The Mystery of the Courthouse Calamity (Eden Patterson: Ghost Whisperer Book 1)

by Constance Barker

  I Googled train robberies and the history of Manchester and came up with some interesting tidbits. “There were several train robberies in this area,” I told Goog, Syd and Luke. “There are several blogs on train robberies in the 1800’s and here’s a mention of Manchester, KY. Says a band of brother outlaws caused havoc in the small town of Manchester, KY during 1870 to 1872. It also says they buried their loot in various places on the land their dad owned.”

  “Which could be miles and miles of territory,” Matt said as he walked into the conference room carrying a copy of a large map from the map office in town.

  He spread it over the table. “The Cowling that Goog was talking about this morning…well he owned thousands of acres of land around here. So the old guy was loaded. At one point however he sold it all and left town.”

  “Wonder why?” Syd asked.

  “Because his sons were dead.”

  We jerked our heads up to see Jeffrey and a little white haired lady standing with a cane next to him in the doorway. Jeffrey made the introductions and we had Ms. Baker sit down so she could explain more.

  “I was so happy to hear from Jeffrey that some people were interested in knowing more about our local history. It’s not often I get to talk about it, well except for the old boys down at the senior center who want to disagree with me on about everything.” She leaned over to Syd. “I think they’re just trying to flirt with me.” We all liked her immediately.

  “Well Ms. Baker…” Luke began.

  Ms. Baker raised her hand. “Oh no, you must call me Anita.”

  “Okay Anita. As Jeffrey has probably filled you in, we’re here to investigate the goings on at the courthouse. I assume you’ve heard.”

  “Oh yes, it’s the talk of the town. I hear old Judge Rockingham took the ride of his life. Got to admit whoever’s doing this has a sense of humor.” She chuckled gently. Man, this judge was on everybody’s hit list. I was beginning to think maybe the haunting was more earthbound than we thought.

  “Nobody seems to like this judge,” I interrupted. “Could it be that someone alive has it in for him.”

  Jeffrey spoke up. “Well, that would be half the county.” Hmmm… “But honestly, I was there for some of the goings on and that gavel banged my noggin a couple of times. Not hard, more playful. So it wasn’t just Judge Rockingham. A few others had the same problem…just ol Judge R had it worse than most.”

  “Jeffrey, when exactly did the haunting begin?” I asked. “I mean the more violent haunting? Amber said it was about six weeks ago. Is that what you remember?”

  Jeffrey scratched his chin. “I was out of town around that time. When I got back it had already been going on for a few days. But as I told you already, the courthouse has always been haunted…like the young boy I told you I saw years ago.”

  Oh yes, there was that. I turned to Anita who had been listening thoughtfully. “Anita, what can you tell us about the town’s history that might relate to all of these events.”

  We all turned our attention to Anita as she began to explain some of the sordid past of Manchester.

  “Manchester was built around the railroad in the 1830’s. The town was known for it’s motley crew of hobos, drunks, prostitutes and thieves. Eventually by around the 1860’s a man by the name of Cowling came down from Chicago and bought upwards of 10000 acres including most of the town of Manchester. He built a huge mansion on the outskirts of town. He had stables and horses as well. His bride gave him three boys and then she died in childbirth with the last one.”

  “We did some digging this morning and read about the Cowling brothers,” Goog interjected. “I assume it’s these boys?”

  Anita nodded. “I’m sure it was since none of them lived past their 21st birthdays.”

  Syd leaned in closer to Anita. “Why, what happened?”

  “Without a mother’s love and their father spending most of his time out of town on business, the boys never received the parental guidance they needed to become upstanding citizens. They were more like heathens than sons of a respectable businessman. When they were young their antics were of the tolerable nature, but as they grew older they became much worse. They’d put on masks and rob stagecoaches and even the B&O railroad that came through here. Rumor had it that they stole gold bricks in one raid.”

