Mysterious stone throwing at Kaiapoi.
Since Thursday night last, the inmates of Mr W. Ayres’ and Mr James Harper’s houses on the North road have been disturbed from time to time by stones falling on the roof. This strange occurrence attracted during Saturday, Sunday and Monday a large number of persons to witness this apparently mysterious affair. The believers in ghost stories revived old tales, while others suggested that spring guns were being employed in the assaults on the houses.
The members of the police force in plain clothes have been kept watching the place and, with volunteers, examining the locality for the cause of all the unpleasantness.
On Monday, a crowd of about forty persons had assembled, and while no doubt some of the stones seemed to fall in a peculiarly unseen manner straight on the roof, others seemed to be thrown from the onlookers. The throwing had been kept up almost continuously day and night.
About 5 p.m yesterday, however, one of those who were watching detected a daughter of Mr Ayres in the act of throwing a stone on to the roof out of a small upstairs window, and informed Constable Johnston of the discovery. The constable took the girl, who is about eleven years old, to task, and challenged her with being the cause of the annoyance. The constable states that she admitted she had thrown stones. As the houses closely adjoin within a few yards, it would be an easy matter for a girl to throw the stones which fell on Mr Harper’s house.
Neither Mr Ayres nor the rest of his family entertain any idea that the child is to blame, but the police consider the whole affair solved.
Globe, 9th November 1880.
Extraordinary Circumstance.
An extraordinary circumstance is puzzling the inhabitants of Kaiapoi. A mysterious shower of stones since Thursday has been falling on or about the residence of a gentleman on North Road. Though numbers of people have visited the place the origin of the stones remains undetected, and they still continue to fall.
Thames Star, 9th November 1880.