Bush Mystery
Will-o’-the-Wisp Stone-thrower
Armed searchers defied
Closing in on space
Glen Innes, Saturday.
There have been strange happenings at the residence of William Bower, a ganger in the employ of the Guyra Shire. The dwelling is a weatherboard cottage of four rooms situated in a rather isolated locality about half a mile east of the railway station, and the occupants include, beside the father and mother, three children, one a girl about 12 years of age.
The mystifying events commenced with the girl alleging that she was pursued by a man at a distance of a quarter of a mile from her home, and who, she further alleged, attacked her with stones while she was running away from him. He disappeared before she reached home.
At night the family was much disturbed by stone-throwing, the missiles striking the walls. The attack was naturally attributed to the individual who molested the girl in the afternoon. A neighbour was communicated with, and a search made for the offender, but without success.
The police were informed of the occurrence in the morning, and Constables Stennett and Taylor went to the house the next night. Shortly after their arrival a pane of glass was smashed by what appeared to them to be a pea rifle bullet. A search was immediately instituted, the constables thinking they were going to bring “the joke” to a speedy end, but though every likely place was examined no trace of the cause could be found.
The following night Sergeant Ridge, Constables Stennett and Taylor, and four civilians visited the house, and placed themselves in positions inside and outside that would apparently make a visit to the house without detection impossible. Stones again assailed the walls at different times, and as soon as the noises were heard the party closed in, but nothing could be seen. The following night the police again visited the house, this time being reinforced by ten well-known civilians, several of whom were armed with guns. The men were placed at such distances from the building, and in such positions, as to make discovery of the cause of the stone-throwing almost a certainty. About 7.30 smash went a window, almost in front of which was Sergeant Ridge. Less than three minutes later another pane was smashed. The watchers closed in, and torches were turned on, but there was nothing to be seen beyond the two stones, which were found on a bed in the room. During the next half-hour fully twenty missiles struck the house, some following in quick succession. Among the stones found inside the house was one half the size of a brick.
Last night, the fifth night of the watch, there was an increased number of volunteers anxious to assist in the solution of the mystery. Since the mysterious occurrence began the nights have been dark and either misty or threatening rain, which to a certain extent hampered observations. Last night Mr Burgess, of Messrs. Burgess and Gibson’s motor garage, placed at the disposal of the police a powerful motor battery and searchlight, which at intervals was thrown on th ehouse and its surroundings.
At about a quarter to 7 about thirty sounds, either from stone-throwing or what might have been rappings on the wall, were heard, but these stopped when the light was turned on. The members of the family are greatly worried by the unaccountable attacks on their home, and are absolutely at a loss to assign any cause for the occurrences.
The Sun (Sydney), 9th April 1921.
[largely as above]
The stone throwing began at about a quarter to seven. About 30 sounds, either from stone throwing or what might have been rappings on the wall, followed. These stopped when the light was turned on, but even that powerful auxillary in the work of detection failed to reveal the cause. Needless to say, the members of the family, with the exception of the girl, who appears to be the object of the attack in the first place, are greatly worried by the nightly and so far unaccountable attacks on their hitherto peaceful home. They are absolutely at a loss to assign any cause for the occurrence.
The peculiarity about the affair is that the missiles seem to be directed against the girl. They follow her in whichever room she is taken. She has been carefully watched, which negatives the supposition that she is in any way responsible for the throwing of the missiles or the rappings on the walls. Further, she maintains a quiet demeanor and does not manifest the fear which has overcome the other members of the family.
The Newcastle Sun (NSW), 9th April 1921.
Guyra Ghost.
Mr Harold Matthews writes: If history repeats itself at all, I believe the Guyra ghost can be brought to earth quite simply. An exactly similar incident occurred in the story of a South African farm near Oudtshoorn, in Cape Colony, where I was living at the time.
Here the stone-throwing continued for over a week, seeming to centre on the little cripple daughter of the farmer, and completely terrorising the Boers for miles around. Mystified visitors from the township and surrounding farms formed vigilance committees and burnt drums of midnight oil in their efforts to lay the “spook” by his ghostly heels.
At the end of a week consternation was caused by a small dark man – a complete stranger to the district – stepping forward from the cordon that surrounded the house and saying: “Gather up all the stones that were thrown and burn them.” This was done by the excited spectators, and immediately the “ghost” ceased his weird pranks. It might be worth the while of the good citizens of Guyra to build a big fire and place all the stones thrown upon it, in the hope that Mr Ghost will be cremated.
