by Maureen Wood
One day while lying down for a nap she heard her named called out. Snapping to attention, she got up and looked around. Unable to see the source of the voice, she lay back down. Once again the voice called out to her. Feeling uneasy about the determination she heard in the unseen man's voice, she hurried to check on her infant daughter sleeping in the other room. To her astonishment, her child had managed to pull the covers up over her head. Her daughter was struggling, gasping for breath. The voice she'd heard in her sleep had saved her daughter's life.
Further investigation into the history of the funeral home provided a possible explanation. It was said that many years earlier a man had committed suicide by shooting himself in the head in the basement of the building. Perhaps having taken his own life, he was determined to spare another's. Did this man act as the child's mysterious guardian angel? This woman believes he did.
MARCH 10, 1850 GOODY BASSETT AND PHELPS MANOR
Stratford, Connecticut
Rumors of paranormal experiences abounded at the Phelps mansion in Stratford, Connecticut. In March 1850, a Presbyterian minister by the name of Dr. Eliakem Phelps was so enamored with the supernatural that he inadvertently conjured up the evil spirit of Goody Bassett during a séance. Unbeknownst to Phelps, the mansion was built on the same land on which Bassett had been hanged for witchcraft in May 1651. Mr. Phelps, along with his wife and children, returned from services to find their house in shambles. The doors were wide open, books and personal items were strewn about the home, and atop the bed, sheets and clothing had been arranged as to depict the posture of a corpse.
Out of sheer terror, Phelps roamed his house that night keeping vigil over his family. However, during his rounds, as he made his way back through his kitchen, he spotted dark figures hovering around the room. Turning on the light, he was shocked to find his family's clothing had been stuffed with rags and formed into lifeless bodies. And it had all been done while he had been making the rounds.
The strange phenomena continued each night. The children were physically thrown across the room by unseen hands and beaten by a phantom attacker. Sawdust and dust showed strange scrawlings demanding that the Phelps family leave. No longer able to withstand the torment, the Phelps family did in fact move out. The abandoned home became a shelter for the homeless and drug addicted until it was converted into a hospital in 1947.
But soon after, the haunting began again. The staff and patients heard strange knocking sounds, and doors opened and closed of their own accord. By 1971 the old Phelps mansion was once again abandoned, and it has since been torn down. Did the destruction of the building finally put Goody Bassett to rest? One can only hope.
MARCH 11, 1953 THE HAUNTED HOCKEY HALL OF FAME
Montreal, Canada
In 1953, a nineteen-year-old bank teller by the name of Dorothea Mae Elliot committed suicide. Her coworkers informed the police that Dorothea arrived at work early, pleasantly greeted everyone, and then headed into the second floor restroom with a revolver. They found her with a gunshot wound to her head, and she died soon after.
However, this wouldn't be the last Dorothea was heard of. After the incident there were reports of unexplainable phenomena: flickering lights, windows and doors opening of their own accord, and the feeling of an invisible hand placed on one's shoulder.
The bank eventually closed some thirty-seven years later. Dorothea would be seen again, however, this time by a Toronto musician, Joanna Jordan. In 1993 this historic building hosted an event in the Great Hall. During Joanna's performance, she glanced up and gasped. Above her, peering down from the ceiling was the ghostly apparition of a young woman with long, flowing black hair.
A few years later when the building became the Hockey Hall of Fame, Dorothea would show herself again, this time to a little boy. While visiting the Hall, a young boy screamed and became agitated pointing at something no one else could see. As reported by the Toronto Star, the Hall's coordinator Jane Rodney said, “He claimed a woman with long black hair was going in and out of the walls.” It appears Dorothea haunts the building, regardless of its function.
