Tuesday, September 27, 2011

N.A.P.S. Consultant Don Estes

We enjoy the expertise of several very proficient and knowledgable consultants, and one of these is our good friend Don Estes, who in addition to being an excellent historian, is an amazing dowser.

The photo at left is Don in action in one of our cases in Franklin County, Mississippi, where he is in the process of locating the grave of an individual out in a dense forest right where the landowner encountered the apparition of an Indian. The Indian apparition had spoken to her and said, "My mother is buried here." Don indeed located the body of a female, 5'7" tall. Utterly stunning!

For more on this particular case, click here.

For more on Don, click here.

Cryptozoology: Strange Beast Roams in Anna's Bottom

Professional photographer Tim McCary caught this strange creature on a wildlife camera in Adam's County, Mississippi (which is the County that Natchez is in). Tim's hunting club is situated on the river flats of Anna's Bottom on the East bank of the mighty Mississippi River. Our county is located in the southwestern portion of the State, and is in the very deep South. It is comprised of very rich farmland and thick river-bottom woods and swamps. Check out the photo of the creature that was caught on camera. Look at the topmost photo. What do you think it is?


Yep, that's right...it is an African hyena! A mammologist from Mississippi State University identified the animal, and thus the inset (lower) picture of a hyena for comparison. Who would have ever thought that an African hyena would be roaming the bottoms and swampland of Adams County, Mississippi? Let's see, water moccasins, alligators, black widow spiders and now...hyenas! Great shot Tim, but no crypto-beast, this one is an animal we humans know about - just not at all familiar with around here! The search goes on for Bigfoot and the Rougarou.

To watch footage of this video, click here!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Paranormal Photographs: An Analysis Nightmare

Spirit photography has a long history, and most of it is not very impressive. There have been thousands upon thousands of alleged photos of spirits, ghosts and other paranormal anomalies that have been proven fakes. Still, there are some that have withstood the test of time and have no scientific explanation and show no evidence of tampering or manipulation.

Photo on Left:
N.A.P.S. Team Leader Mike Chapman had a close friend send him this photo that was circulating earlier in 2011, and was alarmed that it might be real. It is fake. The "story" was that it was captured on a trail camera in the Baton Rouge area. It is simply a photograph that has been "photoshopped."

This is even tougher today in the digital photography age, with excellent software to edit photographs such as Photoshop and Mediasoft's Photoscape editor, and iphone aps with many demonic or ghostly add-ons to photos. In fact, paranormal investigators have coined a verb to use for such altered or manipulated photos by using these software editing programs: it is called "photoshopping."

N.A.P.S. periodically receives photographs that are sent to us by people, usually complete strangers, who ask us to take a look at their photos and see what we think. With absolutely no way to know the credibility of the person who is sending us the photo or any way to corroborate any of the circumstances surrounding the photo, it is impossible to render any opinion whatsoever. So, our standing policy is to tell them just that, that we cannot give them any opinion on the photo for those reasons.

Photo on Left:
This photo was sent to Mike Chapman of N.A.P.S. by a person in Australia who claimed this was genuine, and that it was a demon. In his opinion it is an obvious fake, and he told them so. It did not go over very well, and he received a response that was quite colorful. One can research this photo using search engines and find that the person has spread this all over the Internet, and some sites are even using it as a genuine demonic photo.

Usually, the only photos we will analyze, other  than our own of course, are photos that were taken by a client whose residence or structure we are investigating. This analysis is done in conjunction with the entire overall investigation, where we have access to the person who took the photo, the exact location, and can dig into the circumstances of the context of the photo. We also will analyze photos of historical sites we are investigating, but there again, it is not an entirely foreign or inaccessible situation.

Investigators should always keep in mind that there are those who will send us something that is faked just to see if we render a verdict that it is genuine. So, the wise approach is to be extremely guarded and cautious about analyzing photos sent to you by strangers who may seem and sound sincere, but whom you really do not know. Be forewarned: your credibility is at stake!

