Nexus - 0217 - New Times Magazine-pages

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THE MYSTERY THAT WAS "JEFF" Broadcasting Corporation, and famed . -hunter Harry Price. There are some things so strange they = 9 don't fit into any known category—neither The story began in the fall of 1931 on the Isle of Man. James T. Irving and his fami- fish, fowl, human nor unhuman. One such ly caught glimpses of a strange animal thing was "Jeff". ' . . skulking around their yard. It was The story of this creature is so bizarre described as about the size of a full-grown that many people will find it impossible to rat with a flat snout and a small yellow credit. Nevertheless, it is abundantly docu- face. mented. It was investigated by numerous — Soon the Irvings became aware that the reporters and psychical researchers, includ- creature had moved into the house with ing Dr Nandor Fodor, a noted psychoana- them. They heard its furtive, rustling move- lyst, R. S. Lambert of the British ments and found traces of half-eaten food the intruder had pil- fered. Then—and this was a very queer development—the family heard the creature apparently mimicking them in a peculiar imitation of human speech. Over a period of months it acquired the ability to talk in an odd, high-pitched voice. Before long, swore the family, the thing was carrying on con- versations with GS — el a LIS them. Yes, the story takes some believing thus far. But it gets worse. The animal, or whatever it was—it never showed itself but lurked in hiding places in the walls from which it conversed with the family—called itself "Jeff". It addressed each member of the Irving family by his or her first name. Irving was "Jim", his wife "Maggie", and their teenage daughter "Voirrey". Jeff, according to the Irvings, did extra- ordinary things besides talking. They began finding freshly-killed rabbits on their kitchen floor, gifts from their mysterious guest. But the rabbits had been strangled, not killed by teeth as a mongoose or weasel (as some thought Jeff to be) would have done. More than 50 rabbits were left in this way. If the Irvings alone had vouched for Jeff's existence, one might say that it was all a practical joke, or that the whole family was mad. But others encountered Jeff, too. Jeff hated strangers and when they came to the house to try to make his acquain- tance, as many did, he often threw things at them—crockery, or on one occasion a large iron bolt. As time passed, Jeff branched out lin- guistically and was heard uttering phrases in what appeared to be German and Russian. There are some things so strange they don't fit into any known category—neither fish, fowl, human nor unhuman. One such thing was "Jeff". The story of this creature is so bizarre that many people will find it impossible to credit. Nevertheless, it is abundantly docu- mented. It was investigated by numerous reporters and psychical researchers, includ- ing Dr Nandor Fodor, a noted psychoana- lyst, R. S. Lambert of the British 58*NEXUS THE MYSTERY THAT WAS "JEFF" DECEMBER 1993 - JANUARY 1994