Bolton Window Smashing Mystery.
Renewed Scenes To-day.
Householders and Police Baffled.
Alarm and Notes of Humour.
The Vernon-st. district is seething in excitement and much alarm. A startling affair, which has so far all the elements of a ghost mystery, is drawing hundreds of people to the vicinity to-day; indeed, last night there were thousands of amazed gossips about Vernon, Hebden, and adjoining streets. The happenings are worse than strange rappings or furniture moving, for there is a spice of grave danger to tenants and spectators.
Since Monday evening there have been strange doings. They all began with the breaking of a window at the house of Mrs Hall, 105, Vernon-st., but it was thought the trouble arose through mischievous lad or lads, who could not be found. As the window-smashing continued, the police were informed yesterday, and at night a posse of officers assembled in the vicinity, but in spite of the efforts of nearly 20 of these representatives of the law, a close search by dozens of persons who were determined to fathom the affair, and the eager eyes of a dense pack of amazed onlookers, the mystery could not be probed.
At two o’clock this morning there was still a huge crowd present, but the last missile was thrown and the last window broken about 11 p.m. However, whilst groups discussed the situation this morning – broad daylight – between nine and ten o’clock – the remarkable assault and battery on property was resumed. The following was the “casualty list” at half-past ten: – Mrs Eckersley, 103, Vernon-st., three windows smashed; Mrs Hall, No. 105, six; Mrs Humphrey, No. 107, two; Mrs Timms, No. 109, three; and Mrs Hardcastle, two cracked; a total of 15 broken and two otherwise damaged. The property owner, Mr Brown, of 22, Arrowsmith-terrace, will apparently be faced with a serious repair bill, unless the miscreant can be caught and terms arranged.
The marvel is that no individual has been severely injured. Whilst two policemen were at one yard-door last night, missiles flew past them and broke windows; and this morning, at 9.55, an “Evening News” representative was ascertaining the latest developments, when, as if to impress the reality of the strange affair upon him, a piece of coal was seen to hit a window without cracking it, and another flew within four feet of his head, struck a window pane, and glanced against a youth who was standing close by. Soon after there was a crash – a window, already broken at Mrs Hall’s, was again struck and more glass knocked out.
In every case coal is the missile. Some pieces are bigger than a man’s fist, many of them with jagged edges; and it is certain that if anybody is struck during this queer fusilade there will be a serious charge in the police court for the evil-doer.
The darkness of Wednesday evening added to the perplexities of sifting the mystery. Eyes were strained to watch the direction whence the coal was coming, but nary a clue was obtainable. Then, in desperation and treating the matter with gravity, lanterns and candles were brought into use. Every yard in the back street between Vernon and Hebden-streets was examined; coalholes and other cavities were inspected, but without any trace of the culprit; and as a last resort several men accompanied the watchman to the top of the adjoining cotton mill belonging to the Union Spinning Co., to see if the offender were hiding up there, or if perchance he could be located on the top of any houses. Other men clambered on house tops; but in vain. Indeed, whilst these inquiries were actually being made coal was flying about, and anon there was a crash.
Albeit Nos. 103 to 111 form the centre of operations, the dangerous attack has not been confined to this group of cottages. True, it began there with one broken window on Monday evening, and another at 5.40 on Tuesday morning, followed by spasmodic throwing from 7 to 12 on Tuesday night, and the wholesale smashing above mentioned, until a halt was called at Hall’s about 11 p.m.; but either the same person or another found a fresh line of fire last night, for a very serious incident occurred at the house and shop of Mrs Pollitt, No. 63, Vernon-st., which is in the next block of property to that already dealt with, and about 80 yards distant. Miss Pollitt went into the yard about half-past 11, to one of the sheds, when suddenly there was a noise. A brick was thrown, apparently from the back street, and it struck the house wall, breaking in two. One half fell into the water-spout, but the other dropped straight in front of Miss Pollitt’s face, and alighted within two inches of her feet. This was a miraculous escape indeed for the young lady.
