Imposture Detected.
One of those silly and vicious instances of imposition, to create alarm and induce the belief of supernatural agency, has been lately put in practice in this neighbourhood. From the 26th of January to the 2d of the present month, the family of Mr John Goodchild, of Reddington [sic] in this county, were kept in a state of alarm, by strange noises and violent knocking, from various parts of the house, to such an excess that the family could take no rest.
Mrs Goodchild, in consequence, became extremely ill. Every effort was tried to discover the cause: people were hired to watch about the premises every night, but no clue could be discovered.
At length, suspicion having fallen upon the maid servant, Elizabeth Barret, she, on being strictly interrogated by the Rev. B.B. Syer, one of his Majesty’s Justices of the Peace, confessed that she had made the noises, for the purpose of having it believed that the house was haunted and that she might get away from her place.
As it was understood that nothing more could be done than to pay her her wages and dismiss her, she was of course discharged, thus obtaining the object she had in view. It is to be lamented (if true) that there is no legal punishment for such offences.
Suffolk Chronicle, 17th February 1816.