I sincerely hope this idea will prove as effective with the Guyra ghost as it was with the Oudtshoorn one, and so I offer it as something that is at any rate worth trying. I can vouch for its having been successful once, and we can only hope that it will be as successful again.
The Sun (Sydney), 15th April 1921.
Stone throwing near Guyra.
A spiritualist from Uralla attended the house near Guyra at which stones were being thrown. He persuaded Miss Bowen to ask if her deceased sister was responsible. She said, “Is that you May?” The answer was “Yes, I am in Heaven.” Miss Bowen dramatically stepped into the centre of the room then and said “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, what have I done to deserve this.”
The spiritualist took charge and declared that the restless spirit was that of the girl’s sister, who died some time ago. Further inquiry by the spiritualist elicited the information that the spirit of the deceased girl was displeased with the girl and that its displeases were shown by the stone throwing of the past fortnight.
After some minutes’ conversation, in the course of which the girl expressed deep regret at disturbing the spirit’s peace, the spirit made available the reassuring information that all would be well now – that there would be no more manifestations of her displeasures.
The mystery is causing the police much concern and worry.
The Yass Courier (NSW), 18th April 1921.
Guyra ghost.
Mystery unsolved.
Knocking continues.
Guyra, Friday. – Special detectives and police rounded up every suspected character, including all members of the Bowen household, but after a searching examination dismissed all without obtaining the slightest clue to the mystery. Nothing happened on Wednesday but several very loud knocks were heard last night. The writer was the only outsider present, beyond detectives, police, and the family.
All members of the household were closely watched by the detectives while the knocking occurred. It was bright moonlight outside, where several police were stationed at vantage points. No man was seen near the house or where the supposed stones were found near the walls.
Mr Moors has had to leave for Sydney, but will return when the detectives admit defeat, providing they allow him to make uninterrupted investigations. (A previous message stated that Mr J Moors, a personal friend of Sir Conan Doyle, who is on a visit to Sydney from Samoa, had gone to Guyra to help in the investigation).
The Daily Mail (Brisbane), 23rd April 1921.
Guyra’s Ghost.
The house where the ghost walks and the spirit raps, and which lies less than a mile outside Guyra is a plain weatherboard structure, and every pane in its front windows has been broken. This, say the credulous, is the work of spirits, but there is nothing supernatural about the stones which lie under the windows, or about the dents in the boards where the stones which missed the windows struck the wall.
On Monday morning the whole family left the house and went to a distant potato paddock, while a young constable, who had spent the night there, remained hidden inside. The family was to return at 11 a.m. A few minutes before 11 there came two sharp rapss at the front door. The constable, lying on the floor inside, looked under the door and saw two big hob-nailed boots. The constable says he could not arrest a man for knocking at the door, so he decided to wait until he broke a window. The boots moved away and about four minutes later the constable heard the voices of the returning family. He thereupon rushed out, but could not find a trace of anyone. He found the tracks of big boots, however, leading away into the bush.
He and a member of the family made a hurried search of the neighbourhood, but saw no one. That afternoon, just before a press party arrived, a small stone was thrown through the front door. It rattled down the passage and fell sharply into the kitchen. Mr Hodder rushed out with a gun. He saw no one, but found a man’s hob-nailed tracks leading off into the timber.
On Monday night 50 men of Guyra, in persuance of their regular entertainment, went out to the Bowen house in the bush, about half a mile from the township, an dawaited events. Sunday night had been a complete blank, but Monday night was not a disappointment.
The valiant fifty, many of whom were armed, made a cordon around the house. Inside were Constable Taylor and a few other men. Suddenly there came half a dozen terrific thumps on the side of the house. The men inside, who could see nothing, rushed out. Those outside, who also could see nothing, rushed in. The noise ceased, adn that was the end of the ghost for that night.
Many of those present had since the commencement of the spookish manifestations been converted to spiritualism, but even they, in their young enthusiasm, had to acknowledge that the noise was not the gentle rapping of a spirit. It sounded, said Constable Taylor, just as if someone had a pumpkin in a sugar bag and was thumping the wall with it. The constable, in reply to a gentle question, violently disclaimed any belief in spooks. “We’ll get to the bottom of it yet,” he said.
The disconcerted watchers decided to examine the house for mechanical devices, and then and there, in the cold moonlight they removed a portion of the iron roof. They found a nest of mice and numbers of entomological specimens, but they discovered nothing that might be construed into an agency for thumping weatherboard walls.
These things appear very mysterious until one sees the locality. There are bushes, logs, trees and stumps, right up to the walls of the house; affording admirable cover for any mischievous person to creep up and creep away unobserved. The majority of the stones are small and could easily be thrown with great force by a catapult.
