Dead Women Tell No Tales... Or Do They?

It's been 13 years since one of Columbus' oldest landmarks met the wrecking ball in the name of progress. Built in 1834, the Ohio Penitentiary saw thousands of criminals pass through its doors. From Morgan's Raiders to the author O. Henry, many well-known people spent some time behind bars on Spring Street at this prison in its 150 years of operation. Today, it's the site of Nationwide Arena, a few random modern buildings, and plenty of parking spaces. But there might be a few leftover dead people lingering around.

People believed the old Ohio Penitentiary was haunted before it was demolished. Stories say that some of the 332 people who died during an arson blaze on April 21, 1930, still roamed the halls. Ghosts of many executed prisoners who breathed their final breaths inside the high stone walls were said to roam their old cell blocks and wander through the execution chamber. Though the building is gone, paranormal activity has still been reported at the site. If these prisoners really did stick around, perhaps one of them is the ghost of Ohio's first black woman to be executed. And it's quite likely she was a lesbian.

In the 1950s, sexuality was still a very taboo subject. Even newspapers, when faced with the task of telling tales of murder, often avoided the subject or (in certain cases) changing around the facts to make things sound, well, . . . less gay. That was certainly the case for Betty Butler.

By all accounts, Betty hailed from Cleveland, Ohio, where she had lived with her husband Harry, a strict Methodist, and two children. The exact reason why they couple separated is unclear, although court records indicate that Betty "associated with lesbians" in northeast Ohio. For one reason or another, Betty found herself in Cincinnati. She befriended a woman six years her senior by the name of Evelyn Clark. Some say they were lovers, while others say Betty was a woman caught up in poverty who had sex with Evelyn in exchange for money and shelter. Either way, their relationship was quite rocky. Arguments were frequent, and violence was not uncommon.

On September 6, 1952, the women were in a rowboat, joined by 42-year-old Deezie Ivory, enjoying the lake at Sharon Woods Park. A quarrel erupted between Betty and Evelyn; to escape the fight, Deezie quickly rowed to shore. There around 5:00 PM, the argument reached its peak. Betty strangled Evelyn, rendering her unconscious but still alive. In full view of the crowded park, Betty grabbed Evelyn by the ankles and held her head beneath the lake waters. "If I can't strangle her," she cried, "I'll drown her!" Leaving Evelyn partially submerged in the water, Betty nonchalantly said, "My work here is done," and walked away. She was stopped by park rangers before leaving the park; attempts to resuscitate Evelyn were unsuccessful.

Newspaper accounts varied when reporting the details. Some claimed the women argued over a man and it was a crime between "love rivals" while the Plain Dealer claimed it was a "sex revenge" murder. Jet Magazine made full mention of the "abnormal relationship", but seemed to waffle between Betty willingly becoming Evelyn's girlfriend and her being taken advantage of by a lesbian. In any case, it seemed the press was uncomfortable addressing the possibility that this was a legitimate same-sex relationship. They avoided the exact details of the crime as much as humanly possible.

Betty Butler was charged with first-degree murder and taken to jail. Her trial was swift; though Betty claimed it was self-defense "to escape [Evelyn's] perverted intentions" of keeping Betty as a "sex slave", she was found guilty and sentenced to death. She was sent to the reformatory in Marysville, Ohio, to await her execution. While in prison, Betty took up charcoal drawing and found she had a knack for art. "It's one of those things I didn't know I could do until too late," she said.

Her execution was delayed three times by appeals, but she met her fate on June 12, 1954 at the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus. After a last meal of scrambled eggs with cheese, toast, and apricots, Betty went to the electric chair dressed in a pink and black dress with white bobby socks and white Oxford shoes. At 8:00 PM, still clutching her rosary (Betty had turned Catholic while in prison), the switch was thrown. She was pronounced dead at 8:10 PM. She was the last woman executed by the State of Ohio.

