Brenda, Dee Ann, Misty, Jerry, Bonnie

County Commissioner and Reporter from the Democrat Missourian

Conditions: Cloudy

Temp: 21 degrees – 18 degrees

Barometer: 30.70 inches

Humidity: 60 %

Lunar Phase: Waning Gibbous

Solar X-Rays: Normal

Geomagnetic: Quiet

Wind: N 9 mph – NNW 7 mph

Digital Photos Taken: 200

Positive Digital Photos: 37

35 mm Photos Taken: 24 

35 mm Photos Positive: 0 

Video: 3 (See Reported Findings and Experiences)

EVPs: 9 (See Reported Findings and Experiences and Psychic Reading)

The first courthouse in Cass County was built was a log structure built in 1838. It was located at 200 West Wall Street. The log courthouse was used until 1844 when the 2^nd courthouse, located in the center of Harrisonville square was completed. The 2^nd courthouse was 2 stories, constructed of brick and was surrounded by an iron fence. The first floor contained 3 rooms which were used by the circuit clerk, county clerk and recorder's offices. The 2^nd floor consisted of one room which was the court room. In May of 1860, it was ordered that a new courthouse would be constructed, however due to the breakout of the Civil War, this did not materialize until years later. During the Civil War, the courthouse was occupied by the Union troops who used it as a stable for their horses. After the war, the building was deemed to be unsafe for occupancy. Repairs were made and it was not until 1897 that the 3^rd courthouse was completed. The present courthouse stands stately above the town of Harrisonville, and to this day, continues to be surrounded by brick pavement that encircles the square upon which the courthouse sits. The building was constructed entirely of brick. It stands 3 stories high with a bell tower that extends above it for an additional two stories. A basement is located beneath the building. In 2004, a new building was constructed on the west side of town and the courts were moved, however the old courthouse still houses many county offices and is currently undergoing restoration of it's 2^nd floor courtroom.

Two confirmed and recorded executions occurred at the courthouse. The first was the hanging of Richard T. Isaacs who was hung for the murder of Henderson B. Clark on October 25, 1878. He was hung on the front lawn of the 2^nd courthouse.

The other confirmed execution was that of Bates Soper. Soper was executed for the axe murders of his wife and two children, ages 5 and 2. The murder occurred on April 21, 1891. Soper left town on the night of the murders and fled to Oregon where he changed his name, remarried and had a son. In 1897, when his son was 2 years old, he strangled him and buried him in a shallow grave. After the murder, he disappeared and his wife began writing family members in Clay County, Missouri inquiring about his whereabouts. This alerted the officials in Cass County who sent a man out to Oregon to search for him. Upon finding him, he was brought back to Cass County, was tried and convicted and was hung in the basement of the present courthouse on March 30, 1899.

Current Reportings:

? A former maintenance employee was cleaning the urinal in the men's basement restroom when she suddenly felt someone slap her on the buttocks. She turned to see who had come into the men's restroom but found no one there. MPR had heard rumors of women getting their buttocks slapped in the women's restroom downstairs but was unable to confirm their rumors until this report. The maintenance employee was unaware that this had happened to visiting women.

? While sitting in the maintenance office, the former maintenance employee watched the door to the office open and close, open and close. No one was near the office door. This went on for over 30 minutes. She finally acknowledged aloud that she knew someone (a ghost) was there and asked them to quit playing with the door. The door stopped and she had no further experiences with the door during her employment.

? While going up in the bell-tower to do some maintenance work, this same employee felt someone push her to her knees. She said that she became very dizzy and thought she was going to pass out. All the while, she had a very strong feeling that something very bad had happened in the bell tower. The dizzy sensation left as quickly as it had come.

? One office employee often hears the sound of footsteps on the 3^rd floor when working alone in the building.

? The daughter of a former employee spent many late evenings at the courthouse with her mother. She remembers hearing a typewriter type in one of the offices. Upon entering the room the typewriter stopped and when she looked at the paper in the typewriter, the letter "R" had been typed over and over. Could this be the ghost of Richard Isaacs?

? This same daughter also witnessed the elevator going up and down by itself late at night while only her, her sister and her mother were in the courthouse. She claims neither her nor her sister ever left their mother's side while in the courthouse late at night and none of them had activated the elevator.

? The smell of pipe tobacco was smelled by several investigators & guests at different times on the 3^rd floor.

? When Jerry came up the stairs to the 2^nd floor, an EVP of a male voice was recorded. When Jerry came up the steps, he said "Hey" which was responded to a few seconds later by another male voice saying, "Hello".

