Sunday, January 3, 2010

The Atlanta Ripper-Who was the serial killer stalking the African American Community in Atlanta in the early 1900s?


For four years in Atlanta, beginning in 1911, someone terrorized the African American community and became known as the Atlanta Ripper, a play off the name of the famous London killer in the Whitechapel district in the late 1800s known as "Jack the Ripper." For those four years, an unknown killer, or as some put it, killers, roamed the dark streets of Atlanta, preying upon young African American women, as well as some of mixed race. The list of victims swelled to over 20 people, as the city was in the grips of fear over where and against whom the fiend would strike next.

The Atlanta Ripper claimed his first victim in January 1911 with the murder of Rosa Trice. Trice's body was found near Gardner Street, and it was in a severe state. Her head was crushed and her throat was cut, some saying it was slashed from ear to ear. Other victims were found in the Grant Park area, and by the spring of 1911, the killing spree had grown. Other victims included Belle Walker, Addie Watts, Lena Sharpe, Sadie Holley, as well as others. Perhaps the most frightening encounter came with Emma Lou Sharpe, a young woman that many think came face to face with the Atlanta Ripper AFTER he had killed her mother.

On July 1, 1911, Emma Lou Sharpe, at home on Hanover Street, was awaiting the return of her mother, Lena Sharpe, who had gone shopping for groceries. Realizing that it was dangerous out on the streets because of all the murders, Emma Lou became worried about her mother after she had been gone for over an hour. Knowing it was not the better part of wisdom to go looking for her, Emma Lou decided against her best judgement and went out on the streets. She left home and went to the market in search of her mother. She was terrified to find that her mother had never gotten there. While she was returning home, she came upon a stranger, a tall black man with broad shoulders and donning a broad-brimmed black hat, according to Corrina Underwood in her book Murder and Mystery in Atlanta. The man spoke to Emma Lou, asking her how she was feeling. She replied that she was fine, after which she began to walk away. The man stood in her way and told her not to be afraid. He further commented that he never hurt "girls like you." He was definitely lying, as seconds after he spoke those words, he pulled a knife out and stabbed Emma Lou in the back. Luckily, Emma made it to safety, as she ran screaming from the scene. A crowd of neighbors heard her cries and came running. The stranger was nowhere to be found, but at least Emma was okay. The same could not be said for her poor mother. Her body was found later, and it was deduced she was dead by the time Emma Lou was out on the streets in the midst of her encounter with what most definitely must have been the Atlanta Ripper.

Another young woman had an encounter with the Atlanta Ripper and lived to tell about it. Her name was Mary Yedell, and she was a 22 year old cook in the employ of W.M. Selcer. When leaving for home on Saturday, July 8, 1911, she encountered a stranger who she described as tall and black. She was so frightened that she ran screaming back to the Selcer home and alerted her boss. He ran in to the alley where he found the stranger and confronted him. The man disappeared in to the darkness and was not seen afterwards by anyone involved in the incident. Young Mary Yedell had fortunately escaped with her life. That was not the case with over two dozen other young African American women on the streets of Atlanta.

There were several arrests made including Todd Henderson, Henry Huff, John Daniel, Henry Brown, and Charlie Owens. However, Todd Henderson and Henry Huff were brought to trial and found not guilty; after the arrest and incarceration of John Daniel, murders continued casting the shadow of doubt on Daniel as the murderer or at least making it appear that he did not work alone; Henry Brown was acquitted after it was revealed that the Atlanta police had beaten a confession out of him, and Charlie Owens was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison for one of the murders. Many doubt that Owens was guilty, and others point to the fact that after Owens was put in jail, the murders continued.