MARCH 12, 1832 THE HISTORIC RICHMOND BRIDGE
Tasmania, Australia
The Richmond Bridge, spanning the Coal River, was built in 1825 to connect Richmond to Hobart. It is the oldest stone arch bridge in Australia. Originally known as Bigge's Bridge, it was built by convict labor, as were many things in Tasmania. In 1832, an official inquest was conducted into the death of a man named George Grover. George was a convict and flagellator (a person who whips others as a form of discipline). He was especially cruel and received great enjoyment in whipping his fellow convicts during the construction of the bridge. On that day in 1832, according to the results of the inquest, he was drunk and either fell or was pushed off the bridge to his death. Most believed he was pushed by some of the convicts he had whipped so cruelly during the bridge's construction.
Ever since that day, his ghost has been seen pacing back and forth on the bridge. When approached, he simply fades away. Another ghost associated with the bridge is a large dog, nicknamed “Grover's Dog.” Pedestrians have reported that a dog appears next to them as they walk across the bridge late at night. As they reach the other side, it vanishes. Although George's ghost strikes fear in many, the phantom canine is a welcomed sight.
MARCH 13, 2008 YORK STREET JAIL
Springfield, Massachusetts
According to CBS 3 News, demolition of the old York Street jail, built in 1886, was completed in the spring of 2008. Although it hadn't been home to prisoners for the past sixteen years, a picture taken by local historian Jim Boone tells a different tale. Boone had documented the various stages of the building's demolition, and he witnessed something odd. While he was standing in the rotunda, snapping photos, a fog appeared in front of the lens. It was there one minute, then gone the next. At first he suspected his camera was faulty. But later, when Boone loaded the digital images on his computer, every picture was clear except for one. Rather than fog, however, the image took on a ghostly shape. Coincidently, Boone states, the exact location where he took his picture was the spot where, in 1898, Massachusetts's last legal hanging took place. It appears the executed man is still hanging around.
MARCH 14, 1984 THE GHOSTLY NEIGHBOR
Watertown, Massachusetts
Bety Comerford knew there was something not quite right with her new Watertown apartment. Staying late to paint before the official move-in date, she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her. Yet she was always alone in the room. She wondered if she was imagining things. Then one evening, she received her answer. As she was finishing up painting the last wall in the bedroom, she turned to put the brush down and the skin on her arms suddenly prickled. Slowly raising her gaze, she saw him.
He stood in the doorway, silently watching her; young, blond, and handsome, dressed in tan corduroy pants and a brown jacket with elbow patches. They looked at each other for a long moment, and then he faded. As if his appearance had broken the ice between them, she began seeing him more and more. Each time, Bety was overwhelmed by his sadness.
Finally it was move-in day. After she and her husband were settled, the upstairs couple invited them up for coffee. Plagued by the images of the ghostly visitor, Bety felt compelled to find out more. She brought up the ghostly sightings she'd had with her new neighbors. Awestruck, the woman broke into tears and ran out of the room. Not realizing the impact of her question, and at a loss for words, Bety apologized. The woman's husband explained. “Ten years ago we rented your apartment to a young photographer. He was going through some tough times. We didn't realize how tough. That is, until my wife found him hanging from our back porch.”
MARCH 15, 1999 HELLO KITTY
Hong Kong, China
In 1999, three young gangsters kidnapped twenty-three-year-old Fan Man-yee from her home. Ah Map, as she is also known as, was taken to an apartment in the shopping district. She had owed their boss Leung Wai-lun $4,000, and al
though she had already paid him back $14,000, he wanted more. He beat and tortured her and kept her as a prostitute in order to pay back her debt. For a month, the three men and one of their girlfriends, high on drugs and just for kicks, subjugated Ah Map to every form of grisly torture conceivable. Eventually when her body could tolerate no more, she died on the bathroom floor, next to Melody, the gangster's girlfriend.
Panicking and needing to be rid of the body, they cut it up in the bathtub, boiled the flesh off the torso, and fed the arms and legs to stray dogs.