Women were housed in a building at the southeast corner of the prison, not too far from the "Death House" where the electric chair sat. Today, this spot is covered by McFerson Commons, better known as Arch Park (so named because of the stone arch found here, the only remnant left of the 1897 Union Station which once faced High Street before being demolished in 1979) at the corner of Spring Street and Street. Perhaps if you take an evening stroll in Arch Park, you can still catch a glimpse of Betty, or maybe she finally found peace and has moved on to a better place.

For more information on Betty Butler's story, read The Penalty is Death: U.S. Newspaper Coverage of Women's Executions by Marlin Shipman.

A Celebrated Murder...

Not everyone in Australia believes in ghosts. Yet spirits certainly are a part of the history and culture across the nation. Just listening to the bush ballad Waltzing Matilda shows one clear example. Said to have been based on a true story, the song ends with the swagman's ghost still haunting the billabong (purported to be Combo Waterhole in Queensland). But there is an iconic true ghost story well-known among Aussies. It's celebrated every year in this month with a festival.

Frederick Fisher was a former convict turned farmer in the early 19th century trying to turn around his life in Campbelltown outside of Sydney. In 1826 he had another brush with the law following a knife incident. Anticipating a long return to prison, he gave his neighbor William George Worral power of attorney. Luckily for Fisher the trial went better than expected and he was released with a light sentence. On June 17 Fisher mysteriously vanished. When questioned, Worral told the townspeople that Fisher had left him everything and sailed to England to make a fresh start. Suspicions arose almost immediately.

Worral was arrested on September 17 on suspicion of murder yet no body could be found. One night in October a wealthy farmer named John Farley (or James Hurley in other story versions) was heading home from Patrick's Inn and encountered a terrifying sight on the Queen Street bridge. The ghost of Fred Fisher sat on the rail and pointed in the direction or Worral's land beside a creek separating Worral's and Fisher's properties. Terrified, Farley raced home and soon told authorities about the disturbing encounter. On October 25 two local boys reported seeing blood stains on Worral's fence. Police called in an Aboriginal tracker named Gilbert and soon discovered Fisher's body exactly where the ghost had been pointing.

The trial began on February 2, 1827. During the proceedings Worral was found guilty. At the gallows three days later Worral confessed but claimed it was a case of mistaken identity (he thought Fisher was a horse in his wheat crop) yet no one believed him. But that was not the end of Fisher's ghost. Hauntings blamed on Fisher are abound in Campbelltown. Today, the stream where the body was discovered is renamed Fisher's Ghost Creek. Since 1826 the ghostly image if Fisher has been seen numerous times at the bridge on Queen Street. He has also made appearances at the nearby Town Hall Theatre, said to have been built at the site of Worral's homestead.

Today Campbelltown celebrates its infamous ghostly celebrity every year in November with the Festival of Fisher's Ghost. The event dating back to 1956 includes a parade, street fair, six-day carnival, and immense display of fireworks. This year's celebration started on November 4th and runs through the 14th. See the website for complete details. And if you happen to be around Sydney be sure to take some time to join in on the festivities. While you might see many Halloween-style ghosts parading down the street, one of them might be Fisher himself. It's believed that he visits the festival every year, after all...

(Map courtesy Campbelltown City Council)

Weirdness Around the World...

It's time again to explore some of the strange news stories plucked from the headlines across the globe.

They Were Dirt Cheap...

Judith and Mitchell Fletcher of Tampa love to find a good bargain at a yard sale. While in Brandon they spent $8 on a Halloween decoration skeleton in a box but upon returning home they realized it wasn't made of plastic or ceramic. They alerted the police in Hillsborough County and a detective had the bones examined, determining they were from a real for-medical-use anatomical skeleton valued at $3000. It is illegal in Florida to own real human bones so the couple has lost out on their bargain purchase. The local sheriff's department is contacting area universities with the serial number found on a femur in an attempt to find the rightful owner. The box of bones remains unclaimed.

