A Haunted House.
The following incident is from the collection of Dr. Hodgson. It was investigated at the time as far as that was possible and will have to stand on its merits. It happened at Rapids City Ill., in December, 1900, and the account of it was received by Dr Hodgson in February, 1901, tho reported to his informant in response to inquiries in January, 1901. The following account appeared in the Times Republican, the place of publication not being mentioned, but the despatch was from Clinton, Iowa, and dated December 8th, 1900.
Spooks in Priest’s House.
Inhabitants of Rapid City, Ill., Stirred Up Over Peculiar Occurrences.
Spooks have taken possession of the priest’s house at Rapid City, Ill., and as a result the inhabitants are greatly worked up over the affair. For eight nights in succession there has been rapping and pounding on the doors and windows and all efforts to locate the origin of the mysterious noises have failed, notwithstanding the fact that as many as eight guards have been around the house at a time, with two stationed inside. One man in relating his experience said: “I was sitting close to the door when the rapping commenced and for a fact it seemed as tho the door would be knocked from the hinges. We sprang to the door and opened it wide, but no one was there. No one outside the house saw any one and there were eight guards, but all heard the pounding on the door.” One night after the nocturnal rappings had been indulged in to a greater extent than usual, two of the guards left their posts and refused to serve longer. The residents of the town are looking at the matter in a serious light and desperate efforts will be made to locate the trouble. The priest, Rev. Father Hellstern, says he does not know of any enemy in the world and cannot see why his place of residence has been unnaturally dealt with. At first the stories were doubted but as the rapping continued each night and the matter was further investigated there was no longer doubt that strange and mysterious sounds were coming from the doors and windows of the priest’s house. When the mysterious affair had continued for a few days and the origin of the noise could not be detected, two guards were placed about the house, but they saw nothing unusual, but still heard the pounding. The guards were gradually increased until as many as ten were on duty at one time, without being able to detect the origin of the noise. The most reliable men of the village vouch for the truthfulness of the story and say they will make every effort to ascertain the cause of the strange nightly sounds.
A member of the Society saw this item and wrote to the priest regarding the facts and then reported both the item and the reply of the priest to Dr Hodgson. The following is the priest’s reply:
Rapids City, Ill., January 9th, 1901.
Dear Sir: What the papers about the rappings in my house said is true; we could not discover anything, but believe that was a real but not a physical noise. I cannot explain it, but have my special thoughts about it. A few days before Christmas it stopped altogether and I did not hear anything since. I hope it has come to an end, otherwise I would leave the house. I am glad to have a rest now. Yours very sincerely, Vincent Hellstern.
Another inquiry, apparently instigated by Dr Hodgson, was directed to this priest regarding the phenomena and his reply was as follows:
Rapids City, Ill., Dec. 18th, 1900.
Mr A.D. Pugh, Des Moines.
Dear Sir: While I am writing these lines, 10.30 evening, the lady being in her room, everything quiet in the house, I hear the mysterious rappings again causing a noise like somebody hammering to a joint 4-6 times. The sound comes from the cellar, or from under the floor of the parlour where no cellar is: sometimes the sound is heard as coming from the side of the house or the door. I hear this not every day but at different times in the week, the rapping being sometimes very hard, sometimes softer. Nobody can understand what it means. Often I went to the place where I heard the noise asking: “What do you want? Or what can I do for you?” I received no answer. I thought the rapping cannot be for nothing. It is certain that the noise is not made by any person neither from outside nor from inside. I believe in the spirit of a man who died here 6 years ago in the house. Some people don’t believe it because they never heard it. Often strangers were in the house and did not hear anything, because it did not rap at that time. I hear it also in the day, forenoon and afternoon, but not regular. I am now accustomed to it. Hoping this short report will be satisfactory, I remain yours truly, Rev. V. Hellstern.
Apparently no further testimony could be obtained. The priest is evidently more or less illiterate, as indicated by his grammar. I have changed an article or a preposition in copying, but have left it in the main as the verbatim copy made by Dr Hodgson left it [sic]. So far as the mere fact of hearing sounds is concerned, this will not affect the man’s testimony, but it will affect the interpretation of them, and the man, tho he seems to have sought for ordinary physical causes, may have been influenced by what was apparently some preconception of spirits in readily accepting that explanation. The case can have no scientific value as evidence, tho it is another instance of such things as are noticed and appear inexplicable to the parties reporting.
Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research, v12, 1918.