A Ghost a Day

by Maureen Wood

  JANUARY 31, 1979 RESURRECTION MARY

  Chicago, Illinois

  Resurrection Mary is believed to be a young woman who in the 1930s, after leaving her boyfriend at the O Henry Ballroom, hitchhiked down Archer Street in Chicago where she was run down and killed and left for dead. Adorned in her white party dress and shoes, the young blond was buried in Resurrection Cemetery. Although the first eyewitness account of Mary's ghostly apparition was in 1936, the most recent report came in an interview with a cab driver in the Suburban Tribune on January 31, 1979. While driving down Archer Street, Ralph said he came upon a young woman standing out in the cold without a coat. Thinking she had car trouble, he pulled over. Within moments, the young blond, dressed in a white party dress, hopped into the front seat of his cab. When he asked where to, the young woman said that she wanted to go home then nodded straight ahead down Archer Street. Mary barely uttered a word. As Ralph watched her out of the corner of his eye, she acted so strange he couldn't help wonder if she was under the influence of some drug. Then, just as they were passing the cemetery, she sprang up yelling, “Here! Here!” Confused, Ralph stopped the cab. He looked from his right to his left. When he turned back, Mary had vanished. And she hadn't even opened the door. Although there are skeptics who believe Resurrection Mary to be nothing more than an urban legend, ask Ralph the cab driver and he'll certainly disagree.

  FEBRUARY 1, 1974 THIRTEEN LOST SOULS

  São Paulo, Brazil

  Early one February morning, an overheated air-conditioning unit on the twelfth floor of the Joelma Building caught fire. The flames spread quickly, turning the twenty-five-story skyscraper into an inferno with temperatures reaching nearly 1,300 degrees Fahrenheit. People panicked, and fearing that they would be burned alive, they jumped to their deaths from the roof and upper floors of the building. Before the fire was extinguished, 189 people had perished. Among the dead were thirteen unidentified bodies found in the building's elevator. They had escaped the fire, but not death. Their remains were removed and buried together in Saint Peter's Cemetery. But are their souls at rest?

  The building was virtually destroyed, but after four years of heavy construction it was reopened and renamed the Plaza of the Flag. Many believe it is haunted because, since the fire, several people have witnessed apparitions. In an attempt to cleanse the building, numerous rituals and ceremonies have been performed, but all have failed. Even today, the spirits of the “thirteen lost souls” can still be seen roaming the corridors and offices of the Joelma Building in search of their bodies.

  FEBRUARY 2, 2000 HAUNTED PAINTING

  Los Angeles, California

  Under the heading of Antiques and Art on eBay, was item number 251789217: Haunted Painting, titled, “Hands Resist Him.” Along with it were several photos, a brief description of the painting, a warning and disclaimer, and a brief narrative on the current owner's relationship with it. The photos revealed a two-by-three-foot painting of a little boy and a doll standing in front of French doors with many small hands behind the glass. Definitely creepy enough, but was it haunted? According to the owner it was.

  She had purchased it from a “picker” who found it behind an abandoned brewery. It hung in her daughter's room until “things” began to happen. One morning her daughter was quite distressed. When she inquired why, the four–year-old told her mother that the children in the painting were fighting and at night stepped out of the painting. Her husband set up a motion-activated camera to see if he could catch the phenomenon. For three consecutive nights, the infrared camera kept its vigil. While reviewing the photographs, the husband became horrified. To his astonishment, one of the shots revealed a boy stepping out of the painting. That's when he placed it on eBay. Thirteen thousand people viewed the site, and ten days later it sold for $1,025.00.

  It is not known what the new owner did with the painting. However, the previous owners not only got rid of the painting haunting their daughter, but they made a tidy profit as well.

  TERRIFYING TIDBIT

  Bill Stoneham painted the picture “Hands Resist Him” in 1972. When he was asked how his artwork ended up on eBay, he was at a loss. What he did know was that the gallery owner and critic who reviewed it were both dead within a year of its showing.