Dial P for Paranormal...

A recent examination of West Midlands Police records in Coventry, England found that burglaries and altercations aren't the only reason local residents call for help. Over the past five years they have received calls concerning UFOs, ghosts, aliens, and other anomalies. Three calls were even received by people experiencing "paranormal thoughts". A total of 18 calls involving the supernatural are documented, most involving ghost sightings. So when you see a spirit, who you gonna call?

Yeren Hot Pursuit...

The search is back in China as scientists gather once more to search for the regional Bigfoot-like creature known as the Yeren, or "wild man". The Hubei Wild Man Research Association is seeking volunteers and benefactors to help raise $1.5 million for their new expedition. With over 400 sightings of the hairy creature and previous expeditions in 1977, 1980, and 1981 yielding hair and stool samples along with large bipedal footprints they are eager to find conclusive proof.

Bewitching Times...

Two 15-year-old boys were arrested in India for the murder of Nanika Hesa, 40, on Friday. The pair, who believed the tribal woman was a witch and had killed their family members through the use of black magic, hacked Nanika to death with a bhujali, decapitated her, and threw her head into a river in Kalinga Nagar. Both boys confessed to the crime and are being held at a juvenile facility in Berhampur.

Death by Fear...

A man in Milwaukee was sentenced to 9 years in jail and 5 years probation for the murder of Marzella Woodson by scaring her to death. Following an argument where Justin Owen, 21, accused his friend of stealing a handgun, the man fired several shots into the house where he lived back in May. Marzella, 58, heard the gunshots and hid on the floor with her grandchildren and suffered heart failure from the frightful experience.

News That's Beyond Bizarre...

To end the week on an interesting note, here are some unusual stories from our weird world. And that's no hat trick...

The Whisperer and the Ghost...

Yes, Jennifer Love Hewitt, star of Ghost Whisperer, does believe in ghosts in real life. In fact, she recently had a conversation with her dead grandmother, thanks to psychic James Van Praagh. She told OK! Magazine, "She just wanted to say hello and tell me that she was looking out for me. It was really nice." I'm sure Hewitt was an easier audience for Van Praagh than Barbara Walters.

Please, No Pictures...

The hunt for Storsjöodjuret, the infamous lake monster of Sweden, continues. But there is one slight snag for cryptozoologists: cameras have been banned by the council from being used on the shores of Lake Storsjön. Under-water surveillance has passed through local ordinance four times, but if you're planning an impromptu jaunt with a digital, you had better think twice. Who needs evidence, anyway?

Those Bloody Lesbians...

Perth was shaken in 2006 by the slaying of a 16-year-old girl. The two assailants, Jessica Stasinowsky and her lover Valerie Parashmuti, both pleaded guilty this week to bludgeoning their roommate to death with a concrete block. Apparently, the deed turned them on and they proceeded to make out while standing over her body. Parashmuti, 19, belonged to a vampire cult which engaged in the ritualistic drinking of blood. Their motive? They thought the girl was "annoying" and believed she was flirting with the girls significant other. Thus perpetuating the belief that lesbians are tough, vicious creatures...

Was Darby O'Gill Delusional?

If you're seeing faeries outside of the nearest gay bar, you might be suffering from Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS). British doctors estimate as many as 100,000 people in England may suffer from CBS. The disturbance causes hallucinations of people, objects, and even little winged human figures while the sufferer remains otherwise of sound mind. Scientists say it is caused by a lack of visual stimulation, not mental illness. Theories for ending CBS vary from stimulating the fingertips to holding your breath to (in extreme cases) medication. In the case of visual hallucinations of leprechauns, I might recommend looking for that pot of gold anyway...

When A Rabbit's Foot Just Won't Do...

Africa's greatest export these days seems to be bizarre news of human stupidity and strangeness. The madness of witchcraft hysteria sweeping across parts of the country has once more captured media attention. This time, the targets are far easier to spot...

