A Ghost a Day Read online

  In December, a television crew interested in the odd occurrences began to film the activity. Sure enough, out of nowhere, rocks sailed through the air. This time the Berkbiglers' twenty-one-month-old daughter, Anita, was struck. Luckily, she was unharmed.

  The unexplained poltergeist activity lasted for a span of a few weeks, then it abruptly stopped. Rick's wife, Mary, speculated that the home might be built over a sacred burial ground. So far no other explanation has presented itself.

  SEPTEMBER 10, 1641 THE SCREAMING SKULL OF WARDLEY HALL

  Wardley Hall, Worsley, England

  There are a series of screaming skulls throughout England. Many are shrouded in mystery, but not the Screaming Skull of Wardley Hall. This skull belongs to Father Ambrose Barlow. The fourth son of a nobleman, Ambrose was born in 1585. His family reluctantly converted to Protestantism during Britain's great suppression of Catholicism. In 1605, he converted back to Catholicism and became a priest. On March 7, 1641, Charles I signed a decree, proclaiming that all priests should leave the country or face arrest for treason. Despite the urging of his congregation, Ambrose decided to remain. On Easter Sunday in 1641 he was arrested. Found guilty of treason, he was hanged and then drawn and quartered. His head was removed and placed on display at Lancaster Castle. The skull was secretly removed and taken to Wardley Hall and hidden. It was forgotten and lost for some time, until the owner of the mansion discovered it in the 1800s. It was then preserved and put in a place of honor. One day a servant who feared the skull threw it in the moat. The skies turned dark as night, and a powerful storm struck the hall. The owner, realizing what had been done, drained the moat and returned the skull to its rightful place. Stories have been told of other attempts to destroy the skull. Burning, burying, and even smashing it have failed. It seems that Father Ambrose Barlow is as stubborn in death as he was in life.

  SEPTEMBER 11, 1903 TROY HILL FIREHOUSE

  Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

  The original firehouse on Troy Hill was built in 1874. Twenty-seven years later it was demolished and the current station, Engine House #39, was built, making it the oldest firehouse in Pittsburg. For over a hundred years it served the north side residents of Troy Hill. It was the last station to use a horse-drawn fire apparatus and the only station in the city with a named old-time fire bell: “Die Glocke Sarah,” German for “The Sarah Bell.” Through its long history, the community has fought several attempts to close the station. In 2005 it finally lost the battle and it was shut down.

  During its time as an active firehouse, there were many accounts of supernatural activity within its venerable walls. Spectral footsteps were heard on the second floor and on the stairway. Shades went up and down of their own accord. Blankets were pulled off of sleeping firemen. And ghostly firefighters have been seen playing cards in the basement, waiting for the next alarm. Paranormal investigators believe that the building is haunted by eight firefighters, three chaplains, and a firehouse dog named Queenie. Plans are underway to convert Engine House #39 into a fire apparatus museum, which should make the spectral firefighters feel right at home. Until then, they're still on call, waiting for the next alarm.

  SEPTEMBER 12, 1878 CLEOPATRA'S NEEDLE

  Embankment, London

  Cleopatra's Needle, named after the ship it sailed on, was gifted to the British Government in 1819. This 3,500-year-old, sixty-eight-foot monument was a tribute from the Egyptian people, commemorating the victory of Admiral Nelson at the Battle of the Nile. However, without the funds dedicated to procure the statue, the obelisk remained in Alexandria for more than fifty years, until a prestigious doctor, by the name of Sir William James Erasmus Wilson, paid for its transportation to England.

  Unfortunately, Cleopatra, the floating pontoon being towed by the Olga, began to roil in the waves. The Olga, struggling to save the cargo, sent six volunteers on a small rescue boat to stabilize the pontoon. The boat capsized and all six men drowned.