  FEBRUARY 3, 1953 YORK TREASURER'S HOUSE

  York, England

  York's Treasury building, which was built in 1419, is reportedly home to the ghosts of Roman soldiers.

  One reported sighting came from an apprentice plumber, Harry Martindale. In 1953 he was standing on a ladder working in the cellar of the Treasury building when he began to hear the sound of a horn blowing. Startled, Harry stood still, afraid to move. Suddenly, to his shock, a horse and cart carrying an unkempt soldier materialized from the wall. Behind it marched a band of Roman soldiers armed with swords and spears. One disheveled soldier carried a horn. Evidently, it was this sad-looking specter that had been the source of the sound that had first startled Harry. Curiously, the ghostly legions were visible only from the knees up. Later investigation showed that the York Treasury building had been erected over an old Roman road which lay fifteen inches below its basement's floor. As it turns out, Harry was not the first to have seen the ghostly troop of Roman soldiers. Nor, it is believed, will he be the last.

  FEBRUARY 4, 1987 LIBERACE

  Palm Springs, California

  As relayed by FlashNews, Michael Luckman, author of Alien Rock: The Rock 'N' Roll Extraterrestrial Connection (Pocket Books), stated that during a meeting with Michael Jackson he was informed of Michael's ability to communicate with the spirit of Liberace. Apparently the King of Pop had a “mirrored room” at the Neverland ranch where he and Liberace would frequently converse. Not only had Michael seen and spoken to Liberace, but also Jackson expressed his belief that Liberace was in fact his guardian angel. If that wasn't enough proof of their conversations, Jackson reported that once, during his ghostly communication with Liberace, “The Glitter Man” gave Jackson permission to sing his favorite song, “I'll Be Seeing You.”

  One can never be certain whether Michael Jackson did in fact communicate with the deceased Liberace. However, we can only hope that the King of Pop and the Glitter Man have been reunited in the afterlife and are performing their music for those lucky enough to hear it.

  FEBRUARY 5, 1967 THE SPECTRAL USHER

  Minneapolis, Minnesota

  Young Richard never seemed to fit in. Growing up, he had been constantly tormented by his peers. But when he took a job as an usher at the Guthrie Theater, he found solace in the old opera house. In escaping the real world through the fantasy of the stage, he had finally found a place where he fit in. Unfortunately for Richard, that changed when he began attending the University of Minnesota. At first he hoped that, just like the old theater, he would come to be accepted among his peers. He wasn't. Richard soon became known as a nerd. And it wasn't long before the dark memories of high school came back to haunt him.

  Unable to escape the torment, he drove to a local Sears store, purchased a rifle, returned to his car, and killed himself. Two days later, they discovered his body still wearing his usher's uniform. Shortly after Richard's suicide, the spectral usher began showing up at the theater. Dozens of employees and patrons reported his presence to the management, describing him to a tee. He was spotted on the catwalk, Row 18 (the section he had been assigned) and the VIP section called the Queen's Box. An exorcism was performed in the theater in 1994 to rid it of his ghost. Sadly, it seems that even in death, Richard is still not wanted.

  FEBRUARY 6, 1838 BOARS HEAD PUB

  Lancashire, England

  Tracy Mappley, owner of the Boars Head on Preston Old Road, believes her pub is haunted. Not only is it haunted, but also the spirit has been helping itself to Tracy's jewelry. But did she call the authorities when her jewelry began to go missing? No. Together with the loud banging sounds that awakened her more nights than not, the missing jewelry convinced her that a supernatural prankster was at wor
k. To verify the goings on, she reached out to a group of mediums. And soon the Third Eye Paranormal Investigators visited the Boars Head to see what they could dig up. During their nighttime vigil, the team of mediums communicated with several spirits. As the session progressed, to Mappley's amazement, the table began to move of its own accord. The group also ran an experiment of sorts. Before locking up one of the cupboards, they placed a bag coated with talcum powder in it. Later, when they unlocked the cupboard, they found that someone had mysteriously drawn the initials M and A in the powder. But who are the spirits that haunt the Boars Head? The mediums believe it is the spirit of a former regular along with a local farmer named George, who passed in 1838, refusing to leave their favorite hangout. They also reported that a little boy named Sean, wanting nothing more than to play, is the prankster behind the missing jewelry.