Dunleith in Natchez: Historical Research

by N.A.P.S. Lead Evidence Analyst Kimberly DeLorenze 

When traveling through the south, one may hear of ghostly tales and haunts around every metal gate. Natchez is no exception. There is one such place in Natchez, however, that does not wish to be known for its clanks and bumps in the night, but rather for its charming beauty and exquisite cuisine.  This place is Dunleith. Its history runs deep, but when asked, the Hostess at the check-in desk said, “there are things that happen here and some guests have made comments about seeing and hearing strange things while staying with us, but we prefer to just ignore it. They don’t bother us, we don’t bother them.” 

There is a rumored story about a young lady who died of a broken heart. It is said she still walks the grounds and, sometimes, her harp can be heard, playing softly in the night.  I have personally not heard the harp as of yet, but I did catch an EVP beside the Carriage House and one under the Magnolia Tree that sounded like a man speaking. So, there are paranormal occurrences at Dunleith.

In order to understand where the strange occurrences may come from, we must first look at the history surrounding the land of what is now Dunleith.

As was normal of most land in Natchez at the time of the 1700s, it had its share of owners. The Native Americans, French, Spanish and then British Settlers have all fought over rights to the land and the trade routes of the Mississippi River at some point. The land where Dunleith now stands was no different.

The History of Dunleith

In 1777, Jeremiah Routh, along with his wife and children, moved into the Natchez District, receiving a land grant of five hundred acres. After Jeremiah’s death, his son Job and new wife Anne Madeline Miller received a land grant of seventeen hundred acres. This is where he constructed Routhland. Routhland was built in the style of a baronial castle. Along with the house, the property also had slave quarters, kitchen, laundry, dairy barn, poultry house, carriage house, greenhouse and the Routh family cemetery.                                              

Job Routh died on the property in 1834.  The house changed hands again. It went to his youngest daughter Mary Routh and her new husband Thomas Ellis.  They moved into the residence three years later and raised their five children. After Thomas died suddenly in 1839, Mary Routh, married Charles G Dahlgren in 1840. She was 15.
                                                                        
In several areas of the South, diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and cholera would spread through the communities during the summer months.  Natchez and nearby cities were more susceptible because of the region’s high heat and humidity.  To escape the heat and risk of catching a disease, many wealthy families in the area would go further north during the summer months. Some of the common destinations were places like Hot Springs, Arkansas and Bersheeba Springs, Tennessee.

In 1855, the Dahlgrens traveled to Bersheeba Springs for summer vacation. On August 18, 1855, their home was struck by lightning. They returned to find their home burned and decided to start from scratch.


In December of 1857, a new home was built on the same spot where Routhland had once stood. “It set upon 40 acres, which also includes the carriage house, dairy barn, poultry house and a three-story brick dependency. The dependency features a 19th-century toilet and bathtub, which were considered to be rare amenities for the time.          

It was built in Greek revival style, with 26 Tuscan columns surrounding the house. The brick and stucco columns support a double gallery with intricately designed wrought iron railings spanning the columns. Jeffersonian windows extend from the floor to the ceiling on the first floor, providing ventilation and easy access to the gallery from any room.

Enclosed within the 14 ½ inch thick walls is 9,500 square feet of floor space. The floors are made of heart pine, with cypress baseboards painted to look like oak. Italian marble mantle pieces adorn each fireplace, and elegantly designed ceiling medallions enhance the chandeliers hung throughout the house.”  The Wallpaper located in the Dining Room was called Zubar.

The family only got to enjoy their new home for three short months before Mary Routh Dahlgren died in March of 1858. She died of a weak heart at age forty-five. She and Charles had only been married for three years. No longer wanting to live in the house without Mary and due to family turmoil between the Ellis and Dahlgren siblings, Charles sold the house to Alfred Vidal Davis for $30,000. Davis, in turn, gave the house the Scottish name of Dunleith.

