The Farrar House Mystery.
The house in which the following remarkable event occurred, was situated on the spot where the Catholic parsonage now stands, and was known as the Farrar house. It is ony a few years since this house, which was a large two-story building, was taken down, and there are many, now living in town, who knew the Farrar family, but as far as I have been able to ascertain, the only one now living in the village, who was here in 1818, the year in which this incident transpired, is Mrs Allen Smith, who was a girl of eighteen at that time, and was teaching school here. She was familiar with the whole affair, and I am indebted to her for the following account.
At the time I am writing of, this house was occupied by Deacon Farrar and wife, a young man by name of George Kibby, a relative of Mrs Farrar’s, and a young girl, Hannah Nute, who assisted Mrs Farrar about the housework. She was a small, delicate looking girl, with very pretty blue eyes, and brown hair. Deacon Farrar, as his name indicates, was deacon of the Congregational church, a lawyer by profession, and had for some years been clerk of the court. He was a small, spare man, very agreeable and pleasant in his manners. Besides discharging his duties as a deacon, he was also a member of the choir, and played upon a very large bass viol. Mrs Farrar was a tall, thin woman, with dark hair, which she wore arranged in little curls at each side of herface; and she always wore a turban-shaped cap, which gave her a very majestic appearance. She was very dignified in her manners, and a little inclined to be aristocratic; but a most excellent woman, and a devout member of the church.
Hannah Nute occupied a bedroom on the ground floor and opening out of the kitchen, the other members of the family slept upstairs. One night Hannah was awakened by hearing a loud rap under her bed. She was much startled, but thinking it might be the rats in the cellar, was just going to sleep, when she was again disturbed by hearing three distinct raps in the same place. Thoroughly aroused and frightened, she jumped from her bed, ran through the kitchen to the hall, and up the stairs, calling “Oh! Mrs Farrar, Mrs Farrar,” as she fell almost fainting at her chamber door. “What do you mean, Hannah, by giving me such a fright? I thought the house was on fire,” said Mrs Farrar, opening the door.
“There is some one under my bed,” said Hannah, gasping for breath. “What nonsense, you have been dreaming.” “Oh, no! I wasn’t asleep, and they rapped three times very loud on the floor.” “Oh, Hannah, I am surprised that you should be so foolish, but come, I will go down with you and look under your bed.” “Oh, hadn’t you better get the deacon to go and look, I am sure some one is there?” but Mrs Farrar was already half way down stairs, and with fear and trembling, Hannah followed her. Mrs Farrar stopped in the kitchen and lighted a candle by the coals that were still brightly glowing on the hearth, and going into Hannah’s room looked under the bed. Hannah had not ventured into the room.
“Come here and look for yourself. Now are you convinced you were dreaming?” said Mrs Farrar, as Hannah stepped into the room. Just at that moment, three distinct raps came, apparently from beneath the girl’s feet. She gave a loud scream and ran into the kitchen, Mrs Farrar following rather quickly for her. “Oh, someone is in the cellar, do call the deacon,” said Hannah. Just then George Kibby, who had been awakened by Hannah’s screams, came rushing into the kitchen, calling out, “What is the matter?” closely followed by the deacon, who said, “Why, wife! what is this commotion?” Mrs Farrar explained the cause of this unusual excitement, and as if to corroborate her statement, there came a succession of loud raps on the kitchen floor. “There,” screamed Hannah. “This is really alarming,” said Mrs Farrar.
“I will soon find out what is making this disturbance,” said the deacon, taking the long iron fire-shovel in one hand, and the candlestick in the other, and starting for the cellar door. George took the tongs and followed, and Hannah, with a big stick of wood, brought up the rear. The cellar was thoroughly searched, but nothing was discovered. By this time they were all very much alarmed. A fire was built in the kitchen, and they gathered around it to talk the matter over. “Deacon,” said Mrs Farrar, “I think it is a warning. I have heard of such things.” “I think that the house is haunted,” said George. “Well,” said the deacon, “it is certainly a singular and startling phenomenon, and I think George had better go for Parson Willard.””Perhaps it is best,” said Mrs Farrar.
Meanwhile the rapping continued at short intervals. Hannah became almost prostrated with fright, the neighbours were sent for, and in the early morning the parson came; he could offer no explanation for the remarkable disturbance. It was thought proper under the circumstances to hold a religious service, the great family Bible was brought from the parlour, and a portion of the Scriptures read, and prayers offered, but still the raps were heard.
A thorough investigation of the house and cellar was made, and the blinds on the outside examined; but nothing could be found to throw the least light on this mysterious rapping. It was, however, ascertained that the raps only came in the room where Hannah was, and seemed to follow her; some persons thought she must in some way cause them. As the days went by and there was no cessation of this rapping, the whole town became excited; the house was thronged with people from this, and the adjoining towns, who came to visit the “haunted house.”
As many of the people in the village were of the opinion that Hannah Nute must in some way cause the raps, it was decided to have her watched, and four of the leading men of the town were appointed as an investigating committee. They tied the girl’s hands and feet, and laid her on a bed, they then sat down by her, two on each side of the bed. In that way she was watched for a day and night, but meanwhile the raps were heard, on the walls and floor, and even on the bedstead, but only in the room where Hannah was. The committee decided that they could not in any way account for the raps. Some of the people thought it was a warning to the family of some misfortune that would shortly follow, while others said it must be the work of the devil. The knowlege of knowing that she was suspected of making the raps, had made Hannah quite ill, and she begged to be sent away. On the day she left the house, the raps were more frequent than they had been, and as she passed through the hall to the door, seemed to follow her, and came with great force on the floor, but that was the last of the raps, whatever it was that caused them, whether “Good spirits or bad, Black spirits or white,” seemed to leave the house when Hannah did.
Deacon Farrar and family occupied the house for many years after, and never were troubled by a repetition of this remarkable occurrence, which has always remained unexplained, and the rappings at the Farrar house are still spoken of as a great mystery.
The Lancaster Sketch Book, by Persis F. Chase (1887)
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