by Maureen Wood
APRIL 15, 1865 LINCOLN
Washington, D.C.
Well-known actor John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1865, in the Ford Theatre. Booth, carrying a .44 Derringer, jumped Box 7 where Lincoln sat with his wife. Counting on the sound of laughter muffling his shot, he fired at point-blank range.
It is said that President Lincoln foretold his own death when he related a dream to his bodyguard. Of this one cannot be certain; however, tales of President Lincoln being the most active of spirits in the White House abound.
For instance, Eleanor Roosevelt reported feeling the presence of Honest Abe while working in Lincoln's bedroom. During the Roosevelt administration, a clerk reported seeing Lincoln sitting atop his bed removing his boots. Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands had a vision of Abraham Lincoln one night during an overnight stay at the White House. Upon hearing a knock at the door, she got up to open it, only to come face to face with the ghost of our dear departed president.
Yet these are not the only sightings. On several occasions, Calvin Coolidge's wife reported seeing President Lincoln staring out the windows of the Oval Office, hands behind his back, appearing to be in deep contemplation. One can only imagine the reason behind the numerous sightings of Lincoln and what he would say if he could speak to those who have seen him.
APRIL 16, 1851 MINOT'S LEDGE LIGHTHOUSE
Scituate, Massachusetts
About a mile off the coast of Massachusetts, between the towns of Scituate and Cohasset, lurks a dangerous reef known as the Cohasset Rocks. In 1847, the government ordered a lighthouse be built there.
After much controversy as to the design, cost-conscious bureaucrats chose the less expensive, metal-frame structure, a decision that would come back to haunt them. The new tower went into service on New Years Day in 1850. Almost immediately, the lighthouse keeper, Isaac Dunham, began to complain about the stability of the tower. Ten months later, he, along with his two assistants, resigned. The next lighthouse keeper was a man named John Bennett.
On April 14, Bennett went ashore on lighthouse business, leaving the tower in the hands of his assistants, Joseph Wilson and Joseph Antoine. While ashore, a vicious nor'easter raged, preventing Bennett from returning to the lighthouse. The relentless storm pounded the coast, and around 10 P.M., the light went out. The lighthouse had been swept away. Both Wilson and Antoine had perished.
In its place, a new granite structure was built. Since then, several keepers have reported odd occurrences — the sound of ethereal whispers, the feeling of being touched by an unseen hand, and even a shadowy figure spotted in the lantern room. Strange taps have been heard on the pipes (a system of communication used by Wilson and Antoine). And glass soiled by seagulls has been mysteriously cleaned. Fishermen have glimpsed a man screaming at them in Portuguese, “Stay Away! Stay Away!” Coincidentally, Antoine was Portuguese. It seems that although Wilson and Antoine perished on that night in April, they continue to carry out their duties as if they are unaware they are dead.
APRIL 17, 1865 MARY SURRATT
Washington, D.C.
John Wilkes Booth, the man responsible for Lincoln's assassination, was known to frequent a tavern operated by John Lloyd, but owned by Mary Surratt. In April of 1865, Mary Surratt along with Lewis Powell (who had attempted to kill Secretary of State William Seward) and Louis Weichmann, who dropped off a package at the Inn that was later picked up by Booth, were all arrested as conspirators in Lincoln's assassination. Lloyd was pressured into testifying against Mary. But what other proof did the police have on Surratt? The incriminating evidence against Mary was that her boardinghouse, located a few blocks from Ford Theatre, was a convenient haven for Booth while in town. And, to make matters worse, both of Mary's sons were involved in the Confederacy.
Weichmann also testified against Surratt. Later he claimed that he was pressured by government officials to do so.
Many believed that President Andrew Johnson would pardon Mary. After all, up until that point in history, no female prisoner had ever been hanged. Unfortunately for Mary, the pardon never came. On July 7, 1865, Mary, along with three others, was hanged at Fort McNair. One of the men who died along with Mary, Lewis Powell, proclaimed her innocence with his dying breath. But his words fell on deaf ears. That day marked the first woman to ever be hanged in the United States.
