Ghosts are nowhere and everywhere too. We all have heard of those numerous ghost tales from our elders, most of them were fiction but yes there were some real ones also. No one has ever been able to prove their existence, yet they occupy a big part of our culture. There stories are very easily found on television and films; around bonfires and on the book shelves completing both fiction and nonfiction sections.
It is so interesting, how all of us suddenly have a spooky story to share when sitting with a bunch of friends or cousins at night. Horror tales have long been a topic of discussion during all those night outs and sleepovers and we generally have one or more of those people with us, who get goose bumps with a slightest sound at night, which makes this story telling a hell lot interesting.
Just like Casper - The friendly ghost and the ghosts of The Christmas Carol, there are many others who have marked a place in history but unlike the former, these are remembered to haunt people in real life and not on-screen.
So, dedicate few minutes of your time and get to know the 10 most popular ghost sightings around the world.
10. Greenbrier Ghost
This name has particularly been given to the ghost of a young Virginian woman, Zona Shue, who was murdered in 1897 by her cruel and abusive husband, Erasmus Stribbling Trout Shue. Initially the reason behind Zona's death was considered to be everlasting faint or childbirth, but later when the case was reopened it was found that her husband only killed her. The amazing part of the story was how the events unfolded after her death. Zona's mother was the only person who suspected Erasmus to be the murderer and later she claimed to have been visited by Zona's ghost for about four nights where she revealed the secret of her death. She told her mother, how brutally Erasmus had abused her and broke her neck. Later, when the case was reopened and autopsy was done, Erasmus was arrested and this incident became a prominent one in American legal history for the testimony of a ghost was accepted as the prime evidence in a murder trial.
9. Kate Morgan
This is the story about a young American woman, Kate Morgan who died under mysterious circumstances on the steps of the beach side Hotel Del Coronado, California in 1892. Kate was found shot in the head on some staircase which lead down to the beach, making it an apparent suicide. Though, for long the death was considered a suicide and ignored yet in 1990 Alan May concluded in his book that Kate did not kill herself but was murdered by her husband for the bullet in her head did not match to that of the gun. At that time, Kate was staying in room no. 302 which is the present day's room no. 3312. Since then many guests have stayed in this room and have reported ill functioning of electric equipment, cold breezes, etc. Some of them also claim to have seen Kate's ghost walking down hallways and standing at windows.
8. The Bell Witch
This one is a tale which has been recited for many years by the elders of the town of Adams. Recollecting many of the facts, it is about John Bell Sr., a farmer living with his family in Adams around the 80s. It is mentioned that the family was cursed by a witch in 1817 who was expected to be a lady named Kate Baggs. The sightings began when the family reported noises in the walls and the curse later grew on with family members being hit and pinched, objects flying and animals acting in unusual ways for no reasons. No one was able to detect the witch, yet some people claimed of having conversations with her. But, it was considerably noted that only the family was troubled by the witch and not the outsiders. In spite that it was considered to be a good spirit at first, its actions proved it on the contrary. Even today people report of the ghost's sightings around the family's farmhouse.
7. Dolley Madison
The Cutts - Madison House also known as the Dolley Madison House is an American colonial style house located in Washington, D.C. Dorothy "Dolley" Madison was the wife of James Maddison, the fourth president of the United States. Dorothea Paine "Dolley" Madison was one of the most popular first ladies to have managed the White House. Dolley has a sheer ability to remember faces of the people she met and then she too was someone to not forget easily, especially because of her humor and charisma. But, another side of her character was a ruler, a lady who never liked to be crossed and the most interesting part of this story is that her ghost also bore the same characteristics. It is very evident from the fact that when gardeners were ordered to dig the Rose Garden by Mrs. Woodrow Wilson, none of them could ever turn a spade. It was said that Dolley Madison's ghost came up in the 19th century and warned the labors about their action regarding Rose Garden, falling which the men ran away. Nothing in the garden was touched and it still continues to spread its beauty, like before.
Today also witnesses have claimed to have seen the ghost of Dolley Madison rocking in a chair in the space where the porch on the west side of the house used to be, smiling at passersby and is occasionally seen walking the hallways of the Executive Mansion too.
