‘Spooks’ walk with little girl.
Omro, Wis., March 29.
Mystery surrounding alleged spiritual manifestations whenever Marie Maybourne, 11, appears, today occupied attention of all residents of Omro. Voices from walls, the weird opening and closing of doors and moving of furniture, accompanying the little girl’s appearance in a room, reliable residents say. James Stead, village marshal, has investigated, but without finding any natural causes for the weird proceedings. Leaders in the supernaturalistic beliefs have been advised of the situation and asked to investigate.
Indianapolis Times, 29th March 1926.
Houdini asked to chase Wisconsin girl’s ghost.
Omro, Wis.
Marie Maybourne, 11, said to be possessed with a “spirit” which has manifested itself in numerous ways, has become the object of this community’s curiosity. All about the village there is talk about the strange happenings when the little girl is present. They tell of doors suddenly opening and refusing to remain closed, of voices proceeding from the walls and of furniture moving whenever she is about. All these weird happenings are beyond her control and none are more disturbed than she, it is said.
According to James Stead, village marshal and deputy sheriff of Winnebago county, he has conducted an investigation but all in vain. He also declared he wanted to bring the little girl to his home, but that her parents, Mr and Mrs Joseph Maybourne, would not permit it.
Harry Houdini, America’s outstanding skeptic in the matter of supernatural phenomena, has been advised of the case and been asked to come here and investigate. It is also said that Rev. Theophilus, Capuchin priest, who is known to have performed exorcisms, the ceremony of driving out or warding off demons, evil spirits, from persons, places or things believed to be possessed, may also be asked to come here and look expertly into the mystery and detect, if possible, any hoax.
While Stead has investigated the matter he expressed to the United Press today that he believed “these people are carrying this thing too far.”
The Milwaukee Leader, March 30th, 1926.
Omro, Wis., Girl Has Dual Personality, Harry Houdini Says.
Chicago – Harry Houdini, magician and exposer of alleged spiritualists, has reached the conclusion that Marie Maybourne, 11, of Omro, Wis., who is said to be “possessed of the devil,” has a dual personality, and that the so-called spooks and ghosts of the Maybourne farm can be laid to this cause.
Houdini, who is appearing at a Chicago theater, reached his conclusion after being told of the strange manifestations which have been terrorizing residents of Omro and neighbouring Winnebago county villages. Mr Houdini said the case in Omro corresponds closely with one in Antigonish, N. S., Canada, where Mary Ellen, 15, was responsible for weird manifestations in her home. As in the present situation there were strange voices from the wall and the eerie “jumping jack furniture,” he said. This was exposed when it was discovered by Dr. Franklin Prince, secretary of the American Institute for Psychic Research, that the girl had a dual personality.
The Milwaukee Leader, April 1st 1926.
Crowds flocking to visit strange girl.
Ventriloquism suggested as possible
The source of strange manifestations.
Oshkosh, Wis., April 6.
Aid of psychologists will be sought by friends of 11-year-old Marie Maybourne, foster child of a farmer living near Delhi, Wis., whose peculiar behaviour has caused considerable discussion in the community. The foster parents have withdrawn the girl from school and are protecting her from the curious who flocked to the little farm house after stories of strange manifestations involving the child had begun to circulate.
The possibility that the girl is a ventriloquist, offering an explanation of noises ranging from a shrill whistle to tapping sounds apparently coming from the wall, has been suggested by the Rev. William Grace, adviser of the family. If this point is proven, the preacher said this would account for some of the manifestations. But the others could not be explained on that basis. A sharp whistle is described by witnesses, who have signed sworn statements to witnessing manifestations, as preceding the demonstration.
Subsequent events in four different houses where the child has been taken include, according to witnesses, the sound of familiar voices, moving of various objects, and taps that apparently emanate from the walls.
It was related that the child has run crying to her mother on several occasions saying that her face has been slapped.
Mrs Maybourne, foster mother of the girl, and Mrs John Yost, to whose home the girl was taken on one occasion, asserted were forced to reliquish their hold upon the child’s arms by some unseen force.
The parents have taken the case calmly but they say the child has appeared bewildered.
New Britain Herald (Conn.), April 6th 1926.
Mystery cloaks girl’s queer acts.
Say “spirit” is trying to communicate with her.
Oshkosh, Wis.
Marie Maybourne, eleven-year-old foster daughter of a farmer living in the vicinity of Delhi, Wis., has been the centre of much discussion in this community during the last three months.
Whether the child is a ventriloquist and is enjoying the startled expressions of those about her when they hear strange noises, ranging from a shrill whistle to tapping sounds apparently coming from the wall, has not been determined. However, since Christmas day, when her mother said she heard noises indicating that toys were being dropped on the floor and there were no toys to drop, Marie has aroused much interest.
Persons living here, who are spiritualists, declare there is a spirit that desires to communicate with the girl. The strange sounds are not the result of pranks by Marie, they say, but really efforts of the “spirit” to communicate some message.
Marie may be playing, as normal children play, when a shrill whistle will announce the beginning of many strange manifestations, according to those who have witnessed them. The first of these strange performances occurred in the farm home of her foster parents Christmas day. Since that time, in four different houses where the child has been taken, witnesses say, strange noises and sounds have been heard.
Among the more interesting things are the sound of familiar voices, when the owner of the voice has not spoken, the whistle, the tapping, and the moving of various objects about the room. Rev. William Grace, adviser of the family, who has watched the child carefully, says he is able to explain some of the peculiar happenings if it is proved the girl is a ventriloquist, but some other happenings are not so easily explained.
Arizona State Miner (Wickenburg, Ariz.) May 29th 1926.