1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:18,480 [THEME MUSIC] 2 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:20,780 NARRATOR: In the State Capitol of Alabama, 3 00:00:20,780 --> 00:00:24,480 did an awful specter terrify this man? 4 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:26,650 There was no expression on her face at all; 5 00:00:26,650 --> 00:00:29,360 it was just a blank stare. 6 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:31,750 NARRATOR: In a photograph of an empty room, 7 00:00:31,750 --> 00:00:36,350 what explains this ghostly figure? 8 00:00:36,350 --> 00:00:38,350 And was the sale of this haunted house 9 00:00:38,350 --> 00:00:42,410 obstructed by real spirits from the past? 10 00:00:42,410 --> 00:00:45,050 Mysteries from the files of Arthur C. Clarke, 11 00:00:45,050 --> 00:00:49,790 author of 2001 and inventor of the communication satellite. 12 00:00:49,790 --> 00:00:52,890 Now in retreat in Sri Lanka, he ponders the riddles 13 00:00:52,890 --> 00:00:55,175 of this and other the worlds. 14 00:00:55,175 --> 00:01:23,900 [THEME MUSIC] 15 00:01:23,900 --> 00:01:26,040 ARTHUR C. CLARKE: In the days of the British empire, here 16 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:29,810 in the highlands Sri Lanka, the members of the Hill Club 17 00:01:29,810 --> 00:01:33,390 used to while away their evenings in this reading room. 18 00:01:33,390 --> 00:01:35,840 Tonight, as I sit here in their place, 19 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:38,820 every nook and cranny speaks of the past. 20 00:01:38,820 --> 00:01:42,600 Presences from the 19th century seem to lurk in the shadows 21 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:43,890 all around me. 22 00:01:43,890 --> 00:01:47,400 Colonial adventurers, tea planters, map makers 23 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,530 and surveyors, hunters weary from the pursuit of elephants, 24 00:01:51,530 --> 00:01:52,930 leopards, and deer. 25 00:01:52,930 --> 00:01:55,810 In fact, I'm surprised no one has ever claimed that this room 26 00:01:55,810 --> 00:01:58,720 is haunted, as far as I know. 27 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,010 It fits the traditional picture of an abode of ghosts 28 00:02:02,010 --> 00:02:02,960 perfectly. 29 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:06,240 Yet, the more I investigate reports of hauntings, 30 00:02:06,240 --> 00:02:11,930 the more I realize they come from the most unlikely places. 31 00:02:11,930 --> 00:02:13,550 NARRATOR: The Alabama State Capitol 32 00:02:13,550 --> 00:02:16,180 dates back to before the Civil War, 33 00:02:16,180 --> 00:02:18,630 and needs skilled craftsmen to maintain 34 00:02:18,630 --> 00:02:20,850 its traditional beauty. 35 00:02:20,850 --> 00:02:24,520 James Gammage is a specialist in restoring old buildings. 36 00:02:24,520 --> 00:02:28,300 One night he was working late, alone in the rotunda, when 37 00:02:28,300 --> 00:02:31,500 he got the fright of his life. 38 00:02:31,500 --> 00:02:33,720 JAMES GAMMAGE: I've been through quite a few things, close calls 39 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:37,800 in cars, I've been in a few war zones, 40 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:39,275 been on board a few airplanes that 41 00:02:39,275 --> 00:02:41,155 have come close to going in. 42 00:02:41,155 --> 00:02:44,374 But this, I put at the top of the list. 43 00:02:44,374 --> 00:02:46,814 This is one of the most frightful 44 00:02:46,814 --> 00:02:49,750 things I've ever had happen. 45 00:02:49,750 --> 00:02:51,740 NARRATOR: The glossy sheen of the metal doors 46 00:02:51,740 --> 00:02:53,310 acts like a mirror. 47 00:02:53,310 --> 00:02:56,360 Intent on his work, James thought he saw the reflection 48 00:02:56,360 --> 00:02:58,220 of a person behind him. 49 00:02:58,220 --> 00:03:01,090 He turned to speak, but his uninvited visitor 50 00:03:01,090 --> 00:03:04,040 was not of flesh and blood. 