The Spectres of War III- Valentina Cherkirova (World War II)

When we hear about ghosts from World War One or World War Two, we think of horrible battles, and heroic soldiers fighting beyond their time. Or we think about the "Angels of Mons", where British Soldiers were reported to fought with angels by their side, ultimately winning the battle. But sometimes, the most poignant and heroic ghosts aren't soldiers...

The photo above is of Boris Cherkirov and his wife, taken in the early 1950's after WW II ended. In the upper right corner appears to be aghostly figure of a young girl. The photo was analyzed by Eastman Kodak Professional Laboratory, and deed to have been untampered, and authentic. But the picture is only part of the story- a story that starts during the war.

Boris Cherkirov lived in a village called Klyzma just outside of Moscow. This village, like many others in the area was swapped back and forth between German and Russian control repeatedly during the war- sometimes on an hourly basis. Sitting on the Ucha River, it had strategic value as a crossing point due to a shallow area of the river nearby. Basically, a one street village, with roughly a dozen building, there is a cemetary just on the outskirts of the village by the church.

Cherkirov was a foreman at the Klyzma Tractor Factory during the war. Due to an accident that cose him his left hand, he was unable to serve in the Red Army against the Germans when they invaded Russia in 1941. He and his wife did their part for the war effort by working at the factory, producing tank motors instead of tractors. The two had a six year old little girl named Valentina.

One day, while Valentina was gathering berries, she heard a deep rumbling sound that reminded her of the tractors her father built at the factory... except there were a lot more "tractors" than she thought there should be. Wondering what so many "tractors" would like in a large group, she went to investigate. What she was wasn't tractors, but the first wave of Hitler's war machine rumbling towards the crossing point of the Ucha River... tanks...

Young Valentina knew what tanks were from the parades held in Moscow on Revolution Day. Even though she didn't understand the concept, she knew there was a war going on. Her father had told her what the black crosses on the tank hull meant- that people were coming to harm her family and friends. She also knew what had to be done- she had to warn her village.

Like all the other villages in the area, Klyzma had a siren that was hand operated. It was meant to summon the fire brigade. During wartime, it was used as an air raid siren, or to sound an approaching attack. It was to this siren that little Valentina raced in an effort to protect those she loved.

At first, she had difficulty turning the hand crank that would sound the alarm, but she kept struggling and fighting with it until finally, the high whine echoed out and across the village- a mournful wail that screamed, "Help! Danger!" At the factory, Boris, his wife, and others heard the cry of the alarm, and ran to see what was the matter.

The distant rumble of the tanks could be heard, so Boris and the other workers armed themselves. Valentina's mother used the phone at the factory to summon help. An artillery shell hit the alarm platform, destroying it completely. Dispite not knowing who gave the alarm, the factory workers prepared to fight off the approaching troops. They held off the Germany company until a flight of Russian dive bombers arrived to end the battle.

While the battle raged, nobody thought to look for little Valentina- assuming she hid during the fighting. They were unaware that she was the one who sounded the alarm, and was on the platform when the artillery shells struck it. Afterwards, while searching through the rubble of the platform, all that was found of the heroic little girl was her pail and a tiny shoew.

Boris was awarded the Order of the Hero of the Sovie Union for leading the factory workers in the defence of Klyzma. After the war, he simply hung the medal around the simple monument raised in memory of Valentina Cherkirov. The inscription on the marker reads:

"Cherkirova, Valentina Borisovna, 18 April, 1935 - 25 June, 1941.

Our Little Hero"

Boris and his wife attend to the grave everyday around sundown. They are always accompanied by a little girl- aged about six or seven. While the couple stand in memory of their daughter, the little girl will quietly play in the snow or sand, depending on the time of the year. Visitors to the small village, passing by have often reported that the couple will turn to the leave, and the little girl will wave good bye to the couple before slowly fading from sight. While others see her, the grieving couple are unaware that their l"Little Hero" is still with them...

The Spectres of War II- The White Cavalry of Behtune (World War I)

War is often the setting for strange occurrances- both scary and miraculous. World War One was no exception. August 1941 saw reports of British troops at Mons, France fighting side by side with "angels". Mons was also the site of the Hell Hound of Mons- a large vicious grey hound that would murder any soldier that ventured out into "No Man's Land" in between the opposing forces trenches.

The trench lines between the Belgium city of Ypres, and the French towns of Arras and Bailleul were the site of another ghostly and miraculous event... That of a ghostly troop of cavalry. At this time, horse cavalry was still in use, thought quickly being replaced by armoured cavalry- tanks.

