“The Rochester Row Ghost.”
Mysterious shower of bricks.
A well-dressed young man named George Champion, living at 64, Rochester-row, Westminster, appeared to summons before Mr de Rutzen, at the Westminster Police Court yesterday, charging him with maliciously damaging a skylight, the property of his next door neighbour, Mr Henry Payne, dyer, of 66, Rochester row. Mr W. Frith was counsel for the defendant.
The complainant, who gave his evidence in a very agitated and excited way, deposed that for three weeks past he had been annoyed by mysterious stone throwing, the report being spread about that ghosts haunted his place and were responsible for the occurrences. He was nearly driven out of his mind by the annoyances, which commenced directly darkness set in.
On the 1st of this month his skylight was broken by a heavy stone (produced). The defendant threw the missile from his own garden.
Inpector Webber deposed that Mr Payne had compained for a month past. Witness kept observations himself in his back garden, and was perfectly certain that the brickbats came from next door, where the defendant resided.
Mr Frith: Did you see them thrown? Witness: No, because it was dark; but I felt one. (Laughter). The complainant has been shamefully worried, and I have seen a pailful of bricks at one time in his yard.
Mr Frith said his client positively denied being responsible for the nuisance, and there was nothing proved against him.
Mr de Rutzen: I will adjourn the case for a month, and if there is any repetition of the annoyance I will grant a fresh summons at once.
Mr Frith: Understand, we don’t for one moment admit we are responsible.
Mr de Rutzen: The evidence is that the stones came from the defendant’s premises.
The summons was then adjourned.
Sheffield Evening Telegraph, 29th November 1890.