In the Fall of 1943, residents of Sahuarita lived in terror.
Paranormal activity plagued the area 20 miles south of Tucson, with most of the activity focused on the home of a 70-year-old woman. Bricks were tossed down her chimney. Rocks frequently pelted her roof in the dead of night. She would routinely find sand mixed in with her coffee.
Not long after the rumors of the haunted house began to circulate throughout the community, a man was robbed. The man could not see his assailants in the pitch black darkness of the night. Two other men were beaten on different nights. Residents started to carry guns, fearful that the ghosts appeared to be multiplying. The residents acknowledged that their bullets were useless against the ghosts, but they didn’t know what else to do.
When the news of the robbery and assaults reached the 70-year-old woman and she made the decision to abandon her home.
Deputy Sheriff Ben Mariscal also had enough of the paranormal activity in Sahuarita. Mariscal wasn’t afraid of no ghosts and was determined to put an end to it.
Over the course of his (paranormal) investigation, he suspected that several area youths were up to no good in the neighborhood. He targeted two boys, in particular, as the “ghost chiefs” of the bunch. One of the boys, a 15-year-old, was the grandson of the 70-year-old woman who abandoned her home.
Mariscal arranged a “ghost hunt” with the two boys at the abandoned home. He told the boys that he wanted to witness the ghostly activity for himself. The boys agreed to participate . On the night of the paranormal investigation, Mariscal arrived at the home with an innocent 15-year-old boy. The boy would be used as a decoy, according to his plan to nab the “ghosts” that evening. The deputy told all three boys to sit on a bench, with the decoy seated between the two suspected ghost boys. Mariscal turned off the lights. They all waited for the midnight hour, which was just moments away.
Through the darkness came the sound of a blood curdling scream. Mariscal turned on the lights to find the decoy with blood pouring out of his busted nose. Mariscal demanded to know which of the boys was the ghost. The two suspected ghosts immediately turned around and accused the decoy of attacking them with a metal instrument. The decoy protested, saying that he felt one of the boys’ arms move just before he was hit in the face. When Mariscal revealed that the bloody-nosed boy was a “plant”, the ghost boys ended their charade.
The boys were put in front of Judge William G. Hall in juvenile court. The “chief ghost” was given a year probation with the guarantee of being shipped off to reform school at Fort Grant, if even the slightest “ghosting” occurred again. The second boy received a slap on the hand.
Judge Hall said about his ruling: “If they had stayed with their pranks and let it go at that, I would have been inclined to show leniency, but when they began knocking down people and robbing one, it was going too far. This one boy is without doubt the leader of the little gang and supplied most of the ideas, I believe, and for that reason the terms of his probation are rather severe. The other lad was not involved to the same extent and I thought if we took care of the chief ghost the difficulty would be solved.”
The 70-year-old grandmother of the heavily reprimanded chief ghost returned to her home. From that point forward, no rocks showered her roof. No bricks dropped down her chimney. No coffee was tainted with sand.
It is assumed that the decoy’s nose healed nicely, though there is no record of what happened to him after the ghost hunt. It is due to him, and Deputy Sheriff Mariscal, that the streets of Sahuarita became safe, once again.
The Sahuarita Ghost Hunt of 1943
The Archives: NAGS Private Home #1
The Niagara Amateur Ghost Seekers (NAGS) investigated a private home in Port Colborne. It was the first investigation as a team and the discovery of a very haunted basement.
Below are the investigation notes, EVPs and photographs. Additional NAGS archives can be found here: http://www.theshadowsproject.com/archives.htm
Private Home #1:
Notes From GhostBoy:
The private residence in Port Colborne was said to be built in 1870 and is now composed of three rental units. The investigation took place in a later addition, which had access to the entire basement of the home.
Upon arrival, the only information of the home or its suspected haunting given to me was that activity was happening in the basement and in the kitchen.
I requested to enter the home and investigate the basement with NAZ. Upon entry I immediately had the impression that there was, in fact, activity. I could not enter the basement until I felt OK to do so. I also distinctively heard the sounds of several flies, but could not find any present at the time.
