Upwell.
Spirit rapping.
Shooting a ghost!
On Saturday last, a case of assault was heard before the Isle Magistrates, in which a young man named Barnes was summoned for assaulting Elizabeth Mudd, both being in the service of George Lilley, farmer. During the investigation, it was stated that for upwards of four months past the house was supposed to have been haunted by some evil spirit (?) which had taken up its residence in the front door, and from which, at the hour of midnight, loud and continuous knockings proceeded.
Mr and Mrs Lilley are upwards of seventy years of age, and are said to have a strong belief in evil spirits; and these noises, of course, considerably terrified them. The house was watched, but still the knockings were heard, yet nothing was to be seen.
After many consultations as to the best mode of getting rid of the supposed ghost, one of the wiseacres determined upon killing it outright. The knocking again commenced; and having procured a loaded gun, the simpleton placed himself within a foot of the door, and discharged the gun with its contents, if not through the ghost, certainly through the door, for some of the shot entered the ceiling of the room. This courageous act it was expected would completely drive away the evil spirit; but no, the ghost came again and again; and the inmates despairing of driving it away, resolved upon and actually returned an answer by knocking at the door each time with a large stick.
During the knocking one night, the servant girl Mudd called to Barnes to get up and knock at the door: and having left his room, he observed the girl on the staircase with a large stick in her hand: this was conclusive evidence, and from that time the girl was charged with being the supposed ghost.
To test this, Mr John Chapman, (alias “Tom and Jerry,”) of Wisbech, who is distantly related to Mrs Lilley, visited the house, and in order to bring the matter home to the girl he ordered the milk puncheons to be brought in which was forthwith done: he then smeared the inside of them with lard, summoned the girl, and told her that when she touched them, if she was guilty the clock would strike 12!
Our readers may readily guess the result of such a ridiculous farce; the clock gave no signs of her guilt, and some other course and a much more reasonable one was adopted, viz., locking her bedroom door when she had retired to rest. The girl was unable to leave her room, the noises ceased, and it is hoped that Mr and Mrs Lilley will now regain their usual composure, and that their credulous notions will, like the ghost, vanish.
Cambridge Chronicle and Journal, 4th March 1854.