It goes without saying that events which are fraught with so much danger to life and limb, as well as property, have perturbed the neighbourhood. Housework is to-day literally at a standstill. One of the women who has had “ventilators” so unacceptably knocked into her back kitchen this morning said, “Well, it’s no use; I must get on with my washing;” but a few minutes later a missile went sailing through the window with a crash, and put a stop to the woman’s good intentions.
Seeing that no coal has fallen in the back street – at any rate, none could be heard of to-day – the public are trying to formulate a certain theory that it has not travelled far; and then again, the kind and quality of the coal may be a clue. A coal-man this morning said “it was only eightpenny,” but some of the womenfolk considered it was too good and hard for that low price. Each affected house has a collection of “samples,” and the police have a number of others. There may be a plain and prosaic end to it all, of course; but for the present the matter is as keenly debated as any ghost could be.
Later Incidents. In spite of the hidden police and other watchers, the missiles continued to arrive till noon. The plot thickened every hour, so to speak, and during noon the neighbourhood was besieged by school children and grown-up workingfolk to such an extent that scores must have been marked “late” on their return. It was amusing to hear the crowd discussing ways and means of nailing the ghost; every man had his pet particular theory, which he was sure would prove effective. One elaborate proposal was to clear the back street, fasten every house door and window, draft a policeman to each yard, and then start a thorough inspection. This would have only required 100 policemen, “but,” said the theorist, “it would be quickly effective.”
From 9-5 a.m. to 12-10 at noon, 14 pieces of coal dropped into Mrs Hall’s yard, five of them smashing glass in windows which were already broken. An occasional crash just served to keep the spectators on tenterhooks; every minute a fresh development was expected. At 12-12 the “he” or the “she” who was creating this extraordinary fuss evidently adjourned for dinner, determined that neither factory nor foundary people should have much entertainment during their dinner interval from 12-30 to 1-30. At 1-20 the mysterious smasher started operations again, and for the sixth time to-day in broad daylight a window was further smashed. Meantime, by way of variation, the framework at Mrs Timmins’ house was struck, the window luckily escaping, and the same at Mrs Humphrey’s. These, however, are the only cases today in which the missiles have not been directed at Mrs Hall’s. The tenants are beginning to fear the arrival of night, for if such necromancy as the above is possible in the daytime, what is not possible under cover of darkness?
Bolton Evening News, 30th September 1909.
A Bolton Mystery. Window Smashing Extraordinary. Police Baffled.
There were scenes of great excitement in the populous district of Vernon-street, of St. George’s Road, Bolton, last night, when dozens of panes of glass in the windows of half a dozen cottages were smashed under mysterious circumstances. Notwithstanding the presence of a score of police officers, including Superintendent Powis, inspectors, detectives, and constables, the window smashing continued for some hours, terrifying the occupants of the houses, alarming the neighbours, and attracting a crowd of some thousands to the locality.
The destruction was caused by a fusilade of missiles, mostly lumps of coal, aimed with deadly accuracy from a source which at midnight still baffled the police and remained a complete mystery. Every conceivable method was adopted to discover the point from which the missiles were flung, constables being stationed at every likely spot, and keeping close watch. But the periodical crashes of glass and cries from the dense crowd of “there’s another” betokened the shattering of more windows.
The missile throwing ceased about mid-night. It was brought to a conclusion by a terrific crash at a house which up to that time had not attracted attention from the throwers of the mysterious missiles. The crowd, hundreds strong, and the police, flocked to the house, where it was found that a half brick had been hurled through the glass roof of the conservatory. A little later the crowd gradually dispersed, and most of the police officers were withdrawn from the district early this morning, but a few remained on special duty. Interviewed at two o’clock this morning, Superintendent Powis stated that he had personally questioned all the tenants of the cottages, but had failed to elicit anything which offered a clue.
At nine o’clock this morning the mysterious window smashing recommenced, and six missiles, all pieces of coal, came to add to the glazier’s bill. At present there is absolutely no clue to the perpetrator of the mischief. Only one person has so far been injured and in this case not seriously.
Manchester Evening News, 30th Septeber 1909.
Vernon-St. Mystery.
