A “Mystery” At Scarbro.
There has just been made public at Scarbro’ a curious and mysterious affair which is attracting considerable attention, and creating much excitement in one of the suburbs of the town. It seems that for some time past a series of strange knocks have at intervals been heard at the back door of the house occupied by Mr James Edmond, 2, St Hilda Terrace, Prospect-road. The knocks or raps are applied to the scullery door, which is entered from the yard facing the back of Gladstone street; they are given deliberately, varying from half a dozen to over 50 in number, and generally occur in the evening.
The curious part of the affair is that these strange noises have been heard by various persons, but nothing whatever can be seen, and no clue whatever can be discovered as to the source from whence they originate. The result of this mystery has been to give rise to various wild conjectures as to the cause of the sounds, some being of an opinion that they are caused by mechanical or electrical contrivance, while there are to be found credulous ans superstitious people who declare that it is the work of a ghost.
The effect upon the nervous system of Mrs Edmond has been very serious, and it is therefore most desirable that there should be an early elucidation of the mystery. All the efforts of the police have hitherto entirely failed, and now a reward of £5 is offered by the Chief Constable for information that will lead to the detection of the cause of the mysterious knocks.
Sheffield Independent, 18th January 1883.
Playing the Ghost.
The Chief Constable of Scarbro’ has issued bills announcing a reward of £5 for information leading to the detection of some person or persons who, for some time past, have nightly caused a systematic rapping at the back door of a house in St. Hilda’s-terrace, Prospect-road, occupied by Mr James Edmond. Efforts have, it is said, been made to detect the cause of the rapping, but without effect, and there are some people silly enough to believe that the noise is supernaturally produced, but it will, in all probability, turn out to be the act of some malicious individual. It is to be hoped that detection will be speedy, especially as the disturbance is affecting Mrs Edmond considerably.
York Herald, 18th January 1883.
The Scarborough “ghost,” mentioned some weeks ago, is not yet laid. The mysterious rappings at the house of Mr Edmond, Prospect-road, is still exercising the minds of the people, and a reward of £5 is being offered for the perpetrator of the joke.
Leeds Times, 10th February 1883.
The Solution of a Scarbro’ “Mystery”.
The “mystery” of the manifestations in the house of Mr Edmund, Prospect road, Scarbro’, has at length been dispelled, and so far from anything supernatural being responsible for the strange “knocking” and the antics of the furniture, which had disturbed the peace of mind of the majority of the household, and excited the curiosity of the town, the culprit has turned up in the servant girl, who, it is stated, has confessed her guilt to the Chief-Constable of Scarbro’. The means which the girl adopted to carry out the hoax are not explained, but they were, no doubt, of a commonplace character, and the wonder will naturally be that she successfully gulled the household for such a long period.
Sheffield Independent, March 17th 1883.