  Cleopatra's Needle has two sphinxes on either side of it. However, one cannot be sure why the Needle was installed incorrectly. The sphinxes, rather than having their back toward the obelisk, guarding it, are facing toward it. The bronze creatures are adorned with hieroglyphics that say netjer nefer men-kheper-re di ankh (the good god, Thuthmosis III given life). Perhaps the reversed sphinxes are having an adverse effect on the general population, as increased suicides by jumping into the River Thames have been reported in the general area of Cleopatra's Needle. Visitors taking in the grand, granite obelisk often hear mocking ethereal laughter. And the ghostly specter of a naked man plunging into the depths of the Thames is a frequent occurrence. One has to wonder if the mocking laughter and increased suicides are directly related. Maybe the suicidal, naked ghost is in search of souls to join him.

  SEPTEMBER 13, 2008 NICHOLAS CAGE'S HAUNTED HOME

  New Orleans, Louisiana

  As reported in contactmusic.com, the actor Nicholas Cage purchased the haunted LaLaurie Mansion in 2007 for $3.5 million dollars. So far, he has stated, his family will join him for dinner, but they refuse to sleep in the home. Cage mentioned that at some point although he will more than likely be on his own, he would sleep there. He had been told that his new purchase, which is located in the Vieux Carré, the French Quarter, was rife with the spirits of slaves tortured by Lalaurie Delphine. Keeping an open mind, Cage said he was aware of the legends before buying the home and knows that at any given point there may be several spirits watching him.

  He has been contacted by at least six parapsychologist groups interested in visiting his new home. However, ever mindful of the spirits, and not willing to exploit them, Cage has refused their requests. One can only imagine, what with the horrors that long-ago slaves endured at the mercy of Lalaurie Delphine, if Nicholas Cage will ever encounter a peaceful night's sleep.

  SEPTEMBER 14, 1658 DUNGEON ROCK

  Lynn, Massachusetts

  In 1658 a pirate ship arrived in Lynn Harbor. Four passengers disembarked with a mysterious chest and headed up the Saugus River in a small boat. Learning of the pirates, the local British troops intercepted them in the woods. They quickly captured three of the four men. But the fourth, a man named Thomas Veal, escaped with the treasure. The three captured men were hanged, but although the British tried, they were never able to find Thomas Veal. He went deep into what is now called Lynn Woods until he found a natural cave in the rocks. There he took up residency, and after some time he became a member of the community. He mended shoes and lived in the cave, which came to be known as Dungeon Rock. Some time later, an earthquake hit the area causing the entrance to the cave to collapse and killing Thomas Veal. Two hundred years later, a spiritualist by the name of Hiram Marble reported that he had received a message from Thomas Veal instructing him to go to Dungeon Rock. Hiram purchased several acres of land around the rock and moved his family there. With the aid of the ghost of Thomas Veal, he and his son began to search for the treasure. He became obsessed with finding it, not only for the riches it would bring him, but also to validate his connection with the spirit world. Both Hiram and his son Edwin died without ever finding the treasure or proving that they communicated with the dead.

  SEPTEMBER 15, 1907 CULP'S GHOST

  Pittsburg, Pennsylvania

  The Allegheny County Jail was designed by Boston architect Henry Hobson Richardson and was completed in 1888. The formidable fortress was a mix of architectural styles: Syrian arches, French Gothic dormer windows, French Renaissance roofs, and Byzantine columns, with Romanesque elements. Rising 300 feet above the massive walls, arches, and turrets is the impressive courthouse tower connected to the jail by the Renaissance footbridge known as the “Bridge of Sighs.”

  In 1907 W. A. Culp was awaiting trial for the murder of his brother. Overcome by guilt, he killed himself in murderer's row. But according to the New York Times, this isn't the end of our story. Each night after his suicide, the ghost of Culp began visiting the fourteen men awaiting trial or execution on murderer's row. The ghost
ly specter harassed the prisoners, keeping them awake all night and only disappearing in the dawn's light. The criminals in the cells complained so vehemently that, according to the article, Warden Lewis moved murderer's row to another part of the prison. This seemed to work because Culp's ghost left them alone. And although there were occasional reports of paranormal activity in the jail, none were as well documented as this.

