Haunted House Story.
Dancing chairs and flying pots.
From our own correspondent. Foggia, Tuesday.
At Castelnuovo d’Annia, near Foggia, have been happening strange events, which have arroused much curiosity, and which the inhabitants attribute to the intervention of spirits. In January last there lived at Castelnuovo a widow named Fratta, 60 years of age, and in the same house dwelt her two daughters-in-law, their husbands having temporarily emigrated to America. The old woman died, and the daughters-in-law continued to live in the same house. Ten days after the widow’s death, however, strange noises began to be heard during the night, and were repeated for several nights in succession. Yesterday, about ten o’clock in the evening, the noises became louder than ever, and pieces of furniture were hurled about the room in a most alarming manner. The chairs began to execute a diabolical dance, beating time on the floor with their legs.
The two women, who had retired to rest, jumped terrified from their beds, and, dressing hurriedly, ran to call a bricklayer who lived near them. Terrified in his turn, the bricklayer invoked all the saints in the calendar and hurried off to summon the parish priest, who repaired to the haunted house accompanied by a sacristan.
No sooner had they set foot over the threshold than their shoulders were assailed by a shower of stones, while the light which the priest held in his hand was extinguished in a mysterious manner. For no apparent reason a receptacle of wine suddenly burst into fragments with a great noise. Priest, sacristan, and bricklayer took refuge in the bedroom, locking the door, and there they remained trembling with fright and reciting prayers.
Soon a large earthenware pot hurled by an unseen hand struck the priest in the back and broke into a thousand pieces, while another avalanche of stones came from the direction of the closed door. The three men opened the door, whereupon all the furniture began to dance again, jumping up to the ceiling, while all the bells in the house were set ringing in maddening discord. Then the men and the two women as well fled as fast as their legs could carry them.
Now the bewitched house has been shut up. A priest, a doctor, and several other persons worthy of credence give testimony to these extraordinary occurrences, of which it is impossible to suggest any satisfactory explanation.
Daily Telegraph and Courier (London), 12th February 1908.