  And although Tracy continues to deal with the unexplainable events, she decidedly has come to terms with them. At least for now, she knows who is behind the odd goings-on, and that's all she needs to know.

  FEBRUARY 7, 1862 THE LADY IN BLACK

  Boston, Massachusetts

  Fort Warren, located on George's Island in Boston Harbor, was once a jail for Confederate soldiers. Aware of her Confederate husband's incarceration there, Melanie Lanier, a lovesick newlywed, set about planning to break her husband Samuel out. Leaving her Southern home, she headed for Hull, Massachusetts, where she took refuge with a family of Southern sympathizers.

  She then put her plan into motion. Chopping off her hair, she donned a uniform and boarded a boat bound for the island. With the help of a prisoner, Melanie was hauled up by a rope through a musketry opening in the fort's wall. After joyfully embracing her husband, she unpacked the tools she'd smuggled in for Samuel and the other prisoners. Rather than escaping, however, they concocted a plan to tunnel into the armory, taking over the fort for the Confederacy.

  It was a futile plan, because soon their digging attracted attention and they were captured. Brought before the fort commander, Melanie took out an aged pistol she had hidden and fired. Unfortunately, the pistol exploded in her hands and a piece of the shrapnel embedded itself in Samuel's brain. Branded a traitor, she was given a black gown to wear for her execution, which was carried out on February 7, 1862.

  Not long after her death, the ghost of “The Lady in Black” began to appear. One soldier guarding the fort felt hands strangling him from behind, and when he turned around, he saw Melanie's ghost. He was so terrified he ran off and was later sentenced to thirty days for leaving his post. Through the years, soldiers have been known to fire at the ghostly image only to have her vanish. Although there are no soldiers stationed there now, the Lady in Black still makes her presence known to tourists visiting George's Island.

  FEBRUARY 8, 1879 ALTOONA RAILROAD

  Altoona, PA

  The Altoona Railroad Museum is one of the most popular destinations for history buffs, and it appears to attract not only the living, but the dead as well. One of the most visible spirits (so to speak) is a specter named Frank.

  On numerous occasions, various employees and directors of the museum have sighted his ghostly apparition. On one occasion, one of the directors entered a seldom-used elevator to go to the fourth floor. Once inside, he noticed a man with black hair standing at the rear. When the doors closed, the man turned to look at him, shimmered, rose toward the ceiling, and vanished into thin air! When the director finally calmed down from what he'd seen, he took a good look at the old pictures of museum staff that adorned the first floor walls. Immediately, he recognized Frank as one of the men on the boiler crew during the 1920s.

  Although Frank is a prankster, he's been spotted so many times that when he's seen climbing on the train engine located in the lobby, hardly anyone blinks an eye. It is said, however, that although the majority of the staff have accepted Frank's presence, the director still refuses to use the elevator.

  FEBRUARY 9, 2004 HAUNTED DYBBUK BOX

  Portland, Oregon

  During World War II, a young Polish woman who had lost her parents, husband, and children in a Nazi concentration camp immigrated to America. One of the few items she brought with her was a wine cabinet. She was very protective of it. In fact, when asked about it, she would spit three times between her fingers and say, “a Dybbuk, a Keslim.” When she became an old woman, she requested the box be buried with her. She died at age 103, but the Orthodox rabbi wouldn't permit the box to be buried with her. So the Dybbuk box was included in her estate sale, where a young man who owned a furniture refinishing business purchased it.

  TERRIFYING TIDBIT

  Dybbuk is the Polish translation of the Hebrew word that means demon or a demonic entity that has entered the soul of a living person.