A Captain Wightwick was the British Intelligence Officer for that region, and had his headquarters in the town of Bethune. Casualities were heavy and supplies low. The country of Portugual had entered the Great War on the side of the Allies, landing in France in March of 1918. At the same time, Germany sent forth more and more men and weapons, hammering the allies relentlessly. By the end of March, Wightwick was informed that some Portuguese soldiers would be coming through his area to relieve the British soldiers there, and take over the defence of that part of the front lines. It was feared that with the enemy being so vigorous in their attacks, that the sector would be lost by June.

The German artillery pounded the Portuguese troops, until a gap was opened in the front lines- allowing the enemy soliders to "go over the wall", and push the Allied troops back. Portuguese soldiers, as they fled towards Bethune had dropped their weapons and equipment.

The "Angels of Mons" were reported to have been summoned by the united prayers of the British people back at home. As the battles near Bethune raged, a cry went out for the citizens of England to unite again in prayer for their brave troops. Across the Atlantic, the call to prayer was echoed.

Then it seemed that the prayers were answered...

The intense artillery that the Germans forces were directing towards the Bethune lines lifted one day, and redirected outside the town. According to reports, it was all open field with trees a few houses, and little else. For some reason, the Germans started directing not just their artillery barrages, but also their machine gun fire towards this location. Captain Wightwick wondered what the enemy was up to, and went to investigate.

Wightwick and his troops stood amazed as the Germans blitzed the naked ground. Craters grew where artillery rounds thundered, and puffs of dirt showed where machine gun rounds struck the ground. They couldn't figure it out- had the German Commander lost his mind? What was going on?

Stealthily moving along the canal, the Captain tried to see what could cause the Germans to shift their attacks to an apparently empty area. As he moved through the rubble of the town, all went silent- the only sound coming from a lark flying into the sky singing a song. A Sergeant and some of the British troops were waving their hats at Captain Wightwick, and yelling that the enemy was retreating. Over the rise, he could see a line of German soldiers halting, then depsite being well trained soldiers, throw down their weapons and packs in fear before running in the opposite direction.

The whole time, Captain Wightwick saw nothing that could explain what was happening...

The Sergeant managed to capture two German soldiers- both of the officers. According to the prisoners, the two were checking the areas around Bethune in case any British reinforcements were approaching. What the two saw, coming out of the some was a horse cavalry brigade. Each member of this brigade was mounted on a white horse, and wore a white uniform. The German Lieutenant assumed their British Colonial troops, but had never heard of any of the British cavalry wearing white uniforms.

Despite the chaos of the thundering shells landing around them, this strange group of riders moved forward at a slow and steady pace. The prisoners stated that it was likey they were on parade, rather than at battle. Machine guns revved up- firing at the advancing horse troops, but not a single horse or rider dropped... they just kept coming.

Leading this seemingly invulnerable brigade in white was a man whose hair shone like spun gold- almost like an aura or halo. His horse was massive, and bore him proudly forward. One hand held a sword, and the other held his horse's reins. The Germans described them as advancing, "remorseless as fate, as the incoming tide..." At that moment, the troops broke in fear, and fled- defeated by this ghostly brigade of riders.

Captain Wightwick had a chance to question other prisoners from that battle- each soldier recounted the same story of the strange White Cavalry advancing from the battle smoke as if they were some terrible punishment from beyond. And all the while, not a single British soldier saw their phantom defenders...

The Spectres of War I- John Bell Hood (American Civil War)

The American Civil War was a time of great national tragedy and emotion. Families were torn apart as brothers chose opposite sides in the conflict... sometimes even winding up fighting each other- and killing each other. The high emotional state associated with a battlefield makes it ripe for the imprints of dying soldiers to be made on the environment, and for them to return time and again to replay their final moments.

But not all of the ghosts created by this war are due to battlefield death. No, at least one was caused lost love, and a curse of a dying woman upon one of the famous Confederacy Generals. The woman was named Anne Mitchell, and the General was John Bell Hood.

Hood was born to Dr. John W. Hood, who ran a small farm, and a medical school for doctors. John Bell Hood attended West Point, meeting Anne Mitchell while on leave, and visiting the town of Mount Sterling, Kentucky- where both of them lived. The two came to love each other, and often took walks in the garden at the Hood home.