There are curious circumstances from which more than one hypothesis may be drawn. There was a very tragic happening in this family not long ago, and it may be that this has worked upon the disordered mind of some person, who is attempting to persecute the family.
The houses of two other members of this family in the same neighbourhood have been stoned, and the windows broken in a similar way during the past week. There is no doubt that these stones are thrown from the shelter of the surrounding bush – probably by some person of unbalanced mind.
The situation has extremely amusing features. It is said that a constable keeping night watch on the verandah quite naturally fell asleep. Presently a calf crept up near him, and sighed deeply. He woke up just in time to hear the mooing sigh, and yelled for help. Help came at the double, and the calf was hunted away.
The census collector who went around gathering in returns found nearly every housewife firmly established behind locked doors. He said he had to assure them through the door that he was not the ghost before he could get the census return.
Later news states that Mr Moores, a South Sea Island Trader, visited Guyra to investigate the mystery. He is inclined to the belief that it is caused by a poltergeist, which means a racketting spirit. He doesn’t believe larrikins are responsible or they would have been shot long ago. A disturbance occurred at another house 200 yards away the night after his arrival, when several windows were broken.
Warialda Standard and Northern Districts’ Advertiser (NSW), 25th April 1921.
Guyra “Ghost” Laid.
Guyra has lost its “ghost” and learned the real cause of the stone-throwing which had made the place famous throughout the Commonwealth. Minnie Bowan, who is only 12 years of age, failed to withstand the pressure of persistent police interrogations yesterday and confessed that she, assisted by others, was responsible for the stone-throwing.
During the past few days the girl Bowen had been removed from the house, as also were one or two others, whom the police had under suspicion. The result was that everything was quiet at the house yesterday.
The girl broke down when questioned and admitted that she, at the instigation of others, had thrown the stones. She involved several others, whom she said threw the stones when the strictness of the watch prevented her doing so.
No action is being taken against the girl, but proceedings against the others are probable. And thus it is, that Guyra’s “ghost,” like all other ghosts, has ended in the same old way.
The Forbes Advocate (NSW), 26th April 1921.
Caught.
The Guyra Ghost.
The following report on the Guyra mystery was made by the Superintendent of Police:- Constable Hardy, of Clarence St. station, who was specially sent to Guyra in connection with the damage to property there, returned to Sydney this morning. Constable Hardy is a native of the Guyra district, where, as a boy, about 15 years ago, he assisted in clearing up a case of a similar nature. The night before the constable arrived at Guyra stones had been thrown and knocking heard on the walls of Bowen’s cottage. The majority of the residents considered that these manifestations were supernatural.
Over 50 people watched the premises, and on the 21st instnat the constable was in Bowen’s residence when a stone struck the wall near where he was seated. He rushed out and stood at the corner of the house, when a second stone struck the wall near him. These were the only stones thrown or noise heard by the constable during his stay.
On the following night he organised a secret guard, including some of the leading and most trusted residents of Guyra, to watch the house, but nothing occurred.
Next night, in company with the local sergeant, the constable took up a position in the bush on the southern side of th ehouse.
A Mr Starr, a respectable local farmer, watched the northern side, and saw Minnie Bowen throw several stones at the cottage. He informed the police, who questioned the girl. She at first denied any knowledge of stone-throwing on that day, but, when confronted with Mr Starr in the presence of her parents, she admitted throwing stones. The girl afterwards admitted that she was responsible for the knocking on the wall, which she effected by striking the inner walls at night time with a stick when people were keeping watch outside. She remarked, “I was always careful that I was not watched or seen by anybody.”
The police are of the opinion the girl is responsible for most of the annoyance and damage to property caused recently at Guyra, assisted by others, including youths of the larrikin type. The police say that the girl, Minnie Bowen, is not of strong intellect.
The Sydney Stock and Station Journal, 29th April 1921.
Guyra’s ghost vanishes.
There is no Guyra ghost. There never was one. And the many individuals who associated spirit manifestations with the stone-throwing episodes that have won Guyra almost international notoriety are now faced with the cold hard fact established by police investigations, that material persons did throw material stones at and around the house of William Bowen, ganger.
It is many weeks since it was first announced that members of the Bowen family were being worried sick by the continual smashing of stones against the domicile. Police from nearby stations were asked to have the miscreant apprehended. The police could not find anyone to fit the foolishness on to, and in the course of time, it was strongly asserted that a ghost was at work tormenting the life out of the household.
