For the past five or six days a continuous bombardment of rocks has been kept up at the Ashe mansion, at the north end of town. Stones as big as one’s fist enter the doors and windows in a very mysterious manner. Mrs Ashe has called in the neighbours as proof of these seemingly spiritual missiles, and a number have barely escaped being hit. Mrs Billings and her two children, a boy and a girl, aged respectively about 10 and 13 years, were arrested and tried by Justice Cooper on Friday, as the guilty party. They were discharged.
Tuolumne Independent, 19th July 1884.
The “Ghost” Discovered.
We noticed, last week, that the Ashe mansion, in the north end of town, had been bombarded with stones for a week previous, and that the mystery of the proceeding was not solved. The stone-throwing continued with brief periods of rest, until Thursday morning – but the mystery had no rest and no shrinkage. In fact the excitement had increased to an incredible extent, man, woman and child getting a bite more or less severe. “Mystery,” “Ghosts” and “Spirits” seemed to be the substance of conversation everywhere. Every little seed of superstition planted in the youth of the speaker would blossom with mystery in his mouth on this occasion. If the seeds had been carefully nursed into growth as the years advanced, the discussion would show fruit in the more or less belief that ghosts and spirits were “at the bottom of it.” The house has been visited by hundreds of people, and curiosity raged.
The stones thrown were, in size, from pebbles to a healthy fist, and fell as though tossed from a short distance. In fact, it was asserted by some, that one-pound boulders would drop like feathers, with not force enough to kill a fly. It is said that one man offered to make affidavit tht he saw one large stone when it had got two feet from the ground, go slowly into the air to a great distance, and fall gently and tenderly into Ashe’s. In short, the incidents, sayings and opinions would fill a volume. Our diminishing space warns us to boil it down.
Finally, several shrewd citizens, after patient watching, detected the adopted son of Mrs Ashe, a 14-year-old lad, in the act of tossing a stone. He was promptly brought to book, pressed and confessed. The ghost’s name is Charles Brown, his pet name being “Prince Albert.” The “Prince” as also the Ashes, are coloured. The lad is nervous and mischievous, but probably not more so than most boys of his age, and the whole proceeding was probably done for “fun,” although some hold the opinion that he was set on by others, for what reason is not stated. It is not claimed that he threw all the stones, and it is likely he was helped by others to keep up the excitement.
He says he did not intend to harm any one, least of all Mrs Ashe; but by accident she got a slight tap between the shoulders the day previous, and also a big one fell through her protecting umbrella when she went into the yard one day on a domestic errand. The old lady does not believe her boy guilty, and is very indignant that “Prince Albert” should be charged with the mischief.
The boy would stand with folded arms, out of the range of curious eyes, and flip the pebbles with accurate aim just where he wanted them to fall. The heavier stones he would hold in his hand by his side, and with a quick movement of the wrist propel them where he wished. The larger ones he would hold in his hand by his side, his face being from the house, and with a quick backward movement of the hand and forearm, jerk them toward the house.
The most singular part of the whole proceeding is, that, although the coloured people are naturally superstitious, Mrs Ashe has never expressed any fear of that nature, and has stayed in the house, laughing and jolly when interviewed, and saying she would hide in one room until the stones found her out, when she would go and hide in another. When she was advised to leave, she would refuse and express the determination not to be driven away, but would stay and “die in the last ditch.”
And so our Ghost is dead, and “Prince Albert” comes to the front as the hero of the hour.
Tuolumne Independent, 26th July 1884.