Watching Crowds. Police on House Top.
Discussing theories, but no definite discovery.
It is no exaggeration to say that thousands of people assembled last night near the scene of operations in connection with the Back Vernon-st. coal-throwing mystery. The police had manifold tasks to perform. They absolutely isolated the back street when darkness set in, and none but a very few who had business were allowed access to the rear of the property. Others were posted at the street ends, and they had a tremendous task to keep the crowds moving in Vernon and Ainscow streets, and adjoining thoroughfares. Vehicular traffic only travelled along with great difficulty and painful slowness.
The locality was full of a buzz of conversation, and the number of theories propounded was extraordinary. Several persons considered that a strong catapult was being used from a distance, and a slight variant of this idea was that a powerful spring apparatus was being utilised, in a street probably a short distance away. These suggestions, however, fall to the ground when it is pointed out that the throwers would be aiming at an invisible target, and that the missiles fell in a limited space.
Mrs Hall’s was a sort of bull’s eye, and the adjoining houses were like the inner and outer rings – and the miscreant scored many a bull’s eye. No coal has yet been found in the back street, which is taken as indicating that the offender was not in the yards of the Hebden-st. houses, at the back of the damaged property.
Those who have espied the direction whence missiles came are confident that the source of origin was in or close to one of the affected yards; but in spite of the vigilance of police and private individuals the thrower has not been caught in the act, and that is almost the only way to fasten guilt. Obviously the police cannot reveal their line of action and clues; but since 1.20 p.m. yesterday, when the mysterious one resumed his mischief after apparently having had his dinner, there has been no trouble.
More than one self-constituted critic considers that someone with an unhinged mind is the cause. If so, this would only add a touch of sadness to the mystery; and it would not be surprising, therefore, if in such case the explanation remained a secret. Cases were quoted in the crowd of strange doings by depressed persons, to lend colour to the theory.
The shopkeepers in the vicinity do not complain of the packed streets, for it meant quite a busy night for some of them. Property owners and tenants, however, had a grievance against many of the visitors, who rolled up from all parts of the town as if there were a fair; for they took to standing on window sills and climbing walls in places that afforded not the slightest view of the affected area.
Mr Brown, of Arrowsmith-terrace, states that he is only the owner of two of the damaged residences.
On a roof overlooking the cottages concerned was to be seen last night a figure, motionless for one hour after another, and ultimately it proved to be a plain-clothes police officer. However, whilst the miscreant daringly threw nearly 20 missiles between 9-5 a.m. and 1-20 p.m., no other was seen or heard in the daylight yesterday, and none after darkness set in, so that the thousands of curious onlookers waited in vain till midnight for sound or news of a further crash. Then they slowly dispersed, but this morning scores and scores of other inquisitive folk came along, to find the police still performing their vigil, but no fresh developments.
Either the “ghost” has been frightened from his self-imposed task by the presence in the vicinity of so many police officers and detectives, or he is taking a well-earned rest; at any rate, he is keeping possession of his coal, and the windows of the affected houses have been spared to-day. A number of people this afternoon still found something to keep them interested, however, in spite of the normal look of everything – at least everything they are allowed to see, for the back street is barred to them, and they are not even permitted to stand at the ends. During the dinner hour there was a crowd of several hundreds. Since then the attendance has not numbered more than 50 or 60.
At one affected house the people are evidently getting over their fright, for they had a plumber at work this afternoon replacing the broken panes. The reticence of the residents in the attacked houses is now most marked, and not without reason, for the experience has naturally been trying and occasioned them much inconvenience. They generally keep front doors and backyard gates closed, and even if any of them are seen and overtures made towards a chat they disappear to an inner room, and the attempt to talk to them proves abortive.
Not so with residents in neighbouring houses, however. They are ready enough to discuss the situation, but their discussion leads to nothing. It generally ends with, “Well, it’s a mystery, isn’t it? I never heard of anything like it,” and that, of course, takes nobody anywhere. Meanwhile, a few detectives and policemen walk up and down the back and side-streets. A tradesman in the district has caught on to the affair as a good advertisement, and most passers-by stop at his window, their attention arrested by a written placard which says, “There is not a ghost.” It is only an intimation that there is not a ghost of a chance of getting such goods as he is prepared to supply.