  Over a period of several weeks he tried to gift the box to different family members, but each time it was returned. Although none were aware of it, all their excuses for returning the box were eerily similar. The doors of the cabinet refused to stay closed. And an unbearable smell of cat urine and jasmine assailed their senses. Finally the owner of the box gathered his family to compare notes. They were shocked when they realized that each of them had had the same nightmare of a demonic old hag who beat them. Moreover, in the morning, they would awaken to find their bodies bruised and battered. And if that was not terrifying enough, they had all seen a dark loping creature out of the corner of their eye slithering throughout their home. Horrified and wanting nothing more than to be rid of it, the young man put the box up for sale on eBay.

  Eventually a curator of a museum purchased the Dybbuk box. Just like those before him, he too began to experience similar, paranormal occurrences. So where is the box now? The story so mystified a Hollywood producer that plans are in the works to make a movie. Now that's terrifying.

  FEBRUARY 10, 1973 THE MATERNITY WARD OF GRACE HOSPITAL

  Calgary, Alberta, Canada

  Something strange is going on at the maternity unit of Grace Hospital. And it may not be of this world. A sullen woman with a newborn baby has been seen wandering around a delivery room. When the staff has approached her to see if she needs any help, the spectral entity vanishes into thin air. She has been known to open windows, and for some reason bang on the pipes. Women assigned to that room always seem to have difficult births. Some believe it is because of the phantom visitor. But who is she?

  To find the answer, you need only cross the street. Opposite the hospital is a park with a monument bearing her name. She is Maudine Riley, and it is said that she once owned the land the hospital was built on. In fact, the delivery room may be exactly over what was once her bedroom. Maudine died giving birth in that room, and her newborn child died shortly thereafter. So perhaps she may be attempting to keep other women at the hospital from giving birth, lest they suffer the same fate.

  FEBRUARY 11, 1979 THE SULTAN OF NEW ORLEANS

  New Orleans, Louisiana

  One of the most bizarre and horrific tales of murder in New Orleans history took place at the Sultan's Palace in the French Quarter in the mid to late 1800s. After nearly 200 years, the sordid details were recounted in 1979 by the Times-Picayune. The story goes that a man by the name of Jean Baptiste Le Pretre had built his lavish estate in 1836. However, suffering financial hardship, the property was rented to a foreigner. A self-proclaimed sultan, he, along with his extended family of numerous wives and children, moved into the house. It wasn't long before it looked more like a harem than a home. Steel bars were added to the windows and doors, and eunuchs were hired as armed guards. For two years the sultan reigned over his house in New Orleans. However, rumors began to surface regarding his evil doings. Many believed he kidnapped woman and children and tortured them into submission.

  One morning, a neighbor walking past the house noted an eerie silence seconds before discovering blood pooling beneath the front door. The police were called in to investigate. Breaking down the door, they slid through blood soaked hallways, stumbling over the torsos and dissecte
d limbs of all who had once lived there. All, that is, with the exception of the sultan. He was nowhere in sight. They later found his body in the garden; he'd been buried alive.

  Today, many report seeing his ghost. One witness moved out of the estate after hearing torturous screams and the gurgling sound of someone choking to death. Others have awakened to find a turbaned specter peering down on them. Terrified, they turn on the light only to have the apparition vanish before their eyes.

  FEBRUARY 12, 1965 HAMMOND CASTLE

  Gloucester, Massachusetts

  Hammond Castle, built in 1929, was the home of American inventor John Hays Hammond Jr. The castle also served as a laboratory for John, who was a pioneer in the development of remote control. He was an avid collector of Roman, Renaissance, and medieval artifacts. The castle housed his bizarre collection, including ancient tombstones, the sarcophagus of a Roman child, and a skull from one of Christopher Columbus's crewmembers.

  Hammond and his wife also dabbled in the supernatural. They held séances and constructed a special Faraday cage for the medium to sit in while contacting the spirits. So enamored was he with the entombment of the pharaohs that in preparation for his future burial vault he had a number of cats embalmed. It was even rumored that Hammond experimented in necromancy — the raising of the dead.