And then ......

There was a large gathering of Boy Scouts behind the Fire House, this morning, and I stopped to find out what they were doing. "Going camping," we learned, but having no camera at hand, asked Mrs. Zenon if she would take a picture: she did. And Kristen Strohmeyer added the cut line! (Thank You, both!)

(Click to Enlarge.)

"They're Off!" 18 scouts, from Troop 108, under the leadership of Mr. Strohmeyer and Mr. Stewart, leaving for Cedarlands Scout Reservation near Long Lake on Sunday morning.

Even before we could set out on our "Ride in the Country," Dave Wicks phoned to alert us to a very extraordinary event that was about to occur at the Sangerfield Antiques Exchange.

Back in mid-April, Paranormal Investigator Russell Roberts, from Barneveldt, and two other members of the group "Paranormal Dimensions of the Adirondack Foothills," had spent an evening at the Exchange hunting for ghosts. The late Hilda Barton once told the writer of a murder that had taken place in the bar room, there, in the mid-19th century: a Mr. Locke (who lived where the Bishtons live, now) had either shot or been shot by another man. Whichever had suffered the mortal wound had bled profusely and, around 1970 and even later, according to Mr. Monty Warner, the bloodstain was still visible on the bar room floor! It was suspected that his ghost might still haunt the building! And, as recently as a year or so ago, a gentleman browsing antiques on the second floor of the Exchange began to climb the stairs to the third floor but beat hasty retreat to the front door when he came face to face with someone who "looked like Ben Franklin and wasn't very friendly!"

Today, Mr. Roberts brought what he and his colleagues feel is photographic proof of the Exchange's resident "spirits" to show to the Wicks.



The photographs were taken in the dark by Mr. Paul Chapman in places where Mr. Roberts, holding a hand-held thermal scanner, could detect a distinctly lower temperature than in other locations. (He explained that the spirit draws energy from the surrounding area , thus creating a chill.) At the same time, using an Electronic Voice Phenomena recorder which records sounds at a lower decibel level than the human ear can discern, group member Brian Lipkin was able to hear a man's voice calling out, "Help me! help me, Mother!"

Here are two of the images that Mr. Roberts showed us: regular size, and enlarged portions.






In the upper photograph, two ghostly figures stand side by side. In the second photgraph, taken of a mirror, the features of a man's bearded face appear quite clearly.

Go to the Exchange and see the photos for yourself! And, if you think your house is haunted or if you're interested in learning more about or even joining the "Paranormal Dimensions of the Adirondacks" team, you may write to Mr. Roberts at Post Office Box #268, Barneveldt, N.Y. 13304.