You've opened the door to the janitor's domain, a broom closet full of wonders.
Beyond the plungers, brooms, and unknown items of disgust are memories of the
past. The memories you are about to hear are not for the faint of heart. The
memories are meant for mature audiences only. Listener discretion is advised.
Prepare yourself for tales from the janitor.
Whoa! Hello there. You really snuck up on me. I didn't hear you at all. Kind of had
something rattling around in my noggin. Ah geez, some of these stains are hard to
get out. Blood is always the worst. Don't worry though, it's not my blood. I actually
don't know whose blood this is. My boss, Mr. Holmes, is always bringing guests
around. I've met a lot of people. I think people just don't understand him the way
I do. There are a lot of urban legends about him. Did you know that urban
legends have been around since man first learned how to communicate? They have
many different names. Tall tales, old wives tales, myths. The list goes on and
on. I asked you here today because I want to discuss them. What do you need to do
you might ask? Absolutely nothing. Just listen as I will tell the stories in a
very unique way. Buckle up as we will be traveling the globe and learning about
the stories. We'll dwell deep into the stories to hear what happened. We just
won't be talking about them but actually experiencing them. How do we experience
them you might ask? Well you're just gonna have to wait and find out. For our
first story let's travel to Oxford, Alabama. Where? Well they have the Hell's
Gate. What you were about to hear is well on the fantastical side. Doesn't mean
it's not true though. Oh I'm sorry I don't get to talk to many people. On with
the show. Bobby I need to get home. Relax I'll be ready to leave soon. Come on
Bobby quit messing around. I have to get home. All right guys little lady has
spoken. She's got a big day tomorrow. We'll be back next weekend. Thank you
Bobby. I know you'll make it up to me. Oh I can think of a couple of ways. Only a
couple? I can think of a couple that I would like to do right now. You save
those thoughts for later. I thought you were taking me home. I am taking you
home this way is just quicker. You're not going across the bridge are you? I don't
know any other way to cross the river so yeah we're crossing on the bridge. Don't
take us on the bridge Bobby. It's night time. Oh come on now you don't believe
that story do you? My cousin once had a friend's sister whose cousin's stepbrother
who saw it. So just cuz your cousin's friend's sister whose cousin's stepbrother
saw it you believe it? They said once you get on the bridge and you turn around
you'll see the fiery gates of hell. Well here's the bridge now I'm gonna prove
you wrong.
I don't see the gates of hell Sally. Get out yourself take a look. I'm not moving.
Oh come on there's nothing to be afraid of. I am not moving. Suit yourself I
was just trying to show you there's nothing here. I see the sun setting and
birds flying about. Did you spill something? I haven't moved. My seat's all
wet. Your seat is all wet? Yeah like someone just got finished swimming and
sat down in my seat. Hold on I think I got a towel or shirt in the back.
Bobby no!
Sally? We gotta go. What is it? Nothing we just gotta go. Get me off this bridge Bobby.
I'm trying I'm trying the truck won't start. Sally what are you doing?
I'm not staying here. I'm not turning around. I'm making a run for it.
Many years ago a young couple lost their lives on that bridge. On a dark night if you stop on the bridge and
turn off all the lights a member of the dead couple will get into the vehicle
leaving a wet spot on the seat. Supposedly the water filters fast into the seat
leaving evidence of the presence of the couple that had lost control of their
car and drowned in that water below many years ago. These days the rustic bridge
has been deemed unsub. It's now blocked with cement barriers making it impossible for
cars to drive onto it. I guess we'll never know if the Hell's Gate is still
working or not. Our second story takes us to the town of Abbeville where mothers
rush their children home at night. They don't want them to see Hug and Molly.
48 49 50 ready or not here I come. You didn't have to count to 50 Henry. We're playing tag
not hide and seek. Let him count I need to catch my breath. I'm going to get you.
You're not gonna catch me. Ah time out time out. No timeouts in tag. But I fell. Don't care.
You're it. I'm gonna get you anyway so it doesn't really matter. You're not gonna get me.
I hate being it. Let me tag one of you. The object is not getting tagged. Tag you're it Billy.
I don't want to play anymore. We should be going home. We got time. It's not that late.
You're just saying that because you're it. I see the sun setting. Maybe we should be getting
home. Oh come on you guys. I can't believe that you actually believe that some old woman is just
gonna come out of the woods and grab one of us. She doesn't grab us. She hugs us. You're
afraid of a woman wanting to hug you. Excuse me children. Do you know. It's hugging Molly.