Ever since, people have witnessed the ghostly apparition of a woman with her hands and feet bound roaming about the site of her execution, her face barely visible beneath a black hood. And many a soldier's child, when asked who their invisible friend is, happily report, “the Lady in Black.”
TERRIFYING TIDBIT
In some customs, people preparing their loved ones for burial would bind the feet. It was believed this act prevented the spirit from returning.
APRIL 18, 1910 McPIKE MANSION
Alton, Illinois
No one knows why the aging mansion built by Henry McPike who died in 1910 is haunted. Although the mansion has not been occupied since the 1950s, there have been numerous visitors who have roamed its halls in search of paranormal phenomena. They have not been disappointed. Professional photographers have captured the image of an unexplained ball of light. Some believe it to be Sarah, a servant that once lived in the home. And others have felt Sarah's ghostly embrace.
A video recorded in 1999 by a professor from California has yet to be debunked. In fact, analysts have found it so unexplainable that it has been viewed on national television many times.
Upon entering the basement the professor and companions were suddenly enveloped with a white mist that appeared out of nowhere. The mist swirled around them for a few seconds, moved away, and then returned just as quickly. As if it were beckoning the group, it continued its cosmic dance, while the curious yet stunned onlookers followed close behind. Then it stopped abruptly. Their encounter with the ghostly apparition lasted only a moment.
However, when the group was asked to describe what they'd felt while encircled by the mist, they said it felt like an electric charge. And that's not all; during their encounter, the eyewitnesses described the swirling mist as having moved with a purpose, indicating an intelligence. Yet, its presence remains a mystery.
TERRIFYING TIDBIT
A paranormal investigation is an event to either prove or disprove the existence of paranormal phenomena.
APRIL 19, 1602 BRIDGE OF SIGHS
Venice, Italy
Built in 1602, this limestone bridge located in St. Mark's Square in the heart of Venice is haunted. The bridge, which crosses the Rio di Palazzo, connects the old prison to the interrogation rooms in the Doge's Palace. After being tried and sentenced in the Palace, the doomed caught their last glimpse of Venice through the narrow windows in the old stone covered bridge. In the nineteenth century, Lord Byron named the bridge for the groans and sighs often heard from the condemned prisoners as they were led away to their cells.
Over the centuries, visitors to the palace and prison have heard heart-wrenching groans and torturous cries emanating from the walls of the stone covered bridge.
But that's not all. Obviously sound travels, because visitors to Hotel Scandinavia, found right next door, have often reported hearing similar eerie moans echoing within its walls. Oddly enough, the hotel has not experienced any other type of paranormal goings-on. So, many believe the unexplainable sounds originate not from the hotel itself but from its neighbor, the Bridge of Sighs.
APRIL 20, 1827 CASA DE ESTUDILLO
San Diego, California
Constructed in 1827, Casa de Estudillo, the adobe house located in San Diego State Historic Park, is haunted. Through the years it has had many uses, including a church. In fact, it is in the old chapel that the translucent image of a monk dressed in a brown robe has been seen. On several occasions staff and visitors alike have stared in awe as they watched the ghostly specter glide past them, vanishing through a doorway to what was once a priest's bedroom. Museum staff members have witnessed the
faint sound of praying and a book flipping pages of its own accord. Unseen hands have slammed the heavy wooden doors shut. The morphing of ghostly, human faces has been witnessed in the antique mirrors. Shadows are seen darting room to room. Flashes of red and yellow lights appearing out of nowhere in the dining room have shocked more than one visitor to this museum. And the ghost of a sad woman dressed in Victorian garb is often seen wandering about. The strange occurrences at Casa de Estudillo have attracted the attention of the paranormal community. Among those to investigate the haunting was the team from the television show Ghost Hunters.