  SEPTEMBER 16, 1865 THE OLD COOT

  North Adams, Massachusetts

  An elderly man, nicknamed the “Old Coot,” haunts Mt. Greylock. The tragic story begins during the Civil War, in 1861. William Saunders, a local farmer, having enlisted in the Union army, said his good-byes to his wife, Belle, and his children, then left to join the battle. A year later, his wife received word that William had been seriously wounded and was in a military hospital. And although she prayed for his return, she never heard another word. As time went by, Belle, unable to care for the farm and her children alone, hired a local man to help out. Soon the two were wed, and the man she married had adopted William's children, taking them for his own.

  In 1865, four years after William left, he returned. The second he stepped foot off the train, he raced home, only to have his excitement turn to torment, as a strange man held his wife and his children called another man “daddy.”

  Heartbroken, William turned his back on his old life and headed into the mountains, where he lived out the remainder of his days. From time to time, the disheveled old man would work small jobs for the locals, who nicknamed him, “Old Coot.” And he was so unrecognizable from the man he used to be that he even worked his old farm a time or two, and no one was ever the wiser.

  Many years later, during the winter months, a group of hunters walking through Bellow's Pipe stumbled across the old man's cold, dead body. But they were suddenly startled when the Old Coot's spirit shot from his body and soared up the mountain.

  Since then, many hikers have reported seeing the spirit of a tattered old man who disappears up the mountain pass. If you're a hiker and find yourself climbing near the remote area of Bellows Pipe, keep an eye out for William Saunders's ghost.

  SEPTEMBER 17, 2009 PATRICK SWAYZE

  New York City, New York

  As reported on deathsoup.com, rumor has it that recently deceased Patrick Swayze is revisiting his part in the movie Ghost, when Sam is trying to speak through Odamay. But instead of a movie, real-life Odamay — or should we say Whoopi Goldberg — is the recipient of Swayze's efforts to communicate with the living.

  The story goes that when pennies began moving of their own accord in actress Whoopi Goldberg's New York apartment, she placed a 911 call for help. The pennies, she stated, began to form the word “Odamay.”

  Whoopi is said to have called in the ghost hunters from Penn State's Paranormal Research Society who have vouched for Whoopi's sanity, stating she wasn't crazy.

  It appears that Whoopi also placed a call to Oprah, updating her on the situation. It seems that not only has Swayze visited Whoopi's apartment, but he also appears to follow her into the subway station and, once again, just as in the movie, he is moving and smashing soda cans with his mind.

  Will Whoopi be able to convince Swayze that she is no longer playing the role of Odamay and movies are no replacement for real life?

  SEPTEMBER 18, 1692 GILES COREY

  Salem, Massachusetts

  Abigail Hobbs implicated the Coreys during the witch hysteria of 1692. The Coreys were led to Ingersoll's Tavern, where they could be questioned.

  According to the harsh laws of the day, if one pleaded guilty, his home and land, along with everything he'd worked for, would be awarded back to the colony. Those proclaiming their innocence, if convicted, would still lose all their holdings. Not only that, but they would be put to death. It's believed that Giles realized this, so he did not make a plea, perhaps hoping that both of his sons-in-laws would inherit everything he'd worked hard for.

  As a punishment and in an attempt to make him speak, they stripped the eighty-year-old man of his clothes and laid him beneath a plank of wood. For two days he endured the torture of heavy stones being laid upon his chest and abdomen. It is said that Giles did not cry out, nor did he make a plea. Instead, when he was pressured for a response as to his innocence, he cried, “more weight!”

  On September 19, 1692, with his dying breath, Giles cursed the town of Salem and the corrupt Sheriff Corwin with it.

  Coincidently, every sheriff of Essex County since then has either died in office or was forced to leave due to blood-related illnesses. And Giles, well, it seems as if he's still holding a grudge. His ghostly apparition has been seen on several occasions. Each time that Giles makes a visit it is immediately after a tragedy has befallen the town of Salem. It makes one think that, just maybe, Corey is relishing the town's pain as a way to lessen his own.

  TERRIFYING TIDBIT

  Spectral evidence is a form of evidence based on dreams or visions that was used during the Salem Witch trials to convict the accused. When it was declared invalid, no more witches were convicted.

