Disappearance of Columbus G. McLeod

In 1908, 62/63-year-old Columbus G. McLeod was a DeSoto County sheriff. On November 30th he carried out game law enforcement duties in Lee County, Florida. He was searching for egret hunters at Cayo Pelau Island. He was never seen again and it's presumed he was killed. 

His boat was found sunken with sand sacks tied to it. His hat was located nearby with two axe chips, blood, and hair. His body was however never recovered. 

SOURCES:
Officer Down Memorial Page

Find a Grave
International Missing Persons

Murder of Robert Allan

On December 1, 1904, 34-year-old Robert Allan was at his home at Drumshangie Farm between Greengairs and Airdrie, Scotland with his wife and 3-week-old child. This was the first night that they did not have any servants at the farm. 

Just after they went to bed some people came up to the window and disturbed them. This irritated  Robert and he opened the door holding his double-barrelled fowling piece. He fired into the sky to scare them away. This however did not happen as the people became more roudy. He went back in put on his trousers and went back out with his gun. He would fire another shot and never be seen alive again. It's believed he had followed the men down the roadway to where the trolley had been drawn.

He would be found dead on an old pit road leading from the farm to Watstown. He was lying across a track partially on his right side with one arm underneath him. His gun was a few feet away from him resting on the embankment on the road. It was found that he had been shot in the stomach. It's believed he was shot with his own gun. 

One theory was that he had stumbled in the dark and accidentally shot himself, but his guy was found several feet away and the locks of the gun were found to be empty of cartridge cases. The other is that Robert and one of the men fought over the gun and he was shot in the struggle. That the killer moved him and his gun from their original positions. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Murder of Flora Alice Fisher

On July 24, 1904, 27-year-old Flora Fisher complained of her insides hurting. The next day she would get a consultation from 3 doctors. Flora stated that she didn't know what caused her illness. 

On September 5, 1904,  Flora was taken to Westminster Hospital in London, England. She would soon after die from sepsis caused by an illegal abortion. It was obvious that these were not self-inflicted and that someone had done this to her. 

Her husband was informed and it was said in newspapers that he seemed surprised. He had no idea and that he and Flora were not the type of people to do something like that. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Daily Mirror September 10, 1904

Saturday Telegraph September 24, 1904

The Sunday People September 25, 1904

Ghosts: The Watercress Lady

 

Created in Bing Create

Pluckley, England is home to many hauntings. One of which is of a woman called the Watercress Lady. In the early 1900's likely the 1920's there was a gypsy woman who was living in Pluckley. Now Gypsies at the time were traveling nomads from either Ireland or Eastern Europeans living in wagons and at their stops would either earn money from trading things or working on local farms. This woman made a living gathering watercress and selling it to the villagers.

The old woman was known as an eccentric but harmless person. She was known for smoking her clay pipe and known to enjoy gin from her battered old flask. After the sun would set she would go to the crossroads bridge. She would sit on the walls enjoying the night air smoking her pipe and drinking her gin.

However one unfortunate night she fell asleep while doing so. She would spill her flask on herself and the pipe would fall and light her up. It was said that no one heard her screams. The next day she would be found as a pile of ashes with her flask and pipe nearby. Letting people know it was the Watercress Lady and she had a tragic end.

Even though the Watercress Lady's screams were not heard the night she died it was afterward. Her ghost would be seen many times after her death reliving her death. She would be covered in flames and her heartbreaking screams could be heard. Slowly however she stopped being a screaming ball of fire to a faint pink glow hovering over the place she burned to death.

SOURCES:
London Walking Tours

Ghost Connections

Ghosts Wiki

Murders of Thomas Smith and Squire Knyston

 

Photo of Thomas Smith

On April 4, 1905, 15-year-old Thomas Smith would leave his home on Wood Street in Chorlton-on-Medlock in Manchester, England. His mother would think that he was looking for work. However, the timid boy would not return home that night. It was assumed that maybe he had gone to visit either his sister in Dunkinfield or the one in Denton. 

The next day two boys he knew came to the house and asked if Thomas was going to work. Not knowing where Thomas was and not wanting him to lose his job she sent a note to his employers that he wasn't feeling well. However, she was worried sick about him. She would make inquiries to see if he was at either sisters, but he wasn't.

At 3pm on April 11, 1905, a rag-and-bone men would go to an uninhabited house on Hoyle Street off Fairfield Street in Ancoats. While gathering items he looked in the cellar window a body would be found lying on his back under a slab. He would tell another rag-and-bone man his discovery and the two would go to the police. 

