A Ghost a Day

by Maureen Wood

  TERRIFYING TIDBIT

  Near the village of Beetham, between two boulders, you will find a tiny set of stairs carved by elves. If you make a wish before descending to the bottom, and can do so without touching the sides, your wish will come true.

  FEBRUARY 25, 1912 LA BOHEME BED AND BREAKFAST

  Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

  According to an article in the Edmonton Sun, many believe the La Boheme Bed and Breakfast is haunted. And given its grisly past, why shouldn't it be?

  The building was built in 1912 and was once a luxury apartment building. At some time in its history the owner of the building allegedly murdered his wife and dragged her corpse down three flights of stairs into the basement. There he chopped her into pieces and burned them in the building's huge furnace. Mike Comeau, co-owner of the bed and breakfast, pointed out to the reporter that the original coalfired furnace is still there, although it has been converted to gas. He went on to say that one of his female employees once went into the dimly lit cellar to do the laundry. While working near the furnace, something touched her. She came running up the stairs screaming and never went into the basement again.

  Another time, a regular customer named Larry Finnson was staying in Room 7, the most haunted room in the building. He was awakened in the wee hours of the morning, when his bed lifted off the floor. Larry, who once thought of himself as a skeptic, declared, “There's a ghost here!”

  Many say that late at night, when the building is still, you can hear thuds of the murdered wife's head bouncing off the stairs as she is being dragged to the basement. That would give even the most ardent skeptic a headache.

  FEBRUARY 26, 1965 THE HOLLYWOOD WAX MUSEUM

  Hollywood, California

  Visitors to the Haunted Hollywood Wax Museum may get more than they bargain for. Thousands of tourists each year walk the narrow hallways admiring more than 350 realistic wax statuettes of celebrities and movie stars. Among the most popular exhibits at the museum is the horror chamber, chock full of ghouls galore — an eerie addition to be certain.

  Yet it's not only the wax statues causing a stir. Visitors to the museum have witnessed ghostly apparitions moving among the wax replicas. Strange anomalies have appeared in countless photos, especially when taken at night. It's been reported that one man from the National Enquirer, intent on proving or disproving the validity of the haunting, requested to be locked in for the night by museum officials. When they opened the doors the next day, they found the cowering man was white as a ghost (no pun intended). With barely a word, he made a hasty retreat, never to be seen again.

  FEBRUARY 27, 2008 KUALA KANGSAR PERAK

  Malaysia

  A Chinese woman by the name of Kuala Kangsar Perak, first name Lee, claims that continued torture at the hands of a woman's ghostly presence is the cause of her losing forty-four pounds in a two-week period. Her husband, Liang, concerned for his wife's welfare, sought medical attention. Various tests were run, including a brain scan. Still, doctors were at a loss. In their opinion Lee was not physically or mentally ill, and they could find no explanation for her condition.

  It all began after the purchase of their new home. The family requested the service of a medium (jitong) for a religious blessing. While the jitong was there, she reported that she felt the presence of the spirit in the house. Perhaps it was the former owner who had passed away ten years previously and whose name was also Lee?

  Soon after, Lee began seeing a shadow in her living room and bedroom. At night, her temperament changed, as if the spirit inhabited her body, trying to live again, only to vanish with the rising of the sun. During the two-week period, and only during the night, Lee would often talk to herself, become agitated, and provoke family members at every turn.

  Not willing to give up, Liang requested the services of an exorcist. During the exorcism, Lee threw a bowl and became so agitated it took six bystanders to hold her down. Unfortunately, the exorcism failed. Unless another solution can be found, it appears that Lee and her tormentor may share her body until her demise.

  FEBRUARY 28, 2007 SKIDAWAY ISLAND

  Savannah, Georgia

  Within the gated community known as the Landings on Skidaway Island sits a lone gazebo. Those brave enough to visit it between the hours of 10:30 P.M. and midnight soon receive the fright of their life, as columns of fog rise up from the murky waters and take human form. Then a battle unfolds before their eyes and transparent soldiers fight for freedom. All the while, the woods come alive with ghostly specters lurking behind the trunks of trees and in the shadows, apparently waiting for their unsuspecting foe.

  But if you find yourself in the midst of this holographic horror and wish to exit stage left, think again. It has been reported that often cars refuse to start. Their batteries, much like the ghostly apparitions hovering about, have been drained of life.

  MARCH 1, 1867 MUSHROOM TUNNEL

  Picton, Australia

  Behind the pastoral hamlet of Picton, Australia, the Redbank Range Railway Tunnel burrows through the hillside. Built in 1867, it is more commonly known as the Mushroom Tunnel. Originally used for trains, it closed to traffic in 1919. After that, it saw many different uses until it was converted into a mushroom-growing farm, hence the name Mushroom Tunnel.

  In 1916, a local by the name of Emily Bollard lived in a small cottage near one side of the tunnel; on the other side was a farm owned by her brother. When she visited her brother's farm, she would often cut through the tunnel rather than climb the hill. One lazy Sunday afternoon, Emily set off to visit her brother. Half way through the tunnel she heard a train approaching — she had forgotten to check the railroad timetable. A deadly mistake. Emily frantically tried to escape, but to no avail. The train struck and killed her, and her broken bloodied corpse, caught on the cowcatcher, was carried all the way to Picton.

