S04 Episode 10: The Creeping

cried Esther. Well what is it then, Esther thought for a moment, Then, just as she was about to speak, the sound at the front door opening announced the arrival of their sister, Jenny, home early from work. The moment had gone. Born in eighteen sixty, the eighteen year old Esther Coxe was the youngest of her four siblings, and, by all accounts, as is often the stigma attached to

a youngest child, the one considered the most directionless. Along with her three sisters and brother, Esther had been raised by her grandmother, her mother having died soon after her birth. The children's father, perhaps as a result of grief or for more selfish reasons, had abandoned the family soon after. As such, the siblings had remained close, and by eighteen seventy eight had found themselves living together in the home

of older's sister Olive and her husband Daniel Tede. The house, a modest but well kept yellow cottage, was located on Princess Street in the small town of Amherst, Nova, Scotia. Sharing four bedrooms between them, the cottage was home to Esther, along with her twenty two year old sister Jenny, her twenty seven year old brother William, and Dan's brother John, as well as Olive and Dan's two sons, Willie and George. All in all, the arrangement had been surprisingly harmonious, considering

the relatively cramped conditions. At least that was until that peculiar late summer of eighteen seventy eight when everything changed. What follows is an account of what some claim to be one of the most terrifying and credible incidences of a poltergeist haunting in Canadian history. You're listening to Unexplained and I'm Richard mc lane Smith. Though there may have been earlier signs of what was later to come most traced the beginnings to a cryptic and disturbing nightmare that

Esther suffered on the night of August twenty seventh. It was the details of the nightmare that put Esther in such a sullen mood the following day. It wouldn't be until late that night, but she finally plucked up the courage to tell Olive what exactly had been on her mind. With everyone else having returned to work, Esther joined Olive in the parlor as she carried out some clothing repairs.

After making her sister promised not to tell anyone about it for fear it might distress them, she proceeded to outline the dream. At first, as she explained, she hadn't realized it was a dream it having been so vivid and lifelike, thinking she had woken up and was merely walking downstairs to the kitchen. She soon realized that something wasn't right. Although it was the same house, everything about

it was somehow different. For a start, it wasn't yellow outside but green, and all the rooms were in slightly odd places. Then Olive and Dan had appeared, only instead of their usual all faces, they had bears heads with large sharp teeth and huge eyes the color of blood. Moments later, Jenny, William and John, and even the little ones Willie and George had appeared, all of them with

the same bears heads on their shoulders. Together they turned and growled menacingly at Esther, when she was distracted by another sound coming from beyond the front door. Venturing outside to investigate, she saw a vast stampede of bulls in the distance, racing toward the house. As they drew nearer, she could see that their eyes were a bright electric blue, and their mouths were dripping with blood. And on the ground where their hoofs kicked up the dirt, terrific berths

of fire roared up from underneath them. On and on they came with a cacophonous roar, until finally they smashed through the front fence and pummeled into the house. Esther had staggered back in terror, only to wake up seconds later on a cold wooden floor, having seemingly fallen out

of bed. What do you think it means, she asked Olive, hopefully, Seeing that it had clearly been of great concern to her young sister, Olive suggested she try to forget it, telling her that as long as she kept to reading her Bible, she would have nothing to worry about. After all, God is more powerful than the devil, she insisted, and he will always protect her. Later that evening, after dinner, Esther took a seat on the front step of the house and gazed at the stars while she waited for

Bob McNeill to show up. McNeill, who was a local shoemaker, had been courting Esther for a number of weeks. Recently, however, he had made a habit of arranging to meet her only to then fail to turn up. So it was with barely contained glee when Esther spied the young man's horse and buggy approaching from the top of the road. Pulling up outside the house at just past eight. McNeill apologized for missing Esther the previous night, but promised to

make it up to her. Flashing a smile, he invited her into the buggy to join him for an evening ride into the countryside. It was a little more than two hours later back at the cottage, as Jenny was heading up to bed when it clearly distrought Esther threw open the front door and ran straight to her room. Without looking back. For the next week, Esther would cry herself to sleep every night, refusing to give any information

about what exactly had happened with Bob McNeill. It was a few days later, on the evening of September fourth, that a thick fog rolled into the town of Amherst. With the entire household fast asleep, Esther, who shared a bed with her sister Jenny, began to stir snapping. Suddenly awake with a scream, she leapt out of the bed. What's going on, snapped Jenny. Something touched me, said Esther, shivering with fright. I can hear it rustling in the bed.