Legends say that a rival appeared, wanting to woo Anne. Today, this stranger is only known as "Mr. Anderson". Despite Anne no liking "Anderson", her family did due to his wealth, and his promise to build their daughter a home next door to them. Under pressure from her parents, Anne agreed to marry "Anderson"- provided she be allowed to write Hood one last letter. In the letter, Anne reportedly promised him her undying love, and that "whether in this world, or the next," the only garden path she'd walk would be with him.

When Hood read the letter, he immediately set out to see her. He arranged to meet her a few nights after his arrival, promising to elope with her. Unfortunately, a slave in the Mitchell household raised an alarm when they noticed that Anne had vanished. Her father and brother caught up to her, and locked Anne in her room- determined she stay there under she was safely married to "Anderson". During this time Anne would gaze out the bedroom window towards the Hood house, and the garden path she promised only to walk with John Bell Hood.

After she was married to "Anderson", Anne refused to move out of her bedroom, and into the same house as her new husband. She was moody and depressed- a victim of a cruetly betrayal of her heart by her family. She never forgave them for forcing her and Hood apart. She soon learned she was pregnant, and banned "Anderson" from her room altogether, before ceasing to speak.

She finally spoke after her son, Corwin was born. But they weren't words of joy or happiness at the birth of her son. Rather, they were a curse upon all those that took part in forcing her to marry a man she did not love- and keeping her from her true love.

Hours after laying this curse, dark clouds gathered, and a storm started brewing. Legend indicates that the storm was odd in the fact that it was localized just over the Mitchell property. A corner of the house was hit by lightning, collapsing that part of the house. Three people died, including Ann Mitchell. The other two people that were killed was one of her brothers- who helped to prevent her from eloping with Hood, and the slave that raised the alarm.

The story of Anne's curse spread, and locals watched as the curse continued to affect the family. Anne's son, Corwin suffered a fatal heart attack when he witnessed one of his own sons assaulted his other son. The youngest son died from the wounds caused by his brothers, assault. The older son was stoned to death by a mob after killing a man in a knife fight, and beating a young farm hand to death.

The family developed a history of violent, and sometimes strange deaths as the years went by. In 1940, a great-grandson of Anne's walked into a pond, and shot himself.

The Hood house also seemed to have been affected by Anne's curse. One owner committed suicide, and after a failed love affair, another attempted to take his life.

It seems that even John Bell Hood- the man she loved, fell under the curse. Hood rose through the ranks under Lieutenant General Robert E. Lee. He lost the use of one arm at Gettysburg, and lost a leg at the battle of Chickamauga. Despite this, he rose to the rank of full General, and became the commander of the Western Army for the Confederacy. This was when the curse seemed to start taking effect.

While defending Atlanta against General Sherman, Hood was forced to retreat after several intense battles. In 1864, his army was destroyed at Nashville. From then one, he was a disgraced General, with no command.

Life after the war did not go smoothly either. Settling in New Orleans, and marrying a local woman, Hood's cotton brokering business went bankrupt- costing him everything. Him and his wife were then taken by the yellow fever epidemic in 1870. Their ten children were now orphans, and dispersed across half the country.

And "Mr. Anderson"? Well, according to legend, he joined a regiment in Texas, that came under General Hood's command. Beyond that... nobody knows what fate the curse of Anne Mitchell had in store for him...

The Ghosts of Politics V: Vladimir Lenin

We travel from talking about the political ghosts of the United Kingdom and two of its former colonies to talking about the political ones of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republic.

What better spirit to discuss than that of the USSR's first real leader, Vladimir Lenin?

Unlike most ghosts, the first sighting actually took place before Lenin was dead. Early in the morning on October 19, 1923, a guard overheard a phone conversation between a duty officer, and one of Lenin's administrators. The duty officer was asking why Lenin had come to the Kremlin by himself, with none of his body guards. When he contacted Gorki- Lenin's residence, he was informed that the great leader was still there. At this time, Lenin was gravely ill. The sighting took place three months before Lenin passed away.

As you can imagine, Lenin's entourage were quite confused by this report of Lenin being at the Kremlin that night. Marxism-Leninism dictates that spirits do not exist. There were, however, several who saw the ghost of Vladimir Lenin walking Red Square that night. This sighting forced the authorities to make up an official report stating that his last visit to Moscow was October 19, 1923.

