tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2981464185452131712024-03-15T18:17:57.076-05:00Strange State - Paranormal MysteriesMusings on the paranormal, often as they apply to Oklahoma. Based upon the nonfiction work, Strange State: Mysteries and Legends of Oklahoma by Cullan Hudson. Copies of this fun and exciting book are available now, just in time for Halloween. Topics include: Ghosts, Hauntings, Oklahoma Paranormal, Bigfoot / Sasquatch, UFO's, Aliens, treasure tales, ghost towns, Witchcraft / Voodoo, Cryptozoology and more about Mysterious Oklahoma and beyond.Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.comBlogger1368125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-35544256750198269362020-10-23T11:11:00.001-05:002020-10-23T11:11:19.122-05:00Home Haunt<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIUhniR1VnwdsakWLN9PuDF1RC7mTkzErMWGcv7c_nnucPLDiq_Q42USddk8O8Uk2ea9Kzq597SkVk6R2vYNmTUbphpAkpPAA-gLqaHh81lrlKg-cIra9rDHoOiC9UZE4lRIQYJr0NSo/s2048/6CE41421-240E-4035-907A-6BE7FE66F5F3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1539" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIUhniR1VnwdsakWLN9PuDF1RC7mTkzErMWGcv7c_nnucPLDiq_Q42USddk8O8Uk2ea9Kzq597SkVk6R2vYNmTUbphpAkpPAA-gLqaHh81lrlKg-cIra9rDHoOiC9UZE4lRIQYJr0NSo/s320/6CE41421-240E-4035-907A-6BE7FE66F5F3.jpeg" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-41088295091557243532020-01-08T08:28:00.000-06:002020-01-08T08:28:54.040-06:00JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE OZARKS: THE CARTHAGE UNDERGROUND<div class="yiv4417157392MsoNormal">
The Carthage Underground, near Carthage, MO, is a vast, chilly expanse of marble quarries mostly owned by Americold and used for food production and storage. More than 43 million square feet of warehouse and tunnel spaces join up with other abandoned quarry caves, some complete with underground lakes hosting entire ecosystems. Because of the aggregate, disjointed nature of these spaces, urban explorers often brave the dangers to gain entry from other, connected systems. Some of these intrepid explorers have returned with fantastic tales ranging from the discovery of hidden military installations to witnessing creatures straight out of a horror movie. Check out the links below and be sure to read the comments for more about these strange spaces. </div>
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http://undergroundozarks.com/carthage.html</div>
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http://undergroundozarks.com/blog/index.php/2005/02/20/carthage_underground</div>
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http://www.subterraneanbases.com/missouris-underground/</div>
Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-89590092982721523402019-08-15T07:36:00.002-05:002019-08-15T07:37:05.309-05:00WEIRD BLOBS AND SKY FOAM<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAqn7ualH1aqHJuMFpDrKDQ7UoHuSYiNmrVGtQa8Yq-VamvSxTPcQcAHVcX33_HU6pMDcZT-ZCvWgDVyAdWhYl_bInkJ0CYvVOpTcH4HShIWz9a5dJXwiMmck-w36Cyj9QhqC-wDf9q0/s1600/blob.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="986" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbAqn7ualH1aqHJuMFpDrKDQ7UoHuSYiNmrVGtQa8Yq-VamvSxTPcQcAHVcX33_HU6pMDcZT-ZCvWgDVyAdWhYl_bInkJ0CYvVOpTcH4HShIWz9a5dJXwiMmck-w36Cyj9QhqC-wDf9q0/s200/blob.jpg" width="200" /></a>One night in September 1950, two Philadelphia police officers spotted a glittering disc as it descended from the sky. The pair assumed it was an errant parachute. However, when it landed the officers were astounded by what they saw. The "parachute" was actually a pulsating, scintillating disc of some gelatinous substance approximately 6 feet in diameter and 1 foot thick in the center. When one of the officers tried to take a sample of it, the substance crumbled in his hands and evaporated. All that remained was a sticky residue on his fingers. Within 30 minutes, the disc had wholly evaporated. Later, this incident would inspire the classic 1950s horror film, "The Blob."<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New York City<br />
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An article from discovery.com in 2009 recounted a similar enigma in Manhattan. In this instance, large globules of soap foam were spotted falling from the sky. Upon investigation, it was learned that maintenance workers were cleaning a ventilation system on the roof of a nearby skyscraper. Foam nearly fits the description of what the officers saw that night in 1950: It is light enough to descend from the sky slowly, its buoyant composition would lend it a jiggle some might call pulsating, and the tiny bubbles would produce a scintillating effect when the officers shone their flashlights on it. Furthermore, it would dissolve quickly and leave behind a sticky residue in ones hands should it be handled. Very large chunks of a similar soapy substance were recorded blowing around the Doukkala region of Morocco in 2016. Some said industrial soap foam was responsible here as well. Others theorized it was seafoam washed inland on strong breezes.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morocco</td></tr>
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Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-37804701358419058412019-07-25T15:38:00.003-05:002019-07-25T18:52:50.318-05:00La Malacosa -- A Texas Legend of High Strangeness<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The journey of Cabeza de Vaca</td></tr>
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Texas weirdness stretches from the latest UFO sighting to the most ancient of enigmas. One obscure account in particular, from nearly five centuries ago, still causes heads to scratch even now. Just what exactly visited one local tribe in the 16th Century? Was it man, demon, or something more out of this world?<br />
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According to chronicles published in 1542, Spanish Conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and his beleaguered retinue encountered Native Americans known as Avavares (a Caddoan people) living in South Texas who told him of a visit from a short, bearded entity they received 15 years prior to The Spaniard’s arrival in 1534 .<br />
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So vague was their impression of the being, the tribesmen weren't sure if it was even a man, a woman, or what. Sometimes the stranger would attend the tribe's ceremonies dressed as one of their men, and other times he wore women's garments. It was as if he either didn't know the distinction or simply didn't care. While at these festivals, the interloper neither ate nor drank anything. When asked where he came from, the odd man would simply point enigmatically to a hole in the ground and simply respond "from down below."<br />
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In Cabeza de Vaca's account, the entity is referred to as La Malacosa, a Spanish compound word for "the bad thing." It's not clear if the Spanish translated a local term as La Malacosa or if this was simply how they described this seemingly monstrous entity. And his actions can indeed be described as such. <br />
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The Avavares recounted how La Malacosa would visit their homes at night brandishing a hot firebrand, grab whomever he wished, and slice their sides open. He would then reach into the gaping wound and excise a section of entrails that he would then toss into the fire. He then made three cuts in one of their arms and then another elsewhere. He then dislocated the victims arm before resetting it once more. Strangest of all, when La Malacosa placed his hands on their wounds, the closed immediately. The stranger was also prone to sending their dwellings high into the air and letting them crash to the ground.<br />
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The Spaniards didn't believe this tale, brushing it all off as a folk legend. The tribal leader with whom they spoke though took them to others in the village who verified these events transpired just as described. Was La Malacosa a demon from the depths of hell or an alien from a subterranean base? Perhaps a time traveler? A traveler from elsewhere in the world who predated Spanish contact? Maybe La Malacosa was simply a strange encounter with an ordinary man that turned into a fantastic tale as it crossed barriers of language, culture, and time.</div>
Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-65826073595577424522019-07-04T12:00:00.000-05:002019-07-08T11:47:53.538-05:00Strange Travels: Jamaica. The Roehampton Poltergeist.<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: "garamond" , serif;"><span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-size: 13.3333px;">While visiting the Island of Jamaica this week, I decided to dig into its dark past to bring you tales that might provide a bit of a chill on these hot Summer days. Enjoy!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The Caribbean island of Jamaica has seen much tumult over the
centuries. It has been fought over by warring powers during the height of
European colonization; it was a notorious haven for pirates and privateers; and
it was, as many of these islands were, a stronghold of the trans-Atlantic slave
trade. However, these are the broad strokes; this palm-fringed paradise has
also been home to smaller, more mysterious conflicts that defy rational
explanation and leave the denizens of Jamaica confused and afraid, as was the
case with a tormented young girl over 80 years ago...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;">14 year old Muriel McDonald—a sensible, unimaginative girl,
according to press reports—was living with the head mistress of her school,
Miss C. E. Johnson, at the teacher's cottage in Roehampton, Jamaica in the
spring of 1931 when peculiar things began to manifest. Stones would be hurled
at the cottage by unseen hands, and once inside, would levitate and ricochet
around the room under their own volition. Soon books, pots, and jars joined the
kinetic maelstrom afflicting the small cottage. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Those in witness of these events quickly noted the strange
phenomenon only occurred in Muriel's presence. However, despite taking the
brunt of the physical assaults, the young girl seemed unperturbed by it. Miss
Johnson, however, was never stuck by any of the stones or other objects. If any
of the missiles came near her, they would suddenly drop to the floor. It was as
if she had a force field around her. As for Muriel, people had to watch over
her constantly to ensure her safety. In one instance, the girl had picked up a hammer
only to find it ripped from her hands by this unseen force, fly high into the
air, and come plummeting down with frightening speed. It would have struck her
head had it not been for the interference of those around her. People began
keeping a watch over the pair even as they slept, but it made no difference.
