Stranger Than Fiction Stories: October 2018

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

THE TRAGIC TALE OF THE GIRL IN BLUE | M.P. Pellicer

For more than 70 years, a solitary grave under a lonely mulberry tree in Willoughby Cemetery simply read: "Girl in Blue. Killed By Train. December 24, 1933. Unknown, But Not Forgotten." The ground around the grave is littered with dimes and pennies in remembrance of this unknown victim of tragedy.

1933
Christmas was two days away, and a young woman dressed in a navy blue skirt came to the ticket window at a Greyhound bus station, and asked about fare to Erie, Pennsylvania and Elmira, New York. She eventually purchased a ticket to Willoughby, Ohio.

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Skulduggery at the Vatican | M.P. Pellicer

People disappear all the time. Sometimes it's voluntary, other times it's a question of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. But how could the wrong place be the Vatican, one of the world's holiest cities? Precisely because of its pious reputation, a series of unexplained disappearances that have occurred throughout the years, leads one to believe that dark deeds have indeed taken place.

The disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi on June 22, 1983 has produced various conspiracy theories of what happened to the 15-year old since the fateful day she left for music lessons.

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Leakin Park: Baltimore's Open Air Cemetery | M.P. Pellicer

Leakin Park in Baltimore is where missing people or those suspected to be victims of violence are looked for. Why? Because since the 1940s, sixty-eight bodies of murdered men, women and children, many times mutilated have been dumped in the woods or along the roads running through the park.

Leakin Park adjoins Gwynns Falls Park which covers 1216 acres. Without knowing of its sinister reputation it appears to be a lush woodland, where families once visited so their children could ride ponies and enjoy the outdoors.

The Price of Disobedience at the Church of Sacrifice | M.P. Pellicer

In January 1911, 605 Western Avenue in West Crowley, Louisiana was the scene of a horrific murder of an entire family.

Officer Ballew, the first to arrive found a Walter Byers, his wife and small son all lying in bed with their skulls split wide open. The sheets underneath them were drenched in blood. The front door was locked which indicated the murderer had entered through an open window. There was no need to search for the murder weapon since in a corner of the room next to the head of the bed, was a bucket full of blood and a bloodied ax propped next to it.

The Haunted University Media Room | M.P. Pellicer

What could be more unspooky than a radio station early in the morning, right? However, it's sometimes this setting that catches the unsuspecting in a moment worthy of a Twilight Zone episode.

It was an early summer morning when college senior, Victoria Bailey sat by herself in the studio of KXCV radio station on the Northwest Missouri State University campus. She was engrossed in her task when she caught something out of the corner of her eye that made her believe she was not alone. Like what happens to many of us, when she turned, nothing was there. The movement she had spied made her think it was a person and she walked into the hallway, and again found nothing. It was a Sunday, when not even the janitor made an appearance.

The Scottish Witch | M.P. Pellicer

Lilias Adie lived in the Scottish village of Torryburn in 1704. She was accused of witchcraft, and after enduring torture as part of her interrogation, she admitted she was.

The hunt for a witch was spurred by the accusation of Jean Nelson (also referred to as Jean Bizet) who'd become ill. Lilias Adie (Lilly Addie, Eadie) came under scrutiny when Jean accused the old woman, stating, "beware lest Lilias Adie come upon you and your child."

The Chinese Ghost of Stewart's Folly | M.P. Pellicer

In 1901, Stewart's Castle or Stewart's Folly as it was also known was demolished.It had been built for Nevada Senator William Morris Stewart after the end of the Civil War. Contrary to popular expectations as to who would be the phantom to haunt this place, it was not Senator Stewart, but the origins stem from the time this building served as the Chinese Legation from 1886 to 1893.

The Ghost of the Eerie Spaniard | M.P. Pellicer

In 1883 a local historian of San Luis Obispo wrote of place that many considered was haunted by a proud Spaniard who had made a dying request that his body should be interred at lonely, seaside home he had built called "El Morro".

The Forgotten Dead of Mississippi's First Insane Asylum | M.P. Pellicer

For years, as students walked about the campus of the University of Mississippi's Medical Centre they were unaware that they were only a few feet from the remains of as many as 7,000 patients who died while institutionalized at Mississippi's first insane asylum.

The Necrophiliac Hitwoman | M.P. Pellicer

A Mexican hitwoman whose made-up name is Juana but known as "La Peque Sicaria" due to her short stature worked for one of Mexico’s most dangerous cartels, the Zetas. Now incarcerated in Baja, California, she admitted to becoming sexually aroused by blood, murder and gore.