The murders of at least 29 albinos have caused quite a stir in Tanzania. This time, it's the witch doctors believed to be responsible for the crimes. While peddling body parts on the black market is hardly new, these crimes are different. Humans with albinism are believed to possess magical properties; their limbs, hair, and other parts are thought to make excellent charms for good luck and wealth while drinking their blood or consuming flesh is said to grant the consumer bountiful fortune. Fishermen pay large sums for albino hair to weave into nets for attracting fish. Amulets made from human albinos are snatched up by miners looking to hit the mother lode in gemstone mines.

I'm sure even the Donner Party would find this news beyond taboo.

Greed and ignorance have lead to the slaughter of countless victims. A Lake Tanganyika fisherman reportedly sold his 24-year-old albino wife to Congo businessmen last week for £2,000. Already this year, police have arrested over 170 witch doctors and citizens for crimes against albinos and marketing body parts. One in 4,000 people are said to display signs of albinism in Tanzania, meaning hundreds of thousands of Tanzanians may be in danger of attacks. Many live in a constant state of fear. Many of those escaping with their lives or yet unaffected by the crimes are seeking police protection and asylum.

In a country where men live in fear of rape by the bat-winged creature known as Popo Bawa, these beliefs and superstitions are hardly surprising. But trafficking in pieces of pale people for profit? It's quite a disturbing trend and testament to the madness of humanity...

Planting the Seed of Mystery...

I confess that more often than not, I tell myself I want to read a certain book and end up forgetting all about it. As with my list of "to-watch" movies, my "to-read" list is quite lengthy. Yet I finally took the time to read a former best-seller... 15 years after it was published.

Although I've watched the film more times than I can remember, I wanted to take time to read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evilwhile I had the chance. I spent the past weekend in the company of the novel, which turned out to be quite a good and amusing read. The characters were diverse. The crime (you can't call it a "murder" since he was acquitted, apparently) still baffles some people. Yet as a piece of literary history, I was impressed.

And I'm left wondering if the term "dead time", so often tossed around by the troop on Paranormal State, isn't some extrapolated redefinition of the identical phrase used in this book.

Of course, no good book comes without controversy, and I know there was plenty of it. John Berendt has suffered a good tongue-lashing from critics and journalists. Much of the "non-fiction" work ended up being inaccurate. There was a secret contract which, to this day, has never been made pubic between the author and Jim Williams, the accused. Random House was up in arms when these details leaked out. But it doesn't end there.

The house, now owned by Jim's sister, became famous and a popular stop for tourists. Yet she was never the intended owner. Her inheritance consisted of the rights to a game named "Psychic Dice" and the whopping sum of $10. That's when it really gets interesting. The house was placed on the market for the absurd price of $9 million (but it failed to sell, so was taken off the market). $1 million in antiques owned by Jim found their way to Sotheby's for auction (including the very rug Danny Hansford died on). People selling photographs of the front of the house found themselves in legal trouble, since his sister claimed legal ownership of the exterior images.

What a nightmare.

The house is currently a "museum" and there are many mixed feelings about it. Yet it is a beautiful piece of Italianate architecture and quite infamous to say the least. Then there's the haunting, which makes it a perfect mention for this blog.

Regardless of what has and will be said by many, I still would recommend the book. Just be sure to take it all with a grain of salt. As a novel, it's an excellent read. As a historical chronicle, however, you might want to dig a little deeper.

And most interesting of all, there is something this tale has in common with the Corpsewood Murders... but I'll leave you all wondering for a while.

Lavender Bloodbath Television...

If you're looking for some paranormal television this evening, you might want to check out a gay ghost investigation!