Even while dreaming, the stones and other objects would hurl about.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The situation dragged on for weeks. June 6th, 7th, and 8th were
among the worst days during the ordeal. Scores of men and women came to the
cottage to witness the events and pray for those living therein, but bottles,
bricks, and even tables were being violently tossed about the small cottage. A
local boy, Martel Hurlock, picked up one of the many stones, wrote his name on
it, and flung it out the door. In short order, the same autographed pebble shot
back through a window, bounced off the ceiling, and hit the floor with
incredible force. One wall of the house was being demolished by the force in
order to use its materials as a greater source of projectiles. Eventually Miss
Johnson was forced to leave for her sanity and safety.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;">Those in attendance spoke of other bizarre phenomena. In one
instance, a lamp had been hurled through a small hole in a wall, but when an
onlooker tried to pass it back through that same hole, it would not fit. A
stone weighing roughly half a pound was thrown through a glass pane without
damage. Occasionally, it was noticed, that some the stones manifested from the
ceiling, leaving the plaster undamaged.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;">It seemed the consensus was that some sort of malevolent spirit (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">duppies</i>, as they are known on Jamaica
and other islands in the Caribbean) was at work, a violent poltergeist. Muriel,
in fact, claimed to see a ghostly agent at the heart of the activity, but no
one else did. She stated that whenever she tried to draw their attention to
him, the entity would indicate threateningly that she should keep quiet. She
told how she saw these <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">duppies</i> all
the time, but that she most frequently saw a man in white following her about.
However, her descriptions don't sound particularly ghostly. She recounted how
he spied on her from back of the house and intercepted her as she tried to go
to the latrine. On several occasions, she was able to chase him away by
throwing a rock or setting her dog on him. Still, she associated this man with
the strange happenings at the cottage, indicating that he often slapped,
pinched, and otherwise molested her. He would also knock things from her hands
or hurl stones and masonry at her. Muriel further indicated that she only
encountered the man and the phenomenon at Miss Johnson's cottage. While Muriel
said that she was a bit afraid of these strange goings-on, she was nonetheless
feeling all right. She added that she loved Miss Johnson and their life
together at the cottage.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;">It should be noted that Muriel's encounter wasn't unique. Other,
similar stone-throwing events had happened on the island around the time,
including one investigated by Lord Sydney Olivier when he was governor of
Jamaica. This case is peculiar in the annals of hauntings and poltergeists
because it seems to combine elements of both when they are frequently unrelated
phenomena. Parapsychologists and psychical researchers have shown over many
decades of research that true poltergeist happenings follow a particular
pattern that often includes an adolescent girl around whom these kinetic
manifestations center. It is believed these spontaneous psychokinetic
manifestations arise from a psyche in tumult as it teeters on the hormonal
precipice of adulthood. Yet, for all accounts, Muriel was happy where she was.
Still, one has to wonder about the circumstances surrounding her living
situation. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;">No details were given in the reporting of the time to indicate why
it was that Muriel was living with her teacher and not her family. Furthermore,
there is an almost sadistically lecherous aspect to her encounters with the Man
in White that cannot be overlooked. Could Muriel's powerful subconscious be
acting out against a suppressed rage? That she would be the focus of the
attacks isn't uncommon either. In many of these cases, the agent is the
individual most tormented by the force. Some suspect this is tantamount to
self-harm, a paranormal manifestation of low self-esteem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Inexplicably, the spontaneous manifestation of hurtling
stones (lithobolia) is a common thread among many of these. As are other
aspects of Muriel's case. In fact, it is highly reminiscent of the Centrahoma
Poltergeist as well as similar events in Guyra, Australia; Birmingham, England;
and New Castle, New Hampshire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Eventually, Muriel was persuaded to abandon the cottage,
after which the stone throwing ceased. This is yet another example of that
blurred line between ghostly happenings and psychic phenomena that surrounds
this case. It would seem that Muriel’s departure coinciding with the cessation
of activity is an indication that she was, indeed, the locus of the phenomenon.
However, Muriel wasn’t plagued thereafter, by all accounts, by these strange
stone throwing shenanigans, which indicates that these events were
location-based. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">No proper investigation was conducted by law
enforcement, the press, or psychical investigators. Much of what the press
reported at the time was tantamount to hearsay, if later investigations are to
be believed. While it seems obvious that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">something</i>
happened at the Roehampton cottage, just how spectacular it truly was remains
in dispute. Instances of lithobolia, as stated, are not uncommon in poltergeist
cases, but as time marched on, the press was relaying increasingly incredible
events. It could be these accounts were somewhat dressed up to keep a newspaper
buying public interested.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Was there a hoax afoot? Such claims have been levied
before against claimants of poltergeist phenomena. Again, the case lacked
proper investigation, thus remaining a mystery that provides more questions
that it can ever answer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;">Much of what we know of this tale comes from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Psychic Phenomena of Jamaica (1934)</i>, by
Joseph J. Williams, professor of Cultural Anthropology at Boston College. In
this tome, Williams also recounts how in 1917 he was visiting a ‘notorious
obeah district’ (Obeah being a syncretic Afro-Caribbean belief system similar
to Vodou, Santeria, and others) in the mountains of St. Mary’s Parish when he
was asked by a man to come and bless his house. The man said his family was
unable to eat because and Obeah curse had been placed on them all. Whenever
they would try to place food in their mouths, it would be flung away by an unseen
force. Williams thought it sounded far-fetched, but nonetheless ventured to the
village where he was stuck by the general fervor in the air. Clearly something
had the locals riled up. When he arrived at the man’s home, a small crowd was
already in attendance, awaiting both more strange food-flinging antics and what
ministrations Williams could bring to the tormented family. After talking to
the locals, Williams came to the conclusion that whatever was going on, they
truly believed it supernatural. Still, he saw nothing unusual himself, so he
blessed the home and departed the village. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="yiv7703840632msonormal" style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
<span style="background-color: #444444; color: white; font-family: "garamond" , "serif"; font-size: 10pt;">The Ashanti or Asante are a Twi-speaking people of
present-day Ghana who ruled over a once rich and powerful empire several
centuries ago. During the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, a large Diaspora of
Ashanti arrived in Jamaica where their religion co-mingled with that of
Christians. Among their beliefs is that of the mmoatia (sometimes referred to
as chichiriga), or little people, a duppie that might best be described as
something of an imp or fairy. They can be boons or banes, depending on their
mood and how they are treated. Most people can't see them and is these that
some say cause the poltergeist-like phenomena. It is said when they are mischievous
they will throw stones that behave in ways that no stone should, such as
passing through walls unscathed or hitting people with little to no
effect. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-11705362639098961372019-06-25T12:27:00.002-05:002019-06-25T12:27:51.310-05:00PHONE CALLS FROM THE DEAD<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(29, 34, 40); color: #1d2228; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;">On 9/20/1988 bestselling writer Dean Koontz received a strange call at his unlisted number. The woman's voice sounded distant and it faded further each time she repeated her urent message: "Please, be careful!" After he hung up, Koontz was left with the impression he'd spoken to his deceased mother. Two days later the author was attacked by his father, Ray, while visiting him in a care facility. Ray had secretly purchased himself a fishing knife which he used to slash at his son but the writer managed to get it away from him. When the police arrived, they pulled their weapons on Koontz who was now holding the weapon, thinking he was the culprit. Recalling the phone warning, Koontz realized THIS was the scenario for which he received the call.</span>Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-20768599970294786902019-06-17T13:44:00.001-05:002019-06-17T13:44:42.286-05:00Blue Man of the Ozarks<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FDKJHV3cjIBi66YEv59U6g4-Ojia7Qgo3opDC2HR5pHte8Wbj_y71ys70OaxGBmSDDhoMwMKOXEbGKQL9ayP3AoLmaZAgkO2Sl2-AC_X2-oPHWunhtI0bljYzuZil8hzNhfXK3spiFY/s1600/1925-the-lost-world-apeman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="825" data-original-width="1101" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FDKJHV3cjIBi66YEv59U6g4-Ojia7Qgo3opDC2HR5pHte8Wbj_y71ys70OaxGBmSDDhoMwMKOXEbGKQL9ayP3AoLmaZAgkO2Sl2-AC_X2-oPHWunhtI0bljYzuZil8hzNhfXK3spiFY/s200/1925-the-lost-world-apeman.jpg" width="200" /></a>From the dark forests