Alfred and his wife Sarah, originally from Concordia Parish, moved into the residence in January 4th, 1859. He and his wife were able to enjoy Dunleith for a couple of years before the Civil War. In June of 1861, Alfred and his wife, along with his organized volunteer infantry called the Natchez Rifles, left via a steamboat called Mary E Keene. Their destination was Richmond, Virginia.

They returned to Natchez and their home in 1863 to find the city occupied by Union troops.  Two years later, his wife Sarah passed away, leaving him with their two young children whose names were, Alfred Vidal Jr. and Lily.

Alfred sold Dunleith in 1866 to Hiram M. Baldwin of Natchez. He lived in the house for less than a year because he died suddenly in 1868. DunleithBritton and Koontz Bank. He became the owner and overseer.

Joseph Neibert Carpenter was the next to purchase Dunleith in 1886 for the depreciated price of twenty thousand dollars. He, along with his wife, Zipporah, and their three children Leslie, Agnes and Camille moved into Dunleith and it stayed in the Carpenter family from 1886-1976.
                                                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                  
William F. Heins purchased the home in 1976 and operated a bed and breakfast there. In 1999, Mrs. Edward Worley and her son, Michael Worley, purchased the house.
“The Worley's spent a great deal of time and energy renovating and restoring the house and turned it into the inn that exists today. Dunleith boasts 26 guest rooms and suites, all of which have private bathrooms, antiques and antebellum period replica furniture and cable TV. Some have fireplaces and 16 feature whirlpool tubs. Of special interest to history lovers are the brick steps beside the house which are left from the original Routhland home that burned. There is also a dairy barn , The Gothic Carriage House, and the Castle Restaurant, which date back to the late 1700s and Routhland's early days. You'll also find a magnolia tree that is estimated to be over 250 years old.”
Recently, the owner Mr. Ed Worley passed away on his other property, Bowie’s Tavern. Both properties are now in the possession of Michael Worley, Ed’s son.

The beautiful home has changed hands many times over the years.  There have been several deaths on the property.  Although there is no recorded haunted history, reason suggests that over the years, with the fire at Routhland, with diseases moving through the area, war and other such events, that the conditions are just as favorable for a haunting there as any of the many other known haunted locations in Natchez. There have been EVPs caught around the house and the old magnolia tree and also higher EMF readings where there was no known electrical source.

Dunleith....haunted or not? My experience says yes, but you will have to visit and decide for
yourself!
Historic Routh Cemetery


Timeline of Dunleith

1857-Routhland Two was built on the site of the original Routhland by Charles G and Mary Routh Dahlgren.
1858-Mary Routh passes away in March of a weak heart and Charles sales house to Alfred Vidal Davis.
1859-Alfred and his wife Sarah move into the home and rename it Dunleith.
1861-Alfred and his wife leave on a steamboat bound for Richmond, Virginia.     
1863-Alfred and Sarah return home. Union Soldiers are occupying the city.
1865-Sarah Davis passes away.
1866-Alfred sales Dunleith to Hiram M Baldwin of Natchez.
1868-Hiram passes away suddenly in home. Dunleith taken over by John R Stockton of Britton and Koontz Bank.
1886-Joseph Neibert Carpenter purchases Dunleith.
1925-Joseph Neibert Carpenter passes away leaving all property to his wife, Zipporah. Then, when Zipporah passed, it went to their son, Nathaniel Leslie.
1935-Nathaniel Leslie and wife Ameila apply to have Dunleith placed on National Register of Historic Places.
1886-1976-Dunleith remains in the Carpenter Family for five generations.
1976-William F Heins purchases property and operates Dunleith as a Bed and Breakfast.
1999-Mr and Mrs Ed Worley, along with their son Michael, purchase Dunleith and make major renonvations to the home. It continues as an Inn, along with The Castle Restaurant.
2011-Mr Ed Worley’s death.
                                                                                                                                                                    
Bibliography
Primary Sources


Morris, Kathryn E.  Dunleith. Richland, Mississippi: Hederman Brothers, 2007.

