Phantoms and Monsters

Ghosts of the Past Appear in Harper's Ferry, WV
The Ilkley Moor Alien Photograph - Dec. 1st, 1987
British Government Releases UFO Reports From 1994-2000
Coffee House Ghost Longs For a Game of Chess

Ghosts of the Past Appear in Harper's Ferry, WV

Posted: 18 Feb 2010 11:37 AM PST

journal-news - A Harpers Ferry home is slated to become the site of a new paranormal history museum and research center - called the "Haunted Cottage" because of mysterious occurrences there through the years.

"We've heard footsteps. We've had objects disappear, and reappear later," said Vince Wilson, head of the Harpers Ferry Society for Paranormal Research, and the guide of an international organization called the Paranormal Investigators Coalition.

Wilson said the museum - which already is partially open - will be located in the cottage, also known as the Booth House.

The property previously belonged to the family of John Wilkes Booth, who stayed at the site while visiting the area in 1859 to witness the hanging of famed abolitionist John Brown, Wilson said. At least 12 deaths have reportedly occurred in the home, he added.

The property's history piqued the coalition's interest, said Wilson, a professional paranormal investigator who has written three books about how to undertake such investigations. He said the coalition previously had an office space in Baltimore. "But it wasn't haunted, it was just an office we worked out of," he explained.

The group members also leased the Booth House in Harpers Ferry, and as they learned more about it, Wilson said their interest in the home grew. When the structure went up for sale, they immediately purchased it.

The building is home to a library on paranormal activity that contains nearly 500 volumes on ghosts and the science that surrounds their study, he said. Training sessions are held each week to help budding paranormal investigators learn more about the field.

Wilson said the courses range from "ghost hunting 101," to sessions that focus on specific topics, including the use of photography in paranormal investigations.

Wilson said knowing the ins and outs of the trade is important for those who are about to undertake an investigation. These tips often do not come across in the television shows that have recently raised the profile of ghost hunting and turned it in to a popular endeavor.

"We try to use common sense techniques ... lowest common denominator techniques," he said.

Part of the investigative process is realizing that if a story sounds like it's not true, chances are it probably isn't, he said. Those who are listening to a possible ghost story should consider whether it sounds similar to others that they have heard before. A story about objects moving around or apparitions appearing, he said, is far more likely to be real than one about a ghost watching the History Channel to find out how the Civil War ended.

Wilson said it is not uncommon for investigations to prove that a ghost story was false.

"We estimate that about 90 percent of the investigations that we've gone to over the course of a year are debunked," Wilson said.

So far, however, the ghost sightings at the Booth House have not been able to be debunked by Wilson and his colleagues. People have turned off the lights, only to return later and find them back on again, he said. Another time, the remote control for a television was somehow moved from one part of the house to another, its batteries removed and scattered around.

Wilson said the house gives investigators a place to try out their skills, noting that the space can be rented out by other ghost hunters seeking to try their luck on their own. The home can be used for birthdays, weddings and overnight paranormal investigations.

A museum is in the works on the property to show the progression of ghost hunting over time. Degrees of interest in the topic have been around for centuries. The official field of paranormal investigation came in to being nearly 120 years ago, he said.

Wilson himself began testing out his skills in the field 11 years ago, visiting bridges and taverns that were reportedly haunted.

"I was going on these little adventure tours with a friend of mine," he explained.

Wilson said the duo started applying scientific principles to their research. He used what he learned to write the book "Ghost Tech," and later "Ghost Science" and "Ultimate Ghost Hunter."

"It's my career of choice," he said of his vocation in paranormal investigations.

What he's seen through his work in the field has left him with a clear opinion on ghostly activity.

"We think that ghosts are an imprint on the environment," he said.

Now, he's hoping that he and others will be able to use Harpers Ferry's Booth House to teach a new generation of ghost hunters about the history of the field, and the skills needed to be successful.
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HISTORY & HAUNTINGS of HARPER'S FERRY

John Brown believed he could free the slaves, and he selected Harpers Ferry as his starting point. Determined to seize the 100,000 weapons at the Arsenal and to use the Blue Ridge Mountains for guerrilla warfare, abolitionist Brown launched his raid on Sunday evening, October 16, 1859. His 21-man "army of liberation" seized the Armory and several other strategic points. Thirty-six hours after the raid begun, with most of his men killed or wounded, Brown was captured in the Armory fire engine house (now known as "John Brown's Fort") when U.S. Marines stormed the building.

