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Frontal view of the "Old Commercial Hotel" taken during the Pre-Investigation |
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Sign located outside of the hotel |
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Red Spirit energy captured on the 2nd Floor balcony of the hotel |
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Business Case #4 |
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The Old Commercial Hotel |
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Business Case #4 - Includes 7 photos (archived) |
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Pre-Investigation: Date: Oct. 20, 2001 Time: 5:00pm-6:30pm Location: St Clair County, MO |
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Investigators on Scene: Brenda, Jerry and guest investigator Bonnie |
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Attendees on Scene: Hotel owners |
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Conditions: Temp: 61 F Barometer: 29.93 in Humidity: 87% Weather: Fair Lunar Phase: Waxing Crescent Geomagnetic: Unsettled Solar X-Rays: Active |
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Evidence Collected: Digital Photos: 174 Positive Digital Photos: 94 |
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Brief Property Description: 2-story hotel re-built in 1867 with approximately 30 rooms and partial basement. See property description listed under Full Investigation for more details. |
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History: In 1837, there were about 60 people living in Osceola on the banks of the Osage River. That year the first hotel in the area opened its doors to provide accommodations to the travelers. It was a double log cabin structure with a passageway between the cabins. The grounds on which the present Commercial Hotel is located was platted in June of 1850. A frame building was constructed on the property and it bore the titles "Pollard House" and "Union Inn". In 1861, the hotel was destroyed by fire in the ferocious raid on the town by Jim Lane during the Civil War. Missouri was a split-state during the Civil War and much of the Confederate supplies and money were held in Osceola. When Jim Lane launched his raid, he hoped to capture these supplies and the Confederate money. Osceola was forewarned of Jim Lane's plans and upon his arrival, the supplies and money he so desperately sought, were gone. He was so enraged that he set the town on fire. Osceola was thoroughly devastated. In retaliation for Jim Lane's raid, Quantrill and his Raiders set our for Lawrence, Kansas, gathering guerillas and angry Missourians along the way to assist them in their revenge. The burning of Lawrence, Kansas is well known. As Quantrill and his men rode through Lawrence, Kansas, they were heard yelling "Remember Osceola". The present Commercial Hotel building was rebuilt and erected in 1867. "A pleasant gathering place through the span of well over a century, The Old Commercial Hotel still bears the original banister where guests hands were placed so long ago." (See additional history information in the Full Investigation report.) |
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Current Owner Reportings: *See reportings in the Full Investigation report |
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Reported Findings & Experiences: Team member, Brenda, felt a very strong presence in the kitchen area of the restaurant. This presence was also felt strongly by the female owner and guest investigator Bonnie. Team member Jerry took photos during this time and captured two photographs showing red spirit energy. This presence followed them back upstairs walking between Brenda and the female hotel owner. Brenda could feel a coldness on her back while the female hotel owner felt the coldness in front of her. The presence remained with them until Brenda acknowledged it, asking it to return to the downstairs. |
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Full Investigation: Date: Nov. 3, 2001 - Nov. 4, 2001 Time: 5:00pm (Nov. 3) - 7:30am (Nov. 4) Location: St. Clair County, MO |
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Investigators on Scene: Brenda, Dee Ann, Mark, Jerry, Joyce, Shayla, Clint |
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Guest Investigators: Steve, Mark, Misty (psychic) |
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Attendees on Scene: Hotel owners, their son and daughter-in-law, owner's brother and sister-in-law and a friend of the family |
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Conditions: Temp: 57 F to 55 F Barometer: 30.37 in and rising Humidity: 82% Weather: Partly Cloudy Lunar Phase: Full Moon Geomagnetic: Quiet Solar X-Rays: Active Dew Point: 52 F Visibility: Unlimited Wind: SW 5mph to Variable at 1mph UV index: 0 minimal |
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Evidence Collected: Digital Photos: 533 Positive Digital Photos: 367 35mm Photos: Unknown Positive 35mm Photos: Development Pending EVPs: 11 (see reported findings for details) Video: Numerous Clips (see reported findings for details) |
