November 10 and 11, 2007

     On November 10th and 11th, Chris Moon held two back-to-back Ghost Hunting 101 classes.  Thanks to the AAA Living Magazine article published in the Sept./Oct. issue, and written by Lori Erickson, the two classes were overflowing with eager students.  It was too cold to go up to the cemetery, but we did two "telephone to the dead" sessions during each class.  The following transcripts are excerpts from those sessions:

          Nov. 10, first session, Room 5:

Chuck-"Markie, are you here tonight?"............'Yes, with Chris.'

"Thank you for letting me know you were stopping by a couple weeks ago." (There were two knocks on our bedroom window on Oct. 1)....................'Thanks'

"Did you stay many days or were you just passing through?"..............'Just a week.'

"A week?  That was pretty good time.  Did you spend it with Amanda?"................Amanda - 'No.  I wanted him to.'

"Well, Markie, thanks for letting us know when you're here.  We like that."............Markie - 'You got it.'

"Is Harold here?"............Harold - 'Finally!'

"Harold, a couple weeks ago there were some people staying in this room here and something happened to the doctor equipment.  Do you know anything about that?".........Harold - 'Don't blame me for it.  It wasn't me.  I had nothing to do with it.'

"Amanda, do you know who did it?"...........Amanda - 'Markie did it.  Moved the chair.  He tried to blame me.'

"What did you do to the chair?".........'He moved it.  Put it in somebody's way.'

"We don't know anything about that.  But what about the doctor's equipment?"..........Amanda - 'Don't blame me on that one.  Markie did it.'

"Markie, are you there?"..........'Yes'

"Did you move the doctor's equipment?".........Markie - 'That was Amanda.'

"Oh, you guys are finger-pointing.  You're not in trouble.  We thought it was a good trick.  We just wonder who did it."..........Amanda - 'Okay, it was me.'

"Okay, Amanda, tell us what you did with it."..........'Took it down.'  (Actually, one of the pieces had come off a cup hook and flew about 5 feet across the room.)

"That was a neat trick.  You can do it some more."..............'I'll try.'

Joy - "Chuck heard someone walking in the hallway this morning, who was that?"...........Amanda - 'That wasn't me.  That was Harold.'

Guest - "Is Fannie Mason Kurtz here?"............Markie - 'No'

Guest - "Is there a Tabitha here?"..............Markie - 'Yes'

Chuck - "Hi, Tabitha, are you a resident, an inhabitant?".............Girl's voice - 'Yes'

"How old are you?".................'Fourteen'

"So you're Amanda's age."...................'Yes'

"Do you play tricks on people with Amanda?"..............'Yes, she helps me.'

"Does Jinni see you, Tabitha?"................'Yes, she sees me sometimes.'

"Can you tell us what you're wearing?"..................'Purple dress'   (Jinni saw a girl wearing purple in the upstairs hallway.)

Guest - "Is Mr. Brown here?"..................Markie - 'No'

"Will he be here later tonight?"...............'Maybe'

Chuck - "Is Lewis Mason here?"...............'I'm here.'

"Why did you go to Australia?"....................'To take a holiday.'

"A holiday?  You went on vacation?"..................'Yes'

"How was it?"........................'Amazing, you should go.'

"Lewis, when you lived here, what was the largest population that Bentonsport go up to?".................'Hundreds'

"Was it more than a thousand?"..................'Yes'

"More than two thousand?"......................'No, not that high.'

"So, just over a thousand?"....................'About seventeen'

"Seventeen hundred?"........................'For a short time.'        Mary - 'Not that many.'

"Mary, how many people lived in Bentonsport when you lived here?".....................Mary - 'I don't remember, but not that many.'

Guest - Harold, what is your favorite thing to do here?"......................Harold - 'Scare people.  Ha Ha Ha.  Just kidding.'

Chuck - "Harold, when people come here and spend the night, what determines whether you play with them or not?"...............'Depends if I like them.'

"We have a group of people staying here tonight who would like you to play with them.  Do you like them?"...........'Sure do.'

Guest - "Amanda, what's your favorite room?"..........Amanda - 'Jinni's'

"Who likes Room 7?"......................'Curtis'

"Anybody like Room 8?".................'We all do.'

"What about Room 6?"...................Harold - 'That's mine.  Take photos of me.'

"Where are you?"......................'By Chris.'

              People took pictures of Chris and there was a large orb over his head.  Then we ended the first session.

          Nov. 10, second session, Room 5:

Chuck - "How many spirits are in the room with us tonight?"................Harold - 'Sixteen of us.'

Guest - "Did anyone come with me tonight?".....................Man's voice - 'Yes'

"Who?"........................'Father'

"Are you okay?"..................'Yes'

"Are you here by me?  By this bed?"....................'Yes, are you scared?'

"No.".........................'I thought of you first.'

(There was a loud knock on the wall behind Chris and Joy.)

Chuck - "Was that you Harold?".....................Harold - 'Yes'

"We like when you do that."......................'No problem.'