Soon after, Melody began having nightmares. Ah Map plagued her dreams. Unable to withstand the torment, Melody escaped the apartment and confessed all to the police. Although they did not believe her, they investigated. What they found in the third-floor apartment shocked even the most seasoned policemen. Not much remained of Ah Map except her skull, which had been stashed inside of a large Hello Kitty doll. Thanks to Ah Map's ghost, the men were convicted. The apartment has since been boarded up, but every now and then her shadowy image is captured on closed-circuit cameras as she wanders the neighborhood, searching for her dissected corpse.
TERRIFYING TIDBIT
A traditional Chinese Ghost Festival includes ritualistic offerings and the burning of hell money in order to please the spirits and deities. The festival is a way to connect the living to the dead, earth to heaven, and the body to the soul.
MARCH 16, 2009 THE BUS PASSENGER
China
According to the Chinese Daily, when Chen Lai Fu boarded the bus Sunday night, not all the passengers were among the living. Sitting in one of the seats at the rear of the bus, he couldn't help but notice the young boy running around. The boy looked about nine years old, wore a gray jacket and yellow pants, and talked to himself as he played. However none of the other passengers took any notice of him. Moments later, the boy went to the front of the bus and spoke to the driver. Apparently unable to see him, he too ignored the young lad. Finally, when the boy came to the back of the bus and sat next to Chen, like other spirits he'd encountered, he realized the boy was a ghost. The astral child, counting the passengers with his finger, said, “Wow, so many people.” He then turned to Chen and tried to strike up a conversation with him, but Chen ignored him as well. Several minutes later, when Chen reached his destination, he exited the bus. As it pulled away, he turned, staring at the boy through the bus window.
When the reporter asked why Chen could see the boy, he replied, “I developed the ability to see spirits after I fell ill with a high fever when I was a child.” Is Chen telling the truth? Just ask him, and he will show you the photo of the little boy he captured on his cell phone. It seems seeing is believing.
TERRIFYING TIDBIT
According to Tony Cornell at the Society for Psychical Research, cell phones are to blame for a decline in ghost sightings. It's his belief that the electronic noise produced by phone calls and text messages is drowning out their unusual electrical activity.
MARCH 17, 1078 THE OLD FERRY BOAT INN
Holywell, Cambridgeshire, England
During the time of Edward the Confessor, a young maiden named Juliet Tewsley was jilted by her lover, a woodcutter named Thomas Zoul. Inconsolable, she hanged herself on the banks of the Ouse. Thomas found her, cut her down, and buried her where she had died, placing a stone slab on her grave. Years went by and the Old Ferry Boat Inn was built on the site.
Since then, her spectral image has been seen in the inn and on the banks of the river. In its floor you can see the stone slab of Juliet's grave. But beware, do not set foot on the slab, for it is said to bring bad luck. If by chance you do stumble upon it, buying drinks for the house is the only way the curse will be lifted. Every March 17, the inn throws a huge party in Juliet's honor. Ironically, although she was spurned in life, she is celebrated in death. One has to wonder if the curse was a ploy by a penniless patron.
MARCH 18, 1996 THE OZONE DISCO CLUB
Quezon City, Philippines
The heavy beat of music reverberated off the walls of the Ozone Disco Club in downtown Quezon City. It was just about midnight when a small fire broke out in the club's disc jockey booth. The DJ attempted to extinguish the fire, but it quickly spread. Most of the young patrons thought it was part of the show. They were dead wrong. The fire grew ever so quickly. Screams filled the air, as did the acrid smoke of the flames. The once jubilant crowd panicked. They rushed toward the only exit as terror set in, but there was another problem: the doors opened inward. The crush of the crowd against the heavy doors turned fatal for those trapped inside the burning inferno. One hundred sixty people died that night and another ninety-two were injured. It was the worst fire in the country's history.
Today the building is abandoned, a silent testimony to the tragedy that occurred that night. Or maybe not so silent. When the sun goes down, the heavy beat of music seeps into adjacent buildings. Muffled voices and wisps of screams fill the air. And if one dares to look into the decaying hulk of the Ozone Disco Club, it is said you can still see ghostly figures dancing in the moonlight, just as they did on that night back in 1996.
