From ‘Throwing of stones and other substances by spirits’ by William Howitt.
… The disturbance of the monastery of Maulbronn took place in the year 1659-60. It began with the throwing of different things from the roof, and through the windows of the abbey. But we must give an ampler notice of this remarkable case than Perty, which we take from the Bletter aus Prevorst, V., p. 142.
At this time the evangelical prelate, Schlotterbek, presided over the monastery. The annoyance began on the 1st of August by quantities of stones, wood, charcoal, paper, rags, copper, coming tumbling from the roof. At first it was thought to be the practical joke of a student, or some other person in the abbey, or the work of a martin or rat. But no amount of research could make any such discovery, and the more the examination was pursued, the more the missiles came down, so that the court was daily scattered with falling stones, wood, and dirt, which every night were by the same unseen powers carefully gathered and swept into a heap. The clearing of these heaps away availed not, for daily more came down, and some not only into the court, but into the rooms of the house.
From the sitting-room, the larder, and the kitchen of the prelate, even in the presence of the inmates, were now thrown, by invisible hands, a table, a great piece of window lead, weights, a basket full of apples; out of a chamber, a bed quilt and pillow, clothes belonging to the housekeeper, and the clothes of the maids, were flung out of different windows; out of the kitchen were thrown kettles, ladles, spoons, pewter plates, and many other articles, besides lard, flesh out of the pots on the fire, books, etc. A heavy block of wood, and a number of other heavy articles were daily seen, and at all hours of the day, to rise up, pass out of the windows, and instead of falling in the court or the garden, and along as if suspended by an invisible link, and leisurely, as it were, take their walks about the gardens and grounds. At night it pulled people’s clothes off their beds, and on one occasion threw a whole bed out of the window.
The mischievous spirits did not stay here. They now began to set the abbey on fire, and at different times and places the flames burst out. Watches were set in every quarter, day and night, but in the very presence of these the mischief went on. The horses were continually let loose in the stables, and again the moment the grooms refastened them. In the house noises as of whole armfulls of wood being thrown down before the chamber doors in the night, so as to shake the floor, frequently startled the sleepers. Shots appeared to be fired in different rooms, and people to be running about in stilts with the greatest noise. The watchers opened the rooms – all was quiet.
On the appeal of the prelate, a detachment of soldiers was sent by the Government, who kept the most vigilant watch, but to no purpose. All the phenomena went on before their faces. The noises grew more violent, figures were seen gliding to and fro, but whilst pursued by the soldiers never could be overtaken. They tossed the soldiers and officers about in their beds at night. A soldier looking out of a window at night in his watch the casement was knocked against his head with such violence as to break all the glass. The night was perfectly still. Black cats appeared, and were pursued by the soldiers with drawn swords, but uselessly; and the Government offered 40 florins reward for the seizure of one of these ghostly cats, with as little success. We have no account of how long this most malicious persecution went on.
Spiritual Magazine, January 1865.