Tonight, the series Ghost Hunters International will visit a couple haunted relics in eastern Europe, including Čachtice Castle, alleged haunt of the sadistic, lesbian serial killer Elizabeth Báthory who bathed in the blood of virgin women to "maintain her youth". Vampire legends are often linked to some of her dastardly deeds. She died while imprisoned in a castle tower in the 16th century.

Her ghost is rumoured to haunt the place of her death.

Figures. The bastards didn't invite me.

You can tune in tonight on the SciFi Channel at 9:00 PM.

One Confused Confucian...

When you believe yourself to be possessed by a demon, the only viable option apparently is to commit murder.

Kane Morgan, 18, literally stabbed his father in the back with a samurai sword in Wales. The sword went straight through 42-year-old Michael, who passed away only an hour after the incident. His son pled guilty to manslaughter last week in Cardiff.

Kane apparently spent a lot of time on the internet researching demonology. His room also was elaborately decorated with sinister "Oriental themes". Japanese culture is known to be heavily influenced by spirits, ghosts, and even demons.

What, too old for Pokémon?

The prosecutor stated that Kane was suffering from "deep delusional views" and the paranoid schizophrenia made it seem that the young boy was "under the thrall of a shade or demon who would tell him what to do".

The judge ordered that he be detained at Caswell Clinic in Bridgend, South Wales.

Queer Paranormal Road Trip: Buddie's Pub

The ghost of what was once a gay bar can be found on South Broad Street in Trenton, New Jersey. It was known as Buddie's Pub and had been in operation since the 1960s. Unfortunately, the last efforts to keep the establishment alive failed a few years ago. But the legend lives on... as does, presumably, the ghost.

In 2004, the final owners, Beth and Gary Feltus, did extensive renovations to the century-old building. After tracking down the original blueprints, they restored the interior to its original layout and design. The Trenton Historical Society recognized their work with an award for historic preservation. Otherwise, it was your typical corner bar with inexpensive drinks and nightly entertainment.

And then there was the ghost.

Glasses would fly off their rack. Games and lights would turn on and off sporadically. Pictures and objects would fly off the walls. The light over the pool table even fell off its hooks... without the hooks falling from the ceiling.

Patrons and owners never feared the supernatural presence. In fact, they knew who it was. Most of the paranormal happenings were attributed to Seymour, who converted the pub into a gay establishment in the mid-1960s. He allegedly died in the tavern and never felt the need to leave. Two regulars also met their demise in an adjoining building. One passed away after having his throat cut; the other murdered his lover.

For a brief time in 2007, the structure became a Mexican restaurant, yet it seems to be abandoned once more. Hopefully, the next owner will take good care of the property and reopen it as a successful business, if the spirits approve...

Death of a Sorcerer...

An 18-year-old was fatally stabbed Saturday in South-East London after an altercation over mobile phones.

The victim was Robert Knox, who was at Metro Bar that night celebrating the end of filming on Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. Knox played alongside Daniel Radcliffe as Ravensclaw student Marcus Belby in the new film and had recently signed to appear in the sequel.

Only a week earlier, Knox had confronted the man and told him to stop stealing his friend's mobile phones. Several friends who intervened also received stab wounds and were treated for their wounds. Police and witnesses believe Knox was targeted because he was defending his friends.

This marks the 14th teenager murdered in London this year.

Friends and family members have been leaving flowers and small memorials at the scene of the crime this week.

Ectoplasmic Excuses...

It seems there is a new trend in criminal defense tactics: blame it on dead people!

In England, Dawood Khan is accused of murdering a Yorkshire College student last year with a cricket bat. He claims no knowledge of the actual crime. Doctors at the Stockton Hall Hospital where he is being held have stated that he believes he was under the influence of "black magic and two ghosts".

Similarly, in Salinas, California, attempted to explain the 1996 drug-related murder of 20-year-old Victor Manuel Gutierrez on a ghost, only to recant his tale later. As his trial approaches, he is now blaming it on another (living) man.

Has this ever been a valid argument, or are people just more desperate to use the insanity defense?