The whole affair developed along extravagant lines, and eventually spirit conversations from a dead person were introduced. Then the spiritualists, quite confident, apparently, that they could supply the solution, urged that some definite steps be taken to arrange an armistice with the spirits who were frequenting the locality.
But the police refused to go searching for the name and address of the spirit responsible for heaving pieces of rock against the house of the Bowens, and pursued other courses in their effort to find the solution. There was plenty of evidence to show that stones were thrown, but no evidence as to who threw them, though eventually suspicion entered the minds of the investigating officers.
Last week the police officers decided that certain persons should be segregated, and observations made as to what transpired while they were under observation. As a result, there have been no stones thrown since Thursday night, and the police action will probably prevent any further trouble.
The latest development in connection with the mystery occurred on Sunday when the girl, Minnie Bowen (12) admitted to Sergeant Ridge that she did cause three rappings, on one occasion, and one on another, when whe was not watched. In explanation the girl said she did this for a joke. She further admitted that on Saturday she threw three small stones on the roof to frighten her sister-in-law, Mrs Hodder, who was washing clothes near the house. She denied all knowledge of complicity in any other matters in connection with the affair. The police give credence to the child’s story.
The Kyogle Examiner (NSW), 30th April 1921.
Guyra “Ghost”.
Mr Mitchell’s Instructions.
In connection with the stone-throwing trouble at Guyra, the Inspector General of Police (Mr Mitchell) has given to country police instructions that in future all such acts of larrikinism must be promptly dealt with. The Guyra police have received special instructions to get busy and clear up the whole affair.
The Sun (Sydney), 2nd May 1921.
Guyra’s Ghost.
Guyra is zealously hanging on to its “ghost.” According to press reports some of the leading residents are quite in earnest about the spooky affair. Constable Hardy, a former Manilla boy, went up from Sydney, and went back and told them a little girl was the cause of the stone-throwing business. But the stones continue to come.
The constable also said he had assisted in unravelling a somewhat similar mystery in that part of the state some years ago. Guyra residents state that this was not so.
By way of explanation it may be worth mentioning that the former stone-throwing incident mentioned by Constable Hardy took place in the Manilla district. As a young man who was a member of the party with Sergt. Sewell when the Glen Barra stone-throwing mystery was solved. [sic] In that case the ‘ghost’ was a girl, and there were writings on the stones, too!
Manilla Express (NSW), 3rd May 1921.
Guyra sensation.
The mystery solved.
After several weeks of mysterious doings at Guyra the strange knocking, uncanny noises, and remarkable happenings have been solved. Many people not only from the small town of Guyra, but surrounding districts, as well as Sydney, visited the scene, and one and all admitted freely that they could not solve thhe problem. How could a “Spook” break windows? asked one. How could the incessant four knocks followed quickly by three very loud knocks be done by a ghost? asked another. What was the object? Why all the fuss? The watchers by night waited and watched, but still the four knocks and three loud knocks were repeated again and again. The position on the wall was instantly examined without result. Then the light four and three rappings came on the window of another room. Then the knocks came down the chimney, then on the roof and under the floor, always those four and then three loud knocks. People were mystified and even those who understood the Morse code were baffled. Why always four and three knocks?
Again and again crowds of people surrounded the house. Men with guns and revolvers all waiting and watching for the opportunity to finish the strange business, but only to go home day after day completely baffled and admitting defeat on all sides.
A few thoughtful men made up their minds to do or die in their effort to solve the uncanny problem and set out to try and read the four knocks followed by a very noisy three. If they could reach finality there the mystery, they considered, would be unravelled. The code readers listened with always one result – four knocks with a quick loud three. They satisfied themselves that there were seven knocks with a short spell after the fourth. The third knock in the first four was always indistinct, so much so that it was at times unheard. What did that mean? They listened in silence.
The following day it was admitted after careful study of the code that they had at least got three of the seven letters – KIG. Nobody knew what KIG stood for. They were not the initials of anybody interested. What did it imean? KIG.
The next night intense interest was shown in this wrapped-up mystery, and people almost breathless listened when at 8.30 a.m. the missing third rap was considered to be N. They had it – KING. Who is King? they shouted. Somebody said King, the Farmer, lived several miles away. It must be Jack King who is wanted – send for him – and off dashed Motor Cars by the score looking for Jack King. Jack King arrived in a state of frenzy. What do you want with me? Have I won a first in Tatts? or what’s the matter? It was clear that Jack King wasnot the cause of all the trouble, because the knocking came louder than ever before.