Fearing it might be a mouse, Jenny jumped out too, and hurriedly lit the bedside lamp. With the room now bathed in its soft, flickering light, Jenny looked about the floor and then peered under the bed, but there was nothing to be found save for a small green box where they kept sewing materials. Pulling back the bed covers, Jenny gasped at the sight of something moving within the

mattress there. She said, it must be trapped inside. The women watched for a moment at the sight of what appeared to be a small creature moving through the straw mattress. Satisfied they had found the culprit and knowing that there was little harm it could do from in there, the sisters returned to bed. The following night, however, the rustling

sound came again. Leaping out of bed once more, the sisters again searched underneath for any sign of a culprit, realizing that this time the noise was coming from inside the small green box. Placing the lamp on the floor, Jenny squeezed herself under the bed frame and reached in to retrieve it, cautious not to let it spill as she pulled it out, Jenny pushed it to the middle of the room, bracing themselves for the mouse to reveal

itself at any moment. The sisters sat back, staring expectantly at the box as the flickering light of the lamp cast ominous shadows on the wall. When suddenly, the entire box jumped straight up into the air, landing on its side. Esther reeled back with alarm in expectation of a fleeing mouse. Only strangely, nothing came out. Jenny moved in for a closer look. Tipping the box back over, she peered into it, but found only the collection of sewing materials inside. That's odd,

she thought, as she poked inside the box. She was just about to say as much to Esther when the box again jumped almost an entire foot into the air. Dan and Olive were startled awake by the screams coming from Esther and Jenny's room. Moments later, they found the two women carrying together on the bed, pointing toward the small box on the floor and claiming that it had just leapt into the air completely of its own accord.

Dan could barely hide his irritation as he told them both to stop messing about and get back to bed. Having reluctantly got back under the covers, the two sisters would spend the rest of the night anxiously listening for any more peculiar noises, and though Dan had little time for whatever it was the two women had witnessed, there would soon be little doubt that something inexplicable had crept into their home. Are you always taking care of your family?

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Unexplained podcast Today to get started. That's teladoc dot com slash Unexplained podcast. The following evening, having seemed fine all day, Esther became suddenly unwell seeing her sister, so pale Olive suggested she head straight to bed, where she was joined

soon after by Jenny. Having just got to sleep, Jenny was shocked awake by a series of horrific screams Jenny hurriedly lit the lamp and held it toward the middle of the room, nearly dropping it at the sight of her sister, who was now yelling for all her life that she was dying. Jenny could barely recognize the distressed vigor stood before her, the face flushed with blood and eyes bulging out. Esther's hair was also changed, appearing as

if it were standing on end. As her entire body trembled, Esther grabbed the back of a chair to steady herself, digging her nails into its soft wood. Having woken up the entire house, Dan and Olive arrived moments later and quickly helped Esther back into bed, but Esther seemed only to deteriorate, screaming suddenly that she felt as though she

were about to burst. Dan held a lamp over her face and reeled back at the horrific sight of her now completely swollen body, her skin appearing as though it might rip apart at any moment. Esther writhed about in agony, grinding her teeth as spittle bubbled up at the sides of her mouth, When suddenly, a monumental clap of thunder reverberated around the room, bringing everyone to a complete stop.

Thinking that the house had been struck by lightning, A terrified Olive brushed to check on her son's only to find them sleeping soundly in their beds. Returning to Esther and Jenny's room, Olive then pulled open the curtain and stared at the sky in utter amusement. There was not a cloud in it. The thunder, it seemed, had come from inside the bedroom. Just then, three loud bangs rang out, causing the entire room to shake. Jenny looked Olive in

utter amazement. The bangs had come from underneath the bed. Passing the lamp to his wife, Dan took a look under it, but there was nothing to be seen. With calm being slowly restored, Jenny noticed that Esther had now fallen asleep and was returned to her usual size. Satisfied that she had recovered from whatever had been ailing her, the others returned to the following morning. Esther, who remembered little of the previous night, appeared to have completely recovered