  Almost immediately afterward, the townspeople began to see Emily's ghost in and around the tunnel. Strange lights, like that of an approaching train, have also been spotted. Many have felt the temperature drop and a sudden breeze like that of a train passing by. The tunnel is now abandoned except for local ghost tours. And if you are lucky enough to go on one, you too may run into the spirit of Emily Bollard, still trying to escape the spectral train.

  MARCH 2, 2007 GHOSTS OF MADRID

  Madrid, New Mexico

  Madrid, New Mexico, an old mining town, breathes new life — or death, shall we say — into paranormal sightings. It all began 1,500 years ago when the Native American people mined the area for turquoise. When the Spaniards arrived they captured the Native Americans and forced them to mine for silver.

  In addition to the turquoise and silver, the mines were rich in various minerals. For hundreds of years gold seekers and coal miners dug up the land.

  The town was finally given its name in 1869, and eleven years later the Santa Fe railroad would arrive. However, in 1954 when the coal was depleted, Madrid became a ghost town. Literally.

  Today Madrid has been rejuvenated, but many visitors to the town report seeing ghostly apparitions of times past. One of the most haunted buildings is the Mine Shaft Tavern, a saloon that can be found along the old turquoise trail. Reportedly, cries are often heard emanating through the six-inch-thick adobe walls. The saloon doors swing to and fro of their own accord. Glasses thrown by invisible hands are smashed to the floor. Most terrifying of all are the reports of employees who say they have looked into a mirror and, rather than seeing their own image, face a phantom reflection.

  TERRIFYING TIDBIT

  The popular Wild Hogs movie was filmed in the old ghost town of Madrid, New Mexico. It seems that this happening place is an attraction to both the living and the dead.

  MARCH 3, 1888 STAGE FRIGHT

  Melbourne, Australia

  The Princess Theatre first opened in 1854 as the Astley Amphitheatre. Several years later it was renovated and reopened as the Princess Theatre. This impressive structure, which is listed on the Queensland Historic Register,
hosted such notable shows as Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado and The Phantom of the Opera. In 1888, The Princess Theatre staged Charles Gounod's opera, Faust. The great baritone Federici (aka Frederick Baker) was performing the role of Dr. Faust. During the final act, Federici and the singer who was performing Mephistopheles were dramatically lowered through a trap door into the basement, representing their descent into Hell. During the descent, the great Federici suffered a fatal heart attack and died. After the opera, the cast took to the stage for their final bow, and when the curtain calls were over, they assembled in the back of the stage. There they were informed of Federici's death during the performance. They stood in shock. Several members of the cast spoke up and swore that they had seen him during the final bows. Since that day, many patrons have witnessed the spectral image of Federici in the theater. It became so commonplace that for years the theater management left a seat vacant in his honor. In the 1970s, while filming a documentary at the theater, the camera crew captured a translucent figure on stage. Perhaps Federici, who never got the opportunity to take his last bow in life, is doing so from the grave.

  MARCH 4, 1829 THE HERMITAGE

  Hermitage, Tennessee

  The Hermitage was built in 1821 by Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans. It became home to him and his wife Rachael until she died in 1828. A year later, on March 4, 1829, Jackson became the seventh president of the United States and the Hermitage soon became known as the “Southern White House.” When his presidency ended, still mourning Rachael's loss, Jackson retired to the Hermitage, where he died on June 8, 1845. Andrew Jackson Jr., the general's adopted son, then inherited the Hermitage, but unfortunately, as he was nearly destitute, Jackson was forced to sell the 1000-acre plantation. Soon after, in 1856, the house, along with remaining property, was sold to the state of Tennessee. However, the state lacked the proper funding to maintain it, and it began to fall into disrepair. In 1889, the state of Tennessee charted the Ladies' Hermitage Association (LHA) to care for the property. Immediately they began making repairs to the crumbling house and opened it up to the public as a museum.

  It didn't take them long to discover that Jackson's spirit had never left. The two members of the LHA who were sent to occupy the house as caretakers didn't sleep very well that night. They said they had been kept up all night by General Jackson galloping his horse up and down the stairs. Others, too, reported seeing Jackson on the premises, and Rachael has also been seen, walking in the garden near her tomb. The sightings of Andrew Jackson have diminished over the years, making one think that the general and his loving wife are finally at rest at the home they both loved.

  MARCH 5, 1741 THE COUNTRY TAVERN

  Nashua, New Hampshire

  Elizabeth Ford was a slender woman, five feet seven inches tall, with white hair. Well, at least that's how her ghost is described, who always wears a long white flowing dress. Elizabeth is the resident ghost of the Country Tavern. Back in 1741, when Nashua was known as Dunstable, the Tavern was her home.

  Barely twenty-two years of age, she married an English sea captain who spent many long days and nights out on the open sea. One day, after a ten-month absence, he returned home to find that his wife had a baby (do the math here). In a fit of rage he murdered them both, throwing Elizabeth down the well and burying the baby beneath a tree.

