Eerie Mystery at Blackpool.
Police watch things jump.
Blackpool police were called yesterday to an outfitter’s shop in Birley Street to investigate mysterious happenings which have been going on there for two days.
A manager called two constables from point duty after stock and other things had, for no apparent reason, jumped from shelves and counters and smashed windows. While the officers were in the building three boxes fell from a shelf on to a boy assistant, invoice pads fell at the feet of the manager and officers while they were discussing the previous incident, and another officer had to duck to miss being hit by a flying object.
Later a wooden stand crashed against a glass partition. The manager of the shop told a reporter that things had been tumbling about the shop all day. “They shoot across the shop at a bullet’s pace, and seem to be attracted to glass, which has been broken all over the place,” he said. “The previous day a box fell from a shelf, narrowly missing a customer, and when a medicine bottle crashed to the ground a few moments later the customer dashed out of the shop. While two women were in a rubber stamp shot off the counter and smashed a window. When the incidents continued to-day I became alarmed and called in the police.”
As it is thought that some electrical disturbances might be the cause of the weird occurrences, electricians have been called in to examine the premises.
Bradford Observer, 13th October 1938.
“Haunted” Shop.
“Things have been tumbling about all day.”
Police officers as spectators.
Three Blackpool police officers were witnesses of a series of uncanny incidents in a hosier’s shop in the centre of Blackpool yesterday, when inanimate objects began to fly about the shop. The manager called in the police, and under the officers’ eyes a wooden stand crashed into a partition, and a brace and bit flew through the air, narrowly missing one of the officers.
Three boxes filled with shirts fell from a shelf and struck an assistant. A medicine bottle flew off the counter, and the arm of a large figure hurtled across the shop and smashed a show case.
Earlier, a box had flown from a shelf and almost struck a customer; a medicine bottle fell from a shelf; and a date stamp flew from the counter and smashed a window.
An electrician called to examine for electrical disturbances has found nothing to account for the phenomena.
“Things have been tumbling about all day,” said the manager last night. “They seem to be attracted by glass, which has been broken all over the place. It is an extraordinary state of affairs, and we cannot account for it.”
Blackpool police stated: “We have the police officers’ reports on these queer happenings. Usually we are sceptical about such things, but when three stalwart and experienced policemen see them for themselves, what are we to believe?”
Nottingham Evening Post, 13th October 1938.
“Spooks” give constables a lively time.
Shouts from an outfitter’s shop in Blackpool brought Constables Walsh and Brankrick running, so it is on the word of the police that this story comes. Stock jumped from the counter and splashed ink over the manager’s clothes, rubber stamps jumped about the floor. The two policemen were investigating when Constable Jones passed by. They shouted, “There are spooks in here.” Nothing happened for about ten minutes then – according to the constables – three packets of shirts fell from a shelf and hit a boy assistant.
Constable Jones was talking to the manager just afterwards when invoice pads fell. A brace and bit soon afterwards flew across the shop and missed Constable Walsh’s head only because he ducked. An electrician was called – he could not find anything wrong with the installation.
The manager told a reporter, “Things began to fly about. A customer was so alarmed that he ran out into the street. At night when two women were in the shop a rubber stamp flew off the counter and broke a window. Things have been tumbling about all day. They seem to be ‘attracted’ by glass which is broken all over the place.”
Dundee Evening Telegraph, 13th October 1938.
Blackpool shop of mystery.
Police wait in vain for ‘jumps’.
From our own correspondent.
Blackpool, Thursday.
Police kept a watch to-day at the outfitter’s shop of Messrs. Crook and Son, Birley Street, Blackpool, where strange things have been happening during the past three days. Glass has been smashed by things mysteriously falling from shelves and counters.
On Wednesday the manager called in two constables, and while they were there things continued to crash. To-day a police inspector and two constables visited the shop and stood in dead silence to see if anything happened. First they stood while the electric lights were on, then in darkness. Nothing occurred, however.
The manager told them that before their arrival a stamp pad had jumped up from the floor and struck a window. The officers remained on the premises for an hour, but after they left, it was stated, a pedestal crashed against a window. “I am baffled as to what is responsible for these things,” said Inspector G. Pye. “We have made all investigations we can, but they have brought us no nearer to a solution.”
Bradford Observer, 14th October 1938.
Shop “ghost” waited till policemen left.
Then things started moving again.
Though policemen are said to have witnessed strange happenings in the “haunted” tailor’s shop at Birley Street, Blackpool, three officers who went to lay the “ghost” yesterday were disappointed. Inspector G. Pye and two constables (says the “News Chronicle”) put on the counter objects which were stated to have jumped about yesterday. They waited. Nothing happened. Closing the shop door, they turned out lights and waited again. But the “spook” would not oblige. The police gave it up. An hour after they had gone there were further curious occurrences at the shop.
Mr Dore, the manager, said: “I was in the office when I heard a heavy thud. I ran out and saw a wooden pedestal lying against the window. It had been under the counter, seven or eight yards away from where it fell. I have never actually seen anything in flight,” he added. “Everything happens so quickly. I hear a crash and it is all over. All last month stands and models in the front windows fell, and I had to get a carpenter in to screw them down. This week is the first time that things have fallen about inside the shop.”
Edinburgh Evening News, 14th October 1938.