So was Owens the only Atlanta Ripper? Was he one at all? Was there more than one, or was there only one, and the police never knabbed the right person? The killings did not stop until 1914 with the death of Laura Smith. Henry Harper was arrested as a suspect. However, there was never a definitive answer as to whether or not the men who were arrested and convicted worked alone, or if they were just copycat killers and the real Atlanta Ripper was still at large and was not responsible for ALL the murders. It was quite possible that there was more than one, and that they worked together, but most criminologists say that serial killers work alone. Was this the case with the Atlanta Ripper? In an interesting turn of events, according to Underwood in her book, during the trial of Leo Frank who was accused of the murder of Mary Phagan, it was said that Jim Conley, also a tall African American man, was involved in Phagan's murder. Detective W.J. Burns even went so far as to say that not only was Conley guilty of killing Phagan, but that Conley was also the Atlanta Ripper. As Underwood points out, nothing ever came of this and Conley has never been blamed for those crimes other than by Burns. The fact remains that the Atlanta Ripper murders are a mystery. Was it the work of one serial killer? If so, was he inspired (terrible choice of words I know, but need to make a point) by what he read of Jack the Ripper some decades earlier in London? Or were some of these killings the work of a copycat killer(s)???? This is a very interesting true crime story from right here in Georgia.

52 comments:

Caprice said...

Hey Prof!
Very interesting and alarming!
Some have speculated that Jack traveled to American and that is why the killings stopped in London. 1911 is just 23 years after Jack started in London. Maybe it was just a random attack when those two women were accosted by a black man and the real serial killer was London's Jack the Ripper.

scooter said...

nice post Prof. Looks to me like you kinda answered your own question and I would tend to agree that the guy that was responsible for the Phagan murder was probably the ATL Ripper.

Caprice said...

Are you not even going to entertain the idea that it could be Jack the Ripper?

The Professor said...

Well, Caprice, I have heard that there was some speculation that there was a theory that some of the murders in Savannah in the late 1880s, may have been due to a copycat of Jack the Ripper, with some even saying he came here. Not sure about that, but this case looks like it was someone else. Many of the reports coming in seemed to always finger a tall, slender African American man, which, as I hate to say, looked a great deal like Conley, as Detective Burns mentioned. I don't know, but I kind of think this was the work of a different killer, not the Ripper from London. But I could be wrong. I plan on pursuing this. Corrina did a decent job, but I think this needs more attention. I am going to dig in the college's Atlanta Constitution databases here and see about pulling all the articles concerning the Atlanta Ripper I can pull. Perhaps I can even get some of my students who are CRJ majors to help me on this one.

Caprice said...

Good idea!
Okay, you've shot down my Jack the Ripper theory.
I would like to know what you find out!

The Professor said...

Well, not to shoot it down, but to open up a new line of thought. I wanted to mention that in Loren Coleman's book Mysterious America, he discusses, along with the Mad Gasser of Illinois, the legend of Spring Heeled Jack. I bet Scooter would love to discuss the Mad Gasser.That is a crime story, not anything supernatural really.

Caprice said...

Spring Heeled Jack is a pretty darn interesting story!
The Mad Gasser was really strange!
People can be really quite odd.
I would like to know what he says about Spring Heeled Jack.
Can you tell us or do I have to go to all the trouble of actually reading a book?!

The Professor said...

Well, I always encourage reading a book because reading is FUNdamental. Of course, learning how to read is a different story.

The Doctor said...

These were ugly murders from the early 20th century in Atlanta. Look at the large numbers involved. They remind one of the Wayne Williams case of the early 1980's with the large numbers of deaths and keeping the police searching.

Caprice said...

That's true Doctor, and that's just with the number of bodies that were found.

The Doctor said...

I have wondered many times that if inherent evil will transpose itself from one being to another. The person may die but the evil does not. This may give some of the similarities in crimes that many haven't thought about in subtle terms.

Caprice said...

Hmmmm,
That is VERY interesting, Doctor.
That idea was addressed in "Fallen" with Denzel Washington, the evil being some kind of demon, if I remember correctly.
Is that the sort of thing you are referring to? Or is it more along the lines of "Universal Knowledge"?

The Doctor said...