Bolton Evening News, 1st October 1909.
Mysterious Missiles.
Extraordinary story from Bolton.
Windows smashed by unseen hand.
The honour of being first in the field in this country with “flying” sensations falls to the purely commercial and industrial community of Bolton. And for the time being Blackpool, Southport, and other popular pleasure resorts must perforce take a back seat. Whilst they have been considering, negotiating, and arranging for their own aviation meetings, Boltonians are excited over still more sensational movements in the air, which are terrifying the residents of a populous district of the borough.
There is a mystery about the whole proceedigs which intensifies the “sensations,” and at the time of writing was baffling the whole strength of the local police force. The affair reached a climax on Wednesday night, when there was great excitement in Vernon-street, Hebden-street, and adjacent thoroughfares. There were all the elements of a “ghostly” visitation, and the thousads of amazed onlookers were seething with excitement at the strange happenings in their midst. The windows of cottages were being smashed by some unseen hand, and the panes of glass of half-a-dozen cottages were demolished.
Notwithstanding the presence of a score of police officers, including Superintendent Powis, inspectors, detectives, and constables, the window smashing continued for some hours, terrifying the occupants of the house. The destruction was caused by a fusilade of missiles, mostly lumps of coal, aimed from a source which baffled the police and remained a mystery. Every conceivable method was adopted to discover the point from which the missiles were flung, constables being stationed at every likely spot and keeping close watch. But the periodical crashes of glass and cries from the dense crowd of “There’s another” betokened the shattering of more windows.
The whole of the window smashing took place at the back, and what deepens the mystery is that in no single instance has one of the upper room windows suffered, whilst in some of the houses nearly every pane on the ground floor has been broken. Running parallel with these cottages are the backyards of another row of houses fronting to Hebden-street, and the general surmise was that the missiles came from that direction, but the police were unable to discover a trace of their origin, although they paraded the back streets while the missiles were flying.
A representative of the Press was informed by some of the tenants that the window-breaking commenced on Monday night, when a pane of glass was smashed at the house of Mrs Hall. Little was thought of the incident at the time, but when two other panes were broken on Tuesday night and another crashed in so early as 5.40 on Wednesday morning, information was given to the police. No sooner had darkness set in on Wednesday night than there was a more serious fusilade of missiles, which was maintained for hours. The missile throwing ceased for a time about midnight. It was brought to a conclusion by a crash at a house which up to that time had not attracted attention from the throwers of the mysterious missiles.
The crowds, hundreds strong, and the police, flocked to the house, where it was found that a half-brick had been hurled through the glass roof of the conservatory. A little later the crowd gradually dispersed, and most of the police officers were withdrawn from the district early yesterday morning, but a few remained on special duty.
A visit to the scene yesterday showed that there is no abatement in the prevailing excitement in the district. As if in defiance of the precautions taken by the police and many of the neighbours to discover the unknown source from which the stones had been fired, there was a renewal of the alarming occurrence in broad daylight yesterday, and the desultory firing was kept up at intervals during the day, resulting in further breakages.
Hundreds of people were gathered in groups discussing the occurrence, and propounding all kinds of theories. There were not wanting the customary jokers, who laughingly suggested that Bolton was undergoing an aerial bombardment, or that possibly the coal was being dropped from German airships passing over the country.
Although it is an extraordinary circumstance that no one has been injured by the flying missiles, some of the occupants of property affected have had extremely narrow escapes. In one case last night a lump of coal crashed through the window and blind of a Mrs Eckersley’s house at No. 103, and landed under the sofa on the opposite side of the kitchen, fortunately in its flight missing the members of the family.
In another case a whole brick was thrown with such force that it smashed against the house wall, one half flying harmlessly away and the other portion dropping within a few inches of a Miss Pollitt, who was standing at the door.
