A THUMPING GHOST

Horowhenua Chronicle, 25 February 1915, Page 4

A THUMPING GHOST

PORT MELBOURNE MYSTERY

Jfivente in a house in McCormack street, Port Melbourne, are converting residents ■ of the shipping suburb to spiritualism. Stolid police constables are among those convinced that ghosts are nightly visitors to the building.

Three montKs ago a 'I'asmanian, nis wife and 12 sons and daughters came across the Strait and occupied the residence, the father obtaining employment as night watchman on the excursion steamer Hygeia. It was shortly after his appointment to these all-night duties that the mysterious visitors began zb invade his household. The phenomena began with rattlings of the key n The front door. The family constantly rushed our, hoping to surprise and capture tho intruders, but though on one occasion they saw lights and heard footsteps, they secured no cessation of these midnight noises.

They were next disturbed by flashes of light. These danced around the main sleeping room in the early hours of mornings, and were inexplicable.

The working of the key ceased when a light was left all night by the frontdoor window, but the whole family was rouse a fortnight ago by a violent rapping, pushing, and shaking of a side door and window. One of the boys secured the family revolver and threatened to fire, whereupon the ghost desisted. By that time three windows had been cracked.

Two constables were told off to help the family. Constable Walsh tells the following tale: — "l was instructed to remain overnight in the nouse, which »s a large wooden structure. I settled myself in a room, and just when everything was quiet towards the early morning was startled by hearing three heavy thumps, apparently from the side of the uhouse. I am not a nervous man, bu* when I went outside and suddenly felt and heard three heavy bumpe at my very feet, shaking the whole house, a sort of shiver went through me. It was like a giant thumping with the palm of his hand, and was heard by neighbors two doors away. Nothing was to be seen, an<J there was no footprint on the garden which I had dwg up during the evening. ,.

Constable Croft's story is similar. He was startled and astounded. He fired his revolver, but nothing' happened. Only the huge (thumping could bo heard. He dug a,tunnel under the house and found nothing. Then i.v. organised the neighbours into a ghtistlaying brigade, and a watch was kept from housetops and other points of van tage, without result. The fierce thumping came regularly between midnight and three, but nothing else happened.

As a final effort the night-watchman organised a band of armed men, seven in number who spent a night in neighbouring sheds. When the thumping TTc; urred they searched the neighbourhead, without result.

The whole neighbourhood.is now seeking the ghost .but the thumper is mJt discouraged, and police reports states that the deafening noises can be heard every morning—comefimes one set of every morning—someflces one se-t of len violent attacks.