EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE IN SHROPSHIRE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XL, Issue 2931, 14 February 1884, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY OCCURRENCE IN SHROPSHIRE.

(Hereford Times, Nov. 29th.) A Shrewsbury correspondent says :— A sequel to certain extraordinary occurrence!! at the Woodj, Loppington, near Shrewsbury, happened on Thursday, the Bth, at the village of Westen Fuilenfield, about two miles from Mr Hampaon's farm, and is sufficiently conclusive to confirm the events tha>; took place there early m the week. It .ippears that the servant, Emma Davieii, who resided with the Hampsons, was discharged, the farmer and hia wife feeling anything but comfortable at her presence. On Thursday the girl went to assist Mra Jones, a neighbor, to wash the household linen, but had not long bean engaged m this occupation when the bucket m which she was washing jumped about the house throwing water and clothes m all directions. Tho family Bible and other books placed on a side table did the same, narrowly escaping j the flumes. On attempting to pick them i up_ a boot flew over tfie girl's head, s'riking the mantelpiece. Later oa,, when both women went out to place the i clothes on the hedge for drying, those that j the girl placed jumped, over into the i road. Mrs Jones, getting alarmed,- , ordered the girl homin- On arriving ] there her preaence induced a lump of ] coal to- leap from the firci across the room , to a table, and the flower-pots iv the i window also behaved m an extraordinary 1 mannor. The girl shortly afterwards < went out to fetch hee ft.ther, but before i proceeding far she became very ill and < fell down m tho road. fshe waa conveyed i back to her home and a physicijai oalled I m. i The same correspondent adds: — I visited Weston Fullenfeld on Saturday afternoon for the purpose of inquiring into the extraordinary occurrence m connection with tho young girl Emmsi Da vies, ond found sufficient evidence to confirm every detail oi the remarkable event. The girl, who is m her thirteenth year, resides m the village with her parents. On returning to her home lost evening the hourohold and other artichs commenced nioviog about m all directions m the most mysterious manner. Thin continued during tho night. Six panes of glass were broken m the room, and outside tho greatest disorder prevailed, and oil the side of the house were strewn broken bricka,crc>ckery, glass, stones, &c, which could not bo accounted for m any way. Ono woman waa r.truck with a sfconu 150 yards off - another, who was m ths house, received a wound m the arm from, a knife passing her, and an ulster belonging to the girl had every button torn, from it m tho room. A number of the Shropuhi.ro constabulary visited tho premises on Saturday to investigate the extraordinary circumstances, but wero naable to aolve the mystery. The girl was made to do somo household work, but nothing unusual was observable. Dr Cook, of Baschnich, was ! called m, nnd made a close examination of thegirl, but was unable to obtain much information from hsr. ' He stated that she was m a very excitable and nervous atato, but was not a designing girl. The matter is causing tho greatest excitement throughout th* whole neighborhood, and much superstition prevails m the village. The correspondent paid another visit to Weston FullenGuld on Mondt.y, ana was informed that on Saturday nnd Sunday there were more extraordinary manifestations m connection with the girl Emma Davies. P.O. Taylor, of the Shropshire Constabulary, remained m the house until late on Saturday. During the time he was there the fender moved from ihe fireplace into the middle of the room, and on being replaced came forward a second nnd third time. A_ cushion placed at She back of a chair on which tbe girl wit several times flew" across the room, and all the atitchesinher apron :au ; e undone, followed later on by the buttons upon bar dress being wrenched off. Miss Maddox, the village schoolmistress, made a statement to the correspondent t<> the effect that she called to see the girl, a former pupil, on Saturday evening, and had not long been seated when she observed both the chair and the girl rise from the floor. She took the girl m her lap and sat m the chair herself, and immediatoly the girl's boots flew off, and although replaced the circumstance was twice repeated. Oa Sunday a box m » bedroon was hurled across