  Goog shot up in his chair. “I read that. They never found the gold either. That it was likely buried on their father’s property somewhere.”

  Anita nodded. “That’s the story, but no one’s sure there is any proof to it. Wasn’t even sure if it was the Cowling brothers who did all the stealing either. The three men always wore masks, you know handkerchiefs over the lower part of their faces. But it was told that the boys would boast about it in the taverns when they were drunk.”

  “Why did they feel the need to steal when their father was rich?” It didn’t make sense to me.

  “Because they were bored. Like I said, they had no guidance early in life, so later on they behaved as such.”

  “Why weren’t they taken into custody?” Luke asked.

  “Oh they were many times,” Anita continued. “I have old court documents showing how the Cowling boys were arrested for stealing and even setting fire to a few barns. The last barn they set fire to, the landowner got caught inside trying to free his horses. He was killed.”

  “So they committed murder as well?”

  “They were never convicted however, only arrested for the crimes.”

  Syd looked confused. “Why were they never convicted. I mean if people believed they did it and they even confessed, why wouldn’t they be convicted at some point.”

  Anita smiled. “Because they had a rich daddy. Much like today, if you can afford it, you won’t have to do the time.” I unfortunately had to agree with Miss Anita.

  “So Daddy Cowlings paid for a big shot lawyer?”

  “Oh no, it never even got that far. He’d just pay off the visiting judge and the charges would go away.”

  We all nodded.

  “However, there were some people who decided they weren’t going to get away with it anymore.”

  We leaned in closer. Go on…

  “One night in the summer of 1872 the Cowling brothers were tearing up the saloon in the middle of town…shooting and brawling, drunk as skunks. Mr. Cowling was out of town again on business and the sheriff decided to take the boys into the jail and have them sleep it off. Word spread swiftly around town that the Cowling boys were in the county lockup for the night. Now there were several stories that came down the pipeline from that night. Some say it was a posse others say it was almost a hundred vigilantes.”

  We all looked at one another and then Syd spoke. “What happened?”

  Anita sighed. “Story has it that these men came into the jail, tied up the sheriff and his deputy, then removed the boys from their cell and dished out their own justice.”

  “Which was?” Luke asked but we were all waiting with baited breath.

  “The people of Manchester were fed up with the lawlessness of the Cowling boys, and even more so because their father always bailed them out. When the farmer died from one of their barn burners, I guess they’d had enough. The tough part was getting them all together at one time. Mostly the two oldest boys, Jess and Brody, hung together with some of their friends. The youngest one, Jeremy, might not be seen for days. So when word spread all the boys were together down at the jail…well I guess the men folk thought it was their chance to finally get justice for the town. So they went to the jail and took the boys out and hung’em.”

  “That’s a fascinating story,” I said. “But how does that tie in with the courthouse haunting.”

  “This is the part you want to hear,” Jeffery replied.

  “Not many people know this and Daddy Cowling tried to extinguish most of the records of this ever happening. He started his own rumor that hoodlums came to his home and kidnapped the boys for ransom. He said the boys were found hung on his property a few days l
ater.”

  Goog’s eyes were big. “But that’s not what happened is it?”

  “No, at least not according to the legend passed down through the generations. While Mr. Cowling may have tried to get rid of any government records of his sons’ deaths, people still talked. Many of them seen with their own two eyes. You see, back then the jail was in the basement of the courthouse. The vigilantes hung the boys from the giant oak trees on the courtyard lawn and they left them there as a warning to anyone else who might think they could get away with their crimes.”

  “So the whole town saw?” Matt was confused. “If the whole town knew, why would Mr. Cowling try to get rid of the records of it happening.”

  This time Jeffrey piped in. “Because he was a businessman and it wouldn’t do him any good for higher ups to know his boys were killed by a bunch of vigilantes…just bad for business.”

  “Plus he employed half the town with his feed mill business,” Anita continued. “If they wanted to stay employed they had to keep this nasty business hush-hush. That’s why you won’t find any records, just innuendo, legend.”

