THIS comes from a Justice of the Peace in the Western Counties:
Retiring to bed one Sunday night to my room situate off a rather long
landing in an old farmhouse near here, I slept from about 10:30 p.m.
to about 1:30 a.m. I was then awakened by hissing noises—very similar
to those made by a flock of geese—coming from the landing. This was
followed by footsteps proceeding to a spare room at the end of the
landing. The footsteps died away, and immediately there commenced a
violent rattling of empty milk pans and other odd things stored in
that room. The footsteps would again be heard, and this was followed
by severe shaking of my own and other bedroom doors in the house. I
sat up in bed and tried to call to the person in the next room, but
found I was unable to do so, apparently from shock. These noises
continued without a break until 4 a.m. Then the footsteps seemed to
go along the landing, down the stairs, across the hall, and through
the front door, which seemed to close with a huge bang. When all
seemed quiet again I gained courage enough to go downstairs, and
found the house in order as at the time of retiring to bed, and,
stranger still, the front door was still bolted and barred as usual
on the inside. The rest of the household had heard exactly the same
sounds as myself. Some who had come to stay in the house for a
holiday hurriedly returned to their homes in Birmingham the same
morning, thus losing their proposed fortnight's stay. I also changed
my residence, and did not sleep in the house again.
Moreover, I knew personally a tenant of the same house who heard
strange noises there; he actually sat up at nights with a friend to
try and find out the cause and went so far as to take up the
flooring. The mysterious noises both in my own case and on three
other occasions within twelve months could never be explained, and
to-day I am unable to offer any solution.