Haunted Girl Esther Cox & The Great Amherst Mystery

Author: Laurie Glenn Norris  With Barbara Thompson

ISBN: 978-1-55109-907-1

Purchase Link

“Haunted Girl – Esther Cox & the Great Amherst Mystery” is a recent addition to Nimbus & Vagrant Publishing’s long list of Eastern Canadian paranormal & folklore focused literature.  The authors, Laurie Glenn Norris & Barbara Thompson, go to great lengths to provide a biographical narrative that is not only historically accurate, but pleasantly neutral and objective. In stark contrast to other books about Esther Cox, no potential stone is left unturned as to the possible causation of the alleged phenomena – providing the reader with a unbridled look into the life of a 19^th Century girl living in very unusual circumstances.  “The Haunted Girl – Esther Cox & the Great Amherst Mystery” is as much a biography of Esther Cox’s life as it is a much needed retrospective case study of the phenomenal events that surrounded her from 1878 – 1879.

Unlike most literature in this vein, the expectation should not be set that this is just a simple facsimile of William Hubbell’s novelization of the events that had plagued Esther Cox and the residents of 6 Princess Street, nor is it a simple retelling of folklore leaning on the side of superstition. It is, in fact, a surprisingly well-researched biography that not only provokes critical thinking, but also leads readers to question some of the same points the authors do, well before extensive reflection in later chapters.

The book first sets the stage by recounting what daily life was like in Amherst during Esther’s life: what relationships had developed between local officials and the town’s people, who Esther Cox was, as well as the events leading up to “The Great Amherst Mystery”.

Once the setting is established, the reader is immersed into each event as recounted by those who witnessed or documented Esther’s story. In early chapters, the authors are mindful not to interpret the events, but to report them as they were alleged to have transpired. The story itself is an arduous reconstruction from diary entries, conflicting articles from newspapers, and witness testimony.

The reader is next introduced to Walter Hubbell, the author of “The Great Amherst Mystery”, who claimed to be interested only in documenting and authenticating the phenomena surrounding Esther.  Considering his actual contributions to unravelling the mystery and his tendency to sensationalize, the reader begins to wonder if his motives were not actually self-serving. A great deal of time is spent deconstructing his work and cross-referencing with multiple sources throughout the book.

The authors make a very astute observation about the media climate at the time, which remains true even today. They go to great lengths to explain the polarization of competing newspapers based on their interpretations of the events occurring at 6 Princess Street. Each newspaper is described as having taken drastically different stances. When one newspaper would run a story sensationalizing or glamorizing events, another would reel it back into the realm of science, while yet another would depict those writing about or participating in the public dialogue as frauds. Regardless of the authenticity of the events, the reader begins to see how Esther found herself under the microscope of early Canadians, and perhaps, unintentionally became an international celebrity.

Approximately halfway through the book the reader is shown many contrasting interpretations of the events surrounding Esther Cox, and is given some insight into her state of mind, as well as the many expectations placed upon her. The authors then delve into the proliferation of spiritualism (how Esther would have been familiar with the movement) and the many forms of Mediumship that came in its wake. Many comparisons are drawn between similar cases such as the Fox Sisters, Angelique Cottin, the Salem Witch Trials, and Borley Rectory (to name a few).

Whether readers are researchers, historians, folklore enthusiasts, or paranormal enthusiasts, “Haunted Girl – Esther Cox & the Great Amherst Mystery” opens up a century-old case of alleged poltergeist phenomena and could be considered the definitive guide to understanding “The Great Amherst Mystery”.  While we may never know what actually happened to Esther Cox, “Haunted Girl – Esther Cox & the Great Amherst Mystery” is a great start. Not only does it set the precedent for researchers and enthusiasts alike, it is an excellent contribution to Canadiana.

- Justin

When it comes to paranormal research, reality TV has given many people the impression that it takes specialized pieces of equipment in order to conduct on-site investigations. Beyond audio and video recording equipment, those who call themselves ghost hunters may not even be able to explain the purpose or operation of the devices they regularly use. One such line of available devices are those created by Bill Chappell of Digital Dousing LLC.

