April Slaughter

by Ghosthunting Texas

  “Charlene and I were in the basement one afternoon having a late lunch, and no one else was in the building,” he began. “Both she and I heard the distinct sound of heavy footsteps walking above us from one side of the building to the other, which is impossible if you look at where the counter sits. Whoever it was would have had to walk straight through it as if it weren’t even there.”

  “Just a few days ago, something else happened I can’t explain,” he continued. “Knowing this used to be a gambling hall, I took a deck of cards and I dealt out two hands on one of the basement tables. I laid the cards faced down, one hand right across from the other, and placed the deck neatly stacked in the middle of the table. I checked both hands and wrote down what they were just to see if they would change. The next morning when I came back, the cards were the same but the deck in the middle had been fanned out. No one else had been in the building since I left.”

  After hearing about all of the different experiences that seemed to center around the basement, we decided it would be best to set up most of our equipment there. Bill made sure all of the doors were locked so that we would not be interrupted. The lights went out, and the investigation began.

  Only minutes in, I was chatting with fellow investigator Adam Norton when Allen’s recorder caught the first of many EVPs we would eventually obtain throughout the evening. Adam and I were discussing updates to The Paranormal Source website when what seemed to be another woman’s voice joined the conversation.

  “That’s nice,” she said.

  Not even a minute later, a female voice was also heard humming a short tune while Adam’s fiancé Gabriella was asking a series of questions.

  Normally, genuine EVPs are few and far between. They do not occur in every location and can be quite difficult to catch. A common mistake among investigators is whispering during investigations, which can make the review of the audio confusing. Each time a sound was heard or made among our group that we were responsible for, we made sure to call it out so that it would be identified properly on the recorders. We were definitely attracting the attention of someone unseen, and they were doing really well in responding to us.

  For a short time, everyone fell quiet to see if we would see or hear anything unusual. Sudden onsets of temperature changes began to swirl around various members of the group. The basement is a fully functional part of the building, and the heating system was continually running. The cold spots would appear and just as quickly disappear. At one point, deeply cold air seemed to hover between two of the group members for several seconds.

  Sometimes I will seek validation that someone unseen is with us by asking them to repeat a series of knocks, whether it be on a wall or a piece of furniture. I tapped a few times on the wooden table I was sitting at, and we all anxiously awaited a response. None came—at least not immediately. Approximately two to three minutes later, however, the same pattern I had tapped on the table was heard by several of us on one of the tables nearby that no one was sitting at.

  Adam told me that he had been watching an area near the basement exit door, and had repeatedly seen quick, shadowy movements. I was curious about what could be causing them, so I walked over to the door in hopes of seeing them as well. Immediately after sitting down alone at the bar area near the door, several team members closer to the stairwell said they had just heard two or more people conversing on the floor above us. While I had not heard it, most of the others had. Bill thought it may have been Charlene coming to see if we had experienced anything interesting, and that she might have someone with her. He and Allen decided to go upstairs to check it out, but upon inspection found the entrance door still locked and no one in the building besides the team. I was curious about whether or not the voices would show up on the audio recordings, and was absolutely thrilled to hear them on playback! What was being said could not be deciphered, but voices were indeed captured.

  Investigator Victoria Dupree was surprised when her stool was suddenly pulled slightly away from the bar.

  “Something just pulled my stool back,” she said calmly. All of us kept our attention on her in hopes that the action might be repeated. It was not.

  All throughout the evening, we received some auditory response to nearly every question we asked. Hours upon hours of reviewing the recorders produced a record number of EVPs from one location for the team.

  As the clock struck 1:00 A.M., the team was growing a bit tired and we decided to start packing everything up in preparation to leave. We thanked Bill for his time and graciousness, and promised to be in touch with what we found during our initial investigation of the building.

  As anyone who often ghost hunts will tell you, reviewing data takes a great deal of time and attention. Over the course of a week following the investigation, every member of our team pored over hours and hours of audio and video. Charlene and Bill were obviously very eager to hear what our results were, and I spoke often with them as small pieces of information flowed in from the team.

  We knew that Charlene believed the Bull Ring was haunted by the spirit of a man, but we were certain that a majority of the recordings captured were of a female voice.

  “I have never seen or heard anything from a woman in this building,” she said. “I don’t know why a woman would be here.”

  I explained to her that spirits are not like the living, in that they are not bound by physical limitations. Whoever it was we had captured on tape may not actually have a tie to the building at all; it was possible that this woman was just passing through and chose to interact with us. There really was no way to know for sure at that point.

  Interestingly enough, friends of Mike and Jenny Bornstein—the building’s previous owners—made a visit shortly after we had conducted our investigation and spoke with Charlene and Bill about some of the odd things the Bornsteins had experienced during their years there. Mike had often seen shadow people in the basement and had it almost completely boarded up. He avoided going down to the lower level of the building as much as he could, and felt very strongly that the basement was haunted.