Upon entering the basement I immediately felt that there was activity at the front of the house and proceeded to enter deeper into the basement with NAZ about four steps behind. When I reached the mid-point of the basement and through the doors a very distinct and slow moving shadow figure materialized and walked across from left to right and disappeared into the darkness. The figure was about 4-5ft tall at the most. I did not feel threatened by this ghostly figure.
I paused and announced who I was and what I was doing. I proceeded to enter into the space and NAZ followed behind. I left my recorder on the re-enforced concrete support wall on the left-hand side and proceeded to exit and leave NAZ in the room.
I reentered and we concentrated on whatever energy was left behind in this room. Shortly, I had the sense that there was a presence within the room. NAZ confirmed that he felt this also. There was a temperature drop of about 5-10 degrees Celsius throughout this time period. At this time I started writing on the pad of paper what I was feeling. I felt a boy of about eight years old who is named Albert.
The boy showed us the emotions he felt in life, and perhaps even now. He felt scared, sad and abused. There was trauma in this boy’s life and he was abused by a male father figure – but not his father.
This entity also suggested looking towards the top floor, right-hand side bedroom that was his in life.
NAZ and I continued to feel and sense extraordinary events in the basement and got movements of light and the continued feelings of abuse and neglect.
Both NAZ and I entered the kitchen but felt very little in this area.
Upon exiting we gained access to the top floor apartment and the two women were very accommodating. Dr. Gord and I investigated the bedroom and I left a recorder on for a few minutes alone. The occupant of the bedroom suggested that her radio turns off frequently but she has had no “strange” experiences while in the bedroom.
I returned to the basement alone and sat on the floor. I talked openly with the boy entity and told him it is his choice to stay or leave, but he is not bound with the earth or this home.
At this time the team entered and we investigated the “handprints” on the walls. I did not find the painted handprints to be linked to the paranormal activity in the home.
NAZ and I remained in the basement alone and closed the door to the room we were in. Although it was later in the day and the door was closed there was an obvious lightening of the room. The room appeared less dark than our first entrance. I sat on the floor and noticed my recorder was either making strange mechanical clicks or something was hitting the recorder.
NAZ was standing in the middle of the room and said he felt chills as I did. He also mentioned he saw movement. Unfortunately at this time, the tenants in the front area arrived home and were very disruptive and all activity ceased.
I confirmed with the tenants that there is a boy ghost within the home. I also confirmed that the sounds of dishes or someone doing dishes is heard at night – even though upon investigating no one is doing the dishes.
I also confirmed that the daughter is very susceptible to the paranormal activity. The son also indicated that he, too, saw and felt the activity in this home but said he is not scared of it.
The energies in this home are not violent, nor pose any threat to the living. They are merely acting what they experienced in life. It would be interesting to investigate the history of the home further and note any deaths of children between the ages of 8-10 with the first name Albert.
I believe Albert wouldn’t have died in the home, but would have died as of a result of injuries conducted on the property.
Notes From nAz:
Before I begin, let me say my time in the basement was a emotional one. The emotions I picked up on were very strong.
Upon entering the basement with GhostBoy, a couple of steps down, I felt fear. After the home owner left GhostBoy and I alone in the basement, Ghostboy went back to the section of the basement with the hotwater tanks & heating units. I closed my eyes & quieted myself. Shortly after GhostBoy came back, the spirit made it's presence felt. There was a distinct temperature drop & the spirit brushed against my arm. After taking a couple of pictures I moved to the center of the basement with the support columns & rested my hand on one. The column felt abnormally cold & I recieved a flash, a flash of memory coupled with a wave of emotion. This is the first time I have experienced this. It took me a minute to gather my thoughts. The boy was abused here, physically & an overwhelming sadness took over me. This was when I confirmed with Ghostboy that this was a male child.
Ghostboy and I were near the sump pump when it started running. After it shut off, I felt the spirit brush my lower left leg. I again continued to experience the spirit's emotions, sadness & fear. I started to physically cry. After I composed myself, we exited the basement & made our way to the kitchen. GhostBoy was drawn to the upstairs while I remained in the kitchen. After my experience in the basement, I felt nothing in the kitchen.