The Puck, Ovilus, and PX – all variations of a similar concept – supposedly have a variety of sensors to take environmental readings (EMF, ELF, and temperature) which are then combined as a numeric link to a phoneme, word, or phrase within the device’s pre-programmed inventory. The word (or phrase) is then ‘spoken’ aloud by the device for the user to hear. Hypothetically speaking, this means when the EMF reading is 0.3 Milligauss, the ELF is 25 Hertz, and the temperature is 20.4 Celsius, the device may say ‘salami’. There is no information available to explain how the pre-programmed words were chosen; however, importance was likely not placed on things used to make a sandwich.

As found on languagemonitor.com – “The number of words in the English language is: 1,013,913. This is the estimate by the Global Language Monitor for January 1, 2012.” Based on Digital Dousing’s products having inventories of 512 and 1024 words (as found on their website), this means they include less than 0.2% of existing English words. But somehow, the word ‘demon’ got in there… (see Paranormal State, Season 2 – Hell’s Gate episode).

Supporters of the devices may explain that the option to use ‘Phonetic mode’ allows for limitless combinations of words (using phonemes instead), negating the argument that the dictionary is limited. And as stated in their disclaimer, “No algorithm is employed to produce text or speech in a specific pattern” (see full disclaimer text below). With no rules for how these phonemes are put together, they would be unrecognizable as words. Thus minimal structure must be in place within the programming (eg. no three consonant sounds in a row) for the device to not just be randomly spewing ‘ttsjbeeqi’. This again, limits creative responses.

However, the main flaw of these devices is the arbitrary way the environmental readings are linked to the stored speech. These devices, having no intelligence themselves, rely on their programmers to tell them what to say. This is no different than a talking stuffed animal (when you press Elmo’s hand he may say ‘hi friend‘, and press his belly and he might giggle). How is it that the programmers know that a combined EMF, ELF and temperature reading of 42 is equal to the word ‘horrible’, whereas a 43 is the word ‘lovely’? Not to mention, are they assuming that the ‘ghosts’ in all locations and situations are privy to this random assignment OR that they are even able to make the environment fluctuate at will?

Actually, Bill Chappell somewhat admits he is aware of the gaps in logic, BUT still tries to pique the interest of potential buyers. As he states on the Digital Dousing website:

“These devices are for Entertainment Purposes Only. That is all we can say until somebody has absolute proof one way or the other…. A Joke? Absolutely! …I was approached and asked about building a “communications device”. The idea started as a joke, however, the “joke” left me shaken and confused about what I was seeing and hearing …See, I believe there are a lot of things going on in this world that we just don’t understand. I don’t have the answers, just a ton of questions. As a result, I struggle with these devices on an intellectual level every day… “

What Bill is relying on for sales is the seemingly contextually appropriate responses users are getting from the devices (‘I was in a reportedly haunted location and the Ovilus said frightened, wow!’). But consider this, with only 0.2% of the existing English words in the available vocabulary of the device, and no indication of how the words were chosen (random sample, based on the top 500-2000 most frequently used words…) is it not possible that words were chosen on purpose for their relevance to dark places where someone might be frightened and is looking for ghosts? That way, most responses could be interpreted as relevant and from intelligent spirit sources. One of the most commonly used word in English is ‘the’. It wouldn’t sound as impressive for the PX to be saying ‘the the the‘ all the time, versus ‘enemy‘ now would it?

Here is part of the disclaimer each purchaser has to read and acknowledge:

Product Disclaimer: Purchase Agreement – Why do we say for entertainment use only? First and foremost the devises are designed to aid in Paranormal Research. Not to be presented as evidence. This devices can create speech and text. By method of taking energy levels in the environment and creating speech nothing more!

We make no claim as to Spirit communications, Aliens, Ghosts or any other type of phenomena. No algorithm is employed to produce text or speech in a specific pattern.

If the developer of the device is even saying, “I’m just asking that people take a hard look at anything they are doing. Be objective and don’t allow your emotions to mislead you when using one of the Digital Dowsing devices“, then ghost hunters out there need to heed his advice. If the device comes with a disclaimer – ‘for entertainment purposes only’, then that’s what it’s for. Those truly interested in advancing the field of paranormal research need to look beyond reality TV and gadgets, and use objectivity. Following trends won’t get us any closer to the answers. Be creative, use scrutiny, and fully understand your methods and equipment before you proceed.

