Well, you may find a cemetery that's hundreds and hundreds of years old. And then you stop and wonder who's buried there? And I hope you may never have to stop and ask, are they still in there?
The Low Budget Ghost Squad presents Very Scary Stories and a Few Urban Legends That Still Scare Me to This Day.
I'm Natalie, I'm Allison, and I'm Ethan, and we're here bringing you some fun stories for this Halloween season.
You can listen while you're driving to work, going to school, or maybe just when you're walking the dog like our neighbor Jill. Hi, Jill.
And hello to everyone who's been listening to our fun adventures, First off at the Crescent Hotel in season one and now our scary stories. And I do have to tell you, we just got back from our trip to Baltimore and oh my. It's as crazy as the Crescent was, and we're putting that together for you.
Hopefully we'll have it to you next month, but for now, we have - Scary Stories for Halloween. A new set every Monday during the month of October. This week - Why won't you rest in peace? What's going on at the graveyard?
Did you know that a graveyard is by a church? But a cemetery can be a stand alone place? Of all the cemetery hopping we've done in our family, I've never known this.
Cemetery hopping, by the way, is looking for the graves of families at different cemeteries. That's why we go to more than one. That's why we cemetery hop. Well, we collected some stories from cemeteries and in some cases graveyards that will give you the creeps and make you think twice as you drive by one. Like maybe you're doing right now.
A ghostly woman in white roams a cemetery, very real looking ghost might strike up a conversation with you. And beware of the red eyes that will follow you wherever you go.
We're talking about Union Cemetery in eastern Connecticut.
The first grave might date back to at least the 1760s. It could be older than that, according to some reports and Ed and Lorraine Warren, who you may know from The Conjuring movie series - They even came here at one point, and we'll tell you more about that in a few minutes.
A few people have reported someone striking up a conversation with them while they were visiting the cemetery, but then they would just suddenly vanish. I mean, but they could also just be weirdos who like hanging out in the cemetery like that.
And then you have the woman in white.
And many people have reported seeing her, even the warrens.
Reports say she wears a white dress and has long black hair.
Like The Ring. Please don't remind me of that. I've just gotten over that trauma from years ago.
That movie was not that scary. Yeah, cause you got to sleep.
OK, continue on with the woman in white. Anyway, she floats through the cemetery, or she's seen looking sad and sitting on a tombstone and people have heard screaming and seeing a white mist.
Now many times she's along a nearby road and people claim they've driven through her, like they've driven through this mist.
And there's a story from 1993 when a police officer and a firefighter were in a car.
Now the firefighter was driving and he told local media that the sky looked weird and the hair on his arms stood up and his officer buddy yelled “watch out!” He saw a woman in the middle of the road in like this Victorian looking gown.
And he said he tried to stop in time, but he knows he hit her. But when that happened, he said, it was like hitting a brick wall. The back end of his truck went straight up in the air and the woman went over his hood and fell to the ground.
Now someone in another car that was behind him got out yelling “you hit her” or something like that.
So the three non-ghosts got out of their cars and they were looking around for this probably injured woman. But she's nowhere to be seen. But his car was dented and there was no blood. So who was she? Some reports say she could have killed her husband and then in turn was murdered herself.
Another theory says that she died giving birth and now she's looking for her baby. You know, who knows?
How about red eyes? Can't forget about that. People have reported seeing a set of red glowing eyes staring at them from the bushes. Uh, no thank you.
But first, before they see those eyes, they feel like a hot breath on their neck. Again, no thank you. Some people claim that they've been chased around the cemetery.
OK, Can you imagine those red eyes chasing you around and then not to mention the weirdos that are just appearing out of nowhere that want to talk to you? Again and again, no.
So one theory that's out there, and it's at least according to this article from the Travel Channel, it could be the spirit of a man who was killed across from the cemetery.
And we're not gonna go into how that happened in this podcast, but that was back in 1935 and, but if you think about it, 1935 for this cemetery, it's kind of relatively current. I mean Ed and Lorraine Warren wrote a book about this place called “Graveyard.”