Various Web Sites:
http://www.natchezcitycemetery.com/webpage.cfm?content=content&id=80
http://www.livingplaces.com/MS/Adams_County/Natchez_City/Dunleith.html 
(please note that the photo on this link is not Dunleith,) 
www.dunleith.com/experience-?dunleith.html




Wednesday, September 21, 2011

N.A.P.S. TEAM NOTICE: Meeting/Outing Next Week!

Calling all Natchez Area Paranormal Society investigators, members, friends and interested persons - we are having a Team Meeting:

It's time to get back into paranormal investigating!!!


When:  Next Wednesday Night at 6:30pm, September 28!

Where: Mike's house at 219 Oakland Drive out in Morgantown.

What:   Business, News, Plans, Cases and Upcoming Investigations & Events then an Outing to either Meadvilla/Elizabeth Female Academy or Natchez City Cemetery!

We will have drinks and chips to snack on.

Bring Your September dues and more if you are behind! Also, bring your gear for the outing!

See ya there!

Thursday, September 15, 2011

The History of Longwood Plantation

This History was compiled by N.A.P.S. Paranormal Investigator Lauren S.
September 4, 2011

Overview
Longwood, aka Nutt’s Folly, is a six-story 30,000 square foot mansion was designed by Samuel Sloan of Philadelphia for wealthy planter Haller Nutt and his wife, Julia Williams Nutt, in Natchez, MS.  As it was nearing completion, the Civil War began and the workmen dropped their tools and went home. Haller died in 1864 and his wife Julia continued to live in the finished first floor that today contains many original family furnishings.  The upper five stories are an architectural wonder - a magnificent work in progress where time just stopped and stayed.  Longwood is the largest octagonal house in America and is listed as a National Historic Landmark. Tours are available year round. [i]   


Architecture/Site
According to the National Parks Service, the site is architecturally significant because Longwood “is the largest and most elaborate of the octagon houses built in the country, as well as being one of the finest surviving examples of an Oriental Revival style residence illustrating the exotic phase of architectural romanticism that flourished in mid-19th century America. A Moorish-style suburban villa built for Haller Nutt, a wealthy cotton planter, Longwood's interior was never completed." [ii]  
The completed house was to have had 32 rooms, 26 fireplaces, 115 doors, 96 columns, and a total of 30,000 square feet of living space, but only nine of the 32 rooms were finished.[iii]  Click here to see Samuel Sloan’s floor plans and additional photos of the home and site.

The property is located on 87 acres of land. In addition to the main house, the property contained 5 parts: the Necessary; the Kitchen, the Slaves Quarters, the Carriage House, and the Stables. The site of geometrically-patterned gardens, which in 1860-1873 occupied 15 acres of land, is located at some distance to the southeast of the mansion and near the entrance to the estate. At a considerable distance to the southwest of the mansion is situated the cemetery of the Nutt family. [iv]


Current Condition
The floors above the first floor are still unfinished and the home needs repairs. According to the National Historic Landmarks Program review in 2008, “Extensive maintenance is currently needed to maintain the integrity of the structure, particularly to the dome area. Extensive structural repairs have been made on one side of the octagonal sides of the house where the galleries were sinking and shifting." [v]  





Basic Timeline
  • 1840- Haller Nutt married Julia Augusta Williams in Natchez
  • 1841-1863- The Nutts had 11 children, all of whom did not survive childhood.*
  • 1860- Construction began on Longwood.
  • 1861- After the exterior was complete, artisans returned to the North due to the Civil War.
  • 1862- Slaves completed the basement (main level) and the Nutt family moved in. After this, construction on the home stopped.
  • 1864- Haller Nutt died and his wife, Julia, and their 8 children continued to live in the first floor.
  • 1897- Julia Augusta Williams Nutt died at Longwood.
  • 1968- In August of ’68, Longwood and 94 acres of land were acquired by Mr. and Mrs.  Kelly McAdams of Austin, Texas.
  • 1968- In December of ’68, they donated the estate to the McAdams Foundation of Austin, TX.
  • 1969- Longwood was designated a National Historic Landmark.
  • 1970- Longwood was sold to the Pilgrimage Garden Club of Natchez, MS.
                              * See details on the children below.


