"Mysteries at the Museum" Halloween Special

1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:04,970 On this special Halloween "Mysteries at the Museum"... 2 00:00:05,030 --> 00:00:07,700 a gruesome tale of twisted love... 3 00:00:07,770 --> 00:00:10,310 He was trying to bring her back to life. 4 00:00:10,370 --> 00:00:12,140 He thought this could be done. 5 00:00:12,210 --> 00:00:14,410 WILDMAN: ...a real encounter with the walking dead... 6 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:16,780 He had actually been turned into a zombie. 7 00:00:16,850 --> 00:00:20,050 WILDMAN: ...and tortured souls trapped in a mirror. 8 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:24,950 This mirror could be a portal to another dimension. 9 00:00:25,020 --> 00:00:27,220 WILDMAN: Within the walls of great institutions 10 00:00:27,290 --> 00:00:29,790 lie secrets waiting to be revealed. 11 00:00:29,860 --> 00:00:33,530 These are the Halloween mysteries at the museum. 12 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,530 -- Captions by VITAC -- 13 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,530 Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC. 14 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:41,900 Steamy Key West, Florida, 15 00:00:41,970 --> 00:00:45,570 is today synonymous with sun, sand, and surf. 16 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:47,510 But at one time, it served as 17 00:00:47,580 --> 00:00:51,510 the southernmost Union outpost in the Civil War. 18 00:00:51,580 --> 00:00:54,380 And housed in a former army stronghold 19 00:00:54,450 --> 00:00:56,450 is an institution that celebrates 20 00:00:56,520 --> 00:00:58,520 the region's colorful past -- 21 00:00:58,590 --> 00:01:00,920 the Fort East Martello Museum. 22 00:01:00,990 --> 00:01:05,090 On display are the discarded shells of giant tortoises... 23 00:01:05,160 --> 00:01:07,260 a horse-drawn hearse... 24 00:01:07,330 --> 00:01:11,230 and an infamous haunted doll. 25 00:01:11,300 --> 00:01:14,470 But affixed to a wall is one item 26 00:01:14,540 --> 00:01:16,470 that speaks to what some consider 27 00:01:16,540 --> 00:01:19,470 the darkest chapter in this city's history. 28 00:01:19,540 --> 00:01:23,910 HARRISON: This plaque is a 2½-foot by 1½-foot marble slab. 29 00:01:23,980 --> 00:01:25,680 It has some angels there on it. 30 00:01:25,750 --> 00:01:28,620 And it's been through a disaster. 31 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:31,550 WILDMAN: According to author Ben Harrison, 32 00:01:31,620 --> 00:01:34,490 this reassembled marker of eternal rest 33 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:36,730 tells a heart-shattering tale. 34 00:01:36,790 --> 00:01:39,930 I would call it the most macabre love story ever. 35 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:42,730 WILDMAN: How is this plaque linked 36 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:46,970 to an electrifyingly bizarre quest of unrequited love? 37 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,980 April 1930 -- Key West, Florida. 38 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:57,450 No one adores the balmy breezes of Key West 39 00:01:57,510 --> 00:02:00,520 more than 22-year-old Elena Hoyos. 40 00:02:00,580 --> 00:02:03,450 HARRISON: Elena Hoyos was a very beautiful Cuban girl 41 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:05,290 and was known throughout town for this beauty, 42 00:02:05,350 --> 00:02:08,090 and she always wore a rose in her hair. 43 00:02:09,820 --> 00:02:12,130 WILDMAN: But on this day, the exotic brunette 44 00:02:12,190 --> 00:02:16,160 is afflicted with a harsh cough and is swooning with fever. 45 00:02:16,230 --> 00:02:18,930 The Hoyos family rushes her to the hospital 46 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:22,700 where Elena is diagnosed with tuberculosis. 47 00:02:22,770 --> 00:02:24,510 HARRISON: They were devastated, 48 00:02:24,570 --> 00:02:28,080 because, in 1930, tuberculosis was a death sentence. 49 00:02:28,140 --> 00:02:31,480 WILDMAN: The doctors tell the Hoyos family 50 00:02:31,550 --> 00:02:34,250 there is nothing they can do. 51 00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:37,250 But then, a striking man offers hope -- 52 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:41,460 the hospital x-ray technician Carl von Cosel. 53 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:42,860 Von Cosel was quite a character. 54 00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:46,260 He always walked with either a swagger stick or an umbrella, 55 00:02:46,330 --> 00:02:48,400 and he had this very regal air about him. 56 00:02:48,460 --> 00:02:51,670 WILDMAN: Taken with Elena's stunning beauty, 57 00:02:51,730 --> 00:02:55,900 von Cosel tells the Hoyos family that he believes he can save her 58 00:02:55,970 --> 00:02:59,340 with experimental treatments of his own making. 59 00:02:59,410 --> 00:03:02,310 With little choice, the family agrees. 60 00:03:02,380 --> 00:03:04,850 HARRISON: Von Cosel was very determined to save Elena's life, 61 00:03:04,910 --> 00:03:07,150 and he believed in his inventions. 62 00:03:07,220 --> 00:03:12,390 WILDMAN: First he gives her bullion of real gold to drink 63 00:03:12,450 --> 00:03:16,390 and bathes her in ultraviolet light. 64 00:03:16,460 --> 00:03:18,930 But despite months of the treatments, 65 00:03:18,990 --> 00:03:21,200 they produce little effects, 66 00:03:21,260 --> 00:03:25,630 and soon, Elena Hoyos succumbs to the dreaded disease. 67 00:03:27,200 --> 00:03:28,840 HARRISON: Elena's family was devastated. 68 00:03:28,900 --> 00:03:31,070 There's nothing worse than losing a child. 69 00:03:31,140 --> 00:03:35,480 WILDMAN: Elena is buried in a mausoleum at a local cemetery, 70 00:03:35,540 --> 00:03:37,350 and over the next two years, 71 00:03:37,410 --> 00:03:41,380 the family finds solace grieving at her crypt. 72 00:03:41,450 --> 00:03:45,220 But on Halloween night in 1933, 73 00:03:45,290 --> 00:03:48,360 the Hoyoses arrive at the grave site 74 00:03:48,420 --> 00:03:50,590 and make a startling discovery. 75 00:03:50,660 --> 00:03:53,760 Elena's body is missing. 76 00:03:56,230 --> 00:04:00,000 The thought of somebody taking their daughter from the cemetery 77 00:04:00,070 --> 00:04:03,040 was just unimaginable. 78 00:04:03,100 --> 00:04:05,870 WILDMAN: They report the theft to police, 79 00:04:05,940 --> 00:04:09,580 but with no leads, the case goes cold. 80 00:04:09,640 --> 00:04:11,210 For seven long years, 81 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,650 the Hoyos family lives in anguish, 82 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:18,020 wondering what has become of the body of their beloved Elena. 83 00:04:20,320 --> 00:04:23,930 Then, Elena's sister Nana hears disturbing rumors 84 00:04:23,990 --> 00:04:25,560 about an island resident 85 00:04:25,630 --> 00:04:28,060 who keeps a dead body in their home. 86 00:04:28,130 --> 00:04:30,530 Nana approaches the residence in question 87 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:35,100 and is stunned by the homeowner's identity. 88 00:04:35,170 --> 00:04:39,370 HARRISON: The home was von Cosel's. 89 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:42,480 WILDMAN: Von Cosel beckons her inside. 90 00:04:42,540 --> 00:04:44,110 Once in the living room, 91 00:04:44,180 --> 00:04:49,020 he stands over a large object covered in cloth. 92 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:52,350 He slowly pulls back the covering, 93 00:04:52,420 --> 00:04:56,320 and what Nana sees defies comprehension. 94 00:04:58,830 --> 00:05:00,900 HARRISON: She sees Elena dressed in a wedding dress 95 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,060 there on a bed in the center of the room. 96 00:05:04,670 --> 00:05:08,000 WILDMAN: Elena's face is covered by a grotesque layer 97 00:05:08,070 --> 00:05:11,440 of gauze, plaster, wax, and cosmetics. 98 00:05:11,510 --> 00:05:14,180 Wires dangle from her body. 99 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:18,010 Nana's once-beautiful sister has been transformed 100 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,050 into the monster of a mad scientist. 101 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:28,620 Horrified by what she sees, Nana demands answers. 