Caprice, what I am referring to is the fact that a lot of crimes have very similar m.o.'s from different time periods. A lot of this information is not released to the public so it can't be just a copycat. There is the idea that some unseen force has moved into the minds and bodies of people to do their bidding. Just as we had a string of murders in the south metro area in the early 1970's and no one was ever caught. Was that from evil or just someone who liked to kill or both. It is something to think about.

Caprice said...

I don't know, Doctor.
I would like to believe that there would have to be some evil intervention in order for humans to do the "evil" things they do. But I think each human has great capacity to do good AND to do evil. To make my point in simple terms (because this is the easiest way for me - not because I think you require a simple explanation...). Taking a human life is considered evil, however, I firmly believe that 99% of humans would take a human life. What makes the difference is what the price is for someone to take a life. For some, the price is as little as $5. For others the amount of money has to be greater. For some, money is not the price. For some, their life has to be threatened - or the life of a loved one. Maybe these people who you are talking about have some price that we just haven't figured out yet.
As far as the MO being the same, I can't really comment on that because I do not have the details. It would have to be pretty unique to convince me that it was not just human nature. Ancient civilizations all over the world have come up with similar ideas without any proof that they got it from each other - like serpents appearing in legends and so on.

scooter said...

"Ancient civilizations all over the world have come up with similar ideas without any proof that they got it from each other - like serpents appearing in legends and so on."

I agree with you somewhat on this Caprice but also see how some of those ancient societies may have borrowed from each other as well. For instance, if you believe what the Old Testament says about the Hebrews being in captivity in more than one place, you might see a reason to connect some laws like 'an eye for an eye' etc. Of course, I'm no expert on ancient history or world religions; maybe the prof can shed some light! :)
IMO, yes I said 'opinion,' it would seem to me that the idea of spirits jumping on different folks to commit a crime is a little outdated.

scooter said...

BTW,

:)

having said what I did about spirits jumping on folks, one of THE most intriguing stories I've seen on the profs blog was the one about the heart transplant and the men that died. That was a weird one, and is a story I wish could be followed up on scientifically.

The Professor said...

I can't believe this, but I find myself finding absolutely NOTHING wrong with Scooter's last post. Dang! There really is a first for everything, huh?

Seriously, Scooter is right. Researchers are now discovering that ancient civilizations moved around and communicated a lot more than we thought they did. In fact, it is quite interesting to see the comparison of some of the world's major religions, as well as some lesser known ones, in terms of theology, ideas, good versus evil, and the like. One to think of is Zorastrianism and Judaism.

I do tend to agree with the doctor that there is an unseen evil that exists and can invade the mind of some people. Caprice has something when she talks about all of us having the killer instinct, yet those who can control it do so through temper, common sense, and conscience. However, I do agree, and this is just as a result of my faith, that evil can possess. I do believe in evil spirits (perhaps demons). So that may explain some thing.

The Professor said...

I agree, Scooter. That was a very interesting story. I wish I could find out more about that. There were some scientific studies done, but more needs to be done to see if there is anything to this.

The Doctor said...

Yes that unseen evil has been in the mind of a young girl my mother watched in the afternoons years ago. I told my mom then that the girl would grow up to hurt someone because of her maniacal rages and eyes that looked so evil. This girl grew up to murder her mother, her son, and her father on the same day. Then she tried to escape Georgia and was captured on I75 near Valdosta. During her trial she had the rantings of something not human. They put her away for the rest of her life in a mental ward. The evil that had gotten into this woman as a child stayed with her. Just as Charles Manson created his evilness from something that is not of this world. His eyes show the mark of something cold and dead. Something happened to him to cause this evil to arise because he was not like this a few years before. Evil seeks those who are weak minded to be able to ensue their engrossment upon them. We have had people right in our midst that I have seen that seek evil to worship and ask it for its aid in life. They will do strange things like eating raw meats, chanting to a serpent, or listing their minds on unholy things. Yes evil is out there waiting to attack those who have faith in their God. I have always said that evil will attack a person of God through their children because the child's mind is easy to control and evil is about control and wasting of the mind of the one it control's. There are those who do not believe in inherent evil that is true. But are they avoiding the truth and running from what is right in front of them? All many have to do to find inherent evil is to look into a mirror to find its face. Don't think that evil is not looking for a chance to come in and say hello. It is beside you all the time. Thank you for your time.

scooter said...