  Charlene spoke to me about another interesting tidbit as well—Mike and Jenny had often talked about a prostitute who may have been killed in the building, which Charlene had never heard of until then. Mr. Bornstein had often seen the apparition of a woman in a red dress, and associated this spectre with the spirit of the unfortunate lady of the night.

  “It really made no sense to me that you came in and captured a woman’s voice, because I had never heard of anything tragic happening to a woman here,” she said. “Do you think it might be her?”

  “I can’t say one way or another, but it certainly is possible,” I replied.

  As more and more is uncovered about the ghostly history of the Bull Ring, perhaps information might surface to identify not only those who frequented the building in life, but those who continue to visit from the other side of the veil. One thing is certain—the Bull Ring is haunted. By whom and for what reasons, I do not know, but I look forward to unraveling the mystery one EVP at a time.

  Spotlight on Ghosts: Lady of the Lake

  As far back as the 1930s, stories have circulated throughout the Dallas area about a spectr l woman wandering in search of help. She is reportedly seen by man people near White Rock Lake, though no one knows exactly who sh is. One of the most common experiences reported is that of drivers in the area who happen to see a wet and stranded girl near the lake in search of a ride home. Several drivers have stopped to offer the poor girl some assistance, only to have her disappear a short while later, leaving nothing behind but a damp mark in the vehicle where she had been sitting.

  This vanishing hitchhiker has fascinated people in the area for decades. Some think she may be the spirit of a young woman involved in some sort of fatal accident on the lake where she and others may have died. Desperate to get home to her family, she provides the driver with an address before suddenly disappearing from the car. Those who have taken it upon themselves to locat
e the address found that, indeed, the family living there had lost a young woman to a tragedy on the lake. The ghostly apparition witnessed by many at White Rock Lake may actually be more than one female spirit. Other accounts tell of at least two other women who perished in the water between 1935 and 1942 due to suicide by drowning. Visitors to the area have not only seen the figure of a woman hitchhiking for a ride, but also rising up out of the water before vanishing into thin air.

  This legend has survived for nearly a century. Is the lady of the lake still wandering the night asking passersby for help? Could there be several female spirits destined to roam the area for eternity? The only way to find out is to take a drive out to White Rock Lake and see for yourself. You just might end up with an extra passenger … or two.

  CHAPTER 8

  The Majestic Theatre DALLAS

  Majestic Theatre exterior (April Slaughter)

  NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, there is a list of places people “just know” are haunted. Ghosthunting groups discuss them amongst themselves and list the reported phenomena online. A local resident or two can usually tell you all kinds of stories about these places. Some of the ghost stories may be true, while others may be the products of overactive imaginations. Either way, ghostly lore has a way of reaching out to people and drawing them in.

  When my husband and I formed The Paranormal Source, we thought a perfect place to start looking for ghosts would be at The Majestic Theatre in downtown Dallas. Any local paranormal group would tell you that they would jump at the chance to investigate this well-known haunt.

  The Majestic first opened its doors on April 11, 1921, highlighting performances of entertainers popular during the vaudeville era. Mae West, Bob Hope, and even Harry Houdini were featured there until films became the primary attraction. The Majestic closed after the last showing of the film “Live and Let Die” on July 16, 1973. In 1976, the theatre was donated to the city of Dallas and began undergoing major restoration efforts. When The Majestic re-opened in 1983, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and once again provided the community with access to the performing arts.

  In the past, management believed that the theatre’s benefactor, Karl Hoblitzelle, was still visiting the building even though he had died in 1967. Former actors and actresses were also thought to make their presence known from time to time. The staff reported occasions when all of the phone lines to the theatre would simultaneously light up, but no calls were coming in. Backdrops would often move without having anyone backstage responsible, and odd smells would quickly come and go without any reasonable explanation.

  After several attempts to reach those currently on staff at the theatre, I was finally able to speak to the management. Over the past several decades, The Majestic has seen different managers come and go, all having varying opinions on whether or not the historic building was haunted. Sadly, arrangements to investigate the theatre with The Paranormal Source team could not be made, and it seemed that I might never have the chance to walk inside.

  Then I received an e-mail one afternoon announcing that my favorite comedian, Eddie Izzard, would be performing at The Majestic as part of his comedy tour. I immediately purchased two tickets to the show. Normally, I would have consulted with my husband to see if we could afford the cost or make the proper arrangements, but this time I figured it would be better for me to ask forgiveness than ask permission. I wanted into The Majestic Theatre—how would I have known that Eddie Izzard would be the one to get me in?

  I knew that I would not be able to actually investigate the location, and that hundreds of people would be attending the event, but nothing was going to keep me from asking staff members about the resident ghosts of the theatre while I was there.

  Make fun of me if you wish (my husband did), but I was the first person standing at the door, tickets firmly in hand and about a hundred questions in my mind. The large crowd that had accumulated outside the main entrance flooded into the lobby when the doors were finally opened.