the room, and a number of cups and saucers were smashed. A reporter has interviewed tho mother and the neighbors of the child, and has obtained the following narratives :— Mrs Davfes stated that on Thursday evening Emma went down to the house of her brother, EdwatdDavieii, who lives m Wharf road. While there she was helping her sister-in-law to hang some clashes out to dry, but the collars and other small articles jumped off the hedge as fast as she coulc'l pat them on, while thtise put on by her lister-in-law did not move. Tbey went into the back kitoben, where there was a buiiket filled, with soapsuds, ond directly Emma passed it moved several yardu and ur>set. Then just as thoy got into the kite len, the Bible flew off the table on to the hearth, and a pair of boots were hurled over thoir heads against tho mantel-p ieco, whilst, the mat was thrown from the door into tho middle of tho road. Tho cjal-hamrner was also thrown into the road, and when it was fetched back it went again. Emma then walked home, and told mo thoy had sent htr home as tha things had begun to fly t.bont as they did at "The Wood." I went out to cut sticks, and my daughter went to the door, and at once shouted, " Mother there ia a lump of ccal on the table." I went m the house, and fouud a largo pieco of burning coal on the table opposite the tire, ond I put it on the fire again with the tongs. I was very much alarmed, and told Emma to go out. Sbs went out through tha back d jot, and junt as she passed a benoh n large stein filled with water, which stood on it, leaped after her, and, filling on the pavement near her. broke into atoms. I told her she bad better fetch her father who works at Petfori, and she started. On tho way, howovcr,' ahti became suddenly ill, and she was brought back m a trap. Shi screamed frightfully, and directly she came to the house a largo flower-pot began to clatter, 1 called m a neighbor to look at it. It moved to the edgo of the sill, and I puiiticd it back. My huaband theu cumo homo and said he vrould not believe that such things had taken place. Shortly afterwards another pieco of coal shot off the fire. Three or four neighbors were m the house at this time,' j.nd wa all agree! to 450 outside and take my daughter with us. Thero were a lot of people outsidi). We had jtist got outtiido when there seemed to enrae a shower of stones, broken iiles, brink*, and soil. Some struck thi> vrfndow*, Dime full on the slates, and one large luiaajf of soil fell •on* my •Jjfculdei'. \fe did nipt know whew

they oame from.. We at onoe went m side the house again, and just then ther was a burst as il: bottles were breaking, suppose tbat was tho upstairs win dow breaking. Then the cloth ns brush fl.iw over our heads nne went under the fire. It waa pu back, but it again jumped into the hearth and it was put back three times after wards. Emma, was at this time m the kitchen. A Primitive Methodist hyrat book jumped oif the table three or fom times m the hearth, and here are the black marks on it. A knife that hat been left on the table was also hurlec across the room. None of us except the little boys went to bed that nighl (Thursday). There were a lot of Primitive Methodists here, and we had a prayei meoting. The girl seemed to be very much frightened, and trembled violently when the things weie moving. On Friday morning pieces of bricks and soil continued to dy about, and we did not know where theycam-3 from. A neighbor, Mrs Kynaston, who was sitting ma chair m fho lintico OJno Dt.n.t nr. Hi,. „_„ .. _J .._„„„, .. _„ „„„„„ „,. v „„ „,,„, lllllu two or threo pieces afterwards enrue through the doorway. My daughter drank a good deal, but we could got her to eat nothing scarcely. On Saturday morning, about half-post two, she went to bed and slept until nbout nine. She jumped nervously m her eleop. While she slept everything was quiet, but directly sho awoke, a little workbox flew off tha chimney-piece right across the room to the et»irs door. There wag a tremendous row, as if the roof waa fulling m. The noise upset the woman who lives m th-3 adjoining houae, and sho liad to go away. The girl then got up, ancl as she was coming towards the door, a large swing looking-glass fell from the dressingtable, bnt it did not break. Mrs Der.n, who had been called m to nurse the children, said : I plaited the girl's hair and tied it up four times, and it came down each time. She went out. of doors, and as she closed