For two years previous to the above date, knockings and scratchings had frequently been heard during the night in the first floor of a person named Parsons, who held the office of Clerk to St. Sepulchre's-church, and resided in Cock-lane, near West Smithfield. This man, _alarmed_ at the circumstance, made several experiments to discover the cause, and at last had the amazing good fortune to trace the sounds to a bedstead, on which two of his children reposed after the fatigues of the day; the eldest of whom, _though a most surprising girl of her age_, had numbered but twelve winters. Justly supposing the children might suffer some dreadful injury from the knocker, this affectionate parent removed them a story higher; but, horror upon horror, the tremendous noise followed the _innocents_, and even disturbed their rest for whole nights. But this was not all: a publican, resident in the neighbourhood, was frightened into serious illness by the form of a fleeting female ghost, which saluted his vision one fatal evening when in Parsons's house; nay, that worthy Clerk saw it himself about an hour afterwards. Facts of this description cannot be concealed: reports of the noises and of the appearance of the phantom spread from the lane into a vast circle of space; numbers visited the unfortunate house, and others sat the night through with the tortured infant, appalled by sounds terrific; at length a Clergyman determined to adjure the Spirit, and thus obtain direct replies to the following questions: "Whether any person in that house had been injured?" The answer, expressed by the _number_ of knocks (as the ghost was denied the power of speech, and of shewing herself _within reach_), was in the affirmative. "Was she a woman?"--"Yes; the Spirit then explained, that she had been kept by Mr. ----, who poisoned her when ill of the Small-pox, and that her body was deposited in the vault of St. John's-church, Clerkenwell." During this examination, the girl exhibited a considerable deal of art, but betrayed herself decidedly in several instances. The result was, that the Spirit ardently desired the murderer might be punished for her alledged death. A wise-acre, who narrated the above particulars in a newspaper of the time, observes, with wonderful sagacity, "What _is_ remarkable _is_, that the Spirit _is_ never heard _till the children are in bed_. This knocking was heard by the _supposed woman_ when alive, who declared it foretold her death." Another account of the affair asserts that the person accused had married two sisters, and that Fanny, the daughter of Parsons, had slept with the lady that _appeared_ by _knocking_ and _scratching_ during her husband's absence at a wedding; but the knocking the deceased heard, was declared by the girl to be caused by the Spirit of the previously deceased sister; if so, the girl's infernal acts may have caused the death of the woman, as it is well known the agitation of a mind under the terrors of supposed