KEY WEST VACATION

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A Spirited Time by Brandy Buchanan

The latter half of 2001 was rough for one member of the SPIRITS team, who decided enough was enough.  Packing up the car, her dog, her mother, and her mother's dog, she opted to check out the sites, and the spooks, located in Key West.

Of the group, one member believed in the supernatural, the other did not.  However, both agreed to spend their time in a bed and breakfast establishment listed on the roster of haunted sites in Key West.  The place of choice was "The Red Rooster."  Pet friendly, with kind and caring staff, the site is located in walking distance to the downtown shopping district.

Local lore, listed in Ghosts of Key West, by David L. Sloan, held that the Red Rooster Inn was the site of a mysterious murder.  Constructed in 1870, the building had a previous incarnation as the home of a cigar baron's family.  The Delgado's seemed happy enough, until Mr. Delgado vanished one chilly October.  His wife told curious friends and family he had gone back to Cuba.  He never returned.

Around the early 1900s, Mrs. Delgado became ill.  On her deathbed she made a most startling confession: She had killed her husband and buried the body underneath the front porch of the house.  Though the property was searched and the porch pulled out, no body was ever uncovered.

Time progressed, and the old porch was replaced with a new set of carved stone stairs and landing.  The property evolved into a bed and breakfast and was renamed its current nomenclature.

Years after the dying woman's announcement, guests staying at the Red Rooster reported seeing the image of a man who manifested in their room.  Dressed in antiquated clothing, he appeared to be confused and did not acknowledge the couple whom he startled so badly.  As mysteriously as he appeared, his image vanished into the night.

This was a most apropos place to stay for a St. Petersburg ghost hunter and her family.  After an eight hour long car ride, the women checked in.  The staff had been alerted ahead of time to reserve the most haunted room for this unusual crew.

Overall, room 18 looked to be an unassuming location for any supernatural activity.  Located to the side of the establishment, it was a comfortable area located near to the pool. 

During the stay, very little paranormal activity was recorded after the first night.  Like any good supernatural enthusiast, the woman from SPIRITS brought her ghost hunting kit.  She scanned the room and made note of unusual EMF (electromagnetic field) energy emanating from the area of the dresser, TV, and bathroom.  No appliances, outside the TV, which was turned off, were located in that area.  At one point, the EMF field fluctuated, though the meter was placed in an unmoving non-electronic location just outside the field's recorded range.

Her small, who dog sat watching her on the bed, stared intently at the area near the dresser and the darkened TV screen.  An apartment-dweller, this particular pet was familiar with the TV set, on or off, and had often seen his reflection.  He paid no heed to his reflection at home so it seemed unlikely his fascination was held by his reflected image on the TV screen.  While intelligent, he is not an overly curious dog and takes change well as long as he is in the presence of his owner.

Secondary scans showed the EMF remained steady in that area of the room.   Jim, one of the two owners of the place, was unable to shed any further light on the situation, as he was unfamiliar with the building's wiring.  However, no electric box was found around there.

That night, the woman reports two dreams about the hotel room.  In one, she dreamt that she was the next morning, and she was awake.  The dream continued with typical vacation activities:  she and her mother sat in their room, organizing the day.  It took a surreal turn when items began to levitate and move around, particularly in the area of the bathroom and dresser, eventually hurling themselves out of the bathroom.  Awaking briefly and noting the time to be 5 am, she fell back asleep.  The second dream related to the first.  In it, a blouse, which had been hung in the bathroom, began to move.  Impressions, created by unseen hands, moved about the blouse as it was examined.  Yet, upon awakening she discovered neither the blouse nor any unusual activity in the bathroom.

The TV screen also acted up in her presence.  When she watched it, the screen would warm, flicker, and flip.  Yet, when she was not there her mother was able to watch without any interruptions. 

Digital photographs revealed nothing.  Processed film showed two possible orbs, though they could also be refracted light in the camera lens.  Further analysis is needed to test the pictures. 

That first night could some form of spectral being come to check out the temporary inhabitants of room 18?  Perhaps further research, and another trip to the Keys, will be needed to find out.

[For others interested in supernatural activities located in Key West, check www.hauntedtours.com.  Nightly ghost tours are available to interested patrons.  Copies of David Sloan's book, Ghost of Key West, are also available for purchase through the web site.]