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Brief Hotel and Property Description: (See description summary under Pre-Investigation) Front of Hotel faces the courthouse and square; Hotel sets on SW corner of square; Hardwood floors First Floor: - Main entrance; 12 rooms on floor arranged in horseshoe shape Second Floor: - There are 18 rooms on the second floor Basement: - Consists of mainly 2 large rooms and a small room in the rear; also 1/2 bath and a stairway; an outside entry apartment, separated from other basement areas, includes crawl spaces |
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History: (See Basic History under Pre-Investigation) + Jesse James and the Youngers were known to be regular guests of the hotel and had particular rooms in which they stayed. It is said that Jesse James stayed in the front southeast corner room. Why that one? More than likely because it has 2 large windows on the front side (east) that face the courthouse and one window on the south side. They story goes that the sheriff didn't really want to arrest him, so he would start out walking slowly from the courthouse to the hotel, giving Jesse James ample time to get away, which he did by running out the back, climbing down a huge tree, mounting his horse and making his escape. + It is also said the Youngers stayed in the front northeast corner room which also faced the courthouse and has a total of three windows identical to room Jesse James stayed in. + The Pinkertons are reported to have stayed at the hotel right before the Roscoe affair. + From the "1960's" to the mid-"1980's" there was a successful restaurant in the basement. It could be entered from the inside, however most entered it from the outside on the Pine Street side (south). Among the more notables who ate there were Bess and Harry Truman. + The owners are trying to locate the old registers for additional information on who exactly stayed at the hotel. So far no one knows if the registers still exist. + The first room on your right when you enter the hotel front door was call the "Drum Room". The merchants would haul their wares in drums and set up for business in the hotel. It was their version of our gift shop. + The banister on the 1st floor stairway that leads to the 2nd level, shows where it was scorched or bubbled from a fire. It is not known rather this damage was caused by the raid of 1861 or during a later fire that may have occurred at the hotel. + The new owners plan to continue renovating, turning the hotel into a Bed & Breakfast. |
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Current Owner Reportings: + Previous owners have reported seeing shadows, possibly apparitions, including a lady wearing a bonnet and a man dressed as a cowboy. + Current owners report feeling presences in several locations throughout the hotel. They often feel as if they are being watched. + Female owner refused to enter basement apartment. She said she did not like the feeling she gets down there. + Female owner feels a heavy presence in Room #25 and felt as if she should set a chair in there for the unknown occupant of that room. She receives a good feeling from this room. + A potential buyer offered to purchase the hotel from the male owner. While he was showing him around, doors on the 2nd floor began slamming. Male owner took this as a sign that he was not suppose to sell the hotel and plans to continue with current renovations. + Séances were once held in the hotel on a regular basis prior to the purchasing of the hotel by the current owners. + Daughter of previous owner reported seeing the apparition of a man in a hat in the Jesse James' Room (room #12 per report) + While bathing in the new Jacuzzi tub, current owner reported that one of the two mirrors in this newly remodeled room, fogged up and three words appeared written on the mirror. Only the word "green" was legible. The owners had just finished painting this room in the color green. (Room #11 per report) |
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Reported Findings & Experiences: + A series of 3 knocks was heard by Brenda, Joyce and Shayla coming from the 2nd floor room above the current kitchen. This was heard about 5:00am and the series of knocks was heard on two different occasions. + While Joyce was conducting a reading in the Jesse James room, she was attempting to bring in a spirit named Blue Dog. Team members Clint and Brenda felt a cold draft of air enter into the room from the hallway. During this time, 2 orbs are captured coming into the room on infrared video. About 17 orbs were captured on infrared video during the reading of this room. + Joyce was connecting with the spirit of Cole Younger in the Younger room. One large orb is captured on infrared video. + An infrared video camera was set up in the hallway on the 2nd floor. During the setup of the camera, team member Brenda and guest investigator Steve were searching for an electrical outlet to plug in the camera. After locating an outlet, an EVP of a male voice was captured saying "Play With It". Shortly after, Steve and Brenda were trying to see how far the cord would stretch when another EVP was captured with the