DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70266#0085
THE SAMPFORD GHOST.
69
lowing effect:—That he never saw Mr. Moon exhibit but
three times in his life; that he never was in his company
but twice in his life; that he never was under Mr. Moon’s
tuition'one hour.” Sworn before me, 27th of September,
1810. J. Govett, Mayor of Tiverton.]
Chave’s apprehension of being obliged to turn out of his
house, we have already noticed; and the hope of deterring
Mr. Talley from such a determination, by raising a formi-
dable objection to his finding a future tenant, together with
the expectation of so effectually depreciating the value of
the premises, in case they were sold, as to be enabled to
purchase them at a very small sum, constituted the obvious
motives for the organization of this infamous plot; which,
no doubt, was suggested by Taylor, and rendered irresistible
by the assured confederacy of Sally.
The slaps which Mr. Colton heard in the dark, had
been inflicted by the girl herself. Several gentlemen who
sat up were perfectly satisfied of this; and, if the fact
wanted confirmation, her continuing to sleep in a situation
where she was nightly attacked by a powerful and invisible
hand, is alone conclusive on that point. We doubt whe-
ther Mr. Colton himself, though provided with his Greek
Testament, on which he made the family swear (sapient
man, to make them swear in Greek !) would have been
content to sleep in the same room for months together un-
der such circumstances. Two intelligent ladies from Tiver-
ton, also slept at the house a few nights before; but as they
would neither be kept in the dark, nor put their heads under
the bed-clothes, which they were advised to do, they were
entirely undisturbed.
The story of the bear without claws, the inexpressible
weight of the monster, and all the rest of the childish trum-
pery, by which Mr. Colton rendered himself the bug-
bear of our nurseries, were all the offspring of the original
69
lowing effect:—That he never saw Mr. Moon exhibit but
three times in his life; that he never was in his company
but twice in his life; that he never was under Mr. Moon’s
tuition'one hour.” Sworn before me, 27th of September,
1810. J. Govett, Mayor of Tiverton.]
Chave’s apprehension of being obliged to turn out of his
house, we have already noticed; and the hope of deterring
Mr. Talley from such a determination, by raising a formi-
dable objection to his finding a future tenant, together with
the expectation of so effectually depreciating the value of
the premises, in case they were sold, as to be enabled to
purchase them at a very small sum, constituted the obvious
motives for the organization of this infamous plot; which,
no doubt, was suggested by Taylor, and rendered irresistible
by the assured confederacy of Sally.
The slaps which Mr. Colton heard in the dark, had
been inflicted by the girl herself. Several gentlemen who
sat up were perfectly satisfied of this; and, if the fact
wanted confirmation, her continuing to sleep in a situation
where she was nightly attacked by a powerful and invisible
hand, is alone conclusive on that point. We doubt whe-
ther Mr. Colton himself, though provided with his Greek
Testament, on which he made the family swear (sapient
man, to make them swear in Greek !) would have been
content to sleep in the same room for months together un-
der such circumstances. Two intelligent ladies from Tiver-
ton, also slept at the house a few nights before; but as they
would neither be kept in the dark, nor put their heads under
the bed-clothes, which they were advised to do, they were
entirely undisturbed.
The story of the bear without claws, the inexpressible
weight of the monster, and all the rest of the childish trum-
pery, by which Mr. Colton rendered himself the bug-
bear of our nurseries, were all the offspring of the original