? 3 orbs were recorded on video. Two were in the basement while Misty was communicating with the maintenance man and the other was recorded in the holding cell on the 2^nd floor. Misty was feeling light headed when the holding cell orb was filmed.

? 9 EVPs were recorded throughout the building. 3 were recorded in the basement, 2 in the 2^nd floor courtroom, 1 outside the 2^nd floor courtroom, 1 in the black balcony, and 2 in the bell tower. See Psychic Readings for details.

? There was a stabbing down here in what used to be a jail. Was there a jail down here? Something is not right. I felt someone being cut and I could see the knife. The man's last name was Williams, this is where he was stabbed. (Men's Restroom). At this time an EVP of a female voice was recorded saying, "Bring the Wagon". A few minutes later as Misty was drawn to the maintenance office another EVP of a female voice was recorded saying, "You are fired".

? Who is Frank Johnson? Johnson? There was a maintenance worker here back in 1916 or 1918 who's last name was Johnson. He's the one who is pulling the pranks on the people around here. John, John Johnson? He's not giving me his name real well. An EVP of a whistle was recorded at this time. He died of a heart attack or something. I'm feeling short of breath and have chest pain. The maintenance man was kind of a little old man. He's the one who messes with the women in the restrooms. During an interview with a former employee of the courthouse, MPR learned that a maintenance man named John was the caretaker there for many years. This man died of a heart attack in the late 1960's. Also, during the interview we learned that a woman who was also a caretaker of the courthouse was known for whistling in the halls while she worked.

? Did they have prisoners here? I just feel that they were held down here. Someone was brought here or held here because of the stabbing. I see men being held down here. After conducting an interview with a former custodian who worked at the courthouse from 1969 until 1992, he informed us that the prisoners from the jail were held in a holding room just off of the men's restroom while they awaited their court hearings. The courthouse has since been remodeled. This area was also used as a Union stable during the Civil War.

? There was some gambling that took place down here. There used to be a poker table set up in the men's restroom and several old-timers would come in daily and play cards until the courthouse closed for the day.

? You need to check and see if you can find a man named Jacob Strider. I don't know if he was a victim or the one that did it. An EVP of a male voice was recorded here which sounding like moaning. There were two brothers that were in a position of power. One covered up for the other for a female that was strangled. Probably in 1850, 1860 or 1870. They suspected him. She was pregnant. Somebody in a position of power had a brother who killed a woman because she was pregnant. She was going to make a big stink about it. The brother covered up for him. Lawson. An unintelligible EVP of a male voice was recorded after Misty gave the name Lawson. I'm getting the initials, L. A. L. She was a pretty girl. Maybe Lisa or Lucy Ann Lawson, Lofton or Laughlin. I don't know where the name Strider comes in. The brother was a marshal or deputy or had some kind of power. His little brother is the one who killed the Lawson girl. She's not buried far from here. There's a small creek or spring. Not far from town. It's off to the northwest.

? Was there a brothel or hotel around here close? Some of the men who were involved in the courts kept 6 women. There used to be a hotel across from the courthouse which burned down in the late 1900's. They would bring them in secretly.

While going up the steps to the balcony an EVP of a male voice followed by a female voice was recorded which sounds like "Does He Work Here? How".

? Check for a trial where a black man was hung. He says he did not do what they said he did. It is rumored that a black man was hung from the bell tower for raping a school teacher. He had some friends and family that sat in this balcony. His sister was very upset about it.

On a previous visit to the bell tower, Brenda took a tape recorder and asked a few questions in the bell tower. One of those questions was: "Did someone hurt you in this building?" A male voice responded to this question with "Help me-Hurry". An EVP of a female voice was recorded right after we entered the bell tower of a female voice which sounded like she said, "Why Now?"

? The maintenance man likes all the Christmas decorations. He thinks they are nice. He died at home. He was single. He was on call all the time to do stuff here at the courthouse so this was like his second home. He'd watch the place at night also. I don't know if he was a night watchman or not, but somehow he watched the place at night. The maintenance man named John, mentioned earlier in Misty's reading, used to live in an apartment across the street from the courthouse. This would have made it easy for him to keep an eye on it at night. He also was single. The maintenance man is the one you'll hear walking around sometimes.

MPR feels that the courthouse is indeed haunted. The maintenance man named John seems to be the prominent ghost, still keeping watch over the grand building. MPR plans a follow up investigation in hopes of collecting additional evidence and information.

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