the door a knife seemed to be drawn off the table. Her cousin then went after her into Ihe garden, and Bhe. saw a saucepan jumpoft" the bench towards her. I afterwords went with her, and she appeared vary excited and frightened. Ab soon as we got insido a building a number of garden tools hanging on the -.Tall fell down with a clatter, and a garden fork seemed to spring towards Emma, tho handle striking her m the face. She was subsequently eitting near the kitchen window, between two or three neighbors, when a resi of cotton which I was using wsb moved off ihe table on to the ground three or four times. Then a brush ancl comb and a pair of Bcissors were thrown to the ground. -Two men from Baschurch came to the window and shouted to her mother, who was m the upstairs window, that they would like to aeo the littlo girl. Tho girl heard them, and said, " Ob, aunt, they shan't see me ; .I'll go upstairs," and she ran up at once. Sho could hardly keep anything m her hands. She was eating a crust upstairs, and it left her three or four times, and I had to pick it up for her. Her hair came down each time. It was plaited, and she Haiti someone '.vas pulling it down nil the time. She then wanted to go m the fire, and was very wild. At times it took threa or four of us to hold her. Five policemen wera here, and they questioned her. Sho seemed very much frightened. She wan induced to lay the cloth and put the tea things ou tho table, bat nothing unnatur&l occurred. One of the police-men Baw her slippers shoot off her feet soon afterwards, Her bopts came off continually. I stooped down once to put thorn on, and a lot of old clothes, which were hanging on some pegs, were flung on my back. The candleatiok went against the wall, and we were loft m tho darkness. I Bhontec'l for a light, and lier father came. Tbuna large piece of wood was burled out of doors, and some tools rattled as if they '. were being shuken by some one. As we ] came m the house two buckets moved towards us, «.nd when we got to the , door several articles came right m our \ faces, as if theiy were blown by a wind, . A butter dish on the table was dashed to { the ground closo to Mrs Davies' feet, and . cups and sauoers were all taken off the | tray and thrown up to the ceiling, . falling m atoms. The schoolmistress ; kept the girl outside for some time and | soothed her, telling her nothing could ( hurt her if shij would pot her trust m ] God. All then came m the house again, , when the chair which the school- . mistress sat on with the girl moved several times. The girl trembled very much at this lime. She had always beon a regular attendant at tha Chapel Sunday i school, and as there were several chapel : people m the house, they deoided to sing ' a hymn. They sang as well as they i could, thonghtheyall appeared frightened, ' but it did not seem to take the attention ' of the girl, and she did not join m it. While we were all sitting, the large table ' tray moved, and we were all frightened. ( About one o'olock on Sunday morning Bhe ' appeared to get qnieler, and we pur- ' suaded her to . go . jto bed; Sho afterwards g>t. up and wu going out of floors m the afternoon, whaii nn iron dish and I a piato were thrown towards herj and ' that frighten Bd her vary muoh. During j the day other pitchers were bijokiin. They seemed lo be draws .towa'rdi her. ' We toolt her for a walk m the fiejils m ' the afternoon, and she iieerned very (nuch ' afraid of the crowd of paople. At tea ' time tlie caps and sauceni would have ■ fallen iigain if I had not seen the tray ' moving and prevented it. At toa she ! tried to eat an egg, but tha spaon j seemed to spin out of her hand into the air. 3he could not hold her bread ; and butter, and a saucer flew from her band. Several neighbors came m and ' prayed with her, but she did not seem to notice them, On Sunday night she got ' more excited than ever, and oried out several timeu " Fire ! fire ; I must go m the fire, I must be bnrnt." Shu often said something abont an old woman. She struggled hard to get to the fire. The preacher catne from the chapel and began to pray, but she raved so madly that they had to take hor out. There she got loose and ran iw.oss the garden, but her undo caught her, Dr Cook, of Bnsohurch, came shortly afterwards, , and sent thu crowd away aa thoy wero exciting her. In reply to Dr Cook's questions, she said she should J.ike to go with him, and she went away jin his trap.' I