Some old newspaper stories read like folklore in disguise, and this 1909 report from Mount Horeb, Wisconsin, is one of them.
At the center of the strange tale was 11-year-old Fred Brady, a boy whose presence seemed to turn ordinary household objects into flying missiles. Eggs, knives, books, straps, sausage, and even parts of furniture were said to move on their own, often in his direction. His relatives suspected hypnosis. Neighbors whispered about spirits.
Whether this was a case of exaggeration, mischief, superstition, or something no one could explain, the story of the “human magnet” boy offers a fascinating glimpse into the way early 20th-century newspapers reported the unexplained.
Boy, Human Magnet, Upsets Household
MOUNT HOREB, Wis. — This town has an enchanted house, or, rather, every house in which Fred Brady, 11 years old, has lived seems to be enchanted.
Whenever the boy is present, articles in the room move in a mysterious manner. Nearly always they travel in the direction of the boy.
On one occasion a relative brought a basketful of eggs to the house of the boy’s grandparents, with whom he lives. He set the eggs on a table and one suddenly flew out of the basket, striking the boy in the face. On another occasion a drawer in a sewing machine came out of its place and went flying through the room, scattering the contents in every direction.
An old case knife flew through a room and stuck in the floor near the boy’s grandmother. An ornament on a heating stove was jerked off and thrown across the room. Books, straps, sausage and other things in the house have been performing queer antics.
Thinking that the environments of the home had something to do with the phenomena, the lad was sent to the home of a relative three miles in the country, where it is said the strange occurrences are still taking place daily.
Relatives believe the boy has been hypnotized. Neighbors insist malevolent spirits follow the boy. Relatives have called doctors to examine the boy, who appears to be normal.
Source: The Tacoma Times. Tacoma, Wash. April 5, 1909.
