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CARRIED OFF BY TflE DEVIL.Tli* Trm* Story of the My»t*rlow» Utiaj)-p*ar*Mc§ of Ow«n Purfl tt.Id the year 1708 there dwelt at Shep-fcon Mallet, in the County of Somerset, England, an old man named Owen Parfitt. In his youth he had been a I soldier, and had been in Africa—iu military and, as the townfolks whispered, other capacity. His temper waslt;1violent, and his language very militaryUthouchin character. Although he was not a popular person, alboit perforce inoffensive. He was a cripple, able toifor fi8Cadtt8tIttfcCt:t)8aaFt«b81btoccacarry on the trade of a sailor for several years, but at the date already mentioned he was quite helpless. His bouse was kept for him by a sister older than himself, who seems to have taken excellent care of him. As he j was unable to get out of bed without'1 assistance, his sister often asked ayoung woman, named Susannah Snook,to lend her a hand to lift the old man into a chair while his bed was being made; and bis chair was usually placed either in the passage, or just outside the door that he might enjoy a little air. One day, as the sun was shining very brightly, the two women wrapped Owen Parfitt in an old great-coat and carried him in his arm-chair outside on the doorstep, that he might sun himself for a while. A quarter of an hour afterwards he was gene. The chair remained where it had been placed; the old great-coat was thrown ., over it; but the man was gone. The j 5 first alarm was raised by the sister, who was found by Susannah Snook,* who had onjy quitted her a few minutes be* fore, crying bitterly for the loss of her brother. This Susannah Snook gave her account in the year 1814 to Dr.Butler, at that time head-master of Shrewsbury School, and afterwards Bishop of Lichfield, and her evidence was corroborated by many persons then living at Shfepton Mallet, or in the neighborhood. The sister of Owen Parfitt told her that“ after the bed was made, and Susannah had left, she Had gone up j11 stairs; and on coming down again ana 8 not hearing her brother, she called ‘Owen!* That there was no answer; and she went to where she and Susannah had left him, and found nothing but the chair, and the old great-coat lying upon it.” The alarm spread rap- „ idly through the town, and search was J j immediately made everywhere in the ‘1 neighborhood; the roads and fields for a great distance round were hunted over; all the wells and ponds were dragged, but to no purpose. No trace was ever found of Owen Parfitt. Susannah Snook further said that the weather had been fair during the day; but after the alarm was given it began to thunder and lighten, with a heavy fall of rain, which continued for some time. She herself was wet through in returning to her house.enewed inquiries into this well-attested mystery, says All The Year Round, have rather deepened than ex-,. plained it. That the man disappeared I suddenly there is no manner of doubt, f 1 That his early life had been of a wild and desperate character is also certain, for he was in receipt of no pension for serving the king, and had most probably fought in Africa “for his own hand.” No person had the slightest interest in his death, as his earnings maintained him, and his sister had a small allowance from the parish. Several old people, who remembered all the circumstances, gave the same account with regard to the chief facts, and particularly as to the general excitement and uproar in the town, as soon as the alarm was given, and as to the immediate and careful search everywhere made for the missing man.EItClt;]0f10£I•1S3•1(1
Newspaper Details
Marshall Messenger
Marshall, Illinois, US
Thu, Feb 22, 1877
Page 3
Full Page
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Anonymous
DE 30 Apr 2021
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