The House Of Ghosts

The House of Ghosts

Remarkable Tale of San Francisco's Early Days

In the extreme north of the city of San Franciso there stands a little Swiss cottage in practically the same state as it stood in 1856. When it was built, it was far from the city, and even now the locality has but few houses. But here, in the days long gone, took place one of the most startling spirit manifestations in the history of the nation.

The house was built in 1851 by J. P. Manrow, a well known civil engineer. Those were the days when San Francisco was in control of desperadoes.

Then came the assassination of James King of William, and the storm of indignation broke out. The second vigilance committee was organized. It dealt death and banishment to the lawless. Casey and Corad had been recently executed: Terry had been imprisoned and released.

J. P. Manrow, then forty years of age, was in the front of the excitement of the fifties and was made judge advocate of the vigilance committee. Among his friends in those violent times were William H. Rhodes, an attorney then contributing over the pen name of Caxton stirring letters to the Bulletin, and Almarin Brooks Paul, a mining engineer, who, with Rhodes and Washington Bartlett, afterward governor of the state, was publishing the True Californian, a daily newspaper.

These men met frequently at the headquarters of the vigilance committee, and it was there that one day Marrow mentioned the fact that extraordinary things had been happening at his house, on Larkin street. His two friends, Rhodes and Paul, then active and spirited young men of thirty-two, became intensely interested.

The story, as told by Manrow, was on of supernatural visitations, rappings, table tippings, and so on. There seemed to be a persistent and malign influence connected with the house. Acts of spite and mischief and elfish pranks were played in broad daylight, and, when encouraged by the forming of a "circle," these manifestations became positively uncanny. The two young men listened, but had no explanation to suggest, and at last they determined to investigate the affair for themselves. To this Manrow willingly acceded, and the night of Friday, Sept. 19, 1856, was decided upon for the first visit for experiment.

On the night agreed on the two young men, Rhodes and Paul, went to Mr. Manrow's house, arriving at 8 o'clock. The night was clear and lit with a bright moon. The ladies were called. Mrs. Manrow appeared with her sister, a lady who had lately come from Honolulu, and the six sat down at a table in the library and touched hands.

As soon as the circle was formed, manifestations began to occur. Remarkable as these were, such phenomena have been described by many, and the tale of such occurrences is threadbare. Knocks were heard in all parts of the room, the table was raised and swung in the air or floated a foot from the floor. But more exciting scenes were to follow.

The lamp had been turned down part way, but the rising moon gave the room a clear, if weak, half light, when suddenly the whole apartment was thrown into commotion. Sofa cushions were hurled in every direction, books leaped from the shelves, the doorbell was violently rung and every person present was simultaneously struck on head or body with unseen hands. Some had their hair pulled; some were pinched, others kicked. During the whole of this time the members of the company clasped hands without breaking the circuit. A book was thrown across the room and struck one of the ladies.

Mr. Manrow now proposed that the spirits should wake up a negro servant who slept in the stable, and hardly had this been mentioned when, terrified out of his senses, the man burst open the stable door with a shriek and rushed in his nightshirt down the walk toward the library window. He broke into the kitchen, and immediately the group of watchers in the window perceived a horrible form appear from the ground in front of them. Its countenance was so terrible, so repulsive and so threatening, black and cruel that the whole party except Mr. Paul cried in horror. He watched alone and, keeping his eyes on the awful figure, saw it retreat and then suddenly vanish through the wall of the house. As the ladies ran from the room rugs, sofa pillows and books were hurled violently after them. The negro servant could not be persuaded to go back to the stable, but passed the night on the glass window piazza. Then Manrow, running to the front door to chase the apparition, found that the front gate had been torn off and placed so as to barricade the door.

The frightened company had hardly courage to go on with the sitting, but at last, expressing a wish to be visited by more peaceful spirits, they sat down again. All present were softly touched and caressed by many hands, their hair was smoothed and their cheeks were patted by hands that became gradually more visible, till sometimes a dozen were seen about a single person. Mr. Manrow, who had been suffering from a severe toothache, was treated to a gentle massage by these spirit hands until the pain was entirely removed.

Such were the experiences of the first night, as testified to in person by three of the best known citizens of San Francisco. The succeeding nights, the following Friday and Sunday, were as remarkable. Similar manifestations occurred and others more wonderful. Watches were taken from the gentlemen's pockets, the ladies' hair was pulled down suddenly, while the company held hands and felt all the while many hands touching their faces.

But the most remarkable feat of all finishes the recital. Several times Mr. Paul, sitting quite apart and alone upon a chair, had been violently overthrown upon the floor. One chair in particular, in the corner of the room, absolutely refused to hold him. This aroused his indignation and determination to resist the mysterious force. He audibly defied the visitors to dislodge him and grasped the arms of the chair. Before the words were out of his mouth he was torn out and thrown bodily at full length upon the table with an irresistible force.

J. P. Manrow died in this same house many years ago, but long previous to that all demonstrations had stopped.

MR. PAUL KEPT HIS EYES ON THE AWFUL FIGURE.