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® www.ghostsofohio.org Volume 12 Issue 6 From the Spooky Desk of James A. WIllis FALL IS COMING, AND SO ARE THE GHOSTS! On the way home season is right around the corner. If you you (a thought I briefly entertained before one evening, I do, you’re partially right. But this year, the rest of The Ghosts of Ohio squashed must have blinked there’s a special reason for my excitement. the idea), we are going to do our best to because I clearly That’s because, after taking most of 2014 make you walk away from one of our missed fall off, The Ghosts of Ohio is hitting the road presentations grinning from ear to ear. officially trying to this fall and crisscrossing the Buckeye So make sure you take a look at the poke its way into state with one goal in mind: To chill your current list of appearances, which appears Ohio. The bones and make you smile! in this issue. Don’t skip over all the other temperatures We’re not just giving you a bland “talking good stuff here, either! Hope to see you all outside certainly to,” either. Nope. We are in the process of this fall! weren’t any creating a full multimedia event that will Now I’m off to see if I can find someone indication. include video, audio, and photographs However, as I pulled into my driveway interested in buying a barely used confetti hefrom somehosts of the favorite places we’ve of cannon. hio and started meandering down it toward my investigated over the years. We’re even house, there they were: a few dead yellow, creating special “warm up” music to play orange, and brown leaves scattered along before the presentations to get you all in the driveway. Sure, they could have blown the mood. Oh yeah, and there will be all off a dead tree back in the woods behind Newsletter sorts of surprises along the way, including James A. Willis my house, but in my heart, I know they the opportunity for you to not only hear a O didn’t. Fall is on its way! presentation, but to join us on a ghost hunt Founder/Director Now, you might think my excitementT over laterg that same evening. Put it this way, the fall is due to meaning Halloween short of getting a confetti cannon fired at THIS FALL, VISIT SOME OF OHIO’S HISTORIC HAUNTS WITH US! Last issue, we let everyone in on a secret that Want some inside scoop on the locations we’ve been keeping to ourselves for almost three featured in Ohio’s Historic Haunts? years: Our founder, James A. Willis, is writing a Willis will be posting top-secret stuff book! And not just any book, mind you. This is a about each location on his blog, book written about historic ghosts in the state of Strange and Spooky World. And this fall, Ohio, produced by Kent State University Press, we’ll be touring the Buckeye state with no less. him, giving everyone the inside scoop on But the coolest thing about the book coming out what happened at each location, complete soon is that we are planning to head back to some with audio, video, and photos. of the locations covered in Ohio’s Historic Haunts Copies of Ohio’s Historic Haunts will be and give special presentations. What makes these available for sale at every presentation. presentations so special is that we will be talking Can’t wait that long? Then head on over about the ghosts and legends associated with the to Amazon, or Kent State University Press building you will be sitting inside of at that very and pre-order your own copy. moment! How cool is that? See you soon! 1 The Ghosts of Ohio Newsletter Volume 12 Issue 6 REVIEW: SEASON OF THE WITCH BY TROY TAYLOR The Bell Witch is detail talking about the fact that this was a one of my favorite farm that was worked by slaves and that paranormal they also suffered from the tortures occurrences in inflicted by the Bell Witch. I also learned American history. quite a bit about the investigating the It was the Bell’s did themselves, with the help of forerunner to the friends. I had not heard before that a group Amherst haunting actually formed to look into what was in Canada, which happening, and that they were there almost seemed to mimic every night, sleeping at the Bell house. the incidents that happened on the This case started out with some odd Bell Farm in Adams County, Tennessee. It creatures being seen on the Bell property. would be a good idea to read about both of Troy takes a look at the possibility that these hauntings and then compare them there was an Indian mound there, and that side by side. these occurrences always happened. After the odd animal sightings, the family began This is a great book for anyone who wants to hear scratching sounds in the house; not a solid case history of what actually only on the walls, but on the frames of happened to the Bell family at the start of their beds. This was accompanied by an 1800s America. But I must warn you, the odd wheezing sound. As physical activity would return. And it did, this time editing is somewhat, shall we say, lacking? progressed to blanket pulling and slapping spending time chatting with John Bell’s Misspelling, negligible punctuation, and of the children, friends of the Bells began eldest son, who lived on the property. some words that are completely wrong. to stay overnight to try and catch who or This book needed to be read for context to what was causing this. What I like about this book is that Troy catch this stuff before putting it to print. If goes a step further than other books I have I could find it all in one reading, then an This group of John Bell’s friends began to read on the Bell witch. He discusses editor should have. But if you can just set talk to it. They demanded it name itself incidents that happened on the farm land that aside and read the book for the and tell them why it was there. Over the throughout the 1900s, and gives a lot of enjoyment of learning a bit about weeks, the wheezing sound turned into information on the goings on in the American paranormal history, I think you mumbled words, and from there became a famous Bell Witch Cave. He also talks a will find this an easy and informative read. strong voice. The voice answered bit about the missing tombstones of certain questions, read out bible passages, sang Bell family members, and where one of Troy does a great job of really setting the hymns, and just generally made a nuisance them was found. I’m not going to tell you, scene in the Adams, Tennessee, area for of itself. Even after John Bell’s death, it you have to read the book! what was about to occur. He spares no hung around before disappearing, saying it REVIEW: THE BELL WITCH HAUNTING Robertson County, something’s different. Suddenly, there are their seven children, including a son named Tennessee, 1817. screams coming from one of the bedrooms. Drew, youngest daughter Mary, and their John and Lucy They light candles and rush in, discovering eldest daughter Betsy. John was considered Bell are awakened that one of their daughters—Betsy—is to be an upstanding member of the in the night by floating above her bed. community and a devout member of the mysterious So begins this motion picture reenactment Red River Baptist Church. When the growling and of the terrifying Bell Witch haunting, one paranormal activity began in the spring of scratching of the most infamous paranormal cases in 1817, it was the pastor, Reverend James sounds—sounds U.S. history. This review contains Johnston, who stayed by the family’s side they’ve been information I gleaned from watching the throughout the four years the haunting took hearing for film, and not any other details I may have place. In the film, Johnston is telling the months. They’ve learned elsewhere. Bell Witch story to a couple of reporters never found a source, so they’re reluctant who, in 1855, approached him regarding to get out of bed this time. But this time, John and Lucy Bell lived in Tennessee with the facts of the case. (continued on page 3.) 2 The Ghosts of Ohio Newsletter Volume 12 Issue 6 REVIEW: THE BELL WITCH HAUNTING CONT. The activity began in the woods house. During the ceremony, Betsy came In the four years the activity took place, the surrounding the house. While hunting, one downstairs and began convulsing, and one question the spirit wouldn’t answer of the Bells shot at a strange dog-like laughter seemed to come from every corner was why it was targeting the Bell family, in creature, only to discover that the body had of the home. After that the activity particular Betsy and John. It tormented disappeared. The family dog had a increased, presenting itself at all hours of Betsy until she finally agreed not to marry tendency to growl at seemingly nothing, the day or night, and it followed the family her fiancé Joshua Gardner. The spirit never and the youngest daughter, Mary, was wherever they went. revealed why it was against the marriage. terrified of what she called the “Tree Lady” With activity so intense and constant, it And as for John, the spirit made it clear that outside her bedroom window.

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