After the rest of the team had investigated the house, GhostBoy requested that we (GhostBoy & I) return to the basement and make contact with the spirit.
GhostBoy sat on the floor while I stood with my back resting on the second column. GhostBoy started to instruct the spirit as to how to communicate with us by speaking into the black box with the red light. Shortly after, the recorder started to make noise, as if moved. The temperature dropped in the room. As I was standing facing the entrance to the basement, I detected movement near the left, where the old boiler was situated. There is a wall dividing the boiler room from the area we were in and I could see light blocked and unblocked as if a head was peeking into the section where we were. After a few seconds of watching this, I mentioned the movement to GhostBoy. At this time the upstairs tenant came home, we could hear heavy footfalls & coarse language. The spirit didn't like this and left. That ended our second trip into the basement.
Upon leaving I snapped a couple of pictures of the upstairs windows upon Ghostboy's request but did not react fast enough when I realized I was being watched from the basement window. I didn't get a shot of that window.
I didn't get anything on tape for the first trip into the basement, My recorder did not work for the second trip in... it recorded nothing.
EVPs Recorded:
1. Appears to be a male voice stating "Get out" DOWNLOAD
2. A child stating "Get out of my basement". DOWNLOAD
3. Male voice stating either "I was in pain" or "I'm scared". DOWNLOAD
4. Sounds of running water when there was none. DOWNLOAD
5. Sound of recorder being moved. DOWNLOAD
Ghost Hunting Chronicles: The Old Bisbee Jail House
It is said that Bisbee, Arizona is one of the Southwest’s most haunted towns with notable haunts such as Brewery Gulch, The Copper Queen Hotel, The Bisbee Inn, The Bisbee Mining Museum, The Queen Mine and the Grand Hotel just to name a few.
There are numerous ghost sightings reported as far back as the turn of the century.
Bisbee grew out of the sides of the Mule Mountains as a Copper, Silver and Gold mining community. In the early days, it was a rough town with notable outlaws such as the Clanton Gang and Frank Stilwell and lawmen such as Wyatt and Virgil Earp amongst its patrons.
From its early beginnings in 1880 until 1910 the town boomed and stores, houses and shops suddenly sprang up. Along with the boom came the dark side of prostitution, gambling, corruption and gunfights.
Floods and fires destroyed the town on several occasions and the population suffered from Typhoid Fever and Small Pox due to the poor sanitary condition of some of the less-than cosmopolitan areas of town.
Bisbee also had its fair share of barroom fights, gunfights and murder.
And with such a history, I started my ghost hunting in Bisbee, Arizona at the rest-stop for many – The Bisbee Jail House.
This was one of my first ghost hunting experiences outside of Ontario and one that started my ghost hunting in the South West. Armed with the most advanced ghost detection equipment, a pad, paper and 35mm camera I spent the night in the jailhouse.
The Jail is located on OK Street just a short distance from Brewery Gulch and the Copper Queen Hotel. The streets are narrow, winding and eerily empty at night and as I arrived I was given keys to the jail and made my way to the 2nd floor room I was staying in. It over-looked the street below where it is said numerous ghost sightings have taken place including eye-witness accounts of a woman with earthworms crawling out of her decayed eye-socket.
The night was comfortable as the daytime temperatures gave way to a cool evening. I was alone in my cell and started to feel as if someone else was finally with me.
I jotted down the name that came to me: “Johnny” and a last name starting with an "ha" sound.
I started to feel a cold spot develop around my neck and back and snapped a few pictures but got nothing out of the ordinary.
Then I heard rough words echoing from the front lobby below (which was the jail-keepers original room). “Get in!”
It was an audible shout and I went to investigate but the room and OK Street were empty and quiet.
I asked if anyone was there and I saw a quick movement out of the corner of my eye. I turned and saw the apparition of an arm, but it quickly disappeared.
“Johnny?” I asked but did not get a response.
“Who’s here with me?” I probed.