Regards,

Erin, MSc.SLP(c)
Speech Language Pathologist

Sources and links for further reading:

EMF – www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/
ELF – www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/extremely%20low%20frequency
phoneme – http://www.answers.com/topic/phoneme

http://www.ghostshop.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ovilus
http://www.languagemonitor.com/no-of-words/
http://grammar.about.com/od/words/a/100freqused07.htm

We hope everyone is enjoying a great fall season in the Maritimes!

Our team had a busy and enjoyable summer meeting new people, visiting interesting places, and conducting field research. Now we have decided to bundle up and appreciate our favourite time of year! We’ll be taking a short hiatus from traveling and will be focusing on correspondence and research.

And although we appreciate the many requests, this year we won’t be participating in any interviews or events directly related to Halloween.

We’re happy to be receiving lots of email with stories and reports – provided you include a return email address, we’ll be getting back to you as soon as possible. This time of year, please allow 2-3 weeks for someone to be in contact.

We wish everyone a safe, fun, and spooky Halloween!

This summer has been a back-to-back marathon for the folks here at Maritime Paranormal. We’ve recently spent the night at two of Canada’s National Historic sites: the Port Royal Habitation and Fort Anne in beautiful Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. After our recent trip to Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, we’ve barely had time to catch our breath before preparing for what will undoubtedly be the largest site we have researched yet: The Fortress of Louisbourg.

For those familiar with our country’s diverse history, the Fortress of Louisbourg requires no introduction. During its original settlement, the area the Fortress sits on was known as Havre à l’Anglois. After much growth and commercial success as a port, it was developed into a fortified town and leveraged to protect Quebec City from British naval forces.

In its day, the French considered the Fortress of Louisbourg to be the second most important stronghold and commercial city in all of New France.

The Fortress itself boasts many tales of ghostly intrigue, ongoing reports, and has been showcased on a few paranormal programs. If ever there was a place where death and emotion could permeate walls, specifically here in Eastern Canada, this is it.

We’ll be spending an entire weekend at the Fortress (from August 11^th-13^th). We plan to explore the grounds day & night – interacting with staff, locals, and if we’re lucky perhaps some of the Fortress’ previous inhabitants.

References & Further Reading -

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/ns/louisbourg/index.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortress_of_Louisbourg

Where little is known about the possible causation of unexplainable or inexplicable events; whether it be ghosts, psychical phenomena, or UFOs, one has to wonder how certain groups or individuals acquire their “expertise” in diagnosing & resolving issues that are still very much considered unknown, unexplained, or unproven.

There currently are no training programs or courses offered by accredited institutions dealing with such matters (aside from religious institutions), so how is it that a group or individual can be sure the phenomena they are dealing with is what it is, or that the “help” they offer clients will even work?

While I do not qualify myself as an expert by any measure, if I made a statement about being able to remove aliens from your home, would you pay me to do it? Why are ghosts, or other “entities” considered spiritual so readily accepted as the causation? How are they more manageable? Last time I checked, when confronted with living people in my home who were causing a disturbance, burning a stick of sage did little to help. Telling them they were no longer welcome did the trick.

Is it not possible that these experiences might be caused by natural phenomena that have yet to be determined or explained? If so, is it not possible that these phenomena are as uncontrollable as weather, time, or even death?

While different types of phenomena may seem to belong to very distinct genera or categories (and maybe they do!), there really is no absolute way of differentiating between types of phenomena aside from characteristics. Even then, many who study these experiences see common threads and themes that are similar based on witness testimony. Perhaps they are all one and the same, or perhaps they are different. To be “sure”, again, relies on some degree of personal belief – and trust me when I say it isn’t based on the scientific evidence, as there isn’t enough evidence to qualify such statements.

Those who altruistically look into unexplainable events will be the first to tell you that they can’t be sure of how anything considered paranormal behaves, or even what it is for sure. They have guesses and hypotheses, very rarely theories, and so far no definitive answers.

Those who care about monetary gain seem to know exactly what’s going on, and seem willing to offer you a one-time low price for removal.

The truth is, interactions where people are taken advantage of in this context are common, and often go unreported. “I paid them $1000 to remove ‘entities’ from my home and they’re still there!” is not something that many people would feel comfortable approaching the police or their friends & family with, at least not without some degree of embarrassment.