51 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:05,420 JAMES GAMMAGE: What I saw was a lady. 52 00:03:05,420 --> 00:03:08,220 She was dressed in Civil War period dress. 53 00:03:08,220 --> 00:03:10,325 The dress she was wearing was not a heavy duty 54 00:03:10,325 --> 00:03:15,330 hoop type skirt, but it was out a ways and it went down a ways. 55 00:03:15,330 --> 00:03:18,350 It was an opaque, white type image. 56 00:03:18,350 --> 00:03:21,730 It definitely was the figure of a lady. 57 00:03:21,730 --> 00:03:23,870 There was no expression on her face at all. 58 00:03:23,870 --> 00:03:26,940 It was just a, kind of a blank stare. 59 00:03:26,940 --> 00:03:32,880 And she moved across and went into the back direction, 60 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,682 back here behind me, and then when she came back, 61 00:03:35,682 --> 00:03:37,750 she had the same expression. 62 00:03:37,750 --> 00:03:40,900 Nothing changed, like I said, she took no notice of me 63 00:03:40,900 --> 00:03:42,940 whatsoever. 64 00:03:42,940 --> 00:03:44,815 But I did take notice of her. 65 00:03:44,815 --> 00:03:47,140 And I thought that it was about time to leave. 66 00:03:47,140 --> 00:03:50,900 67 00:03:50,900 --> 00:03:53,340 NARRATOR: The next morning, James went to his boss. 68 00:03:53,340 --> 00:03:55,670 He insisted he could no longer work 69 00:03:55,670 --> 00:03:58,980 alone at night in the Capitol. 70 00:03:58,980 --> 00:04:00,420 Bill Woodsmall was sympathetic. 71 00:04:00,420 --> 00:04:02,664 72 00:04:02,664 --> 00:04:04,530 WILLIAM WOODSMALL: He's somebody that I would depend on. 73 00:04:04,530 --> 00:04:06,030 When he tells me something, I believe it. 74 00:04:06,030 --> 00:04:07,650 He was very agitated, he was nervous. 75 00:04:07,650 --> 00:04:08,910 He couldn't keep his hands still. 76 00:04:08,910 --> 00:04:10,780 You could tell something had happened the night 77 00:04:10,780 --> 00:04:12,810 before that affected him. 78 00:04:12,810 --> 00:04:16,196 My own custodial staff has talked about seeing shadows 79 00:04:16,196 --> 00:04:18,029 move through the building when they know no one's there 80 00:04:18,029 --> 00:04:20,200 at night, hearing doors slam closed 81 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:22,430 when they know they're the only ones in building at night. 82 00:04:22,430 --> 00:04:25,240 So we have heard stores like that. 83 00:04:25,240 --> 00:04:26,860 NARRATOR: At the time of the Civil War, 84 00:04:26,860 --> 00:04:29,970 many southern soldiers died on the battlefield. 85 00:04:29,970 --> 00:04:32,100 It is said that the ghostly woman is 86 00:04:32,100 --> 00:04:34,440 a distraught wife searching the Capitol 87 00:04:34,440 --> 00:04:36,435 for news of her husband. 88 00:04:36,435 --> 00:04:39,130 JAMES GAMMAGE: When I explained that to Mr. Woodsmall 89 00:04:39,130 --> 00:04:41,360 the following morning, he kind of laughed about it 90 00:04:41,360 --> 00:04:43,910 and told me, you're not the first one. 91 00:04:43,910 --> 00:04:47,170 And you saw her, you saw her come through. 92 00:04:47,170 --> 00:04:49,520 I said, yes I did and I said, I don't believe that I'll 93 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,340 be doing anymore work at night. 94 00:04:51,340 --> 00:04:53,670 You will have to experience what I did. 95 00:04:53,670 --> 00:04:55,940 You may make your own decision as far 96 00:04:55,940 --> 00:04:58,862 as your disbelief or whatever, but I have experienced it 97 00:04:58,862 --> 00:05:00,308 and I believe in it. 98 00:05:00,308 --> 00:05:04,650 99 00:05:04,650 --> 00:05:06,130 NARRATOR: From Blue Bell Hill in southern 100 00:05:06,130 --> 00:05:09,660 England come reports of a bizarre modern ghost. 101 00:05:09,660 --> 00:05:12,040 She appears at random on this road, 102 00:05:12,040 --> 00:05:15,030 and leaves her victims shaking with terror. 103 00:05:15,030 --> 00:05:17,210 Ian Sharpe was driving home one night when 104 00:05:17,210 --> 00:05:20,890 a girl appeared from nowhere. 