"I can't believe this, but I find myself finding absolutely NOTHING wrong with Scooter's last post. Dang! There really is a first for everything, huh?"

I hope it didn't hurt prof! :)

I had a couple classes in World Religion and it's pretty eye-opening how some traditions like the 'great flood' have some of the same elements.

On the evil front, I'd say that I believe in it as much as the New Testament describes it. But saying that, I believe some that recorded illness back then could have mistakenly attributed the diseases to being possessed. Just MO.

Caprice said...

I agree that a lot of the spirit possessions are really symptoms of a disease (epilepsy), or a batch of moldy wheat, or over zealous beliefs.
I also believe there is an awful lot about spirits that we do not know. I'm just not sold on a spirit being capable of entering a human body and controlling that body.
There are legends about how spirits can be "fed"/strengthened. There are egregores where spirits are "created". I just really find it difficult to wrap my mind around a spirit entering and occupying a live person - we already HAVE a spirit in our bodies.
I don't know, maybe people CAN open themselves up to being manipulated by "spirits". Spirits are supposed to be manipulating us for energy (haunted houses). Maybe there is a lot of energy released when someone dies and there are spirits out there that can get into a person's head in order to trick or control someone into killing people in order to obtain the victim's energy. Maybe that's how the same MO is used?

scooter said...

good points Caprice,

I got a couple questions.....you refer to spirits invading, or opening ourselves up to spirits, etc.

What's your take on the Holy Spirit dwelling in us? Don't know your religious persuasion or if you have one, but Christians refer to this often. I'm not totally sure that the Holy Spirit actually resides in us as much as it does influence or convict us.
I tend to agree that there can be a transference of power between/around humans as reflected in the power of prayer. I've seen it too many times to not believe.

what's your take?

The Doctor said...

Caprice, I have had epilepsy ever since childhood and when I was young I was treated very badly by those around me when they saw me have a seizure. One parent of a schoolmate even called my mom and suggested they put me away because of my condition. Grand mal seizures are frightening and ugly but it did not make me some type of evil demon. And yes Scooter, the Holy Ghost or Spirit does live amongst and in us to be at war with the evil which is living all around also. In the ancient texts of all there is the warning of evil and it's ways with the ever so inspiring ways of good. Read II Esdras and it will give a graphic interpretation of how spirits are cast amongst us. I have seen the answers that prayer can give also Scooter. Then by accident I have seen how evil can be prayed to just as strongly and it was answered as well. It can be a two edged sword upon which we lay our lives. Just be careful how one rides that sword.

Caprice said...

That is very unfortunate that you have epilepsy, Doctor. Ignorance can really make people act ugly. That was exactly my point. People have attributed evil spirit possessions to human conditions they just didn't understand. I know a little (not much) about epilepsy. Growing up I had friends who had seizures during class and later, I learned a little more from my sister-in-law's in-laws - Jim Abrahams and his son, Charlie - they came up with the ketogenic diet - fascinating information.

Maybe the evil we've all have heard so much about is the evil side of human nature. It's human nature to covet, to be angry, selfish, depressed, fearful. If we do not turn our thoughts and desires away from these hurtful "evil" thoughts, we will be controlled by them. If we do mind altering drugs, we have less control over our thoughts and then we find ourselves acting on these "evil" desires - therefore, controlled by "evil spirits". THERE! I have just solved it! Whew! Glad that's done!
No need to thank me.
:)

Caprice said...