So this story is about what's called the Black Mausoleum.
It's in Edinburgh, Scotland, at Greyfriars Kirkyard, which is a graveyard.
We've actually been there and this story caught our attention. So it's the final resting place of this lawyer George McKenzie from like the 17th century - old stuff. And to explain, we have to do a little history thing. And I promise I'll be quick.
So the king had wanted what's called A Common Book of Prayer, you know, everybody had to use it or else. And George McKenzie was the one to make sure everybody followed that rule.
So you can imagine he wasn't that popular. He was known to be vicious.
And this group of people decided to fight back and he tortured them. Or actually he really told others to do it, But he was in charge.
And we're talking like 1000 people had been in prison near this graveyard. They even called him Bloody Mackenzie, and that torture and other heinous things that happened went on at Greyfriars Kirkyard. That's the graveyard we're talking about in this story.
So George Mackenzie died years later after all that went on, and he was put in a mausoleum at Greyfriars. And there he was.
Now Fast forward to 1998. A man who was homeless needed somewhere to stay. So he broke into the mausoleum. And as you would imagine, in a mausoleum he saw, he was surrounded by coffins, George McKenzie being in one of them, and some of his family.
So the man who broke in decided to be really stupid and said, you know what, I'm gonna open one of these. Wouldn't say that's the smartest move he's ever made.
Besides, we all know what's in a coffin. Why would you want to open it? So he cracked one of the coffin lids open, and as that happened, the floor caved in underneath him and he fell into this strange pit that was under the mausoleum.
And you want to know what was in there? Bodies, of plague victims all piled up, apparently Bloody MacKenzie’s mausoleum was built on like top of this mass grave or something, and the way it was built, some of those bodies like, had been preserved at least somewhat. Y'all that guy ran out spring, as would I. However, I would not have gone in there in the 1st place and certainly not open a stranger’s coffin.
But why is this man's story so important? Well, after all that, people started reporting strange happenings.
Visitors to the grave would feel someone biting them, scratching them. Maybe they felt a push or cold would surround them when it wasn't even cold outside.
Some that have felt a burning sensation on their skin and some have felt sick, which remember from our trip to the Crescent Hotel and season one, could be a sign that something is there.
But here's the big one to me - some people even felt as if they were being strangled, but they couldn't see anybody.
The story says it's Bloody McKenzie, the man who was responsible for the torture and death of hundreds of people, was now awaken. Because maybe it was his coffin that guy opened.
Whoever it may be, you're warned not to walk too close to that mausoleum which the city has had locked up. I have to say, we went into one of the places in the graveyard where some of those attacks have taken place. It was on a ghost tour that of course, you know, we had to take. It's part of the old prison where those people who didn't want to pray the way the king had ordered, where they were being held, and we were all in there. And at one point we just, we just stood in silence and our tour guide just let us take it all in.
And I felt nauseous. And something brushed by me. Or so I thought. I felt it, but I couldn't see it. But I knew. He was there with me.
Salem, Massachusetts. It's known for the 1692 witch trials where 9 people were put to death after being accused of witchcraft. Now ultimately, this was a case of massive paranoia.
You know, there's some background here. There was a lot of tension as more people moved in the area, which put a strain on resources. And you had this reverend who had like had some kind of like, crazy power and his daughter and niece started having fits. And they would scream and they would yell. And so people of course thought this must be a witch's doing and they accused 3 women of bewitching them. And then the witch hunt began.
And it wasn't pretty. People would tell about dreams they had where certain women were witches in those dreams, and that was enough. They'd lock you up and put you on trial. Those 9 people were hanged in the spot now called Proctor's Ledge, and their bodies were just left there because nobody wanted to touch a witch or warlock. So people who have gone to Proctor's lives have experienced strange occurrences. They feel cold setting in when it shouldn't be, and some have seen orbs or they hear voices when no one else is there.