And then I heard the words whispered: “You don’t belong here.”
I probed with more questions and took more photos but nothing materialized. I went back to the jail cells to see if I can find more.
I wrote down the words and phrases that came into my mind’s eye – “The empty lot” – “Fire – it burned down.” And “Tell Sally I miss her.”
So where was this empty lot? Who was Johnny and who was Sally?
I pressed for last names and more information but didn’t get anything.
The night drew on and I managed to sleep comfortably after 3am and awaking at 9am. I felt refreshed and snapped out of bed to find out if anyone named Johnny or Sally were connected to the jail.
As I walked down OK street I turned a corner and found the empty lot. And it looked like it had been empty for some time. Here, I got the distinct feeling that both Johnny and Sally were and still are and somehow connected to the jail.
Searching the historic records I found a famous Johnny – John Heath, a Bisbee Saloon owner. I also found connected to him a Sally R., a saloon prostitute. No one knows what happened to Sally, but John Heath’s history is demise is very colourful.
On December 8, 1883, five men held up the Goldwater and Castenada Store in Bisbee, leaving behind four people dead, including a pregnant woman.
The vicious robbers included Daniel “Big Dan” Dowd, Comer W. “Red” Sample, Daniel “York” Kelly, William “Billy” Delaney and James “Tex” Howard.
Having heard that a $7,000 payroll for the Copper Queen Mine was held for safekeeping in the store, two of the men charged inside demanding the money, while the other three waited outside.
However, to their disappointment, they discovered that the payroll had not yet arrived. Angered, they then took what money was in the safe (reports vary from $900 to $3,000) and robbed the staff and customers of any valuables.
In the meantime, the three outlaws waiting outside began a shooting spree, first aiming through a window and killing a customer named J.C. Tappenier. Hearing the shot, Deputy Sheriff Tom Smith, who operated the jailhouse, came running and was immediately shot down by the bandits.
A bullet gone wild entered a boarding house, killing a pregnant Annie Roberts. Another shot hit a man named J.A. Nolly as he stood outside his office. Yet another unknown man took a bullet in the leg as he was trying to run away from the shooting spree.
The town leaders wasted no time notifying Sheriff J.L. Ward in Tombstone by telegraph. Ward soon formed two posses, with himself leading one, and Deputy Sheriff William Daniels, leading another.
When Daniels arrived in Bisbee he began to question its citizens, including John Heath, whose saloon was just down the street from the Goldwater-Castaneda Mercantile. Heath told Daniels that he knew the men involved and could probably help to lead then to outlaws.
Though Daniels was apprehensive of Heath, due to his already having a reputation as an unsavory character, he also hoped to quickly apprehend the outlaws. With Heath at the lead, the posse found nothing and soon accused Heath of leading them on a false trail.
Heath returned to his saloon and the posse continued to search for the outlaws. Though it took several weeks, all five were found, two in Mexico, one in New Mexico, and the other two in Clifton, Arizona.
When questioned, some of the outlaws began to indicate that John Heath knew more about the crime than he should have. Soon, the authorities brought Heath in and began to question him. Under pressure, Heath “fessed” up to having prior knowledge of the crime and many believed that he probably master-minded the whole affair.
All were scheduled to be tried, but Heath requested a separate trial and was given it. Furious Bisbee citizens awaited the outcome of the outlaws involved in what had become known as the “Bisbee Massacre.”
On Feburary 17th, the trial began for the five killers and two days later they were all sentenced to be hanged on March 8, 1884.
Heath’s trial began on February 20th, where he admitted to being the mastermind of the robbery, indicating that the others lacked the intelligence. However, he adamantly insisted that the killings were never a part of the plan and that he was in no way responsible for the actions of the other five men. A coward at heart, he even admitted that when he heard the shots being fired, he hid behind the bar of his own saloon. The next day, Heath was convicted of second degree murder and conspiracy to commit robbery, and sentenced to life in the Yuma prison.