102 00:05:28,690 --> 00:05:32,890 Von Cosel's explanation is far from expected. 103 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,400 HARRISON: Von Cosel fell very madly in love with her 104 00:05:35,460 --> 00:05:36,670 as he treated her, 105 00:05:36,730 --> 00:05:39,730 and even asked her to marry him, which she refused to do. 106 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,170 WILDMAN: And it seems Elena's death didn't stop him. 107 00:05:43,240 --> 00:05:46,510 Von Cosel explains that he stole her body 108 00:05:46,570 --> 00:05:48,410 and attached it to an invention 109 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:52,410 he believed would bring his beloved back to life. 110 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,280 HARRISON: Von Cosel's been trying to bring her back to life. 111 00:05:55,350 --> 00:05:57,820 He thought this could be done. 112 00:05:57,890 --> 00:06:00,090 WILDMAN: Nana calls the authorities, 113 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:03,930 and von Cosel is arrested on charges of grave robbing. 114 00:06:03,990 --> 00:06:05,960 The devastated Hoyos family 115 00:06:06,030 --> 00:06:10,100 then buries Elena's body in an unmarked grave. 116 00:06:10,170 --> 00:06:14,540 Weeks later, von Cosel appears before a judge. 117 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,710 But since the robbery took place years ago, 118 00:06:17,770 --> 00:06:21,380 the judge rules that the statute of limitations has passed, 119 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:23,680 and the charges are dropped. 120 00:06:23,750 --> 00:06:27,220 Now a free man, the scientist leaves town. 121 00:06:27,280 --> 00:06:30,390 But this is not the last that Key West will hear 122 00:06:30,450 --> 00:06:32,050 of Carl von Cosel. 123 00:06:32,120 --> 00:06:33,860 HARRISON: After von Cosel left, 124 00:06:33,920 --> 00:06:36,090 the mausoleum mysteriously exploded. 125 00:06:37,730 --> 00:06:41,230 WILDMAN: The crypt that once held Elena's remains lay in ruins, 126 00:06:41,300 --> 00:06:44,430 and the plaque that graced the doorway is shattered, 127 00:06:44,500 --> 00:06:47,300 the same plaque that now hangs 128 00:06:47,370 --> 00:06:50,870 at the Fort East Martello Museum. 129 00:06:50,940 --> 00:06:53,840 Many believe the explosion was the handiwork 130 00:06:53,910 --> 00:06:55,940 of a man who seemed incapable 131 00:06:56,010 --> 00:06:58,080 of parting with his cherished patient. 132 00:06:58,150 --> 00:07:02,250 And in a final bizarre twist to this sordid tale, 133 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:05,050 in 1952, Carl von Cosel 134 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:07,790 is discovered dead in his apartment. 135 00:07:07,860 --> 00:07:10,330 Next to him, authorities discover 136 00:07:10,390 --> 00:07:15,400 a life-sized wax replica of Elena Hoyos. 137 00:07:15,460 --> 00:07:18,170 Today, this shattered plaque 138 00:07:18,230 --> 00:07:21,100 on display at the Fort East Martello Museum 139 00:07:21,170 --> 00:07:24,510 speaks of the twisted lengths to which one man went 140 00:07:24,570 --> 00:07:28,310 in pursuit of a love that even death could not part. 141 00:07:32,710 --> 00:07:34,320 Adams, Tennessee. 142 00:07:34,380 --> 00:07:38,120 Population -- 634. 143 00:07:38,190 --> 00:07:41,490 This former depot town is located along the rail route 144 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:44,760 that once connected Chicago to Miami. 145 00:07:44,830 --> 00:07:48,400 And within the town's former high school 146 00:07:48,460 --> 00:07:49,830 is an institution dedicated 147 00:07:49,900 --> 00:07:52,230 to preserving Adams' rural traditions -- 148 00:07:52,300 --> 00:07:54,940 the Bell-Willett Museum. 149 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:58,470 On display is Mississippian Indian pottery... 150 00:07:58,540 --> 00:08:01,140 a child's bicycle from 1890... 151 00:08:01,210 --> 00:08:04,650 and a farmer's battery-powered radio. 152 00:08:04,710 --> 00:08:08,280 But it's an artifact located just behind the museum 153 00:08:08,350 --> 00:08:11,250 that holds this town's darkest secret. 154 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,160 HENSON: It's made out of yellow poplar 155 00:08:14,220 --> 00:08:16,620 and maybe some chestnut. 156 00:08:16,690 --> 00:08:18,030 It's very old. 157 00:08:18,090 --> 00:08:20,000 It dates from, we believe, 158 00:08:20,060 --> 00:08:22,060 somewhere around 1800 or a little earlier. 159 00:08:22,130 --> 00:08:25,630 WILDMAN: This may look like any other log cabin, 160 00:08:25,700 --> 00:08:28,340 but according to curator Tim Henson, 161 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,440 it once played a part in a terrifying encounter 162 00:08:31,510 --> 00:08:34,440 with a sinister and otherworldly being. 163 00:08:34,510 --> 00:08:36,950 HENSON: The legend that you're about to hear 164 00:08:37,010 --> 00:08:40,080 is one of America's most famous hauntings. 165 00:08:40,150 --> 00:08:43,690 WILDMAN: What chilling tale unfolded here 166 00:08:43,750 --> 00:08:46,550 in this modest farm cabin? 167 00:08:46,620 --> 00:08:49,790 1817 -- North Tennessee. 168 00:08:49,860 --> 00:08:53,060 Elizabeth Bell and her parents and siblings 169 00:08:53,130 --> 00:08:56,100 live on a farm in a two-story log cabin. 170 00:08:56,160 --> 00:09:00,340 HENSON: They had what we would call a normal frontier life. 171 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:05,640 They raised tobacco, they milked cows, they farmed. 172 00:09:05,710 --> 00:09:07,640 They were hard-working people. 173 00:09:07,710 --> 00:09:10,710 WILDMAN: Then, one night in 1817, 174 00:09:10,780 --> 00:09:16,120 the Bells' peaceful farm life takes a bizarre turn. 175 00:09:16,180 --> 00:09:18,420 HENSON: The Bells begin to hear 176 00:09:18,490 --> 00:09:20,920 bangings and gnawings and clawings. 177 00:09:20,990 --> 00:09:25,290 It's like limbs being scraped across the logs. 178 00:09:25,360 --> 00:09:26,860 WILDMAN: Elizabeth dashes to the door 179 00:09:26,930 --> 00:09:30,530 to see what is causing these terrifying sounds. 180 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:32,300 HENSON: There was nothing. 181 00:09:32,370 --> 00:09:35,340 They could find nothing, see nothing. 182 00:09:35,400 --> 00:09:38,040 WILDMAN: But the disturbing noises continue, 183 00:09:38,110 --> 00:09:40,810 and night after night, they are awakened. 184 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:44,380 Then one evening, to their great shock, 185 00:09:44,450 --> 00:09:46,680 a new sound fills the halls. 186 00:09:50,220 --> 00:09:51,950 For the first time, they hear a voice -- 187 00:09:52,020 --> 00:09:54,320 a weak, feminine voice. 188 00:09:54,390 --> 00:09:58,390 And it says, "I am a spirit, and I have been disturbed." 189 00:09:58,460 --> 00:10:03,400 WILDMAN: The Bell family is terrified and confused. 190 00:10:05,230 --> 00:10:07,070 They didn't know who she was. 191 00:10:07,140 --> 00:10:09,570 They didn't know why she was haunting them. 192 00:10:09,640 --> 00:10:11,810 WILDMAN: Though soon it becomes clear 193 00:10:11,870 --> 00:10:15,710 that this visiting spirit has one target in particular -- 194 00:10:15,780 --> 00:10:18,250 Elizabeth Bell. 195 00:10:18,310 --> 00:10:21,180 One night, she wakes with a start. 196 00:10:21,250 --> 00:10:24,650 Elizabeth's face looks like a handprint on it. 197 00:10:24,720 --> 00:10:27,790 WILDMAN: The spirit is not only taunting them, 198 00:10:27,860 --> 00:10:30,660 it is now physically assaulting them. 199 00:10:30,730 --> 00:10:32,330 HENSON: Why did it torment Elizabeth? 200 00:10:32,390 --> 00:10:33,700 It doesn't say why. 201 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:35,860 It seemed to just gain pleasure out of it. 202 00:10:35,930 --> 00:10:40,100 WILDMAN: Elizabeth and her family are scared out of their minds. 203 00:10:40,170 --> 00:10:43,100 They wanted this thing removed from the household. 204 00:10:43,170 --> 00:10:44,440 Yes, there was no doubt. 205 00:10:44,510 --> 00:10:46,470 The spirit -- They wanted it out. 206 00:10:46,540 --> 00:10:49,310 WILDMAN: What is plaguing the Bell family? 207 00:10:49,380 --> 00:10:51,050 What is it after? 208 00:10:51,110 --> 00:10:52,650 And can it be stopped? 209 00:10:57,890 --> 00:11:00,060 It's 1820 in Tennessee. 