Hi Doctor,

When you said evil could be prayed to, were you referring to curses? Sending evil intent to effect a person in a negative way?
I've been curious about that. I've heard of prayer working and even read a study of how people were positively effected by prayer (even when the recipients did not know they were being prayed for). I've always thought that curses were only effective when the victim knew they were cursed because it was all in their mind. I have not heard of or read a believable account of anyone being effected by a negative prayer. Does anyone have knowledge on this?

scooter said...

sorry to hear you suffer from epilepsy Doc! I know that can be debilitating.
My daughter has a form of it but never had a gm seizure; she just blacks out sometimes, which is frightening enough in itself.

I appreciate the honest dialogue on 'spirits' I consider myself a Christian, but one who is unsure of the 'mechanics' of the spirit world. I'm very skeptical about claims that don't have credibility science-wise. Guess my faith is gonna have to be really stretched. :)
I know the Holy Spirit helps me to discern what is good behavior-wise, but am not fully convinced it/He dwells in us. Guess I'll have to do some more research?

Caprice said...

Hey Scooter,

I think the Holy Spirit is WITH us, but like you, I'm not sold on the Holy Spirit possessing us. God is all about us making our own choices. Didn't Jesus promise to send the Holy Spirit to his disciples in order to comfort, inspire, and guide them? Is it at the festival of Pentecost that the Holy Spirit first arrives to help the masses? Although, in Acts II, it does say that the men were FILLED with the Holy Spirit. But I think we really cannot get bogged down in single words because we keep finding out that the Bible was not translated 100% accurately from the original. Of course, that is just from people who do speak/read Arabic or Hebrew. I would not know personally. I still think the Holy Spirit guides us, not possesses us.

The Doctor said...

Thank you my friends for your understanding of my affliction. This was caused by Systemic Lupus.
I live in pain and pray each and every day that the Lord gives me the strength and faith to live another day.
The prayer to evil I spoke of was really praying to Satan just as we pray to the Lord. There was a church of satanic rule in Conyers several years ago that my uncle wanted me and several others to observe because of the mayhem that was occurring in the neighborhood. These people that were members actually went to this church and prayed to Satan. They weren't looking for curses, but they were actually giving their soul to him. This church is no longer there and I don't know where it moved along to, but wherever it resides there are problems I am sure.
I feel that the Holy Spirit resides around us and comes into our very existence whenever it is called upon by those who have given their lives to the Lord. This is the part of the Trinity that confuses many people.
Scooter I pray that your daughter does well my friend, but always give her encouragement because she will need it. Thank you all again for listening.

Caprice said...

I highly recommend that anyone with epilepsy look into the Charlie Foundation.

Caprice said...

There was a Satanist group in McDonough. Someone came into the bookstore last week talking about finding robes, a Satanic spell book and other accoutrements for Satan worship in a friend's basement. He said this guy's great, grandfather was a Satanic priest. This discovery was 20 or so years ago. There might be an active group in McDonough today.
What mayhem was going on in the neighborhood?

The Doctor said...

Yes that Satanist group was in Henry County and it hasn't gone away. About twenty years ago their was some people meeting in the old Dailey-Selfridge house that used to be at the corner of Hwy 155 and Knight Rd. The old Dailey-Selfridge Cemetery still remains there. I remember going to the house in the early 1980's and there was a pentagram, candles, blood, and chicken feet in the parlor area. About ten years later I took my wife and boys to see this old house and we discovered that there were holes dug around the old house with crime scene tape around them so we left. It wasn't long after that the house was torn down. There was a girl who lived on Hwy 155 near this site that played a part in these Satanic rituals. I don't know if the family still lives there or not today. But to answer your question yes there is likely a group in and around McDonough and some involved are well known. But if you would like to feel the presence of pure evil go to the site of this old house and I think you will find what many of you are searching for. Just be careful of the well. I remember a cold that would come over you from the house that wasn't normal especially in the hot summertime. This house predated the Civil War and there is no telling how many people died in the home over the years. One strange thing about the site is that when we searched it in the early 1980's part of the house was missing. There was a set of french doors in the parlor and when opened it went into nothing but weeds but the rock pillars could still be seen. A lot of people knew of this place at the time.
But I do have some words of advice: be careful looking for who these Satanists in the county are because it is a known fact that they want to remain anonymous and they might do harm to anyone who finds out who they are. Those of us who follow the path of good have to be careful of those who follow the paths of evil because they will cover and protect their rituals at any cost.

