Colchester.
A mystery solved.
A mystery, which for some time threw the parish of St Leonard’s into a state of great excitement and alarm, has been satisfactorily solved, and the superstitious, by whom the phenomenon was attributed to spiritualistic agencies, and who in consequence felt a certain amount of respectful reverence for the spot, may now abandon their notions, and the nervous abate their apprehensions.
A short time ago Mr John Lugar removed from the house he had occupied in Queen-street to a residence on Hythe-hill, and shortly after his arrival at the new abode – about half-past six on Thursday morning, the 3rd instant – a mysterious throwing of stones and breaking of windows commenced. This continued throughout the day, and up till nine or ten o’clock at night; and the following day it was resumed, and proceeded in an equally persistent and mysterious manner.
The police were informed, and Detective-sergeant Seabrook and Sergeant Lilley went to the premises and watched till about one o’clock on Saturday morning, when, having seen nothing, and no stones having been thrown, they departed. About half-past six on Saturday morning, however, the work of destruction re-commenced, and during the day the police were again consulted. Seabrook arrived early in the afternoon, and watched the premises from a bed-room in the house, his presence being unknown to most of the inmates. Stones were thrown as usual, and the work of destruction proceeded, although the passage of the missiles could not be detected.
Not altogether satisfied, Seabrook presently shifted his quarters to another room, where, instead of looking into the gardens in the rear and into Park-lane, whence the stones were supposed to come, he got a view of the scullery and keeping-room, all the windows in which were smashed. He had not been watching long when he saw a hand put outside the scullery window, and a stone thrown at the upper part of the window frame. The mystery was then to a certain extent explained – it was evident that the delinquent was inside and not outside the house.
The stone throwing continued, Mrs Lugar being struck by one missile while standing in the hall, and her little boy being also struck; and presently Seabrook resolved to tax the servant – a girl named Elizabeth Farthing – with being the author of the mischief. This he did, but the girl, who had displayed as much alarm as anyone in th ehouse, strongly denied the impeachment. She was, however, sent out on an errand which occupied her from five in the afternoon till half-past nine in the evening, and during her absence the normal quietude of the household was not disturbed. This – added to the fact that the work of destruction only commenced when she got up in the morning, and ceased when she retired to bed – confirmed Seabrook’s suspicions, and the following (Sunday) morning he again taxed her with being the guilty party.
Unable longer to resist the strong circumstantial evidence which was arraigned against her, she confessed that it was she, and she alone, who had done the mischief! The excitement which the mystery had created may be imagined when we state that gangs of m en had watched the premises, and that, being unable to see anything, although the window-smashing continued, and th estones fell inside the house, they had given it up as a case of “ghost.”
The girl professed to have no reason for her conduct; but we understand that when Mr Lugar resided in Queen-street she had been in the habit of taking the children on to the Abbey Field for an airing, and that owing to there being a garden at the new premises she was now deprived of that pleasure. Her object was, therefore, to all appearances, to make the premises unbearable to her mistress, and to get to another house where her old privilege would be restored; and we understand that in this she was very nearly successful, Mrs Lugar having expressed her intention of quitting the premises if the alarming phenomenon she had to endure much longer continued. Elizabeth will not, of course, remain much longer with the family.
Essex Weekly News, 18th July 1879.