There were some thrilling incidents yesterday at one house. About eleven o’clock there was a crash, a lump of coal the size of a man’s hand had shattered the glass of a window. A window of another house close by was also smashed shortly afterwards, whilst in another instance the missile struck the glass, but failed to break it. This was followed a few minutes later by another shot, which also missed its billet.
The police authorities are still perplexed and baffled in their efforts to elucidate the mystery. The most acceptable theory is that the coal is being thrown from some hiding-place close by. The strictest search and investigation, however, made instantly after the flight of a missile reveals nothing.
Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail, 1st October 1909.
Bolton Mystery.
“Phantom” Window Smashing.
“We want a Sherlock Holmes here.” This was the comment of a man in the street which seemed to exactly fit an extraordinary mystery that baffled elucidation in Bolton on Wednesday night. The people in Vernon-street and Hebden-street, and all the contiguous thoroughfares, have been experiencing, along with the police, the sensation of witnessing wholesale window smashing by missiles from unseen hands, a process which kept hundreds of residents in the street till after midnight.
The houses singled out as objects of attack are about in the centre of a row in Vernon-street, and the whole of the window smashing took place at their kitchen windows – semi-bay windows – at the back, a noticeable feature being that all the upper windows escaped. Running parallel with them are the backs of the houses in Back Hebden-street, but these were not touched, all the missiles being directed at the opposite side of the street.
The stone-throwing, which continued till 11 o’clock on Wednesday night was resumed from the same quarter yesterday morning, but so far the mystery is understood to remain unsolved.
Lancashire General Advertiser, 1st October 1909.
Police Scare “Ghost.”
Up to a late hour last night there had been no renewed attack on the windows which suffered so extensively earlier in the week at Bolton, and there seemed justification for the remark of a police official: “I think we’ve effectively ‘laid the ghost,’ and we’re only waiting now to bury him.”
There is no doubt the measures adopted by the police to keep under close observation every point from which missiles could be hurled in the direction of the cottages which had formed the target have certainly kept the elusive marksman within bounds.
A cordon of police again prevented any loitering about the vicinity, and though hundreds walked around the adjoining streets the back passage in Vernon-street, where the windows had been shattered, was kept perfectly clear.
Halifax Evening Courier, 2nd October 1909.
Ghostly Missiles.
Houses in Bolton subjected to continuous bombardment by unseen agency.
Great excitement prevails in Bolton over certain ghostly happenings which have taken place almost in the centre of the town, and which, despite the efforts of the local police and inhabitants to find an explanation for them, remain a mystery. For several days a fusillade of small pieces of coal and brick has been directed by some invisible agency, both at night and in the daytime, at five houses in Vernon-street. Many windows have been smashed, and several people have been struck, one youth being stunned by a missile which passed through the window.
Twenty police have been on duty engaged in an attempt to solve the mystery. Houses and house-tops have been searched, but with no effect. On one occasion the coal-throwing went on in the presence of a crowd of some thousands which had gathered in the locality.
Daily Mirror, 2nd October 1909.
Bolton Window Smashing.
Mystery Still Unsolved.
The mystery attaching to the window-smashing outrages in Bolton, which still baffle both police and lay elucidation was was an absorbing topic in the town yesterday. An enormous crowd, greatly exceeding that of the previous evening, assembled in the Vernon-street district on Thursday night, but it was fated to disappointment, for, either becoming scared by the commotion he has caused or his ammunition having run out, the “phantom sniper” declared a truce, and no more windows were riddled.
The victimised residents sat up to a late hour in a very tense feeling, momentarily expecting from some unseen source a missile having the kitchen window as its billet. The police were again in strong force, and changed their tactics by clearing the streets of everybody who had no actual business there, and also conducting vigils on the roofs and in concealed spots. The phantom, however, was neither to be drawn nor laid.
The broken windows still remain unrepaired, pending possible developments. Some people, superstitiously inclined, regard the affair as very “queer,” but others have no doubt of the substantiality of the marauder and [?] the idea of a “ghost” with so frivolous an obsession as that of window-smashing.
There was no repetition of the offence yesterday morning.
Manchester Courier and Lancashire General Advertiser, 2nd October 1909.