The police would break into the home and go down to the cellar. It was obvious that the boy was murdered brutally. There was a bloody brick on his neck. A newspaper comic of "Funny Cuts" from April 8th was found stuffed in his mouth as a gag and his red handkerchief with 7 black stripes was tied over it. He was partially dressed and what clothes he had were torn and disarrayed. His pants were pulled down in the back and cut in the front. 

 His face was so beaten that he was unrecognizable. His body was also covered in bruises. He had fought back with his attacker that the nail from his middle left finger was torn off. His arms were covered in scratches he wasn't just beaten, but also stomped as a boot print was on his stomach. His genitals were also mutilated while he was alive. 

It could not be said if he was sexually assaulted, but it was suspected that he was. 

Even though the brick was bloody and found at the scene the coroner believed that a knob-like object was used to beat him. 

It was thought that he had been dead for a couple of days even though he had been missing for a week. It's not stated if they think he was held prisoner, but they know that the crime didn't happen in the cellar he was found in. The only access was a window as the doors to the cellar were locked. 

He had not been reported missing, but when the description was put in the paper his mother knew it was him. His mother and older brother, Issac, would go to identify him. They could not identify him from his face due to the brutality on it. Instead, they identified him by his clothes. At the time he was dressed in a black Vicuna jacket, black vest, dark grey trousers with black stripe, blue and red striped cotton shirt, two odd black stockings, and clasped clogs. He also had in his possession a second-class ticket for the swimming bath, Mayfield Baths, number 7,837.

In 1906, 15-year-old Squire Kynston lived with his mother at Whitsuntide at 7 Back Grey Street in Manchester, England. In August he and his mother would get into an argument after he had stayed out all night. She saw him the day after he stayed out on Butler St. She would say "You naughty boy, go right home and stay in the house" while slapping him on the side of the head. She would never see him again after this argument. 

Someone had told her later he was with his cousin. She would assume that Squire was staying with her sister and assumed he was safe. She did not check up on him however since she and her sister did not have a good relationship. It wasn't stated if he was staying with his aunt or just assumed he was. 

On Chapel St behind London Road Station, there was an unoccupied house set to be demolished. On November 20th A workman would enter the house. He stated when he entered the ground floor rooms of the home there was a stench in the air. He would find out that the stench was coming from the cellar. He would go down the stairs nearly tripping over something. It was Squire's body. The worker would quickly go and get the police. 

One of his shoulders was under a slab of flag and his head was partially under a slope stone. Squire was not wearing any clothes when he was found, but a thin strap was found wrapped around his neck. It's believed it was wrapped tightly around his neck. It was unknown what his cause of death was as he was too decomposed and rats had been eating him. However, it was believed he may have been sexually assaulted as his pants were not on him. He was not beaten on his head like Thomas.

Though both boys had died in different ways, the way they were found in similar ways and places. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK (Thomas)

Unsolved Murders UK (Squire)

Days of Horror

Manchester Evening News April 12, 1905

Leicester Mercury April 12, 1905

Birmingham Evening Mail

March 14, 1989 Salisbury, Maryland Doe

On March 14, 1989, partial skeletal remains were found in a ditch in a rural area in Salisbury, Maryland. It's stated that the estimated is 1900 to 1989. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

October 9, 1901 Somerville, Indiana John Doe

On October 8, 1901, a young unknown man would be seen in Somerville, Indiana. On the 9th he would be seen walking up and down the streets stopping to rest once in a while in front of stores. He spoke very little, but people could tell he was of more than ordinary intelligence. He had gone to the train station several times to ask when the train was going to arrive. 

He would start walking down the track about 30 minutes before the train would arrive. When the train got close to him he ignored it. The engineer in the cab blew the whistle and it alerted the man. He looked up at the train and walked to the edge of the track as if he was going to walk off the track, but stopped just before doing so with one foot on the rail. Instead of walking off he turned and walked towards the train.

The Train tried to stop but was not able to. The man was struck but was still alive and unconscious. The train crew would bring him aboard and physicians aboard tried to help him. It seemed that he broke his arm, his back was injured and he had internal injuries. He died a few minutes after his arrival. 

The man seemed to have taken precautions before his death. There did not seem to have been any way of identifying him. It may have been his plan to kill himself in this town where no one knew him.