Brought to trial at nearby Charles Town, Brown was found guilty of treason, of conspiring with slaves to rebel, and murder. He was hanged on December 2, 1859. John Brown's short-lived raid failed, but his trial and execution focused the nation's attention on the moral issue of slavery and headed the country toward civil war.

It is said that the ghost of John Brown himself haunts the streets of Historic Harpers Ferry! In the early 80s, during a reenactment weekend, several witnesses saw a 're-enactor' with an amazingly similar appearance to legendary abolitionist John Brown. He was very polite, although a little frightening with his wide-eyed appearance. He even agreed to be photographed. However, when the photos were developed, Brown had disappeared!

The nearby KOA Kampgrounds has its own share of ghosts and paranormal activity! Restless spirits have been known to turn on lights after the Kampstore closed and apparitions have been seen walking along Civil War battlements still standing on the property!

Seemingly cursed by the heritage of the Booth family legacy, the Haunted Cottage has gone down in local legend, hidden and forgotten in the hills of Harpers Ferry, WV!

According to local legends, The Haunted Cottage is the most paranormally active location in all of Harpers Ferry! Tales of ghostly apparitions, shadowy figures and poltergeist-type activity permeate the history of this property…

Until now, the Booth House has remained unavailable to the public, lost and forgotten. Then, in 2009, the determination of two friends finally made it possible for research into the building's dark legacy to come to fruition.

John Wilkes Booth himself probably stayed here. Strongly opposed to the abolitionists who sought to end slavery in the U.S., Booth attended the hanging on December 2, 1859, of abolitionist leader John Brown, who was executed for leading a raid on the Federal armory at Harpers Ferry (in present-day West Virginia). Unlike the rest of his family, John Wilkes Booth had always been a supporter of the South. He believed the Civil War was necessary to maintain Southern freedom. Booth resented the Northern position that slavery had to be outlawed. He attended the execution of John Brown (1800–1859), one of the most famous abolitionists (opponents of slavery) in history. Booth wrote that he considered abolitionists to be "traitors" and that they deserved the same fate as Brown. Booth had been rehearsing at the Richmond Theatre when he abruptly decided to join the Richmond Grays, a volunteer militia of 1,500 men traveling to Charles Town for Brown's hanging, to guard against any attempt by abolitionists to rescue Brown from the gallows by force. When Brown was hanged without incident, Booth stood in uniform near the scaffold and afterwards expressed great satisfaction with Brown's fate, although he admired the condemned man's bravery in facing death stoically. Later he told his sister, Asia, "(John Brown) was a brave man; his heart must have broken when he felt himself deserted at the gallows." Boothe's fiance' awaited him in Harpers Ferry after that dreadful night of assassination in 1865. He never arrived.

Objects being thrown and shadowy apparitions have been reported in the nearly 200 year-old Booth House. Otherwise known as 'The Haunted Cottage', this infamous property has had its share of horrors! Abused and suffering slaves lived in squalor in a small crawl space above the home's living quarters.

Stories tell of moaning coming from the slave quarters. Feelings of dread have overwhelmed the few daring enough to go into the foreboding area! Strange glowing lights have been reported emanating between the cracks of the boarded windows outside.

NOTE: one of my passions is the study of the American Civil War. I was raised near Gettysburg, Pa and now live near Baltimore...so I have had fairly easy access to the eastern battlefields and sites related to the war. Harper's Ferry has always been a favorite 'haunt' of mine for several reasons. The ghost and apparition tales of John Brown have been swirling around there since he was hanged down the road in Charlestown and I have talked to people who swear he appeared and conversed with them over the years...Lon

Source:
www.thehauntedcottage.com
www.inthepanhandle.com
www.prlog.org

The Ilkley Moor Alien Photograph - Dec. 1st, 1987

Posted: 18 Feb 2010 10:40 AM PST

A compelling account of alien abduction that took place in 1987 in the Ilkley Moor, Yorkshire, U.K....a unique case which may include one of the very few photographs taken of a live alien being. The main character and only witness of a UFO and alien being is one Philip Spencer, a retired policeman. He claims to have been taken aboard an unidentified flying object, and captured one photograph of an unknown being.