Police Baffled. “Phantom Sniper” Riddles No More Windows.
There is still no elucidation of the window-smashing outrage in Bolton, but this only serves to add to the public interest. The enormous crowd which assembled at night in the Vernon street district – greatly exceeding that of the previous evening – indicated the interest aroused by the affair. The crowd was however, fated to disappointment, for either becoming scared by the commotion he has caused or his ammunition having run out, the “phantom sniper” declared a truce, and no more windows were riddled.
The victimised residents sat up to a late hour in a very tense feeling, momentarily expecting from some unseen source a missile having the kitchen window as its billet. The police are again in strong force, and they changed their tactics by clearing the streets of everybody who had no actual business there, and also conducting night vigils on the roofs in concealed spots.
The phantom is neither to be drawn nor laid. The broken windows still remain unrepaired pending possible developments. Some of the people who are superstitiously inclined regard the affair as very “queer,” but others have no doubt of the substantiality of the marauder and scout the idea of a “ghost” with so frivolous an obsession as that of window-smashing.
Sheffield Independent, 2nd October 1909.
Another Window Smashing Mystery.
Haydock St. Resident Victimised.
Coal Falls at Policeman’s Feet.
Either the person who a few weeks ago caused so much excitement in Vernon-st. has removed, or he is entitled to lay a complaint of plagiarism, for on Sunday there was an outbreak of window smashing in Haydock-st., which in many respects is exactly on all fours with the former exciting episode. It certainly is, up to the present, at any rate, quite as mysterious, though if it is the same natural or supernatural being he has improved in his aiming, for this time only one house is affected.
Haydock-st. lies in the populous district between School Hill and Higher Bridge-st., and No. 31, where the windows have suffered, is tenanted by Alfred French, an electrician. A representative of the “Evening News” heard the story of the outbreak from Mr and Mrs French themselves this morning. They were sitting in the front room about 9.20 on Sunday evening chatting with some friends when Mr French went into the kitchen to light the gas. Whilst he was so occupied, one of the panes in the window behind him was smashed, and something skimmed uncomfortably close to his neck. He immediately rushed into the back street, but not seeing anyoe he returned to the house and then found that the missile used, as at Vernon-st., was a piece of coal. He was no sooner back than another piece came through another pane of glass, and whilst a policeman who was hastily summoned was in the kitchen the third piece of coal fell at his feet.
By this time the immediate neighbourhood was aroused, and several residents in adjacent houses were on the look-out. One went into the French’s house, and said he was certain he could see a man on the top of one of Messrs. Barlow and Jones’s mills which overlooks the back street some distance away. He had been looking through a pair of field glasses, and he, Mr French, and a policeman, went upstairs and continued their observation. The policeman was quickly convinced that the neighbour was wrong, but Mr French thought he was not, and was still of that opinion this morning.
Two more pieces of coal came through the window, the last about ten o’clock, and then the mysterious sniper retired. The result of his operations was seen this morning, the three top panes of the window being all smashed, one twice, and there was also a hole in another near the bottom. A policeman remained on special duty during the night, and another was there this morning, but so far the mystery remais unsolved.
Mr French had no idea who the miscreant could be. He has lived in the house over 12 months, and this is the first time he has had a window broken. Stones have often struck his and other doors in the street, and one or two windows have been smashed, but this has been in the daytime, and has been caused by men throwing at pigeons. The facts that no windows in other houses were broken, and that all the missiles thrown were effective suggest that this was a deliberate attack on the French’s, and not any haphazard affair. Naturally it has caused a good deal of anxiety in the district.
Bolton Evening News, 25th October 1909.
Bolton Window Wrecking.
Spasmodic cases of window smashing continue to occur in Bolton, and last night, in the thickly-populated district of Waterloo-street, a kitchen window was smashed. The householder rushed out and heard the clatter of clogs in the distance, but could not catch the culprit. Presumeably this was no “phantom.” In Haydock-street the residents were undisturbed, but some of them had improvised barricades for their back windows.
Manchester Evening News, 27th October 1909.