105 00:05:20,890 --> 00:05:23,305 IAN SHARPE: The lady ran in front of the car. 106 00:05:23,305 --> 00:05:26,580 I hit her on her left hand side. 107 00:05:26,580 --> 00:05:31,660 As I hit her, she turned her head and she was looking at me. 108 00:05:31,660 --> 00:05:35,360 She went down under the front of the car. 109 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:39,920 Now, she had shoulder length hair, rolled inwards. 110 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:44,130 Fair hair, a fringe with big eyes. 111 00:05:44,130 --> 00:05:48,730 She had a round face, she had a high necked jumper thing on 112 00:05:48,730 --> 00:05:52,740 or something, and a light colored coat. 113 00:05:52,740 --> 00:05:53,780 I was terrified. 114 00:05:53,780 --> 00:05:55,135 I didn't know what to do. 115 00:05:55,135 --> 00:05:59,920 All I could think of, was this lady under the car. 116 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:03,460 I then had to look under the car. 117 00:06:03,460 --> 00:06:10,835 I bent down, and looked under the car 118 00:06:10,835 --> 00:06:14,300 and there was nothing there. 119 00:06:14,300 --> 00:06:18,210 Now, my brain is going, I don't know what to do. 120 00:06:18,210 --> 00:06:20,090 NARRATOR: Ian managed to call the police, 121 00:06:20,090 --> 00:06:22,290 who raced to the scene. 122 00:06:22,290 --> 00:06:25,250 IAN SHARPE: I was still shaking like a leaf. 123 00:06:25,250 --> 00:06:29,350 Looking for the body or the person who I'd hit. 124 00:06:29,350 --> 00:06:33,600 We couldn't find anybody, it was then that the policeman told 125 00:06:33,600 --> 00:06:36,945 me, we've got to put this down to another sighting 126 00:06:36,945 --> 00:06:39,020 of the ghost of Blue Bell Hill. 127 00:06:39,020 --> 00:06:43,080 Which I had never heard of before. 128 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:44,280 NARRATOR: The hauntings are thought 129 00:06:44,280 --> 00:06:48,370 to have begun after a fatal car crash on Blue Bell Hill. 130 00:06:48,370 --> 00:06:50,920 Every year produces new witnesses. 131 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:53,175 One is Chris Dawkins. 132 00:06:53,175 --> 00:06:57,331 CHRIS DAWKINS: A girl ran out, sort of semi-turned towards me 133 00:06:57,331 --> 00:06:58,030 as I hit her. 134 00:06:58,030 --> 00:07:01,790 She was wearing a white or cream top, like jumper, 135 00:07:01,790 --> 00:07:03,160 pullover type thing. 136 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:06,360 I just stopped and got out and ran around the back 137 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:07,190 in a state of panic. 138 00:07:07,190 --> 00:07:09,250 I mean, I thought I'd actually killed someone. 139 00:07:09,250 --> 00:07:11,390 And when you actually get out and find 140 00:07:11,390 --> 00:07:15,721 that there's no one there, you start 141 00:07:15,721 --> 00:07:16,720 getting very worried about it. 142 00:07:16,720 --> 00:07:21,310 143 00:07:21,310 --> 00:07:23,690 STEVE NELKIN: We actually found Chris was sitting in his car 144 00:07:23,690 --> 00:07:25,170 at the telephone kiosk. 145 00:07:25,170 --> 00:07:28,600 Sitting in the passenger seat, very shaken, very scared. 146 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:30,730 And he was absolutely adamant that he'd 147 00:07:30,730 --> 00:07:32,640 knocked somebody over. 148 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:35,160 And so we checked all over his car, 149 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,320 we checked around it, underneath it. 150 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:40,580 There was no sign of any damage to the car; 151 00:07:40,580 --> 00:07:43,510 nothing that would suggest that he hit anything. 152 00:07:43,510 --> 00:07:45,460 We then carried a thorough search 153 00:07:45,460 --> 00:07:49,000 out of the village itself, where exactly it happened, 154 00:07:49,000 --> 00:07:50,020 the gardens, the road. 155 00:07:50,020 --> 00:07:52,814 And we found absolutely nothing whatsoever. 