At the time, many people did not believe the "official" reports- and many still don't. Historian, and writer, Alexander Gorbovski was told of the overheard conversation through a former courier that had stopped by the guard house that night for tea. Gorbovski, after researching the reports, and the memoirs of Nadezhda Krupskaya (Lenin's wife), and Lenin's bodyguard- Alexander Balmas, states that their are too many differences in stories between them. In Krupskaya's journals, she wrote that they'd gotten to the Kremlin earlier, stayed the night, and went back to Gorki early on the morning of the 19th, but Balmas' says that Lenin spent the whole of the 19th riding around town, and visiting the Agricultural Exhibition.

How could Lenin be riding around Moscow if he'd left for home early that morning? Another question is, why did Lenin even make the trip to Moscow in the first place. Many doubt he would've simply to walk the halls of the Kremlin, and have a nap... especially when he was ill. Also, despite his state of health at the time, the "ghost" was reported to move quickly and energeticly- which did not fit in with the fact that Lenin was suffering from paralysis of his left leg and arm. In fact, it was reported that Lenin climbed the stairs to his apartment and study, and went to the Council of People's Commissars, then he also went for a stroll in the courtyard of the Kremlin. A group of cadets even greeted Lenin, and reported him not having the walking stick he needed to walk about at the time.

And what about witness reports of his walking around with no bodyguards? There were too many questions connected with the "official" version of the incident. Many feel that the ghost was a harbinger of Lenin's death... and a portent of his spirit remaining behind.

After Lenin's death, Sergei Kuleshov, another historian happened to be having lunch with a friend who introduced him to a KGB colonel. The colonel told Kuleshov about the strange sounds, and footsteps often heard in Lenin's old apartment at the Kremlin. The sounds have been described as furniture moving around. The old apartment had been locked and sealed- and had a round the clock watch by guards.

It is also claimed that Sergei Filatov- Boris Yeltsin's Chief of President's Staff heard the same noises coming from Lenin's study late at night. A journalist for the Komsomolskaya Pravda, Alexander Gamov, wrote that the occurances took place in 1993, during the summer. The 2005 article about the story said that Filatov's office was right below the Lenin apartment. While working late one night, the Chief of President's Staff heard the floorboards above him creaking- as if under the footsteps of a nervous person pacing. Filatov ignored the sounds, and continued working. After hearing the footsteps several times, he asked the security detail what was going on in the sealed apartment. He was informed that nobody was up there, and that the room, which is open to tourists during the day, was locked up every night.

He told the guards to check again. They conducted a complete inspection of the apartment and study, and found nobody. Filatov, stopped being worried, but also stopped working late... just in case...

A report by Igor Vinokurov, cochairman of the Commission for the Study of the Mysterious Phenomena, claimed that a student of the Moscow State University saw Lenin's spirit walking at Oktyabrskaya Square in Moscow. The report states that Lenin's ghost was quite clear- clear enough for the student to make out his facial features and famous beard. As if noticing that it was being observed, the apparition "stepped back into his monument and disappeared."

The Ghosts of Politics IV: The Tower of London

Due to the intense emotions commonly involved with politics- dealing with war, civil rights, employment, etc, you can probably see how an imprint of a politician's spirit could be made on the place they work. The White House is a good example of this with Abraham Lincoln's ghost having been sighted there several times.

Just imagine the emotions that surround a place like the Tower of London- with imprisonment, torture and death a very real part of the political climate during its prime. Surely, a place like that would be ripe for ghosts and hauntings.

And such is the Tower of London's reputation as one of the most haunted locations in the United Kingdom.

The first reported sighting of a ghost there was of Thomas A. Becket. When construction of the Inner Curtain Wall started during the reign of Henry III. The archbishop, who died because of Henry III's grandfather, didn't seem pleased with the construction going on. It was reported that he reduced the wall to ruins when he struck it with his cross. Henry III built a chapel in the tower, and named it after the slain archbishop. It is suspected that, the ghost, having been pleased by this act of penance then stopped causing problems for the construction crews.

Prince Edward V, and Prince Richard, Duke of York, who were aged twelve and ten respectively, are assumed to have been murdered in the Tower of London in 1483. The Duke of Gloucestershire is suspected of ordering their deaths so that he could be crowned King Richard III. Guards in the 15th century reported walking pass the Bloody Tower (as the Tower of London is also called), and seeing the shadows of two young figures in white night shirts gliding down the stairs. They said that when they stopped, they stood hand in hand before disappearing. Workmen found a chest in 1674, that held the bones of two young children. It is generally accepted that these were the two murdered princes, and they were given a royal burial after their discovery.

