The Cock-Lane Ghost at Coningsby.
Langworth Grange, near Coningsby, the residence of Mrs. Southern and family, has during the last few days been the scene of considerable excitement, arising from the most unaccountable imposition and trickery of a servant girl named Brown, a native of Sibsey, near Boston, who was engaged about a month since.
On Thursday, the 13th inst., Brown complained that stones had been thrown at her in the yard, but that no person was visible, and that afterwards she heard footsteps near the kitchen door; that she had explored the yard for some time, and at last had seen a man jump off the granary steps and run away. From this time her courage seemed completely to fail her. She was constantly beset by some invisible stone thrower, and so great did she consider her danger that she could not be induced to venture out to milk without the servant man or someone else accompanying her. Some of the family went out with her, and witnessed stones falling about her person.
One day she presented herself wet from head to feet, and stated that some unseen individual had thrown a bucket of water over her. Several windows were broken by stones which, of course, greatly increased her nervousness. Sergeant Pawson was consulted, and, attended by P.c. Wood, hastened to the spot for the protection of the poor defenceless girl, and after three days’ close investigation and watching succeeded in detecting the mysterious perpetrator – in the person of the greatly alarmed and bitterly weeping servant girl Brown, who confessed all, but would assign no reason for her freak.
Lincolnshire Chronicle, 21st July 1871.