August 7 and 8, 2010

Saturday, August 7th, Room 5:

Chuck: "Is Lewis Mason here tonight?"..................'I'm here.'

"You helped slaves go north to safety and we are trying to get the Inn on the Freedom Trail and we are having some trouble with that.  We have William Mason's autobiography where he talks about it, but did you write down anywhere about it.  Anything you wrote?"................'Great hall.'

"What great hall?   Is that in the county?"...................'Newspaper'

"Do you have a date that it was in the newspaper?"................'About the capture.'

"Do you mean with Joe?".......................'Yes'

"Was it in the newspaper about Joe's capture and hanging?"...................'Yes'

"Was that in a newspaper in this county?"................'Yes'

"Do you know a date so we can find the newspaper?".................'July 20'

"What year was that?"..........................'He was the last one to be hung.'

"What year was it?  Was it during the War?  Or before the War?".....................'Before'

"So around 1860?"........................'2'

"1862?"..................'Yes'

"What we're trying to do is get recognition for your efforts in the Underground Railroad.  And we need more evidence besides Senator Mason's reminiscence.  We've been turned down twice now and we need more information.  If we could find a newspaper article about your efforts it would help.".................'Give up'

"No, we don't want to give up.  We want to give you the recognition you deserve.  You did a wonderful thing.".........'Others did too.'

"Is the newspaper in the basement of the Des Moines historical museum?"............'Yep'

"Can you tell us why you named the hotel the Phoenix Hotel?"................'New start rising.'

"Like a new start from the ashes?"..................'Yes.  New beginning.'

"There is a tall bed in what is now Room 7, was that in the Inn when you were alive?"..............'It was.'

"Did you bring it in?".................'No'

"Was it already here?"................'Yes, it was.   Doctor's office.'

"Did Billy Robinson bring it in?"................'Yes.  On request.   Europe.  1812.'

"Do you know whose family brought it over?"..................'No'

"Was it made in England?"........................'Europe'    Harold: 'Some one famous laid in it.'

"Who famous laid in it?"...................'Short man.   Twice.'

"Do you know who it was?".....................'Bonaparte'

"Are you saying Napoleon Bonaparte slept in the bed?"...................'No.  His brother.'

"Napoleon Bonaparte's brother slept in the bed?"..................'Yes'

"Did the bed come from France?"......................'No'

"What country did it come from?"....................'Spain'    'I thought it was London.'

"It was made in London, England?"..........................'He took a bullet.'  (A lot of voices talking at once and giving different opinions about the bed.)   'I like that bed.'   'I slept in it too.'

"Is Billy Robinson here?"......................'Yes'

"Mr. Robinson, can you tell us about the bed?  The tall one in Room 7, dark walnut.  Did it come from England?".....................'It did.'

"Was it really made in 1812?"....................'No'

"Do you know what year it was made?".............'I don't know.'

"Did you have it shipped here from England?"..............'1853.'

"Did you have it made in England or did you purchase it already made."...............'Purchased it for the hotel.'

"How much did you pay for it?"................'Just over 30.  Too much.'

"Since we are talking about money.  Can you tell me how much it cost to build the Inn?"............'They worked for lodging.'

"The Mormons worked for lodging?"..............'Yes'

"What about supplies?".................'About 600.'

"About 600 dollars?"................'Yes.  About.'

"You told us that 7 people built it in 8 months, was that correct?"...........'Yes. About.'

"And you called it the Ashland House?".........................'Yes.'

"What was significant about Ashland?"...............'Back home.'

"Were you related to the Robinson who owned a store in town?".................'Yes.  All of them related.'

"Who did Joy see in the window of Room 3 today?"....................Harold: 'A kid.'

"Do you know who it was?"......................'No'

"Does the child not reside here?"...................'No'

"In Room 7 there is an emergency light by the door and it flickers sometimes.  Is somebody playing with it or do we have an electrical problem?".................'John plays with it.'    Child's voice: 'Hi'

"Hi John.  Do you like to play with the light?".............'Sometimes.'

