Bell Witch is Still a Mystery
General Andrew Jackson Investigated; Nandor Fodor Theorized
John Bell, living in Tennessee, was a married well-to-do farmer with eight children. They were staunch Baptists who led peaceful, contented lives until 1817 when Bell saw a large canine-like creature and a bird resembling a turkey. He shot at them, but they both vanished. This foretold inexplicable phenomena.
Bell Witch's Paranormal Beginnings: Typical Poltergeist Activity
- Rappings and scrapings on windows and doors
- Sounds of rats gnawing at the bedposts
- Noises of dogs clawing on the floor
- Covers pulled off beds
- Unseen hands slapping faces and pulling hair. The major victim was twelve-year-old Betsy who was also pinched and stuck with sharp objects. These phenomena are extremely rare.
Bell kept this secret, but finally confided in James Johnson who discovered there was an intelligence behind these events. Word about the eerie happenings spread.
Escalation of Bell Witch Activity
The entity began to verbalize, claiming to be different spirits, reminiscent of Gef, the mongoose who spoke. It was:
- A million year old spirit from heaven, hell and earth
- Spirit of a person whose nearby grave was disturbed
- Ghost of a dead immigrant
- Kate Batts’ witch who would torment Bell as long as he lived. Batts was alive and angry with Bell over business dealings.
The General’s Visits the Bell Witch
Kate visited the Bells daily, making predictions about a Civil War and two 20th century world wars, but her primary purpose was to torment Bell. Andrew Jackson heard about the witch and decided to visit, accompanied by Sam Houston and a professional exorcist.
When they were by the Bell farm, the carriage wheels stuck. They heard Kate say she would appear that night. The wheels began to move. That evening, all heard ghostly footsteps and a voice. The ghost-layer shot at Kate. He was slapped and scurried out of the house in fear.
Bell Witch AKA Kate Wreaks Havoc
Bell became sick. When he had convulsions, Kate cursed at him. On December 19, 1820, he was in a stupor from which he couldn’t be roused. There was a strange vial with dark liquid in the medicine chest. They tested the liquid by giving some to a cat. The animal died. The next morning, Bell was dead.
What Was Bell Witch/Kate?
The onset was poltergeist activity. Extensive research hasn’t revealed any other poltergeist cases resulting in death. Poltergeists rarely, if ever, communicate verbally.
Fodor, distinguished psychoanalyst and parapsychologist, questioned as to whether Katie was a spirit or a split-off part of Betsy’s personality. Although Katie had clairvoyant, psychokinetic and telepathic abilities, Fodor came to the conclusion that it was the latter. He further postulated that, if correct, theories about the dissociated personality had to be revised. Katie could act outside Betsy’s physiological body, had superior intelligence and performed paranormal acts.
If Fodor’s theory is correct, could it be that the one with the dissociated personality was Katie Batts?
Was there a unique entity producing the paranormal phenomena and Betsy, taking advantage, killed Bell? Some of Bell’s contemporaries suspected Betsy was behind the “haunting” and she hated, then killed, her father.
Related articles:
What Was Gef the Talking Mongoose?
Sources:
Haunted People, Hereward Carrington and Nandor Fodor, (A Signet Mystic Book, 1951)
Prominent American Ghosts, Susy Smith (The World Publishing Company, 1967)
Wagon wheels stuck
|
What do you think about this article?
Latest Articles