The First Unitarian Church Location Information Date:24th June, 2005 Type:Business Location Title:The First Unitarian Church City/State:Alton, IL Investigation Times:09:00 PM - 11:15 PM Status:Analysis Weather Information Sunrise:05:36 AM Sunset:08:30 PM High Temperature:93 °F Low Temperature:68 °F Sky Condition:Overcast Wind:S at 6 mph Humidity:88% Precipitation:0% Lunar Phase:Waning Gibbous % disk visible:90% Solar X-Rays:Active Geomagnetic Field:Quiet Pressure:30.01 mmHg Investigators Present Kelli Patrick Becky Ray Miranda Stark ​ Question: Any visual apparations? Answer: Yes Question: How do the visual apparitions appear? Answer: As a full apparition of the former minister. Grey suit, tie. Question: Any sounds? Answer: Yes, voices from under the building. Question: Any music? Answer: Yes, singing from under the building. Question: Any voices? What do they say? Answer: Unclear. Question: Any physical attacks? Answer: No. Question: Any past investigations, priests or clergy? Answer: Yes, several past investigations. ​ Investigators Notes ​ Kelli Patrick:Equipment used: 35 mm camera I didn't bring all of my equipment because this was a group investigation and we didn't have time to set up our usual stuff. I didn't sense anything different than a normal church, but all of the lights were out in the hallway behind the sanctuary. We were all sitting in the sanctuary listening to the history of the church by Troy Taylor. About 20 minutes into the history, Troy walked over to the doorway that leads into the hallway. We saw a shadow of person behind him and then it was gone. Everyone in the building was in the sanctuary, so that rules out anyone living. I didn't see or feel anything else there. There is a room in the basement that was supposedly used as part of the Underground Railroad. This room is not on the blueprints of the building. There was also a pastor that hung himself outside of the sanctuary in the doorway that leads to the hallway. He was found several days after. Becky Ray:This was my second visit to this church, so I was familiar with Troy's presentation. However, while he was speaking in the sanctuary I noticed shadowy movement behind him in the doorway. I did not realize at that time that Kelli was seeing the same thing. I continued to watch this "figure" move back and forth in the darkness of the room behind the sanctuary while Troy spoke. I snapped a photo when Troy turned to face the doorway (so I would not blind him), but nothing appeared on film. Miranda Stark:The group of nearly twenty guests sat in the sanctuary during Troy Taylor's speech giving a detailed history of the church's haunting. There were no lights except for one lantern at the front of the room. There was a darkened doorway just to the back left of Mr. Taylor as he stood at the front of the sanctaury. At one point Kelli leaned over to me and remarked that she believed that she had seen a figure moving around in the shadows of this dark doorway. I looked at the area myself, and sure enough saw a figure move past at a regular walking-pace. I only saw this the one time, but this was enough for me to be able to assure Kelli, that she had indeed not been the only witness to this. No EVPS for this Investigation at this time PHOTOS Shadow in Doorway - 09:45 PM This is the photo I took while we were all sitting in the santuary and Kelli, Miranda, and I witnessed the shadowy figure moving about in the doorway. (See investigation notes.) Although nothing showed up in the photo, I wanted to post it here. Crawlspace Under Church - 10:37 PM To get to the room that is believed to have been used as a part of the Underground Railroad, a person has to use this crawlspace. As Kelli states in her investigation notes, this room is not on the blueprints to the building, and even more interestingly the room itself lies outside the walls of the building so it is technically only partially under the church. Singing and many voices have been heard coming from this area for years, dating back long before the room was discovered. Third Pew from the Back - 10:50 PM Recent ministers in this church have witnessed a man dressed as the former minister who took his own life was known to have dressed standing in the third pew from the back while they were alone in the sanctuary. This is that pew. Shadow in Doorway - 09:45 PM This is the photo I took while we were all sitting in the santuary and Kelli, Miranda, and I witnessed the shadowy figure moving about in the doorway. (See investigation notes.) Although nothing showed up in the photo, I wanted to post it here. 1/4 No VIDEOS for this Investigation at this time