"So we don't have an electrical problem then?"...................Harold: 'Not right now.'

"Can I ask why we don't have the children playing in our room at night anymore?".................'Joy said stop.'

"Well, she only meant for that night, not all the time."................'Okay'    Harold: 'Amanda's a thief.'

"Amanda's a thief?   What did she take?"..................'The lady's stuff.'

"When was that?"...................'Two weeks ago.'

"Well, we didn't hear about it, so I guess she didn't miss it.  You can have it, Amanda."............'Okay.  I like purple things.'

Guest: "I did an EVP in this room earlier and somebody said 'Get out', who was that?".........'Pastor Hawkins.'

"Is there a resident here named Pastor Hawkins?"..............'Yes.  My son.'

"What year did you pass?"..................no answer

"Pastor, do you believe in speaking to spirits?"......................'Do you hear me?'

"Why did you tell him to get out?"..................Harold: 'He's drunk.'

"Do you still drink now?"..................'Everyday'   Harold: 'He's a lush.'

"Let's change the subject.  A couple days ago, Joy and I used the pendulum to talk to somebody in our room, who were we talking too?".................'Nancy'

"Nancy?  We thought we were talking to a man.".................'No.  It was Nancy.'

"Nancy, are you stuck here?  Do you need help going to the light?"...................'Not yet.'

Guest: "Do you like baseball?"....................Harold: 'What's that?'

"Hitting a ball with a stick.  It's a game."................'Sounds like a waste of time.'

Jinni: "I have a question for Amanda.  Do you like to play basketball with me?".................Amanda: 'I watch you play.'

"Did you come to Brennen's birthday party?"...............'Yes.  We went.'

Chuck: "A few days ago, Joy was in the dining room and smelled lilacs.  Was that intended for her?".............Harold: 'That was Sara.'

"And who is Sara?  A child or adult?"....................'Adult'    Harold: 'I like her.'

"Why was it Lilac?  Did you want Joy to do something?"....................'Put the lilacs in a bowl on the table.'

Joy: "I do that in the spring.  We don't have lilacs now.  I will do that in the spring again, okay?"............'Thank you.'

"Thank you, Sara.  Do you know what year you passed?"..................'1938'

"Did you live in Bentonsport?".................'No'

"Did Harold bring you here?"...................'No. Came through the gate.   Like it here.'

"Last weekend, our guest saw somebody walk into Room 7.  Do you know who that was?"................'Mary.'

"They were also out on the street and saw somebody in Room 6 without a shirt on, dark hair and dark tan, who was that?"....................'Frank'

"Frank Clark?"..................'That was him.'

"So why didn't he have a shirt on?".....................'They were outside spying.'

"They were outside smoking and looked up and saw him.".....................'I don't know.'

"Who got in bed with the lady in Room 5?".....................Harold: 'Amanda'       Amanda: 'I thought it was Becky.'

"Amanda thought it was Becky?".......................Amanda: 'Yes. But it wasn't.'

"We went on vacation for a few days and when we got back some of the beds were messed up.  What was that about?"..................Harold: 'We were starting up.'

"Were you just playing with the beds?"..............'The kids did it.  Twelve of them.'

"When we were on vacation, we used the pendulum to see if anybody came with us and Curtis did.  Then, the next day, Harold was there.  Why didn't Curtis come back?".....................'He had business to do.'

"Did you ride the roller coasters again?"..................'Oh yeah.   I had fun.'

Jinni: "Did you go to the horse show?"...................'No'

"I love you Amanda."........................Amanda: 'Love you Jinni.'

Chris: "That's it for now.  We need to go now.  Thanks you guys."......................'Bye'    'Bye'

     Sunday night, August 8,  Room 5:

Guest: "How are you tonight, Ty?"....................Ty: 'All right, I guess.'

Chuck: "Last week there was a man in this room and he was looking at this chandelier here and he saw flames in the lamps.  And then they turned the light switch off and the flames went out.  Were the flames really on or was Harold playing tricks on him?"..............................Harold: 'Not me.  It was his mind.  No flames.'