John Doe was around 21 years old. He was well dressed and may have been middle class. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Evansville Courier and Press October 10, 1901

Evansville Courier and Press October 11, 1901

September 14, 1902, Siskiyou County, California Jane Doe

On September 14, 1902, two people would go on a hunting trip in Siskiyou County, California near Hornbrook. During the morning they passed by a basket but paid no attention to it thinking someone would come for it or was near. When they walked by again later seeing the basket there they investigated it. They would find items belonging to a woman, some clothing including a nightgown, a woman's purse with three one-cent pieces, and nickel and another purse having $ 1.50 in small change.

About 50 feet away was a tree. This would be where a gruesome discovery would happen. A woman's body was hanging from the tree but it was obviously not a suicide, but a brutal murder. The woman had a brutal death. It was obvious she fought for her life before her killer shot her in the right eye partially blowing away some of her skull. After her death, the killer would tie her to the large branch of the tree. She was found with one foot double under her and the other hanging down the hill. She was tied with a light rope.

It was obvious from the scene that the woman had greatly fought for her life. The area she was killed was trampled pieces of her clothing had were ripped from her. Her dress sleeves were torn off, her underclothing was disordered and her cape was ripped to shreds. Fur pieces from the cape were found some distance from where she was killed.

From the description of her clothes, she was seen in Hornbrook Around two weeks before she and a man were seen eating at Day's restaurant. The two were strangers to town and were also seen driving a span of yellow horses after the meal.

Jane Doe was between 40 and 45-years-old when she died.

SOURCES:
Find a Grave
Evening Sentinel September 24, 1902

Urban Legends: Pan of Cherokee Park

Photo by Alan Canon

Cherokee Park is located in Louisville, Kentucky. It's a good place to see some natural scenery and maybe be able to see the mischievous Pan come to life.

In 1903 Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Hogan from Anchorage, Kentucky submitted a letter to the Board of Park Commissioners. They suggested building a water fountain for dogs and horses and offered $7,000 in order to help erect one. The Commission would ask park designers, and Louisville park architects Olmstead and Associates to find a site for the fountain. The highest part of Cherokee Park was chosen.

To Mrs. Hogan's suggestion, they decided to the Greek God Pan to be the subject of the fountain. Lousiville sculptor, Enid Yandell, designed the fountain. The statue of Pan was sculpted and cast in bronze to appear lively. Pan who has a human body, horns on his head, and goat legs and feet appeared to be dancing holding his musical pipe. He is flocked by turtles that are used as water spouts into the 14 ft wide basin. The basin was decorated with four dog heads from which water also flows into a trough.

The fountain would be erected and dedicated on August 31, 1905.

According to urban legend during the full moon or maybe even every night at midnight Pan comes to life. It's said that Pan gets up to mischief sometimes even damaging vehicles nearby. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia (Pan)

Louisville Ghost Hunters Society

Lousiville Halloween

Only In Your State

August 30, 2013 La Paz County, Arizona Doe

On August 30, 2013, on the banks of a river near Ehrenberg, Arizona a mandible was found. Gender could not be determined, but it's believed that they were between 18 to 55-years-old, and died between 1905 to 2005.


SOURCES:
NamUs

Lost Film: Les Mousquetaires de la reine (1903)

On June 13, 1903, the french silent film Les Mousquetaires de la reine, sold in the United States as The Queen's Musketeers and in Britain as The Musketeers of the Queen was released by Georges Méliès's company Star Film Company. It was numbered 460-461 in its catalogs. It's assumed that the film is now lost. It's believed to be based on Alexander Duma's novel The Three Musketeers. 

PLOT:

Before going to war with his neighbors the Kind reviews his men. The Queen's musketeers are young men considered the best. These young men maneuver in front of the King, Queen, and the Court performing the most difficult tactics.

 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

IMDB

Lost Media: A Fake Diamond Swindler (1908)

Georges Méliès in 1938

A Fake Diamond Swindler is a French silent comedy released in May 1908. The film was directed by Georges Méliès. and produced by Star Film Company.

PLOT:

In a laboratory that is full of chemicals and electrical apparatuses, a man claims to have invented a way to create diamonds. He is sought after and is swindling people of their money for his alleged process. The President of diamond mines in South Africa comes to see. He watches a diamond manufactured and receives it as a scarf pin.

The gendarmes enter and drag the impostor to court. During the exciting and ludicrous legal proceedings, he escapes. He knocks officials over and leaves through a window and is followed in hot pursuit. There are many obstacles encountered and overturned, one example being a couple on a park bench. t ends with him caught and behind bars.