210 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:01,390 For three years, 211 00:11:01,460 --> 00:11:03,530 young Elizabeth Bell and her family 212 00:11:03,590 --> 00:11:04,990 have lived in terror. 213 00:11:05,060 --> 00:11:07,930 A ghostly presence lurks in their farmhouse, 214 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:09,900 taunting them verbally and physically, 215 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:13,700 and it seems Elizabeth bears the brunt of its abuse. 216 00:11:13,770 --> 00:11:16,970 So who or what is haunting the Bell family, 217 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:19,070 and why? 218 00:11:19,140 --> 00:11:22,880 The torment shows no signs of letting up. 219 00:11:22,940 --> 00:11:26,780 There was no sleeping in the Bell house after dark. 220 00:11:26,850 --> 00:11:29,020 WILDMAN: Then, Elizabeth turns to 221 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:33,090 her boyfriend and classmate Joshua Gardner for comfort. 222 00:11:33,150 --> 00:11:37,630 The couple is able to find some joy amidst the terror. 223 00:11:37,690 --> 00:11:39,860 HENSON: It's just before Easter, 224 00:11:39,930 --> 00:11:41,830 and Joshua asked her to marry him. 225 00:11:41,900 --> 00:11:44,530 And she accepted. 226 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:49,100 WILDMAN: But their happiness lasts only a moment. 227 00:11:49,170 --> 00:11:51,310 HENSON: As they're going back to the Bell house, 228 00:11:51,370 --> 00:11:52,910 they hear a voice that says, 229 00:11:52,970 --> 00:11:56,580 "Please, Betsy, please don't marry Joshua Gardner. 230 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:58,750 Please, Betsy, please." 231 00:11:58,810 --> 00:12:01,850 WILDMAN: Elizabeth is devastated. 232 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:04,120 She's left in an impossible position -- 233 00:12:04,190 --> 00:12:09,020 break off the engagement or continue to be harassed. 234 00:12:09,090 --> 00:12:12,630 HENSON: And then she tells Joshua she can't marry him. 235 00:12:12,690 --> 00:12:14,530 And, of course, he's distraught. 236 00:12:14,600 --> 00:12:17,800 WILDMAN: The broken-hearted Joshua moves away. 237 00:12:17,870 --> 00:12:20,540 But Elizabeth's wrenching decision 238 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:22,970 seems to have appeased the ghost. 239 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:25,310 At that point then, things begin to settle down. 240 00:12:25,370 --> 00:12:28,240 WILDMAN: And in the summer of 1821, 241 00:12:28,310 --> 00:12:32,510 it seems the spirit has finally left the Bell house. 242 00:12:32,580 --> 00:12:36,420 Elizabeth recovers from the trauma and grief, 243 00:12:36,480 --> 00:12:38,250 finding comfort in her neighbor 244 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:40,860 and former teacher Richard Powell. 245 00:12:40,920 --> 00:12:43,120 A few years later, they marry, 246 00:12:43,190 --> 00:12:46,360 and life settles back to normal on the Bell family farm. 247 00:12:46,430 --> 00:12:50,370 But the seeds were sown for a legend so strong 248 00:12:50,430 --> 00:12:54,070 that years later, people still wonder what it was 249 00:12:54,140 --> 00:12:56,070 that haunted the Bell family. 250 00:12:58,210 --> 00:13:00,840 Some theorize that the farm was settled 251 00:13:00,910 --> 00:13:03,180 on an American Indian burial ground. 252 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:05,250 HENSON: The children were looking for arrowheads. 253 00:13:05,310 --> 00:13:06,610 They found some arrowheads, 254 00:13:06,680 --> 00:13:09,450 but they also got a skull of an Indian. 255 00:13:09,520 --> 00:13:11,390 WILDMAN: But if it was the spirit 256 00:13:11,450 --> 00:13:12,850 of an American Indian, 257 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:16,490 why would it take an interest in Elizabeth's romantic life? 258 00:13:16,560 --> 00:13:19,060 This question leads many to believe 259 00:13:19,130 --> 00:13:22,500 that the cause of the haunting wasn't some ancient figure 260 00:13:22,560 --> 00:13:26,200 but was, in fact, the work of Richard Powell. 261 00:13:26,270 --> 00:13:29,900 Well, the Powell theory is that Richard moved in here, 262 00:13:29,970 --> 00:13:31,470 he saw that the Bells were wealthy, 263 00:13:31,540 --> 00:13:33,580 and he wanted to marry into the family, 264 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:35,280 and, of course, there's Joshua, 265 00:13:35,340 --> 00:13:39,650 and that maybe he was trying to scare Joshua off. 266 00:13:39,710 --> 00:13:41,480 WILDMAN: Because he was highly educated, 267 00:13:41,550 --> 00:13:45,050 some neighbors suspected that he had ties to the occult, 268 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:47,920 but he denied this adamantly. 269 00:13:47,990 --> 00:13:50,430 I think, personally, we may never know. 270 00:13:52,190 --> 00:13:54,230 WILDMAN: This uncertainty is what has made 271 00:13:54,300 --> 00:13:56,000 the legend of the Bell Witch 272 00:13:56,060 --> 00:13:59,430 endure in Tennessee for nearly 200 years. 273 00:13:59,500 --> 00:14:02,400 HENSON: Some folks see forms, some folks hear voices, 274 00:14:02,470 --> 00:14:04,840 and some folks say it's still here. 275 00:14:04,910 --> 00:14:08,710 WILDMAN: And this cabin on display in Adams, Tennessee, 276 00:14:08,780 --> 00:14:12,980 is an ominous memorial to Elizabeth Bell's fateful romance 277 00:14:13,050 --> 00:14:15,450 and the mystery behind one of America's 278 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:17,890 most famous ghost hauntings. 279 00:14:20,590 --> 00:14:22,220 Des Moines, Iowa. 280 00:14:22,290 --> 00:14:26,660 The name of this state capital literally means "of the monks," 281 00:14:26,730 --> 00:14:29,700 based on a legend that French Trappist monks 282 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:33,070 resided nearby in the early 19th century. 283 00:14:33,130 --> 00:14:36,640 And just a few blocks from the city's namesake river 284 00:14:36,710 --> 00:14:38,540 is an institution that chronicles 285 00:14:38,610 --> 00:14:40,510 the region's rich past -- 286 00:14:40,580 --> 00:14:44,210 the State Historical Society of Iowa. 287 00:14:44,280 --> 00:14:47,820 Its collection includes such celebrated items 288 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:50,390 as frontiersman Daniel Boone's rifle 289 00:14:50,450 --> 00:14:53,290 and a pair of glasses that once belonged 290 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:55,260 to President Abraham Lincoln. 291 00:14:55,320 --> 00:14:57,960 But one object reveals 292 00:14:58,030 --> 00:15:00,660 a shocking tale of crime and punishment 293 00:15:00,730 --> 00:15:03,970 that terrorized a small Iowa community. 294 00:15:04,030 --> 00:15:07,270 EPPERLY: This artifact is about 40 inches long 295 00:15:07,340 --> 00:15:09,240 and weighs well over 4 pounds. 296 00:15:09,300 --> 00:15:11,470 It has a long wooden handle 297 00:15:11,540 --> 00:15:13,980 with a peculiar-shaped nob at the end 298 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,550 and a large metal head. 299 00:15:17,610 --> 00:15:22,520 WILDMAN: This tool hacked its way into the public's worst fears. 300 00:15:22,580 --> 00:15:25,150 EPPERLY: The citizens were terrified, 301 00:15:25,220 --> 00:15:28,790 because a person could not be expected to kill like this 302 00:15:28,860 --> 00:15:30,790 and never kill again. 303 00:15:30,860 --> 00:15:35,230 WILDMAN: What does this farming ax reveal about a brutal crime 304 00:15:35,300 --> 00:15:37,300 that brought a town to its knees? 305 00:15:40,740 --> 00:15:44,170 1912 -- Villisca, Iowa. 306 00:15:44,240 --> 00:15:47,840 In the early morning hours of Monday, June 10th, 307 00:15:47,910 --> 00:15:52,550 Hank Horton, the city marshal of this quiet agricultural town, 308 00:15:52,610 --> 00:15:57,320 is called to the home of shopkeeper Josiah Moore. 309 00:15:57,390 --> 00:15:59,550 And when Horton arrives on the scene, 310 00:15:59,620 --> 00:16:04,030 he is absolutely horrified by what he sees. 311 00:16:04,090 --> 00:16:07,030 Moore, his wife... 312 00:16:07,100 --> 00:16:09,460 four children... 313 00:16:09,530 --> 00:16:12,870 and two house guests have been viciously murdered. 314 00:16:12,930 --> 00:16:15,170 EPPERLY: It appeared that all the victims 315 00:16:15,240 --> 00:16:18,510 had been struck while they were asleep. 