156 00:07:52,814 --> 00:07:57,247 I can't begin to explain what happened to Chris that night. 157 00:07:57,247 --> 00:07:58,580 He dealt with something or hit something 158 00:07:58,580 --> 00:08:01,980 that night which, I'm no expert, I just can't explain. 159 00:08:01,980 --> 00:08:06,390 160 00:08:06,390 --> 00:08:09,360 ARTHUR C. CLARKE: Even in the early days of psychic research 161 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,640 at the end of the 19th century, investigators called 162 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,270 in physicians and psychologists to help 163 00:08:15,270 --> 00:08:17,480 explain the phenomena being reported 164 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:19,990 from apparently haunted places. 165 00:08:19,990 --> 00:08:23,110 Today, experts agree that hallucinations and delusions 166 00:08:23,110 --> 00:08:26,560 often occur in the weird transition period 167 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:28,820 between sleep and wakefulness. 168 00:08:28,820 --> 00:08:32,230 They can be caused by images from dreams lingering on, 169 00:08:32,230 --> 00:08:36,940 or thoughts assuming a solid form as sleep approaches. 170 00:08:36,940 --> 00:08:41,140 These may account for the spooky experiences sometimes described 171 00:08:41,140 --> 00:08:42,700 by people lying in bed. 172 00:08:42,700 --> 00:08:46,920 173 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:48,850 NARRATOR: Captain Barney Concannon is 174 00:08:48,850 --> 00:08:50,660 an experienced airline pilot. 175 00:08:50,660 --> 00:08:56,340 176 00:08:56,340 --> 00:08:58,780 One of his regular overnight stops 177 00:08:58,780 --> 00:09:01,330 has been an airport serving the northeast of England, 178 00:09:01,330 --> 00:09:02,030 at Teesside. 179 00:09:02,030 --> 00:09:05,010 180 00:09:05,010 --> 00:09:07,480 The crews were always booked into Saint George's 181 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:10,110 Hotel, right by the airport. 182 00:09:10,110 --> 00:09:12,330 When the building belonged to the Royal Air Force, 183 00:09:12,330 --> 00:09:14,980 the hotel was the officer's mess. 184 00:09:14,980 --> 00:09:18,580 In 1951, a small plane crashed on landing, 185 00:09:18,580 --> 00:09:20,830 careened across the car-park, and smashed 186 00:09:20,830 --> 00:09:22,670 into the wall of the mess. 187 00:09:22,670 --> 00:09:25,750 The pilot was killed by falling masonry. 188 00:09:25,750 --> 00:09:29,780 The mess was rebuilt, and is now part of the hotel. 189 00:09:29,780 --> 00:09:34,270 There are stories of a ghostly airman seen in its corridors. 190 00:09:34,270 --> 00:09:37,280 Captain Concannon was skeptical, until the night he 191 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:38,850 was booked into room 62. 192 00:09:38,850 --> 00:09:42,110 193 00:09:42,110 --> 00:09:43,870 BARENY CONCANNON: I came into the room, 194 00:09:43,870 --> 00:09:47,670 got undressed as normal, put my raincoat on the bed 195 00:09:47,670 --> 00:09:49,260 because it was so cold. 196 00:09:49,260 --> 00:09:52,660 There were four or five blankets on the bed already, 197 00:09:52,660 --> 00:09:56,870 and lay down on my stomach, wrapping 198 00:09:56,870 --> 00:09:59,555 the blankets around me; just leaving my nose 199 00:09:59,555 --> 00:10:01,680 so that I could breathe. 200 00:10:01,680 --> 00:10:07,440 And I must have been lying there for five minutes when I felt 201 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,990 a sudden pressure on my legs, on the back of my legs, 202 00:10:10,990 --> 00:10:13,850 as if somebody had walked into the room 203 00:10:13,850 --> 00:10:17,640 and sat on my lower legs. 204 00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:19,880 It only affected me from the knees down. 205 00:10:19,880 --> 00:10:23,230 206 00:10:23,230 --> 00:10:26,720 I thought to myself, the story of the ghost 207 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:29,990 came back to me at that time, and I wondered 208 00:10:29,990 --> 00:10:33,080 whether I should put the light on or what I should do, 209 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:34,640 and I decided not to. 210 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:36,970 Decided to brave it out, in fact. 211 00:10:36,970 --> 00:10:41,300 And I turned around and I said, go away. 212 00:10:41,300 --> 00:10:45,002 But in much stronger language. 