Why don't you run child. I'm not afraid. You should be. The mothers want their children to
hurry home at dark. The legend of the witch like hugging Molly was a helper. For children
she was downright frightening. Legend claims a phantom woman would appear to children but only
at night she would squeeze them tightly then scream in their ears. She never harmed them other than
perhaps causing some ringing in their ears. The figure was as much as seven feet tall wearing
dark clothing and a wide brimmed hat. One version of the story claims Molly was the ghost of a woman
who had lost an infant who dealt with the tragedy by hugging local children. Another states Molly
was a professor at the former southeast Alabama agriculture school who was trying to keep students
safe by keeping them off the streets at night. For our next story we travel to Selma where we
have the story of someone just vanishing right in front of their eyes. The farmer's name was
Orion Williamson. Have you heard about him? Have you seen him? Mama, I'm thirsty. Can I get some water?
Go ahead dear. Can you grab some for your father too? He looks hot. Yes mama. Thank you sweetie.
Hi neighbors. I got the water mama. Thank you. Just put it on the table will you? Wave to your
father. Hi papa. I have some water for you. Hey Orion. Crop. It's looking good. Honey why don't you
go give that water to your father? Where is he? He's in. But where did he go? Orion. Orion.
Orion. I beg you he playing games. Go help me look for him. Okay mama. Papa. Papa.
Papa. Where did your husband go? He was just waving at us and then he just disappeared.
I can't find him mama. We'll keep looking. I will help. He was just standing right here and
now he's just vanished. Anyone seen anything yet? Nothing yet. You keep looking. I'll head into town
and get the police and maybe small people. Please hurry. Papa. Papa. Papa. You find anything sweetie?
Nothing mama. Keep looking. Maybe he's hurt. Papa. Papa. Papa. Papa.
The police and some townspeople are coming right behind me.
All right people. Right out and start walking. Look at everything. He has to be out here somewhere.
One hot July afternoon in 1854 a farmer named Orion Williamson was walking on his farm near
Selma. Reportedly Williamson's wife and family were on the front porch of the farmhouse.
Then neighbors passed by and waved to Williamson who was walking in ankle-deep grass.
Orion waved back before vanishing right before the eyes of his family and neighbors.
The party ran to the site frantically searching but found no sign of Williamson. Soon a search
party was formed and 300 men are said to have combed the fields well into the night. In the days to
come people came from far and wide to see where the farmer vanished. One visitor was young journalist
and future author Ambrose Beers who would document the case in his story the difficulty of crossing
a field. Ironically Beers himself would disappear circa 1914. According to the Williamson legend
Mrs. Williamson and her son could hear Orion's voice calling for help. The cries grew fainter
as the weeks passed before finally stopping. For our next story we travel the Red Level a place
that is known to have hellhounds, a shrieking banshee, and even reports of a whole ghost unit
marching to battle. There's even a story of a haunted outhouse.
Did you watch the game last night? Roll tide. Roll tide. Did you see that one move that running back
did? He broke that linebacker's ankles. I couldn't believe that the safety caught him and stopped him
for the touchdown. Oh darling. Yeah but we scored on the next play. Yeah I think we could have scored
more. Why? The third string was put in the second quarter. I know it just would have been nice to
score a hundred. Oh man the score was 63 to 7. I think we scored enough. Hey you hear that? Man
I can't hear a thing over this dang truck. It sounds like a drum and people marching. Oh golly
the dang truck dad. Bruce come out here and take a look. Are you seeing what I'm seeing? Are you seeing
a bunch of confederate troops marching past the church? Yeah. Oh my look at the swings.
Earl why you suppose them swings is moving? There ain't no wind right now. Oh I can't move.
Oh I neither can I. Oh shit. What are we going to do? Oh pray. Oh god oh god oh god.
Oh god oh god oh god. No what are we going to do? Help.
distracted?
Oh, oh, oh!
j-
Oh, jeez-
jesus, what the fuck?
What the fuck?
What the-
What the fuck was that?
I'm losing!
Oh, oh, oh, oh my...
Oh my god.
Oh, oh, my...
Oh, oh, f-
Oh, oh, oh, oh!
Oh, j-
Oh, oh no!
I don't-
I don't think we need to tell anyone what we saw!
Yeah!