same male voice saying "It's Not Over The Limit". Several orbs were captured in front of the camera on Video 1, later in the evening a few more orbs were captured on Video 2, but mostly Video 2 contained the sounds of heavy breathing behind the camera. These breathing sounds would have been coming from the same location that the EVPs were picked up earlier. No one was on the 2nd floor when these breathing sounds were recorded. They sounded like they were right beside the camera, as if someone was looking in the LCD screen at the hallway ahead. + A clearing of the basement apartment was performed by psychics Joyce and Misty, at the request of the owners. During the filming of this clearing, an orb was captured entering into the clearing circle. Other orbs were captured during the smudging of this room and crawl spaces. + An EVP was captured in the Tea Room as Misty was conducting her reading. A woman's voices says "Stand Back, We're Right Upstairs". + An EVP was captured during Misty's reading of Room #8 of a female voice saying "Help Me". EMF readings taken in this room gave readings of 9. See Misty's reading of Room #8 for further information. + In Room #11, another EVP was recorded during Misty's reading. This was a female voice whispering "Heaven". See Misty's reading of Room #11 for further information. + During Joyce's reading of the outside apartment, an EVP was recorded of a female voice saying "It's Today". Could the spirit have been informing the others that a clearing was about to take place? Another EVP was recorded in this room just prior to the clearing. This EVP sounds like 3 different voices in an argument. A male voice says "He's Not In Here" followed by a female voice saying "You Black, Fat Rat" and then again followed by what sounds to be another male voice saying "Don't Push It". See Joyce and Misty's readings of the basement apartment for more information. + In the restaurant area during Joyce's reading, she was trying to coax a male spirit into telling her his name. An EVP was captured of a male voice saying "His Name". Was the spirit mocking her or was only part of his response captured on tape? She did receive the name of Carlson shortly after asking. See Joyce's reading of the restaurant area for more information. + Three EVPs were captured in the Drum Room. During this reading, Joyce was speaking to a man who was an acquaintance of Jesse James. The first EVP was captured while they were discussing some documents. A male voice is heard saying "I Don't Read Well" and then Joyce responded with "Yes, I know that". The 2nd EVP was recorded during this same conversation. Joyce said "Jesse told me to say that" and then a male voice responded to her by asking "Jesse Told You To Say That?". The 3rd EVP was also recorded in the room during this conversation. A female voice was captured saying "In Here, Daddy's In Here". Jesse James sometimes stayed with his family in this hotel. For more information on the Drum Room, see the psychic readings by Joyce and Misty under this section. |
| Photos and more... |
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Frontal view of the "Old Commercial Hotel" taken during the Pre-Investigation |
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Sign located outside of the hotel |
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Red Spirit energy captured on the 2nd Floor balcony of the hotel |
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Psychic Readings and Photos: *Please note that our psychics make distinctions between ghosts and spirits. Ghosts are earthbound and are permanent residents of the hotel. The spirits however, have made the crossing and only return to visit from time to time. |
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Basement Restaurant Psychic Reading: Basement Restaurant + Misty - A little boy with a big basket of apples sitting by the door. Harry S Truman used to eat at this restaurant. Also felt the energy of her grandfather who was a friend of Truman. + Joyce - This area was used for storage for a long time. There is the ghost of a tall, slender black man who lived along the river in a cabin during the Civil War. He was living in Osceola when Jim Lane burned the town. He left after the burning and returned later to work at the hotel for the Pollard's. The year picked up is 1889. He was concerned over an ill child. The child's name, or his name, was Eli. The last name was French, something like LaPont. They came from the south. Some of the family was sold to a plantation owner who lived north and east of the hotel. They were bought in a slave auction. This man had some kind of connection to the Youngers and Frank James. Also picked up the name Baldwin, said with a southern accent. + Owner will find a gold coin under the carpet when restoring this room. + The ghost of a fur trapper who was shot through the chest with an arrow is present. They called him Bull Dink. He was a big burly man with coal black eyes, big hands and red hair. He was about 6'4" or 6'5". He wears a hat with fur on it and eagle feathers hanging down. He had done something to one of the Osage Indian women and they were after him. He was traveling with 5 other men and some pack mules. He was 44 years old at the time of his death and was passing through before Osceola was settled. His body was never buried.*