and hills of the Ozarks comes an old legend of a hirsute figure that stands in
testament to the longevity of Bigfoot sightings in the region. In contrast to
the assertion that this is a recent phenomenon, the tale of the Blue Man stretches
back at least as far as 185 when a renowned trapper and hunter by the name of
"Blue Sol" Collins encountered strange tracks in the snow along Blue
Creek, near the confluence of the Missouri river and Auxvasse Creek. </div>
</div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
Collins described the
tracks as bear-like with claws marks, but they would have had to have been the
biggest bear he had ever seen. Without trepidation, the seasoned hunter stalked
his quarry for many miles, eventually coming to Twin Mountain. </div>
</div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
As Collins climbed the
slope, he was suddenly assaulted by several large boulders running down the
hillside toward him. He was luckily able to dodge the rockslide, but as he
looked up, he spotted an enormous, 9-foot tall, hairy man. The figure was clad
only in a leather breech, an animal pelt over his shoulders, and primitive
shoes tied with strips of leather that left the left the claw-like impressions
in the snow. </div>
</div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
Collin could see the
man--or whatever it was--held a long wood branch that had been used as a lever to
dislodge the enormous rocks. The strange figure had set the stones free on
purpose.</div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
Collins took stock of
the situation and decided--perhaps wisely--to discontinue his pursuit of the
hairy figure. </div>
</div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
Strange occurrences
were reported over the intervening years (missing livestock, etc.), but no
sighting of the wild man was reported until 1874 when over a dozen men
witnessed it and gave pursuit. Expert as these men might have been at hunting
in these woods, they were unable to capture it. </div>
</div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
By this time, the name
"Blue Man" had come into use in describing the wild man. It is not
clear why, but it may be that because "Blue Sol" first reported the
strange apparition, that locals took to calling him "Blue's Man" and
then later simply "Blue Man." Over the next few decades, like a very
long game of telephone, the details would evolve and it would be said the
creature was of a purplish-blue color. </div>
</div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
Legends even sprang up
to explain its existence. One of these involved a French trader who came into
the region when it still belonged to France, taking with him a young Spanish
woman whom he gifted to a local tribe. From their offspring, the Blue Man
evolved, according to a local named "Uncle Jerry" who had lived in
the region since the 1820s.</div>
</div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
Another search was
mounted in 1890 when sightings cropped up. This, too, was an unsuccessful
venture. In 1911, a den was found in the hills that locals believed was its
home, but the creature was nowhere to be seen.</div>
</div>
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<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
In 1915, a farmer went
in search of two errant lambs. He found their bloody remains in a remote
hollow. The following day, the farmer spotted the "Blue Man" chasing
after a hog in those same woods. Others had similar sightings. </div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
The descriptions of the
creature at this time described a somewhat changed being: thinner, less robust,
and its formerly black hair had grown gray. Still, the beast was feared. </div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
Accounts in newspapers
seem to die off by the 1930s, but it's likely that the Blue Man was still well
known for decades thereafter. While, it's a bit more obscure legend these days,
tales of Bigfoot like creatures are still strong in the region. </div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
<div style="border-image: none;">
My grandfather grew up
in the area and had his own stories to tell, including the time when I was kid
and he had gone outside to scare off a strange, hairy creature that moved on
two legs as it tried to get at my grandfather's hogs.</div>
</div>
Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-82707193683362605622019-06-02T11:45:00.003-05:002019-06-02T11:45:51.750-05:00A Fake Ghost Makes A Real Impression<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-26061484745519496012019-05-31T12:33:00.001-05:002019-05-31T12:33:50.645-05:00Follow me on Instagram for more: strangestateok <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO20BwplNH3LlD_fMgpZ8PgxbXcOP1DjR9HbmTIjac0nI3OXE0q-2t5LMgmFeMDd0HTkWRSfYISQMHVjjHw1Mab_5jAPM8WuKV5DVg9bC4URnzl8XDGAOKSJ_iz7VzYLw7uFFuVjrxHfo/s1600/FD4D3A90-3F03-4A58-B8D0-1F175ED48FAD.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="681" data-original-width="681" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO20BwplNH3LlD_fMgpZ8PgxbXcOP1DjR9HbmTIjac0nI3OXE0q-2t5LMgmFeMDd0HTkWRSfYISQMHVjjHw1Mab_5jAPM8WuKV5DVg9bC4URnzl8XDGAOKSJ_iz7VzYLw7uFFuVjrxHfo/s320/FD4D3A90-3F03-4A58-B8D0-1F175ED48FAD.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-54788174595978215512019-05-29T09:10:00.001-05:002019-05-29T09:10:59.629-05:00Happy Face HauntingOn the Happy Face podcast, Melissa Moore, daughter of serial killer Keith Hunter Jesperson, recounts a sleepless night in the room of their home where her father killed a woman, although she didn't know this at the time. She recalls seeing strange splattered stains on the ceiling and cabinet doors that seemed to be opening and closing on their own. She recounts this with a peculiar nonchalance that belies the clearly paranormal implications. Did Melissa witness the haunting of her father's victim? Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-30727619976944660422019-05-18T05:40:00.000-05:002019-05-18T05:40:00.912-05:00Creepy Cats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwNwtUvEV9-jgU3T6YaV8h3TWwtmM_gagHjNbJbJXBFw0Fl-0mAbRqtzQUUntdFzx1mPU4fOR_mWHlg8OnXtwaramH_jGPtbfhcr1wAolISKkSogTY5AfnUTm2C4YE5MsT9L20aIoJ3E/s1600/8E0C5CFD-B72F-42C7-AB5D-7A12AADDEB92.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwNwtUvEV9-jgU3T6YaV8h3TWwtmM_gagHjNbJbJXBFw0Fl-0mAbRqtzQUUntdFzx1mPU4fOR_mWHlg8OnXtwaramH_jGPtbfhcr1wAolISKkSogTY5AfnUTm2C4YE5MsT9L20aIoJ3E/s640/8E0C5CFD-B72F-42C7-AB5D-7A12AADDEB92.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-51403862697074567872019-05-15T18:43:00.002-05:002019-05-15T18:56:17.168-05:00The Mysterious Power of Maria de Agreda<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbpiIMZUOuAjYg8tH6Rc4ncuS6ZKSnTzaeL45bJbrmQbReA_oHZCG4DMmHaZQYlJ1hufY4WY53OmWtZsjEdyOpGUFxQl9AkRxfJAwx7mbLnQmjske7QkmF7a5uRWXvkZ02VqksYScxoc/s1600/220px-Mar%25C3%25ADa_de_Jes%25C3%25BAs_de_Agreda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="237" data-original-width="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWbpiIMZUOuAjYg8tH6Rc4ncuS6ZKSnTzaeL45bJbrmQbReA_oHZCG4DMmHaZQYlJ1hufY4WY53OmWtZsjEdyOpGUFxQl9AkRxfJAwx7mbLnQmjske7QkmF7a5uRWXvkZ02VqksYScxoc/s1600/220px-Mar%25C3%25ADa_de_Jes%25C3%25BAs_de_Agreda.jpg" /></a>According to legend, in the 1620s, a Spanish nun by the name of Maria de Agreda claimed she would enter a trance while praying and bilocate (a psychic or metaphysical state where a person or object appears in two places at once) to New Spain where she would minister to the native people she encountered. It is said, that from completely unrelated sources, the Jumano tribe of Native Americans living in what is now San Angelo in West Texas were reporting supernatural visits from a woman dressed in a blue cape and head covering that accurately described the habit of the Abbess.<br />
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Sister Maria, who had never been to the New World, was able to describe quite accurately the plants and animals found in the area as well as how the Jumanos dressed.<br />
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Records indicate that Friar Alonso de Benavides, a Franciscan in New Mexico, first reported her appearances to the Spanish court in 1630. Later, he was able to interview Maria de Agreda himself at her convent in Spain and corroborate much of her testimony.<br />
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When Maria de Agreda died, she was declared Venerable by Pope Clement X and a process of beatification was begun in 1673, though it has not yet been completed. Claims of corporeal incorruptibility were bolstered when after various examinations of her body over the years it was determined to have undergone little deterioration. To this day, her remains can be seen on display in the Church of the Conceptionists Convent in Agreda, Spain. In 2002, after the 400th anniversary of her birth, many Catholic organizations began petitioning for her beatification process to resume, in hopes of Maria de Agreda becoming a saint.Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-73746899032589065352019-05-15T18:02:00.002-05:002019-05-16T18:40:10.118-05:00Arizona's Haunted Brunckow Cabin<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3epswWA82x7U3nJNodZW3n_HIjBH6_Apws0sYhluY-BPRqE3j12gXtgc2FwNbKJmyPD5Mu4YIUunjF7Ppv8LAqPYcAQISpWqOTA4ZyVjNRRj6aFN3jC_2UhNMCZuUXGkRQbdBcxw1kh8/s1600/brunckow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3epswWA82x7U3nJNodZW3n_HIjBH6_Apws0sYhluY-BPRqE3j12gXtgc2FwNbKJmyPD5Mu4YIUunjF7Ppv8LAqPYcAQISpWqOTA4ZyVjNRRj6aFN3jC_2UhNMCZuUXGkRQbdBcxw1kh8/s1600/brunckow.jpg" /></a></div>