"So maybe it was just his imagination or a reflection on the glass?".....................'Yeah'

"Okay.  To change the subject, is Bart here?"........................'Hello'

Chris: "Did you know I saw you last night?"....................'No'

Chuck: "Were you trying to get a message to Chris?"...................'No.  Just standing there.'

"Why were you bent over?".......................'Just standing there.'

"How tall were you in real life?"...........................'6-2'

"You're pretty tall, a big man.".......................'Was'

Chuck: "Who tucked in the blankets in Room 7 last night?".......................Harold: 'Mary'

"Thank you, Mary, that was nice of you."........................'No problem.'

"Paulette had an idea to put a fan light in the hallway outside Room 4.  Do you think that would be a good idea?".....................Harold: 'Maybe'

"Do you think it would affect the vortex that is out there?"...................'May well.  It won't stop it.'

"So it won't interfere?"...................'No.  May help.'

"Is it okay with Mary to put a fan in the hallway?"..................Mary: 'I don't care.'

"Well if it causes problems, let us know okay?".......................'We'll let you know.'

"Is Senator Mason here tonight?"..........................'Right here.'

"Senator Mason, in your autobiography that you wrote about living here in Bentonsport, what age were you when you wrote that article?"........................no answer

"Do you know what year it was?".......................'Don't remember'

"Were you in your 50s or 60s?"..........................'51 when first started.'

"Did you write any other article about helping your father with the Underground Railroad?"..............'Yes'

"And where would we find those articles?"..........................'Don't know.'

"Did you write any speeches where you talked about it?"...............'No.   Journal.'

"Is this a different journal from your autobiography?"...................'Yes.  Family has it.'

"Do you know which family member has it now?"........................'Frank'

"Frank Mason?"....................'Yes'

"Frank's on your side now."...........................'Oh'

"To let you know, we are trying to document the Underground Railroad activity that you and your father did so we can get the Inn on the Freedom Trail and we need newspaper articles or something in writing from you or your father about it."..........................'Try the reporter.'

"Is that a newspaper?".....................'Yes'

"Do you know what date the article was?"....................no answer

"Did you see it published?"...................'Yes'

"So it was before your passing.  Right around 1900?"..............'Yes'

"Was it talking about the slave issue or another subject?"..................'Covered his life.'

"Covered your father's life or your life?"......................'Father'

"Was the Reporter a Keosauqua paper?  Or a Van Buren County paper?".................'County'

"Thank you for your help.".....................'You're welcome.'

Guest: "Who moved the cookie jar in Room 5 from the table to the dresser?"..............Harold: 'Curtis'    Curtis:  'What?'

"Curtis, did you move the cookie jar in this room from the table to the dresser?"....................'Ha ha.  Yeah that was me.'

"Great trick, Curtis.".......................'I wanted him to notice them.'

Guest: "Hi.  Last night I took a picture of my daughter in the dining room, and there seems to be a man standing behind her.  Who was that?"........................'Herbert'

"Herbert, are you a resident here?"..................'No'

"Are you just passing through?"..................'Yes'

"And why did you get in the picture with the young lady?".......................'She looks like my grand daughter.'

"Thank you for getting in the picture with her."................'I didn't mean to.'

"Who was walking in the hallway behind Rooms 3 and 2 last night?"........................'Daniel'

"Daniel, how old are you?".......................no answer

"Were you trying to get a hold of someone?".................'Yeah.  Mom.'

Chris: "Do you mean your mom or my Mom?"......................'Yours'

"What did you want with my Mom?"........................'Just to see her.'

Paulette: "What did you want?"....................'Just to see you.'

"Did you need help?"......................'No'

Chris: "Bart, just so you know, I did see you last night in my room.  Did you know I saw you?".............'No'

"You are a really big man.".......................'I guess'

"Did you want something or to tell me something?"....................'Nope.  Just standing there.'

"Okay, well, thanks for visiting."....................'Okay'

"Well, I guess that's it for now.  Time to go.  Thanks for talking with us."...............'Okay'   'Bye'   'Thanks'

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