Caprice said...

Hi Doctor,

Is this the same house you talked about in an earlier blog that was used by witches? Did witches use the site after the Satanists?
I for one am not at all interested in locating Satanists. Religions interest me so as a religion, I am interested, however, I completely heed your advice about them wanting to stay hidden and to not look for them.

The Doctor said...

From what I have been told the groups who used to use the house were Satanist. Then a group known as 'mekhashshepheh' used the house. Then a group of Sadists. The last group were necromancers who were trying to converse with the dead.
And yes Caprice this is the same house that isn't there today, but something was left behind. It would be a good place to go and explore. Just be careful of the well. I have sent drawings of what the old house looked like inside and out to the Professor. And while your there you might want to take a tour of the cemetery that is on the property. But if you do go with your group and that cold feeling comes over you back away from it because it is not something to investigate without more help.

The Doctor said...

Oh, there is something else. At the McDonough City Cemetery where you all take your tours, you walk right by a well known Satanist from the past. He was one of the original to begin their craft here. Just thought you might like to know.

Caprice said...

Thanks for the "heads up"! Can you say who the Satanist was? Did you tell the Professor?
I would be interested to learn if all these different groups knew Satanists operated out of that house and so that's what drew them to it, or if there is something special about that site that draws this type of activity.

The Doctor said...

A friend went there today to film the site. He became ill while filming. He said his stomach became sick, a heaviness in his chest and a vivid cold sensation came over him. Also, he saw evidence that some people are still using the site. A burned carcass was there.
Now as far as the person buried at the McDonough Cemetery is concerned that is a secret between me and the late Mrs. Rainer who wrote the Mother of Counties Book. There is a lot of things that were not printed in that book. And it would be better if the Professor did not know who it is that we are discussing. He will be receiving a link to the film made today.
Again, you might want to take your group there to investigate the site to see why all these folks are attracted to it. But wear heavy clothing and boots to the site.

The Doctor said...

The link to the video has been sent to the professor about the cemetery and where the house once sat. There was some strange energy caught in the film. This same camera was used to do another film at another cemetery the same day and the distortions were not in it.
Again if you go to the site to look around be careful.

The Doctor said...

Demons come in a lot of forms. The evil they possess can run deep within the psychological frame of the person or creature it wishes to evolve into. At the old house something was found and opened and has not been closed. This has to be done by someone with the knowledge of the ages to be able to close and then find those infected. Again my friends just be careful of this place. Many you have heard of and possibly have met in the past 40 years are infected.

Caprice said...

Hi Doctor,

When you say "infected", do you mean that they have become Satan worshipers?

I went to the site, but could not find any evidence of activity there. We did find signs where a black dog had died and decomposed at the sight, but there were no signs of human interference. It looked like maybe it was hit by a car and either crawled or was dragged off the road where it decomposed leaving a ring of black fur. I dug around through the fur and there was no sign of fire. We found a well and two members of our group did feel negative vibes right at the well, however, they did not pick up on anything throughout the rest of the site. At least one said they did not pick up on anything until reaching the well. - Which is an interesting story. One person with us, like I said, was feeling nothing until we reached one area. She then complained of mild dizziness and nausea and said it was getting stronger in a certain direction and she worked through undergrowth until she came upon the well where she said the negative feeling was especially strong and another person in our group agreed that there was a negative feel to the well area. I personally did not pick up on any "feelings", but I'm not really sensitive that way.