316 00:16:18,570 --> 00:16:20,610 WILDMAN: As Horton surveys the crime scene, 317 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:23,310 he finds the murder weapon -- 318 00:16:23,380 --> 00:16:27,120 an ax, the same one now on display 319 00:16:27,180 --> 00:16:30,490 at the State Historical Society of Iowa. 320 00:16:30,550 --> 00:16:31,820 It had been cleaned, 321 00:16:31,890 --> 00:16:34,520 but there was still hair and blood that adhered to it. 322 00:16:34,590 --> 00:16:38,030 WILDMAN: Then Horton notices something very odd 323 00:16:38,090 --> 00:16:40,730 above the victims' bodies -- 324 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,430 a series of nicks in the ceiling, 325 00:16:43,500 --> 00:16:47,170 apparently made by the violent swinging of the ax. 326 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:51,240 And the nicks yield a singular clue. 327 00:16:51,310 --> 00:16:54,810 From the way the ax marks were made in the ceiling, 328 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:58,610 one thing determined was that the killer was left-handed. 329 00:16:58,680 --> 00:17:00,650 WILDMAN: Rumors swirled 330 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:03,990 about the identity of this homicidal maniac. 331 00:17:04,050 --> 00:17:07,320 The townspeople were in a state of confusion and fear 332 00:17:07,390 --> 00:17:10,230 because there was an ax murderer among them. 333 00:17:10,290 --> 00:17:14,360 WILDMAN: Some believe the killer may be businessman Frank Jones, 334 00:17:14,430 --> 00:17:17,770 who was engrossed in a bitter feud with Moore. 335 00:17:17,830 --> 00:17:19,730 Moore had been a crack salesman for him 336 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:22,970 until he left and started his own business. 337 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:26,440 WILDMAN: Others point to an itinerant railroad worker 338 00:17:26,510 --> 00:17:28,280 who was thought to be responsible 339 00:17:28,340 --> 00:17:32,210 for a slew of grisly homicides in the Midwest. 340 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:37,190 But there is no evidence tying either man to the crime scene. 341 00:17:37,250 --> 00:17:40,020 Then Horton catches a break. 342 00:17:40,090 --> 00:17:43,630 He receives surprising details about the murder 343 00:17:43,690 --> 00:17:46,160 from an English-born traveling preacher 344 00:17:46,230 --> 00:17:48,230 named George Kelly. 345 00:17:48,300 --> 00:17:51,530 Kelly claims to have been strolling by the Moore home 346 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:53,970 when he witnessed the scene unfold. 347 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:55,900 But if that's the case, 348 00:17:55,970 --> 00:18:00,610 why didn't he seek help or report what he saw until now? 349 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:03,510 Horton reaches out to federal investigators 350 00:18:03,580 --> 00:18:06,610 to see what they can dig up about Kelly, 351 00:18:06,680 --> 00:18:08,980 and what they discover is a disturbing history 352 00:18:09,050 --> 00:18:12,520 of mental illness and sexual deviance. 353 00:18:12,590 --> 00:18:14,920 Kelly was a voyeur. 354 00:18:14,990 --> 00:18:19,490 He was caught peeking in windows in nearly every town he was in. 355 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:21,500 Many people believed that Kelly 356 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:25,870 saw the girls undressing to go to bed, 357 00:18:25,930 --> 00:18:29,170 and he went in the house and killed everybody. 358 00:18:32,510 --> 00:18:34,740 WILDMAN: Convinced they have their man, 359 00:18:34,810 --> 00:18:38,850 investigators begin to build a case against Kelly. 360 00:18:38,910 --> 00:18:41,880 While interviewing people throughout the community, 361 00:18:41,950 --> 00:18:44,350 they discover one critical piece of evidence 362 00:18:44,420 --> 00:18:46,690 from an employee at a local laundromat. 363 00:18:46,760 --> 00:18:50,090 EPPERLY: Kelly sent a blood-stained shirt to the laundry 364 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,190 a week after the murder. 365 00:18:52,260 --> 00:18:54,730 WILDMAN: And they learned that, like the killer, 366 00:18:54,800 --> 00:18:57,600 Kelly is also left-handed. 367 00:18:57,670 --> 00:19:00,670 With the evidence stacked against him, 368 00:19:00,740 --> 00:19:03,040 Kelly shockingly admits to authorities 369 00:19:03,100 --> 00:19:05,910 that he is in fact the ax murderer. 370 00:19:05,970 --> 00:19:07,940 EPPERLY: In Kelly's confession, 371 00:19:08,010 --> 00:19:11,050 he claimed to have heard God's voice that told him to 372 00:19:11,110 --> 00:19:13,080 "suffer the little children to come unto me." 373 00:19:13,150 --> 00:19:14,820 And he went in the house 374 00:19:14,880 --> 00:19:17,520 and killed everybody in the house. 375 00:19:17,590 --> 00:19:19,850 WILDMAN: Kelly is put on trial 376 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:23,290 for what's expected to be an open and shut case. 377 00:19:23,360 --> 00:19:25,160 But despite the confession, 378 00:19:25,230 --> 00:19:29,130 the prosecution's case surprisingly begins to unravel. 379 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:31,930 So is George Kelly the Villisca ax murderer 380 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:35,370 or just a confused but innocent man? 381 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:42,340 It's 1917 in Villisca, Iowa, 382 00:19:42,410 --> 00:19:46,350 when eight people are found brutally murdered with an ax. 383 00:19:46,410 --> 00:19:49,680 Authorities finger a traveling preacher named George Kelly 384 00:19:49,750 --> 00:19:50,690 for the crime. 385 00:19:50,750 --> 00:19:51,920 But at trial, 386 00:19:51,990 --> 00:19:54,760 the defendant's lawyer pokes holes in the case. 387 00:19:54,820 --> 00:19:57,690 So is Kelly an innocent man 388 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:01,400 or a homicidal, ax-wielding fiend? 389 00:20:01,460 --> 00:20:04,130 The defense immediately raises doubts 390 00:20:04,200 --> 00:20:06,370 about the evidence against Kelly. 391 00:20:06,430 --> 00:20:08,740 They argue that the splotches of blood 392 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:11,640 discovered on his shirt are not that unusual. 393 00:20:11,710 --> 00:20:13,270 This was the day of straight razors. 394 00:20:13,340 --> 00:20:15,380 A lot of people cut themselves. 395 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:18,980 WILDMAN: They also point to a telling mark on Kelly's face, 396 00:20:19,050 --> 00:20:22,220 hinting at the possibility of a forced confession. 397 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:24,320 He had a bruise on his cheek, 398 00:20:24,390 --> 00:20:26,490 and the jurors assumed 399 00:20:26,550 --> 00:20:28,960 that the confession had been beaten out of him. 400 00:20:29,020 --> 00:20:31,290 WILDMAN: Finally, the defense claims 401 00:20:31,360 --> 00:20:33,900 that the ax marks found on the ceiling 402 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:35,330 could not have been made 403 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:39,670 by their diminutive 5-foot, 2-inch client. 404 00:20:39,730 --> 00:20:44,840 In the end, the jury votes 11 to 1 for acquittal. 405 00:20:44,910 --> 00:20:48,580 So, did a guilty man walk free? 406 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,650 And if not, who is the real killer? 407 00:20:51,710 --> 00:20:53,620 To this day, 408 00:20:53,680 --> 00:20:57,050 the identity of the Villisca ax murderer is unknown. 409 00:20:57,120 --> 00:21:00,290 And with all plausible suspects dead and gone, 410 00:21:00,360 --> 00:21:02,790 it will likely remain one of the country's 411 00:21:02,860 --> 00:21:05,190 greatest unsolved crimes. 412 00:21:05,260 --> 00:21:08,060 For now, this ax on display 413 00:21:08,130 --> 00:21:10,900 at the State Historical Society of Iowa 414 00:21:10,970 --> 00:21:13,800 is disturbing evidence of a most brutal 415 00:21:13,870 --> 00:21:17,610 and inexplicable massacre that horrified a town. 416 00:21:20,040 --> 00:21:24,450 The Greek Revival-, colonial-, and Queen Anne-style buildings 417 00:21:24,510 --> 00:21:26,610 that dot the city of New Orleans 418 00:21:26,680 --> 00:21:29,980 form the famous backdrop for author Anne Rice's 419 00:21:30,050 --> 00:21:32,750 terrifying tales of vampires. 