URBAN LEGENDS CALIFORNIA - Alcatraz by: Kelli Patrick The Miwok Indians thought evil spirits inhabited the island and never set foot there until 1859 when they arrived in shackles as the island's first prisoners. By 1912, the army had built the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world (Hauck). Army prisoners built the prison to house themselves. In the 1930's, the most dangerous criminals were housed here. They were here till 1963, when it was shut down, prisoner's went to local prisons, such as San Quinten. There were talks that the island would become a theme park for space travel, suggested by Lamar Hunt, wealthy Texan and former owner of the KC Royals. A group of Native American political activists took over the island to make a stand. The island was occupied three times by Native Americans, until in 1972, the National Park Service took it over. They are still there today, helping to preserve the prison and island. For the Alcatraz website http://www.nps.gov/alcatraz They do accept donations to help preserve the island. Alcatraz, The Prison Alcatraz was a prison almost from the very start. In 1859, 11 soldiers scheduled for confinement in the sally port basement arrived with the fort's first permanent garrison. During the Civil War, soldiers convicted of rape, assault, murder and other crimes; citizens accused of treason; and the crew of Confederate ship were imprisoned here. The army also incarcerated several Indian Tribes that were captured during the various Indian wars and for the military convicts during the Spanish-American War (1898). When the fort was decommissioned in 1907, regular army troops were replaced by soldiers of the US Military Guard. Within a year, the army had begun tearing down the citadel and building a huge concrete cellhouse. In 1915, Alcatraz was renamed "United States Disciplinary Barracks, Pacific Branch"; it wasn't long before conscientious objectors to World War I joined the Alcatraz inmate population. During the Great Depression of the 1930's, the newly created Bureau of Prisons became interested in in the island as a place for a high-profile, maximum-security facility. Transferred from the War Department to the Department of Justice, Alcatraz reopened in 1934 as a federal penintentiary. Of the 1,545 men who did time on Alcatraz, only a handful were notorious-among them Al "Scarface" Capone, "Doc" Barker, Alvin "Creepy" Carpis, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Floyd Hamilton, and Robert Stroud, "the Birdman of Alcatraz" (who actually conducted his famous bird studies when he was imprisoned at Leavenworth). Most of the inmates were men who had proved to be problems in other prison populations-escape risks and troublemakers. Of the 14 attempted escapes, the best known was in June 1962, when Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin slipped into the water. They used raincoats as floatation devices and were presumably bound for San Francisco. Although their bodies were never found, they are assumed to have drowned. As part of its security, the Bureau of Prisons deliberately restricted visitors to "The Rock." It may have been this isolation, this apparent secrecy, that fueled stories of the prison's miserable conditions. Increasing maintenance and operating costs led US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy to close Alcatraz in 1963. Prisoners were then transferred. DID YOU KNOW? Al Capone's exact cell location is unknown. Part of his four and a half years on Alcatraz were spent in a hospital isolation cell. There were no executions on Alcatraz, but there were five suicides and eight murders. During the island's federal penitentiary days, the families who lived there rarely locked their doors. Robert Stroud, "The Birdman of Alcatraz," had canaries at Leavenworth Penitentiary but never had birds at Alcatraz. His real nickname was "Bird Doctor of Leavenworth." Prisoners remained on Alcatraz until they were no longer considered to be disruptive or incorrigible-an average of 8-10 years. (National Park Service) On to the ghosts! Clanging sounds, screams, and crying can somtimes be heard in Cell Block B and the dungeon area near Cell Block A. Disturbances in Cell Block C became so frequent that the park service called in a psychic to find out what was happening. This psychic, Sylvia Browne, made contact with the spirit of a man called Butcher, who resisted all her efforts to calm his violent soul. Prison records confirmed that Abie Maldowitz, a mob hit man with the nickname of Butcher, was killed by another prisoner in the laundry room of the cell block. In Cell Block D, 4 cells are thought to be haunted. Strange voices have emanated from cells 11, 12, and 13. Even in the summer months, Cell 14-D feels ice-cold, and some visitors have been overcome by emotion in one corner of the cell. This was the tiny cell where killer Rufe McCain was kept in solitary confinement for over three years. Sometimes sounds of banjo playing are reported coming from the deserted shower room, where Al Capone frequently played the instrument. (Hauck) When I went there in January, 2005, I only had time for the audio tour (a must to take!)and had to leave after. In the short time I was there, I didn't feel anything until I got to the last few cells of D Block (solitary or hosptial cells). I did not know the ghost history till I started researching about what has been heard in D Block. I was overwhelmed with sadness, fear and rage. I couldn't stay too long in that area. I did take some 35 mm pictures and didn't get anything, except for a beautiful building and landscape. When I arrived on the island, my camera worked until I got half way up the walk and my camera stopped working. I walked farther and when I got in the cellhouse, my camera started working. Coincidence? My camera worked from there on out. I would like to go back and investigate further.