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Southwest of Tombstone, AZ lies the blood soaked ruins of the Brunckow Cabin. At least 21 people were killed here by various persons between 1860 and 1890. Many of these were buried on the property. And, according to some, their disquiet souls make the occasional appearance. Is this a testament to the savagery of frontier American life? Or could there be something about the site upon which the cabin was built, something that reaches into men's souls to twist and corrupt?<br />
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Many of those who owned the land, lived at the house, or even just visited briefly found themselves meeting tragic ends.<br />
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German immigrant Frederick Brunckow arrived in the US around 1850 with an education in mine engineering from the University of Westphalia. This work eventually brought him out to Arizona where he would eventually open up his own mining operation 8 miles southwest of Tombstone where he built a simple adobe cabin as sleeping quarters for his workers. On July 23, 1860, one of the miners--William Williams--returned from a supply run at Fort Buchanan to find his cousin and fellow miner dead. Williams fetched soldiers from the fort. When they returned the next morning, several men were missing and two more bodies were found--including Brunckow--and over $3,000 worth of materials were missing. The cause of death in each of the men indicated murder. Later that night, the camp cook returned to camp with a tale that he had been taken hostage by some of the Mexican miners who had been hired on by Brunckow. As they crossed the border back into Mexico, the men let the cook go.<br />
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In 1873, two men -- James T. Holmes and US Marshal Milton B. Duffield both laid claim to the cabin. Their dispute led to Holmes killing Duffield with a shotgun. The Marshal was buried at the cabin and Holmes was arrested.<br />
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Prospector and "father of Tombstone," Ed Schieffelin, recorded that even in 1877 there were already several graves at the cabin, likely men who met their fate at the hands of raiding Apaches.<br />
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Outlaw Frank Stilwell owned the land for a bit. On March 20, 1882, Tucson deputy marshal Wyatt Earp gunned him down in a Tucson train station.<br />
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In 1897, it was reported that a group of thieves that had recently robbed a Wells Fargo shipment of gold quickly began arguing among themselves about how their spoils should be divided. It didn't take long before weapons were drawn and the men all lay dead at the cabin and the gold was reclaimed.<br />
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Since the 1880s, reports of ghostly sightings have made their way to Arizona papers and locals began to give the old adobe structure a wide berth. Some witnesses claimed to have seen the apparition of a man wandering about the cabin at night, seemingly in search of something. Lost gold?<br />
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Was the thieves massacre born of an evil in the hearts of criminals or did this blood soaked land reach out with supernatural persuasion to whisper further malice into the hearts of these thieves?<br />
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Not much remains of the structure today: the foundation supports a couple of crumbling walls. The graves are still there, but most have lost their markers. Time, the elements, and vandalism have left the Brunckow Cabin as a ruin in the Arizona Desert, home only to the ghosts of its tragic history.Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-62188899626100626142019-05-14T18:38:00.000-05:002019-05-14T18:38:20.011-05:00Glasgow's Vampire Hunting Kids<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eo3mJ3ZtudvBSsQTMwC6k1BsrOMiOEsl_34BTi4WiP0BCf3oMSxqk00WyQ1GYoWrUBdX_h_wJsKdDkWFC5OCwSj1gFwR8y83KFsb_3N70cOCVaPJv0FGXEBX5eNMhZ3mnU6YlWldLrM/s1600/gorbals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2eo3mJ3ZtudvBSsQTMwC6k1BsrOMiOEsl_34BTi4WiP0BCf3oMSxqk00WyQ1GYoWrUBdX_h_wJsKdDkWFC5OCwSj1gFwR8y83KFsb_3N70cOCVaPJv0FGXEBX5eNMhZ3mnU6YlWldLrM/s320/gorbals.jpg" width="212" /></a>One dismal night in 1954, hundreds of Scottish school children--armed with wooden stakes and other weapons--swarmed Glasgow's Southern Necropolis cemetery to slay a vampire. The creature dubbed the 'Gorbals Vampire,' was a 7-foot tall, fearsome apparition with iron teeth. According to rumors circulating among the students, the vampire was responsible for devouring two small boys. The local constabulary was wholly unprepared for the mass of tiny vampire hunters darting about the cemetery's many Gothic Revival tombs as the Hadean fires of a nearby foundry illuminated the cemetery in hellish hues. Policemen such as PC Alex Deeprose were unable to persuade the kids to leave the cemetery. Eventually, it was the chilling rain that dissuaded them from their hunt. Still, they would return for the next two nights before eventually giving up. Or maybe they got their man. In the aftermath of these events, concerned parents, concerned citizens, and local churches began to look for someone to blame in all this. They settled on the Americans and their horror films and comics that were washing up on the shores of Great Britain like so much detritus. Much of this stemmed from the fact that a popular horror comic of the time was titled "The Vampire with the Iron Teeth," completely ignoring that their own cherished Bible contained reference in the Book of Daniel to a dreadful, terrible beast with iron teeth. There was also a legend from the 19th century about an old woman with iron teeth that stalked a local park known as Glasgow Green. So, did the children really let their imaginations run away with them? Or is there something more sinister lurking about the crumbling old tombs of this ancient Scottish city?Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-19833248646112420692019-04-07T10:45:00.000-05:002019-04-07T10:45:57.103-05:00Paranormal on the Potomoc: Ghosts of Washington DC<br />
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Officially established in July 1790, Washington D.C. (The
District of Columbia) has served as the heart of the United States of America,
home to the nation's movers and shakers. However, the city isn't all gleaming
white and star-spangled; there are darker corners to explore along its
well-ordered streets. Let's take a look at some of the many spooky tales
surrounding this legendary city. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0idkm99W5LGh8SWABt8t_G_F-reT4sTJq_ErAx6pur1ap3PbKwPJfec0ztCgYkeYXJt87rK2MX108CHF_XvOr6VVRpGszJmtvKVFg23WFY35Fv703f3OjnU5wqTm9dzfnwqNV90pbqb4/s1600/capitol.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1500" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0idkm99W5LGh8SWABt8t_G_F-reT4sTJq_ErAx6pur1ap3PbKwPJfec0ztCgYkeYXJt87rK2MX108CHF_XvOr6VVRpGszJmtvKVFg23WFY35Fv703f3OjnU5wqTm9dzfnwqNV90pbqb4/s200/capitol.jpg" width="200" /></a>The nation's lawmaking center, the US Capitol Building, is
reputedly haunted by many spirits, among which we find a worker who fell to his
death during construction of the dome that reaches 160' above the floor of the
Rotunda. The worker has been seen floating about the dome, tools in hand, as
still trying to do his job. A stone worker was crushed to death beneath a
collapsing wall. He, too, is equally dedicated to his tasks and can be seen
throughout the oldest sections of the building. A host of politicians wander
the staid, marbled halls like Hogwartian apparitions: Rep Joseph Cannon, Rep
Champ Clark, Sen and Rep Thomas Hart Benton, and Rep Wilbur Mills. Even the
architect of DC himself, Pierre Charles L'Enfant, has been witnessed sulking at
his dismissal and unrealized vision. Former presidents like John Quincy Adams
and James A. Garfield also call the Capitol Building home in the afterlife. One
can find tales of a phantom feline dubbed the "Demon Cat" that can be
seen before national tragedies or the arrival of a new President (one in the
same for many, I'm sure). Several unknown soldiers make appearances from time
to time, one Revolutionary and another from World War I.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ijmfHb8kJJrlkfIXJtN_45ENHmhVfNKu8QCvNLdgJuS-cN2xfeAiY0sleD-5B6zkDGd0XzrfortX_UZ9OfUNMfOJCB_UZHXVuXldyD8NsVrNtODFZAP7b6SM5D1gNrf85AmGQMs2hTI/s1600/white+house+lafayette.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="432" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ijmfHb8kJJrlkfIXJtN_45ENHmhVfNKu8QCvNLdgJuS-cN2xfeAiY0sleD-5B6zkDGd0XzrfortX_UZ9OfUNMfOJCB_UZHXVuXldyD8NsVrNtODFZAP7b6SM5D1gNrf85AmGQMs2hTI/s200/white+house+lafayette.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The White House and Lafayette Park</td></tr>
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The White House is haunted by more than tarnished
reputations. The presidential home was first occupied by John Adams and his
wife, and many claim they still call the place home. Thomas Jefferson, Andrew
Jackson, William Henry Harrison, and John Tyler all lay claims to this
timeshare of terror. While he didn't die here, Abraham Lincoln is nonetheless a
fixture at the house. The Lincoln bedroom is among the most haunted rooms at
the White House. Many important, sober-minded individuals have claimed to sense
his presence or hear his footsteps. Several have heard him knocking at the door
to the bedroom. First Lady Grace Coolidge claimed to see the apparition of
Lincoln staring out the Yellow Oval Room toward the Potomac. Winston Churchill,
Theodore Roosevelt, Queen Wilhelmina of The Netherlands, and Maureen Reagan
claimed sightings as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately,
the most recent sighting dates back to the 1980s. Lincoln's not alone. His
young son, Willie, joins him in the afterlife at the White House. Many
non-residents also strangely call the White House home. David Burns owned the
land upon which it was built still hangs about, as does a British Soldier from
the War of 1812. Anna Surrat, the daughter of Lincoln assassination
co-conspirator Mary Surrat, stalks the halls still. She barged into the home
