Newspaper Clipping of the Day

Via Newspapers.com

 

This little poltergeist report appeared in the “Memphis Avalanche,” October 25, 1888:

Chicago, Oct 24 — A special dispatch from San Antonio Texas says: The people of Brownsville are greatly excited over the bombardment of a residence near that town by invisible hands, Last Friday night the light-keeper’s house at Point Pabel, occupied by Mrs Schreiber, widow of the late keeper, was struck by a shower of shingle nails.  The occupants paid little attention to it until the next night when about dark the shower of nails began again, this time more vigorously than before, varied by an occasional oyster shell and clod of dirt. 

People gathered, but could not tell where the missiles came from.  Last night the bombardment was continued, brick-bats being added to the shells and nails and every now and then an old scrap of iron or copper casting. Mrs Krountze, Judge Lightburn, and several others were struck and bricks rolled through the house or entered at a window. A crowd collected and a deputy sheriff from Brownsville who was sent down to investigate made a careful search but could discover no source from where the shower of missiles came. 

The superstitious mariners at the Point insist that ghosts are the offenders and that it is because this light, which is of great use to commerce, was put out by order of the lighthouse board through some difficulty in acquiring title to the land. As it is not in operation they firmly believe a legend started, that during the war it was put out one night by a light keeper in league with wreckers, and a schooner was enticed ashore, and stoutly maintain that the ghosts of the drowned sailors are kicking up the present trouble as a mark of their disapproval of the absence of this needed beacon. About ten years ago the house of County Clerk Glanenecke in Brownsville was similarly bombarded.

It was reported elsewhere that Mrs. Schreiber, weary of the spectral assault, moved in with a neighbor, but the bombardment merely transferred itself to that house.  I couldn’t find any other follow-ups to the story.