One of the more famous, and most often seen ghosts is that of Anne Boleyn. She was ordered to be executed for infidelity after the only male heir she bore Henny VIII was still born. One May 19, 1536, she was beheaded. Her spirit is often reported by the Queen's House, near her execution site. Her figure is often reported to be followed by ghostly Lords and Ladies down the aisle of the Chapel Royal, to her final resting place under the Chapel's altar. Anne Boleyn's spirit is also often seen stalking the Tower of London's hallways... with her head under her arm.

One spirit that didn't seem to suffer while alive was Sir Walter Raleigh. His cells were furnished comfortably during his imprisonment, and visitors to the Bloody Tower can see them as they looked back in the 16th century. Executed by James I, Sir Walter Raleigh's ghost is reported to look exactly as he does in the portrait of him hanging in the Tower.

While Sir Walter Raleigh may have had a comfortable end to his life, the Countess of Salisbury did not. Ordered to die by Henry VIII for political reasons, the 70 year old Countess refused to rest her head on the block. The exectutioner wound up chasing her, swinging his ax until she died of her wounds. Not only has she been seen re-enacting this horrible death, but it's been reported that the shadow of the ax has been seen over the scene of her murder.

Another tragic tale of death at the Tower of London is that of Lady Jane Grey. The granddaughter of Mary (the younger sister of Henry VIII), and Louis XII of France, it was arranged for her to marry Guildford Dudley, and her cousin, Edward VI was convinced to name her his successor. This was a political move by the Duke of Northumberland, as he would lose everything if Mary- a Catholic became queen. Dudley was his son. When Edward VI died, Lady Jane Grey was crowned Queen. When she was overthrown by the supporters of Mary, her own father betrayed her by throwing his support behind Mary. Lady Jane Grey, Guildford Dudley, and the Duke of Northumberland were imprisoned in the Tower of London. The Duke was executed, while Mary- showing mercy, let Lady Jane Grey and Dudley go.

Not long after this, Lady Jane Grey's father was part of a rebellion against Mary, and Lady Jane Grey and her husband wound up once again in the Bloody Tower. Dudley was beheaded first, with Lady Jane Grey being executed shortly after. She was 17 when she died. Her ghost has been seen as a "white shape forming itself on the battlements" up to at least February 12, 1957, marking the 403rd anniversary of her beheading. Guildford Dudley has been reported being seen in Beauchamp Tower weeping as the time for his execution draws near.

Escaping from her cell in the Tower of London, Catherine Howard screamed out for help and mercy. After being caught, she was returned to her room to await her execution the next day. A phantom matching her description is often seen running down the hallway, screaming for help.

1864 saw a sentry guarding the Queen's House challening an apparition that was so solid and detailed that he thought it was a real, living person. After ignoring the soldier three times, the guard lunged with his bayonet, only to fall through it to the ground. He was found unconcious and put up on charges of neglecting his duty. He would've been court martialed if two others hadn't come forward to confirm his encounter.

And it's not just people that haunt the famous Tower of London. The location once was home to the Royal Menagerie. Here, various animals ranging from lions, birds, monkeys, and even an elephant that was a givft from the King of France were exhibited. It was reported that one night in January, 1815, as the clock struck midnight, a bear from the menagerie was sighted coming through a doorway. The guard on post lunged at it with his bayonet, but struck nothing but air. He was found unconcious, and died two months later from fear.

There is "something" stalking the Salt Tower. This area of the Tower of London complex is claimed to be the most haunted of them. Dogs refuse to enter, and no guards will enter after nightfall, espectially after one of the Yeoman Warders was attacked, and nearly strangled by an unseen power.

Phantom funeral carriages, and a woman in a veil and no face have also been reported as haunting the famous Bloody Tower.

The Ghosts of Politics III: The Lincoln/Kennedy Coincidences

Seldom have there been two political figures so deeply connected by the supernatural as Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. The two assassinated presidents have been linked through time by a series of remarkable conincidences that make people wonder if they were joined by Fate to die the way they did.

Some of these coincidences invole time itself:

• Lincoln and Kennedy were elected 1oo years apart- Lincoln in 1860, and Kennedy in 1960.
• Both were succeeded by Vice Presidents that had been born exactly 100 years apart- Andrew Johnson and Lyndon Johnson.
• Even their assassins were born exactly 100 years apart- John Wilkes Booth, and Lee Harvey Oswald.
• Both presidents had been killed on a Friday.

