrom.
Glasgow Evening Post, 17th January 1895.
The Market Street Ghost.
Sir – Having read the account of the mysterious knockings at the house in Market Street, Perth, and as I invariably do my utmost to expose so-called occult or supernatural phenomena, whether of the fraudulent, spiritualist, or the Mahatma mediums, will you kindly permit me to inform your many readers that Mrs Steen has frequently been the means of thoroughly exposing the supposed supernatural mysteries of haunted houses by remaining in them alone throughout the night when the police and others would not dare to enter, as the press of America and Australia will testify.
She will, therefore, on her arrival at Perth on Sunday, sleep alone in the above house, and give proof to the press and public that the knockings emanate either from atmospheric influences or are the result of human agency. If the latter is the cause, the knockings can only be done either for some nefarious design or from a spirit of mischief, and are equally as deserving of exposure as any supposed supernatural manifestations.
For many years I have done my utmost to expose the operations of fraudulent spiritualist mediums, as many of them have good reason to know. I have so far succeeded that I am pleased to state I have received the commendation of all sensible persons, at the price of the condemnation of spiritualists, theosophists, and other organisations of the same ilk. The efforts of the spiritualists to hide the misdoings of the fraudulent mediums, among them Mrs Mellor of Sydney, whom I also exposed over a year ago, is not alone indicative that they fear ridicule from sensible people, but indubitable proof that spiritualism is on the down grade. Ever since it was started there has been a doubt as to the integrity of its teachings, and I am sure, especially at this time, that your readers will be interested to know of its dubious incubation. It was originally started on fraud, and its rotten foundation has made it a very weak building of mud and dirt. There is no spiritualist living who can deny that the infamous “Fox Sisters,” the originators of “spirit rappings,” were frauds of the worst kind, yet these same women succeeded in making a fortune by swindling the believers in an organisation which, had it been properly investigated, would have placed the Fox sisters in prison, and completely crushed out of existence spiritualism and its evil results.
The Fox Sisters were daughters of a sporting man of dubious notoriety, who lived forty-one years ago at the small town of Hydesville in America. The father was of a reckless character, and, in a spirit of bravado, lived in a house which was said to be haunted. Thus from their youth the sisters were familiar with ghost lore. They heard sounds which were probably caused by the wind or the scampering of rats, but which ignorant, credulous neighbours, ascribed to supernatural agency. The girls may have investigated the sounds, traced them to their true origin, learned to imitate them, and discovered how the trick could be turned to pecuniary profit. At any rate, when they grew to womanhood they turned up at Rochester, U.S., and began to give exhibitions, at which sounds that could not be easily explained on any common theory of dynamics, were ascribed by them to supernatural causes. From this to the vocation of spirits the step was short.
The Fox Sisters gave out that by divine inspiration they had been gifted with the power of holding intercourse with the spirits to answer questions by an alphabet of sounds. Their success was astonishing, and for a long period one of the most capacious halls in New York was nightly filled by their disciples. They made converts in every station in life. Among their adherents were Horace Greely (who nearly became President of the United States), Fenimo e Cooper, the novelist; William Cullen Bryant, the poet; and other eminent persons. Yet these very people of well-known fame and acknowledged intellect were so thoroughly duped that they did not think of making investigations. Neither reasoning nor ridicule checked the delusion.
When Horace Greely was worshipping at the Fox shrine, his assistant, Charles A Dann[?], the present well-known editor and proprietor of the “New York Sun,” offered a prize of one thousand dollars to any spiritualist who would anticipate by twenty four hours the news of an incoming Atlantic steamer. But Mr Dana could not convince the people even in his own office that they were wrong to believe in the spiritual craze. After a time, however, the Fox excitement, to an extent, died out; then other frauds in the shape of so-called professors of the occult science – such as Horne, the notorious Slade[?], afterwards imprisoned, and their followers, took up the business and exploited it to pecuniary advantage. In most of the leading cities vulgar swindlers advertised themselves as “spiritual medius,” and offered to introduce people to their dead grandmothers and other relations and friends on payment of 5s. Swarms of well meaning, but weak-minded people, haunted “Spiritual Seances,” and professed to derive considerable comfort from communings with the dead.
