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® www.ghostsofohio.org Volume 12 Issue 2 FROM THE SPOOKY DESK OF JAMES WILLIS: New Year, New Adventures Happy large portion of the newsletter to from new pieces of equipment to brand New Year! discussing one specific paranormal case: new locations for our Spend The Night The Dyatlov Pass Incident. The response program. Oh yes, and then there’s that I know it sounds was so overwhelmingly positive that we super top secret thing we’re working on like a cliché, but I made the decision that from that point on, that we’re all confident is going to change have no idea each issue of The Ghosts of Ohio the way people look at ghost where the year Newsletter would feature an in-depth investigations, in the state of Ohio and went. Even with analysis of a paranormal case or topic and beyond. So stay tuned! that we would come at it from all different my “taking In the meantime, I’m off to check the angles (books, documentaries, movies, October off” to fridge for the last few pieces of Hickory etc.) in order to give all of you a thorough focus more on Farms sausage I laid claim to some time background on said topic. family and friends, around Boxing Day. Nobody better have I still have no idea where the time went. For this issue, we decided to focus on the touched that! 2015? Seriously? enigmatic Mothman. We reached that Cheers, So where is the New Year going to take decision based on the fact that December The Ghosts of Ohio? Simply put, lotshe of 15 th markshosts the anniversary of the Silver of hio new and exciting places. And we want you Bridge collapse, an event that has since all to come along with us! become entwined with the Mothman mythos. One of the newest things we’ll be James A. Willis Newsletter embarking on can be found in this very But we’re not content with simply mixing Founder/Director newsletter. Last issue, we decided to try up the format of our newsletter. Far from O something a bit different andT dedicate a it. Ing addition, we are exploring everything2015 THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES Title: The Mothman Prophecies look at what John A. Keel was writing about. Basically, not about Author: John Keel Mothman. Sure, the original sightings are fleetingly mentioned in the first chapters, but all in all, this is a book about UFOs and the ISBN: 0765341972 / 978-0765341976 Men in Black. Publisher: Tor Books (2002 paperback edition) Mothman (called Birdman by the locals) got his name from a Copyright Date: 1975 comic that was out at the time, but basically he is described by the original witnesses as a “gray man” between 7 and 9 feet tall, with bat-like wings that folded against his back. Some witnesses saw a face, others did not. But all described bright red eyes that The first time I read The Mothman produced a hypnotic effect. Referred to as a “Garuda” by Keel, Prophecies, I was surprised to learn about Mothman chased after several witnesses; flying over or dive- all the other things that were happening in Point Pleasant and its bombing their cars as they sought to escape him, and in some surrounding cities besides the sighting of the creature known as cases appearing later in their yards. He began appearing in the Mothman. It opened up a whole new world for me in the area of fall of 1966, and the incidences of Mothman and UFO sightings paranormal studies. So this time when I read it, I really took a continued until the Silver Bridge collapsed in December of 1967. (continued on page 2.) 1 The Ghosts of Ohio Newsletter Volume 12 Issue 2 THE MOTHMAN PROPHECIES (cont.) When Keel, who was a well-known UFO had met one of the UFO pilots, and were when the Silver Bridge collapsed one hunter at the time, heard about Mothman subsequently being given information on evening the week before Christmas. and other odd things happening in Point future events. Several of these ETs, as I’ll Pleasant, he packed his bags, and with the call them, became known to Keel, With the MIB and ETs working their ways help of local reporter Mary Hyre, began to including Mr. Apol, and quite possibly the into the lives of their witnesses, the UFOs look into what was really began hovering over houses or the river, happening in the little town by causing electricity failures: the river. He went back to Point televisions went to static, phones Pleasant at least five times over began emitting beeping and the next year, for weeks each clicking sounds, and lights flashed time, both to talk to witnesses or blew out. UFO and Mothman and to set up camps to take part witnesses suffered from in evening skywatches. A lot of conjunctivitis, which seems to be witnesses in the book said that common in the UFO field. Strange oddly moving lights in the sky flocks of prehistoric looking birds appeared so often that the locals were seen in the surrounding area just began to ignore them. But (often attributed by skeptics as when the lights and Mothman sand cranes), dogs went missing, first began making an appearance strange gray figures were seen and word got out, Point Pleasant running along the fields that was bombarded with UFO banked the woods, and the Point hunters and campers hoping to Pleasant TNT area became the encounter either Mothman or his creepiest place on earth. metallic flying buddies. And there Writing 30 years after the fact, begins the tie-in between Keel does a good job of Mothman and extraterrestrial documenting all of the strange events. occurrences and synchronicities Keel explores and witnesses an happening not only in Point overwhelming instance of UFO Pleasant, but in the lives of all activity in the area…not only those connected to the Mothman/ discussing in detail events that UFO sightings, including his own. happened in the Gallipolis, OH, At the point where Keel thought and Point Pleasant, WV, area, but he was quite possibly delusional from Portland, OR, and back to and that someone was Long Island and New Jersey on impersonating him and bugging the east coast. The UFOs seemed his phoneline, the disaster he had to go hand in hand with the been warned about happened—the arrival of the ubiquitous Men in Silver Bridge collapsed. After Black. Keel details all the witness that, lives in Point Pleasant almost too quickly went back to normal, descriptions as basically being very best named ET ever, Indrid Cold. leaving people to wonder what had really dark-skinned people with slanted Asian Throughout the book, Keel documents the happened over the past year, and what did type eyes, and an odd, halting or sing-song information these ETs were giving their it mean for the future. speech pattern. Witnesses were harassed contactees, including a possible by them. The MIB tended to drive around assassination of the Pope, and a disaster This is a great read for anyone interested town in black 1940s style cars which were on the river in Point Pleasant, which he in the confluence of paranormal forces, in perfect condition. They gleefully stole thought was going to be a plant explosion. and how they can play out in the lives of ink pens, learned how to eat with forks He also discusses the premonitions that otherwise ordinary people. Whether you and knives, knocked on doors to ask for people involved in the Point Pleasant believe in Mothman, the UFOs, Men in water for their pills, and otherwise investigations were having. Mary Hyre in Black or just think everyone on the east wreaked havoc all along the river. particular had a nightmare about a dark coast was on a year-long acid-trip, The body of water, with Christmas presents Beyond the MIB phenomenon, Keel also Mothman Prophecies will definitely give floating around in it, which turned out to began to talk to contactees: people who you something to think about. be exactly what was seen by witnesses 2 The Ghosts of Ohio Newsletter Volume 12 Issue 2 PERSONAL EXPERIENCES: CHRISTMAS EVE VISITOR Donna A., Oxford, Ohio This story took place over 20 years ago made for a beautifully perfect Christmas Some people I’ve told the story to over the and I am still trying to wrap my head Eve. But not for me this year. I missed years think it was just someone messing around it. It’s OK if you think I’m nuts, my dad. with me, but I don’t see how that’s but I can assure you that what I’m telling possible. I don’t see how someone could you really did happen, even if it was all in I don’t remember exactly what time it was keep coming up to my front door and not my head. because I was dozing off on the couch. leaving footprints. And I get that the whole But it had to be around 9 at night or so. shave and a haircut knock is pretty I’m 64 now and live alone. My mother That was when I heard the unmistakable common, but that was sort of a joke died at a very early age and I was raised shave and a haircut knock on my front between me and my dad. Nobody else by my loving, caring father James. When I door, complete with the last two knocks. knew he did that, least of all on think back, my dad clearly went out of his I don’t think it really registered with me Christmas Eve.
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