The Ilkley Moor:

Ilkley Moor is the highest part of Rombalds Moor, the moorland between Ilkley and Keighley in West Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom. The peat bogs rise to 402 m (1,319 ft) above sea level.

Ilkley Moor is very much like you would expect: a place of mystery and intrigue, and full of legends. There have been a number of reports of UFOs over the area, along with odd lights that seem to come and go. The lights, shining through the dense fog, can play tricks on the mind. There are two places where planes come and go-Menwith Hill Military Base, and Leeds Bradford Airport. Some of the strange sightings in the moor may be attributed to plane lights, but they will not explain what happened to Philip Spencer.

Spencer had worked as a policemen for four years in another location, but to fulfill his wife's wishes to be closer to her family, he had moved the family to Yorkshire. Spencer was taking a walk across the moor one December morning to his father-in-law's house, and was hoping to take some photographs of the strange lights on the moor. He had loaded his camera with ASA rated film to get the best quality pictures he could in the less than perfect lighting conditions. He could not imagine what was to soon befall him.

A Strange Looking Creature:

Spencer also brought along a compass to help find his way in the early morning hours before sun up. He was attempting to get some good angles for his photographs, when he saw a strange-looking being through the fog. The small being was on the slopes of the moor. Spencer took aim and photographed the small creature. He felt that the being was attempting to wave him away from the area. Whatever the being was, it ran away.

UFO Leaves Moor:

Spencer wanted to know more about what this strange being was, and what it wanted. He took off trying to catch up to it. Later, he would state that he must have just acted on impulse, as he had no fear of the unknown entity at the time. As he ran toward the being, he was stunned to see an unknown flying craft with a dome on top rising up from the moor grounds. It soon disappeared into the sky. He was not quick enough to photograph the UFO.

The photograph that Spencer took of the creature on the moor was very blurry, but it is still quite evident that there is some type of being present. The being very much resembles the so-called "grays" of UFO legend. Spencer waited for a time to see if the UFO or the alien creature might return, but all was quiet across the moor. He began to make his way to the nearest village, to get his photograph developed, and as he did, he noticed that his compass was pointing south instead of north. Arriving at the village, he noticed that his watch was an hour behind.

Photographic Analysis:

The photograph that Spencer took was first analyzed by a wildlife expert. He concluded that whatever was in the photograph was not any known animal. There was no way to ascertain if the subject of the photograph was a living creature or not just by looking at the picture. A recreation of the setting of the photograph was undertaken, and it was estimated that the creature was about four feet tall. An analysis of the photograph was done by Kodak laboratories in Hemel, Hempstead. They concluded that the object was indeed part of the original shot, and not added later.

The photograph was then shipped to America to be enhanced by computer, and analyzed. Dr. Bruce Maccabee, optical physicist with the United States Navy gave his expert conclusion:

"I had great hopes that this case would prove definitive. Sadly circumstances prevent it from being so."

Spencer made no money from his photograph, and relinquished all rights to the photograph to UFO investigators.

Further Information and Conclusions:

There have been numerous theories and much speculation about the Ilkley Moor photograph. Because of the poor lighting conditions present on the moor at the time the picture was taken, it was not possible to get a complete and definite conclusion. But with Spencer being a well respected man, and not given to making up stories, it can be said with certainty that Spencer lost about an hour in the moor, saw an unknown flying object of some type, and took a photograph of some unknown creature on December 1, 1987.

As Spencer regained his missing memories through hypnosis (read transcript below), he gave a fascinating tale of alien abduction. He was taken aboard the craft that he had seen lifting up from the Ilkley Moor. He was given medical-type examinations before being released. He could now remember that it was after his release from the UFO that he took the picture.

Climatic information gathered about the conditions of December 1, 1987, made it almost impossible for Spencer to have taken his picture at the time he had stated. However, if the regressive memories are accurate, the conditions would be right to duplicate the lighting conditions of the photograph, which was taken at least an hour after Spencer thought.