King was interviewed by a dozen newspaper men and photographers, it seemed, from all parts of Australia, but he could not relieve the situation. The crowd decided to wait another night and try to make out the remaining three letters. The code experts did their best and listened and waited when in the stillness of the night up went a mighty shout. They had it – EAT were the mysterious letters, and when the first letters were found and then the second three, it was discovered that Tom, “the naughty boy” was mad after the King-Tea wrappers he is collecting for the Big Bonzer Prize Competition, and the “spook” was simply trying to help Tom to let the world know… Tom and the “spook” were soundly spanked, and put to bed, and the mysterious mystery is now solved and Guyra back to work again. The wise man said, “I told you so.”
Newcastle Morning Herald and Miner’s Advocate, 3rd May 1921.
Guyra Ghost.
There was a recrudescence of the stone-throwing at Guyra towards the latter end of last week. Although the admission by the girl that she had been responsible for several “taps” that had been heard and a number of small stones that had been thrown, led to the conclusion that the alleged ghost had at last been caught by the heels, yet this latest development has given rise to another sensation.
And people are not now quite so inclined to believe that the real perpetrator has been discovered. It is pointed out by reliable witnesses that they distinctly heard thumps on the walls when the girl was under close surveillance, and that half-bricks were thrown when she was in a room with those who were out to elucidate the mystery.
Bowen, the owner of the cottage which is being bombarded, rushed out when he heard stones thrown and fired several shots in the direction whence the missiles came. He did not wing anything, as was discovered by a subsequent search, but the firing had the effect of “putting the wind up” the thrower, who desisted.
Rumour has it that the elucidators of the mystery are now as numerous as ever; and the man who forgets himself and casts a stone is in for a fairly warm time.
The Don Dorrigo Gazette and Guy Fawkes Advocate (NSW) 4th May 1921.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/106601884?searchTerm=guyra%20ghost it happens elsewhere afterwards?
“The Guyra Ghost.”
Those interested in the Guyra Ghost Mystery will be pleased to know that a picture has been taken of the remarkable occurrence. The home of the Bowen family, the stones that were thrown, the investigating crowds, all photographed on the spot. The picture, which will be released almost immediately, shows John Cosgrove in the leading role.
Truth (Sydney), 29th May 1921.
(an astonishingly quick film made. Like a youtube video!)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Guyra_Ghost_Mystery
It is considered a “lost film.”
Filming the Guyra Spook.
The Guyra ghost will strut across the screen in due course, to the accompaniment of wailing and gnashing of teeth, the weird wind in the trees, and a fusilade of real Guyra gibbers gathered from the spectral scene of its nocturnal visitations. Mr John Cosgrove, the well-known comedy actor, seen of late in moving pictures, has arrange all this, says the “Evening News.” Admitting that he imported the apparition from Sydney – and that it drank three pints on the journey up – the picture, Mr Cosgrove says, was taken on the lately haunted spot, and includes the chief personalities in the exploded mystery – Minnie Bowen, the girl allegedly sought by the ghost, her parents, and some members of the family, as well as many of those who had kept vigil.
The now famous home of the Bowens is described by Mr Cosgrove as a weird-looking place in its spectral setting of dead trees. Most happily for the ghost, it has a roof of galvanised iron, and the crash of a stone is taken up by the timber, acting as a huge sounding board, to reverberate through the surrounding hills. Lovely round boulders lie about in thousands – a direct temptation to the most kindly disposed, most strictly proper of ghosts. “I could scarcely resist having a fly myself,” Mr Cosgrove confessed.
None who know Mr Cosgrove (jolly and fat and rubicund) could mistake him for a spectre. He is probably the best argument the materialists have. But when he knocked at the door of the Bowen home in broad daylight – 11 o’clock – there was no response. Thinking the people might be alarmed, he went round the back, proclaiming himself no ghost. One look at him by Bill Hodder – son of Mrs Bowen by her first marriage – allayed apprehension. The family came out. Mr Cosgrove told them exactly what he wanted – to film the place and themselves. They objected at first, but soft persuasion worked a change. He not only had free run of the house, had the Sydney ghost stalking about the rooms and peering through windows, but Mr Bowen actually got down his gun, loaded it, and exuberantly demonstrated how he had shot the ghost. At this Mr Cosgrove filmed. He wanted to take the owner of the property with a stone in hand in the act of throwing. The old man was not having any. “No,” he said,”they’d blame me!”
However, in the picture which Mr Cosgrove will shortly present, every scene of the Guyra mystery will be enacted.
Richmond River Herald and Northern Districts Advertiser, 24th May 1921.