6 features October 7, 2011 76 7

Mark your calendar for these

local spooks

HauntedHollows

Mary, the friendly ghost

A literal blood bath

Unusual tales among our oaks

Hattiesburg, Mississippi is known for many different accolades such as Brett Favre and its great southern hospitality. However, one thing that many people do not associate Hattiesburg with is haunted houses. During the 1970s, a young couple bought a small home near the railroad to start not only their family but also their photography business. Even though the building had been used as a home for decades, it had originally been built

as a roadhouse, and during World War II, it served as a brothel for Camp Shelby. Today, the house resides behind Save Rite on Highway 98. However, what the young couple did not know was that this house was haunted. “I don’t know when we decided our ghost, or at least our main ghost, was a young woman. We just knew,” Bob Hubbard, last known owner of the house, said. The family experienced many different paranormal activities throughout their residence. On some days, they would see small toys sail across the room, while

on other days, they noticed a strange decrease in the room temperature. However, instead of being frightened, the family grew comfortable with the ghost. The family later learned her name was Mary, and she was brutally raped and murdered in this house during World War II. Bob and his wife Sylvia describe Mary as a slender young woman with long brown hair in a long dress. So, regardless of your plans on Halloween, be sure to pay Mary a visit.

In a house a minute’s walk from Forrest General Hospital, a terrible thing happened a few years ago. An older couple from California moved into this 1970s home and immediately began renovating. Almost as if to completely start over with a clean slate, they spent more money updating than they spent actually buying the house. Right when they moved in, their neighbors could tell that they weren’t your average retired couple. Word got around that the husband had been on the O.J. Simpson trial

as a juror, and suspicions about the couple’s haunted past were confirmed. After all of the renovations were finished, things began to quiet down to an almost too quiet silence. Being on the jury greatly affected the husband. He began writing a book about his time on the jury and the psychological repercussions of being involved in a trial so controversial. His experience brought nightmares and other mental changes that began to affect his daily life and his wife. When things got too strange for her, she decided to file for a divorce and move back to California. He was distraught, to say the least. Her leaving only

made things worse for him, and he slowly began losing his mind. She came back to pick up the last of her things and met him at their neighbors’ house. He begged her to come home with him for just a few minutes to talk. After much persuasion, she agreed. When they got home, he took her into the bathroom. He shot her through the head, and then shot himself in the head. It was a literal blood bath. The bodies were found by a next door neighbor. And the scariest part of the whole story? This all happened in the house I lived in for the first nine years of my life.

BY: NATHAN MAXWELL

Don’t lose your headIf you live in Oak Grove or the

surrounding area, you’ve most likely been told the tale of a haunting at Burnt Bridge. The legend seems to have it that on the old bridge there would be a young girl in a prom dress who would ride across on the hood of your car around midnight. For the longest time, many frightened people stayed away from the bridge out of fear of encountering this phenomenon. But after the bridge burned down, everyone flocked to the area, believing that the spot was now safe. However, was the location really ever safe? In order to find out, the original source for this legend must be unveiled. The old legend, before it was modified, told the tale in a different manner. The legend originates back in horse and buggy days when a man and his young bride approached the wooden bridge just as another buggy was approaching from the other side. The horses were spooked by the approaching buggy, and they started

bucking. The buggy turned over, and the wheel viciously caught the wife’s head sending it plunging into the creek. The headless bride is said to walk the woods by night searching for her head. Will Pipes, senior at Oak Grove stated, “Yes, I have talked to many people who claim to have seen her. They say she floats just above the ground wearing a wispy white wedding dress.” It appears that this legend has made its way around the school because Ryan Cone, junior, added, “A friend of mine tells the story of his grandfather who was a circuit preacher, traveling from church to church. He was on his way to preach a revival at Burnt Bridge when the headless woman jumped upon the running board of his old car. Needless to say, he never finished the revival.” So, is Burnt Bridge really haunted? As Halloween approaches, this tale will be tested as locals are left to await yet another sighting of the headless woman.

By: Jenny Tran, Staff Reporter

By: Austin Heusser, Staff Reporter

By: Julie Robinson, Staff Reporter

Source: Ghosts! Personal Accounts of Modern Mississippi Hauntingsby Sylvia Booth Hubbard

Hattiesburg Zoo BooKamper Park ~ October 25-31, 5:30-8:00 ~ Tickets $5

Rocky Horror Picture ShowSaenger Theatre ~ October 28, 8:00-9:00 ~ Tickets $10

House of 1000 PsychosForrest Paper Company Building, Downtown HattiesburgOctober 13-31, 7:00 ~ Tickets $15

Terror TestLumberton, MS ~ Check dates at www.terrortest.com ~ Tickets $15

Haunted ForestNorth Forrest ~ Check dates at www.nfvfd.com ~ Tickets $10