It's been said that during their investigation, they captured a few of the ghostly faces on film. The images were so clear that the staff, familiar with the historic residents and with the antique photos of the museum, were able to identify the spirits. In their calculation there are at least nine ghostly inhabitants. However, visitors to the museum believe there to be more. Many more.
APRIL 21, 1910 MARK TWAIN'S MUSEUM
Hartford, Connecticut
The famous novelist Mark Twain, also known as Samuel Langhorne Clemens, is most noted for books such as The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, but what most people fail to realize is that he was also a paranormal enthusiast. He spoke of prophetic dreams and channeling the dead and was known to attend séances.
In 1874 Twain moved from Missouri to Hartford, Connecticut, where he lived for the next seventeen years until he moved to Europe. The home in which he and his family lived in Hartford passed hands many times until finally it was purchased in 1929 by a group of local preservationists. In 1963, it was named a national landmark.
The level of paranormal activity experienced in the Twain home has garnered the attention of many notable paranormal investigators. Staff and visitors alike have reported seeing a transparent image of a young woman in a white dress cascading down the stairway. The ghostly apparition is believed by many to be that of Susy Clemens, Mark Twain's daughter who died at age twenty-four in their Hartford home after contracting meningitis. The sounds of laughing children along with the pitter-patter of little feet are often heard running up and down the length of the front staircase.
Once, a paranormal phenomenon was even credited for attracting the attention of the fire department. Late one evening the fire department responded to a smoke detector being set off at the Twain House and Museum. However, when they arrived, they found nothing, expect for the pungent odor of cigar smoke lingering in the air. Samuel Langhorne Clemens, of course, was known to enjoy a good cigar.
APRIL 22, 2005 GHOST BROTHER INTERVENES
Jackson, Mississippi
A brother, long deceased from a car accident, is credited with saving the life of his sister. As retold, a young woman's tire blew out while driving in the high-speed lane. Her out-of-control car skidded off the road, down a ditch, and through bushes and trees on a path of destruction.
Through the horrifying ordeal, she suddenly heard her brother's voice loud and clear, “Undo your seatbelt, now!” She obeyed. The moment she unclipped the belt, her body, like a rag doll in flight, soared into the backseat. Just then, the car flipped over and came to a halt in a garden. Hearing her pleas for help, the owner of the home pulled the woman's bruised and battered body through the rear window to safety.
Emergency teams arrived, and after taking one look at the wreckage, they were at a loss as to how the young lady had survived her ordeal.
She related to all that her brother had saved her life.
Although there may be some people who are skeptical of her claims, the simple fact remains that the driver's side of the car was crushed and smashed to pieces. Had the young woman not unclipped her seatbelt when she did, she would not be alive to tell the tale.
APRIL 23, 1729 THE FATAL JUDGMENT
Cape Town, South Africa
The impressive star-shaped Fort de Goede Hoop (Castle of Good Hope) was completed in 1679. This massive fortification was the seat of the military and civilian government. Today the castle is the oldest colonial structure in South Africa and is known for a ghost sighting or two.
Several people have reported seeing the gleaming apparition of a tall man walking between two of the bastions in the castle. Disembodied footsteps and cursing have also been heard in the same area. This specter is believed to be the ghost of Pieter Gysbert van Noodt, a former Dutch colonial governor. According to legend, van Noodt was as cold as the Cape Town winter winds and hated by the soldiers stationed there.
In 1729 seven soldiers were caught trying to desert. The ruling council sentenced them to beating and deportation; however, Van Noodt overturned their verdict and sentenced them to death by hanging. As his sentence was being carried out, one of the men cursed him for what he had done. After the men were hanged, an officer went to the governor's chamber to inform him that his sentence had been carried out. He found van Noodt in his chair, dead, his face frozen in terror. It seems judgment came as swiftly for the governor as it did for the men he had condemned. In death, the souls of the deserters seem to have finally escaped the cruelty of van Noodt. The governor, on the other hand, seems damned to roam the grounds of the fort for eternity.
