Moldgreen.
Something like a ghost story.
On Sunday the inhabitants of Kilner-bank, Moldgreen, became much excited by the report that some unheard, unseen, unknown, and invisible persons had paid that locality a visit, but whether the visitants were denizens of this or some other hemisphere has not been ascertained. Living in one of the houses on the bank – several others being in close proximity – is A- C-, a mule spinner, with his wife and child, three years and a half old. Whether the good dame is addicted to looking after other people’s affairs and neglecting her own, when her husband is from home, deponent saith not; but it is certain she was from home at the time the singular occurrence we are about to record took place. If, as is alleged, it was a “ghost” who visited the place at noon time of day, it must have been an honest one, for not a single article or shilling was missed from the house.
It seems the spinner is in the habit of visiting his mother, who resides lower down the bank, on Sunday mornings. On Sunday last he left home as usual, and during his absence his wife also left the house, but did not take the child with her. On her return, at noon, she stood aghast at the spectacle that met her gaze. The square table that had contained the breakfast things was turned upside down, and the pots broken. Six drawers, with their contents, had been removed from the dresser and placed in the centre of the floor, the fender beside them, and the chairs pulled up on the top of all. The tongs, poker, and shovel had been placed across the fire grate, and the frying pan filled with cinders on the top of them. The coals that had been in the skep were strewed in a circle round the whole.
Upstairs matters were, if possible, worse. The cupboards and drawers were denuded of their contents, and, together with the carpets, were rolled into the middle of the floor, and the empty drawers on the top of all. Several of the chairs had either been carried or thrown downstairs. The poor woman having partially recovered from her fright, alarmed her neighbours, who were as much astonished at the circumstance as the spinner’s wife, who declared she had not left the house ten minutes. No one had been seen about, no noise had been heard, nor could any clue be obtained to the mystery.
The only explanation was from the child, who said a man and boy had come up the cellar, but this does not seem probable, as the cellar was undisturbed.
On the return of her husband, Police-constable Keighley and Police-sergeant Lucas were communicated with. These officers visited the house the same afternoon, and found it as above described. Enquiries and search were made, but not the slightest trace could be found of any one having entered the house. The whole affair remains up to the present a complete mystery, and has given rise to much comment, mirth, and excitement.
Huddersfield Chronicle, 10th November 1866.