213 00:10:45,002 --> 00:10:50,790 And it went immediately, as soon as I said, go away, 214 00:10:50,790 --> 00:10:53,430 it disappeared. 215 00:10:53,430 --> 00:10:55,720 I didn't even put the light on afterwards. 216 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:59,780 The room became warmer, I was quite comfortable, 217 00:10:59,780 --> 00:11:02,370 and I went to sleep. 218 00:11:02,370 --> 00:11:04,660 NARRATOR: Unaware of the stories on her first night 219 00:11:04,660 --> 00:11:07,460 in the hotel, stewardess Lisa Cox 220 00:11:07,460 --> 00:11:10,520 settled down for a good night's sleep 221 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:12,580 LISA COX: I awoke less than an hour later 222 00:11:12,580 --> 00:11:14,960 and there was the weight of a heavy person 223 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:21,690 lying on me from the top of my head all the way down my body. 224 00:11:21,690 --> 00:11:24,480 And it took me just a couple of seconds 225 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:28,520 to realize that I wasn't at home and I was in the hotel. 226 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:30,790 And of course then I was petrified. 227 00:11:30,790 --> 00:11:34,910 I couldn't move and I realized that it just must be a ghost, 228 00:11:34,910 --> 00:11:39,100 there was no other explanation, and I was wide awake. 229 00:11:39,100 --> 00:11:41,790 I couldn't move an arm or a leg, I was pinned down 230 00:11:41,790 --> 00:11:45,860 and the only thing I could hear was my heart beating. 231 00:11:45,860 --> 00:11:49,560 And whilst I was pinned down, I could see movement. 232 00:11:49,560 --> 00:11:52,930 And when I moved my eyes to look towards my left, the curtains 233 00:11:52,930 --> 00:11:55,890 which are very heavy and I'd drawn open, 234 00:11:55,890 --> 00:11:59,210 were moving upwards from the ground, not blowing outwards 235 00:11:59,210 --> 00:12:04,110 as though in a breeze, but as though somebody 236 00:12:04,110 --> 00:12:07,120 had put two hands underneath them and was lifting them up. 237 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:08,596 They were crumpling and they were 238 00:12:08,596 --> 00:12:12,000 about a meter off the floor. 239 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:15,080 NARRATOR: After a couple of minutes the weight left Lisa. 240 00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,590 She fled the room, too terrified to return. 241 00:12:18,590 --> 00:12:21,980 Real as such experiences seem to those who suffer them, 242 00:12:21,980 --> 00:12:24,610 some scientists suggest they are caused by a condition 243 00:12:24,610 --> 00:12:27,450 known as sleep paralysis. 244 00:12:27,450 --> 00:12:29,940 BARENY CONCANNON: Some people think that this sort of thing 245 00:12:29,940 --> 00:12:33,680 happens with particularly airline people who are flying 246 00:12:33,680 --> 00:12:35,810 all over the world, different time zones 247 00:12:35,810 --> 00:12:40,730 and so on getting very tired. 248 00:12:40,730 --> 00:12:43,180 And they-- when they go to sleep they 249 00:12:43,180 --> 00:12:45,980 enter a state of semi-consciousness, 250 00:12:45,980 --> 00:12:51,060 neither sleeping nor waking, in which things like this 251 00:12:51,060 --> 00:12:52,610 can occur. 252 00:12:52,610 --> 00:12:56,360 But my answer to that would be, I've flown all over the world, 253 00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:00,070 I've stayed in hotels all over the world. 