prior to her mother's execution in a vain attempt to beg for reprieve. Every
July 6, some say, she comes banging on the doors of the White House, demanding
to be let in to again plea for her mother's life.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGGpsG7m5LYvxRo7pIervDBWyZ0d9v802JiUot14faujjU1YkZAki0Lieadp7O3lxJPtkGbzlvmwZMTijD_GIr-vjjIlSGp0vKj9kQOcACZA6VXsQ15SumSA1I37ZpiUl_RN1GAy2y9c/s1600/cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="244" data-original-width="360" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGGpsG7m5LYvxRo7pIervDBWyZ0d9v802JiUot14faujjU1YkZAki0Lieadp7O3lxJPtkGbzlvmwZMTijD_GIr-vjjIlSGp0vKj9kQOcACZA6VXsQ15SumSA1I37ZpiUl_RN1GAy2y9c/s200/cake.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Due west of the White House lies an expansive French Second
Empire style chateau crowned with a delicate mansard roof known as the
Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Employees at this "wedding
cake" of an office building speak of apparitions who roam its corridors at
night.</div>
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Lafayette Square, just north of the White House, is haunted
by the ghost of Philip Barton Key (son the famous Francis Scott Key) who was
shot in the park by his friend Daniel Sickles when Sickles learned of his
wife's affair with Key.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGk0jn8Tm_BF-3U9AeMk6fEIxHhTckG-RTyQ4SM0aVfqRzlcnDw2flRpQDpAHEbNrkrlQRwfAUT1Oz8DtGHvpWpB9fHQ48VwKi0BhnNLor4Ag1CNTxOKj6A8BgTv7yECKU9hG6_9HLIek/s1600/church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="360" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGk0jn8Tm_BF-3U9AeMk6fEIxHhTckG-RTyQ4SM0aVfqRzlcnDw2flRpQDpAHEbNrkrlQRwfAUT1Oz8DtGHvpWpB9fHQ48VwKi0BhnNLor4Ag1CNTxOKj6A8BgTv7yECKU9hG6_9HLIek/s200/church.jpg" width="146" /></a></div>
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St. John's Episcopal Church, across the street from
Lafayette Park, was built in 1816 and contains a bell made by Paul Revere's
foundry that was installed in 1822. Legend says when the bell is rung in honor
of a notable death, six white-robed specters appear along the "President's
Pew" at midnight and then suddenly vanish. Why this occurs or who these
men are isn't clear.</div>
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Across from both Lafayette Square and St. John's is the
highly haunted hotel known as the Hay-Adams. The hotel was built in 1927 when
developer Harry Wardman razed the historic homes of John Hay and Henry Adams to
build his 138 room residential hotel. Later, hotelier Julius Manger purchased
the property and converted it into the more traditional hotel we see today. In
1885, when Henry Adams still had a home on the site, his wife Marian (a
photographic enthusiast nicknamed "Clover) committed suicide and many
believe she still haunts the corridors and rooms of her old home--they just
happen to exist within a hotel now. Her presence is often detected by the scent
of almonds, the same aroma as potassium cyanide--the darkroom chemical she ingested
to end her life. Others have heard the soft keening of a weeping woman or a
female voice asking softly, "What do you want?" There are doors that
open and close of their own accord and housekeeping staff who claim to have
received phantom hugs. Much of the activity peaks in December around the
anniversary of Marian's death. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSNsDRMJNZlGiq_iFD4vqGQ6ZxhLv_3i4Ie6b3bWJ33-4RgGi-bX1X1ihqpSm5E9HcPye0tgI3w0Du7jwjIFdilGcXcDcfZZT7Nb4okz4cCV9k-5ZzShajJQ06uTgDvk6q9RrKy9MY0w/s1600/octagon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="360" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSNsDRMJNZlGiq_iFD4vqGQ6ZxhLv_3i4Ie6b3bWJ33-4RgGi-bX1X1ihqpSm5E9HcPye0tgI3w0Du7jwjIFdilGcXcDcfZZT7Nb4okz4cCV9k-5ZzShajJQ06uTgDvk6q9RrKy9MY0w/s200/octagon.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The Octagon House was built in 1801 by Colonel John Tayloe
III, a member of a prestigious and storied colonial family. After the burning
of Washington, President Madison lived there for a time and even signed the
Treaty of Ghent at the house. But the home he had constructed at 1799 New York
Ave NW is a darker legacy as well. Legend says in its yard, a slave market once
operated and that mistreatment saturates the ground like blood. Two of the
Tayloe daughters haunt the home; both young women fell from staircase. Either
or both can sometimes manifest as a flickering light that drifts up the stairs
like a mote caught in a breeze. Phantom bells are rung by the disquiet spirits
of slaves forever chained to the home and its hardships. Dolley Madison (who
already gets around the city like an Uber driver) also haunts the home, as does
the ghost of a British soldier from the War of 1812 (maybe it's the same one as
from the Capitol), and a gambler who had been shot on the 3rd floor in the late
1800s joins in on the fun as well.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVNciNaZhanUP0qMuWzx8rLFco1JekNlfk-LImS38ehoZnptWVKVWaBrGomCRByUGyPZY-yrBtpY3ayn7wywpoR6VA_ph6H8XewKnMuUx7dNLbZAE1BCD-6ZHBSZwkTkHwS_3DSocAN8/s1600/peterson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="360" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtVNciNaZhanUP0qMuWzx8rLFco1JekNlfk-LImS38ehoZnptWVKVWaBrGomCRByUGyPZY-yrBtpY3ayn7wywpoR6VA_ph6H8XewKnMuUx7dNLbZAE1BCD-6ZHBSZwkTkHwS_3DSocAN8/s200/peterson.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peterson House</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wFZkcwbHYT5SWrKfXSC_xVuQQ10YiIRYpcK0nmLouL0YnZ552VluBEBN3hC2R0qWMx8XDMpRVYUONPlAY4AZWftz8Luj6MLTocmOigEjzPcKBp5JKCNsIXBKhcWv0u7Od8zcUCmwDHI/s1600/fords.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="360" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wFZkcwbHYT5SWrKfXSC_xVuQQ10YiIRYpcK0nmLouL0YnZ552VluBEBN3hC2R0qWMx8XDMpRVYUONPlAY4AZWftz8Luj6MLTocmOigEjzPcKBp5JKCNsIXBKhcWv0u7Od8zcUCmwDHI/s200/fords.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ford's Theater</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Ford's theater, which many will be surprised to learn is
almost entirely a reconstruction inside, is most famous as the site of
President Abraham Lincoln's assassination at the hands of an actor and Southern
conspirator, John Wilkes Booth. While mortally wounded in the presidential box,
Lincoln was taken across the street to the Peterson House where he died some
hours later. Within even the rebuilt theater, witnesses have reported hearing
the discarnate sounds are reported reliving the events of that tragic night:
The rush of footsteps, a sudden gunshot, and screams. The anguished ghost of
Mary Todd been spotted in the President's box. Some say John Wilkes Booth still
stalks the theaters backstage. A frequent cold spot manifests at stage left,
making some feel ill. There are those who have reported Booth's ghost racing
across the stage. And while Lincoln himself has been spotted here, his ghost
more often manifests across the street at the Peterson house where he died.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjzbUOsnp_Gpkjti5qCL-nhC0GOiV4GuPGub5QnUYHC5zaClFYmvuWZlPLIxjTbJTUOaCHWnd0ZVwUR375uYX-JwAhyphenhyphenJeVjMo28s7IgJha05c3lDr_PeAvBCJheZtAmDJYnJe0fN1jEs/s1600/xorcist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="360" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitjzbUOsnp_Gpkjti5qCL-nhC0GOiV4GuPGub5QnUYHC5zaClFYmvuWZlPLIxjTbJTUOaCHWnd0ZVwUR375uYX-JwAhyphenhyphenJeVjMo28s7IgJha05c3lDr_PeAvBCJheZtAmDJYnJe0fN1jEs/s200/xorcist.jpg" width="150" /></a>EXORCIST STEPS: While definitely cool with its association
to the seminal film, The Exorcist, there is nothing actually paranormal about
this steep set of stairs that leads pedestrians up a precipitous hillside in
DC's Georgetown neighborhood from one street to the next. Still, if you're
looking to up your cardio game...</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzAY2UJEJsDRuraMwZdqTL1uJGnHJfttKGPSmaJQtk2aHcg0tz3D0V_JnuMS7ZxWnmm28dRBjG-F9MwtxEME9qLp_G_kQOyj8cY5-m9c-4dGybDHez2mlcM1Y8xlhObWjn4Z7vNWSO_M/s1600/old+stone+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxzAY2UJEJsDRuraMwZdqTL1uJGnHJfttKGPSmaJQtk2aHcg0tz3D0V_JnuMS7ZxWnmm28dRBjG-F9MwtxEME9qLp_G_kQOyj8cY5-m9c-4dGybDHez2mlcM1Y8xlhObWjn4Z7vNWSO_M/s200/old+stone+house.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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Also in Georgetown, we find The Old Stone House, which was
built in 1765 by Christopher Layman. It's considered the oldest extant home in
the DC area. Not surprisingly that through all those years, the home would
accumulate a ghostly patina. A woman in a brown dress is sometimes seen near
the fireplace. Another, heavy-set woman is spotted by the stairs and in the
kitchen. Some have spotted a man in a blue jacket with long blond hair, as well
as several other disparate, colonial-era men. There is a little boy who runs
down the third floor hallway. We also find reports of a woman in a rocking
chair, a slave boy, a German worker, the laughter of children, phantom cooks
working in the kitchen... The list goes on. The Old Stone House might well be
among the most haunted in DC--if not the country. This is quite a statement,
given how small it actually is. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeL_CqRgXaqEPlyT0bhhvqe9JRDKTyPlcS8mNOMKVW_AY0qCU_eHoBeMoNs9h83IXv1wddpj1GXGGZyXfVVkG7eHRB3xKQcwxHcvtKoW5JZiY5MQlWornXgr8f-iuPtVZTG6PQacAP0es/s1600/smith+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="432" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeL_CqRgXaqEPlyT0bhhvqe9JRDKTyPlcS8mNOMKVW_AY0qCU_eHoBeMoNs9h83IXv1wddpj1GXGGZyXfVVkG7eHRB3xKQcwxHcvtKoW5JZiY5MQlWornXgr8f-iuPtVZTG6PQacAP0es/s200/smith+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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The Smithsonian museum--founded in 1846--is actually many
large and small museums spread throughout DC, although most are concentrated on
the Mall between The Capitol and the Washington Monument. Among the disparate
edifices associated with this storied institution of science, art, and history
lies the red sandstone castle that was the Smithsonian's original incarnation.
