Newspaper Clipping of the Day

Via Newspapers.com

Poltergeist activity often takes place within a surprisingly short time frame, but this flying visit may be one for the record books. The “Black River Gazette,” August 6, 1875:

A San Diego correspondent of the San Francisco Mercury writes as follows, under date of 13th ult, in relation to some strange doings in the former place.

A rather singular event occurred a few days since in the house of a family named Ranney, residing in this place. Mrs. Ranney, her daughter, aged 16, and two ladies who were calling on the family, were present.

The three ladies were seated together conversing on the subject of "the week of prayer." The daughter was seated near them, and about three or four feet from a door. All at once the door was suddenly, by unseen hands, lifted off its hinges, carried four or five feet from its place and leaned very carefully, and without noise, against a dish cupboard, on which were three lamps which the door touched, and which a very slight jar would have caused them to be thrown down, but strange to say nothing was injured in the least.

The water-faucet was next turned on. The water splashed in the sink for a moment, and then the same unseen agency very carefully turned it off.

All this happened in plain view of all four persons present who, by the way, are not spiritualists, two of the ladies being members of the orthodox church.

As they were talking about it, and wondering what could be the cause, another door was violently swung open accompanied by a loud noise, as though the door had been struck or swept by the branches of a tree.

This occasioned them fresh alarm. After a careful examination of the house and premises, on which there is not a tree, nothing was found to show the slightest indication of the cause, and the party again entered the house, when the daughter said, "Maybe it's spirits." As soon as she spoke the sound was repeated of the branches swaying and scratching against the door, as if it were an affirmative answer to the remark.

This event has created considerable interest here, taking place as it did in the broad light of day and in the presence of witnesses. We do not know to what agency to attribute it, but on the whole we consider it a very singular occurrence.

I couldn’t find any follow-ups to this story. Whatever it was disturbing the peace of the Ranney home, it seems to have become bored with the family very quickly.