Canadian law states that offering any type of psychical service requires a clear disclaimer stating “for entertainment purposes only”. In actuality, this protects the person offering the service more than the person requesting it, and presents a very clear catch-22. You can’t prove a person or group did their job, nor can you prove that they did not.

In Canada, victims generally do not have a case when taken advantage of by those posing as psychical “experts” unless they are able to prove that the group or individual’s intention was malicious, criminal, and the dealings are well documented. As well, many who offer these “services” do so with the disclaimer that there are no guarantees (nor can there be). So, in many respects it’s a gamble based on the hope that they may be able to rid you of something nobody knows anything about. Almost always, there are no refunds. If you feel swindled, had, or taken advantage of – provided they have stated “for entertainment purposes only” and haven’t broken any criminal laws, there really is no recourse but to accept your losses and tromp back to your presumably haunted house.

If I can pass on one piece of advice, it’s don’t open your wallet to those offering to “help” you with what are considered to be spiritual or psychical problems. If you are looking for help, are solicited in such a way that you are being told to fear your experiences, or that certain people are the only “experts” capable of helping, that person or group likely does not have your best interests in mind.

There is no difference between this kind of behaviour and ransoming someone’s fate, “pay up, or else”, is not helping. The same can be said for anyone who tries to hold a gun to your head – more often than not, it’s for personal gratification or money.

None of this goes to say that having a medium, shaman, or spiritual authority come cleanse your home or offer other services is not going to help. It very well may help; however, there are many people and organizations who will offer you help free of charge. While this doesn’t guarantee that ethical issues won’t occur, it will certainly save you from spending hard-earned money towards something where the only guarantee is less money in your bank account.

- Justin

Resources & Further Reading:

I got a ghost in my home! How do I get rid of it?

Latest Sham: Capitalizing on Misfortune and Anxieties

Recommended courses, classes, and the like… well… not really… have a look.

We’d like to thank the staff at Parks Canada for allowing us the privilege of conducting on-site research at Fort Anne National Historic Site and Port-Royal National Historic Site, on May 19th & 20th, 2012. Thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of the staff at these two locations, our team members became as much tourists as they were researchers. We departed with fresh knowledge and appreciation that could only be gained through firsthand experiences and interactions.

Our organization is dedicated to not only the study of ostensible paranormal phenomena, but in capturing the history and legacy of the locations that we visit. It was a marvellous opportunity for our group to visit these locations and gain a true feeling for the historical and cultural significance of these sites.

On June 14th, 2012, members of our team will be travelling to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to visit Eastern State Penitentiary. We plan to spend the day on-site partaking in tours & speaking with staff – allowing us to gain a better appreciation for the site’s historic past. We have been given access to the complex overnight to conduct our research, and hope to garner an accurate assessment of why the site has developed such an infamous reputation.

We have much more planned throughout the next few months – to stay in touch, please look us up on Facebook or Twitter, or feel free to comment below.

Our team is currently seeking one or more individuals who have a passionate interest or background in historical & genealogical research. Those wishing to express interest in this position are required to have access to historical archives, libraries, as well as an in-depth knowledge of Atlantic Canadian History & Culture. If selected, applicants will have the option of helping with field research; however, this is not a requirement of the position.

Those interested in the position are expected to have read and understood our mission statement and related information, most of which can be found here: http://www.maritimeparanormal.ca/about-2/. As well, applicants should be aware that we are a not-for-profit organization; all members contribute on a volunteer basis and there is no monetary compensation for this position.

Successful applicants will be expected to demonstrate strong critical thinking skills, historical accuracy, objectivity, as well as a professional demeanor. Bilingualism is considered an asset but is not required.

Duties:

• Researching & preparing information pertaining to land records or deeds
• Researching & preparing information pertaining to historical events
• Researching & preparing obscure, forgotten, or “dark” history
• Genealogical Research
• Cold calling historians, archives, and museums
• Compiling paranormal claims, stories, and folklore
• Producing related content for our website

If you have previously contacted us about becoming a member of our team, your application is still on file and will be considered. Please feel free to send another email if you’d like to add any information that specifically relates to the above position.

Please forward all applications to: justin@maritimeparanormal.ca

Thanks for your interest!

