KENTUCKY GHOSTS AND HAUNTINGS

In a small place between Hazard and Bull Creek Kentucky, well into the wooded mountainside is where this story begins. As time passed, and structures there changed, strange sightings began happening. In one area in particular, there had been sightings of a ghostly figure roaming away from the old grave site, toward the newest built homes. One home in particular could not be sold, as most of the sightings had happened there.

A woman, named Pauline, finally settled on the property that was deemed haunted, swearing that no ghost was going to scare her away...

For the first couple of months, nothing out of the ordinary happened. As the one year anniversary was coming upon the new ownership, neighbors started noticing a strange white glowing mist-like figure. Several people were terrified, knowing it was a ghost, and making up tales of who it was and why it was there. Again Pauline refused to be frightened away by such tales. She decided to see this ghost for herself. For three nights she sat out on the porch of her home, just waiting to see anything. Upon the fourth night, the moon was full and shining brightly. Pauline sat upon the porch, humming to herself, even laughing and snickering at some of the stories she had been told about her home. The evening grew darker as clouds began to gather. The wind began to blow and whistle through the trees. It appeared as though a storm was coming, and Pauline gave up hope of seeing or believing in any ghosts there. She went inside and got ready for bed. The hour was late, and Pauline had began drifting off to sleep. Then, from somewhere outside, all around her it seemed, was a howling, a moaning, and screams that were anything but human. Pauline was jolted out of her sleep by the noise. Immediately she grabbed a shot gun, fearing wild dogs attacking her cows. Racing to the door to save her animals, she flung open the door, and stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of a man, glowing white, almost floating in a misty haze, repeating, "Washed in milk, dried in silk, and buried beneath a door sill. Washed in milk, dried in silk, and buried beneath a door sill!"

Horrified, Pauline shrieked while slamming the door and bolting it tight. In the morning she frantically tried to convince her neighbors and friends to help. Of course none were willing to help. On her way home once again she kept going over the night in her mind. A riddle? Had the ghost offered her a riddle? "Washed in milk, dried in silk, and buried beneath a door sill." She couldn't understand. What did it mean?

As night fell once again the screaming and howling began, Pauline sat propped against the door to ensure that the ghost could not enter. Then something began rapping and banging upon the door. Pauline was in tears, and prayed for this ghost to leave her and her home alone. Once more the eerie voice says, "Washed in milk, dried in silk, and buried beneath a door sill."

The next afternoon, the local preacher had heard of her frantic ranting and raving, and decided to offer her a visit. When he arrived she fell crying, begging for mercy and forgiveness. Finally after sorting out her story from her ranting, he offered her an answer to her problem, and offered to stay there with her that night.

Once again as it grew dark and the hour grew late, Pauline began getting frantic. The preacher tried to consol her. It grew darker and darker, and it was coming on to three in the morning, and the preacher was beginning to draw to the conclusion that the woman was merely going mad. Then at once the clouds drew in, the sky darkened, and the awful wailing and screaming began. The preacher was shaken to say the least, knowing that God must surely be testing him. Then came the eerie words, "Washed in milk, dried in silk, and buried beneath a door sill." Finally regaining his wits and placing himself between Pauline and the door, he slowly opened it. Upon seeing the apparition, the preacher immediately began reciting his holy vows, and praying for strength. Then one thought crossed his mind, and he acted. He stepped onto the porch, toward the ghost. Pauline thought that the preacher had gone mad. Finally the preacher, in a bold, but shivering voice, asked, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, I demand that you tell us what it is you want here!"

Silence...seemed to last forever for the preacher, and Pauline. Then finally the ghost wails, "Washed in milk, and dried in silk, and buried beneath YOUR (pointing to Pauline) door sill! Return my leg to me and let me rest in peace..."

Immediately Pauline paid to have her porch ripped out, and have it all dug up. They found nothing. While the men worked, she had learned about the previous owner of the house, who had been a civil war hero. He had been injured, having had his leg taken to save his life. The day was ending and they had found nothing where they had been digging. The men all went home, promising to return the next day. They left. Pauline could not tolerate anymore of the ghost, and decided that she would dig herself. "Washed in milk, dried in silk, and buried beneath YOUR door sill" kept going through her mind. Finally, she realized she had been digging in the wrong place. She began digging right at her door. Soon she found a remnant of old cloth, covered in blood, and smelling the old rotted smell coming from the thing. She unwrapped the cloth to find the remains of a human leg. It was getting darker and drawing close to the time the ghost generally appeared to her. She rewrapped the leg, grabbed her shovel, and raced to the graveyard. There she began digging as though her very soul depended on it. Finally, she hit something hard. Then she laid down the remains of the leg, and buried it deeply with the pine box. As she was slinging the last of the dirt, and planning to leave this place as quickly as possible, she notices a strange glowing right next to her. She closes her eyes, praying, begging and pleading, and falls to her knees. Then the coldest breeze brushed against her neck and shoulder and a icy hand touched her shoulder... then the voice, that eerie wailing voice... "Washed in milk, dried in silk, and buried now with me, I will never come to you again." Pauline opens her eyes, filled with tears, and sees only the sun peeking out to rise.

The only thing that bothers me about this story, is that it is corroborated by both the Preacher and Pauline, who upon her death bed (along with the confession of having witnessed a man murdered with a meat hook to the back of the head, and having lied about it to save someone), screamed that her feet were burning, and to pull her coverlet off, she was burning in hell! Makes you wonder, if your dying confessions are your last chance, why lie? She was of sound mind when she actually died. The other question I have to ask is, is a preacher a credited source? The preacher has told the story too. The question then is, what do you believe in?

I doubt she was burning in hell. Anyway,

It makes a good story but remove the hysterics and it leaves a pretty cool account. It's always possible, who knows!

Nice story...no different than any other ghost story that I've ever heard...but nice. She said she was "burning in hell"?......but she wasn't dead yet???.....isn't that called premature damnation?

Maybe she was just experiencing a fire being shown to her by something???

Possibly.....or it could have just been a hallucination brought about by a brain struggling to stay alive...the same theory of the "tunnel of light" that some people have reported seeing would apply....but who knows....I myself have not died lately.....but the day is young.

Yeah I tend to believe it was more brain stimuli myself. But her re-living a fire is much more dramatic....

I think it's a really cool story. Are your questions intended to lead us to believe the
story to be true? I ask because it seems more like local legend than a factual account
of events whenever they occured.

But to answer your questions: I think the woman was more than likely hallucinating just
before she died.
As for the clergyman, yes I think he can be a credible source. Why would he lie?
It's not like he has anything to gain. But it's not like any of this matters. It's only a story
after all.

It does read like a fictional account more than a true story....

I agree. It's just a local legend. Albeit a very good one. Excellent story.

Have you heard about the ghosts of Bobby Mackey's Music World, in Wilder, Kentucky?

Have heard a couple of stories about people saying they were burning and on their way to hell while on their death bed. I wonder how much of this is the brain and how much is true? That was a great story. Thanks for sharing.

Aside from the original post, has anyone here been to Waverly Tuberculosis Sanitorium in Louisville apart from being with an investigative crew??

Just curious as I have not been there, however after reading the accounts of the L.G.H.S., I would like to go at some point soon or eventually.

Does this "hospital" have a Holloween event or did it have them and stop??

Thanx fer yer Tym!