420 00:21:32,820 --> 00:21:35,690 But this Louisiana city has long been a draw 421 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:39,530 for those with an interest in the strange and unusual. 422 00:21:39,590 --> 00:21:43,130 And no place offers a better taste 423 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,930 than the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum. 424 00:21:48,470 --> 00:21:50,270 Its riveting collection includes 425 00:21:50,340 --> 00:21:52,610 some of the nation's most intriguing artifacts 426 00:21:52,670 --> 00:21:54,880 from this unique religious practice, 427 00:21:54,940 --> 00:21:58,180 from cursed dolls and human skulls 428 00:21:58,250 --> 00:22:00,380 to a large voodoo altar. 429 00:22:00,450 --> 00:22:03,750 But according to museum director Jerry Gandolfo, 430 00:22:03,820 --> 00:22:06,960 there's one rather crude artifact here 431 00:22:07,020 --> 00:22:10,260 that served the most sinister purpose. 432 00:22:10,330 --> 00:22:12,360 GANDOLFO: About 4 feet long. 433 00:22:12,430 --> 00:22:15,800 It's not particularly artistic, 434 00:22:15,860 --> 00:22:18,500 but it does the job it's intended to do, 435 00:22:18,570 --> 00:22:20,670 which is to inflict pain. 436 00:22:20,740 --> 00:22:23,070 WILDMAN: This instrument of torture 437 00:22:23,140 --> 00:22:25,040 was used in a horrifying mystery 438 00:22:25,110 --> 00:22:28,580 that stunned scientists and skeptics alike. 439 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:32,280 The truth here is stranger than fiction. 440 00:22:32,350 --> 00:22:34,380 WILDMAN: What role did this whip play 441 00:22:34,450 --> 00:22:37,620 in turning people into the walking dead? 442 00:22:41,490 --> 00:22:45,730 L'Estère, Haiti -- 1962. 443 00:22:45,790 --> 00:22:47,760 After falling violently ill, 444 00:22:47,830 --> 00:22:50,230 a farmer named Clairvius Narcisse 445 00:22:50,300 --> 00:22:52,470 checks into a local hospital. 446 00:22:52,530 --> 00:22:56,300 Doctors are unable to diagnose his mysterious disease, 447 00:22:56,370 --> 00:23:00,080 and Narcisse's family can only watch helplessly 448 00:23:00,140 --> 00:23:02,440 as he coughs up blood. 449 00:23:02,510 --> 00:23:04,510 GANDOLFO: After he was admitted, 450 00:23:04,580 --> 00:23:06,920 his condition got distinctly worse. 451 00:23:06,980 --> 00:23:10,520 WILDMAN: And just three days after arriving at the hospital, 452 00:23:10,590 --> 00:23:13,720 the poor man succumbs to this devastating disease 453 00:23:13,790 --> 00:23:16,220 and is pronounced dead. 454 00:23:16,290 --> 00:23:19,160 GANDOLFO: Narcisse's family was very upset when he died, 455 00:23:19,230 --> 00:23:21,260 particularly his sister Angelina. 456 00:23:21,330 --> 00:23:23,530 WILDMAN: Narcisse is promptly buried, 457 00:23:23,600 --> 00:23:26,270 and his grieving family is left to wonder 458 00:23:26,330 --> 00:23:27,870 how a seemingly healthy man 459 00:23:27,940 --> 00:23:30,940 could suddenly fall prey to an unknown disease. 460 00:23:31,010 --> 00:23:34,640 It's a question they would be unable to answer 461 00:23:34,710 --> 00:23:37,810 for nearly two decades. 462 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:39,710 1980. 463 00:23:39,780 --> 00:23:42,580 Angelina Narcisse is walking through her village 464 00:23:42,650 --> 00:23:46,490 when she sees a disheveled man on the road ahead. 465 00:23:46,550 --> 00:23:48,060 As she passes by, 466 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:51,890 the stranger makes a seemingly unbelievable claim. 467 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:54,430 He says that he is Clairvius Narcisse. 468 00:23:54,500 --> 00:23:57,930 WILDMAN: Even though the man bears a striking resemblance 469 00:23:58,000 --> 00:23:59,230 to her long-dead brother, 470 00:23:59,300 --> 00:24:01,840 Angelina is immediately suspicious. 471 00:24:01,900 --> 00:24:05,010 She was there when Clairvius died 472 00:24:05,070 --> 00:24:08,040 and saw him buried with her own eyes. 473 00:24:08,110 --> 00:24:12,550 But the stranger says he has proof of his identity. 474 00:24:12,610 --> 00:24:16,250 GANDOLFO: He starts talking about things from their childhood. 475 00:24:16,320 --> 00:24:18,020 He tells her his childhood nickname 476 00:24:18,090 --> 00:24:20,020 that only she would know. 477 00:24:20,090 --> 00:24:23,530 WILDMAN: The intimate details convince Angelina 478 00:24:23,590 --> 00:24:26,090 the man is indeed her brother. 479 00:24:26,160 --> 00:24:30,470 But the sudden reunion raises a far more terrifying question. 480 00:24:30,530 --> 00:24:34,940 How has her brother seemingly returned from the dead? 481 00:24:38,410 --> 00:24:41,680 It's 1980 in the Caribbean nation of Haiti. 482 00:24:41,740 --> 00:24:44,950 A woman named Angelina Narcisse is shocked 483 00:24:45,010 --> 00:24:48,480 when a strange man claims to be her brother Clairvius. 484 00:24:48,550 --> 00:24:50,320 There's just one problem. 485 00:24:50,390 --> 00:24:54,090 She watched Clairvius die nearly two decades earlier. 486 00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:58,060 But the man cites details that only her brother would know. 487 00:24:58,130 --> 00:25:02,500 So had Clairvius returned from the dead? 488 00:25:02,560 --> 00:25:05,930 Clairvius says that his chilling tale 489 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:07,700 begins 18 years ago, 490 00:25:07,770 --> 00:25:12,170 shortly before he fell ill and seemingly passed. 491 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:14,840 And it's the result of an extreme case 492 00:25:14,910 --> 00:25:16,540 of sibling rivalry. 493 00:25:16,610 --> 00:25:19,850 His family owned property that the family wanted to sell 494 00:25:19,910 --> 00:25:21,850 and he refused to go along with it, 495 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:24,750 and apparently this incensed one of his brothers. 496 00:25:24,820 --> 00:25:27,060 WILDMAN: To get him out of the picture, 497 00:25:27,120 --> 00:25:29,890 the brother enlisted the services of a voodoo priest 498 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:32,590 who dealt in black magic. 499 00:25:32,660 --> 00:25:35,400 Narcisse believes it was this priest 500 00:25:35,460 --> 00:25:37,600 who exposed him to a voodoo potion 501 00:25:37,670 --> 00:25:40,100 that induced his mysterious illness. 502 00:25:40,170 --> 00:25:42,740 And even though he was unresponsive, 503 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:47,380 Narcisse was awake through every terrifying second of his ordeal. 504 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:50,050 Clairvius had to explain to his sister 505 00:25:50,110 --> 00:25:52,450 that he never died, 506 00:25:52,510 --> 00:25:54,580 that he was conscious the whole time 507 00:25:54,650 --> 00:25:57,090 when they were pronouncing him dead. 508 00:25:57,150 --> 00:26:01,590 WILDMAN: Narcisse could neither move nor speak, 509 00:26:01,660 --> 00:26:04,490 even as he was buried alive. 510 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:07,600 Shortly after his own funeral, 511 00:26:07,660 --> 00:26:11,030 Narcisse was dug up and brought to a sugar plantation 512 00:26:11,100 --> 00:26:16,000 where, in a strange daze, he was forced to work as a slave. 513 00:26:16,070 --> 00:26:18,940 At the mercy of a brutal master, 514 00:26:19,010 --> 00:26:21,080 he was beaten with a crudely made whip, 515 00:26:21,140 --> 00:26:23,410 the same kind now on display 516 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:26,920 at the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum. 517 00:26:26,980 --> 00:26:30,150 For years, Narcisse toiled on this plantation. 518 00:26:30,220 --> 00:26:34,360 But one day, fate conspired to set him free. 519 00:26:34,420 --> 00:26:37,690 GANDOLFO: Eventually, the person who was his slave master died. 520 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:40,760 WILDMAN: No longer under his master's sway, 521 00:26:40,830 --> 00:26:42,730 Narcisse wandered off, 522 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:46,130 and the mysterious fog that had plagued his mind and body 523 00:26:46,200 --> 00:26:47,800 slowly faded. 