But one ghost that supposedly haunts Proctor's ledge? It's called the Lady in White, and they believe the voice that people are hearing may be hers. Now people have seen her, but then she vanishes quickly.
Is it one of the accused witches? And are there more spirits there that maybe we just can't see? And they're mad because they were put to death because two teenage girls accused them of something that they didn't do? Because their parents didn't give them enough attention.
Anyway, another ghost that is said to roam around Salem is linked to the witch trials. His name was Giles Corey and he was accused of witchcraft but refused to go to trial because if he did, the government would take his property. So he didn't say anything. Instead he was executed by pressing, which I won't get into because it's like very disturbing. But this way his family got to keep his property but he allegedly cursed the city as he was being executed. And now people have claimed to see Giles hanging out in the cemetery in town.
And the legend goes that it's before and after tragic events that he's seen, like this big fire that happened in 1914 and it started not far from Proctor's ledge, where the accused witches were executed.
And then there's this. As he supposedly cursed the town of Salem, he also cursed the I don't know, I guess you call him the sheriff type person in town. some stories say - The sheriff died suddenly a few years later.
And the legends say that curse has affected pretty much every sheriff since that time, until recently. Allegedly and it's a big allegedly there and they've had health problems.
So I'd say if you see Giles Corey, I'd run the other way, cause something bad's about to happen.
Now we have some pictures from Proctor's Ledge that we took on a recent trip to Salem.
If you want to check those out, you can go to our Facebook and Instagram pages.
Nice plug.
So let's talk about the Devil's Chair.
0There are actually several things called that in this spooky, haunted, creepy realm, but this one is in Alma, KS. Or maybe it's Alma. Not real sure.
but it's near Topeka and from what I can tell, this is a very small town. But the cemetery is the place to be.
First off, in the cemetery strange things have been reported.
People claim to have taken pictures and orbs have appeared, which in the ghost hunting world means there's a spirit there. And this one website called Only in Your State where you can find crazy stuff where you live. And this article claimed that people have been warned against going near the tree line. Supposedly there's a dark presence there. Someone claimed it had been following them. I don't know if someone is warning me about something in a cemetery, I think you should listen, but I would go investigate.
OK, but back to the devil's chair.
So this allegedly and again, I'm going to throw a big like maybe on all this.
This allegedly happened in the 1800s and this farmer owned the land and it had this well on it.
But he didn't want to sell the land like some people wanted him to.
Well, somebody didn't like that and they pushed him into the well.
Or, you know, it's not as dramatic, but I guess he may have just fallen in. Either way, legend says he died in there.
Somebody showed up on his property, probably trying to get him to sell it, and they smelled something.
Let's just say it was probably nasty.
But the person who went to check things out said he didn't see anything in the well. Hmm.
But it would be boarded up and the farmer's land was sold. And I'll say it again. Hmm.
So the story goes, if you sit on top of that, well… first off… not a good move cursed or not, well, if you do set up there, you'll vanish forever.
Allegedly, supposedly two teenagers were daring each other to sit there one point and people in their group looked away and the person who was on the well at the moment was gone. And they never saw that friend again.
Well, we hope you've enjoyed this week's very scary stories and a few urban legends that still scare me to this day.
Be sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts so you can be among the first to hear next week's tales from the Low Budget Ghost Squad.
Check out our Instagram and Facebook pages and our YouTube channel for some fun photos and videos about some of the scary stories you've heard and our trip to the Crescent Hotel in Arkansas from season one.
Now again, I'm going to tell you Season 2 from the Lord Baltimore Hotel will be out next month.
Cross your fingers and I can't wait to share that adventure with you guys.
The Low Budget Ghost Squad is part of Spellbound Productions - Written, directed, produced, edited, and anything else that needed to be done was by yours truly.
Thank you to Lucinda Peterson for the artwork for the show, and thank you to Allison and Ethan, as always for agreeing to do this and warning everybody about why we should never break into a mausoleum. And if you do, don't open a coffin.