*Contact was made with a spirit of a man named Carlson. During this conversation, Joyce asked the spirit for his name in which an EVP of a male voice was captured saying "His Name?" followed by Joyce coming up with the name of Carlson. |
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Basement Kitchen
Psychic Reading: Basement Kitchen + Misty - Someone was burned in this area. + Joyce - There are 2 spirits in the hallway who don't like each other. There is alcohol, confusion, pneumonia and death. A man with thin white hair, a sharp nose, beard and thin lips. His name is Stracker, Staker of Striker. His first name is John C. A young teenage boy was burned in this room and carried outside. His family is gathered, they look Amish or early pioneer. The name sounds like McDonnellson, McDugal or McBride. The father of the teen has burnt hands and had been shot in the right hip. He took care of another burned child who was named Danelle June or Janelle June who was also hurt badly. The father died before the children and is a ghost in the hotel. The boy and girl are spirits. The girl was about 12 years old, brown hair, blue eyes, round face and dimples. They are all buried in a cemetery to the south of the hotel. + A ghost named Perry Graves occupies this room. He was an alcoholic and stutters. He has a scar up the left side of his lip, the result of a cut he received when he was a child. He is heavy set, had dark but graying hair and another scar along the left side of his head where an Indian tried to scalp him. His left hand was also hurt. This happened on a wagon train or a stagecoach. He had a black and white pony which he dearly loved. He had two wives, one died of cholera in the mid 1800's. One of his wives was named Constance. He died in the hotel on Feb. 4, 1872 of throat cancer and was buried in the cemetery south of the hotel. He had 5 children, one was killed. He lived at the hotel for 10 years. There are many spirits around him of travelers. He came up the river with his parents in 1802. His father was named Henry but they called him "Hanky". His father or grandfather died in 1802 during a bad storm as they were coming up the river. His mother's name was Mary. Perry died of cancer of the throat. Perry used an axe on a man outside the hotel. (See the photo taken of Joyce in this room where an orb was captured in motion beside her ear.) |
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Basement Apartment
Psychic Reading: Basement Apartment + Misty - Death in this room of 3 young black girls. Much pain. One girl was 14 years old and the other two were 16 years old. + Joyce - Lots of pain in this room, someone being held against their will. Young girls died. One of the girls was named Mattie. + A woman named Alice is a ghost in this room. She lost a baby when he was 3 months old. His name was Thomas Edward. His last name may have been Edward. Alice died in 1871 but not in this room. She is wearing a long dress and lived in that room for 3 years. She had 4 children. *An EVP of three voices n conversation was picked up in the basement apartment. The first voice was a male voice saying "He's Not In Here" followed by a female voice shouting "That Black, Fat Rat" and then followed by a deeper toned male voice saying "Don't Push It". Another EVP was recorded while Joyce was conducting a reading outside of the apartment with a female voice saying "It's Today". |
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Hallways Psychic Reading: Hallway 1st Floor + Misty - Detected an English woman in the hallway who smells like lilacs. Felt presences of servants, a woman named Sarah Jane and an English girl who was felt more in the hallway outside of the Tea Room.* + Joyce - A lady dress in black and wearing a big bonnet roams the hallways. She is a ghost. Beautiful English woman with a hat, named Mary Beth.* There was a bathhouse located in the hallway outside of this room (this would be back by the restaurant stairs) *An EVP was recorded while Misty was conducting her reading in the Tea Room (female voice): "Stand Back, We're Right Upstairs" *This ghost was also detected by Misty outside the Tea Room and again during a general reading by Joyce when she first arrived. Psychic Reading: Hallway 2nd Floor + Misty - No reading. + Joyce - A tall, light haired woman roams the hallway and the stairs. She stayed in 2 rooms on the 2nd floor, Room #16 and Room #12. Room #16 was bigger when she stayed there. She is a ghost. Her hair is very messy and her eyes are reddish and sunken because of an illness. She looks much older than what she is. She is wearing a long, white or cream colored nightgown with blue-green flowers. her name is Margaret. She died during a bad rainstorm in 1912 or 1913. Two EVPs were captured in the hallways during the investigation and psychic readings. One of the EVPs is a male voice saying "Play With It" as team members were looking for an outlet for the video camera. The other EVP follows this one of the same male voice saying "It's Not Over The Limit". |
