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EmtmrSurkaCountsaimw9il)CkPAGESATURDAY, OCTOBER 23. 1971iyouseemmrT- . VrCourier Timw pboto by tie* /.idockOF LEVITTOWN... haunted bv a murdered servant girl?IN THE AREA OF CHINA HALL IN CROYDON.., more than 4(1 people report seeing a ghost in this section.Courier Tunes pboto b\ Rod Rro»n. . .in o lt;1 mansions, near a ake or in a cold roomBy MIKE RENSHAW Courier Times Staff WriterYou don’t believe in ghosts.Of course not. You’re a level-headed person who can find a logical explanation for odd occurrences.Despite the facts presented throughout the rest of this story, you will be able to shrug your shoulders, smile and say, “Thats a lot of nonsense/*Or will you.Supernatural occurrences seem to be stereotyped. When one thinks about “ghosts’* he thinks of musty old castles in England, with chains clankingand so on.But Lower Bucks County has its share of ghosts Addie Kent Jeffrey, author of “Ghosts in the Valley, '' which will soon be on book shelves throughout the country, reports this area is creaking with spiritual manifestations,“One of the most recent is Midnight Mary,” the ghost investigator explainedMrs. Jeffrey told the story.“This phenomenon is about 10 years old. I first heard the story from students at Bristol High School.The story is that a young couple was returning from a prom at the high school. It was raining. As the car traveled down Bordentown Road, the bov lost controlW 'of the vehicle and the car crashed into the lake.‘“The boy escaped but failed to save the girl From what I understand the body of the girl was never found.*' shesaid.“It was about a year later, in the spring, that people started reporting seeing a girl, dripping wet. wear-• 6 rvm an evening gown. This girl has been sighted several times by people driving on that road at night. The phenomenon doesn't seem to be restricted to any certain time of the vear. I have included this in mv latestw •book and I report there was even one man. a truck driver, who picked the girl up and as he was driving decided to ask her whv she was wet. As he turned toask her the question she was gone — but there was a puddle of water on the seat.” she added.This past summer there have been several calls to the Courier Times concerning a ‘ ghost” which roams around the China Hall area.The site, which has been torn down, was one of several old mansions along the Delaware in Croydon Frank Ball. 19. of 1034 Second Ave. explained what he witnessed with a group of other youngsters.“The legend is that a man was murdered back in Jones' mansion. My sister said she saw this white thing sort of floating with its arms out near where the mansion used to be She was upset So the next night, it was in August, a whole bunch of us went down and we were sitting on our cars. We saw it coming down the road toward us. It was sort of like smoke but it had a head and shoulders and it sort of floated above the ground. We chased it but it disappeared. ”Ball said he saw this “thing” on another occasion. “I guess about 40 people all together have seen it. That includes adults, too When evervbodv first heardW 10about it they all laughed — until they saw it.” thevoung man said.Another spot in Bristol Township has been the scene of odd occurrences.It is ir, the heart of Levittown — the Bolton Mansion.The 287-vear-old stone house, which has been tak-men under the wing of a citizens group bent on its reconstruction. is allegedly hauntedMrs. Lois Kastrup. active in the restoration of what may be Penns viva mas oldest stone house, hasWheard of the mansion’s “ghost . ”“I haven't seen it myself but several people have reported seeing someone in the mansion at night. The figure is that of a woman and they see her standing in an upstairs window.“I understand in the earlv 1800’s there were somewreports of a suicide and there was supposed to have been a murder in the servent’s quarters/* she reports.ports.More than one resident of the area has reported seeing the Bolton Mansion phenomenon, but no one will offer their name for print due to fear of being called a nut,”Mrs. Jeffrey said she is aware of reported manifestations at the Bolton Mansion and plans to investigate the old house herself in the near future.Not too far from the Bolton Mansion is another phenomenon.Harrv Visco. his wife Eleanor and their son Buzzv.v ■ . »live in a farmhouse on Wistar Road, not far from the Bucks Countv Technical School.mThe house was built in 1775. There are no chains clinking in the middle of the night or strange shadows on the walls.However, there is “Alice/*Alice, is the name the Cisco's have given to a “cold spot” in the front room of their house.“I don't know what it is.” Harry Visco commented. “but it's something. I don’t believe in ghosts or any of that stuff but for some reason no one can sleep in the front room of the house.”Visco, who is quick to denounce the supernatural as someone’s active imagination, explains that anyone sleeping in that room is usually awakened in the middle of the night with a terrific chill.“It goes right through you — from your head down to your feet. It is really something. You tell people this and they think you're a kook, but it's true ' Visco. who has lived in the house for 30 vears. said the octuranee began when his son Buzzv. who now is 25. was a youngster.Visco said his son, who no longer sleeps in that room, named the chill Alice. He added this experience has happened on several occasions to guests who decided to spend the night in that room.Upon hearing of Harry Visco s Alice. Mrs. Jeffrey commented. “I didn't know of this case before. However, I am familiar with cold spots. Usually cold spots are manifestations of a spirit which is attempting tocommunciate.”There are several other areas throughout Bucks County which have been reported to have similar events.Thev are ail in Mrs. Jeffrey's book.w wBut then, of course, you don't believe in ghosts.Or do you?; r“:MIDNIGHT MARY HAS BEEN SEEN HEREC ourier Times pboto by Mike Karmclry. Tullytown lake is haunted by the ghost of a girl who drowned there 10 years ago.fimm t• . -via ■ cSesCourier Times photo by Jay CrawfordWAITING FOR ALICESteve Kraft, son-in-law of Karry Visco, sits in the room where a cold spot has been experienced
Newspaper Details
Levittown Courier Times
Levittown, Pennsylvania, US
Sat, Oct 23, 1971
Page 24
Full Page
Clipped by
Margaret R.
PA, USA 18 Apr 2022
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