254 00:13:00,070 --> 00:13:02,954 I've never had any problem of this sort before. 255 00:13:02,954 --> 00:13:04,720 LISA COX: I know the Saint George's Hotel is haunted; 256 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:07,550 I'm 100% sure, because it happened to me. 257 00:13:07,550 --> 00:13:08,600 It wasn't a dream. 258 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:11,060 I know that I was wide awake, and that's 259 00:13:11,060 --> 00:13:12,505 why I was so frightened. 260 00:13:12,505 --> 00:13:13,270 I was petrified. 261 00:13:13,270 --> 00:13:19,410 262 00:13:19,410 --> 00:13:20,810 ARTHUR C. CLARKE: Sometimes, stories 263 00:13:20,810 --> 00:13:24,810 of hauntings clash with the hard commercial realities 264 00:13:24,810 --> 00:13:26,700 of the modern world. 265 00:13:26,700 --> 00:13:30,830 Can the alleged presence of ghosts affect house prices? 266 00:13:30,830 --> 00:13:34,100 Well, it's a question lawyers have had to take seriously. 267 00:13:34,100 --> 00:13:38,030 In Italy in 1960, this paranormal problem 268 00:13:38,030 --> 00:13:40,310 was the subject of a learned treatise. 269 00:13:40,310 --> 00:13:42,790 And more recently in the United States, 270 00:13:42,790 --> 00:13:47,810 the courts have tried to untangle the answer. 271 00:13:47,810 --> 00:13:50,372 NARRATOR: Nyack is a comfortable suburb of New York, 272 00:13:50,372 --> 00:13:52,916 on the shores of the Hudson River. 273 00:13:52,916 --> 00:13:55,105 One property has more to offer than most. 274 00:13:55,105 --> 00:13:58,060 275 00:13:58,060 --> 00:14:01,160 The house's owner for 23 years, Mrs. Helen Ackley 276 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:02,980 now lives in Florida. 277 00:14:02,980 --> 00:14:04,870 She and her husband brought up their three 278 00:14:04,870 --> 00:14:08,570 children in the house, with ghosts for company. 279 00:14:08,570 --> 00:14:09,970 HELEN ACKLEY: My house was haunted 280 00:14:09,970 --> 00:14:14,740 by three different ghosts that we could say for sure. 281 00:14:14,740 --> 00:14:19,350 One was an older gentleman, one was a young girl, 282 00:14:19,350 --> 00:14:22,990 and one was a young Navy lieutenant. 283 00:14:22,990 --> 00:14:25,700 Oh I love the ghosts, all of them. 284 00:14:25,700 --> 00:14:29,010 They were there, I could feel them, 285 00:14:29,010 --> 00:14:31,350 but however they did not intrude upon me, 286 00:14:31,350 --> 00:14:34,324 but they were there if I needed them. 287 00:14:34,324 --> 00:14:37,366 And there were times I called on them. 288 00:14:37,366 --> 00:14:40,840 And is seemed as though they understood 289 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:43,300 and would try to help. 290 00:14:43,300 --> 00:14:45,970 NARRATOR: Helen's friendly feelings towards the ghosts 291 00:14:45,970 --> 00:14:49,030 are confirmed by her neighbors across the road. 292 00:14:49,030 --> 00:14:52,210 The Oursler family were close friends of the Ackleys. 293 00:14:52,210 --> 00:14:56,590 James Oursler grew up alongside Helen's son William. 294 00:14:56,590 --> 00:14:59,910 He remembers spooky incidents. 295 00:14:59,910 --> 00:15:02,815 JAMES OURSLER: William had a habit of every night going down 296 00:15:02,815 --> 00:15:04,790 into the basement and locking up and making 297 00:15:04,790 --> 00:15:06,610 sure everything was secure. 298 00:15:06,610 --> 00:15:09,890 And this time he saw something white outside glowing, 299 00:15:09,890 --> 00:15:13,240 and he had no idea what it was and his eyes shot up 300 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:17,180 and he saw this Revolutionary War ghost. 301 00:15:17,180 --> 00:15:19,960 And he was panic stricken, and he 302 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:22,830 turned around and ran right into one of the walls 303 00:15:22,830 --> 00:15:23,900 in the basement. 