The Nutt Family History
Haller Nutt, younger son of physician and planter Dr. Rush Nutt and Eliza Ker Nutt, was born at Laurel Hill Plantation in Jefferson County, Mississippi, on February 17, 1816. Nutt was educated at the University of Virginia from 1832 to 1835. Upon returning to Mississippi, he assisted his father in plantation management.

Julia Augusta Williams, daughter of Austin and Caroline Routh Williams, was born at Routhlands in Natchez, Mississippi, on August 11, 1822. Much of her youth was spent at Ashburn, also in Natchez. Williams was eighteen at the time of her marriage to Haller Nutt in 1840. [vi]  



Haller and Julia Nutt had eleven children:
  1. Caroline Routh Nutt was born ABT 1841, and died 03 JAN 1867 in 'Longwood', Natchez, Adams Co., MS. She married Charles S. Forsythe ABT 1865.
  1. Mary Ella Nutt was born ABT 1843, and died 19 AUG 1901 in Natchez, Adams Co., MS.
  1. Fanny Smith Nutt was born ABT 1845, and died AUG 1848 in Araby Plantation, Tensas Par., LA.
  1. Haller Nutt Jr. was born ABT 1846, and died in Winter Quarters, Tensas Par., LA.
  1. John Kerr Nutt was born ABT 1850.
  1. Austin Williams Nutt was born ABT 1852, and died 09 JAN 1860 in Winter Quarters, Tensas Par., LA.
  1. Sargent Prentiss Nutt was born 1855, and died 1939.
  1. Julia Agusta Nutt was born BEF 1858, and died 1932 in 'Longwood', Natchez, Adams Co., MS.
  1. Calvin Routh Nutt was born ABT 1859, and died 29 APR 1909 in Memphis, Shelby Co., TN.
  1. Lilly Frances Elizabeth Nutt was born 04 JUN 1861, and died 12 JUL 1930. She married James Williams Ward 13 JAN 1885 in Washington Co., MS, son of George Viley Ward and Maria Louisa Williams. He was born 13 SEP 1858 in Scott Co., KY, and died 23 APR 1930 in Staunton, VA.
  1. Rushworth Nutt was born 1863, and died 1863. [vii]  
Haller Nutt acquired several plantations through inheritance or purchase, including Araby, Evergreen, and Winter Quarters in Louisiana and Cloverdale and Laurel Hill in Mississippi. The cultivation of cotton, sugar cane, and other cash crops on these plantations brought him considerable wealth. Nutt owned nearly 43,000 acres of land and 800 slaves, and he had made a net profit of more than $228,000 from agricultural enterprises in 1860. His fortune prior to the Civil War was estimated at more than three million dollars.

When Haller and Julia Nutt were ready to build Longwood in the late 1850s, they chose Philadelphia architect Samuel Sloan. The couple worked closely with Sloan to create plans for the mansion. Sloan designed a multistory octagonal villa in the Oriental Revival style, with a domed cupola, full basement, and more than thirty rooms. Construction on Longwood began in the spring of 1860, and the exterior was virtually complete at the beginning of the Civil War. However, work on the interior was soon halted as Sloan’s artisans, fearing for their safety, hastily returned to the North. The basement story was completed by slave labor and was ready for occupancy by 1862. Although Julia Nutt later received bids for the completion of the interior of Longwood in the 1890s, the upper floors were never completed.

