"Friendly Ghosts" reported at Lockwood-Mathews Mansion

[arashi]

After listening to the mysterious sound a few times, I thought it sounded familiar (I live in a Conn. suburban area that borders on woods.)  After going through dozens of nocturnal animal sound wavs. listed on Google, this one comes the closest: ...

Not exact, but IMO, rather close, and there are probably foxes in that area, especially if the cemetery borders on woodland.

A few years ago, a fox tried to attack the rabbit hutches next door--- the combination of the fox's howls and the rabbits' shrieks were similarly unearthly.  (Fortunately, the rabbits were physically safe in their cages, but the owners subsequently built a shed and put the hutches indoors.)

Thanks fore the link! It does sound quite similar and I can't rule out that that may be what it was. I'll see if I can't locate the original tape recording and get a better sample, then we can rule on it.

[BuzzH]

I live in St. Mary's County.  Speaking of Pt. Lookout Park, hopefully I'll be able to get people together to go with me down there in Feb. because a local ghost hunter friend of mine said that because many people died during that time that the activity is REALLY in action during this time. There are even several reports of gray-ghostly apparitions of men in their CW uniforms walking around in the woods, down the road, or across the road etc etc. That would flip me out! I guess I should pack an extra pair of undies!! lol

Okay, I've heard of St. Mary's, you guys are the ones always getting snow days, LOL!    Hey, keep me posted about that trip to Point Lookout, maybe I can talk Selby D. Pearson, who also lives in MD, into going as he's into this stuff as well.  

[Brandon Collins]

Okay, I've heard of St. Mary's, you guys are the ones always getting snow days, LOL!    Hey, keep me posted about that trip to Point Lookout, maybe I can talk Selby D. Pearson, who also lives in MD, into going as he's into this stuff as well.  

You've got us right! It seems that even a centimeter of snow cripples all the idiots down here. Well most of them anyway! I personally don't see what all the fuss is about, but I sure did enjoy all those snow days while I was in school! lol! I'll definitely keep you posted on the trip, if it happens.

Fascinating stuff, Brandon. I am a civil war buff and made the trip to Gettysburg on the recommendation of my friend the late Dean Wilson (who was also a big DS fan) and a collector. Dean was a ghost hunter for several years, belonging to a ghost hunting organization in his native Indiana. It's not a surprise that DS fans would also develop an interest in the paranormal.

I collect books of ghost stories from all over the world. Currently, I am writing a novel of a "ghostly" nature that I hope to have published in 2008. I should consider dedicating it to DS!

Great! Do let us know when this book is completed so that we can respectively give you our money! lol! I'd be happy to read it.

[Nancy]

Hopefully Brandon there will be good reviews and you'll run to the bookstore to buy it!

Nancy

Great! Do let us know when this book is completed so that we can respectively give you our money! lol! I'd be happy to read it.

[CastleBee]

I overheard another one of the volunteers I had brought up for the show remark to a mutual friend something kept hitting her in the back as if to get her attention but when she turned around no one was there.

Very weird.

that was  a spooky little story.  Thanks for posting it!  Someone at work today just told me about a new film opening at the IMAX here in Indianapolis based on reported activity at Central State Hospital.  It was an old mental institution that shut down several years ago but, part of it still operates as a medical museum and, though the main building was torn down, apparently there are several buildings and miles of underground tunnels remaining.  I wonder if your friend Dean ever explored that old place when he was with his ghost group.  I don't think I'd have the nerve to actually go out and walk around in the dark.  But, I definitely enjoy reading about it.

[Raineypark]

I grew up a few miles from what was, at one time,  the largest psychiatric hospital in the world: Pilgrim State Hospital.  The hideous architecture alone was enough to drive someone crazy.  Ever since all but a few of the buildings were shut down, people have reported ghostly apparitions on the grounds.

I don't buy it.  The poor souls who lived there became ghosts long before they died....and I refuse to believe any of them hung about one instant longer than they had to.

[CastleBee]

I don't buy it.  The poor souls who lived there became ghosts long before they died....and I refuse to believe any of them hung about one instant longer than they had to.

That's one of the reasons that - even though I enjoy ghost stories - I really have to question the idea of lost souls aimlessly wandering the planet. I admit, it's partly religious upbringing and my belief system.  But, aside from that, what about stories you hear of near death experiences?  I've read several and though they differ somewhat, the people never report actually having a choice about how or if they "go toward the light".  From what I've gathered they are just kind of sucked into it somehow (usually described as zooming down a tunnel).  They certainly didn't seem to need a living person to come around and point the way.  Whatever happens I can tell you this; when my time comes I'm not going to be hanging around the old cemetery or some empty house. If there's any choice in the matter I will take it as a sign that it's time to move on.   

