The solution of a mystery at the Hythe, Colchester, awaits the return home of a man who has gone down to the sea in a ship. He is the possessor of the key of a house which the neighbours say is haunted, and in which he lived until recently with his father, now deceased. The father, it is stated, was a strange old man who occupied his time principally in sawing and chopping wood. When he lay speechless on his death bed he kept pointing to a cupboard, which can be seen from the window in the street, and is apparently nailed up, and this seems now to be the source of some alleged noises, which are likened to the sound of wood being chopped and sawed, which are said to be heard regularly about seven and 12 o’clock in the day, and at the same hour at night.
One man has told a press representative that he can stand against the door of the haunted house at night for about two minutes listening, but he is then seized with a fit of trembling and shaking. Other people round about say they have heard the strange noises, and no one will go near the house after dark.
The superstition seems to be that the ghost of the dead man is inside the cupboard, and is drawing attention to the money lying there. Someone is evidently playing a great joke with the good people of the Hythe.
Chelmsford Chronicle, 13th August 1897.
Spirit-rapping and its cause.
The credulous folk of Colchester have for some time been considerably disturbed by the rumours that a certain unoccupied tenement in Charles Place, Hythe, was haunted, strange noises, supposed to be the “rapping” of a supernatural visitor, being heard proceeding from the building. Indeed , the fact that three tenants of adjacent cottages quitted the neighbourhood on account of their dread of hearing the mysterious sounds seems to show that the matter was really viewed in a serious light.
The house in question appears to have been tenanted a few months ago by an elderly man named Martin and his son Ernest, the neighbour’s attention being attracted to the former by his somewhat eccentric ways, the sawing and chopping of wood occupying the main part of his time. An impression was formed in the neighbourhood that he had a considerable amount of money stored away, and this belief was strengthened when, about three months ago, on his death-bed, being unable to speak, he repeatedly pointed to a nailed-up cupboard in the room.
The matter, however, was not investigated, and the son went to sea, taking with him the key of the house, which is furnished. Since then mysterious noises, resembling sawing and chopping of wood, have been heard, and this has induced in the superstitious a belief that the place was visited by a “shade” of the old man, who wished to draw attention to the money. The return home of the son has been anxiously awaited, in order that the mystery might be cleared up.
He has now arrived, and the house has been entered, attention being first directed to the mysterious cupboard. From one corner came the gleam of coin, and hands were outstretched to grasp – 5 1/2d. in coppers! The ghost was searched for in vain for some time, until at last the climax was reached in the discovery that the very natural cause of all the fears and disturbances had been an ancient equine, who was patiently nibbling his oats in an adjoining part of the premises, and whose hoofs occasionally rattling against the walls, were regarded by the superstitious as “spirit rappings” of the departed.
Evening Star, 17th August 1897.
Haunted House near Colchester. A ghost in a cupboard.
For some time past it has been rumoured that a tenement at Charles Place, Hythe, was haunted, but until about three days ago no notice was taken of the tale. Now, however, three other cottages round the one in question are to let, the tenants having abandoned the neighbourhood because of the noises heard proceeding from the alleged haunted house.
It appears that some few months ago an elderly man named Martin and his son Ernest occupied the house in question – a two-storied brick and slated building – and about three months since the old man died. He, it appears, was an individual of somewhat peculiar habits, and occupied his time principally in sawing and chopping wood. It was always thought by the neighbours that he had some bit of money put away somewhere for a rainy day, and the noises are now put down to that fact, for on his death-bed the poor old man who was speechless, kept pointing with his hand to a cupboard, which is apparently nailed up.
His son, who is away at sea, has possession of the key, so an entrance cannot be effected until he returns. The noises seem to proceed from the nailed-up cupboard, and are heard regularly nearly all over the yard about 7 and 12 o’clock in the morning and at the same hours at night. The noises, it is said, resemble the sawing and chopping of wood, as heard by the neighbours when the old man was alive.
People stand about the yard whispering to each other, and one man told a press representative he could stand against the door of the haunted house at night for about two minutes listening, but was then seized with a fit of trembling and shaking. Other people round about say they have heard the strange noises, and no one will go near the house after dark. They all positively assert that there is no imagination about the thing.