Haller Nutt suffered large financial losses during the Civil War from the destruction of cotton and real estate and the expropriation of stores and supplies by the Union and Confederate armies. This situation caused severe cash-flow problems that ultimately led to the foreclosure on the mortgages to Nutt family plantations in Louisiana. During the war, Nutt took steps to document the value of assets lost to the Union army in the hope that reparations would someday be paid. After the war, these records were filed with the federal government to substantiate the reparations claim of the Haller Nutt estate.

The Nutt family continued living at Longwood after the death of Haller Nutt from pneumonia on June 15, 1864, but Julia Nutt was left with the responsibility of rearing and educating several minor children. The remaining plantations, Cloverdale and Lochland, were not always productive, thus creating financial difficulties for the Nutt family. Nevertheless, Julia Nutt managed to support her children and provide them with what educational and social opportunities she could afford. However, without the counsel and support of Julia Nutt’s son, Sargeant Prentiss, her task would have been nearly impossible.

Sargeant Prentiss Nutt (later Knut) was educated in Philadelphia and at the University of Virginia. After reading law in Natchez, Knut moved to Washington, D.C., to pursue a legal career. Knut persistently lobbied for the passage of a bill that would partially compensate the Nutt family for losses due to the Union army. The total of payments for reparations actually received by the Nutt family probably never amounted to more than $100,000. [viii] 


The last decedents to live at Longwood were the five children of Lilly Nutt and her husband, James William Ward. In time, only an elderly grandson of Haller and Julia Nutt remained in the house. [ix] The five children were Julia Nutt Ward, James Haller Ward, Robert Julian Ward, Isobelle Carolyn Ward, and Merritt Williams Ward. [x]  Merritt (Unknown - 14 Mar 1939), James (04 Feb 1888 - 02 Sep 1950), and Robert (29 Nov 1889 - 01 Jun 1962) are buried with their parents at Longwood. [xi]  


Reports of Hauntings
According to reports, Julia, Haller and their children still haunt Longwood. According to one source, Julia Nutt is usually seen inside on the staircase while Haller Nutt seems to prefer the garden area. [xii] 

According to Alan Brown’s book, Haunted Natchez, full apparitions have been spotted in the home including a woman in a pink hoop skirt standing on the stairs. A Longwood tour guide also reported that the lights flickered on and off when she made an unintentional error in the description of the mansion. She also reported that the photos of Haller’s mother and father often shift and need to be straightened when she comes in the house in the mornings and sometimes in the mornings the little children’s furniture is scattered all over the place. [xiii]   

According to another source, “Scores of people have witnessed strange aberrations, odors, and noises, over the years… A groundskeeper spied Dr. Nutt, in period clothing, standing under a tree. Others have noticed the sudden appearance of localized perfumed odors, presumably carried by Julia. A grandson of the current resident director once observed Dr. Nutt sitting in a chair. Another grandson saw Julia Nutt standing on the stairs. Thinking the lady was an employee dressed in period costume, the grandson thought nothing of it, until he realized that the lady he had seen looked just like the portrait of Julia Nutt. An investigation failed to reveal any employees dressed in costume…

Louise Burns, the Resident Director at Longwood for over 20 years, experienced perhaps the most frightening encounter. Awakened in the dead of night, Mrs. Burns found her head lifted and held off the pillow [but] No one was there. Mrs. Burns tried unsuccessfully to extricate herself, and felt a moment of fear. As she related the story to this author: "I had a choice. I could allow Dr. Nutt to scare me away from Longwood, or I could let him know who was boss." Suddenly her head was released." [xiv]

