Dewsbury.
Novel Method of Ejectment.
During the last week, the inhabitants of Dewsbury and its neighbourhood have been labouring under great excitement, terror, and alarm, on account of a house, situated at Kilncroft, Dewsbury, occupied by Mr Elijah Bailey, printer, his family, and another person, a relation, being visited on the Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday nights, by a ghost, or some supernatural being, supposed to be an emigration from the infernal regions, and possessed of diabolical agency. It has done considerable damage to the property by breaking, in the inside, the windows of the low rooms of the house, and chambers, of which the building consisted.
Large crowds of people have been attracted to the place from curiosity, although the danger from without was so great (to say nothing of the danger within the haunted dwelling,) that the attendance of the police has been necessary; and one night while they were on duty, ten squares of glass were broken in the inside. There are at present very few whole squares of glass in the building.
It is stated that a few slight raps are heard in the window previous to the crash of the broken glass. When persons have been examining the windows in the low rooms, the glass has been broken in the upper; but no squares are ever broken in any window except some of the inmates of the house are in that particular room at the time.
Some of the inhabitants in the adjoining houses have been strangers to sleep, or peace of mind, since this unknown stranger, whose form and colour remain a complete mystery, first visited their neighbourhood, as their dejected looks amply testify. On Wednesday week, a meeting of the association for the prosecution of felons in that town, took place, and after mature consideration it was finally agreed to have placards printed, offering a handsome reward for the apprehension of his ghostship. Under these circumstances, the matter was ordered to stand over for a day or two, to give time for futher investigation, for which purpose, a party entered the haunted dwelling and made inquiries, when they were informed by one of the inmates of miraculous events which exceeded all bounds of credibility. The coals from the back of the fire, were represented to have flown from the fire-place, through the squares in the window.
The inquirers then began an ocular inspection of the premises, when they soon discovered deep impressions in the woodwork of the window frames, apparently made by a blunt instrument. Thinking that if the unknown visitor brought his tools with him they should have seen them, or if he had left them in the building, they might probably, by diligent search, come upon them, they proceeded in their investigation, and soon discovered a small coal-rake, the face of which exactly corresponded with the marks upon the window frames.
Since this new light upon these deeds of darkness, the Unknown appears to have taken umbrage, and he has not since played any of his mischievous pranks. Rumour says, that more inmates reside within the walls of the dwelling than greet each other with a hearty welcome, adn this expedient is supposed to have been had recourse to, for the purpose of giving a summary notice of ejectment.
On Sunday, a great number of persons came from Lepton, Grange Moor, and the neighbourhood of Huddersfield, a distance of six or eight miles, to view the haunted dwelling.
Leeds Times, 5th December 1835.
The Ghost.
The alarming ghost, of which an account was given in our last, has for the present disappeared, giving place to two bailiffs, and a six months’ theme for tea gossips.
Leeds Times, 12th December 1835.
The Dewsbury Ghost.
A paragraph inserted in our last (on the authority of a correspondent) stated that “the alarming ghost at Dewsbury had disappeared, and given place to two bailiffs.” We have since been informed that the latter part of this was erroneous, as the ghost had no such coadjutors. Joint stocks are not yet so fashionable, as to lead us to an ejectment joint stock company, carrying on business under the firm of “Ghost, Bailiff & Co.”
Leeds Times, 19th December 1835.