Other coincidences involved the names of people, places, and things:

• The place of Linoln's assassination was Ford's Theatre, while Kennedy was shot while riding in a Ford Lincoln convertible.
• Both of their Vice-Presidents had the last name of Johnson.
• Lincoln is rumoured to have had a secretary with the first name of John, while Kennedy had a secretary with the last name of Lincoln.
• A member of Lincoln's staff, named Miss Kennedy warned him not to go to the theatre, while a Miss Lincoln, a member of Kennedy's staff warmed him not to go to Dallas.

Some even point to numerological coincidences:

• Lincoln and Kennedy have seven letters.
• Andrew Johnson and Lyndon Johnson have 13 letters.
• John Wilkes Booth and Lee Harvey Oswald not only went by three names, but had a total of 15 letters.

There are also miscellaneous coincidences too:

• Both presidents were involved with Civil Rights issues of their time, while their assassins were southerners with extremist views.
• Both Lincoln and Kennedy were shot in the presence of their wives.
• Theirs wives had each lost a child while in the White House.
• The bullets that killed them had entered in the back of the head.
• Andrew Johnson and Lyndon Johnson were both southern Democrats, and former senators.
• Booth and Oswald were both killed before being brought to trial.
• Lincoln was killed in a theatre, and his assassin was caught in a warehouse, while Oswald fired on Kennedy from the window of a warehouse, and found in a theatre.

While many will say that given enough span of time, there would eventually be a moment where so many coincidences would come together, that it was just a coincidence, there are many who feel that these two tragic figures were linked through time, and fated to die.

Coincidence, or Fate?

The Ghosts of Politics II: William Lyon Mackenzie King

It's a well known fact that Ronald Reagan, and Mary Lincoln consulted mediums on a regular basis. What may not be so well known is that at least one Canadian political figure did as well.

After World War I, William Lyon Mackenzie King was upset and disturbed by the deaths of his parents, sister, brother, and a close friend. Seeking comfort, he turned to Spiritualism, and started to consult mediums and attend seances. King hoped to gain proof of an "afterlife".

The 1930's saw King meet Henrietta Wriedt, an American medium, during a visit to Detroit. The next year, he was invited to the house of Mrs. Fulford, the widow of a Canadian senator. There, he experienced Mrs. Wriedt conducting Direct Voice Mediumship. Mrs. Wriedt would go on to become one of his most consulted mediums.

A 1933 conversation with Dr. Thomas Glendenning Hamilton about the doctor's psychical research led King to seek more contacts in England. During the same year, King went to a seance attended by Dominion Archivist Sir Arthur George Doughty, where Table Rapping was used to communicate with spirits. Afterwards, he and his close friend Joan Patterson would conduct this form of communication in Ottawa- claiming to contact his mother, brother Max, and even former Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier.

During a conversation with Lady Aberdeen, King revealed that he'd communicated with her husband (who had been Governor-General of Canada between 1893 - 1898), via knockings on a table during a seance. She informed him that she'd confirmed his spiritual existance through Automatic Writing.

After a trip to the League of Nations in 1936, King went to England to visit the London Spiritualist Alliance in his continuing search for insight and reassurance about the "afterlife".

Throughout the 1940's William Lyon Mackenzie King continued to consult mediums, including Lilian Bailey, Hester Dowden, Gladys Osborne Leonard, Mrs. Sharplin, and Geraldine Cummins.

Spirit communication wasn't the only area of interest to Prime Minister King. He also studied dream interpretations, numerology, tea leaf reading, and the meaning of coincidences.

While alive, his spiritual beliefs were known to only a small circle. Since he wanted them to remain private and personal, he shied away from most organized and public groups. He also made sure that the mediums he consulted were discreet, and respected his privacy. When his interests became known after his death, questions were raised about how much of his political career had been dependeant upon advice from beyond.

One medium, Geraldine Cummins wrote that King's, "realistic and critical analysis of evidence presented by other psychic experiments" impressed her, and that he was, "far too intellegent to be credulous, and his observations on the subject were very instructive." The question of whether he relied on spirits to make political decisions was answered after it was revealed by one medium that when advised about potential problems in Asia, he remarked that he "made it a rule to ignore advice" given by spirits, "he trusted soley to his own and his advisor's judgment."

In 1977, King's literary executors had several notebooks of his, where mediums recorded their responses to his questions, burnt. The remaining records were closed to until 2001. They showed however, that while Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King may not have accepted political advice from the supernatural realm, he did derive great comfort from the belief that his loved ones lived on after death.