Here, the Smithsonian Institution's founder, James Smithson, has been
spotted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paleontologist Fielding B. Meek
who died in 1876 while living at the castle is also believed to haunt the
place.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEiCphoop2GJzfOLd6brtbxmhqK1bcq_5WsJOExKvydtCqf0hyUuoiOordaXGWah3ZZqaxrLPtxaH1PRo_JJohws7mK1uSeL2wqLqT9FTpchcZt_woofxS_7hlXUHqUb-DgELJ5Q3Aac/s1600/smith+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="288" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgEiCphoop2GJzfOLd6brtbxmhqK1bcq_5WsJOExKvydtCqf0hyUuoiOordaXGWah3ZZqaxrLPtxaH1PRo_JJohws7mK1uSeL2wqLqT9FTpchcZt_woofxS_7hlXUHqUb-DgELJ5Q3Aac/s200/smith+3.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
An article from a 1900 Washington Post article recounts that
the spirit of a stuffed bird specimen would fly about the original museum (now
the Arts an Industries Building) at night. The article goes on to tell of other
strange occurrences witnessed by night watchmen, such as the shuffling of
phantom feet, objects that seem to move on their own, or disembodied voices.
Among the chief suspects for these spectral shenanigans are the museum's first
curator, Spencer Fullerton Baird, and Smithsonian Secretary, Joseph Henry--both
of which have been witnessed by night watchmen and other late working staff.</div>
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</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdO8wHA1D6y-eZTfNltyvDqZ-H-0sln1YyfqyI_I-gHpE8uR2ILzX2HRzVXjf6tFwH0CJP4fPMMXptm5RUECIAiUN8NC_1om6jZgKPiFiXWTsdj_TfR4AjaxkpXDyaIPq60rmMauhgUk/s1600/hope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="288" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdO8wHA1D6y-eZTfNltyvDqZ-H-0sln1YyfqyI_I-gHpE8uR2ILzX2HRzVXjf6tFwH0CJP4fPMMXptm5RUECIAiUN8NC_1om6jZgKPiFiXWTsdj_TfR4AjaxkpXDyaIPq60rmMauhgUk/s200/hope.jpg" width="150" /></a>In the Natural History Museum, which boasts an amazing
collection of fossil, mineral, and gem specimens, we find the legendary Hope
Diamond, which many believe is cursed. While it's true that tragedy had
followed the enormous, 45 carat blue diamond its entire life, no actual curse
adheres to the gem. In fact, according to the Smithsonian itself, it was famed
jeweler Pierre Cartier who created the legend as a romantic way to entice Washington
DC socialite Evalyn Walsh McLean to purchase the stone. However, it's a matter
of record that darkness followed her purchase. Her husband left her for another
woman before dying in a sanitarium; her son and daughter died of drug
overdoses. Recalling Cartier's tale, McLean had the diamond subjected to an
exorcism, in hopes of ridding the diamond of its curse. After McLean died,
jeweler Harry Winston took possession of the diamond and then donated it to the
Natural History Museum. The postal worker who delivered the package broke his
leg and then endured the death of both his wife and his dog--all within a year
of his delivery. While a contentious acquisition at first, the fact remains
that millions of visitors have come into the sphere of the Hope Diamond over
the past half-century with no discernible pattern of disaster. Whether the
curse is real or not, the legend and legacy of this amazing stone is
undeniable.</div>
<br />Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-30663967007013261622019-03-19T16:05:00.002-05:002019-03-19T16:05:53.917-05:00The Specters of the Shanley
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWilrPQWm7NNaV6SAwfRo1ztHWMz3mY4GeQWQVPmYLz3MCG6JJ0AOfifK_Nmgxx_ipjZ3yZkkxi__2CVTzSmd_u1ZVoh-bKenZlF2LzP89WmkOmIM-REFPjjtu-UiRKDdttGZD6O94Xxk/s1600/shanley-hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="550" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWilrPQWm7NNaV6SAwfRo1ztHWMz3mY4GeQWQVPmYLz3MCG6JJ0AOfifK_Nmgxx_ipjZ3yZkkxi__2CVTzSmd_u1ZVoh-bKenZlF2LzP89WmkOmIM-REFPjjtu-UiRKDdttGZD6O94Xxk/s200/shanley-hotel.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The historic, and reputedly haunted, Shanley Inn 2.5 hours
north of New York City has wealth of paranormal happenings. The 35 room Inn,
which has been featured on episodes of Ghost lab and Ghost Hunters, forbids any
guests under the age of 16 and requires visitors to sign a waiver.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to the website, it was built in 1845, but other
sources say it was erected in 1895. It’s clear, though, that James and Beatrice
Shanley purchased the properly in 1906 as both a home and an inn that saw such
visitors as Thomas Edison and Eleanor Roosevelt. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Like many of that era, they saw far too much death. Three of
their children died before reaching 5 years of age. An employee’s daughter,
Rosie, died after accidentally falling into a well on the property. And
Beatrice’s sister later succumbed to the Spanish Flu that ravaged so many at
the close of WWI.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Later, during Prohibition, the Inn housed a speakeasy and a
bordello. One can still find secret passages contained therein that doubtlessly
aided in the execution of these shenanigans.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Among the spirits that haunt the Shanley, we find the
aforementioned Rosie as well as a phantom feline, a mourning woman (thought to
Mrs. Shanley), and James Shanley can be seen wandering the corridors, smoking
his pipe and whistling. There is also an unknown woman in Victorian attire,
several young children (perhaps the young Shanley children who didn’t survive),
and a former cook known as “Emma” whose presence is heralded by the smell of
cooking. </span></div>
Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-9285014167841733922019-02-20T16:45:00.000-06:002019-02-20T16:45:08.896-06:00THE VANISHING OF GERRY IRWIN<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
On February 28, 1959, US
Army Private Gerry Irwin, a Nike missile technician, had been driving back to
El Paso's Ft. Bliss from leave in Nampa, Idaho when he spotted a bright object
streak across the sky over Route 14 in Utah. When the glowing object disappeared
behind a nearby ridge, Irwin feared it might have been a downed aircraft. He
pulled over and wrote a note indicating he went to investigate a possible
crash, which he placed on the steering wheel of his car. He then wrote STOP on
the side of his car with shoe polish and headed into the night.</div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
Some time later, a Fish
and Game inspector stopped when he saw Irwin's car. After reading the note, he
inspector headed for the Sheriff's station in nearby Cedar City. Less than an
hour later, Sheriff Otto Pfief and a contingent of deputies and volunteers headed
after Irwin. The men hadn't traveled far when they found the Private laying
unconscious on the ground. He was rushed to a nearby hospital where Dr.
Broadbent examined the officer, declaring him to be in good physical condition.
It was unclear as to why the man had lost consciousness.</div>
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
A day later, Irwin
finally awoke. He was confused and frightened. Where was he? What happened to
the plane crash? He also seemed to be missing a jacket. Those who found him,
however, related that he had no jacket on when he was found. </div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
Once he was feeling
better, Irwin--still with more questions than answers--returned to Fort Bliss
where he was admitted to William Beaumont Army Medical Center for further
analysis. He was again released for duty but within minutes of walking back to
the base, Irwin again passed out. He was taken to El Paso's Southwest General
Hospital. He awoke the next day, asking if there were any survivors.</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
Irwin went back to
William Beaumont hospital where he remained for over a month for psychiatric evaluation.
