The Police Courts.
The New Southgate Ghost.
Windows mysteriously broken by stones thrown from unseen hands.
The ghost of the famous Stockwell ghost which was laid years ago, when its vagaries were found to be merely the crockery-breaking freaks of a servant girl, appears to have “come again.” This time it revisits the glimpses of the New Southgate moon, but, unhappily for its notoriety, it has been early caught out, as is told in the following story from Highgate:
Alice Clark, a respectably-dressed 15-year-old servant, of 12, Stanhope-rd., New Southgate, was summoned yesterday for wilfully breaking windows. The girl had been in the service of Mr Henry Biren, and on Wednesday week, in the daytime, three panes of glass in the kitchen were broken whilst Mrs Birch was out. On her return the girl showed her a stone which she said she found in the room. pon the next day other windows were broken, and the household became very nervous, and Mrs Birch, being a hysterical woman, was much upset. Many other windows were smashed in the same way, and it became so mysterious that the people in the neighbourhood set a watch.
No stones were seen to be thrown, and still the windows were smashed, and the girl came each time to her mistress with the remark, “There’s another gone, and here’s the stone.” At last the girl herself was got to go and watch, too, and the whole time she was outside there were no broken windows, but as soon as she went in again another was broken.
Henry Gregory said he saw the girl deliberately break one window with a stone, and she said to him, “There’s another window broken.” (Laughter). He said, “Yes, you little devil, you did it,” and she replied, “You are a liar.” The girl said she only threw the one the witness spoke of, and that went through a broken pane.
The father said he would replace all the panes of glass. The girl had behaved very badly to him. The case was adjourned.
Morning Leader, 17th September, 1895.
A ‘Ghost’ as Window Smasher.
Yesterday, at the Highgate Petty Sessions, Alice Clark, a respectably-dressed girl of 15, living with her parents at Stanhope-road, Southgate, answered to an adjourned summons charging her with doing damage to the extent of 26s. The case was a peculiar one, and had been called a “ghost story” in the neighbourhood. Defendant, it seems, was engaged as a domestic at the shop of Henry Birch, in the Avenue, New Southgate, and on the 11th, during Mrs Birch’s absence, three panes of glass were broken in the kitchen, and defendant told her mistress on her return, and handing her some stones which she found in the kitchen.
On the next morning others were broken, and Mrs Birch became very nervous, and so mysterious did the thing seem to be that the people in the neighbourhood set to watching the house. Every now and then there woudl be a smash, and Clark run to her mistress with a stone and say, “There’s another.” If Mrs Birch was upstairs the windows downstairs were broken, and if she were downstairs the upstairs windows would go.
The watchers outside increased, and the police were communicated with, but no stones were thrown from outside, and still the windows were broken. This went on all day on the Thursday, until one young fellow made up his mind to watch Clark, and got her to join the watchers outside for two hours, and during that time the crowd waited, but no windows were smashed. As soon as the defendant went inside the young man saw her throw a stone at the kitchen window and break a pane of glass. She came running to him and said, “There’s another window broken,” and he replied, “Yes, you little —, you did it,” and she said, “You are a liar.” The girl afterwards admitted that she threw one stone, but that went through a hole which someone else had made in the glass.
On the case being called on it was stated that the father had now replaced the glass, as he had promised to do, and the Bench said, as the girl was willing to go into a home, they would formally adjourn the case for the missionary to report to them.
Lancashire Evening Post, 24th September 1895.
“Ghost” Mysteries Solved.
Alice Clarke, aged 15, was charged on remand at the Highgate Police Court, on Monday, with damaging the windows of Henry William Birch, a shopkeeper, of Avenue-road, New Southgate. The evidence was of a singular character. The defendant was a servant in the employment of Mrs Birch. One evening a number of the windows of the house were broken with stones, but no one was seen to throw them, and the affair created a great commotion in the district.
Mrs Birch told the girl to take care she did not get cut with the falling glass, and she replied that it would not hurt her. The breaking of glass commenced again early on the morning of the 5th inst., the crash attracting a large concourse of spectators. Ten panes of glass were broken that morning and afternoon, and it it was not until nine of them had been broken that the author of the mischief was discovered. Harry Gregory, a butcher, who formed one of the crowd, saw the defendant run into the road and throw a stone at the scullery window, which was broken. She then burst into laughter and ran indoors, exclaiming, “There’s another one gone.” He followed immediately, and sai, “You little devil, you threw that stone,” and she responded, “You’re a liar.”
She was sent home to her father, and the glass-breaking ceased. Her father paid a visit with her to the Birch’s, and she then said, “I did not break them all.”
Mr Forbes said that the girl’s father had now made the damage good. The bench requested the court missionary to see what he could do for the girl, and formally adjourned the summons.
Liverpool Weekly Courier, 28th September 1895.