Ghosts at Jarrow.
Extraordinary Proceedings.
During the last eight or ten days the residents of the west side of William-street have been thrown into a state of considerable excitement and alarm through a quantity of stones coming with great force and breaking the windows of Mr Reed’s house, which is about the middle of the street. At first little attention was paid to the matter, as a pane of glass being broken in Jarrow is no uncommon thing. The matter, however, assumed a rather serious aspect a few days ago, when all the panes of glass at the back of the house were broken. The police have been communicated with, but although every attempt has been made to discover the delinquent or delinquents, no light has been thrown upon the matter.
The stones came with such force as to go through the glass, leaving a small hole not much bigger than the size of the stone, eight of these holes being in one pane before it got finally smashed. They are of various sizes, none larger than can be thrown by a catapult.
There are one or two singular features in connection with the case – the stones always come during the day, and they come whether there are people present or not. No sooner had the police arrived one day, than a whole shower of them came. That the matter should so long have escaped detection suggests to some minds the idea of spirit or ghost agency.
With the exception of two or three stones which have struck Mr Hall’s window, next door, all have entered one or other of the windows of Mr Reed, – skylight, sitting-room, back kitchen, and out-house (partly used as a green-house) windows all being totally destroyed, even the chandelier in the sitting-room has been struck.
The gossips of the neighbourhood will have it that it is a ghost or some spiritual agency, and a wag has suggested the desirability of enlisting the services of Dr Sexton and Mr T.B. Barkas to unravel the mystery. It has certainly baffled the ingenuity of the police, and they have been exceedingly diligent in the matter.
It has been ascertained where some of the stones have been picked up, and if it is not Mr Barkas’ grandmother, or any other spirit, the presumption is that the stones are catapulted from the neighbourhood of Maude or Frederick Streets. One day, immediately after a shower of stones, Sergeant Hedley made a capture of several boys, but no catapult or air-gun, or any such thing could be found. Only this (Friday) forenoon, four stones have banged right into the house, there being no glass to offer any resistance. Yet, not the slightest clue can be found to throw any light upon the affair.
The old wives in the neighbourhood are strongly contemplating leaving the locality, as they consider it would be a very serious affair if the Willington Ghost was to come over and play its antics in William-street.
Jarrow Express, 3rd October 1874.