Strange “Witchcraft” at Grimsby
An extraordinary story of supposed “witchcraft” comes from Grimsby. It concerns a deal-carrier, named Andrew Norton, and his wife and family, who had been living at 49, Freshney-street. In that house about two months ago, stones began coming through the windows, thrown, apparently, by an unseen hand. This continued day after day, night after night, until most of the windows and furniture had been smashed.
Driven to desperation, the family removed their furniture to 25, Adam Smith-street, where the same thing soon began again, and is going on now. As at Freshney-street, the stones apparently came from nowhere. Norton, his friends, some policemen, and members of religious bodies have watched closely; but they cannot discover their source, though they see them come.
“It’s no human hand,” declared Mrs Norton to our representative, her scared look testifying to her great grief. “And it’s me they want,” she added. “The stones follow me from room to room.” Mrs Norton tells about a quarrel she had just before these happenings with a neighbour, who presaged troublesome times for her.
A police-constable, having watched with the family several nights at 49, Freshney-street, where similar disturbances caused the Nortons to remove, says one night a stone came apparently from the ceiling into the room, but there was no aperture for its passage. He is unable to account for the strange occurence.
Leeds Mercury, 16th November 1901.
Stone-throwing “Spirits”.
A new and strange variety of “ghost” story comes from Grimsby. Two months ago stones began crashing through the windows of No. 49, Freshney-street, where lived Andrew Norton, a deal carrier, and his family.
The missiles kept arriving day after day, until all the windows and most of the furniture had been smashed. The Nortons were literally driven out of the house. They removed to 25, Adam Smith-street, but that house also appears to act as a magnet for all the throwable stones in the district. Policemen and friends have kept watch, but they cannot discover where the missiles came from.
“It’s no human hand,” declared the frightened Mrs Norton, “and it’s me they want. The stones follow me from room to room.” Just before these happenings she quarrelled with a neighbour, who presaged trouble for her.
Coleshill Chronicle, 16th November 1901.
Sequel to a Seance.
Roused by the reports of mysterious stone-throwing by unseen hands at a house in Grimsby, George Wagstaff, having made himself familiar with the spirits, decided last Sunday to indulge his taste for psychical research on the enchanted spot. The spell, however, was harshly broken by a material constable entering the magic circle and demanding an explanation from the investigator. Still overcome by the spirits, Wagstaff endeavoured to remove the policeman from his sphere of influence, with the result that the latter precipitated him in the police-station, where the magistrates on Monday imposed a fine of 40s. or a month on the Spiritualist for drunkenness, disorderliness, and damaging the constables clothes.
Cheltenham Chronicle, 30th November 1901.
A Grimsby Ghost Story.
George Wagstaff, labourer, set out to “lay” a ghost, whose appearances have created some sensation at Grimsby. Unfortunately for the success of his expedition, he first made an acquaintance with some spirits of a different nature, which he took with him, hoping probably that the ghost would, from a feeling of good fellowship, come out and greet him. He was making his way to the “bewitched” house in Adam Smith-street, but his conduct not being quite orderly, he attracted the attention of Police-constable Lowis, who asked him what he was after. “After the witch,” replied Wagstaff. The constable ordered him away, but, controlled by the spirits within him, the man rushed at the officer, hitting him in the stomach. A scuffle took place, during which the policeman’s trousers became torn. The damage was 15s., and for this little outing Wagstaff was on Monday fined 25s.
Liverpool Weekly Courier, 30th November 1901.