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Features Archive:

2005 Archive:
Whose Scrooge? - by Lee Prosser
December 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Spirit Dor by John Richards
December 9, 2005


The Witchcraft Connection - The Ghostly Carpenter - by Marcus Foxglove Griffin
December 6, 2005

Column - regular feature

Nature is a Haunted House - by Lee Prosser
December 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Hollywood Ghost Hunt Weekend by Richard Senate
November 28, 2005


Clairvoyance, Ghosts, and Music - by Lee Prosser
November 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Halloween and the End Times - by Lee Prosser
November 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

The Witchcraft Connection - Resurrection Mary: The Conclusion - by Marcus Foxglove Griffin
October 20, 2005

Column - regular feature

1 Corinthians 12:10 - by Lee Prosser
October 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Gift From A Child By Rick Hayes
October 14, 2005


Ghost Hunt: The Liberace Mansion by Richard Senate
October 7, 2005


Mimosa, Marigold, Cayenne, Dandelion, Mullein, Clairvoyance, Uncle Willard, and Ghosts - by Lee Prosser
October 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Today's Cults of Personality by Wayne Harrup
September 19, 2005


Clairvoyance and the River of the Mind - by Lee Prosser
September 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Bide One's Time - Rev. Pat Robertson - by Lee Prosser
September 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Cedar Key Inn - The Man in the Kitchen by Janice Cottrill
August 29, 2005


Bide One's Time - High Spirits - by Lee Prosser
August 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

CBS Introduces the Ghost Whisperer by Jeff Belanger
August 5, 2005


Bide One's Time - Ghostly Encounter - by Lee Prosser
August 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Bide One's Time - Don Bachardy - by Lee Prosser
July 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Bide One's Time - New Mexico, Land of Enchantment - by Lee Prosser
July 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Tibetan Beliefs On Death and Beyond Part 2 of 2 by Janice Cottrill
June 20, 2005


Bide One's Time - Why Do We Enjoy Ghost Story Movies? - by Lee Prosser
June 15, 2005

Column - regular feature

Tibetan Beliefs On Death and Beyond Part 1 of 2 by Janice Cottrill
June 13, 2005


Bide One's Time - We are Each a Living Ghost in Our Own Story - by Lee Prosser
June 1, 2005

Column - regular feature

Electronic Voice Phenomena (E.V.P.) by Todd M. Bates
May 23, 2005


Bide One's Time - Sensitive to Ghosts - by Lee Prosser
May 17, 2005

Column - regular feature

Emotions of the Paranormal by Brian Leffler
May 13, 2005


George Lutz's Amityville Horror by Jeff Belanger
April 12, 2005


Connecting Through Reincarnation? by Rick Hayes
March 16, 2005


Chinese Hopping Ghosts by Janice Cottrill
March 4, 2005


Dr. Hans Holzer - A Lifetime of Explaining the Unexplained by Jeff Belanger
February 7, 2005


The Legend of Lucy Keyes by John Stimpson
February 4, 2005


Raymond Buckland by Lee Prosser
January 28, 2005


The Mysterious Haunting of Stone's Public House by David Retalic
January 23, 2005


Some Musings on White Noise by Lee Prosser
January 12, 2005


India and the Supernatural by Lee Prosser
January 3, 2005




January 23, 2005

The Mysterious Haunting of Stone's Public House

By David Retalic. Photos by Haunted Happenings

Stone's Public House
179 Main Street
Ashland, Massachusetts

There are numerous stories and theories behind the haunting of this famous Inn. We will look at some of the most well known.

The first story and probably the most well known is the infamous poker game. As the story goes, a traveling salesman by the name of Mike McPherson was lodging at the inn; Mike enlisted himself in a poker game taking place at the inn that evening. During the course of the game, McPherson began winning and ultimately was the overall winner of the game. This upset the local patrons of the game and they accused him of Cheating. As historical record have it; a patron listed only as the old man, orders people upstairs to the mans room. They were told to club the man on the head, take his money, and drag the body out back. There is never any mention of the old man being John Stone (people just have speculated it to be him) and there is never any mention of burying the body in the cellar.

Popular belief is that the spirits that roam the inn are that of McPherson, still looking for his money, Sadie the maid, Sam Thompson the cook, and Will the Bartender. Remorseful of being conspirators in this terrible deed; they wander the inn with regret over the past, while John Stone wanders about with an ever watchful eye on his establishment.

The next story is one of confusion and mystery. This involves a little girl who haunts the inn. Witness have reported seeing her staring out the window of the second floor and have also seen her staring through the kitchen window. There is a mysterious bloody dress that resides in the fourth floor attic open space. Yes, it does exist, we have seen it there and that is where it will remain. How did the dress get there and who was the little girl? According to town records, there is a listing of a young girl who was killed in the area. Town records have a Mary J. Smith, killed by car. The date was June 11, 1862, the girl was 10 years, 8 months, and 18 days old. The only cars during that time were train cars. 

In speculation, this is how the story may go. The little girl is playing outside when the train strikes, people at the inn witness the horrible accident and rush to help her. Someone picks up the girl and brings her to the inn, while someone else runs to get the local doctor. Remember in the 1800s Doctors still made house calls. During this process the girl succumbs to her injuries and dies. This would make sense as to how a bloody dress ended up in the attic, wouldnt it?
There is also the story of a local fellow by the name of Burt Phillips. The story of Burt is one of a local fellow who was quite found of the inn and its hospitable atmosphere. Rumor is that Burt was also quite found of his drink as well. It was in the year 1890 that Burt came to the end of his life. As fate would have it, Burt expired at the inn. The jocular spirit that muses about at the bar is believed to be Burt, simply refusing to leave because he is still enjoying himself.

The last story we will deal with is the secret room. The story is that during a renovation workman uncovered a secret room at the end of the building that was thought to be used to hide runaway slaves along the underground railway. There are also rumors that there were tunnels in the front of the building that lead to a real train station that once stood down the street.

According to local maps, (Town of Ashland 1875) the inn had a livery stable attached to it; this building was attached to the inn via an outbuilding. By examining the foundation you can see where the outbuilding sat directly above the secret room. The questions that come to mind are these:

1. Is this really a secret room, or just remnants of an old foundation closed over?
2. If this was a secret room, where was the secret entrance?

The theory that could support the secret room best would be that it was the foundation of an old outbuilding that connected the livery. During those days it was not uncommon to have servants areas and servant access to avoid them being viewed by the patrons of the inn. No matter what the scenarios were, it is up to what you believe, there have been many unexplained events that have taken place at the inn. Most of these can be explained but there are others that cant.

So come on in sit down and have a meal, you never know who will be dining with you.


David Retalic is the Lead Investigator and Team Historian for Haunted Happenings paranormal investigators.




2014 Haunted New England Wall Calendar by Jeff Belanger photography by Frank Grace
Check out the 2014 Haunted New England wall calendar by Jeff Belanger and photography by Frank Grace!


Paranormal Conferences and Lectures
Don't miss the following events and lectures:

Jeff Belanger and “The Bridgewater Triangle” at Dedham Community Theatre - April 6, 2014 9:00PM

The Spirits of the Mark Twain House - Hartford, Connecticut - April 12, 2014

Paracon Australia - East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia - May 10-12, 2014