A strange story about stone throwing by spirits.
The following remarkable narrative we find in the New York Evening Post of August 18th, one of the leading daily newspapers of America, and we are glad to state that Mr Epes Sargent is now inquiring into its authenticity: –
A Familiar Spirit Indeed.
From New Martinsville, West Va., comes the latest ghost story. If we may credit the account given by the Wheeling Intelligencer, there lives, twenty-five miles up Fishing Creek, and about twenty miles from Burton, one Henry Nolan, a wealthy, and altogether respectable gentleman. Mr Nolan has a son John, thirteen years of age. He is a bright, intelligent boy, and has always, until lately, been in good health and spirits. Early last spring, however, he began to be troubled in a manner unaccountable to his parents, who at first thought he had lost his reason. He was followed, he said, continually when in the house, by an old grey-headed man. He could see this man plainly, but no one else could. John’s parents becoming alarmed, sent him away from home, and he remained some time, experiencing no annoyance while absent. His friends, thinking his mind sound an dheath restored, sent for him, and he retuned, but to have his every step dogged in the same mysterious manner.
Now the affair took a different turn, and stones began to be hurled at him by this old but invisible man. If John was in the house the stones would fall upon the roof; likewise if he was in any of the outbuildings. If he was in the yard or fields – in fact, in any place outdoors – they would fall around and upon him, but never hurt him. These stones varied in size from the dimensions of a pullet’s egg to those of a human fist. They could be seen coming through the air, but from whose hand John alone could tell. He could always plainly see the old man hurling them at him.
Things went on in this way for some time, John steadily and rapidly failing in health and strength till July, when he again left home, and, as before, was not troubled during his absence. He was to return on Sunday, the 9th of the month, and now some of the friends and neighbours determined to ferret out and expose the whole business. Accordingly, on Saturday four men armed themselves and went to the house.
Early Sunday morning, before John was up (he was never in any way disturbed while asleep), they surrounded the building, first being careful that within their circuit no one was concealed. Scarcely had John arisen when the stones began falling almost in a shower on the roof. Looking up into the air, the party could see them dropping like rain, but whence they came, or by what power impelled, was a complete mystery. Of one fact all were assured: they were thrown by no one within a long distance of the house.
After breakfast John came out and the stones fell thick and fast around him now, apparently coming from a field near the house. John could distinctly see his old assailant in the field, so with rifles cocked the men moved in that direction. The boy described the ghost as sitting in a small bunch of briar bushes – the very one whence the bombardment proceeded. The patch was instantly surrounded, rushed upon with clubs and stones, and John saw the old man enter another. This was in its turn surrounded, but with the same effect. Sometimes after coming from a patch the old man would enter another a few feet away, sometimes dash across the field.
All Sunday the search went on, but without success. On Monday, however, while the storming party were running from briar heap to briar heap, their victim became suddenly visible to all. He was dressed in blue trousers and shirt, of fine-looking material. He w as hatless, but his long white flowing beard and hair hung in profusion around his shoulders and over his breast. His face was pale, his eyes clear and sharp, and black as night. He was ordered to surrender, but did not deign to stir. The men then closed upon him, but he darted off like a deer. Meanwhile the stones continued to rattle down, though propelled by some other power than the arm of the phantom.
John started in pursuit, running with such swiftness that he kept by the old man’s side, while the rest of the party were left far behind. Again the strange being entered a thicket of briars, and became invisible to all except the boy. As soon as he was driven from that hiding-place he entered another, and so the chase went on. Once more during the day he appeared in full sight, and this time as he still spurned all attempts to make him surrender, it was decided to shoot him. One of the men took deliberate aim with his rifle and fired, but in vain. The two men prepared to reload their rifles, but upon neither of them was there a lock, both having fallen off.
For two days this hunt proceeded, without satisfactory results. On Tuesday, however, a smoke was observed to arise from every bush whence the stones came. Another singular circumstance was connected with this, namely, that an Indian hen, a bird found everywhere in that part of the country, was seen to rise from each bush, and fly to another, the volley seeming to follow in the wake of her flight.
No conclusion having been arrived at with regard to this mystery, the investigation is abandoned. John, now weak and emaciated, wasted away to a shadow of his former self, has been sent away from home, and had not, up to the time the report was written, returned.
This story, incredible as it may seem, comes to the Intelligencer supported by the names of citizens well known in the neighbourhood where the events are alleged to have occurred.
Spiritualist, 11th September 1874.