  Luke rubbed his chin. “So you think it’s the Cowling brothers who are haunting the courthouse? And that’s a good guess, but why get violent now? It seems like things were fine until six weeks ago.”

  “That’s what we’ve got to find out,” I said. “Figure out what occurred around that time.”

  Chapter Eight

  Finally we had something to go on. Luke and the team were busy setting up the equipment that evening in the courtroom while I looked over a few of the copied documents that Anita left us. Most of it was diary entries from over 100 years ago during the time of the Cowling brothers’ reign. And sure enough, the diary entries corroborated what Anita told us. The Cowling brothers were hung from the courthouse trees. However there were some differences in how many vigilantes there was. Some entries said 20 while others said upwards to 100 men. However many there were, they got the job done. But it seems the brothers may not have wanted to leave this earth so soon as the diary entries also stated that strange occurrences started right after their deaths. One entry read… “strange day at the courthouse. Drawers were pulled out and papers strewn across the floor. Must be vandals.” Then a month later… “the strange events at the courthouse keep occurring without anyone seeing the perpetrators. Whispering around town say it’s the ghosts of the Cowling brothers come back from the grave to have their way with the town’s county seat.”

  There were many of the same rumblings through all the diaries and it made sense. A violent death so young might make them mad enough to stick around. But we still had the problem of why the antics escalated. For over 100 years the courthouse ran normally despite the haunting, but now it was difficult for the staff to get through the day without something going amiss.

  We were almost ready to start when the Mayor decided to drop by. Luke met him at the entrance to the courtroom.

  “Mayor Griffen, would you like to stay and see how we operate?”

  The mayor looked around the courtroom as if a ghoul might be hiding amongst us.

  “Oh no,” he replied. “I just thought I’d see how things were progressing. I heard you met with our local historian, Anita Baker, today.”

  “Yes we did. She had some interesting news to share with us.”

  “About the Cowling brothers?”

  “Yes that’s right. Her information may help us toward a resolution to all the courthouse drama.”

  “I certainly hope so. The town’s history is a sordid one. Not something we’re particularly proud of, but it’s what it is. If these events are caused by the spirits of those boys who were murdered over a hundred years ago….well, just be careful. From what I heard they were a menace to society. A bloodthirsty group of neer do wells.”

  The team had finished setting up monitors on the lawyer’s tables in the courtroom and Matt was busy adjusting the thermal detector when a whoosh of frosty air entered the room. I looked at Matt who was about to say something when suddenly the gavel sitting on the judge’s bench took flight. Syd took sight of it as well.

  “Heads up!” She yelled. “Gavel incoming!”

  The gavel floated lazily over the bench and we all watched in wonderment at it. I glanced over at the Mayor who as of now hadn’t witnessed any ghoulish activities. His eyes were like saucers as he watched the gavel. Suddenly the gavel took flight straight at the Mayor! Luke grabbed the Mayor’s shoulders and they both ducked out of the way.

  “Whoa!” Syd had her eye on the prize. “Oh yeah, you’re all tough when we can’t see ya. How about you show yourself wuss.”

  This always happened with Syd. She had no patience with earthbound spirits. “Syd, don’t antagonize…we’re here to communicate not provoke them,” I said

  The gavel began flying about the room, swooshing this way and that as we all tried to dodge it. I lost track of Goog who was likely under one of the lawyer’s tables. I stood in the middle of the gallery while Matt and Syd were near the judge’s bench. Matt was busy recording the flying gavel with his video camera while Syd and I argued back and forth. Luke had removed the Mayor from the room.

  “I’m going to rip you a new one ghost if you don’t settle down!” Syd ducked as the gavel aimed for her head. “You’re just a bunch of coward little boys who never grew up!”

  “Syd don’t….” Suddenly the gavel dropped to the floor. Luke came racing back inside the courtroom as Matt walked slowly towards the gavel with his video camera.