As before, no ailment--physical or mental--could be discerned and he was
discharged.</div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
Immediately after
release in mid-, Irwin went AWOL. He boarded a bus for Cedar City, UT. Upon
arrival, he returned to where he had seen the light crash. As he examined the
site, he suddenly found his missing jacket draped over a bush. In one of its
buttonholes was a pencil with a piece of paper wrapped around it. It's not
known what the paper said. Irwin didn't say when he later turned himself in to
Sheriff Pfief. </div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
Irwin was sent back to
Fort Bliss and endured further psychological evaluations that revealed, as
before, nothing unusual. He was again released, but this time he did not return
to duty. Ever again. By September, Irwin had officially been written off permanently
AWOL. </div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: normal; margin: 1em 0px;">
As far as anyone knows
Private Gerry Irwin has never been seen again.</div>
Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-73131568303293450772019-02-15T07:44:00.000-06:002019-02-15T07:44:30.565-06:00Toprakkale Shuttle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE94C2s7mIocMr67dNdSAWPUlKjd0_XmYsYsAkfvKhFXnImneqNLZ_wjXByZCQ0hDtfDF0fUmeleDYGcdkM3O9GgWBgQu3TQSza-MZMfPKLbFyB5yKpLjnSyeO2Ur_ceXKoRCjYwwzIZw/s1600/ancient+spaceships+artifacts+dicoveries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="640" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE94C2s7mIocMr67dNdSAWPUlKjd0_XmYsYsAkfvKhFXnImneqNLZ_wjXByZCQ0hDtfDF0fUmeleDYGcdkM3O9GgWBgQu3TQSza-MZMfPKLbFyB5yKpLjnSyeO2Ur_ceXKoRCjYwwzIZw/s320/ancient+spaceships+artifacts+dicoveries.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div style="border-image: none;">
An artifact from near Toprakkale, Turkey near Syria has been a favorite among ancient astronaut theorists for years. Some claim it to be over 2000 years old; others believe its a complete hoax. Superficially, the stone carving appears to depict a humanoid figure in corrugated clothes sitting or crouching within a rocketship--complete with nose cone and thrusters. There isn't a lot of good information on the artifact, as very little original research has been done. It's the sort of story that gets cast out into the river of information to wash up as the truth elsewhere with little examination of its origins. If you Google it, you'll find scores of webpages that have copy and pasted the same exact article over and over, presenting it as their own. I hate that. It's the worst kind of plagiarism. BTW, if you're not reading this on Strange State, then a similar fate has befallen my writing. If anyone knows of a reputable site or (god forbid) and actual book with details concerning this enigma (you know, actual names and dates, etc...), let me know. It's a curious artifact, and I'd love to know if its genuine.</div>
Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-72696267308529134302019-02-01T07:45:00.001-06:002019-02-01T07:45:34.786-06:00WITCH BOTTLES<div style="border-image: none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxICkusu6L57WNbsQnVOgwLEVX1l6MhI09yZB9xch2V5sG-PsuyQ2OsPNH2iePhQcLAOLwcjezRXGlPzfqJdnC3rYkzvZCoOfNSK5cK4Zc9QJX4AoQQ0Csyz2q2hCeq0VcTbzWL-fLYC0/s1600/320px-Bellarmine_jug00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="459" data-original-width="320" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxICkusu6L57WNbsQnVOgwLEVX1l6MhI09yZB9xch2V5sG-PsuyQ2OsPNH2iePhQcLAOLwcjezRXGlPzfqJdnC3rYkzvZCoOfNSK5cK4Zc9QJX4AoQQ0Csyz2q2hCeq0VcTbzWL-fLYC0/s320/320px-Bellarmine_jug00.jpg" width="222" /></a>Witch bottles date back to at least the 17th century and were used as a protection against witches. The tradition comes from England, but examples have been found during the excavation of colonial American sites. These innocuous glass bottles or clay jars were filled with an assortment of magical countermeasures, including the urine, hair, and nail clippings of the person needing protection. Later, rosemary (a warding herb known since Roman times), needles, and wine were included as well as sea water, dirt, stones, knotted threads, feathers, salt... Frankly, the list goes on. If it has a magical connection, it was probably tossed in. Some early examples were a simple stoneware, glazed with salt, and embossed with the visage of a bearded man. These bottles were secreted away within the walls of the house, beneath its hearth, or buried at the edge of the property. Some were tossed into a fire to break the spell focused on its owner. </div>
Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-65607384639114426602019-01-31T07:51:00.000-06:002019-01-31T07:51:57.140-06:00Johnny Frank Garret's Curse
<br />
<div style="border-image: none; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEeEdvyTnXA3njJm2uWCwNFJadd4rUFfVb0gWAPvpdA71b9PoKdpcBhlRF41QE36Yw7KOUTF7V1YiqkRns5KY8BllTmRlkVjUc4s_ITQwlS5BFQE4vpuNQuoBYsq0X8y4pXla2tkJNy4/s1600/garrett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="632" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKEeEdvyTnXA3njJm2uWCwNFJadd4rUFfVb0gWAPvpdA71b9PoKdpcBhlRF41QE36Yw7KOUTF7V1YiqkRns5KY8BllTmRlkVjUc4s_ITQwlS5BFQE4vpuNQuoBYsq0X8y4pXla2tkJNy4/s200/garrett.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Johnny Frank Garret, a mentally handicapped man from
Amarillo, was executed by the State of Texas for the rape and murder of Sister
Tadea Benz, a Catholic nun at St. Francis Convent, on the morning of October
31, 1981 when he was 17 years old. Garret claimed he was innocent throughout
the whole ordeal. Despite requests for stays of execution and even an appeal
for clemency from Pope John Paul II, Garret was executed by lethal injection on
February 11, 1992. Later, DNA evidence and follow up investigations pointed to
Leoncio Perez Rueda as the true culprit. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">According to legend, among Garret's final acts was to pen
what the Austin Chronicle termed a "theatrical curse" on all those
who had a hand in this injustice. And if may have actually come to pass. A
number of the attorneys, jurors, and others associated with the case have died
peculiarly since his execution. Others found themselves surrounded by tragedy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">One juror's daughter died from an accidental gunshot wound
to the head while his sister was killed by a drunk driver. Several jurors and
lawyers died of cancer. Medical Examiner, Ralph Erdemann, was convicted of
several felonies, including falsifying autopsies. Both a fellow inmate of
Garret's and his former school teacher testified against him. They both
committed suicide, as did the District Attorney Danny Hill. His daughter hanged
herself a few years after. Another attorney's wife committed suicide and his
son was accidentally locked inside a hot car, causing permanent brain damage. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Of course, if you take a given group of people over an indeterminate
number of years, you will start to rack up a body count. It's the only
certainty of life: no one gets out alive. The pool of people associated with
his various trials and investigations might run into the hundreds. If 15 of
them find themselves embroiled in tragedy, can we really blame that on a curse?
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then again...</span></div>
Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-64677006061413146222019-01-29T14:35:00.001-06:002019-01-30T19:48:52.493-06:00More Paranormal Potpourri<div class="separator" style="border-image: none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_h52TVSn6uWHHD-qYz6BruXkm9Jsr6pycCXkOCe25tUGeMHNzbnvmcZCxNPdGnz96oRoRSS84EGQZJKnFFYWy7aHMATej-53eBqhEZOA-6vvPfDxgA07jk3naXy5IT6DQ4ThDwTjOjA/s1600/The-Oxford-Electric-Bell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="970" height="111" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP_h52TVSn6uWHHD-qYz6BruXkm9Jsr6pycCXkOCe25tUGeMHNzbnvmcZCxNPdGnz96oRoRSS84EGQZJKnFFYWy7aHMATej-53eBqhEZOA-6vvPfDxgA07jk3naXy5IT6DQ4ThDwTjOjA/s200/The-Oxford-Electric-Bell.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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In 1978 Soviet geologists prospecting by helicopter in remote regions of Siberia discovered a family of six in the forest. The group, which had been living in a primitive dugout with a sagging timber roof, had been so isolated they were unaware World War 2 had ended. </div>
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The Oxford Electric Bell has been running continuously on a dry pile battery for nearly 180 years at Oxford's Clarendon Laboratory--and scientists aren't quite sure why. </div>
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Transient Lunar Phenomena describes the unexplained flashes of light sometimes seen on the surface of the moon for as long as history records. Theories range from meteor strikes and outgassing to electrostatic events and even aliens. </div>
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According to one source, there are over 100 flying saucer patents files over the last 100 years and from around the world. It makes one wonder how many have been responsible for sightings. </div>
<br />Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-78475622702140633762019-01-28T12:59:00.000-06:002019-01-30T19:49:21.259-06:00Potpourri of the PeculiarThe oddly named Quackers (a Russian onomatopoeia for the sound of frogs) are strange, croaking noises reported by Russian submariners. Most of these reports came out of the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean. Icebergs calving? Ultra Low Frequency broadcasts? The jury is out, but Quackers joins other oceanic anomalies such as the famous "Bloop" in showing us how weird the oceans are.<br />
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It is thought by some that a Roman legion was captured in a failed attack at the Battle of Carrhae early in the First Century. The victorious Parthians (an ancient Iranian culture) conscripted these Romans into fighting as mercenaries at the Battle of Zhizhi along the border between present day Kazakhstan and China. From here, the Romans may have settled in Zhelaizhai (now Liqian), as many of the modern-day residents of this area claim to be descended from Roman soldiers.<br />
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A mastodon discovered in 2017 at the Cerutti site in San Diego County, California dates to 130,000 years ago. But the remarkable thing are the indicators that suggest the animal may have been killed by humans, pushing the known timeline of the Americas back far beyond the current consensus. <br />
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Off the west coast of Cuba lies an unusual feature that some believe is a lost sunken city. Sonar scans of the area in 2001 revealed structures that could be interpreted as a city with pyramids. National Geographic editor John Echave said the scans showed "interesting anomalies." So far no one has taken samples or dived on the site, so perhaps in the future we will learn more of this intriguing enigma.<br />
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In August 2005, a small mummified body was found in the ruins of the ancient Persian settlement of Makhunik in present-day Iran. According to some reports, the village was replete with scaled-down architecture, suggesting this may have been the home of a dwarf people. A similar site is rumored to exist in Iran's Kerman Province as well. Archaeologists who have studies these sites dismiss the notion these are dwarf cities. Others state the mummy wasn't a dwarf either; it was simply the body of an infant. Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-90925873316621262502019-01-23T09:41:00.001-06:002019-09-10T18:49:28.345-05:00THE MYTH OF THE WAR OF THE WORLDS PANIC<div style="border-image: none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqx1jh3rp4gAzf-WvbXtNAZ-LVBu1cvYBKw9wDvl3o8eEGDKJm-2H-AEbkIb73qjhT4AgJCRXiZe0THI0oM9v2TVwBF6HyMocufpJPKk8T9t6s4OUstYfMXEXZ6bEBTcPmc5_CqQcS74c/s1600/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="274" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqx1jh3rp4gAzf-WvbXtNAZ-LVBu1cvYBKw9wDvl3o8eEGDKJm-2H-AEbkIb73qjhT4AgJCRXiZe0THI0oM9v2TVwBF6HyMocufpJPKk8T9t6s4OUstYfMXEXZ6bEBTcPmc5_CqQcS74c/s200/th.jpg" width="200" /></a>This past Halloween marked the 80th anniversary of Orson Welles' production of H. G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" for The Mercury Theatre radio program. If you aren't familiar with the tale of Martians invading Earth, then you're at least likely to know the story of the panic that this ersatz news broadcast generated. Or so we're often led to believe. The truth is far less dramatic. </div>