Sometimes it’s nice to get away…

Lots of people look forward to their vacations throughout the year, biding their time until they’re lying on a tropical beach, carelessly sipping margaritas. But what type of vacation would a group of paranormal enthusiasts take?

How about exclusive access to one of the oldest, most dilapidated and allegedly haunted historic prisons in North America?

We’ve decided to pack things up this June and head south of the border to investigate Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA. Eastern State Penitentiary has been host to many paranormal investigatons in recent years, and has been the focus of a number of paranormal programs and documentaries.

The building has had a number of ghostly reports throughout its history – some even speculate that it may be in the Top 10 ‘most haunted’ places in America. Whatever the case, we’ll make the best of having the place to ourselves for an evening! We’re interested in seeing if it lives up to the hype.

While in Philadelphia, we also plan to visit Fort Mifflin for some historic tours and daytime exploring. We’ll be spending another night investigating the Red Mill Museum with our most gracious tour guide and friend Craig Rupp from The Paranormal View on Para-X radio.

We’re looking forward to a great trip with great friends!

Are Flashlights illuminating new ways to communicate?

 
For the last few years many paranormal enthusiasts have been using flashlights in attempts to elicit yes/no responses at purportedly haunted locations. The experiment itself is usually conducted with a single flashlight but variations have included multiple flashlights of the same make and model.  The flashlight is generally either unscrewed or the switch is pushed to a position where the flashlight is in an on/off state, making it extremely susceptible to being turned on/off. The flashlight is then placed in a stationary position at which point a series of closed-ended or true and false questions are asked by observers. (‘Is anyone here?’, ‘Is your name Bob?’)

This experiment is comparable to other incarnations such as using the lights on an EMF detector in attempts to communicate. In both methods it is often assumed that DPH (the Dead Person Hypothesis) or some other intelligence is capable of manipulating the equipment.

In this experiment, chance is the major fundamental flaw. The flashlight itself is on the threshold of being turned on (between the on/off states) which can allow for the contact strips in the flashlight to spontaneously make contact, resulting in the flashlight seemingly turning off and on of its own volition. Flashlights can demonstrate this behaviour naturally and intermittently after being tampered with in this way and the results can be easily repeated in locations that are not purported to be haunted.

Consider also, that simply asking the light to turn on/off will always yield a result, because there is only one answer. If the ‘off’ state was established as a neutral or resting position, the flashlight would only be capable of making one answer (‘on’) and vice versa.

Due to these caveats, there seems to be no simple model to verify that any alleged response is not the result of pure chance. In order for flashlight experiments to produce results that can be considered anomalous, there needs to be some form of intelligent response elicited, other than on/off responses to true and false or simple closed-ended questions. Even with seemingly great results the entire experiment would be questionable.
 
 
Other variables to consider might include:

• Humidity
• Vibrations from the environment (inside and outside), as well as from observers
• If the flashlight is in poor condition, or has had a lot of wear and tear, it may act in an uncharacteristic fashion
• Expansion and contraction that accompanies a flashlights cooling or heating process as it adjusts to room temperature.

Moving forward:

 
If the above caveats have been considered, and flashlight experiments are still thought to warrant further research, there are a number ways to make this experiment (a little) more objective.

Assuming DPH or some other form of intelligence were able to communicate via flashlight, the following suggestions might seem counterintuitive when trying to establish clear communication. The results however, are much more significant when the probability of chance is reduced.

• Use multiple flashlights – Use multiple flashlights of the same model that are uniquely identifiable and give them an easy name (yes/no). Establish that responses should correspond with the flashlight’s name, and that ‘off’ is the resting/neutral position.
• Ask good questions – Instead of asking simple closed-ended questions, ask for specific responses to specific questions, and change the criteria multiple times for subsequent questions.  (ie. ‘If someone is here please turn the flashlight on three times’, ‘Can you make one or more flashlights turn on every time I say Tardis?’, ‘What’s 7 – 4?’).
• Is it predictable?– If the flashlight is seemingly responding, does it continue if questions are not being asked? Does it answer questions only when it’s asked?
• Ask the same questions – Repeat the same questions at different times to see if the flashlight responds consistently.

 
- Justin
 
 

References and Further Study -

 
http://thebentspoonmag.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/issue03.pdf
http://www.energizer.com/LEARNING-CENTER/Pages/how-flashlights-work.aspx