A Muscular Ghost.
A painful feeling has been caused in Staten Island by a ghost which has been amusing itself every night by bombarding the houses of unoffending inhabitants with large stones. These mysterious attacks began one night in July, when Mr Charles Rilling, a detective residing in Morris-street, was awakened from his sleep by a shower of stones hurled against the doors of his house. He went out into the garden, but could see only a few geese, which were evidently not concerned in the offence; and, as the bombardment did not begin afresh, he returned to his bed.
But the next night his house was again attacked; the bombardment extending this time to the next house, occupied by Mr Arthur Brash. The two victims then went out into a field of Indian corn which was opposite their houses, thinking the aggressors might be concealed in it; but they were assailed by stones from the four points of the compass, and beat a strategic retreat. The bombardment was resumed regularly every night, and nine of the principal inhabitants constituted themselves intoa vigilance committee. But, though they have lain in wait every night for two months, and though they have heard the stones come rattling against the doors, breaking the windows of several houses, they are now convinced that they have not been hurled by human hands, and the vigilance committee has been dissolved.
The mystery is generally regarded as insoluble; but the prevailing opinion is that the attacks are made by the ghost of a man named Rheinhardt, who was hanged a few months ago, and whose phantom has since been seen driving in a wheelbarrow by several of the inhabitants who formerly had the pleasure of his acquaintance. – St James’s Gazette.
Blackburn Standard, 1st October 1881.