SOURCES:
Wikipedia
IMDB

May 17, 1900 Acton, England Jane Doe

 In 1899, Alfred Johnson, a laborer, began living in his home on  9 Junction Rd, Acton, England. On May 17, 1900, the Brentford Gas Company came to lay some pipes in the home. They sent Thomas Sheild to do the job and he had to take up the floor to do it. About a foot from the Heartstone Thomas spotted what he thought was a rat's nest. He then realized that it was a skull and he called to the other worker. The two would then contact the police. 

Under the floorboards was the body of a young girl around 2 to 3 years old. She had been covered in lime and wrapped in a child chemise. Her cause of death could not be found and her hands were missing, but it wasn't stated whether or not the hands were destroyed due to the lime or removed either by a person or animal activity. The way her body was found it was believed that she was put there with care, but that does not mean she wasn't murdered. Due to the lime it was unknown when she died 2 to 3 years. 

There were several tenants who came in and out of the home, but the children were traced. One family who lived there between 1896 and August 1898 stated that all their children were fine and there was no noticeable smell. The next family moved in October 1898 and stated that there was a woody smell and it was stronger when the floor was washed and moved out around a year later. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Middlesex County Times May 26, 1900

Acton and Chiswick Gazzette June 1, 1900

April 2, 1905 Ogden, Utah John Doe

On April 2, 1905, the body of a man was found drowned in Ogden, Utah. 

John Doe was a white male around 40-years-old. 

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Find a Grave

August 20, 1997 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada

On August 20, 1997, a canoeist found a human skull on the Moose Jaw River just south of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada. The skull was exposed to the elements between 50 to 100 years. Meaning she may have died between the 1890s to the 1940s.

The skull belonged to a preteen girl around 12-years-old. She may have possibly been white.

SOURCES:
Canadas Missing
Doe Network
Unidentified Wiki

Lost Film: The Fountain of Bakhchisaray (1909)

The Fountain of Bakhchisaray is a Russian short silent drama film released in 1909. The film was directed by Yakov Protazanov


CAST:

Vladimir Shaternikov as Khan
Mariya Korolyova as Zarema
Yelizaveta Uvarova
Aleksey Muravin



PLOT:

The Crimean Khan Giray brings Maria to the harem. Zarema is filled with jealousy as she loves Khan more than anything. Zarema tells this Maria this and Maria admits she did not want to be a part of the Harem. She was eager for freedom and understood that it was only possible with death. Khan learns of Maria's death and orders the execution of Zarema. This would build a fountain of tears.


SOURCES:
Wikipedia
IMDB

January 3, 1901 Welsh, Louisiana John Doe

 At 2 p.m. on Jan. 3, 1901, four miles out of Welsh, Louisiana the crew of a freight train saw bloodied clothes hanging from the cards. Upon inspection, the body of a mangled teenage boy was found. It's believed that the boy was a stowaway on the train and lost his hold causing him to fall beneath and be mangled by the train. He had broken both legs, and crushed his skull, one arm was severed and the other only held on by skin.

 A trainman came forward stating he believed he saw the boy in Houston, Texas. The boy told him he had returned from the Philippines and was heading to New Orleans to see his brothers. He stated one brother worked at a slaughterhouse and the other worked at a mill.

John Doe was a white male was between 14 and 16-years-old. He seemed to be wearing a new suit with overalls over it to help protect it. He had no identifying papers on him when he was found. He did have a tattoo of an anchor with the initials G.T.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki

December 27, 1902 Newent, England

On December 27, 1902, a woman would go to a well for water on Botloes Green in Newent, England. She would look inside the well and thought she had seen her cat. She would ask a man to help her retrieve it from the well. Instead of a cat, it was the body of a 10-day-old baby girl.

The coroner stated that the girl had breathed and was 10 days old. She had died from neglect and want of care at birth.


SOURCES:
Unsolved Murders UK

Lost Film: The Sacred Fountain (1901)

The Sacred Fountain is a French Silent film released in 1901. It was directed by George Méliès and was 2 minutes long. It is listed as number 360 in Star Film Company's catalog. The film is now believed to have been lost. 

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

August 27, 1900 Conway, Florida John Doe

 On August 27, 1900, a white man killed a black man in Conway, Florida. The Victim resided and worked at the Turpentine Camp in Conway. He remained unidentified and buried in an unmarked grave at the Potter's Field of Greenwood Cemetary in Orlando, Florida. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki