A “Haunted House.”
Considerable excitement has prevailed in the nieghbourhood of Craven Lane, Gomersal, during the last few weeks, owing to a rumour having been pretty extensively circulated that a house there was haunted. The house in question was formerly occupied by a married couple, and the wife, about twelve months ago, committed suicide by drowning, owing, it was said, to some domestic misunderstandings. About two months ago the residents of the house removed, and the rumour soon got abroad that they had left the house because of hearing frequent noises for which they could in no way account, and because the woman who had committed suicide had “come back.”
In due course other persons rented the house, but about three weeks ago these tenants began to be subjected to the same annoyance as their predecessors. The noises increased, and the family left the house, and went to live in lodgings until they could find another settled abode.
The house was occupied for several nights by spiritualists and others, and many were the tales which were told of their adventures. Some old ghost stories were also revived, and the matter became almost “a country’s talk.” The annoyance was said to consist mainly of noises and knocks, and it was also averred that the ornaments on a chest of drawers danced and capered about.
One woman, who stayed in the house for a night, even went so far as to say that she saw a drawer open of itself, and a pocket handkerchief come out, which, after wandering about the room, retired again to the drawer, and that the drawer closed again. However, the people who last lived in the house removed their goods, and the very day after they had gone a large rat was caught on the premises, and this, it is believed, was the cause of all the queer noises that were heard, as they have now ceased.
Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, 30 March 1878