Pitcher Cemetery & Hill Cemetery Location Information Date:5th August, 2006 Type:Cemetery Location Title:Pitcher Cemetery & Hill Cemetery City/State:Independence, MO Investigation Times:07:00 PM - 09:00 PM Status:Analysis Weather Information Sunrise:06:22 AM Sunset:08:25 PM High Temperature:97 °F Low Temperature:73 °F Sky Condition:Clear Wind:SSE at 7 mph Humidity:78% Precipitation:0% Lunar Phase:Waxing Gibbous % disk visible:85% Solar X-Rays:Normal Geomagnetic Field:Quiet Pressure:29.95 mmHg Investigators Present Kevin Glasow Hugh McLenaghan Becky Ray Miranda Stark ​ Location History ​ PITCHER CEMETERY Established circa 1830 by Colonol Thomas Pitcher as a family burial ground. In addition to its use as a family burial plot, Pitcher Cemetery was also a final resting place for unfortunate Pioneers who died while on the journey west. Their only grave markers are standing rocks. Carved headstones were a luxury only the wealthy could afford and the closest place they were available during the time period was back east in Lexington, MO. This cemetery is thought to inter as many as 180 people. Unfortunately the entire cemetery has not yet been "probed" and it is unknown how many headstones still lay buried as over the years the cemetery was used for a variety of purposes including a grazing pasture for cattle. In the Northwest corner of the cemetery there is a mass grave of civil war soldiers who perished in a skirmish near the cemetery on October 21, 1864. A second mass grave is near this one for the Cholera epidemic of 1849 to 1851. Cholera is a bacterial born disease (vibrio cholerae) spread by contact with the feces or vomit of an infected person. Many of the emigrants who were traveling west on the trails fell victim to this disease due to the unsanitary conditions of the time period. HILL PARK CEMETERY Hill Cemetery is located on the Northeast corner of William M. Hill Park in Independence, Missouri. The cemetery is a very small, but peaceful family burial ground, shaded by a large tree in the center, under which sits a stone bench. The exterior of the cemetery is surrounded by a stately looking stone wall with a wrought iron gate. This park and cemetery were originally the family farm of Adam Hill. In 1927, Jo Lisle Hill donated the land surrounding Hill Cemetery as a public park in memory of his father, William Moberly Hill. The Hill Cemetery contains the remains of Adam Hill and his immediate and extended family members plus a few descendents. Here also lies the remains of Alexander "Frank" James, brother of Jesse James, and Frank's wife Ann Ralston James. Ann Ralston was the daughter of Samuel Ralston and Mary Catherine Hill. Mrs. Frank Abston, daughter of William Hill, granddaugher of Adam, is the last marked burial. In 1933, Mrs. Abston stated that also interred here are a sister-in-law and nephew of Adam; near the close of the Civil War Peter Land, a Confederate soldier killed during the battle at Independence, Mo; and four small babies and 7 children, all descendents. ​ Investigators Notes ​ Kevin Glasow:There's not much to say on this investigation on my end. Hill Cemetery [which we went to last] seemed to have no activity while we were there. At pitcher I had only one experience and am not convinced it was paranormal. I heard rustling in the trees on the cemetery's border, and took a picture of the area. The photo shows an orb in the area in the first photo I saw, but none of the other. My opinion is that it was likely something knocked off one of the trees when I spooked an animal in the area. Hugh McLenaghan:These were interesting little cemeteries. Didn't feel or see anything, but still interesting to go to. ​ Becky Ray:I always enjoy visiting both of these cemeteries for thier historical importance. We started the night at Pitcher Cemetery, and the cicadas were extremely loud so I don't think anything I recorded on my audio while there will be usable, but I'm still going through it to be certain. Next we went to Hill Cemetery. This is a VERY small cemetery with only about half of the graves in it marked. On a previous visit to this cemetery I captured a strange anomaly in a photograph, so I took several to see if I could reproduce this. The cicadas weren't as loud here as there weren't as many trees, but the skate park down the hill basically voids out any possible EVP recording that may have been captured. I am still going through my photos from the night and will post anything interesting I may find as well as some photos to show the locations. ​ Miranda Stark:There is a great deal of history in the Western neighborhood of Independence. In 1864, during the civil war, much of this area was involved in the Battle of Westport, where numerous skirmishes took place. Pitcher Cemetery is the resting place of many soldiers of this battle, some named and remembered, others unidentified and placed in a common grave in the back of the property. Many acres of Independence land are heavy-leaden with the energies of so many of the lost souls who died tragically in battle upon these grounds. Hill Park Cemetery is known as being the final resting place of Frank James (brother of famous outlaw Jesse James), and Frank's beloved wife Annie Ralston. These grounds are also recognized for being traveled upon by soldiers of the Battle of Westport, as this park is located very near to Pitcher Cemetery, within the same neighborhood. It has been said for generations, that there have been sightings of soldiers appearing to march up the hill in the park. My photographs have not yet been developed. I used 35mm 800 speed film. My audio recordings were disrupted by the massive noise produced by insects that evening, so it will remain undetermined if I picked up any EVP, for they will have to be considered invalid. I will update my findings once I recieve my photos. No EVPS for this Investigation at this time PHOTOS Pitcher Cemetery - 07:02 PM This is the front gate. Pitcher Cemetery Overview - 07:20 PM This is a wide shot that includes most of Pitcher Cemetery. Tombstone - 07:51 PM Hill Cemetery is a very small family cemetery, but it is also the final resting place of Alexander "Frank" James, brother of Jesse James, and Frank's wife Ann Ralston James. Ann Ralston was the daughter of Samuel Ralston and Mary Catherine Hill. Pitcher Cemetery - 07:02 PM This is the front gate. 1/6 No VIDEOS for this Investigation at this time

Time Out This page isn’t available right now. But we’re working on a fix, ASAP. Try again soon. Go Back

Time Out This page isn’t available right now. But we’re working on a fix, ASAP. Try again soon. Go Back