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[D_Friedlander]

If "figures" are seen at that Pilgrim State hospital, it's probably "amateur suburban archaelogists" or more precisely, bored teens in search of a good time, inspired by the likes of websites such as these:

http://www.opacity.us/site23_pilgrim_state_hospital.htm

http://b.f11.org/photo/Pilgrim/

[BuzzH]

If "figures" are seen at that Pilgrim State hospital, it's probably "amateur suburban archaelogists" or more precisely, bored teens in search of a good time, inspired by the likes of websites such as these:

I'm *pretty* sure they sent those kids from MTV's "Fear" here to look for ghosts.  It looks eerily familiar!  Great photos, thanks for posting that link.  

[CyrusL]

I finds ghosts quite fascinating and I've had too many experiences that are not fully explainable otherwise. Some things I'd like to add is that Newport RI is one of the best ghost towns I've ever been to. Not far from Seaview Terrace is BelcourtCastle (http://www.belcourtcastle.com/) They have evening ghost tours. Although, there's a certain hype, I can say the most certain presence I encountered was not part of the narrated tour but on the steps to the upstairs gallery.   
      For all of you up in the District/Northern VA area, I highly suggest the Woodlawn Plantation haunted tours coming up next week, (http://www.woodlawn1805.org/calendar04.htm) When Diane and I were dating, we took that tour. I was looking in one of the rooms and saw a woman in 18th century garb looking at the canopy bed as if she had great concern, then the door closed and the door next to it opened. When we didn't go into the room I was peeking into, I asked the guide why, and she swore to me no one was in there and that room wasn't part of the evenings tour. In the next room, one of the other guests was so overwhelmed by a presence, she fainted. I think that house really loaded. If anyone goes, please let us know what you experience. 
         The other most haunted place I've been to, was here in Richmond on the Virginia Commonwealth University campus. When I was going to college in the late '70s, the student media, that is radio, newspapers, etc, was in an old 19th beautiful brownstone with a castle turret on the end. There was a "female" spirit that always manifested late at night, most especially to lone males. No one ever gotten the confirmed. but there were rumors of a muder-suicide, with a wife of the original owner finding her husband there with his lover, and killing both of them, then hanging herself in the stairwell.  The University now uses the building for offices, and is really not keen on amateur ghost hunters any more than the local Goths or frat boys hanging out there. My one really bizarre addendum, is that one day when I was last there, I noticed something unusual about the fireplace.I looked into it, and the  iron firewall was decorated with relief sculptures of witchcraft scenes. The firewall appeared to have been contemporary of when the house was built, 1870s, and not a later addition.   
        I always remember what our guide on the Ghost Tour of London said, which was that spirits are most common for situations when people have died under stressful or sudden circumstances. I tend to find this as pretty consistent.

Michael 

[BuzzH]

For all of you up in the District/Northern VA area, I highly suggest the Woodlawn Plantation haunted tours coming up next week.  If anyone goes, please let us know what you experience. 

I'll see if I can check that out and will report what I find out!  

The other most haunted place I've been to, was here in Richmond on the Virginia Commonwealth University campus. When I was going to college in the late '70s.  There was a "female" spirit that always manifested late at night, most especially to lone males. No one ever gotten the confirmed. but there were rumors of a muder-suicide, with a wife of the original owner finding her husband there with his lover, and killing both of them, then hanging herself in the stairwell. 

Wow, you went to VCU?  I went there for a year, fun school, everyone scheduled their classes around Happy Hour, LOL!  Wish I'd known there were haunted sections when I was there, I would have checked them out.  

There was a "female" spirit that always manifested late at night, most especially to lone males. No one ever gotten the confirmed. but there were rumors of a muder-suicide, with a wife of the original owner finding her husband there with his lover, and killing both of them, then hanging herself in the stairwell. 

This story is similar to one of the stories we were told by Salve Regina students when we visited Seaview in '97 & '98 about the third floor tower room.  One story was a priest committed suicide there, another was someone was murdered in there.   

[Mysterious Benefactor]

There was a "female" spirit that always manifested late at night, most especially to lone males. No one ever gotten the confirmed. but there were rumors of a muder-suicide, with a wife of the original owner finding her husband there with his lover, and killing both of them, then hanging herself in the stairwell.

This story is similar to one of the stories we were told by Salve Regina students when we visited Seaview in '97 & '98 about the third floor tower room.  One story was a priest committed suicide there, another was someone was murdered in there.

Now that the tower room has been transformed from storage room to dorm room, I wonder if any of the students have encountered anything strange. I can't say I found anything odd about the room when Midnite, John_in_SC and I checked it out in '01 soon after it had been transformed. I did find the room a bit odd before it was remodled - but that probably has more to do with how unfinished it looked...