Saturday, January 13, 2018

Ghost(?) Mystery at Sherburne, NY - 1884 - Part 3

Still Unraveled
Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, December 31, 1884

The late sensation brought about by the story related by the Boos family in regard to the mysterious operations which have been going on at their home, has by no means abated.  The affair has created a great deal of talk wherever it became known, and doubtless will continue to excite comment so long as it remains shrouded in mystery.  People seek for an explanation, but as yet none have been able to throw any light as to the cause which has produced all of these singular and unnatural disturbances heretofore mentioned.  The house has been visited by many people, who went there for the purpose of investigating the matter, and yet none of them have thus far been able to ferret out the same. They give their opinion, but what does that amount to, so long as they do not clearly know whether the disturber is a man or devil.  Boos informed the Telegraph representative that the strange being, whatever it is, is there yet, and that it is getting more bold in its operations. The boy Charlie was at the home of a neighbor for a few days, but his absence seemed to make no particular difference with the business of the intruder, for it kept right on with its work just the same as though the whole family were at home.  Boos has a pair of tongs which he had made for the purpose of catching the animal, but says he will have to have them altered over to make them of service to him. Two gentlemen from New Berlin visited the house a few days ago.  Both were armed with revolvers and were men of grit and courage. Before going to the house they were advised by Mr. Boos to carry their robe and blankets to the house, but they considered them safe where they were and left them in the cutter in the barn.  When they returned to the barn for their horse, the robe and blanket were missing, and afterwards found by them in the corn house. The family were all in the house during the time the gentlemen stayed with the exception of the boy, who was absent from home.  Mrs. Boos the other day discovered her jelly had been meddled with and the glass jars in which she kept it had been opened and a portion of the jelly gone.  A few days since two good looking young men from Norwich who have been canvassing Sherburne for a new kind of hanging lamp, heard of the haunted house and concluded to wend their way there and stay overnight.  They asked Boos if he would keep them, and after he had looked them over sufficiently and found them perfectly harmless and ghost proof, invited them in and offered them the best bed in the house. The boys thought they had best sleep on the floor in case the animal came near them, as then they might have a better chance to escape in safety.  They made known their wish to sleep on the floor and a place was prepared for them.  Toward midnight they felt something crawling up between them which cause both to tremble.  The light was burning dimly at the time, and they could discern an object in bed with them.  Their hair began to straighten and pull on their scalps. To run would be useless, and they made up their minds to stand their ground, life or death.  One of them, the most courageous one, doubled up his fist and sent a blow at the object which fairly made it yell, its voice was recognized as that of a cat. the boys did not sleep anymore in that house for the remainder of the night.  Some people seem to think that Peck, a Bad Boy, is about the premises; others believe it is a ghost, and still there are some who believe older heads have a finger in the matter.
 
Chenango Semi-Weekly Telegraph, January 17, 1885
 
The strange being which recently made things lively at the residence of Fred Boos near Sherburne, has been rather quiet for some time.  The mystery as to what it was, or is, still remains unsolved.

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