  The interior of the theatre was truly breathtaking. The elegant staircases and beautiful carved woodwork inside fascinated me. We had to wait for a small time before the doors opened into the main seating area, so I asked Allen to hold our place as I went looking for a staff member to talk to. Every employee I approached was unwilling to discuss paranormal activity with me. I almost gave up on getting any interesting stories until I posed a question to the usher who escorted us to our seats.

  “You wouldn’t happen to know of any ghost stories related to this place, would you?”

  He looked at me a little puzzled. I suppose the question caught him off guard. I was there for a comedy show; why was I asking questions about ghosts?

  “Yeah, but I don’t think I am supposed to talk about it here,” he said.

  “That’s okay. Here’s my card. Call or e-mail me if you’d like sometime later on,” I said.

  We settled in to watch the show, and laughed when Eddie began to joke about the existence of ghosts.

  “If ghosts exist, why are there no goat ghosts?” he asked. He went on to point out that of all the goats that must have been sacrificed in various rituals throughout history, surely some of them would still be around, making ghostly goat sounds.

  After the show, I had the chance to ask Eddie whether or not he really believed in ghosts.

  “No, I don’t,” he said. “My mother died when I was six years old and if she were still around, I am sure I would have heard from her by now.”

  I went home glad to have seen Eddie’s show, and also having had the opportunity to see The Majestic for myself, but I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t leave with any ghost stories for my notes.

  A little over a week passed, and my cell phone rang. I did not recognize the number and almost let the call go to voicemail before I finally decided to answer the call.

  “Hello, this is April,” I said.

  “Hi. I’m calling about The Majestic Theatre in Dallas,” said the young man on the line. “A friend of mine gave me your card and said you were interested in hearing about paranormal experiences people have had there.”

  “Yes! Thank you so much for calling,” I exclaimed. “May I ask what your name is?”

  “I’d rather not say. I don’t want to make anyone upset with me over this.”

  I agreed to keep his identity anonymous, and then asked him to tell me whatever he could about the haunting of The Majestic.

  “I used to work there,” he began. “I helped out a lot backstage, and basically did whatever needed to be done. Some of the other employees would say they saw or heard something strange every now and again, but I never really bought into it.

  “I remember one evening, after everyone had left following a performance, I was walking down near the orchestra pit and noticed a man still sitting in one of the balcony seats. I thought I’d make my way up there to see if he needed help or something, but when I got up there, he was gone.”

  “Did he look like anyone else that might be working there?” I asked.

  “I had no idea who he was. He didn’t look at all familiar to me. I went back down to the lower level and when I looked up again, the man was still sitting there.”

  He went on to tell me that he was getting frustrated with the situation, so he asked another employee if she had seen the man as well, which she had not. The premises had been thoroughly checked for anyone who might still be inside before the theatre was locked up for the evening.

  “I came back to work not really thinking much about it,” he continued. “But other employees would sometimes tell me that they had weird things happen. Someone would hear their name called out when no one was around, or props and things they had put away would somehow make their way back out onto the stage again. Stuff like that.”

  “Did anything else happen to you after you saw the individual in the balcony?” I asked.

  “I never saw the man again, no, but I have to admit I was a little freaked out after that. I always
felt like someone was watching me, but who knows if that was just because I was thinking about it too much.”

  The conversation ended with my thanking him for his call, and asking him if it would be all right to share his story even though he did not want me to share his name. It took some time, but I was finally able to verify that people really did experience things in the theatre that they could not explain.

  I wonder if Eddie Izzard had any idea that he had performed in a reportedly haunted theatre when he came to Dallas. Surely there were no “goat ghosts” roaming around the Majestic, but Mr. Hoblitzelle, its creator, might have been there to see the show. He loved this theatre and must be proud to have seen it evolve into what it is today. He may be the lone cause of paranormal happenings within the theatre, or he could be accompanied by performers and guests of the past who find it just too beautiful a place to leave.

  Perhaps someday, the theatre will publicly embrace its ghosts. Until then, I will return as a guest enjoying the arts, all the while aware that patrons both seen and unseen are still attracted to the beauty that is The Majestic.

  CHAPTER 9

  Millermore DALLAS

  Millermore exterior at Dallas Heritage Village (April Slaughter)

  SHORTLY AFTER MOVING TO TEXAS, I began to hear rumors about a mansion on the grounds of the Dallas Heritage Village in Old City Park in Dallas. Several stories were circulating about this historic home that claimed it was host to a variety of unexplained phenomena. Naturally, the stories aroused my curiosity and I wanted to learn more about the house.

  Dallas pioneer William Brown Miller and his second wife Minerva originally lived with their family in a modest cabin in Dallas that Mr. Miller had constructed in 1847. The cabin, known as the Miller Log House, now sits close by the Greek Revival style home that the family began working on in 1855 and completed in 1862. For fifteen years, the cabin served as their residence and also one of the first schools of Dallas County. The Miller family and their descendants inhabited the home until 1966, when the last of the Millers passed away. Determined to save the house from destruction, the Dallas County Heritage Society stepped in to preserve its history by carefully dismantling the structure and rebuilding it in the Dallas Heritage Village.