  SEPTEMBER 19, 1936 THE BROWN LADY OF RAYNHAM HALL

  Norfolk, England

  Two London photographers, Mr. Indre Shira and Captain Provand, were hired by Country Life Magazine to take pictures of Raynham Hall for an upcoming issue. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when Indre exclaimed that he could see a veiled figure descending the stairs and asked Provand to take a picture. Although the Captain could not see anything himself, he did as his friend requested and took a picture of the staircase. When the plate was developed, it revealed an eerie luminescent woman descending the oak stairs. The photograph was published in Country Life in 1936 and since then, it has become known as the best photographic evidence of the existence of ghosts. But who was the specter in the photograph?

  Most believe it is Lady Dorothy Townshend, also referred to as “The Brown Lady.” She was the wife of Charles Townshend, second Viscount of Raynham. She died and was buried in 1726, but there are rumors that the coffin was empty. Some suspect that Charles, believing that his wife had been unfaithful, faked the funeral and kept her locked up in a remote corner of Raynham Hall until she died. Over the years, several prominent people have seen “The Brown Lady,” including King George IV. There is even one report where two visitors to the hall were so frightened by the ghostly apparition that they fired a pistol at her — with, of course, little result.

  SEPTEMBER 20, 1857 THE PHANTOM FUNERAL PROCESSION OF RED FORT

  Red Fort, India

  Bahadur Shah Zafar became the last Mogul Emperor when his father died. By then, the emperor was just a figurehead and had no real power. Bahadur showed little interest in ruling and spent his time in calligraphy and poetry. In fact, some believe he is one of the greatest Urdu poets of India.

  In 1857 Indian regiments under British control revolted and seized Delhi. Despite his reluctance, Indian forces proclaimed Zafar their leader. British forces crushed the revolt and captured Zafar, but not before slaughtering many of his family. He was found guilty of treason, and he and his wife were exiled to Myanmar where he died a short time later, but that was not the last time he was seen.

  Since then, on Thursday nights, there have been many reports of a ghostly funeral procession led by the ghost of the dispirited Zafar and his grief-stricken wife. Some believe the procession through the streets of Red Fort is for one of Zafar's children who were butchered by the British. So although Zafar's body remains in Myanmar, it appears his spirit remains in India.

  SEPTEMBER 21, 1348 THE COOK FROM HELL

  Prague, Czech Republic

  The church and monastery was founded by King Charles IV and consecrated by Archbishop Ocko of Vlasim. Originally known as Na Slovanech, the Emauzy, as it is now known, derives its name from the gospel in which Jesus met his disciples near the town of Emmaus. It became the home of Slavic Benedictine monks from Croatia and Dalmatia.

  Through the centuries, the monastery suffered atrocities
under various rulers, including the Nazis and Communists, but survived. Today it houses some of the Czech Republic's most precious frescos and wall paintings, as well as a legend or two.

  The Benedictine monks of the Emauzy lived a simple and pious life. Their virtuous lifestyle was so well known that it is said to have even reached the gates of Hell itself. Angered by their reputation, Satan sent a spy to the monastery, a cook, dubbed the “Emauz Devil.” He prepared such succulent meals that the monks soon forgot their pious ways, delighting in wine and epicurean delights. Finally discovering his true nature the monks cast a spell, turning him into a black cock. The monks returned to their virtuous ways, but they remain on guard, ever vigilant for another “cook from Hell.”

  SEPTEMBER 22, 1913 BOGGO ROAD GAOL MUSEUM

  Brisbane, Queensland

  To relieve overcrowding, the Australian government opened the Boggo Road Gaol (jail) in 1883. Drunks, robbers, murderers, debtors, rapists — whatever crime you committed, you ended up in the Gaol. Its most notorious denizen was a man by the name of Ernest Austin, a wicked man who was convicted of killing an eleven-year-old girl named Ivy Mitchell. Austin showed no remorse for his dirty deed and even bragged that the girl enjoyed it. It was said that he had made a pact with the Devil. There were no tears shed on the day they hanged him at the Boggo Gaol. But there was laughter. According to accounts of that day, Austin laughed an evil laugh until the rope snapped his neck. And although he was the last man ever executed in Queensland, it seems his evil spirit still remains, harassing guards and prisoners alike. Many a poor guard ended his shift white as a ghost, some never to return again.