524 00:26:47,870 --> 00:26:49,370 He roamed Haiti for years 525 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:51,940 before this chance meeting with his sister 526 00:26:52,010 --> 00:26:55,480 finally allowed him to tell his astonishing tale. 527 00:26:55,540 --> 00:26:57,450 But the question remains -- 528 00:26:57,510 --> 00:27:00,420 What kind of voodoo concoction could have induced 529 00:27:00,480 --> 00:27:04,120 this zombie-like condition in Narcisse? 530 00:27:04,190 --> 00:27:07,190 Analyzing the contents of common potions 531 00:27:07,260 --> 00:27:09,220 used by Haitian witch doctors, 532 00:27:09,290 --> 00:27:12,890 scientists later discover that some contain traces 533 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:17,930 of a neurotoxin named tetrodotoxin, or TTX, 534 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:20,770 and it comes from an unexpected source. 535 00:27:20,840 --> 00:27:22,940 GANDOLFO: You found the toxin in a fish 536 00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:25,470 that's commonly called a puffer fish. 537 00:27:25,540 --> 00:27:27,340 WILDMAN: In small doses, 538 00:27:27,410 --> 00:27:30,710 TTX can suppress a person's vital signs 539 00:27:30,780 --> 00:27:32,780 to the point where even a doctor 540 00:27:32,850 --> 00:27:36,150 might not be able to distinguish the living from the dead. 541 00:27:36,220 --> 00:27:39,550 Their vital signs go down very, very low 542 00:27:39,620 --> 00:27:43,390 so that there's very little obvious respiration. 543 00:27:43,460 --> 00:27:46,030 WILDMAN: And the effects can also linger, 544 00:27:46,090 --> 00:27:47,930 causing the strange haze 545 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:51,070 that overtook Narcisse's mind and body. 546 00:27:51,130 --> 00:27:54,400 GANDOLFO: Narcisse had actually been turned into a zombie. 547 00:27:54,470 --> 00:27:57,270 Not a B-grade movie zombie, 548 00:27:57,340 --> 00:28:00,210 but a pharmacological zombie. 549 00:28:00,280 --> 00:28:02,980 WILDMAN: Today, the story of Clairvius Narcisse 550 00:28:03,040 --> 00:28:06,110 continues to fascinate researchers. 551 00:28:06,180 --> 00:28:08,020 With this whip on display 552 00:28:08,080 --> 00:28:10,220 at the New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum 553 00:28:10,290 --> 00:28:13,890 serving as a reminder of one man's harrowing journey 554 00:28:13,960 --> 00:28:16,930 into the world of the living dead. 555 00:28:19,190 --> 00:28:22,200 Less than an hour northwest of Baton Rouge 556 00:28:22,260 --> 00:28:24,770 along the banks of the mighty Mississippi 557 00:28:24,830 --> 00:28:27,040 is St. Francisville, Louisiana, 558 00:28:27,100 --> 00:28:31,540 a tiny southern town that's all of two miles long. 559 00:28:31,610 --> 00:28:33,940 Since 1796, 560 00:28:34,010 --> 00:28:37,810 this small hamlet has been home to the Myrtles Plantation, 561 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:40,180 a restored antebellum mansion 562 00:28:40,250 --> 00:28:43,450 that celebrates centuries of southern hospitality. 563 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,760 Here one can stroll among stunning statuary... 564 00:28:46,820 --> 00:28:48,190 gracious gardens... 565 00:28:48,260 --> 00:28:50,590 and lusciously-appointed rooms. 566 00:28:50,660 --> 00:28:53,700 But amidst the markings of gentility 567 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:58,270 is one artifact that strikes a more sinister note. 568 00:28:58,330 --> 00:29:01,270 This object is 5 foot, 6 inches tall, 569 00:29:01,340 --> 00:29:04,040 has an ornate gold-painted wood frame 570 00:29:04,110 --> 00:29:07,180 that dates back to the end of the 18th century. 571 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:09,910 What really makes this piece stand out 572 00:29:09,980 --> 00:29:13,210 are the dark, ominous smudges on its glass. 573 00:29:13,280 --> 00:29:15,220 WILDMAN: This mirror's mottled surface, 574 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:18,020 as author Gary Jansen can attest, 575 00:29:18,090 --> 00:29:20,260 connects this gilded antique 576 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:23,960 to an eerie legend of forsaken spirits. 577 00:29:24,030 --> 00:29:25,230 Some believe that this mirror 578 00:29:25,290 --> 00:29:27,800 could be a portal to another dimension 579 00:29:27,860 --> 00:29:31,600 or a passageway to the afterlife. 580 00:29:31,670 --> 00:29:35,700 WILDMAN: What are these marks emblazoned upon this mirror, 581 00:29:35,770 --> 00:29:38,810 and how did they get there? 582 00:29:38,870 --> 00:29:43,380 March 1980 -- St. Francisville, Louisiana. 583 00:29:43,450 --> 00:29:46,280 Historic home restorer Frances Meyers 584 00:29:46,350 --> 00:29:49,750 pours over the plans to transform her new property, 585 00:29:49,820 --> 00:29:52,620 the Myrtles Plantation, into a bed and breakfast. 586 00:29:52,690 --> 00:29:57,260 Hoping to get an early start, she turns in for the night. 587 00:29:57,330 --> 00:29:59,230 Just as she's about to fall asleep, 588 00:29:59,290 --> 00:30:02,600 she gets this sense of a presence in the room. 589 00:30:02,660 --> 00:30:06,400 WILDMAN: Frances sits up and is startled by what she sees -- 590 00:30:06,470 --> 00:30:11,110 a woman in an old-fashioned green robe and matching turban. 591 00:30:11,170 --> 00:30:12,810 JANSEN: She musters up enough courage 592 00:30:12,870 --> 00:30:14,740 to reach out and try to grab the woman. 593 00:30:14,810 --> 00:30:17,850 When she does, her hand passes right through her, 594 00:30:17,910 --> 00:30:20,680 and the woman disappears right before her eyes. 595 00:30:20,750 --> 00:30:23,390 WILDMAN: Meyers is shaken to the core 596 00:30:23,450 --> 00:30:25,990 by this eerie experience, 597 00:30:26,050 --> 00:30:29,290 and soon Frances isn't the only one in her family 598 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:32,160 to have a run-in with the unexplained. 599 00:30:32,230 --> 00:30:35,860 With the renovations complete, Frances' husband James 600 00:30:35,930 --> 00:30:38,700 prepares to open the plantation to visitors. 601 00:30:38,770 --> 00:30:41,100 Glancing out the parlor window, 602 00:30:41,170 --> 00:30:43,940 he notices a couple arriving for the tour 603 00:30:44,010 --> 00:30:46,510 with what appears to be their two young daughters 604 00:30:46,570 --> 00:30:49,110 waiting on the porch. 605 00:30:49,180 --> 00:30:53,280 But when James opens the door to greet his guests, 606 00:30:53,350 --> 00:30:56,320 only the man and woman walk in. 607 00:30:56,380 --> 00:30:58,090 He looks outside the door, 608 00:30:58,150 --> 00:31:01,660 but sees no traces of the children. 609 00:31:01,720 --> 00:31:04,390 JANSEN: He asked the couple, "Well, where are your daughters?" 610 00:31:04,460 --> 00:31:05,630 To which they answer 611 00:31:05,690 --> 00:31:08,830 that they didn't bring any children with them. 612 00:31:08,900 --> 00:31:12,870 WILDMAN: James worries that he's losing his mind. 613 00:31:12,930 --> 00:31:16,740 And with both the Meyers now witness to ghostly visions, 614 00:31:16,810 --> 00:31:18,570 they're beginning to wonder 615 00:31:18,640 --> 00:31:21,210 who are these figures haunting the property, 616 00:31:21,280 --> 00:31:23,480 and what do they want? 617 00:31:26,610 --> 00:31:31,450 It's 1980 in the small hamlet of St. Francisville, Louisiana. 618 00:31:31,520 --> 00:31:33,890 After transforming an historic mansion 619 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:35,360 into a bed and breakfast, 620 00:31:35,420 --> 00:31:38,960 Frances and James Meyers report something unusual -- 621 00:31:39,030 --> 00:31:41,630 the specters of a woman and two girls 622 00:31:41,700 --> 00:31:43,370 prowling their grounds. 623 00:31:43,430 --> 00:31:45,430 So who are these figures, 624 00:31:45,500 --> 00:31:48,440 and why are they haunting this house? 625 00:31:50,770 --> 00:31:53,510 Frightened by their ghostly visions, 626 00:31:53,580 --> 00:31:57,680 Frances and James dig deeper into the plantation's history. 627 00:31:57,750 --> 00:32:00,750 First, they discover that in 1975, 628 00:32:00,820 --> 00:32:03,150 the former owner was nearly killed 629 00:32:03,220 --> 00:32:06,960 when the heavy mirror suddenly flew 20 feet off the wall, 630 00:32:07,020 --> 00:32:08,820 striking him in the head. 631 00:32:08,890 --> 00:32:11,730 Then, they uncover a terrifying legend 632 00:32:11,790 --> 00:32:14,600 that seems to provide a chilling explanation 633 00:32:14,660 --> 00:32:16,900 for these supernatural phenomena. 