The Owners of the Willard Suitcases | M.P. Pellicer

The stately Victorian buildings may be derelict, but the contents inside them betray lives that were at times happy, but mostly tragic. The buildings were part of the Willard Asylum for the Chronic Insane where the discovery of suitcases in the attic of the building provided a cache of information as to the lives of the patients that came here, and sometimes spent their remaining days there.

The Martyrs' Bones in America | M.P. Pellicer

St. Martin of Tours in Louisville, Kentucky was built in 1854. Few people known that the skeletal remain of Saints Bonosa and Magnus have been on display here since 1902.

Cannibal From Down Under | M.P. Pellicer

In 1824 Alexander Pearce was executed for the crimes of theft, murder and cannibalism. When asked if he had any last words, he unapologetically said, "Man's flesh is delicious. It tastes far better than fish or pork". Can you imagine how the conversation went between Mr. Pearce and the guard who asked him what he would like for his last meal?

My Boyfriend the Killer | M.P. Pellicer

There are women who run with killers who are classified as compliant accomplices, in other words they were aware and at times participated in their crimes either in fear of their lives or that the relationship would end. There are other women who claim they were in total ignorance that the person they were involved with was killing other human beings.

Red Jack, Saucy Jack, A Jack by Any Other Name | M.P. Pellicer

Well over 100 years since the gory murders committed in the White Chapel district of London, the identity of Jack the Ripper is still in question, and just how many others were masters in their own right of similar, bloody handiwork.

Forgotten Mischief Night | M.P. Pellicer

Nearly 75% of American do not know that the day before Halloween has a special name all its own. It's not surprising that a day when tricks, treats and pranks are the order of the day and what better name than Mischief Night?

All Saints' Day and Halloween | M.P. Pellicer

Just as Halloween is known for being the day when the veil is thinnest between the worlds, the two days following it also remember those who have passed away, whether they are family or Christian martyrs.

November 1st is known by a variety of names: Hallowmas, All Hallow's Day and All Saints' Day, and November 2nd is All Soul's Day.

Henry's Doomed Wives | M.P. Pellicer

Stories, legends and myths surround the building of Henry Flagler's railroad. The history that is most intriguing is Flagler’s marriages, and, via his wives, the disbursement of his fantastic fortune and the tragic destiny of his three wives.

Who Haunts Ted Bundy's Childhood Home? | M.P. Pellicer

The home where serial killer Ted Bundy grew up in has a contractor who is remodeling it, scrawling Bible verses on the walls and calling in the clergy.

Philadelphia Old City's Forgotten Dead | M.P. Pellicer

In February 2017, Philadelphia crews working on an apartment building in the city's historic district got a shock when their backhoes started hitting coffins and unearthing fully intact human remains. The site was supposed to be a former burial ground from 1707, and all remains were supposedly exhumed in the 1800s and moved to a different cemetery, which apparently they weren't.

Herman's Deadly Curse | M.P. Pellicer

The name Herman Webster Mudgett is largely forgotten, but he was an infamous figure in late 19th century America, where he was better known as H. H. Holmes.

The Origins of the Horror Film, 'The Changeling' | M.P. Pellicer

The 1980 film The Changeling starring George C. Scott and Trish Van Devere is based on the paranormal events Russell Hunter experienced while living in an old home near Cheesman Park in the late 1960s.

The Crimes of Joe "The Cannibal" Metheny | M.P. Pellic

On December 19, 1996, Joe Roy Metheny, was charged with the murders of three women in three separate incidents. He confessed to killing a male victim, as well, and in time he admitted to killing at least 10 people, however it was what he did with the bodies that was the most nauseating aspect of his crimes.

The Most Haunted Houses in Literature | M.P. Pellicer

It's the time of year for turning leaves and cooler weather. Before pumpkin spice flavored everything from coffee to donuts, and orange plastic ornaments invaded store shelves, October was the month when classic and terrifying tales of haunted houses were used to mark the onset of autumn, and remind us the day the veil between the worlds was thinnest was fast approaching.

Young Women Were Sacrificed in Ancient City of Cahokia | M.P. Pellicer

More than 40 years ago archaeologists discovered a thousand-year-old mass grave site in Illinois. The scene depicts one of the most extravagant acts of violence ever documented in ancient America where a total of 53 skeleton were lined from corner to corner.

The Great Death Pit at the Ancient City of Ur | M.P. Pellicer

Dating back about 4,600 years, the Great Death Pit at the ancient city of Ur, in modern-day Iraq, contains the remains of 68 women and six men, many of which appear to have been sacrificed.