The Doctor said...

Goodevening Caprice. When I am speaking of being infected I mean having been touched by evil and it carries with them today. I am not saying they are possessed but it is part of them. I am glad you all made the trip to the site of the old house. That well is where most people have reported becoming ill. The well was just off the back of the house and there is no telling what is in the well. I doubt that I will ever get to go out to the site anymore since my health has declined. (I have a blood clot right now in my right leg.) Did you all get a chance to visit the cemetery on the property. Those are some very old graves. This is the Dailey family who had the Dailey's Mills before the Civil War. As a matter of fact Mr. Dailey died in 1861. But as I told you before it is the well you must be careful of. But thank you for going to the site. Maybe one day those who practiced their ways at the old house will get their due. Have a nice evening.

Caprice said...

We are looking through a lot of pictures that were taken at the site. Maybe the camera picked up something we missed with our eyes. I'll let you know.

The Doctor said...

That well has always had something about it that wasn't right. It is not the only well in the region that has made this response to people. I remember the time that they drug a murder boy from the second well which is in the Kelleytown area. There are many secrets here that have not been disclosed. Some probably for the better. Have a nice evening all.

The Doctor said...

Thank you for you all looking through the pictures to see if anything showed. You never know what your going to find.

Caprice said...

We did go to the cemetery.
I agree that it is old and interesting.
I have looked over the pictures and could not find anything unusual. There are others looking at the pictures. I'll comment if they see something I missed.

The Doctor said...

I want to thank you for checking the site. The strangeness of that well and possibly something that has been removed from the site could be why those folks went there years ago to do what they did. I was curious if you made pictures at the well and looking into it? But again thank you for your time.

Caprice said...

We did look in the well.
It is filled in with leaves and other forest debris except for about 5 feet. The Prof has pictures that I'm sure he would send you if you want to see them.
There might be something about the location that is special to that area. The is a church close to this location that is rumored to have ghost children playing in the yard. There is also a church retreat very close that has been used for a very long time...
I want to take a look at this area on a map (maybe Google Earth) to see if there is anything significant in the topography.

The Doctor said...

Thank you for your looking into this. There used to be a very large bell in the yard that had to sit in a cradle. At the Little Cotton Indian Creek just north of the site my brother n law discovered last year some old mill stones still intact about three quarters of a mile west of the bridge. Also don't forget there is another cemetery across Hwy 155 from this site in the woods. Nothing would surprise me about this site. Take care.

The Doctor said...

I have read somewhere before that the makeup of the geology of the area can affect what is happening. I know that there are some beautiful quartz crystals that have been found in the area. And I remember years ago that one of these crystals was lying in the middle of the pentagram we discovered on the parlor floor. It is possible they were using it for some reason based on the area.

The Doctor said...

Walking into the McDonough Cemetery from the north look closely and the grave I spoke of is very close. That is the only hint I can give on the subject.
I was wondering if anything unusual showed in the pictures that any of the group could find. It is not a place to pass up so easily. There was tragedy at this site with the death of a child.

The Doctor said...

Now I am going to tell of a murder that took place northeast of Stockbridge in the 1960's. This was when Flat Rock Rd was dirt and the bridge across the Cotton Indian was wood. The house where the murder occurred was where the Henry County Fire Station is today. The man who lived on the property with his family worked the fields for the Copeland family. These Copeland's were from Chattooga County. The man who worked for them killed his wife by cutting her up and then he tossed her in the old well on the property. Of course he was caught for the crime. I don't know if he was executed or not. But this was something the people around the area talked about for a long time. Just a bit of lurid history that many don't remember today.

Jeff Paul said...

I am working on a novella about these killings called THE MULATTO RIPPER, which I should finish soon. It's about an African American female private detective who tries to solve the crimes--although it takes the passage of 50 years, and a walk down memory lane with the Ripper himself, to solve the case!

Dective said...

Hi. Im trying to solve the case and this helped alot.