THE MARY CARRICK POLTERGEIST

~~~  Hello everyone, today I am posting another Saturday Ghost Story.....just one day late!  I`d like to explain that the stories I post are all true, all from the same book and in the editor`s words and not mine, except here and there when I`m not happy with the grammer used, or if there is a way to tell the story with fewer words than originally used.  Everyone of these tales is in the public domain and where possible I will add graphics.  I can`t find a graphic for this particular story but i hope you enjoy it all the same.  ~~~

 

THE MARY CARRICK POLTERGEIST

USA

1867

Mary Carrick emigrated from Ireland to the USA in May 1867.  Illiterate but bright, and in good health, she quickly found a job as a housemaid with the Willis family.  Mr H.A. Willis himself told the story in a report for the Atlantic Monthly of August 1868, which he titled a ` A Remarkable Case of  Physical Phenomena`.

After Mary Carrick had been six weeks in the Willis house,  the kitchen bells began to ring at intervals through the day, even though no-one was pulling the cords.  The bells themselves were three metres up the kitchen wall.  When disconnnected they continued to ring, but only when Mary was in the room or the room adjoining.  The rings were violent, as if the bells were being tugged hard.  Then came rappings on doors, wall and windows close to where Mary was working.  She grew nervous and hysterical as a result of the happenings.  She feared dismissal and begged the Willises not to send her away.

She had no friends or contacts in the USA to turn to.  Some local spiritualists, hearing of the case, showed interest, but Willis, convinced there must be some more rational cause, would not allow them in the house.  The happenings grew more violent.  Chairs were being tipped over, crockery flew across the room, and tables were lifted and tilted.  A heavy stone washing-slab rose up, fell back, and broke.  Things came to a climax in August , with buckets tipping over and spilling, the washtub emptying itself, and heavy furniture turned over, while furious raps and bangs were heard on the wall.  Mary was sent away for a rest and peace returned to the household but when she came back it all broke out again.  On 12th September, Mary suffered a nervous collapse, and was taken away to an asylum, where she worked as a maid for the rest of her life.

Willis` own explaination for the attacks was that in some way they involved electricity.  When he put glass insulators under Mary`s bed and the kitchen table, these remained still while other objects continued to move.  But he could not establish what kind of process it was, nor could he explain how mary herself became clairvoyent for the duration of the attacks.