304 00:15:23,900 --> 00:15:28,310 And he came upstairs and his mother saw him, Helen, 305 00:15:28,310 --> 00:15:32,370 and she just started laughing because she knew he had seen 306 00:15:32,370 --> 00:15:34,800 a ghost for the first time. 307 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:36,920 NOEL OURSLER: The Ackleys really felt that the ghosts 308 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:38,780 were part of their family. 309 00:15:38,780 --> 00:15:42,520 I'm sure because they never had any fear, 310 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:44,960 there was never anything negative. 311 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:48,240 In fact, it was as though they were sort of guardian angels 312 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:52,040 or something in the family. 313 00:15:52,040 --> 00:15:54,950 NARRATOR: The time came when widowed Mrs. Ackley had to move 314 00:15:54,950 --> 00:15:57,030 from the 18 roomed house. 315 00:15:57,030 --> 00:15:59,010 She wanted to join her son, who had 316 00:15:59,010 --> 00:16:01,210 set up a business in Florida. 317 00:16:01,210 --> 00:16:04,040 With regret, she put the house up for sale. 318 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:06,210 The estate agent was Richard Ellis. 319 00:16:06,210 --> 00:16:10,774 He was worried about mentioning the house's extra features. 320 00:16:10,774 --> 00:16:12,240 RICHARD ELLIS: We kind of took a deep breath 321 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:15,150 and we approached the buyer on it, and he laughed about it, 322 00:16:15,150 --> 00:16:16,220 he just joked about it. 323 00:16:16,220 --> 00:16:17,850 And then a couple of weeks later, 324 00:16:17,850 --> 00:16:20,870 he called us and was very serious about the whole thing. 325 00:16:20,870 --> 00:16:23,880 And at that point, we set up a meeting for him 326 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:27,540 to meet with Mrs. Ackley, and she spoke with great enthusiasm 327 00:16:27,540 --> 00:16:28,430 about the ghosts. 328 00:16:28,430 --> 00:16:31,940 And at that point I think he became very concerned, 329 00:16:31,940 --> 00:16:34,350 and shortly after that meeting he decided he 330 00:16:34,350 --> 00:16:37,350 did not want to buy the house. 331 00:16:37,350 --> 00:16:40,330 NARRATOR: The buyers had put down a substantial deposit, 332 00:16:40,330 --> 00:16:43,040 but they now wanted to cancel the deal. 333 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:46,160 A dispute arose over who would keep the money. 334 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,120 The case ended up in court. 335 00:16:48,120 --> 00:16:51,780 The judge threw out the buyers' claim, saying it was too late 336 00:16:51,780 --> 00:16:53,080 for them to change their minds. 337 00:16:53,080 --> 00:16:58,260 338 00:16:58,260 --> 00:17:01,590 The buyers took the case to the appeal division of the Supreme 339 00:17:01,590 --> 00:17:03,250 Court of New York. 340 00:17:03,250 --> 00:17:06,339 The presiding judge was Israel Rubin. 341 00:17:06,339 --> 00:17:08,700 The basis of the appeal was that Mrs. Ackley 342 00:17:08,700 --> 00:17:10,630 was not fulfilling her obligation 343 00:17:10,630 --> 00:17:12,790 to leave the house unoccupied. 344 00:17:12,790 --> 00:17:14,984 It was still inhabited by the ghosts. 345 00:17:14,984 --> 00:17:18,020 346 00:17:18,020 --> 00:17:21,099 ISRAEL RUBIN: We had to balance off whether a ghost should have 347 00:17:21,099 --> 00:17:25,240 been disclosed as against a theory or principle of law that 348 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,550 is almost universal in the United States, that is caveat 349 00:17:28,550 --> 00:17:31,430 emptor, let the buyer beware, that the buyer has 350 00:17:31,430 --> 00:17:34,330 to beware of what they're buying, 351 00:17:34,330 --> 00:17:37,250 and has to do an adequate search. 352 00:17:37,250 --> 00:17:40,790 And once they do that search, they're actually stuck 353 00:17:40,790 --> 00:17:44,100 with what they are purchasing. 