  “What did I miss?” Luke asked.

  “Not much,” Syd answered. “Just a loco gavel dancing around the room until it ran out of gas.” She looked up from where the gavel lay forlornly on the floor. “So does the Mayor need a change of underwear?”

  Luke didn’t take his eyes off the gavel. “He might…poor guy was really shook up. He was blabbering about some kind of history his ancestors had with the Cowlings. I couldn’t understand him so told him to go on home and get some rest. I’ll talk to him more tomorrow.”

  Luke finally took his eyes off the gavel and looked at Matt still holding his camera. “Did you get that?”

  Matt sat the video camera on the floor. “Most of it. I also got Syd raising cane with it too.”

  Syd wasn’t backing down. “Listen, sometimes you’ve got to take a hard line with these ghouls so they know you mean business.”

  “Ummm…where’s Goog?” I asked as I looked under tables. I heard a side door to the courtroom creak open.

  “Is it safe to come out?” Goog peeked his head out the door. “Thought I’d stay low inside the judge’s chambers.”

  “Coast is clear…well for the time being anyways,” I answered.

  “We need to get everything set up and turn the lights off,” Luke said as he walked around the gavel. “Maybe with a darker setting we’ll be able to see if an apparition appears. At least it’s worked before.”

  Luke was right. Although I could see Grandpa Winky even in the daylight, he wanted me to see him. Many earthbound spirits are shy at first, especially around strangers. But sometimes I could see their energy in a faint or obscure glow, even without all the fancy equipment ghost hunters use to detect energy, like Matt’s infrared thermometer and an EMF meter.

  “Okay, let’s finish setting up and Syd, please let me have a go at the spirit first before you let loose on it’s tail.”

  “Party pooper…okay fine. But if it starts hitting people with that gavel, all bets are off.”

  I nodded. “You have my permission to take over if that happens.”

  “Mine too.” Poor Goog. “Maybe I’ll stay in the judge’s chambers.”

  “You know the ghost can go through walls Goog,” Matt said as he carried his hand-held EMF meter around the room.

  “But most of the events happen in the courtroom and the ladies restroom,” Goog informed us as he anxiously looked around the room.

  “Yeah, why is it this ghost doesn’t mess with the men’s
restroom?” Syd asked.

  “Probably because it’s a male ghost,” I answered.

  “Perv. Yeah, you heard me ghost!”

  “Syd, I doubt a ghost from the 1800’s would know what a perv is,” Luke said as he looked at the monitors. We had several cameras set up inside the courtroom, including one facing the entrance door where the Mayor and Luke had been standing a few minutes before.

  “Ok let’s settle down and get to work,” I said to no one in particular. “Goog you can stay in the Judge’s chambers if you want.”

  Goog nodded and slowly closed the door. Luke turned out the lights and after our eyes adjusted we could see shadows from the moonlight streaming through the huge windows. Syd walked around the room with the EMT meter while Luke and Matt watched the monitors. I decided to call out to the ghost or ghosts to see if they would respond.

  “Listen, we’re not here to hurt you or even send you away if you don’t want to go. But your disruptions in the courthouse are becoming violent and we can’t have that. It seems you’re trying to say something, but no one’s listening or they don’t understand. We’re here because I can see and talk to earthbound spirits…that is if you want to reveal yourself. Show yourself and maybe I can help.”

  I stopped and we waited. Nothing. I sat down at the lawyer’s table with Luke and Matt and watched the monitors. Nothing.

  “Getting anything Syd?” Luke asked.

  “Nada.”

  We waited, saying nothing for another 10 minutes. Suddenly we heard rustling coming from the judge’s chambers.

  “Is that Goog making noise?” Matt asked.

  The rustling became louder and then we heard thudding noises. The judge’s chamber’s door flung open and Goog came tearing out, pointing behind him back towards the room.