her health. Four days later, however, whatever it was was back that night, Esther's screams once again brought Olive and Dan rushing to her aid, only to find Jenny lying completely unconscious next to her, and the bed covers in a pile at the far end of the room. Esther, once again swollen and feverish, lay completely still on the bed, petrified of what she had apparently just witnessed. Something pulled the sheet off the bed. She cried Jenny had fainted

at the sight of it. Having no idea what to make of it all, Dan checked on Jenny, who had started to come round as Olive gathered the covers from the floor, laying them back on of Esther and Jenny, before of them watched on in horror as seconds later they were again pulled clean off the bed and flung to the far end of the room. A pillow was then launched by something unseen, striking John, who had just

joined them in the faith. It was followed by another cacophony of loud banging, coming again from underneath the bed. After another restless night, the following morning, calm had again been restored and Esther appeared once more to have recovered her health. Though wary of what other people might think of it all, Olive and Dan sought the help of a local doctor, if not to stop the strange phenomena, then, at least to find a cure for Esther's sudden bouts

of mania. It was all the forty eight year old doctor Careite could do not to laugh at the hapless couple's ludicrous account of the past few days. A committed man of science, especially during a time of such great scientific advance, Careit was not prone to nonsense and superstition. However, believing there was some serious cause for concern regarding Esther's health,

the doctor agreed to take a look at her. So it was with some astonishment when late that evening, Doctor Careit and the others watched as Esther's pillow again appeared to be pulled out from under her head by an invisible hand. Moments later, a steady succession of loud bangs sent the doctor running toward the door, each bang seeming to chase him along the floor, feeling for all the world as if something vast and unseen were in that

room with them. They could only watch with terror and disbelief as again the covers flew from the bed into the far wall, But this time it was followed by something new, A sound like the scratching of claws. Had the group, turning toward the top end of the bed and gasping in collective horror. There written on the wall just above it were the words Esther Cox, you are

mine to kill. A short time later, a flying lump of plaster that nearly struck the doctor on the head was followed by another series of bangs, as all about the room rattled from the strength of them, all the while Esther lay perfectly still in abject terror at what seemed to be occurring all around. By morning, with doctor Carete having returned to check on her, Esther seemed once

again to be in good health. Later that day, grateful for the distraction of helping Olive with the housework, Esther was sent down to the cellar to collect some milk. Stopping at the top of the steps, she had the sudden sense that something was lurking in the darkness below. Telling herself not to be so stupid, she promptly lit a lamp, holding it out in front of her as she cautiously made her way down, pushing back the dark

with each advancing step. Having seen the milkern at the back of the room, she had just taken another step toward it when she heard something moving about behind it. Esther slowly lifted the lamp and squinted at the darkness beyond, when a plank of wood came flying out of it, landing at her feet and sending her scurrying back to the dining room. Having been waiting in there at the time. Doctor Careit scrambled down immediately to investigate for himself, but

found the room completely deserted. Careit then invited Esther to come and see that it was only her imagination playing tricks on her. Moments later, having joined the doctor in the cellar, a hail of potato shot out from the back of the room, narrowly missing them both and leaving the doctor in little doubt the desk had not been

mistaken after all. Later that night, the doctor returned to administer a sedative to the young woman, who by now was once again in agony and bedridden, complaining that her body felt as if electricity were surging through it. The bangings had commenced again soon after, and so it would continue for the next three weeks until one night there came a startling revelation, with the family once again gathered around Esther's bed to help calm her as the doctor

administered his medicine, the banging started once more. Suddenly Esther was momentarily gripped by seizure before becoming completely still. Then, as if in a hypnotic state, she started to talk and slowly but surely began to reveal what exactly had occurred on that fateful night with Bob mc neill. As she went on to explain, shortly after he'd arrived to pick her up, they had proceeded to take a ride

into the country, just as they had planned. Having made it to the outskirts of Amherst, mc neill suggested they take a quiet back road towards some nearby marshes. Soon after, while making their way through a local forest, mc neille pulled the horse to a stop and leapt from the carriage. Taking a revolver from his pocket, he pointed it at Esther, demanding she get out immediately. As the heavy rain began

