Mysterious Circumstance.
For the last fortnight the family of Mr Chapman, No. 6, Gloucester-street, Commercial-road, have been daily thrown into the greatest confusion and alarm by dreadful moanings and loud shrieks of “Murder! Murder!” and other horrid exclamation, which excited great terror in the minds of the family; more particularly in that of Mrs Chapman, who is lying-in, and from the fright that some supernatural power troubled the house, her life was despaired of.
In addition to the above singular statement, for nine successive days the house was discovered to be on fire, occasioned by the children’s cloaths being placed on the fire, and on each occasion did considerable damage.
The circumstance created a report in the neighbourhood that a ghost was to be seen at the house of Mr Chapman, and the street was continually in an uproar, and the noise was distinctly heard by the bystanders. “Murder! murder!” and “Cut her throat! cut her throat!” with many other horrid expressions, were plainly to be understood.
Mr Chapman, and Mr Hopkins, the medical gentlemen who attended Mrs Chapman in her accouchement, searched the house, but could find nothing to lead us to a discovery; yet still loud knockings and shrieks were to be heard. There being no persons in the house but the nurse who attended on Mrs C and a girl about 13 years old, named Ann Clapham; and the latter not appearing to be the least alarmed, suspicion fell on her, and she was yesterday taken to Lambeth-street Police-office, where she underwent a long examination before Mr Rawlinson, the Magistrate; and Mr Chapman not being able to swear that the girl set fire to the premises, she was ordered to find bail for creating a riot and disturbance round the house. – Mrs Chapman still remains in a precarious state.
London Packet and New Lloyd’s Evening Post, 9th February 1820.