Ancient Chinese Cemetery Contains Remains of Human Sacrificial Victims

In northwest China in tombs near Mogou village, archaeologists have found hundreds of graves that contain the remains of victims of human sacrifice. This cemetery dates back more than 4,000 years.

The excavation of the tombs took place between 2009 to 2011. The majority of them are believed to belong to the Qijia culture. Not only were there individual burials, but in some cases entire families were interred with their heads facing northwest.

Adjacent to the remains were small rooms containing pottery, as well as necklaces, bronze sabers, maces, axes daggers and knives.

The Truth about Demonic Possession and Exorcisms | M.P. Pellicer

The fear that a person can be taken over and possessed by a demon is a widely held religious belief around the world. These religions also offer different forms of exorcisms.

WWI Submarine Found with Dead Sailors Still Aboard | M.P. Pellicer

Off the coast of Belgium a WWI German submarine was found basically intact and with the bodies of 23 sailors inside.

Satan and the Sicilian Nun | M.P. Pellicer

In 1676, a Sicilian nun claimed she was battling Satan, and in the process produced letters that were not deciphered until 300 years later.

The Grave of the Viking Warrior Woman | M.P. Pellicer

Already in the early middle ages, there were narratives about fierce female Vikings fighting alongside men. Although, continuously reoccurring in art as well as in poetry, the women warriors have generally been dismissed as mythological phenomena.

Mystery of the Middle Ages: The Book of Soyga | M.P. Pellicer

During a time when secular texts were frowned upon by the Church, the mysterious Book of Soyga produced during the Middle Ages has yet to be fully understood. It contains passages on magic and the paranormal that scholars until this day have been unable to translate.

Monday, October 8, 2018

Eerie Events at Disney | M.P. Pellicer

Everyone is familiar with hitchhiking ghosts at Disney's Haunted Mansion. There are many urban myths about horrible deaths at this theme park, and in truth there have been employees and visitors who really have at died at the park. It's these events that have caused stories of "real ghosts" at Disney to circulate over the years. Some of them have little or no truth to them, but there is a handful which most definitely will have you watching over your shoulder the next time you visit Mickey.

The French Aristocrat Murder Mystery | M.P. Pellicer

In 2011 a handsome, aristocratic Frenchman may have shot and killed his wife, their four children, and two dogs, burying them all in the garden of their home in Nantes, France. His terrified former mistress went into hiding, fearing for her life.

In 2011, the entire de Ligonnes family, except for the father, Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes, were murdered in their sleep. Even the two family dogs were killed with what was believed to be a silenced .22 rifle.

Born Under Crossed Stars | M.P. Pellicer

What would be the odds that could lose not one, but two of your children to murder? For a family in Kansas the odds were not high enough as two sisters both died at the hands of merciless killers almost twenty years apart.

Jack the Ripper's Dear Diary | M.P. Pellicer

The identity of Jack The Ripper may have finally been confirmed, new evidence suggests.
Researchers now say that they have proven the authenticity of a much-disputed Victorian diary supposedly written by the notorious murderer.

The Unsolved Mystery of the Cave Explorers | M.P. Pellicer

Over fifty years ago three Missouri boys stepped from their homes and into oblivion. The mystery of their disappearance has never been solved, and many wonder if some nearby caves they were exploring turned out to be their tomb.

On May 10, 1967, three boys who ventured into caves near their home were never seen again. They routinely explored caves in Hannibal’s Southside neighborhood. Primed by Twain's stories that were set in Hannibal they sought adventures in these dark places, but on this day they never returned home, and suppertime came and went and their places at the table remained empty.

Deep, Dark & Disturbed Forests | M.P. Pellicer

These are all places that have terrifying histories, and visitors sometimes hear high-pitched screams from those that are no longer alive, and have not found peace in the afterlife.
Would you be one of those that would visit these dense, dark forests and confront the feelings of dread? You could chalk it up to your imagination or admit that there is someone, or something looking at you intently from the shadows.

Egyptian Mummy had a Tattoo of Archangel Michael | M.P. Pellicer

About 1,300 years ago a woman who lived in Egypt and was buried on the bank of the Nile River sought the protection of Saint Michael the Archangel. It was not enough to wear a talisman, instead she tattooed his name on her skin in order to invoke this mighty, angelic warrior.

The Seven Sanctuaries of the Sword of St. Michael

Like something out of the DaVinci Code, there are seven ancient monasteries known as the Sacred Line of Saint Michael the Archangel who stretch between Ireland and Israel and which are perfectly aligned.