This is a former Baptist Church which burned to the ground, trapping and killing a Sunday school class of children.  It gave me massive creeps the night of the ghost walk.  The next day I went back to take a look at it.  I got some strange readings with my ELF meter that fluctuated. I took a picture of the area, and I'm not sure about these two areas.  While it is supposed to be being rennovated, these white areas look to me to be in front of the doors, not on them.  I do not remember any paint chips on the door.  I also got EMF flickers not too far away over the sidewalk (8 feet away from the images at the door, but no orbs).  It was the weekend, and no one was in the building, nor was any construction going on at the time.

Below are pics I took the night before of the theater.  In two of the three images, an image appears at the window (where the arrow points) but I wonder if that is reflection from a fold in the curtain.  However, the orb in this picture above the street lamp is not in any of the other images. Upon inspection, it looks eerily (to me) like a face. The children who died are reputed to be attracted to the cemetary next door to the old theater, where an angel stands over a mass grave of unidentified remains (unrelated to the theater fire).  I also noticed some semi-misty patches appeared in this image that did not appear in the others.  The night was quite clear and free of humidity (cold snaps in Florida tend to do that).  There was no full moon that night...I seem to think the moon was new or crescent.  It was also higher in the sky during the walk....

Brandy's Report

Key West

Red rooster:

12/19/01

Arrived at 6:15 PM.  Toured through grounds.  Arrived at rooms.  Unpacked and settled in by 7:10 p.m..  Pugs behaving normally.

First walk through EMF meter is on caution within the area of the bathroom and doorway.  Detected a slight breeze and coolness at first, determined it came from a draft created by "bounced" air, blowing off at an angel and through a crack in the door frame.

EMF may be coming from the lights or plugs?  Lights are on, but no plug in socket.

8:07 PM - I have observed Odyssey watching the area inside the TV/dresser area with interest. His eye seems to be following something from time to time.  Ears are up.  Mom and Granite asleep.  Ody is up on the bed.  I'm exercising. 

Ody staring intently.  EMF registers a "caution" in the area in front of dresser and TV.  No sense of cold. 

Is Ody looking at his reflection on the darkened TV screen?  Not typical behavior for him. 

8:26 PM:  I have made several passes with the EMF meter.  I have felt a couple of cool areas.  One are is over bed.  It, however, was another draft from a/c.

Goosebumps on legs very briefly while scanning the area for EMF.

Noticed that several areas of EMF are consistent, possibly powered by light switches.  However, the range of EMF varies.  Sometimes stead and sometime flickering.  Also, got an EMF reading over the bed on third scan, over Odyssey.

At 8:26, standing at one area trying to record my readings, my EMF meter rested on my notebook as I wrote.  I noticed that, though I did not move, nor did the EMF meter, the caution light was strobeing.  A possible spike?  The effect went away, though, and I had not moved, nor moved the meter.

I have noticed the area on one side of the room seems to hold EMF, the side away from the bathroom has no EMF readings.

8:44:  Completed a series of digital photographs.

10:14:  Have seen TV flickering...EMF?

12/20/01:  I remembered two reams about the ghost.  The first was set later in the morning (a dream about waking up he next day).  The ghost began an elaborate display of moving items in the bathroom.  I had EMF and digital ready and Mom witnessed in the dream.

The 2nd similar to the 1st, had the ghost moving a blouse Mom hung in the bathroom (dream only).  The ghost manifested as impressions in the silk of the blouse.  Again, I was very excited...and I woke up.

12.21.01:  Spoke with Jim (owner)...unable to determine anything about the wiring.  Repeated story about Delgado (see book). 

Offered me to meet with David Sloan, owner of ghost tour and book author. 

Didn't know about EMF or wiring....

Dec. 20th:  Key West ghost tours:  Brandy and Gail

Jason:  guide.  Dressed in black with top hat, cape, with skull belt clip.

St. Augustine, 2nd oldest city in Florida.

Manero:  private residence, 1889., wife with 8 kids.  Cigar manufacturer.

1891:  Francise M. died.  Turns out he had two secrets:  once -- he was married before.  Whenever got a divorce.  His first wife took the property, as she was entitled.  2nd wife and kids got kicked out. 

Harriet swore as she left the house, that's she'd always be there.

The house went through a series of forms:  casino, bordello, restraint, guest house.

Harriet has been seen all over the house.  Stairs, as a shadow, ball of light in Room 18.

In Room 18, a lady is also seen brushing her hair, and following the original layout of the room.  She rarely interacts with guest. 

Swinging chandelier, when people in a bad mood, or give off negative energy.  Rarely stayed if tagged by ghost as being negative.