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First Floor Psychic Reading: Room 3 + Misty - The name of Madison Richardson associated with this room. Someone that stayed in this room was robbed and killed down the street. They were hit in the back of the head. + Joyce - No reading, overlaps into Drum Room Psychic Reading: Room 5 + Misty - Margaret Ann was a maid or servant + Joyce - Beautiful English woman with a hat named *Mary Beth. *This ghost was also detected by Misty outside the Tea Room and again during a general reading by Joyce when she first arrived. Psychic Reading: Room 6 + Misty - Unhappy, sad 22 year old white girl. She endured lots of slapping and hitting. She didn't want to be here but was brought here by three men. She was killed in the river. She was a farm girl who's mother was still living but her father had already passed to the other side. She was pregnant. + Joyce - A barber named Cookshank is associated with this room. He is a ghost. He had black hair, brown eyes, of medium build, mustache, beard, barrel-chested, big and burly. He was 1/2 Native American. He claimed to have ran a barber-shop downstairs. Also, his business partner, who dealt in lumber, is a ghost associated with this room. His name was Caldwell. He was a big man with dark hair and was also 1/2 Native American. Psychic Reading: Room 7 + Misty - The room was used as a Bridal Suite. There was a woman who stayed in this room with a baby named Michael Joseph. The woman was very sick and died in the room. + Joyce - There was a bathhouse located in the hallway outside of this room. A man died in this room after being shot in the left side. It took him a long time to die. Gangrene set in which eventually caused his death. He is a ghost. A woman named Anna Belle who was call "Belle" took care of this man. The man's last name was Bonde, pronounced with a silent "e". He smoked cigars and drank whiskey and traveled from the Harrisonville/Independence/Kansas City area to Osceola to deal cattle. He liked staying in this room because it had easy access to the back door. He had a partner named Roy Raker. Roy was killed in 1882 after receiving a kick in the head from a horse. Roy had a wife named Hannah. (An EVP was captured during Misty's reading of this room of a female voice saying "Help Me".) Psychic Reading: Room 8 + Misty - Mostly male energy, one female. Corrupt law enforcement hung out in this room, including judges. There were 2 shootings, one in this room and one behind the hotel. Gary was shot in this room. He got shot because he knew something he wasn't suppose to know. He knew all the things that had been going on in this back room. He was never buried. Someone dumped his body up the road. It was a road that splits to a "Y" outside of town, go to the left, follow the road back towards the river to a line of tress (there are a couple of houses there now). That's where his body was left. + Joyce - A man named Maurice or Morris Robertson/Robinson was shot in the head by one of the two friends he was traveling with. The name of the man who shot him was Joseph. He was related to this man somehow. This happened before the burning of the town, sometime in 1860-1861. He had come up the river with a cousin named Jim. This room was used for card playing, roulette, craps and drinking in the 1920's. Psychic Reading: Room 9 + Misty - Some of the energy from Room #8 laps over into this room. Gary was shot by his friend. + Joyce - A man was shot in the head who stayed in this room. His name was Henry Ray Lawrence or Lawrence Henry. He was shot by a friend he was traveling with whose name was Joseph Robertson/Robinson. He is a spirit.* *An orb was captured on VHS video during Joyce's reading. Psychic Reading: Room 10 + Misty - Prostitution in this room. + Joyce - Four to five people lived a long time in this room under false names. One signed in under the name of Jim Bodie. His real name was Joseph Robertson/Robinson. He was the one who shot the two men in the head in Room #8 and Room #9. Psychic Reading: Room 11 + Misty - This room was once part of the Tea Room. Detected an English woman in the hallway who smells like lilacs*. + Joyce - Someone died of a heart attack in this room in 1951. His name was Harvey Elwood James. His body was carried out to the funeral home. He is a spirit. *An EVP of a female voice saying "Heaven" was recorded in this room while Misty was giving her reading. The owner verified that this room was once part of the Tea Room and that he had put up the wall during remodeling. Psychic Reading: Tea Room + Misty - Hears lots of laughter, joy, piano playing. Strongest presences are Mary Beth and a little boy named Joshua who liked to play by the back door. Also felt presences of servants, a woman named Sarah Jane and an English girl who was felt more in the hallway outside of the Tea Room.* +
Joyce
- The Tea Room was extended further back. Lots of music and festivities in
this room. (Current owner verified that he had put up the wall)
*An EVP was recorded while Misty was conducting her reading in this room. It is of a female voice saying "Stand Back, We're Right Upstairs".