Unholy Haunting on East Drive | M.P. Pellicer

There is a house in Yorkshire, England that for over 50 years has been the site of one of the most violent haunting in Europe. Many believe that its location which was but a stone's throw from where the town gallows once stood, is the source for the dark phantom that terrorized a family and refuses to be exorcised.

Do You Need to Get Your House Blessed? | M.P. Pellicer

You've moved into a new home, and amid all the excitement and exhaustion of settling into a new space you notice some really strange disturbances that make you uncomfortable. A mental movie plays out in your head of all the Hollywood horror flicks that start out just like this. So what's your next move?

The Man With No Tongue | M.P. Pellicer

In 1991, near the village of Stanwick in England, an excavation unearthed burials dating back to the Roman occupation of Britain approximately 1,500 years ago.

One of the most mysterious finds the archaeologists made was a man whose tongue was cut out and a flat rock was placed inside his mouth. The reason for the mutilation is open to interpretation.

He died around 500 A.D., but it was not until 2017, that an in-depth study of the bones was made.

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Digging Up the Dead | M.P. Pellicer

There was once a time that murderers, rapists and common criminals would be buried at crossroads, or their bodies would be pitched in a ditch. Anywhere except the regular cemeteries where everyone else was interred.
As the years went by things have changed, but not for everyone and not everywhere. There is a 1997 federal law which bans burying convicted criminals at veterans' cemeteries. So what happens when one slips through and ends up getting buried in a graveyard among other veterans? They get dug up and turned over to family, if there's one, other wise it's a pauper's grave.

Phantom of the Queen's Assassin | M.P. Pellicer

The story of Jean l’Ecorcheur which translates to John the Flayer or John the Skinner has its origins from the intrigue of the 14th century, French court.
It was said that he was an assassin who acted at the behest of Catherine de Medici, whose own family of origin was notorious for dark political machinations, when she was the Queen of France. Not surprisingly John the Scourge as he was also known came to a violent end, but not before promising to return and carry out his deathly curse.

The Unquiet Dead are Everywhere | M.P. Pellicer

One of the first books I read which gave me a new perspective on the spirit world is Carl Wickland’s Thirty Years Among the Dead. which he wrote in 1924. Initially it was a little overwhelming to realize how enmeshed living humans as incarnated beings are with discarnates. I spent a couple of days mulling it over, and then plunged into Dr. Wickland’s book, discarding my disbelief, and truth be told, my fear over what he was describing.

The Mystery of the Paris Supermarket | M.P. Pellicer

Straight out of one of the climatic scenes in the movie Poltergeist, in 2015, underneath the basement of a Paris supermarket, over two hundred skeletal remains which were believed to have been transferred during the 18th century to the Paris Catacombs were in their original resting place.
The initial assessment of the archaeologists is that these were plague victims that died during several times the Black Death came to Paris, however it was during the French Revolution that the bodies should have been moved, and it appears that those who were alive thought it was expedient to just leave them where they were.

In the Shadow of Notre-Dame | M.P. Pellicer

Most people are familiar with Victor Hugo's masterpiece The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Various versions have been made, one of the most famous is the 1939 movie in which Charles Laughton plays Quasimodo. Even Disney produced a cartoon, sanitized for young viewers.
Contrary to the stories appearing on film, in Hugo's novel Quasimodo is a gypsy changeling who is exorcised and then left as a deformed foundling at Notre-Dame. The gypsy Esmeralda is ultimately executed by hanging at Montfaucon, Paris' most famous gibbet which was usually covered in carrion crows who pecked at the various corpses left there to rot.
In 1999, the discovery of a diary in Cornwall appears to reveal the real-life inspiration behind the character of Quasimodo the deaf bell-ringer of Notre Dame, and his tragic, unrequited love for the gypsy girl Esmeralda.

The Ghost with the Jingling Keys | M.P. Pellicer

Deep in the night of March, 1911 a fire started on the third floor of the Assembly Library in Albany, before long it had reached the fourth and fifth floor. The only person who stood between the destruction of the entire library was 77-year-old Samuel Abbott, a civil war hero who was the night watchman.
He was the only one to die in a fire, that was rumored to have been started by the curse a disgruntled mason left behind when he carved a small, demonic looking face into the wall near the Great Western Staircase

Charlie No Face: The Story of Ray Robinson | M.P. Pellicer

Much is known about the Pennsylvania urban legend known as the Green Man, but much less is known about the real person who was nicknamed Charlie No Face by the locals where he lived.