Though Heath was obviously relieved, the citizens of Bisbee were furious and determined to do something about it. Early on the morning of February 22nd, a mob of some 50 men, led by Mike Shaughnessy, descended upon the Tombstone jail and dragged Heath from his cell into the dusty street.
At the corner of First and Toughnut Streets, they looped a rope over the crossbeam of a telegraph pole, as Heath continually claimed his innocence. The vigilantes were not listening.
In his last moments, he said: “I have faced death too many times to be disturbed when it actually comes." As the rope began to pull him skyward, he cried out one last request, "Don't mutilate my body or shoot me full of holes!"
Public approval of the hanging was reflected in the verdict of the coroner's jury:
"We the undersigned, a jury of inquest, find that John Heath came to his death from emphysema of the lungs--a disease common in high altitudes--which might have been caused by strangulation, self-inflicted or otherwise."
The other five killers' scheduled hanging for March 8th remained unchanged, soon taking on a carnival like atmosphere. Free tickets were issued for the event, but when Sheriff Ward ran out of them, an enterprising business man built bleachers around the gallows and began selling yet more tickets.
However, famous business woman, gold prospector, and spiritual caretaker, Nellie Cashman, objected adamantly to the circus that was surrounding the event. Outraged at the citizens’ behavior and feeling that no death should be “celebrated,” she soon befriended the five convicts, visiting them often and providing them with spiritual guidance.
She pleaded with Sheriff Ward to place a curfew on the town during the time that the hangings were to take place. Ward conceded and the vast majority of interested onlookers were not allowed to watch the “event.” In the meantime, she and some friends had destroyed the bleachers that had been built. When the five men were standing on the gallows, reportedly Dan Dowd remarked that the multi-gallows were a “regular choking machine.”
Unfortunately, he was right, because of the five men, only one died of a broken neck, the other four dying slowly of strangulation.
After they were executed, the men were buried in Tombstone's Boot Hill cemetery. Cashman also found out that there was a plan to rob the bodies from their graves for a medical school study. This, too, outraged the woman and she hired two prospectors to guard the graves for ten days, which were left undisturbed and remain at Boot Hill today.
On such history I went to Tombstone, Arizona to the death site of John Heath and to his gravesite in Boot Hill Cemetery. At the Boot Hill cemetery, I found the marker for the five men and also the gravesite of John Heath. I found nothing particularly haunted about the gravesites and later researched that John Heath’s body was removed and re-buried in a family plot in Texas.
Today, you can visit Bisbee and all the history it offers. In the 1970s it was re-invented by the hippie culture and offers one of the best artist-communities in North America. You can also stay a night in the old Bisbee Jail House. It is now operated as a unique hotel and who knows – you might also encounter some ghostly never-do-gooders.
This investigation continued with further investigations in Cochise County, Arizona.
Buffalo Jump Station, Alberta, Canada
Buffalo Jump Station was once a thriving stop for rail travelers and motorists driving the Trans Canada Highway.
In 1883 the CPR had laid tracks and developed a railway station to accommodate travelers heading to and from the booming town of Gleichen and the new Siksika Nation lands.
The communities thrived through the 1920s and 1930s but after WWII the town of Gleichen saw its population drop from over 1000 to just 300.
Buffalo Jump Station remained in business servicing automobiles and selling native arts and crafts. But motorists with more fuel efficient cars drove past the station and in the early 1970s it was abandoned.
The CPR railway station was moved west of Cochrane, Alberta. The large garage fell in the 1990s and was completely destroyed.
The prairie lands are still, save for the sound of the wind and the passing transport. The land also echoes history and longing.
A mile to the west is a cliff over which the Natives used to drive buffalo, and to this day buffalo bones may be found there. Twelve miles to the southeast, the great Chief Crowfoot is buried, and nearby is a cairn commemorating the signing of Treaty No. 7.
But passing motorist and rail travelers will never know. They will never hear of the tales of the early pioneers nor will they hear of the tales of buffalo hunts and bloody Native battles.
And they will never know that the Station is said to be haunted by two Native spirits.
I approached the Station building and the door suddenly swung open. An invitation or simply a gust of wind?
