"This they did shortly after they had taken possession of it;
and, because of occurrences referred to, were legally advised
to decline to pay any rent. The landlady, however, refusing to
release them from their bargain, at once claimed a quarter's
rent; and when this remained for sometime unpaid, sued them for
it before Judge Kisby.
"A solicitor, Mr Smith, of Drogheda, appeared for the tenants,
who, having given evidence of the facts concerning the ghost in
question, asked leave to support their sworn testimony by that
of several other people. This, however, was disallowed by the
judge.
"It was admitted by Miss Weir that nothing either on one side
or the other had been said regarding the haunting when the
house was let; yet that the rent was due and must be paid.
"A judgment was consequently entered for the landlady although
it had been shown indirectly that unquestionably the house had
the reputation of being haunted, and that previous tenants had
been much inconvenienced and affrighted."
Another case is chronicled which took place in Dublin in 1885. Dr Lee's
account is confirmed by _The Evening Standard_ of February 23rd of that
year.
"Mr Waldron, a solicitor, sued his next-door neighbour, one
Kiernan, a mate in the merchant service, to recover £500 for
damages done to his house. Kiernan altogether denied the
charges, but asserted that Waldron's residence was notoriously
haunted. Witnesses proved that every night from August 1884, to
January 1885, stones were thrown at the windows and doors and
other serious damage done--in fact that numerous extraordinary
and inexplicable occurrences constantly took place.
"Mrs Waldron, wife of the plaintiff, swore that one night she
saw one of the panes of glass of a certain window cut through
with a diamond, and a white hand inserted through the hole. She
at once caught up a bill-hook and aimed a blow at the hand,
cutting off one of the fingers. Neither this finger, however,
could be found nor were any traces of blood seen.
"A servant of hers was sorely persecuted by noises and the
sound of footsteps. Mr Waldron, with the aid of detectives and
policemen, endeavoured to find the cause, but with no avail.
The witnesses in this case were closely cross-examined, but
without shaking their testimony. The facts appeared to be
proved, so the jury found for Kiernan, the defendant. At least
twenty persons had testified on oath to the fact that the house
had been known to have been haunted."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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