634 00:32:16,970 --> 00:32:20,170 As the story goes, in 1817, 635 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:22,400 a man named Judge Clarke Woodruff 636 00:32:22,470 --> 00:32:24,970 is married to a young woman named Sara, 637 00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,940 whose father is the owner of the Myrtles Plantation. 638 00:32:28,010 --> 00:32:31,580 The couple decides to settle down on the lavish property, 639 00:32:31,650 --> 00:32:34,520 but Woodruff insists on bringing with him 640 00:32:34,580 --> 00:32:37,120 a trusted house slave named Chloe. 641 00:32:39,120 --> 00:32:43,160 Under Chloe's devoted care, the two settle into family life, 642 00:32:43,220 --> 00:32:46,700 and soon thereafter, Sara gives birth to two girls. 643 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,660 WILDMAN: The girls grow up happily on the plantation, 644 00:32:49,730 --> 00:32:51,970 and legend has it Chloe is struck 645 00:32:52,030 --> 00:32:53,970 by a frightening realization. 646 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:57,210 As the girls get older and more independent, 647 00:32:57,270 --> 00:32:59,910 she fears she'll no longer be needed 648 00:32:59,970 --> 00:33:03,710 and will be sent to the fields to do manual labor. 649 00:33:03,780 --> 00:33:07,380 Desperate to make herself indispensable to the family, 650 00:33:07,450 --> 00:33:10,920 she hatches an elaborate and risky plan. 651 00:33:10,990 --> 00:33:13,090 She will bake a cake laced 652 00:33:13,150 --> 00:33:16,220 with the poisonous extract of oleander leaves, 653 00:33:16,290 --> 00:33:18,560 and she will serve it to the family. 654 00:33:18,630 --> 00:33:21,800 JANSEN: Chloe wants to put in just enough that it makes them ill 655 00:33:21,860 --> 00:33:23,730 so that she can come in, save the day, 656 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:25,100 nurse them back to health, 657 00:33:25,170 --> 00:33:29,070 and thus secure her position inside the house. 658 00:33:29,140 --> 00:33:31,010 WILDMAN: According to the legend, 659 00:33:31,070 --> 00:33:33,540 she serves the cake to Sara and her daughters, 660 00:33:33,610 --> 00:33:36,810 and all three become violently sick. 661 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,710 Chloe realizes that she's made a tragic mistake. 662 00:33:39,780 --> 00:33:42,180 The girls are writhing in pain, 663 00:33:42,250 --> 00:33:46,690 and within hours, each of them dies one by one. 664 00:33:46,760 --> 00:33:48,860 WILDMAN: Judge Clarke Woodruff is devastated 665 00:33:48,920 --> 00:33:51,260 by the loss of his wife and children. 666 00:33:51,330 --> 00:33:53,730 And in accordance with southern superstition, 667 00:33:53,800 --> 00:33:57,200 servants rush to cover the mirrors around the house 668 00:33:57,270 --> 00:34:00,700 to prevent the departing souls from being trapped in the glass. 669 00:34:00,770 --> 00:34:02,940 But it's said that, in their haste, 670 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,910 there's one mirror they forget to shroud. 671 00:34:05,970 --> 00:34:08,510 Legend has it that this oversight 672 00:34:08,580 --> 00:34:11,780 instantly traps Sara and the children inside the glass. 673 00:34:11,850 --> 00:34:14,850 And today, people believe that these stains 674 00:34:14,920 --> 00:34:17,120 and these handprints that are seen on the glass 675 00:34:17,190 --> 00:34:20,620 are Sara and the children trying to push their way out. 676 00:34:22,990 --> 00:34:26,260 WILDMAN: Skeptics of this theory say the eerie mottling 677 00:34:26,330 --> 00:34:29,030 is simply the result of the Louisiana humidity 678 00:34:29,100 --> 00:34:33,600 or just stained wood behind the glass bleeding through. 679 00:34:33,670 --> 00:34:35,970 But when the Meyers learn the tale 680 00:34:36,040 --> 00:34:37,710 of the Woodruffs and Chloe, 681 00:34:37,770 --> 00:34:40,640 they are terrified by the eerie parallels 682 00:34:40,710 --> 00:34:43,040 between the legend and their visions. 683 00:34:43,110 --> 00:34:45,480 And after 10 more years spent 684 00:34:45,550 --> 00:34:47,820 trying to endure the ghostly encounters, 685 00:34:47,880 --> 00:34:51,090 the Meyers finally decide to sell the property, 686 00:34:51,150 --> 00:34:55,620 convinced that the mirror and the house itself are cursed. 687 00:34:55,690 --> 00:35:00,700 And today, the mirror still hangs within the lavish mansion, 688 00:35:00,760 --> 00:35:03,770 a chilling token of bitter betrayal 689 00:35:03,830 --> 00:35:06,900 and untimely death. 690 00:35:06,970 --> 00:35:09,070 Topeka, Kansas. 691 00:35:09,140 --> 00:35:11,110 Once a stop on the Oregon Trail, 692 00:35:11,170 --> 00:35:15,180 this former frontier town is now the state capital. 693 00:35:15,240 --> 00:35:18,580 And within this city of the plains sits a museum 694 00:35:18,650 --> 00:35:21,580 which immortalizes the area's unique past 695 00:35:21,650 --> 00:35:24,190 in the Kansas Museum of History. 696 00:35:24,250 --> 00:35:27,460 To illustrate the heritage of the Sunflower State, 697 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:30,960 this institution has amassed eclectic artifacts 698 00:35:31,030 --> 00:35:33,530 such as a Kansas-made biplane... 699 00:35:33,600 --> 00:35:35,560 a local news-station camera... 700 00:35:35,630 --> 00:35:38,800 and a frontier-era postal stagecoach. 701 00:35:38,870 --> 00:35:41,140 But one item in the collection 702 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:44,910 speaks of a far more wicked chapter in the state's history. 703 00:35:44,970 --> 00:35:49,940 TARR: The artifact is about 2½ feet tall 704 00:35:50,010 --> 00:35:52,750 and is covered with orange crepe paper. 705 00:35:52,810 --> 00:35:55,850 WILDMAN: While it looks like a simple festive garment, 706 00:35:55,920 --> 00:35:58,720 museum curator Blair Tarr knows 707 00:35:58,790 --> 00:36:00,990 this frock tells an amazing story 708 00:36:01,060 --> 00:36:04,360 of one woman's fight against mischief and mayhem. 709 00:36:04,430 --> 00:36:07,300 Who was this extraordinary woman, 710 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:11,000 and how did she change the lives of American children? 711 00:36:11,070 --> 00:36:16,840 November 1, 1912 -- Hiawatha, Kansas. 712 00:36:16,910 --> 00:36:19,070 Named after a Longfellow poem, 713 00:36:19,140 --> 00:36:21,240 this pleasant agricultural community 714 00:36:21,310 --> 00:36:23,650 is a model of peace and quiet. 715 00:36:23,710 --> 00:36:27,080 But on this autumn morning, Mrs. Elizabeth Krebs, 716 00:36:27,150 --> 00:36:29,520 the president of the Hiawatha Garden Club, 717 00:36:29,580 --> 00:36:32,790 goes outside to discover a troubling sight. 718 00:36:32,850 --> 00:36:36,520 TARR: Flower beds in her own garden had been destroyed. 719 00:36:36,590 --> 00:36:38,560 A fence had been destroyed. 720 00:36:38,630 --> 00:36:41,600 This was something that had happened throughout the town. 721 00:36:41,660 --> 00:36:43,300 WILDMAN: Krebs is crestfallen 722 00:36:43,370 --> 00:36:46,170 that all of her hard work has been torn asunder. 723 00:36:46,230 --> 00:36:48,600 But she knows the reason for this vandalism -- 724 00:36:48,670 --> 00:36:50,710 Halloween. 725 00:36:50,770 --> 00:36:53,140 The antiquated festival has its roots 726 00:36:53,210 --> 00:36:55,140 in Celtic and Christian traditions, 727 00:36:55,210 --> 00:36:57,550 dating back over two millennia. 728 00:36:57,610 --> 00:36:59,810 TARR: Halloween goes back to 729 00:36:59,880 --> 00:37:02,050 All Hallows' or All Saints' Day, 730 00:37:02,120 --> 00:37:04,150 where you would pray for the souls of the dead. 731 00:37:04,220 --> 00:37:07,320 WILDMAN: While not widely celebrated in America, 732 00:37:07,390 --> 00:37:11,230 the nation's youth have seized upon Halloween's dark legacy 733 00:37:11,290 --> 00:37:15,130 for a more nefarious purpose -- the making of mischief -- 734 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:18,830 and the people of Hiawatha know this all too well. 735 00:37:18,900 --> 00:37:22,600 Every year, they greet the arrival of October 31st 736 00:37:22,670 --> 00:37:24,940 with dread and fear. 737 00:37:25,010 --> 00:37:26,470 TARR: Fences would be torn down. 738 00:37:26,540 --> 00:37:28,240 Fires would be set, as well. 739 00:37:28,310 --> 00:37:30,880 They did have their sheriff threaten 740 00:37:30,950 --> 00:37:33,110 to lock up any children that were caught 741 00:37:33,180 --> 00:37:35,280 committing any damage on Halloween. 