APRIL 24, 1907 LADY ELLIOT ISLAND
Australia
This small Great Barrier Reef island was discovered in 1816 by Captain Thomas Stuart and was named after his ship, Lady Elliot. A wood and iron lighthouse was built in 1873.
If one ventures to the island today, not far from the lighthouse is a tiny well-kept cemetery. One of the graves belongs to Irish-born Susannah McKee. Thomas McKee and his family left Ireland promising Susannah a better life. But his job as lighthouse keeper on Lady Elliot Island was far from what he promised. The island was barren and inhospitable. As the years passed, Susannah's constant yearning for a better life, coupled with the desire to escape the isolation became too much for her to bear. Finally in April of 1907, she donned her best dress and plummeted into the sea. The next day, her husband found her body and buried her in the small cemetery. Rumors spread that Tom had pushed her to her death, but nothing could be proved.
Several years later, another lighthouse keeper, Arthur Brumpton, spied the ghost of a woman in old-fashioned dress walking between the lighthouse and the cottage. Brumpton and his daughter saw her several times during their stay on the island but didn't know who she was. In 1940, while Brumpton and his daughter were returning to Brisbane on a ship, the captain of the vessel decided to show them some old photographs of past inhabitants of the island. To their shock, they recognized Susannah as the spectral image they'd often witnessed wandering about the island. To this day, Susannah McKee's ghost can still be seen in the cottages, the lighthouse, and gliding across the island. Ironically, it seems that even in death she still can't escape the loneliness and desolation of Lady Elliot Island.
APRIL 25, 1578 DRAGSHOLM SLOT
Sealand, Demark
Bishop Roskilde built Dragsholm Castle in the twelfth century. The castle became the residence of kings and of several noble families. At least three spirits haunt the colossal fortress.
The saddest tale is that of the Lady in White, the daughter of a nobleman who at a young age fell in love with a common man who worked in the castle. One day, her father, discovering their relationship, became furious and ordered her to be imprisoned in the castle. Today the apparition of a woman in a white dress can be seen roaming the corridors in search of her lover.
Another spirit making a notable impression on the castle is the Earl of Bothwell. In the 1500s he was captured and imprisoned in the castle's dungeon, where he remained for ten years, escaping only in death. His mummified remains were displayed as a relic in a nearby church. Each evening his ghost returns and he is seen riding his gallant steed through the courtyard.
The last of the three is the gray lady. She was a maiden in the castle who suffered from a terrible toothache. The master cured her. Eternally grateful, she returns to watch over the castle.
TERRIFYING TIDBIT
In the
1930s during renovations of the castle, workers knocked down a wall and discovered the skeletal remains of a woman in a white dress. Could this be the Lady in White?
APRIL 26, 2006 BARNLEY PUB
Barnsley, South Yorkshire
Roger Froggatt, the owner of the Yorkshire Pub, encountered the fright of his life one fateful night. The pub's heat-seeking alarm was set off at 1:30 A.M. Froggatt, thinking his establishment had been broken into, went to investigate. Upon entering the empty pub, he immediately noticed that all the televisions had been turned on. He then went to check out the bathroom, where he could clearly hear the toilets flushing. That's when he came face-to-face with the ghostly apparition of a gray-haired woman dressed in white. Stunned, he stood there for a moment and watched in horror as the figure before him turned to stare, her face missing from cheekbone to jaw. Terrified, Froggatt ran out of the bathroom. His fear was so intense he had difficulty speaking, but he managed to call the police. When the police arrived, they too experienced paranormal oddities. There was no sign of a break-in, yet the alarm had been triggered, and when they entered the restroom, the electronic toilets once again began to flush by themselves.
Previously, Froggatt had experienced barrels in the basement had been inexplicably moved and the gas jets turned on. At first he thought it was nothing more than his overactive imagination. Not anymore. Roger has decided to call in the help of a priest to exorcise the evil spirit that he now is convinced haunts the establishment.
