Another “Cock-Lane Ghost.”
At Worship-street police-court, London, Elizabeth Jeafferson, 16, a mulatto, described as a domestic servant in the employ of Mrs Susanah Jardine, has been charge with breaking a number of squares of glass, value together about 20s., the property of her mistress, at her residence, 75, Ellesmere-road, Bethnal-green.
It appeared from the evidence that for some time past a considerable amount of excitement has prevailed in the vicinity of Mrs Jardine’s house, owing to the fact that the windows both of the shop and of the upstairs rooms were being continually broken in a most mysterious manner; every other night or so large pieces of coal, thrown by an unseen hand, came crashing through the windows.
Crowds of persons assembled round the place at night anxious to catch sight of “the ghost” by which it was averred the damage was committed. The nuisance became so great at last that the police were communicated with, and two men in plain clothes have been employed for the last fortnight in watching the premises.
On Saturday night about 8.30, whilst Police-constable Browne, 269 K, and another constable were keeping observation on the house, one of the upper windows was seen to open slowly. A person in female attire leaned out as far as possible, and threw a missile in such a manner that it crashed through one of the windows of the shop. Browne and his companion at once entered the house, and proceeded to the room where the window had been seen to open, and there they found the prisoner in the dark. They at once taxed her with having broken the window a few moments before, and pointed to some coal dust on the window-sill of the room as a confirmation of their suspicions.
She then admitted having thrown the coal on the occasion, and also stated that it was she who had been breaking the windows for the last fortnight. She was thereupon given into custody.
– Defendant now made no reply to the charge, and she was fine 20s. or 10 days.
Banbury Advertiser, 10th March 1881.