The Station sits on a cinderblock foundation that has fallen inward causing a great deal of damage to the structure. The first floor held a craft room, a kitchen and washrooms. I felt nothing in the first room, but as I approached the kitchen I noticed a hole in the floor leading to the basement.
The kitchen offered no more than silence. The washrooms were completely destroyed and again, this area felt lonely, but not haunted. The second floor and stairs were so rotten I could not proceed.
I made my way to the back of the house and peered into the basement. It was filled with liter and so much damage that it was dangerous to go further. Three of the four cinderblock walls had given way.
But here I could sense something. But I could not pick up anything more. I knew something was here and then I turned and went into the backyard where the feeling was more prominant.
It was a spirit. Not connected to the Station, nor the CPR, nor the pioneers. This felt old, very old. I got the words "I wander" as the wind whiped by my ears. A storm was coming. The spirit was gone.
I made my way to where the garage and CPR station were and found nothing but scraps on the floor. I proceeded to walk the grounds, but found nothing else of interest. The wandering spirit was no where, yet, as I looked out at the vast, empty prairie I knew it was everywhere.
A Teen's Guide To Ghost Hunting
Here is the cover to my new book A Teen's Guide To Ghost Hunting published by Ingram and available in bookstores summer 2009 and online.
Alberta's Most Haunted: Real Ghost Investigations
Here is the cover to my new book Alberta's Most Haunted: Real Ghost Investigations published by Ingrams and available Summer 2009 across Alberta bookstores and online. More info coming soon.
The Wheatland House
By John Savoie
On a lonely road, overtaken by nature and the unforgiving prairie landscape, a house appears to have weathered over a 100 years of life only to be left abandoned and empty.
The farmhouse in Wheatland County has attracted the attention of myself and a few sensitive individuals over the course of the last two years.
On one impromptu scouting trip we arrived close to 11pm as the sun made its way over the rocky mountains and darkness covered the land. The house reflected the last rays of the warm rays and cast eerie shadows across its yard.
We peaked inside the windows and we listened. A friend noticed a wispy smoke-like movement from one side of the front bedroom to the hallway. He immediately backed off and went around the other side of the house and with a frantic voice said, "I'm not going in there."
I felt an energy also. One that pulled me in to investigate and also one that warned me to stay away. I chose my gut instincts and followed my friend around the side of the house and took a few pictures and decided to come back for a full investigation another day.
On June 29, 2009 I made my way back to the property and brought along with me a psychic and also my investigating equipment. I arrived during daylight hours to take full advantage of my surroundings.
I made my way through a tangle of shrubs, bushes and trees as a falcon screetched above in the cloudless sky. I found the front door and opened it slowly, cautiously, in preparation to meet any animal or circumstance. The main living area was in terrible shape with a red sofa against one wall.
I made my way to the back of the house where I found a second bedroom, a kitchen and a mudroom. The mudroom held a feeling of hard work, loneliness and longing.
I returned once again to the front of the house and concentrated on the door and what lay beyond. There was something behind it. A spirit. I could sense him. I snapped a picture of the door and then proceeded to open the door.
I opened the door feeling a rush of a spirit wash over me and then dissipate as if it did not want to be sensed nor disturbed. The room was small and had one board covered window. It also contained the stairs leading to the crawlspace under the house. I waited in this room, recorder, camera, video tape and EMF detector all activated, but the spirit who was guarding this room was gone.
In this room with no view, in the crawlspace on the left side ledge was a single, silver key dating back to the turn of the century. What was it for? Was this the guarded object?
My companion psychic never entered the house. Instead she remained outside and said she was not welcome inside.
I made my way around the property and we walked the acreage noting an old site for a vegtable garden. Dark clouds covered the sun and night was fast approaching. In the back yard I found the skull of a young cow - perhaps the dinner of a coyote or perhaps a warning.
Below are additional photos of the house:
About This Blog
Out of the Dark: The Ghost Hunting Chronicles is a blog providing detailed investigations of the Out of the Dark team, paranormal news and editorial.
It will also feature the past investigations of paranormal investigator and author John Savoie.