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The radio play--done in the style of an actual news report--aired at Halloween with all the requisite disclaimers informing listeners but if you tuned in late, you might be forgiven for thinking the world was coming to an end. </div>
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And so the story goes that millions of listeners lost their ever-loving minds over this fake broadcast. However, in reality, hardly anyone was fooled by the broadcast. In fact, the broadcast didn't have a large market share and was in competition with the much more popular “Chase and Sanborn Hour" on another network. </div>
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Much of the hoopla surrounding a supposed panic arose from newspapers at the time, which saw an opportunity to undermine their chief competitor (radio) and reclaim a chunk of their lost business. The increasing popularity of radio as a source of news and entertainment was hitting print media harder and harder as each year passed. </div>
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So by lambasting the radio drama as a source of fear-mongering and consternation, the newspapers of the time were able to paint the whole of radio with a broad brush of distrust and misinformation. </div>
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And they sold it well. </div>
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80 years later, most people are still under the impression that the War of the Worlds broadcast fomented a panic theretofore unseen in the annals of human history. And whenever someone dredges up the old tale at Halloween or such, it all gets regurgitated because their primary sources of information are...you guessed it. Newspapers. When the written record is largely comprised of false accounts, it's easy to see how people decades removed--people accustomed to trusting newspapers--might believe that one little radio broadcast in 1938 nearly destroyed a nation.</div>
Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-23842353574781834292019-01-15T13:06:00.001-06:002019-01-15T13:06:44.698-06:00The Legend of Old Rip, The Hibernating Horny ToadIn 1897, the town of Eastland in Eastland Co., Texas began construction on a new courthouse. As it was being built, officials decided a time capsule should be placed within the building's cornerstone. Among the items placed inside to commemorate Eastland at the close of the 19th century was a live horned lizard (or horny toad) they named Old Rip. It was believed at the time that these indigenous lizards could hibernate for up to 100 years. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X04s55b3Oc22YXeClcFwc31XgxPFe_g-j_3efRrrPG1WqEHoMc5W-Xy_FFWjj7QtBb0RBGA4H8LdWvjwXlSr6uWP4Wjm3CllL340sqBUVnAulunqP7Z1D_kmULL3C5HNoduEiw8TxNw/s1600/TXEASoldrip03_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="210" data-original-width="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5X04s55b3Oc22YXeClcFwc31XgxPFe_g-j_3efRrrPG1WqEHoMc5W-Xy_FFWjj7QtBb0RBGA4H8LdWvjwXlSr6uWP4Wjm3CllL340sqBUVnAulunqP7Z1D_kmULL3C5HNoduEiw8TxNw/s1600/TXEASoldrip03_1.jpg" /></a></div>
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On February 1928, as the courthouse was being preparing to be demolished, the time capsule was opened in front of 3,000 witnesses. The contents were removed and displayed for those in attendance, including Old Rip who was held aloft by a local minister. As the man held the animal by one leg, the spectators were startled to see its other leg slowly twitch into life. In a matter of moments, the horned lizard then puffed up in a strategy of defense common for its kind. <br />
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Shortly thereafter, the amazing spectacle was taken on the road as a side show, eventually touring the United States. Even then President Coolidge marveled at the miraculous lizard. <br />
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Unfortunately, after 11 months of the tour circuit, Old Rip died. To commemorate the animal, he was taxidermied and placed inside a tiny, velvet lined coffin and displayed in the new courthouse. Aside from being briefly stolen in 1973, Old Rip has remained at the Eastland County courthouse ever since. You can still visit him today. But some say, when the lights are turned off and all is quiet, you can still hear...Naw, I'm just joking. Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298146418545213171.post-85579429773085715732018-12-27T18:51:00.001-06:002018-12-27T18:51:47.473-06:00The Reed Case: Close Encounters of the Fourth Kind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The peculiar, harrowing case of the Reed family remains one of the most baffling instances of a Close Encounter of the 4th Kind, which was described by eminent UFOlogist Jacques Vallee as an event in which a human is abducted by a UFO or its occupants.<br />
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One September evening in 1966, 6 year-old Thomas and his little brother Matthew were in their beds at home in Sheffield, MA when Thomas spotted strange, flashing lights coming from a saucer-shaped object that was landing in their yard. Some accounts say the boys had a strange feeling and entered the hall outside their rooms in time to spy two strange figures at the top of the stairs, which they described as "ghosts." <br />
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Either way, the brothers inexplicably found themselves outside and approaching the object and its occupants.<br />
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Thomas would later describe the beings as 3 to 5 feet tall and looking "like a young, frail humans" with characteristics of insects as well. To his memory, he felt they weren't wholly organic, as if they were manufactured. He said the beings themselves glowed.<br />
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The occupants of the strange, Frisbee-like craft, which Thomas described as 15 feet tall, 60 feet round, and looking "a little beat up," took them inside and showed them images of a willow tree and a body of water on a screen. The boys don't remember much after that and they don't recall how they got back home. <br />
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This wouldn't be the only time the boys experienced a Close Encounter. The following year, Thomas and his brother spotted a bright light, pouring through their second-story bedroom window. The air grew still and heavy as the light intensified and the boys suddenly found themselves back inside the object. The pair were subjected to various medical exams during this visit. Thomas would later relate how he felt like a "walking Petri dish." <br />
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Again, there are disparate accounts. Another telling of this encounter says that only Thomas was initially taken and that Matthew ran to his mother to explain what had happened. Frantic, the boys' mother, Nancy, ran to the bedroom but was startled by a loud screeching accompanied by a door slam. When she turned back to Matthew, she was shocked to find him missing. Now both of her sons were gone and only she and her own mother, Marian, remained. <br />
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The grandmother searched the house while Nancy searched their property on horseback. Eventually, she spotted the boys as she rode along the Appalachian Trail. They were 15 feet apart on broad dirt path, staring at one another. They seemed to be in shock and not very responsive. Nancy brought the boys home and eventually they recovered from their ordeal.<br />
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Between this event and the next, the boys' mother, Nancy, would marry Howard Reed, to whom she would relate her family's history with such phenomena dating back to the early 1950s. Howard Reed was a local official at the time and he found these accounts disturbing, as they might threaten his political standing. <br />
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The third time the boys were taken came in September of 1969 as the family was driving home along Route 7 when their car suddenly stalled and coasted to a stop alongside the road. Within moments, the lights arrived from the woods beyond and the air again grew heavy and silent. A buzzing sensation swept over the occupants.<br />
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Suddenly, Thomas was no longer in the car. He found himself inside what looked like a huge hangar and he was walking toward a figure surrounded by light at the far end. Once he arrived, the figure took him along white walled, narrow corridors with equally narrow doors. <br />
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Later confirmation among Reeds though indicated that all four of them were taken this time. They recalled being in different parts of the space ship, away from one another. When they were returned to their vehicle, they were each sitting in spots in the car different from the ones from which they were abducted and their grandmother was outside the vehicle, wandering the road.<br />
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Shortly after this incident transpired, Nancy sold the farm and they family moved to Connecticut. <br />
Over 40 eyewitnesses spotted a UFO along Route 7 that night, and a picture Thomas Reed drew of the craft now hangs in a UFO museum in Roswell, NM.<br />
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Come the 1980s, Howard Reed me Robert Bletchman, an attorney, who began to investigate the Reed's case. He collected reports, data, and testimony from witnesses and various agencies that corroborated the strange goings-on at the Reed Farm and beyond. Much of this would later be presented before a United Nations Symposium in October 1992 that looked into the veracity of these events and whether they warranted further scrutiny. <br />
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In 2006, Howard Reed began working on a book detailing his family's ordeal and the evidence gained through various investigations over the years. Unfortunately, Howard suffered a sudden death from Legionnaire's Disease. A possibly apocryphal account details that when the CDC inspected Howard's office, they found a vial containing the deadly virus secreted away in an A/C vent. Given his standing in the community, a day of remembrance was established in Howard's honor by the City of Bridgeport, CT.<br />
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The final encounter the Reed family would have with UFOs and their occupants happened to Matthew years later when he was living in Indiana. He had been driving home on night of March 30, 2009 when the lights returned. He saw an orange ball of light briefly hover over the road ahead before zooming away to the south. <br />
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His Chevy Blazer then stalled and he suddenly found himself inside a spacecraft where "everything kind of glows." There, he encountered three different types of aliens: Reptilians, the classic Gray, and some large creature with elephant-like skin. The occupants placed Reed on a table and placed a mechanism on his head that emitted sounds similar to a tuning radio. <br />
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Again, the abducted Reed was disgorged from the craft in an unknown fashion and returned to his car with only the vaguest of memories. At the time he could only recall that he was outside his Blazer with a bloody nose and mud caked on his shoes. His watch was stopped at 10:30 pm--the time when he saw the light--but the actual time was just after midnight. <br />
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When he returned home, he told his mother that he thought it was all happening again. <br />
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The instauration of these phenomena in the lives of the Reed sons rekindled the moribund accounts and brought them to the attention of law enforcement officials and high profile UFO investigators, such as those working at the behest of Aerospace billionaire Robert Bigelow. From these renewed investigations, more data was collected that attests to high amounts of radiation and exposure to magnetic fields that affected property and vehicles belonging to the Reed family. Moreover, Thomas Reed was given a polygraph test in 2010 that he passed with a score of 99.1%.<br />
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Since then, the brothers to one extent or another have been in the UFOlogy spotlight and their story has been the subject of documentaries, news reports, blogs, and podcasts. While the two maintained a distance as adults, addressing the issue more publicly as they have in recent years has brought the brothers closer than they had been in a long time. <br />
<br />Cullan Hudsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16465098080944236025noreply@blogger.com0