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…