There's a chance of a ghost on Halloween

Phantoms and specters abound hereabouts By Marilyn Rosenthal MILFORD — Actually there’s a ghost of a chance that there’ll be a chance of seeing a ghost in Milford and environs this Halloween. There are a variety of purported supernatural visions as the town is figuratively painted orange and black on this Halloween weekend. The Story of Lizzy Schultz On Oct. 30 the Pike County Chamber of Commerce held a business card exchange with a twist at the Columns. The twist was Stacey Case’s dramatic reading of the eerie 1890s story of Lizzie Schultz who ran away from her wife-beating husband in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Shohola. But mean and cruel Herman Schultz found her and tried to force her back to Brooklyn. He finally shot her and claimed it a suicide. He almost got away with murder, until the authorities demanded that the body be exhumed. However, autopsy was deemed too expensive, so they decapitated poor Lizzy’s head and just examined the head. Herman was found guilty and was the first and only person to be hanged in Pike County on Dec. 7, 1897. A Ghostly Carriage Ride The Columns is having another ghostly event. This one is a horse-drawn carriage ride on Saturday, Nov. 1, through the streets of Milford focusing on eerie tales and haunted happenings in some of the businesses and buildings in town. The tour starts with the Columns building itself, where it is alleged that the ghost of Madame Peirce, whose dresses are on display at the museum, oversees visitors and let’s her presence be felt from time to time. The tour then precedes to other incorporeal beings in such places as the Sheriff’s Office and Courthouse, the Tom Quick Inn, the Judge School (now an apartment building on E. High and 4th St.) the spectral Harford House, Laurel Villa, and several private residences. The tour starts at noon. The cost is $25. For reservations, call 570- 296-8126. And for the other 364 days of the year, there are the regular paranormals (oxymoron intended): The Pitney ghost at the Milford Theater Thomas Pitney built the Milford Theater in 1920. After years of health and money problems, he committed suicide in the empty theater on the stage by attaching a wire to his shotgun. His wife found his body an hour later. When Sunflower Hill Productions performed in the theater, they always kept the middle seat of the fifth row empty for Pitney. They placed a little stuffed toy man wearing a black satin cape in the seat. He was Pitney’s representative. When this surrogate’s hand was squeezed, he would let out a maniacal laugh. Mr. Pitney’s ghost was sighted many times in the theater. Such sounds as a spirit going up the steps on the right aisle, or the projectionist’s report of walking through first bone-chilling cold and then a hot little breeze from Pitney. After Pitney’s death, a psychic was asked if there should be a mass for his soul. She said, “No, his home was in the Milford Theater and he is still in contact.” Further, she said, “if they needed anything at the theater, they should just ask him.” Ruth Randone, who worked with Sunflower Hill, reported that she talked to Pitney. She was having trouble putting up some posters of coming attractions at the theater and said, “Thomas, I could use a hand.” Suddenly, the poster slipped right into place. She said, “Thank you, Thomas.” The ghostly redhead Rumor has it that in the bowels of the Pike County Courthouse, there was a red-headed ghost which appeared with streaming hair flying aloft and then giving someone a slight push on the back of the chair. Local legend also has it that there was a bag of bones down in the basement. When workers had to go down there, folks always said, “Watch out for George’s bones.” No one ever actually saw the bag of bones that was reportedly George’s, but the thought of him scared the living daylights out of many a young woman. Red Cloud Red Cloud was an Indian Chief who who is said to stand protective watch over his former Indian burial ground on one of those sprawling farmhouses along Log Tavern Road. There have been instances where intruders were forcibly ousted from the property by Red Cloud. He is very protective of the owners of the farmhouse. A number of friendly ghosts are also said to be inside the house. These are not of the “Casper “ variety, but they are also protective. If they don’t like a guest, they might give a gentle push or blow a bone-chilling wind. This doesn’t bother the owner, because it is said to be comforting. Ghosts at the historical society According to Peter Osborne, the executive director of the Historical Society, in Port Jervis, N.Y., there are at least five potential ghosts in this 230- year-old building. The one that actually has been sighted by several people is a spirit of a woman who died in the building and whose funeral wake was held there. When a new lighting system was installed with a motion detector, it was noted that the lights in the parlor rooms were turned on and then off between 9 and 10 p.m., which was the spirit’s bedtime. Now, they fixed the system so it is turned on manually. However, people still site breezes of cold air bumping in to them and pictures of orbs in each of the rooms. Linda Zimmerman, a paranormal expert visited the museum and confirmed many of the sightings. Interesting Web sites not for sissies Many people have sighted ghosts and spirits, but are afraid to admit it for fear that people will think they are crazy. However, if you want to pursue more of the ghost and spirit world where others are unabashedly talking about the world of the paranormal, here are some Web sites to check out. Take a deep breath and go to: www.ghostinvestigator.com www.strangehappenings.org www.ghoststudy.com www.thorthebarbarian.com We won’t tell a soul!