On June 26th, two or three matches fell from the ceiling at the author’s feet.  Being a great smoker, he requested the ghosts to throw down a few more, which they did.  He would simply say, “Bob, I would like a few matches, if you please.”  When down they would come from the ceiling.  Forty-five were thrown during the day, and on another day during the afternoon forty-nine fell to the floor.

It must be remembered that all the manifestations witnessed by the author took place in the broad light of day, and that the only other persons present were the various members of the family.

On June 28th, the sound of a trumpet was heard by the author and all the family.  It continued to be blown about the house from early morning until late in the evening.  The sound was very distinct and was at times close to their ears.  Late in the evening “Bob” let the trumpet fall in one of the rooms.  It is composed of some metal very similar to German silver, and is now in the possession of the author, who intends to place it in a museum on his return to the United States.  Where the ghosts got it no one knows.  It had never been seen in Amherst, so far as had been ascertainable, until it fell upon the floor, and its true origin will doubtless always remain a mystery.

It is hardly necessary that the author should weary the reader with a minute account of the manifestations produced by these ghosts during his residence of six weeks in the haunted house, he could easily fill a book containing twice the number of pages that this one does, with an account of what was done by the ghosts alone, without mentioning the name of a single living individual except Esther Cox; but I suppose the reader, by this time, is ready to cry “quantum sufficit.”  So by referring to a few more facts, he will end this chapter.

One afternoon, while Esther was out walking, she called on Rev. R.A.  Temple.  During the visit he prayed with her, and also advised her to pray for herself.  On her return to the cottage, one of the ghosts, either Bob or Maggie, cut her on the head with an old bone from the yard, and a moment afterwards stabbed her in the face with a fork.

While the author lived in the house, scarcely a day passed that some article was not thrown by the ghosts.  They would often steal small articles and keep them secreted—­Heavens only knows where—­for days at a time, and then unexpectedly let them fall in one of the rooms, to the amazement of every one.  In that way, shoes and stockings, knives, forks and other articles too numerous to mention would be missed, sometimes for weeks, and on one occasion some copper coins were taken from Dan’s pocket and placed upon the author’s knee.

It was a common thing for the ghosts to throw knives at the author, but fortunately they were all dull and he was never cut; he was, however, often struck by small articles, never sufficiently hard, however, to draw blood.  During his stay in the house, Esther often went into a state very similar to the mesmeric sleep, during which she talked with people invisible to all present; among others, her dead mother.  On coming out of this strange state she always said she had been to heaven among the angels.