Haunted House.
For about two months the inhabitants of a three-story house, in Lady-lane of Paisley, were alarmed with an unusual sound in the night time. At first it created no great sensation, it having been heard only by individuals who happened not to be soon at bed, or early asleep. But, as the snow-ball rolls it increases in size, as the tributary streams when united produce the full flood, so when the whole tenantry had conversed together and compared notes on the subject, the thing assumed a more serious aspect, and unquestionably the house must be haunted.
Neither the landlord, who possesses the ground floor, nor any of his family, heard the noise which gave so much uneasiness to the occupiers of the upper flats, and he began to suspect there was some design to hurt his interest by raising and propagating a malicious report, calculated to ascertain if any such evil existed, and, if it did exist, from what cause it proceeded, neutral people were appointed to sit up during the night, and some important discovery was anxiously expected.
For eight or ten nights successively, a number of persons assembled in the premises, yet still the sound continued, resembling thunder at a great distance, or the report of cannon among distant hills, but no probable conjecture could be formed whence the sound proceeded.
In the meantime the story of the haunted house was widely spread, and while there was watching within, crowds of the idle and thoughtless assembled without, and remained in a riotous and disorderly manner till late hours in the morning. Stones were thrown on the roof to heighten the frightful scene, and at last it became necessary to have recourse to legal authority for suppression of the midnight tumult. Special constables were called out, and the police were directed to assist in preserving order.
Last week, however, the whole mystery was explained, and tranquility has been restored to the neighbourhood. The house in question was lately erected on the east side of the street, and at some distance, on the west side, is a brewery, and it has now been ascertained, that the workmen in the vaulted cellars of the brewery, striking on the casks of fermenting liquors, in order to forward the process of fermentation, has been the cause of all the alarm.
Caledonian Mercury, 17th October 1818.