The superstition evidently is that the ghost of the dead man is inside the cupboard, and is drawing attention to his money lying there. The house is furnished, and looking in at the window can be seen a corner of the room curtained off, where, we understand, the man died. It is expected that when the son returns from sea the mystery of the noises will be solved.
Suffolk and Essex Free Press, 18th August 1897.
The Hythe Ghost Mystery Solved.
Fivepence halfpenny and a restive pony take the place of hoarded thousands and a spook.
Last week a good deal of interest and no small degree of amusement was caused by the publication in our columns, says The Colchester Gazette, of some particulars concerning an alleged spirit rapping mystery at the Hythe. It appears that for some time past the inhabitants of Charles-place – a little known locality branching off the main street – have been in a state of extreme unrest of spirit on account of the supposed unrest of another spirit in a small tenement there, lately tenanted by an elderly man named Martin. The old man appears to have been somewhat eccentric in manner, occupying his time chiefly in sawing and chopping wood, and he was believed by his neighbours in and around Charles-place to have hoarded away somewhere a considerable sum of money. Exactly where this treasure was deposited nobody knew, and, of course, nobody asked; but about three months ago, when the old man lay dying, he, being devoid of speech, pointed repeatedly to a nailed-up cupboard in one corner of the room. Imagination at once suggested that here might be the resting place of his hoarded gains, and Charles-place folk began to speculate after old Mr. Martin’s death on the probabilities of a surprising discovery.
And Charles-place was not disappointed. A surprising discovery was made, although not of the exact nature anticipated. After a time mysterious noises beagn to be heard, proceeding, as the neighbours averred, from the nailed-up cupboard, and once more supersitious imagination suggested that those noises were the efforts of a visitant from another sphere to draw attention to the locale of the supposed hidden money. Meanwhile, the old man’s son, who was away at sea, had possession of the key of the house, so that his return must perforce be awaited ‘ere expectant Charles-place could be satisfied on the point. But as day went on those noises became more noticeable, more mysterious, and at length the tenants of three cottages in the yard left the locality to get away from the unwelcome mystery. At 7 and 12 a.m. and p.m. noises as of the chopping and sawing of wood terrified the superstitious dwellers in the place, who were wont to assemble, white-faced, whispering, and open-eyed, until those ghostly sounds produced a trembling in the knees and an uncomfortable feeling down the back that broke up the gatherings like magic. Nobody would go near that house after dark, and a furtive peep through the window in broad daylight was regarded as an act of the utmost hardihood. But it is not so now.
A day or two ago the old man’s son suddenly returned from the deep, and under the awed eyes of the suffering neighbours proceeded to investigate the mystery. The house was entered and the nailed-up cupboard was undone; the hidden coin was there, no doubt. And so it was. The eager, trembling hand stretched forth into its dark recesses came into contact with metal having undeniably the “feel” of money piled up in one corner. Slowly the hidden coins were dragged to the light, and in the open hand of the discoverer lay — fivepence half-penny in coppers. Further search failed to reveal the presence of a fraction more.
But then there were those noises – those spirit rappings that had disturbed the peace of mind and body of the dwellers of Charles-place for many a long week past. Spectre in the cupboard there was none, and even the man who suggested rats found nothing to support his theory. There was absolutely nothing to explain those wood-sawing performances, and a creepy feeling – creepier than ever before – began to steal over Charles-place again. Evidently those noises proceeded from an unseen mysterious source, under the influence of which the neighbourhood was destined to remain even yet. So for a time, thought the superstitious ones, until somebody, more sceptical probably than the rest, was seized with an inspiration, and boldly taking advantage of it, discovered the unseen mysterious author of the rappings to be a very earthy, inoffensive pony, patiently feeding in an adjoining stable, the rattle of whose hoofs occasionally on the wooden walls of his domicile had sounded in the ears of his credulous human neighbours as the rappings of a spirit from another sphere, and given them about as anxious and uncomfortable a time as ever mortal experienced in this material world. Tableau! Curtain! now all is peace!
Essex Weekly News, 20th August 1897.