A Singular Incident.
Early in last week, some little alarm was occasioned at No. 4, Ferndale Terrace, the residence of Mr F E Smith, solicitor, through the ringing at intervals of the street door bell, which was affixed in the underground kitchen. The servant, in answering the bell, found, to her surprise, that the alarmists, whoever they were, had absconded.
Supt. Duffman[?] was consequently communicated with, and on the night of the 24th ult. P.S. Cross secreted himself and watched the front entrance for upwards of two hours, without detecting any miscreant pulling at the bell. This was reported to Mrs Allen and Mrs Theo. B. Clark (Mr and Mrs Smith being from home at the time), who were in the house, and who informed the police sergeant that the bell had run several times during that period. A watch was therefore kept up by them and others until Wednesday, to see if they could ascertain the cause, but with the same result as before – a repeated ringing of the bell.
It was then suggested that the Post-office telegraph wire from Malmesbury to Tetbury, which was fastened on to the insulator and held up by an iron about nine inches in length, projecting from the house, caused some electricity, which made the bell to ring. The Telegraph Department was communicated with, and an officer was sent down on Wednesday. He thoroughly examined the street door bell to ascertain the cause of the mysterious ringing.
On Thursday the same official removed the whole of the bell apparatus from the handle at the door to the bell, and substituted new wire, to ascertain the effect upon the strange movement of the bell. He also removed the insulators and telegraph wire from the corner of the house (which was affixed as much as ten yards from the door bell). The result, however, was as before – a continual ringing of the same bell.
To subdue this and put a stop to the nuisance the bell was entirely removed from its place, leaving the whole affair yet in mystery. The matter is still under investigation.
North Wilts Herald, 3rd December 1881.
We understand that the cause of the mysterious ringing of the bell, &c., at No. 4, Ferndale Terrace, has been solved, the servant girl admitting having done it, and she has since been discharged.
North Wilts Herald, 17th December 1881.