Guest again - "Why are you here, Dad?"..................Man - 'Passing through'

Chuck - "Harold, can you do that popping sound like you did before in the dining room?"........Harold - 'You bet.  I did it downstairs.'

"No, can you do it here in this room, now, for us?".....................'Downstairs'

"Why not in this room?"...................'I can't.  I did it before downstairs.  I'll do it again downstairs.'

"Will you do it before these people go home?".....................'There.  I just did it again downstairs.'

"Great.  We can't hear it down there when we are up here."........................(There was another loud knock on the wall.) 

"Thanks, Harold.  That was a good tap."........................'I tried.'

Guest - "Amanda, will you visit me in my room tonight?"........................Amanda - 'I'm helping Harold.'   Harold - 'There's going to be a party tonight in the Inn.'

Guests all laugh or say "Oh no"..........................Harold - 'Don't be chicken.'

Chuck - "Is Lewis still here?"..........Harold - 'No'

"Where did he go?"...................'He went through.'   Amanda - 'Can I come to the party?'

Guest - "Do you remember us from last time?"..................Amanda - 'Yes'       Harold - 'You're in big trouble.  We'll come to scare them.  Ha Ha Ha.'

Chuck - "Do the water trick tonight".......................Harold - 'You like that one.'

Guest - "Yeah, we do.  Do it in Room 1.".....................'I'll try.'

Chuck - "Is Frederick Hancock here tonight?"......................'Frederick, yes.'

"Can I ask you about the Underground Railroad tunnels?"......................'Tunnels, yes.'

"There was a short tunnel that ran from the Greef Store to the Greef House.  Are you familiar with that one?"...............'Yes'

"Was there any other tunnels that ran from the Greef Store to anyplace else?"..............'The bank.'

"Did any come to the hotel?"...............................'Yes, the Inn.'

"Does any of it exist today?"......................'Buried'

"Not accessible?".............................'No'

"Last time you mentioned a tunnel east of the Inn, beyond the caboose.  There are a line of trees there that run north and south along the property line.  Is that where the tunnel is?"...............'That's it, yes.'

"Is any of it still there or is it all collapsed in?"....................'It was there last time.'

"The woodshed you mentioned last time, was it by the alley?".....................'North of the alley.'

"How long was the tunnel?"...................'Forty feet'

"How wide was it?"..............................'Ten feet'

"How tall was it?"............................'Eight feet'

"How far down is it today, if I was to dig?"....................'Right there.'

"Right below the surface?".......................'Right there.'

"How many people were in it when it collapsed?"......................'Seven'

"Are they still there?".........................'I think so.'

"Did the whole tunnel collapse?"..........................'Three were trapped.'

"What caused the collapse?"..........................'Water'

"Are the walls made of wood or stone?"..................'Wood'

"What size planks should we look for?"..................'Eights'

"Eight by Eight?"...................................'Eights, I said it.'

Chris - "Okay, we're going to go now.  Thanks everybody.  Good bye."...................'Bye'

           During the night the people in Room 8 had Josephine on their bed.  They said there was a very heavy weight laying across both their legs, although there was no purring, and it lasted several minutes.  In Room 7, they heard some tapping sounds and one lady had her sleeve pulled back and forth on her arm several times while she watched it moving.  The lady in the twin bed said that for a short while her bed was rocking back and forth as if a child was standing on the bed, straddling her legs, and rocking it back and forth.  She said it was really a weird feeling.  One of the ladies in Room 6 heard tapping sounds and then heard "HEY!" in her ear quite loudly.  It really startled her.  The other people in the room were fast asleep.  The people in Room 1 heard a loud 'boom' on the ceiling as if a bowling ball were dropped on the floor of Room 6,  but no body in that room had dropped anything. 

                 Nov. 11, first session, Room 5:

Chuck - "Who all is here with us?"........................'Harold'  'Amanda'  'Mary'  other names all jumbled together

"Amanda, are you here?"......................'I'm here'

"You didn't get to talk last time.  Are you going to visit people tonight?"..........'Yeah.  Harold too.  Room 8.'

Guest - "Was there a child near me in the dining room tonight?"..............'Yes'

"Was it one of the three-year-olds?".....................'No. Child was eight.'

"What was the child's name?"..................'Norman'

"Is he a resident here?".................'Yes'

Another guest - "Did any one come with me tonight?".............Markie - "Steven.  Did you know it was him?"

"No. How old is Steven?"......................'Twenty-two'

Chuck - "Are you attached to her or her house, or what?"...............'To her.'

"Why are you attached to her?".......................'She likes to talk.  I like the sound of her voice.'

Another guest - "Who was in Room 6 last night?"...................'Curtis'

"Will you be in her room again tonight?"...........'Yes'

"Was Josephine in the parlor tonight?"......................Amanda - 'She was waiting under a chair.'

"Is she here now?".........................'Not here now.  Downstairs.'

Another guest - "Was someone playing with my hair tonight?"..................'Yes'

"Who was it?".......................Amanda - 'Stephanie'

"Is Stephanie a child or adult?"...................'Child'

"Is she a resident here?"........................'No.  Passing through.'

Guest - "Will someone visit me in Room 7 tonight?"..........Harold - 'Seven.  Yes.  Big party.'

Joy - "Has anybody been playing with Aurora today?"................Amanda - 'Several of us.'

"She was playing in the parlor today.  What was she doing?"..........................'We played peek-a-boo.'

Chuck - "Harold, we enjoyed all the activity last night.  Thanks.".................Harold - 'We had fun.'

Chris - "Well, we're going to go now, but we'll be back in a few minutes with another group.".........'We'll wait for you.'

               Nov. 11, second session, Room 5:

Chuck - "Is Lewis Mason here tonight?".............'Lewis, yes'

"Lewis, was there a tunnel along the border of the Inn property that collapsed?"..................'Yes'

"Under the tree line by the caboose?".....................'Yes.  It collapsed.'

"Could we try to find it?"........................'Shouldn't be a problem.'

"How deep under the ground is it?"..................'Not that deep.'

"Are there any people still in there?"....................'Yes, they're there.'

"Do we need to find them and rebury them?"........................'No need.'

"Do you know their names?"...........................'No'

"Are they spirits here in the Inn?".........................'Outside'

"They stay outside?"....................'Out by the tree.  They're dead.  Can't you see that they're dead?'

"How far down is the tunnel that is still there?"......................'Quarter down'

"Are there any females trapped in there?"............................'No, all males.'

"Lewis, was there also a tunnel that ran from the Inn over to the Greef Store?"..............'Yes'

"Does that tunnel remain intact today?"...................'No.  Collapsed.  It was made of wood.'

"Where did it enter the Inn?"......................'Stable.  It was.'

"The plans you told me were in the attic, I can't find them.  Where are they?"...............'You should have found them by now.'

"Are they in the attic or above it in the crawl space?".....................'Upper'

"So I have to go into the crawl space above the attic?"............'Be careful.'

"I'll fall through the ceiling, won't I?"............................'I think so.'

"They're on the west side of the house?".......................'I think so, yeah.'

Guest - "Do any of us have family members with us that have passed over?"..............Markie - 'Yes, some.'

"Do I have someone with me?   My father?".......................A woman says - 'Yes.  It's risky to talk.'

Another guest - "Is Harold here?"....................Harold - 'Yes'

"You were a soldier?"...............'Yep'

"What were some battles you fought?"......................(He lists different names so fast that Chris did not understand what he said)      Markie - 'He's a proud guy.'

Chuck - "We're very proud of you, Harold."....................Harold - 'I was.'

"Where were you when you got wounded?"....................'Dodge Point'

"Was that in Iowa?"..................'Missouri'

"Markie, can you say hi to the group?"...............Markie - 'Hello'

"Where we you at when you got wounded, Markie?"......................'Don't remember.  My head.  Fever.'

"Were you in Iowa?"........................'Yes.  We moved through once in a while.'

"Did you have children?"...............'No'

"Amanda, are you here?"................Markie - 'No.  Not here.'

"Where is she?"......................'She had a task.'

Guest - "Do those with mental dementia, when they pass over, can they think again?".......................'Yes.  Get intelligent.'

"Are there animals that passed over?  Pets?"....................'Yes'  (they start naming their pets)

Guest - "We'd like to invite Amanda and Harold and everybody to visit us tonight in Room 6.".............'Of course.'

Chris - "Okay, we're going to go now.  Thanks everybody for talking with us.  Good bye."..............'Don't go.'

           On Sunday night, the people in Room 8 again had Josephine on the bed, this time with purring vibrations.  They also heard what sounded like several children running in the hallway outside their door.  The lady in the twin bed in Room 7 also reported having a cat on the bed for a short time, and she also heard the children running in the hallway.  Chris Moon, in Room 4, said he also had been visited by Josephine on his bed.  The ladies in Room 1 also heard tapping on the wall, and their shower turned on for several seconds and then turned off.  The people in Room 5 said the pull chain on the fan started going around and around even though the fan was not on and there were no windows open.  But, most excitingly, the lady in the twin bed in Room 6, "Sue",  said she was awakened by a heavy feeling on her chest.  When she opened her eyes, she saw an elderly lady and a small child standing next to the bed looking at her.  Sue said they were giggling and whispering to each other.  The woman was older and buxom, and had dark hair that was pulled back.  She was wearing a white blouse and a dark skirt.  The child was about 2 or 3 years old with long blond hair.  Then the woman whispered to the child "Let's go see some other people."  and they turned a walked away.  Sue said it was not scary at all and she was thrilled to have seen a spirit, whom she thinks was Mary.  We'll have to ask at the next Frank Box session who the woman and child were.  Sue had also left a recorder running during the night and when she listened to it she found some of Harold's tapping sounds had been recorded during the night.

To return to Joy's Journal 2007, click here

To read the next class transcripts, click here

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