The Ghosts of Politics I: Abraham Lincoln

While the ghosts of several American presidents have been sighted wandering the hallowed halls of the White House, the most famous of them would probably be Abraham Lincoln.

Before his assassination by John Wilkes Booth, Lincoln is reported to have dreamt of his own demise. The dream as recorded when he told his Cabinet was as follows:

"In the dream, I was awakend by a faint moaning coming from somewhere nearby. I stood, and began hunting the noise, finally finding my way to the East Room, where men and women were shrouded in funeral shawls. I saw a coffin on a dias, and soldiers at either end. A captain stood nearby, and when I addressed him, 'Who is dead in the White House?' say I. 'The President,' is his answer, 'he was killed by an assassin.' In the coffin was a corpse in funeral vestiments, but the face was obscured. A loud sob left the crowd, and I awoke."

Later that night, April 14th, 1865, Lincoln would become the first American president to be assassinated when he was shot and killed. Since then, his ghost has been reported in the White House on numerous occaissons.

Three presidents have claimed to experienced Lincolns ghost when Theodore Roosevelt, Herbert Hoover, and Harry Truman heard strange knockings on their doors. The wife of Calvin Coolidge, reported that she'd seen the apparition of the slain president in the Oval Office. She said he was standing lookig out a window with his hands clasped behind his back- possibly looking over the bloody battlefields towards the Potomac. Lincoln's biographer, Carl Sandburg, said that while not seeing the famous ghost, did "strongly feel his presence" while looking out the window where Mrs. Coolidge saw the spirit.

Many feel the reason that Franklin D. Roosevelt's time as president was an active one for Lincoln's apparition was because it was a momentous time of war, much like Lincoln's Civil War. His wife, Eleanor, used Lincoln's former bedroom as a study, and often reported feeling as if she were being watched. One maid claimed to have seen the apparition of the slain president taking his shoes off while sitting on the bed. A guest of the Roosevelts, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, woke up when she heard a knock on her bedroom door. She promptly fainted upon seeing Lincoln's ghost in the hallway.

Even Winston Churchill is reputed to have witnessed the ghost during a stay at the White House during World War II. Naked after taking a bath, Churchill went into the adjoining bedroom, where Abraham Lincoln was standing by the fireplace. Showing his amazing British wit, and calmness under unexpected situations, Churchill simply remarked, "Good evening, Mr. President. You seen to have me at a disadvantage." He states that the spirit smiled softly, and vanished.

After Harry Truman's term as president, Lincoln's ghost was seen less due to extensive remodelling to the White House that took place during that administration.

Ronald Reagan's daughter, Maureen, was reported to have seen the spirit of Lincoln in his old bedroom, and Reagan's dog would refuse to enter it.

The ghost of Abraham Lincoln is so well known that Bob Hope even told a joke about it. Bob Hope said that Lyndon B. Johnson once had a conversation with the spirit. Johnson asked Lincoln, "You had a war, you had a Civil Rights movement, you had protesters and critics- what can I do?" Displaying the gentle humour that Lincoln was known for, the ghost replied, "Don't go to the theatre."

The White House in only one place where the ghost of Abraham Lincoln has been seen. Reports have had him appearing at Ford's Theatre with the spirit of John Wilkes Booth. Many claim they are trying to resolve their differances. Lincoln has also been seen by his gravesite in Springfield, Illinois. Fortress Monroe, where the Monitor and Virgina battled has also been claimed as a Lincoln "haunt".

The Bell Witch (Adams, Tennessee)

If you were to ask anyone in the Robertson Country, Tennessee area what they felt was the most famous haunting, you would probably get a single rounding call of, 'The Bell Witch."

The haunting started in the early 1800's after John Bell and his family moved to Adams, Tennessee (which was called Red River) at the time. In time, the Bell farm grew to about 328 acres. As an upstanding member of the community, Bell was also made an Elder of the local Baptist church. While living there, John and his wife had three more children- Elizabeth (often called Betsy), Richard, and Joel.

While tending his corn fields, Bell came across an odd creature just sitting in the corn rows. Bell shot at the creature, which he described as having a dog's body, but the head of a rabbit. With the shots, the animal simply vanished. He didn't think much about what had happened until later that night, when the sound of thumping on the outside of the log cabin started. The frequency and loudness of these thumings increased night after night. The family would search for whoever was causing the noises, but wouldn't find a soul in sight.