La Concha hotel:  Talbot:  7 stories attracts suicides, tallest building in Key West.

A lawyer in a three piece suit can be seen.  He "set up" his suicide to make it look like he had been killed by a rival. 

From time to time, his death scream can be heard, loud scream, but no one can find the source of the scream. 

Hemmingway:  he is often seen there, but it actually is probably a room service waiter who died in 1983, due to reconstruction, fell into an empty elevator shaft. 

Guests report feeling "watched"....

1 week and 1month ago, asked about hotel.  A man staying in the Hemmingway suite found a man sitting in a chair, heard a loud bang, and the man vanished.

Others say there is a presence, hear a bang, when no one is there.  Guard would sometimes feel a spectral hand on his shoulder (knew the man in real life, too).

Dean Lopes Funeral Home -- private residence...formerly home of necro-love.

Ellena de Hoyas, Carl Von Karsal married her corpse....after she was buried.  He thought he had resurrected her.

St. Paul's Episcopal Church:  Oldest non-RM Catholic church in Florida

Cemetery:  had to be moved to water table.

Cemetary:  statue there of an angel, where 25 people are buried.

Behind the wall of church is the Old Sea Captain's Grave"....Thomas Randolph.  Protected waters from pirates.  So well respected, they would not move his grave, but expanded building out to the grave.

Some believed they saw his ghost...it was a goat who would fall asleep on grave stone.  Homeless people used to sleep on it, too.

Now:  people who try to sleep on grave feel a foot on their chest, holding them down until person is removed.

The Artist House

(EMF meter:  caution, stead, though fluctuating).

The Artist House is a private residence.  The artist house had a little boy (Gene) who lived there, given a doll, 3 foot tall, named "Robert"

Gene blamed Robert for breaking things. Gene marries, as a wedding gift, his parents give him the house.  Gene made a room for Robert as an adult.  Robert seen as moving by children who could look into the doll move...subtle...1974, tragedy struck, Gene died.

Ann, the wife, sold the house with the stipulation that the doll stayed with the house.  A plumber remodeling the house hear whispering, and noted that the doll changed position several times (each time he turned around).

1976, family sold house. In 1996, the doll was donated to the airport, which was then left to the Museum.

some people see a woman in a white dress, Ann, in the hose.

Robert, does not like pic taken.  Pics come out dark, distorted, or cameras disappear. 

1 witness talked of two cameras with pics of Robert, only those images of Robert came out totally blank.

At the artist house, my own digital camera misfired...not sure why?  Would not work, turned it off, and let it go to swing by my side, and it then went off.

Children, in a church, were killed when a Baptist preacher burned down the church with his wife and children in it.  (She was unfaithful).

(This may have produced an orb image).

Eaton Lodge:  2:30 - 4 am:  Footsteps outside of door of one room heard, pacing, shadows of feet can be seen, people who try to confront the ghost throw open the door to find nothing there.

Guide had been poked by one ghost, and several have reported being pinched in the posterior in the general area of the Lodge.

During the civil war a Union soldier was killed in the area.  It may be he who haunts it, or the ghost of a doctor.

Audobon House haunted.

Captain Tony's Salon :  Bar and morgue originally.  Key West Hanging Tree also located in the bar.  The bar was built around the tree.  A blue woman sometimes appears, who died slowly on the tree.

Bodies are buried there.  Holy water built into walls. 

12.21:  returned to Church.  Near Angel, towards the Street, EMF caution read, 12:05 p.m..

A field between flickering and steady detected.  Digital and b and w film used, no images.

Tested street lights, they are not the source of EMF.

Theater:  12:15 p.m.:

EMF found in one spot outside theater.  Caution flicker.  Stopped after approx. 1 minute, in middle of sidewalk, unusual, did not repeat.  not anywhere else in area did I get EMF.

Notes:  I was disappointed that more did not happen in the hotel room.  I found out that the ghost is more active in the month of October (we came in December).  However, images produced had several possible orbs in them, though there was a lot of flash and reflection.  I thought Odyssey's reaction to the hunt was interesting, and the first night was at the height of activity.

During the ghost walk, I felt the Theater was very creepy, and compelled several images to be taken.  One did produce a possible orb. 

At the Artist House, I did feel kinda creeped out, did get constant EMF, but the camera did backfire, the only time during the trip, while I tried to take a picture of the house.  Very interesting considering the rumour about the doll!  1.28.02