Haunted Objects: Charley The Doll

Photo by Cauer an Atlas Obscura User

In 1968 a doll would be discovered in the attack of a Victorian home in Upstate New York. It was inside a forgotten trunk. It had laid among tattered newspapers from the early 1930s and a yellow piece of paper containing the Lord's Prayer. The doll however could not be dated. 

The doll would be given the name Charley and added to other antiques in the home. He would blend in well with the rest of the dolls in the collection. There was little attention given to him until he began moving from his place on the bench of dolls. 

The parents would blame their five children because if it wasn't the parents it had to be the children. The children never fessed up to moving the doll, however. The parents never witnessed anything, but the children began to act weird around the doll. 

The youngest daughter (4) had at one point claimed that Charley spoke to her when she got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. The parents believed it to be her wild imagination. Then the other four children refused to use the bathroom at night or go near the bench within 5 feet. One day the youngest was covered in scratches with the blame placed on Charley instead of their cat. 

The parents wanting to end the children's antics removed Charley from his place. They would lock him back up in the attic in the trunk he was originally found in. Everything would go back to normal and Charley wasn't being blamed for anything. He would lay there for years forgotten. 

Years later after the children were grown the house was sold. The trunk was found in the attic and sold in a garage sale. Charley was one of the last things to go and went to a woman wanting him for her own antique doll collection. She was warned of Charley's antics. 

Charley would switch hands several times with stories of moving from time to time. It was made sure his story of the family in 1968 was told to each owner. It's said that he is more active around children.

In Salem, Massachusetts a shop called the "Local Artisan". The shop beholds odd things suck as taxidermied animals, unusual art, and oddities. He can now be seen by the public. 

SOURCES:

Atlas Obscura

From Tiny Pennies

The Ghost in My Machine

Robert The Doll

Robert the Doll was created at the turn of the 20th century. He was handmade by the Steiff Company in Germany and was stuffed with wood wool called excelsior. Robert stood at 40 inches tall and wears a sailor suit. His now faded make up was that of what resembled jester makeup. It is thought that he was fashioned in the image of Robert Eugene Otto. Robert had taken the first name of his owner while his owner used the name Gene.

Gene and Robert were best friends growing up. Some believe it was voodoo that played a part in Roberts being, but the family of Gene believed it was the emotional energy placed upon him by Gene. Whenever Gene would misbehave he would then blame Robert for it.

According to legend servants would hear Gene would having conversations using two voices by himself in his room. Gene would also wake up in the middle of the night screaming and his family would come in and see all his furniture over turned. "Robert did it." He would say. They also claimed that Roberts giggles would be hear around the house.

Some rumors even say that Gene's wife had died from insanity caused by Robert. There are even some rumors that Robert was by Genes side when he died.

Gene became a prominent artist and had even designed Fort East Martello Museum. He planned on making his childhood home in Key West, Florida into a museum to with wax imprints of artists hands being a part of it. Gene never saw this as he died at 73 in 1974.

Myrtle Reuter purchased the home in 1974 and she found a companion in Robert. He even moved around in her house making it haunted. She even brought Robert with her when she moved to Von Phister Street six years later. In 1994 she donated Robert to the Fort East Martello Museum. A few months later she had died.

 It was said the the staff noticed a shift of energy when Robert came. Once he was put on display the cameras and electronics malfunctioned. Soon letters were sent to Robert apologizing for the disrespect they showed and asked for forgiveness.

Other Images:

 




Photo's of Gene




SOURCES:
http://robertthedoll.org/a-boy-his-doll/
http://www.kwahs.org/exhibitions/robert-the-doll
https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=24778775