The witness of a UFO/alien event is as important as the report itself. The case of Ilkley Moor rides high on the character of Spencer. Through the years, Spencer and Hough became good friends, and still see each other from time to time. There has been no change in Spencer's account of what he saw that day.

He has sought no money from the case, and signed over all copyright privileges to Hough in early 1988. Spencer desires no fame from his account. Is the picture of the Ilkley Moor alien real or was it staged? There is no way to say, as the search for more information continues.
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CONTROVERSY and HYPNOSIS TRANSCRIPT

The case of the Ilkley Moor alien is one of the most controversial cases of alien abduction ever recorded in the U.K. because of the circumstances surrounding the event. At odds is the wide spread disbelief in alien abductions and the two very damning facts purporting it: the Ilkley Moor abductee was a police officer, expected to be an expert eyewitness, and the photograph of what he claims is the entity he encountered. Police officer Alan Godfrey claimed that he came across the being while crossing the Moor, in the county of Yorkshire on the morning of December 1st, 1987. He described the being as small, humanoid and green. He seemed to have startled the creature, for it took off running before halting at a safe distance and perhaps signaling him by bending it's right arm and raising it. Godfrey was carrying a camera and snapped a photo of the being, which seemed to have caused it to run off again, this time behind a large rock formation.

Godfrey gave chase, and as he rounded the rock formation he stopped dead in his tracks amazed at what was before him. A large gleaming silver domed metallic disc shaped craft stood in the clearing before him, and in an instant it shot off at incredible speed into the sky. Godfrey was unable to account for two hours after the encounter. Secondly, the photograph of the alien was badly blurred. Yet both the photo and the negative were examined by Kodak Film, which subsequently declared that the images had not been tampered with. Also, the officer noticed that his compass had switched polarity, it now pointed south instead of north.

The compass was examined by the University of Manchester's Institute of Science and Technology. Their conclusion: there were only two ways that this could have happened. Either the compass was inside a very strong magnetic field from a magnet, or had been subjected to a rapidly applied magnetic field or "pulsed" magnetic field generated by enormous amounts of electricity.

Godfrey decided to under go hypnotic regression to try and recount the missing time. Under hypnosis he was able to recount now that when he had come upon the silver craft in the clearing it had levitated him up inside of it. He described his captors as being about four feet tall "with big pointed ears and large black eyes....with three big fingers, like sausages." After apparently being examined by some type of "illuminating device" Godfrey was shown harrowing images of the earths environmental destruction. He was also shown another series of images which he absolutely refused to discuss, saying that he'd been sworn to secrecy.

Here is a transcript of the session:

JS- I want you to cast your mind back to the 1st December last year when you set off across the moor. I want you to clear your mind back to that and I want you to re-experience that. I want you to tell me what you experienced.

Spencer- I'm walking along the moor, oh! its quite windy. There is a lot of clouds. Walking up towards some trees. I see this little something, can't tell, but he's green it's moving up towards me. (We later found out that Jon had took the photo after his abduction and the creature was waving goodbye) Oh! I'm stuck I can't move and the creature still coming towards me. I'm stuck and everything gone fuzzy. I'm, I'm floating along in the air I want to get down! (He later told us he was levitated 2 feet off the ground and the creature was in front of him like a child pulling a balloon on a string). I still can't get down and I don't like it. I'm going round this corner and this green thing is in front of me. Oh God! I want to get down! (long pause) (breathing faster) There's a there is a big silver saucer thing there's a door in it. And I don't want to go in there. (worried sound in his voice) (sigh) Everything gone black now. (pause).

JS- you say everything gone black?

Spencer- Mmm! I can't see anything like I'm asleep, can't hear anything. (short pause) There's a bright light now. Can't see where it's coming from? I'm in a funny sort of room I can hear this voice saying don't be afraid. I don't feel afraid anymore. I can still see this green thing but I'm not afraid anymore of it. I'm being put on a table. I can move now if I want to, but I don't feel frightened any more and there's a beam like a pole it's above me it's moving up toward me. It's got a light in it like a fluorescent tube. It's coming up from my feet I can hear that voice again saying "we don't mean to harm you and don't be afraid." Makes me feel warm as it moves up me it's coming up over my stomach towards my head. Close my eyes I don't want to look at it in case it hurts my eyes. It's gone! (pause) there is something my nose feels funny (shows movement of nose) that's gone as well, I'm standing up now I don't know how I got stood up? I can see a door there is one of these green creatures motioning for me to come with him. Don't really want to go with him. I'd rather stay here I don't feel afraid in here (pause).

JS- Can you tell me what's happening now?

Spencer- I'm walking towards a door there is still a bright light there is light all around want to know where its coming from its just bright all around. Walking down a corridor there is a window. Oh! God!(sounds shocked)is that real? (deep sigh) (pause) (sounds afraid) don't want to be up here want to be down there? I can hear that voice again saying you've got nothing to fear. Its pretty though didn't realize it looked so pretty. (What Jon was looking at through the window was the earth seen from high in space just like the Apollo astronauts saw. Iv gone past the window now I'm walking down a corridor. (long pause)

JS- What's happening now?

Spencer- Come to the end of the corridor. There's a hole opened in it so I can walk through. I'm in a big room-a big round room, I'm on a raised platform against the wall. My camera and compass are trying to get away from me. Going towards the ball. It's difficult to pull them back down again, and this balls moved round with strange its got some blocks on it he says we cant stay in here to long he wants us to go out again the holes closed in the wall its gone strange he says I've got nothing to fear but Id still like to go home (pause) its got such big hands.

JS- What's happening now?

Spencer- Going down a corridor again. its very bright still I wish I knew where the light was coming from. And there is another door, going through a door it's an empty room two of those green creatures have come with me. there's a picture ,it's starting to move on the wall wonder how they get the pictures?

JS- Can you tell me what's happening at this point?

Spencer- I'm looking at the pictures on the wall. (long pause)

JS- Pictures on the wall?

Spencer- Mmmm. Creatures seem concerned at the damage that its doing. Picture changing now there's another picture, another film he's asking me a question he says do you understand? I said yes. It's time to go. Everything gone black. I'm walking up the moor again, I'm walking near some trees. Some movement - I can see something. A green creature. I've shouted to it. It's turned round. I don't know what it is. I'll photograph it it's turned around now. It's moving quick want to know what it is. I'm running after it, it's gone round a corner, I can't see it now. There's ... There is a saucer (laughingly), big silver saucer! It's disappeared? I'm walking on down gone past the trees.

JS- What's happening now?

Spencer- I'm going home. It's ten o'clock on the town hall clock. Can't really understand it was only eight o'clock.

JS- You mentioned some green creatures. Would you try to describe them to me?

Spencer- It's quite small. He's got big pointed ears, it's got big eyes. They're quite dark, he hasn't got a nose he's only got a little mouth. And his hands are enormous. And his arms are long. He's got funny feet.

JS- Funny feet?

Spencer- They're like a V shape like two big toes. Must be difficult to walk like that. He shuffles rather than walks. I don't feel afraid of him although he looks odd.

JS- You mentioned big hands? Can you say anymore about the hands?

Spencer- It's got three big fingers, like sausages. Big sausages. They're just very big. Bigger than my hands.

JS- About how tall would you say these creatures are?

Spencer- It's about four foot. Comes to the lump on my stomach. He's about as high as - just a bit bigger than my stomach is.

JS- Okay. Now I wonder if I can ask you another question? you mentioned a film?

Spencer- There were two films.

JS- Two films?

Spencer- One was lots of scenes of destruction like on the news. Can see lots of waste going into the river, and people like Ethiopians who are starving. It's not very good, it's not very nice.

JS- Want to say anything more about that film?

Spencer- It's much of the same thing, only different.

JS- What about the other film then? Do you want to tell me about it?

Spencer- I'm not supposed to.

JS- I'll leave that up to you entirely, do you want to say anything about that?

Spencer- I'm not supposed to tell anyone about the other film, it's not for them to know.

JS- Is there any thing more?

Spencer- No.

NOTE: over the years I have talked to several investigators about this case and the theories are all over the spectrum. The most prevalent thought is that this was not an actual alien and simply an anomaly caused by conditions on the moor. Though Spencer never sought compensation and was well regarded by people who knew him, the consensus is that overall, the story just doesn't add up. I have seen witnesses undergo hypnotic regression with a fair degree of success when a competent professional is running the session. If Spencer's regression session was legit, then I have to give his account the benefit of the doubt...Lon

Sources:
www.ilkley-online.co.uk
www.subversiveelement.com
ufos.about.com
ufocasebook.com
www.abovetopsecret.com
www.iwasabducted.com

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British Government Releases UFO Reports From 1994-2000

Posted: 18 Feb 2010 09:24 AM PST

Click for newly released UFO files from the UK government.

nydailynews - The British government has received thousands of UFO reports over the decades, and Thursday it released the largest amount of documents ever concerning UFO sightings.

The documents, made available online via PDF by the Ministry of Defence and The National Archives, included 6,000 pages from 1994 to 2000.

The tales found within cover several elaborate sorts of tales, including a woman's telepathic encounter with bizarre lights, as well as one man's detailed report of a "spherical" object captured on video.

With each report received, the Ministry of Defence often had the same response.

"Our only concern is to establish whether or not they pose a threat to the security of the United Kingdom," stated one letter in 1994.

"Unless we judge that they do, and this has not been the case so far, we do not attempt to investigate further, or to identify whatever might have been seen."

In several cases, the Ministry distanced itself from any theory suggesting alien origin of the objects spotted.

"We are not aware of any evidence that would support the existence of extraterrestrial life," stated another letter.

Sources for the reports include individuals, UFO investigators and sometimes police reports.

The Ministry also explained several sightings in 1994 as being a Virgin Lightships airship.

One of these sightings came from a woman who was driving with her son and spotted something strange through some trees.

"In the brightness of the full moon she saw an elliptical shaped object which was displaying four pairs of white lights at its top, bottom and each end," the report stated.

Another, more bizarre report, suggested the sighting created a "feeling of well-being, as if the object was exuding a sense of 'love and compassion.'"

"A married couple from Brighton were attending a concert at Wembly Stadium, when, at 9.25 p.m., a 'plasma/jellyfish' type of object appeared overhead," the report said.

Since 1959, the Ministry of Defence has received hundreds of UFO sightings each year. According to the documents released, these reports spiked in 1978 with 750 reports. Another 600 were received in 1980.

Coffee House Ghost Longs For a Game of Chess

Posted: 18 Feb 2010 03:28 PM PST

asylum - Wander into Indianapolis's Lazy Daze coffee house and you might get more than a cup of joe. In addition to being one of the city's favorite cafes, it's also the most haunted.

"Several customers, employees and visitors have reported the presence of a ghost in the back rooms of Lazy Daze," explains Alan E. Hunter, paranormal expert and author of "Irvington Haunts." "Apparently, this ghost likes to haunt the single restroom in the rear of the establishment."

The homey coffee shop lies on the East side of Indianapolis in a quaint district called Irvington, which is well known for its haunted buildings, homes and streets. "Haunted Irvington" walking tours take participants past the homes of Ku Klux Klan Grand Dragon and murderer D.C. Stephenson and past a restaurant reportedly haunted by gangster John Dillinger.

The coffee shop is nestled inside of The Irving Theater, a building established in 1913. Though it no longer operates as a theater, the patrons, baristas and owner of Lazy Daze (and those who live in the above apartments) have plenty of ghostly tales to tell, including the apparition's affinity for chess.

According to Hunter, the Lazy Daze ghost has the ability to sound like a man or a woman and often whispers the question, "What are you doing?" Owner Jeff Coppinger has had many strange experiences in the front of the shop as well.

"One morning I was opening up the coffee house, getting the place ready and straightened up for business," Coppinger tells Asylum. "I put the chess pieces on to the playing table and then went to the back room for a little bit. I came back to the front office and noticed that all the chess pieces had moved."

Visit the coffee shop today and you'll find that those pieces are no longer sitting out.

"I keep them put up now," said Coppinger. "If anyone wants to play with them, they can ask."

Despite the ghostly spirits, Lazy Daze has regularly been voted the best coffee house in the city since its establishment in 2003. Besides, "Lazy Daze ghosts are friendly and are not known to purposefully frighten anyone who visits or works there," insists Hunter.

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