End Notes:  [Many of these references are HYPERLINKS - CLICK ON to go to Site for more info.]
[i] "Antebellum Mansions Open Year-Round." Natchez Pilgrimage Tours. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Sept. 2011. http://www.natchezpilgrimage.com/dailytour.htm.
[ii] "Longwood." National Historic Landmarks Program. National Parks Service, 2008. Web. 4 Sept. 2011. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=824&ResourceType=Building.
[iii] The Broken Dream of Longwood. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Sept. 2011. http://www.newsouthernview.com/pages/nsv_ie_longwood.html.
[iv] Heintzelman, Patricia. "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form." National Register of Historic Places. National Parks Service, 3 May 1975. Web. 4 Sept. 2011. http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NHLS/Text/69000079.pdf.
[v] "Longwood." National Historic Landmarks Program. National Parks Service, 2008. Web. 4 Sept. 2011. http://tps.cr.nps.gov/nhl/detail.cfm?ResourceId=824&ResourceType=Building.
[vi] "PILGRIMAGE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION COLLECTION: NUTT FAMILY PAPERS 1841-1911." Archives & Library. Mississippi Department of Archives and History, n.d. Web. 4 Sept. 2011. http://mdah.state.ms.us/manuscripts/z1817.html.
[vii] RootsWeb. Ed. David Lawrence. Ancestry.com, 4 Apr. 2003. Web. 4 Sept. 2011. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=AHN&db=samlyons&id=I3064.
[viii] "PILGRIMAGE HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION COLLECTION: NUTT FAMILY PAPERS 1841-1911." Archives & Library. Mississippi Department of Archives and History, n.d. Web. 4 Sept. 2011. http://mdah.state.ms.us/manuscripts/z1817.html.
[ix] Brown, Alan. Haunted Natchez. Charleston, SC: Haunted America, 2010. 28. Print.
[x] RootsWeb. Ed. David Lawrence. Ancestry.com, 4 Apr. 2003. Web. 4 Sept. 2011. http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=samlyons&id=I182.
[xi] Oberscmidt, John. "Nutt Family Cemetery." Adams County, Mississippi Genealogy and History Network. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Sept. 2011. http://adams.msghn.org/cemnutt.html.
[xii] Taylor, Troy. "Ghosts of Natchez." Haunted Mississippi. N.p., 1998. Web. 4 Sept. 2011. http://www.prairieghosts.com/natchez.html.
[xiii] Brown, Alan. Haunted Natchez. Charleston, SC: Haunted America, 2010. 29-30. Print.
[xiv] "Folk Lore and Ghost Stories of Adams County, MS." Adams County Genealogical and Historical Researc, n.d. Web. 4 Sept. 2011. http://www.natchezbelle.org/adams-ind/folklore.htm#nutt.

Monday, September 12, 2011

MEL REM ATDD & Ovilus X Digital Text Display Among Latest Equipment Additions to N.A.P.S.

Team Leader Mike Chapman of the Natchez Area Paranormal Society is strongly committed to keeping the Team in the latest cutting edge technology and equipment. The latest additions to the team's equipment arsenal is the MEL REM ATDD emf meter and the OVILUS X Digital Text Display. A second RT-EVP device was also ordered. Mike explained, "I am very committed to advancing our ability to conduct investigations and improving our abilities and skills on all levels. I always have my eye out for the latest technology and look for pieces of technical, scientific equipment that I think will enhance our ability. In that regard I work closely with our Tech Specialist Michael DeLorenze and Case Manager Kim Frith."

The Team is also improving their evidence review and evidence reveal processes as well as data storage. As many paranormal team members know, there are always areas where a team is strong and then there are areas that could use improvement. "This last year has been an extremely successful one for NAPS, and the team is very excited about the coming new fiscal year, which for us begins October 1st. We are looking to expand into video production for our own youtube channel which would feature evidence, education, and equipment training as well as using certain aspects of it for marketing. We want people to know we exist, and we could use video at shows and lectures where we set up a booth to educate the public on what we do. We are also working with a video producer to film some of our investigations, and getting some of that on local TV. Our goal in that is to educate people about real paranormal investigation, and to let people know we are here to help."

