Mysterious Circumstance.
Broom Court, the residence of John Lane, Esq., has for some days past been the scene of considerable excitement in consequence of the mysterious ringing of the bells of the house. Many strange tales have been put in circulation, some of which, we have reason to believe, go very far beyond the truth, and we shall not pretend to relate them.
The first circumstance noted was, we understand, the ringing of the outer door bell without its being ascertained who was the unseen ringer; the other bells of the house were soon after similarly affected without any visible cause.
A strict watch was instituted, but no signs of human or other material agency could be discovered. The wires of most of the bells were encased in zinc tubes, and it being surmised that the mysterious circumstances might be due to electrical action, the wires were all uncovered, but it failed to elicit any explanation of the matter, though some of the bells commenced ringing even while the bell-hanger was at work.
On Tuesday last several gentlemen accompanied Mr Lane to his residence, for the purpose of endeavouring to unravel the mystery. They shut themselves up in a room, the servants all being collected in another apartment, and the bells were muffled, but before they commenced ringing, by unseen agency, with such violence that the muffling was wholly displaced, and no explanation of the matter could be arrived at; and though a strict watch is still kept both inside and outside the house, no elucidation of the mystery can be arrived at, and thus the matter rests at present.
A number of strange reports are current about mysterious or supernatural visitants having been seen in the locality, who are, as a matter of course, supposed to be mixed up with the affair, but for the present we withhold further mention of them.
Alcester Chronicle, 13th February 1869.
Bell Ringing Extraordinary.
Mr Lane, of Broom Court, near Bidford, applied for a summons or warrant against a servant girl in his employ as housemaid, named Lacey, for misdemeanour, &c., but for some reason not made public the application was not complied with.
The circumstances under which Mr Lane made his application were as follows: – During the early part of last week, the bells in his house were repeatedly set ringing, without the inmates being able to discover the cause, thus creating considerable alarm through the house. The girl appeared to be the greatest sufferer, and it was thought advisable to send her home for a short time, when the bell ringing entirely ceased, and suspicion fell upon the girl as being the cause of it.
When taxed with it she admitted that she was in the habit of striking the bells as she passed them, and then making off to another part of the house. When anyone came too closely upon her, she feigned hysteria, &c., and, as Mr Lane stated, threw them off their guard as to the cause of the alarm.
Worcester Journal, 20th February 1869.
Correspondence.
To the Editor of the Alcester Chronicle.
Sir, – Your communication of Saturday last relating to the mysterious ringing of bells in my house was, I am sure, unintentionally partial as to facts, and erroneous in detail. The circumstance of the housemaid having appeared to suffer severe convulsions two evenings in succession, and thus thrown us off our guard towards her, you do not mention, and any idea of “supernatural visitants” was never entertained by any member of my family.
The servant has made a confession of the whole affair, which proves her conduct towards the children to have been most cruel, and towards all in the house most vile. In consideration of her youth, and for the sake of her parents, I have had no desire to go to extremities however richly she deserves punishment; but I cannot permit erroneous statements, through similar publications to your own, to go uncontradicted, and thus cause an unpleasant local notoriety to exist.
By inserting this in your next you will confer a favour upon, Your obedient servant, John Lane. Broom Court, Feb. 16th.
(With reference to the above, we beg to state that we heard nothing whatever of the circumstances until the night previous to our day of publication, and we studiously avoided giving currency to any statements except those which we had reason to believe were in accordance with the truth, and we are not even now aware in what instance we made a misstatement.
With respect to the maid servant having had, or appeared to have, convulsions, we never heard that such was the case until after our paper had appeared; and with respect to supernatural appearances we spoke of them simply as vulgar rumours which were in circulation. – Ed. A.C.)
Alcester Chronicle, 20th February 1869.