MARCH 19, 2009 THE SKULL POINT BATS
Manchester, Jamaica
A long time ago on the island of Jamaica lived a slave by the name of James Knight. Embracing the Christian faith, he preached to his fellow slaves. When the master of the Lyndhurst estate heard of his exploits, he became angered and ordered Knight beheaded. His henchmen, seizing the slave without remorse, chopped off his head. As a warning to other slaves, Knight's head was taken to town where it was impaled on a pole for all to see, which is how the name Skull Point came about. As for James Knight, his spirit lives on.
His ghostly apparition has been seen roaming among the ancient gravestones and the abandoned church at Skull Point. Locals speak of frightful cries emanating from the church and other unworldly noises penetrating the night air.
Hearing the rumors and looking for a good story, a local reporter, Robert Lalah of the Jamaica Gleaner, decided to investigate for himself. According to his article, he went to the church on a sunny day. He might have been brave, but he wasn't stupid. As he made his way through the weather-worn tombstones, he heard a terrifying screech coming from the gutted church. Gathering courage, he slowly made his approach. Just as he crept through the doorless opening and over the aging rubble something zipped by his head. It was a bat. Looking to the ceiling he saw many of the large creatures, darting back and forth in the shadows. He grabbed his camera and snapped away. After a few more minutes, he turned and left the church. Satisfied with his finding, he returned to the office. But he was dumbstruck when he began thumbing through the developed photographs. The pictures were only of empty rafters. Where were the bats? It appears the mysterious haunting of Skull Point Church remains just that. A mystery.
MARCH 20, 1393 CHARLES BRIDGE
Prague, Czech Republic
The historic Charles Bridge was originally known as the Stone Bridge. Spanning the Vltava River, it connected Old Town with Lesser Town (Mala Strana) and Prague Castle. The cornerstone was laid by King Charles IV on July 9, 1357, and the structure was completed at the beginning of the fifteenth century. Nearly all the citizens of Prague are aware of the ghosts of the Charles Bridge.
During the Middle Ages ten noblemen were beheaded. Their severed heads were displayed on pikes atop the bridge for all to see. Today as you pass over the bridge at the stroke of midnight, you can hear their mournful songs terrifying those who dare to cross.
To add to the terror, there are over thirty gothic statues lining the bridge. One of the most chilling is that of St. John. In 1393 a Cistercian priest, St. John of Nepomuk, was summoned to the castle of King Wenceslas IV. He had heard the confession of Queen Johanna, and the king wanted the details. Saint John refused. The king had him tortured and thrown from the bridge. For 300 years, the ghost of Saint John was seen wandering the bridge and the banks of the river. In the seventeenth century, a statue of the saint was constructed and place
d on the bridge, capturing his vagrant soul. The ghost was never seen again. It has been said that if you have a secret and touch the statue of Saint John, it will be safe forever. One can only imagine the breadth of the secrets he keeps.
MARCH 21, 1897 BOBBY MACKEY'S MUSIC WORLD
Wilder, Kentucky
Bobby Mackey's Music World is a popular location not only for the living but the dead as well. When Bobby and Janet Mackey purchased the building in 1978, they never in their wildest dreams realized the horrific trail of death and destruction that was associated with their new purchase.
Back in the mid-1880s, the site was home to a slaughterhouse. The well in the basement was used to dispose of the blood and animal parts. Eventually the building was abandoned and became used for more sinister purposes. In 1896, during the trial concerning the murder of a young woman, Pearl Bryan, secret rituals that had taken place at the old slaughterhouse were revealed. Pearl, having become pregnant, was decapitated by her lover. And although her body was identified by the shoes she wore, her head was never found. One of the two men responsible for the atrocity had removed Pearl's blond hair, which was later found in his dresser. But it is believed the head was used in a satanic ritual at the old slaughterhouse and then tossed into the well. The two men responsible were hanged in 1897.
