The Inhabitants of Bell Yard, Temple Bar, may now sleep in peace; for the ghost, which was some time troublesome to them, is now happily laid. A shop-keeper in the neighbourhood, having been acquainted with the deceased woman in her life time, went a few nights ago, well accompanied, to the haunted room, and addressed the ghost in the following manner; Mrs. —, said he, calling her by her name, I am C— H—, your old acquaintance; I knew you before you were married, had a great regard for you, and am still your friend, and will do you all the service in my power; what is it that makes you uneasy? If you hear what I now say, answer this signal; (he then gave three goode raps against the wainscott) but it unluckily happened that the ghost was fast asleep; but upon repeating the signal, a voice was heard from a bed which was in the room, and the question Who’s there? distinctly pronounced, which occasioned a discovery, that this wicked spirit was no other than a girl of about 14 years of age, who by way of harmless recreation, had provided herself with all the implements that ghosts generally use upon those occasions; viz. a hammer, and a hollow piece of cane, by which she so well counterfeited the raps and groans of the walking dead, that had she not foolishly confessed the fact, the house would have had the honour, perhaps, to be considered as haunted a hundred years hence.
Canterbury Journal, 2nd July 1760.