Bell's children would often complain of rats chewing on the bedposts, frightening them. The chew soon switched to blankets being yanked off the beds, and their pillows hurled into the corner by an unseen hand. Eventually, the family started to hear whispering sounds- like an old woman singing hymns.

The youngest daughter, Betsy, became a target for the entity's more brutal antics. Her hair would be pulled, she'd be slapped, with brusing and hand prints appearing on her face and body. It was around this time, that John Bell, decided to bring the problem to his closest friend, James Johnston. Johnston, and his wife stayed at the Bell house, and were witness to the things that had been happening to the Bells. Johnston challenged the spirit after being abused by it, saying, "In the name of the Lord, who are you- and what do you want?" For the rest of the night, things were somewhat more peaceful.

While in the beginning, the Bell's heard just feeble whisperings, the spirit's "voice" began to gain strength, until it was loud and clear. It was reported to sing, quote the Bible, and carry on intellegent conversations. During one conversation, it accurate quoted two sermon given that day... but in seperate locations. Reports of this haunting spread to Nashville, where Andrew Jackson- a Major General at the time, became interested in the case, and decided to visit and investigate it.

As he and his entourage approached the Bell ranch, a wagon suddenly stopped, unable to be pulled forward by the horses. Jackson and his colleagues tried to get the wagon to move- with no success. When the General ackknowled that it was the doing of the Bell Witch (as it was being called by this time), a woman's voice told them that it would see them later. The wagon then was able to be pulled by the horses. At the house, Jackson and Bell discussed various topics, waiting to see how the entity would "perform". The night was quiet, except for one notable occurance.

Among the group of people that came with Andrew Jackson, was a fellow that claimed to be a "witch tamer". He claimed that the reason for the Bell Witch not making an appearance was because it was afraid of the silver bullet in his pistol, as silver will kill any evil spirit it comes in contact with. Apparently, the "witch" took offense to this, and began to stick the "witch tamer" with pins, and beat him soundly. A final kick to his rear end, and he went out the door. Obviously angry, the spirit told Jackson that he had one more "fraud" in his group, and that she'd torment them the next night. Despite his men being terrified, Jackson wished to stay- in order to see who the "other fraud" was. It's not reported what happened after that, but Jackson and his men were seen in Springfield nearby in the morning.

Betsy, who had been born around the time that the Bell Witch made it's appearance, grew up, and became engaged to Joshua Gardner. The entity warned Betsy not to marry Gardner, but gave no reason. The two were taunted constantly during their engaement. On Easter Monday in 1821, Betsy broke of the engagement with Gardner, and the problems eased off a bit.

From pretty much the beginning of the haunting, the spirit made it known that it did not like John Bell, and that it would kill him. In 1819, Bell had started having strange periods of facial twitches, and problems swallowing. Fall of the next year saw him unable to leave the house, but still the witch tormented him. It would remove his shoes while he was walking, and slapped him when he'd have a seizure. All the while, she would be cursing and berating him- calling him, "Old Jack Bell" In the winter of 1820, Bell slipped into a coma, and passed away on the 21 December. Found afterwards in a cupboard was a vial of unknown liquid. The family gave some to the cat, which died immediately. At that moment, the Bell Witch claimed that it gave Bell a large dose the night before, and that it "fixed him". When thrown into the fireplace, the liquid shot a bright, blue flame up the chimney.

At his funeral, as friends and family began to leave, the voice of the entity rang out with laughter, singing a song about brandy. As if its job was done, the haunting ceased almost completely. The next year, however, Lucy, Bell's widow got a visit from the spirit. Lucy was informed that the Bell Witch would be leaving- but would be back in seven years. Seven years later, the phantom returned as it said it would, and it held discussions with John Bell, Jr about the origin of life, Christianity, and the requirment for a spiritual reawakening of the masses. The witch also made accurate predictions about the upcoming Civil War.

One day, the spirit informed the family that it would be back in 107 years, visiting Bell's most direct descendant. Dr. Charles Bailey Bell, wrote a book about the famous haunting, which was published in 1934- one year before the promised return of the Bell Witch. It is unknown whether or not, its promise was kept, however.

Even today, after 200 years, the Bell Witch is claimed to be responsible for strange events at the Bell property. Voices, strange lights at night, as well as mists, orbs and apparitions showing up in photos are often reported on the property. To this date, however, nobody know why the Bell family was tormented by the only entity to have claimed to have murderded someone...