6. Toni Jo Henry
Toni Jo is the name by which this girl liked being called, but her birth name was Annie Beatrice McQuiston, born in 1916. It would not be wrong to claim her as a prostitute-turned-murderer. Louisiana's first and only woman to die in an electric chair was guilty of killing Joseph P. Calloway. She along with Harold Finnan (Arkie) Burks hitched a ride in Calloway's car and later asked the man out of the car on gunpoint. Soon after he got undressed and did his prayers of Toni's orders, he was shot dead between his eyes. Today, she is believed to haunt the Calcasieu Parish Courthouse, where she was imprisoned before death. Workers have reported hearing her screams, feeling her presence and sometimes even the smell of her burning hair.
5. Ghosts of Forepaugh restaurant
The present day's Forepaugh restaurant in St. Paul was once the home of Joseph Lybrandt Forepaugh, a respect businessman and a dry goods merchant. It is supposed that he hired a made named Molly in 1880s, to take care of the mansion and soon began a love affair with her. The affair ended when Joseph's wife caught them making love. Soon, Molly discovered that she was pregnant and in the depression she hung herself from the third floor chandelier and died in the mansion. Joseph then left the house and flew to Europe with his family apparently he returned to house later and killed himself with a gun shot on the ground floor. Now, the restaurant is considered to be haunted by the ghosts of the lovers. Many servers have claimed to see a pretty, dark haired girl roaming in home and she is also known to be seen at large parties, held in dining room. A photograph captured at a wedding party shows a ghostly hand near the bride which is believed to be Joseph's hand.
4. Richard Miller
This story is about the Tyrone Guthrie Theater of Minneapolis which has now been torn down. Richard Miller was an usher at the theater. After a series of events like Ski accident and bad grades, he was very upset and shot himself on February 5, 1967 in the parking lot of a Sears. The best part to him in his life was, working as an usher and apparently he was buried with his theater blazer. A few weeks after his death, a young lady claimed of seeing an usher walking up and down during the play, though no one else saw him. When the usher's looks were described, it matched to that of Richard Miller. After that, many people have reported seeing Richard walking up and down the aisle 18, in the catwalks and the Queen's box without saying a word.
3. Resurrection Mary
"Resurrection Mary" is the best-known ghost story in the Chicago area. The story says that Mary had spent an evening dancing with her boyfriend at the Oh Henry Ballroom. Then they probably got into an argument and Mary fumed out. She left the ballroom and started walking up Archer Avenue. She had not travelled a huge distance when she was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver, who escaped the scene leaving Mary to die. They buried her in Resurrection Cemetery, wearing a beautiful white dancing dress and matching dancing shoes.
Taking a lift is not considered to be a very good mode of transportation but the case is not same, if one is dead. On the road where Resurrection Cemetery is situated, a beautiful blond-haired, blue-eyed young woman can be seen sometimes with her thumb in the air, trying to get hold of a ride. But when a driver approaches her she asks to drive her to graveyard. When you reach there, she vanishes.
2. Chloe of Myrtles Plantation
Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana is considered to be one of the most haunted homes of America. Records count almost 12 ghosts to be the permanent residents of the place, out of which the most famous one is Chloe. The story dates back to the 1800s when this plantation was owned and managed by Judge Clark Woodruff along with his wife Sara Matilda. Chloe was a slave with the Woodruffs at that time. Clark Woodruff was considered to be a womanizer and there came Chloe in the picture. Though she was not satisfied by being the Judge's mistress, yet she was enjoying not being a slave. Soon, she found that Clark was getting tired of her and afraid with the thought of being sent back to fields, she started eavesdropping on family's conversation to confirm her doubts. On one such day, the Judge caught her listening and in his anger he cut off one of her ears. From then on she wore a green turban to hide the wound. With the intention of revenge, she baked a birthday cake with some sort of poison in it, which caused the death of Sara and both of her daughters. Found guilty of the murder, she was hanged from a tree and then thrown into the river by her fellow slaves.
Now, she is usually found roaming in the plantation wearing a green turban and searching for someone. Apart from this, one can also look out for a mirror in the hallway which usually has tiny finger prints and show images of some small children.
1. The Flying Dutchman
This one is the most popular ghost sighting of all, each one of us had heard of it somewhere or the other and the story has also been considered for some great artworks like the films Pandora and the Flying Dutchman, Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean, in the poem The Rime of Ancient Mainer, etc. The Flying Dutchman is the world’s most popular non-human ghost. It is a legendary ghost ship that has never made to ports and is doomed to sail in the oceans forever. According to the reports, the ship often appears with a hazy image or a strange light and signifies bad luck. Though the ship has never been seen on land, but many sightings of it are reported since the 18th century. It is also said that if it is addressed by another ship, then the crew of Flying Dutchman tries to send messages to the land and to the people long dead.
Source: listdose.com
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