In the meantime, men of common sense called upon the leaders of modern science to investigate and proclaim the truth regarding spiritualism. Considering that nine-tenths of the “professional spiritualists” were impostors, there remained an enigma which, if it could not be solved or explained on theories of sleight of hand, appeared to be inscrutable. Then arose a general desire for its elucidation. In view of the great harm that was being done to numerous victims of the fraudulent spiritualists, two committees of investigation were appointed. One was in England, and consisted of many of the principal members of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, all persons of acknowledged ability. They dealt with the subject, after considerable thought, in a most summary manner, pronouncing the whole thing a humbug. The rank and high position of the investigators compelled acquiesence in their conclusions, though many felt that it was a pity the Committee had not been more exhaustive in its enquiry, in order that the subject, or rather those responsible for its fraud should be dealt with in the most severe manner.
The other commission of investigation was the fruit of the bequest by a leading spiritualist in America, Mr Henry Seybert. He left to the University of Pennsylvania a large sum of money, part of which was to defray the cost of a commission to make a searching enquiry into modern spiritualism. If it was based on truth, the money was to endow a chair of Psychical Research in the University; if spiritualism was found to be based on fraud, the money was to revert to certain specified ends. The Commission, which embraced many of the most eminent leaders of the scientific world, after investigating, decided not to endow the chair of Psychical Research, and naturally left the money in the University It published a report founded on well-known facts, its gist being that all the supposed phenomena of spiritualism was prduced by tricks and leger de main. The Commission proved that instead of the sounds and rappings emanating from any supernatural agency, they were performed by ordinary human physical cuases and effects.
The Seybert Commission held its sittings in various ways. First, it attended the sittings of various mediums of local renown in New York, Baltimore, and Philadelphia, without any notification to the mediums, who were in ignorance of the character and personality of their visitors. The Commissioners were invariably attended by a stenographer, who took such notes as he possibly could in the darkened rooms frequented by mediums, burglars, and other dubious nocturnal persons addicted to performing their peculiar operations in the dark. Afterwards the Commissioners gave notice, through the public press, that they would sit for the purpose of examining and testing the so-called manifestations of the mediums, and for the latter to appear before them and be paid for their services. It is needless to say that not one of them came forward.
As a result of the notice, however, a prestidigitateur, Charles N Steen, your humble servant, came forward before the Commission and performed by the gaslight every feat and test given by the mediums in the dark as supernatural tests. And it was publicly acknowledged that I performed them much better than the “spirits” did. The avowed spiritualists do many things by the worst trickery, and are believed in by numerous people, much to their sorrow. Professional conjurors and acknowledged performers of tricks like myself also do many queer things, but we state they are done by trickery, therefore receive the commendation of those sensible people whom we amuse, and who naturally condemn the mediums as frauds.
There is not a spiritualist living who can deny the above statements regarding the foundation of spiritualism by the Fox Sisters, or can deny the facts, so well known even to unbelievers, of the confession of Della Fox four years since at Steinway Hall, New York, that she had committed the gross frauds upon which spiritualism was based, and which had been the means of windling many very eminent persons. I contend, sir, that all these frauds should be publicly exposed, and I am sure your many readers will agree with me that in order to prevent future harm to many innocent persons I am justified in exposing their trickeries.
I am, &c., Chas N Steen – The Steens, Wishaw, January 18, 1895.
Perthshire Advertiser, 21st January 1895.
The Market Street Mystery.
This amusing incident which has caused such a sensation in the town has at last terminated. The perpetrators, who are allegedto have promoted and carried out the joke successfully, found things getting too hot for them after certain of the “ghost-hunters” had made investigations in the houses, and the mysterious spirit-rapping of Market Street is now a thing of the past.
The stores that were in circulation regarding what was seen, heard, and done were something extraordinary, the great majority, if not all, of them being the work of active and strongly imaginative brains.
The story of the minster’s interference was perhaps the most extraordinary concoction of the lot. Simply because a minister had called to make a house visitation, as it is a minister’s duty to do, the tale went forth that his call was all owing to this sensational incident. As a matter of fact the minister incident is fiction, and should never have been heard of but for the diseased imaginations of those living in the vicinity of the house.
Perthshire Constitutional and Journal, 21st January 1895.
The Perth “ghost” mystery is exciting a good deal of newspaper comment, and many and varied are the explanations offered. One waggish contemporary ventures the suggestion that the mysterious sounds may simply be due to “some of” the Dow family snoring in staccato fashion.
Dundee Courier, 18th January 1895.