742 00:37:35,350 --> 00:37:39,620 WILDMAN: Yet even this policy has done little to stem the mayhem. 743 00:37:39,690 --> 00:37:41,890 But after years of torment, 744 00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:44,360 Elizabeth Krebs has finally had enough, 745 00:37:44,430 --> 00:37:46,900 and she has an idea that she thinks 746 00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:50,130 can quell the wanton destruction once and for all. 747 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:52,030 TARR: Mrs. Krebs thinks that if there's a way 748 00:37:52,100 --> 00:37:55,070 to get them together in a central location, 749 00:37:55,140 --> 00:37:57,970 this is gonna stop the mischief in Hiawatha. 750 00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:02,010 WILDMAN: The following year, Krebs puts her plan into action. 751 00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:06,680 Out of her own home in Hiawatha, she organizes a Halloween party. 752 00:38:06,750 --> 00:38:09,120 Local youth are invited to gather 753 00:38:09,180 --> 00:38:10,890 for fun and festivities. 754 00:38:10,950 --> 00:38:12,250 And to further entice them, 755 00:38:12,320 --> 00:38:15,190 she offers a broad array of sweets. 756 00:38:15,260 --> 00:38:17,730 TARR: Children came to Mrs. Krebs' party, 757 00:38:17,790 --> 00:38:19,630 accepted the candy. 758 00:38:19,690 --> 00:38:20,700 They were delighted. 759 00:38:20,760 --> 00:38:22,330 WILDMAN: By all appearances, 760 00:38:22,400 --> 00:38:24,830 the party is a success. 761 00:38:24,900 --> 00:38:30,370 But as the sun rises on Hiawatha on November 1, 1913, 762 00:38:30,440 --> 00:38:32,340 reports from people across town 763 00:38:32,410 --> 00:38:34,940 paint a far more unsettling picture. 764 00:38:35,010 --> 00:38:38,050 It seems not all of the children in town 765 00:38:38,110 --> 00:38:40,380 were lured to Mrs. Krebs' party. 766 00:38:40,450 --> 00:38:42,480 TARR: There were a group of boys who filled up 767 00:38:42,550 --> 00:38:45,590 an old delivery wagon with flammable materials, 768 00:38:45,650 --> 00:38:48,760 set it ablaze, and then started hauling it through the streets. 769 00:38:48,820 --> 00:38:50,730 WILDMAN: During the night, a young boy 770 00:38:50,790 --> 00:38:53,460 was even badly injured in the chaos. 771 00:38:53,530 --> 00:38:56,730 Despite Elizabeth Krebs' best efforts 772 00:38:56,800 --> 00:38:58,470 to fight tricks with treats, 773 00:38:58,530 --> 00:39:02,440 the youth of Hiawatha have once again wreaked havoc. 774 00:39:02,500 --> 00:39:05,140 TARR: Mrs. Krebs was upset that the work 775 00:39:05,210 --> 00:39:07,480 that she had done had been destroyed. 776 00:39:07,540 --> 00:39:09,180 This was very hurtful to her. 777 00:39:09,240 --> 00:39:13,480 WILDMAN: She racks her brain for a way to stave off the destruction. 778 00:39:13,550 --> 00:39:15,380 But with each passing month, 779 00:39:15,450 --> 00:39:18,090 the harrowing holiday looms larger. 780 00:39:18,150 --> 00:39:20,660 So what will it take for Mrs. Krebs 781 00:39:20,720 --> 00:39:24,390 to rid Halloween of this ghoulish violence? 782 00:39:27,600 --> 00:39:29,200 It's 1914. 783 00:39:29,260 --> 00:39:31,330 Every year on Halloween, 784 00:39:31,400 --> 00:39:33,540 the people of Hiawatha, Kansas, 785 00:39:33,600 --> 00:39:36,440 are terrorized by kids who use the holiday 786 00:39:36,500 --> 00:39:39,940 as an excuse for mischief, mayhem, and destruction. 787 00:39:40,010 --> 00:39:42,880 But one prominent resident named Elizabeth Krebs 788 00:39:42,940 --> 00:39:45,350 is determined to put an end to it. 789 00:39:45,410 --> 00:39:48,580 Now, with October 31st quickly approaching, 790 00:39:48,650 --> 00:39:53,590 what will it take for Krebs to keep the devastation at bay? 791 00:39:53,660 --> 00:39:57,390 As the annual date with destruction draws near, 792 00:39:57,460 --> 00:39:59,890 Krebs tries a different tack. 793 00:39:59,960 --> 00:40:02,200 Rather than invite the children to her home, 794 00:40:02,260 --> 00:40:05,070 this year, she plans to take the Halloween party 795 00:40:05,130 --> 00:40:07,170 to the streets. 796 00:40:07,240 --> 00:40:10,370 Her ambition is to throw a parade in the town center, 797 00:40:10,440 --> 00:40:13,880 replete with music and treats for all who participate. 798 00:40:13,940 --> 00:40:15,910 And she has another idea 799 00:40:15,980 --> 00:40:18,750 to distract the children from their mischievous ways. 800 00:40:18,810 --> 00:40:22,920 This time around, Mrs. Krebs encourages the children 801 00:40:22,980 --> 00:40:24,820 to put on costumes, 802 00:40:24,890 --> 00:40:27,860 to do anything that would rechannel their energies 803 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:30,260 to keep them from tearing down gates 804 00:40:30,330 --> 00:40:32,090 and destroying flower gardens. 805 00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:34,630 WILDMAN: Unable to convince the town 806 00:40:34,700 --> 00:40:36,530 to fund the risky gambit, 807 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:39,570 Krebs sinks much of her own money and reputation 808 00:40:39,630 --> 00:40:40,940 into the event. 809 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:42,540 She was bound and determined 810 00:40:42,600 --> 00:40:44,940 to make sure that this was going to be a success. 811 00:40:45,010 --> 00:40:50,010 WILDMAN: As the sun sets on October 31, 1914, 812 00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:54,150 Krebs waits with bated breath to see if her plan will work. 813 00:40:54,220 --> 00:40:57,450 And soon, she's delighted to see the streets 814 00:40:57,520 --> 00:40:59,690 fill up with peaceful revelers. 815 00:40:59,750 --> 00:41:01,760 TARR: The parade included a band. 816 00:41:01,820 --> 00:41:04,830 It also included having treats for everybody. 817 00:41:04,890 --> 00:41:06,330 Children marched through the town center 818 00:41:06,390 --> 00:41:08,130 in their costumes. 819 00:41:08,200 --> 00:41:11,500 WILDMAN: Mrs. Krebs' parade appears to be a hit. 820 00:41:11,570 --> 00:41:14,440 But did it save the town and her flowers 821 00:41:14,500 --> 00:41:17,010 from another night of mayhem? 822 00:41:17,070 --> 00:41:18,940 The next morning, she gets her answer 823 00:41:19,010 --> 00:41:22,110 when the town marshal tells her there were no reports 824 00:41:22,180 --> 00:41:25,310 of vandalism or destruction of any kind. 825 00:41:25,380 --> 00:41:29,080 The Halloween parade is deemed a resounding success, 826 00:41:29,150 --> 00:41:31,190 and soon, towns across the state 827 00:41:31,250 --> 00:41:33,290 are holding similar celebrations, 828 00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:35,460 complete with costumes like this one, 829 00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:37,630 made in Topeka in the 1920s 830 00:41:37,690 --> 00:41:41,530 and now stored at the Kansas Museum of History. 831 00:41:41,600 --> 00:41:44,500 Before long, costume parades 832 00:41:44,570 --> 00:41:46,570 are popping up across the country, 833 00:41:46,630 --> 00:41:49,940 shaping what we know today as Halloween, 834 00:41:50,010 --> 00:41:52,640 all thanks to one Midwestern woman 835 00:41:52,710 --> 00:41:54,680 who wanted to protect her garden. 836 00:41:54,740 --> 00:41:57,450 TARR: Mrs. Krebs is definitely a pioneer here. 837 00:41:57,510 --> 00:42:00,280 She's one of the first women -- the first anybody, actually -- 838 00:42:00,350 --> 00:42:02,450 to lead efforts to create 839 00:42:02,520 --> 00:42:05,190 the modern Halloween holiday that we know today. 840 00:42:05,250 --> 00:42:08,690 WILDMAN: And this costume at the Kansas Museum of History 841 00:42:08,760 --> 00:42:10,930 tells of one fateful night 842 00:42:10,990 --> 00:42:13,730 when mischief and mayhem were transformed 843 00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:17,430 into a welcome and joyous annual tradition. 844 00:42:19,370 --> 00:42:23,240 From a grave-robbing romantic to Halloween hooligans, 845 00:42:23,300 --> 00:42:27,240 a malevolent mirror to the walking dead, 846 00:42:27,310 --> 00:42:31,950 I'm Don Wildman, and these are the mysteries at the museum.