Earl, I am not going to any loony bin!
Oh, I didn't see or hear anything.
No, in fact, I'll just walk to the next cans.
Yeah, no, you didn't see anything.
You didn't see a thing.
Just keep walking.
You didn't see a thing.
That's a really nice ride.
Whoa, what?
I gotta stop drinking so late.
Churches are havens of safety, places of welcome and respect, a heavenly pathway to God.
But that doesn't mean they can't have their own tales of unexplained happiness.
According to the legend, the red-eyed hellhounds, Shrieking Banshee, and the haunted outhouse
all call the Consolation Cemetery near red level their home.
Some legends seem to have transferred to nearby Oakey Street Methodist Church, where people
say they've heard the marching of a ghostly confederate unit and witnessed a ghost rider
in a black 1964 Ford truck.
Oakey Street Methodist Church, built in the 1880s and named for the plethora of oak trees
surrounding it, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is still in
use.
The cemeteries are closed after dark and ghost hunting visits are discouraged because of
the potential for vandalism.
In our last stories, we travel to Huntsville, where we come across two stories, both involving
children.
Come on, Paul.
There is a playground over there.
Let's stop and let the kids play.
They can play a little bit while we stretch our legs.
You're right.
Thirty minutes, then we're back on the road.
You hear that, kids?
Dad's gonna let you play for a little bit.
I said thirty minutes only.
Stay where we can see ya.
Oh, you worry too much.
You need to relax.
Jan, I'm gonna worry.
You know what's going on in Vietnam.
Bobby got his notification in mail last week.
Paul, the government is not going to want some big tough guy like you.
They're gonna want those farm boys up north.
We all bleed the same.
It doesn't matter.
My only crime was being born black.
Or being born black in Alabama.
I'll just tell Uncle Sam that you can't go.
You can leave Alabama, but Alabama never leaves you.
Oh yeah?
You can't ride two horses with one ass.
What are you gonna...
Where are the kids at?
David?
Ugh!
Nancy!
Well, Uncle Sam ain't gonna take me, cause when I find those kids, I'm gonna beat him.
Don't say that.
Help me look for them
What do you think I'm doing?
David!
Nancy!
When I find those kids, they ain't gonna be able to sit down for a week.
Paul, get over here quick!
What?
You see them?
No!
It's Nancy's doll.
She never leaves this alone.
David!
Nancy!
Adjoining Huntsville's historic Maple Hill Cemetery is a playground.
It looks much like any other, featuring a swing set and pavilion.
But this playground isn't like others.
Passersby often say they can see the swings moving on their own volition, as well as orbs
or spectral figures.
Legend says the spirits of the children buried in the cemetery, founded in 1822, come there
to play.
Some also like to repeat the myth that children were buried in the playground following a
series of abductions in the 1960s.
It's known as the Dead Children's Playground.
In our final tale this evening, we discuss the grave of Sally Carter.
Anyone attending school in Huntsville through 1982 likely made a visit to Sally Carter's
grave.
According to legend, Sally was a teenager visiting her sister, Mary Ewing, at Cedarhurst
Mansion in 1837 when she took ill and died.
She was buried in the family cemetery at the South Huntsville estate.
Her headstone read,
My flesh shall slumber in the ground, To the last trumpet's joyful sound, And burst the
Technical
Remember to fix me.
Mmm... Okay...
Fix... Remember... Sally...
Remember me.
Storm last night. I better go out and see the damage before Paul yells at me.
Remember to fix me.
Shhh... I have to check that gravestone.
Okay, it's right here. Right here where the dream told me it would be. It fell down. Let me put it back up.
There you go Sally. Rest now again. My flesh shall slumber in the ground till the last trumpet's joyful sound. Then burst this chain to a sweet surprise and end my Savior's image right.
Sightings of Sally's ghost started in 1919 when a teenage boy who was staying at the mansion had a dream about her.
In the dream, Sally came to him and told him to fix her tombstone which had been toppled over during the previous night's storm.
Sure enough, when he went to visit her tombstone the next morning, it had been knocked down. Sweet home Alabama is full of other stories that we didn't get a chance to hear today.
But we may venture back and we'll listen to more stories from the area. But I need to change my clothes. Mr. Holmes got arrested. I need to find another job. I got a lead on working with McCluskey brothers in Juneau.
Sorry, but where we're going next is a little cold. I'll see you in Alaska. Take care and stay alive.