  In the 1980s Elizabeth's farmhouse became a restaurant, but Elizabeth has never left. It appears she has decided to stay, adding her own personal touch to the place. Unseen hands move salt and peppershakers, silverware, and plates. Glasses and cups are tossed off the shelves, while doors open and close without human intervention. Women diners have the sensation of invisible fingers playing with their hair, and Elizabeth's spirit, described as “opaque not transparent,” has made an appearance or two. It seems her favorite haunt is an upstairs window in the part of the restaurant that was once the barn. She has been seen there, gazing out over the property, perhaps remembering another time, waiting for her captain to return from the sea, or maybe she is looking out over her baby's grave.

  TERRIFYING TIDBIT

  Apportation is the manipulation of objects that are moved from one place to another, seemingly appearing out of thin air.

  MARCH 6, 2009 FOB SALERNO

  Afghanistan

  Two paratroopers from the Second Battalion of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment were manning guard tower six at FOB (Forward Operating Base) Salerno. They passed the night away talking and joking about the ghost story going around camp. According to the story, two marines had been manning the tower when one of them saw a little girl in the road with her goat. Startled that she would be out so late at night by herself, they took off their night-vision goggles to try to get a better look, but she was gone. When they put their goggles back on, she was standing right there in the tower with them. Horrified, they left their post and refused to return to the tower. As the two paratroopers continued to poke fun at the story, they began to hear giggling over the radio. It was the voice of a little girl. They contacted the adjacent tower to ask if they had heard anything. They said they hadn't. Chalking it up to imagination, they finished their post.

  The next night, while the two paratroopers were on the same duty, they began to experience an icy coldness envelope them. Hearing movement, they looked around, but they were alone. Just then, a voice crackled over the radio. It was the adjacent tower informing them that there was a three-foot-high figure at the base of their tower. The paratroopers went out on the balcony and scanned the area below. Yet they could see no one. The radio crackled again, “It looks like she's waving.” Again they looked, to no avail. Spooked, but unable to leave their post, they counted the minutes until their shift ended. The two frightened soldiers made a pact. They promised to never to poke fun at the marines' story, ever again.

  MARCH 7, 1867 PHANTOM MONK

  Charleston, Tennessee

  During the flooding of the Hiwassee River in 1867, a local doctor would make an immoral choice that would haunt this town forever. A train conductor, unaware that the tracks had been washed away by the floodwaters, tragically ran his train into the ravine. Rescue workers labored tirelessly retrieving all but one of the train's passengers. Unfortunately without a hospital nearby, most of the injured were taken to homes, where they died. But what of the sole passenger that remained missing? As it was later revealed, a local doctor had found the passenger, a Catholic monk from Baltimore, and brought him to his office. The monk was already dead, but it seems the doctor had plans of his own for him. He stripped the flesh off of the monk's body and bleached the bones. Once dry, the skeleton provided the doctor with the display piece he had always wanted for his office.

  Years later, when all was revealed, the doctor admitted to being haunted by the monk, who apparently wasn't very happy with how his remains had been treated.

  In 1932, when the doctor's office was demolished, construction workers found the monk's cloak along with his rosary beads wedged inside a wall of the building. And although the building no longer stands, locals have witnessed the ghostly apparition of the embittered monk walking the tracks, looking for his bones.

  MARCH 8, 1713 THE BARNSTABLE HOUSE

  Cape Cod, Massachusetts

  This three-story Colonial home built in the 1700s is believed by many to be one of the top two haunted houses found on Cape Cod. Truth be told, it has seen its share of tragedy. The story goes that a sea captain, his wife, and his young daughter Lucy inhabited the Barnstable house. The basement of the house was positioned atop a well, with a running stream beneath it.

  One day, while her father was away at sea, little Lucy managed to drown in the well.

  Overcome with grief, Lucy's mother withdrew to a third-floor bedroom, where she was later found dead from starvation.

  Lodgers have told stories of the “captain” assisting children down the steep stairs. Coinciding with the appearance of the ghostly captain, the windows will mysteriously lock and unlock. One witness to the paran
ormal goings on, a lawyer, watched in stunned silence as a newspaper moved of its own accord from one side of a table to another. With reports of paranormal activity, the New England Society of Paranormal Investigators (NESPI) was offered the opportunity to substantiate the claims. What did they find? Among the most notable phenomena was an EVP of an agitated woman saying, “There are switches!” And, later in the investigation, the team sat at a conference table, politely asking the spirits to communicate with them. A team member, Mike Astin, asked for the spirit of the captain to speak, or to give them a sign. No sooner was the question asked than a fifteen-pound weathervane overturned, startling the group. It seems this band of ghost hunters got their answer.

  MARCH 9, 2009 SPIRIT SAVES DAUGHTER

  West Virginia

  According to a story traveling the Internet, a woman living in West Virginia reports that her apartment, once a funeral home, is haunted. Although uncomfortable with the embalming table and several caskets stowed in the basement, she managed to ignore the strange sounds that emanated throughout the walls at all hours of the day. It wasn't until she heard a persistent man's voice call out her name that she finally grew alarmed.