"As for the latest equipment orders, I am particularly looking forward to these new tools arriving because we have such an awesome inventory of equipment already that any new pieces we add are like icing on the cake. The REM Mel meter will be our fourth MEL meter, and the REM feature (which stands for resonating Electro-Magnetic field) is going to be really cool. I was speaking with Gary Galka, the inventor of the MEL Meter and CEO of DAS Distributing, by email and he was explaining that the antenna on this new MEL meter extends and when switched on, it emits an EM field that if disturbed in any way, sets off a row of LED's. The proximity and strength of the disturbance signals which LED will light up. This works additionally and supplementally with the sensor coil inside the MEL meter which picks up AC/DC EMF fields. They provide separate functions. This MEL meter also has ATDD (Automatic Temperature Deviation Device) on board, which detects hot and cold spots."

DAS Distributing manufactures the RT-EVP which is one of the the team's most effective devices for picking up EVP. The team is adding a second of these high-tech recorders that allows for recording and listening to EVP in real time. It also makes the static "e" pod, which the team also has an array of, as well as the P-SB7 "spirit box" that is a first class piece of equipment. The Team has one of these as well. Mike added, "Gary's company easily makes some of the best paranormal equipment in the field, and we own everything they produce. I'd like to interview Gary soon once Shelly (Shelly Beard of M.S.S.P.I.) and I get our radio show going. I'd love to hear him talk about DAS's future plans and the new equipment they have coming down the pipe."

We are also receiving a DTD (digital text display), which is a piece of hardware that plugs into our Ovilus X and will give us a visual text readout of whatever the Ovilus X "speaks." This visual aid will help tremendously when in Dictionary mode because sometimes the digitized voice is not easy to understand. "We are also awaiting a software update to download via the Internet directly from Bill Chapell and Digital Dowsing, the maker of these devices, which will allow us to download from the Ovilus to a computer, the entire evening's spoken (and text displayed) vocabulary by the Ovilus X. We can then print out what was said and literally have a log of what the Ovilus has revealed. That will also be a huge help - no more walking around with a note pad recording what the Ovilus is saying. One of the many neat features of the Ovilus X is this ability to update it by downloads that the manufacturer provides as he updates the software. We have already received some updates from Bill and plugged it into our Ovilus X. In fact, both Bill Chappell at Digital Dowsing and Gary Galka at DAS Distribution make devices that are upgradable by downloads from the Internet. That way, investigators in the field that purchase this high-quality equipment can keep up with advances in the device's software as they come out. That's awesome. These guys are just the kind of cutting-edge inventors and innovators of paranormal equipment that we want to be associated with, and we have ongoing email relationships with both Bill and Gary. Besides being a client of theirs, it's a symbiotic relationship that's a lot of fun. We learn how the equipment works and how to use it more proficiently, and they get feedback and evidence samples from us of how it's working in the field."

Saturday, September 10, 2011

N.A.P.S. Helps Resolve Clinton, MS Case

Friday evening, N.A.P.S. Investigators from its S.O.R. Unit conducted a home blessing at a residence in Clinton, Mississippi, just outside of Jackson, the State's capitol. The case involved both human spirit activity as well as demonic activity on the level of "Infestation," the second level of six as rated by the Unit. The first level is that of Influence, and is the least serious. Complete Possession is the most serious, and is extremely rare. At the Infestation level, the demonic activity is becoming less covert and beginning to come more out into the open and overt. N.A.P.S. is very much a solution-based team and enters investigations only when it feels like it can help the family or individual resolve their situation. Friday night, team members used a three-part solution consisting of an evidence reveal, including both technical and non-technical evidence; provided detailed counseling and packets of follow-up information and action points; and conducted a Christian house clearing & blessing ritual using scripture, prayers, holy water, and blessed oil during a rite often used to exorcise and bless a dwelling. The S.O.R. Unit, made up of the team's Spiritual and Occult Research members, assessed the evening as being both humbling and successful.