to fall. The courageous Esther steadfastly refused. Terrified at what had suddenly come over the man she assumed to be her sweetheart, she screamed for him to take her home, immediately, becoming more enraged as the rain pelted down ever harder mc neill attempted to grab Esther from the car when the sound of wheels were heard approaching from further up

the road. Sensing his opportunity for whatever it was he had planned to do was now gone, McNeill jumped back into the carriage, and within seconds they were thundering through the forest back towards town. Having finally arrived home, Esther jumped straight from the buggy and ran inside. McNeill was never heard from again. A moment later, Esther appeared to come around from her peculiar state, with no recollection of what she had just said. On being told, she burst

immediately into tears and confirmed that it had all been true. This, at least is the version of events as recounted by Esther. Some have speculated, however, that there is a part to the story that she did not wish to recount. With gossip running rife among the townspeople and local newspapers even beginning to pick up the story, focus inevitably turned to

the family. Few in that newly enlightened age, having only so recently been presented with such wonders as Darwin's theory of evolution and Edison's phonograph, were prepared to believe that that Little Yellow House had really been taken over by spirits, amongst them local Baptist clergyman, doctor Edwin Clay, having been especially troubled by reports that the family might be orchestrating the entire thing, decided to investigate for himself, But after

spending only a few hours in Esther's presence, Clay was soon convinced that the reports had been entirely genuine. However, as a man of the church but also of science, Clay, just as doctor Carrete had begun to suspect, was unconvinced that spirits were to blame. It was his belief that perhaps Esther had been so affected by Bob McNeill's horrific actions that it had somehow unleashed a mysterious power within her.

Soon after, Reverend Temple, another local pastor, also claimed to have witnessed a number of peculiar events for himself, and, together with doctor Clay, wasted no time in vouching for the integrity of the Ted and Cox family to his local congregation. Before long, half the town had turned up at the Little Yellow Cottage to witness the spectacle for themselves, and so it would continue on and off for the next year, as an increasing array of strange occurrences appeared

to coalesce around Esther. When fires started breaking out in the house seemingly without reason, she was sent to live with a series of neighbors in the hope that it might put an end to it all, only for the trouble to follow her wherever she went. After hearing of the extra ordinary events, actor Walter Hubble traveled to Amherst to interview the family and stay with them in the

hope of observing the bizarre phenomena for himself. Hubble published his full account of the family story and what he himself witnessed, of which much of this account was taken in eighteen seventy nine, titling it The Haunted House, a True Ghost Story. Published alongside it were a number of letters and sworn Athor David's from all involved, including fifteen separate townspeople, doctor Kvite, and county court clerk Arthur Davison,

attesting to the peculiar events they had seen. At one point, when Esther had been working for Arthur Davison, a fire had broken out in his barn, burning it to the ground. Esther was accused of arson and sentenced to four months in prison. Davison noted later, though he was in little doubt that Esther had started the fire, she had done so by some extraordinary and mysterious means. Esther was released from prison, having only spent a month in custody, after

which all the strange phenomena ceased. Little is known of what became of Esther's later life, aside from her being twice married and having two children of her own, dying in Brockton, Massachusetts, in November nineteen twelve at the age of fifty two. If you enjoy listening to Unexplained and would like to help supporters, you can now go to Unexplained podcast dot com forward slash support. All donations, no matter how large or small, are massively appreciated. All elements

have Unexplained are produced by me Richard McClain smith. Please subscribe and rate the show on iTunes, and feel free to get in touch with any thoughts or ideas regarding the stories you've heard on the show. Perhaps you have an explanation of your own you'd like to share. You can reach us online at Unexplained podcast dot com or Twitter at Unexplained pod and Facebook at Facebook dot com. Forward slash Unexplained. Now, it's time to take care of yourself,

to make time for you. Teledoc gives you access to a licensed therapist to help you get back to feeling your best. Speak to a licensed therapist by phone or video anytime between seven am to nine pm local time, seven days a week. Teledoc Therapy is available through most insurance or employers. Download the app or visit telldoc dot com. Forward slash Unexplained Podcast Today to get started. That's teladoc dot com slash Unexplained Podcast