Psychic Reading: Drum Room + Misty - Lots of male energy, smell of cigar and pipe smoke. Detected the name David Allen who claimed to be a merchant, also the name Michael Davidson who stayed at the hotel awhile. Michael was from the south. + Joyce - Felt this room was used as an office at one time, filled with books, possibly a lawyer's office. Detected the spirit of a lady wearing a flapper costume who came to the hotel as an entertainer. The name of a spirit named Terrance and another spirit who gave an alias name of Bull Durham. this man claimed to be a friend of Jesse James. He was discussing the signing of documents in this room with Joyce and claimed to have stayed at the hotel during the years 1874, 1876, 1882 and 1894. This man smoked a pipe and claimed to come from Plains, Georgia. He came up the Mississippi.* *During the conversation between Joyce and the spirit claiming to be Bull Durham, 3 EVPs were recorded. A male voice saying "I Don't Read Well" followed by Joyce saying "Yes, I know that". This is when they were discussing the documents. Later in the conversation another EVP was recorded. Joyce said "Jesse told me that". The same male voice answered "Jesse Told You This?". The 3rd EVP was recorded moments later of a female voice saying "In Here, Daddy's In Here". |
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Second Floor
Psychic Reading: Room 12 (Jesse James Room) + Misty - Smell of leather. Several famous outlaws stayed in this room. + Joyce - This was used as an apartment for awhile. Margaret was the wife of one of the owners or owner's relative who stayed in this room. An Aunt Zelma is connected with her. Zelma came from the east. This is one of the rooms that Margaret haunts but she also haunts Room #16. Connected with the spirit of Jesse James in this room. Had a private conversation. Jesse wanted her to meet a spirit named Blue Dog*. *During the filming of this conversation, many orbs were captured on infrared video. As Blue Dog was entering the room, a temperature drop was felt and an orb was captured on infrared video entering the room from the hallway. Psychic Reading: Room 16 + Misty - No reading. + Joyce - A tall, light haired woman roams the hallway and the stairs. She stayed in 2 rooms on the 2nd floor, Room #16 and Room #12. Room #16 was bigger when she stayed there. She is a ghost. Her hair is very messy and her eyes are reddish and sunken because of an illness. She looks much older than what she is. She is wearing a long, white or cream colored nightgown with blue-green flowers. Her name is Margaret. She died during a bad rainstorm in 1912 or 1913. Psychic Reading: Room 19 + Misty - No reading. + Joyce - A man named Henry Jonathan stayed in this room. His arm had been cut off. Also a man named Donavan Shackley or Shacky stayed here. He was in Osceola during Jim Lane's raid and was staying at the hotel. He stole a horse and got away. He returned in 1889-1890 with his brother Leonard. He wore a brown leather hat that was darkened with age, about 6 ft tall and thin. He died of a lung problem in this room. He was old then and is a ghost. There was prostitution in this room in the early 1920's. Psychic Reading: Room 22 + Misty - Mostly female energy in this room, the smell of roses. A school teacher named Michelle who was new to the area and was traveling through, stayed for a short time. + Joyce - A woman named Ruby Edna Watkins died in this room in 1910 of syphilis. The wallpaper at that time was blue. Psychic Reading: Room 25 + Misty - An older woman who was real sick stayed in this room. She walks up and down the hallway. She looked much older than what she was because of the sickness. She had pneumonia or some disease of the lungs. Smelled medicine and chest rub. her illness was long and she died a peaceful death in this room. She was an "Old Maid" but loved the hotel. She wants this room to be called "The Quiet Room". Her favorite color was yellow. She wants the owners to paint the wood trim yellow and add some blue flowers. She also wants a dainty iron bed and a rocking chair with a shawl draped over it. + Joyce - No reading. Psychic Reading: Room 27 (Younger Room) + Misty - Negative vibrations felt in this room. There was allot of planning, anger, prejudice, arguing and disagreements. Arguing about how long to stay, one wanted to stay longer, the other said "No, we leave now". Detected the smells of gun powder and liquor. + Joyce - Connected with the spirit of Cole Younger and discussed team members past connection with the Younger family. Also connected with a spirit named Jake Long but no details given. |