354 00:17:44,100 --> 00:17:46,940 NARRATOR: Judge Rubin's ruling was that the deposit should be 355 00:17:46,940 --> 00:17:49,910 equally divided, and that the unhappy buyers would 356 00:17:49,910 --> 00:17:52,040 not be held to their purchase. 357 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:54,500 He took practicalities into consideration 358 00:17:54,500 --> 00:17:56,510 when making his decision. 359 00:17:56,510 --> 00:17:58,300 ISRAEL RUBIN: When you purchase a house, 360 00:17:58,300 --> 00:18:01,530 you usually have certain inspections made of a house. 361 00:18:01,530 --> 00:18:03,450 If you want to check on the construction of a house, 362 00:18:03,450 --> 00:18:05,650 you call someone that's an engineer or someone that's 363 00:18:05,650 --> 00:18:08,120 an expert in construction. 364 00:18:08,120 --> 00:18:09,560 If you want to check for termites, 365 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:12,580 you call someone that's a termite inspector. 366 00:18:12,580 --> 00:18:14,010 There's someone to call. 367 00:18:14,010 --> 00:18:15,790 So we said in this kind of a case, 368 00:18:15,790 --> 00:18:20,530 and we quoted Ghostbusters, we said who are you going to call? 369 00:18:20,530 --> 00:18:22,380 NARRATOR: The immediate result of the case 370 00:18:22,380 --> 00:18:24,280 was that the presence of ghosts had 371 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:26,760 to be revealed before a sale. 372 00:18:26,760 --> 00:18:29,950 But since then in New York, the view has softened. 373 00:18:29,950 --> 00:18:33,070 Estate agents are not obliged by law. 374 00:18:33,070 --> 00:18:35,410 I think I would probably bring it up 375 00:18:35,410 --> 00:18:39,400 to a potential buyer as a matter of conversation, 376 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:41,850 but we do not have to disclose it. 377 00:18:41,850 --> 00:18:44,180 On the other hand, we cannot lie about it either. 378 00:18:44,180 --> 00:18:47,230 I mean, if we're asked directly, do you know of a ghost 379 00:18:47,230 --> 00:18:48,160 that's in this house? 380 00:18:48,160 --> 00:18:49,630 Or have you heard of anything? 381 00:18:49,630 --> 00:18:53,570 We have to disclose that to a buyer. 382 00:18:53,570 --> 00:18:55,380 NARRATOR: The Ourslers worried that the ghosts 383 00:18:55,380 --> 00:18:57,230 had not been consulted. 384 00:18:57,230 --> 00:19:00,840 James thinks they weren't best pleased. 385 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:02,070 JAMES OURSLER: The first Christmas 386 00:19:02,070 --> 00:19:06,050 that the Ackleys weren't here, we had a lot of bells hanging 387 00:19:06,050 --> 00:19:09,210 around the house, and for some strange reason 388 00:19:09,210 --> 00:19:12,040 they just started ringing. 389 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:14,540 And we thought they were because of the wind in house 390 00:19:14,540 --> 00:19:17,530 and we moved them, and they'd still ring. 391 00:19:17,530 --> 00:19:21,770 And I just it was so creepy that that would happen. 392 00:19:21,770 --> 00:19:24,760 I really think the ghosts were trying to express themselves 393 00:19:24,760 --> 00:19:27,940 and say, we've had something happen here 394 00:19:27,940 --> 00:19:30,444 and we really don't like it, our friends have gone 395 00:19:30,444 --> 00:19:32,428 and we're really upset about it. 396 00:19:32,428 --> 00:19:36,387 397 00:19:36,387 --> 00:19:37,620 ARTHUR C. CLARKE: Hauntings are never 398 00:19:37,620 --> 00:19:40,360 easy to investigate, by their very nature; 399 00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:42,430 they are fleeting and elusive. 400 00:19:42,430 --> 00:19:45,120 And the people who believe they've seen weird phenomena 401 00:19:45,120 --> 00:19:49,030 are often too frightened to provide rational testimony. 402 00:19:49,030 --> 00:19:52,220 So it's not surprising that explanations 403 00:19:52,220 --> 00:19:54,850 may take a long time to emerge. 404 00:19:54,850 --> 00:19:57,720 In fact, more than a century later, we're 405 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:01,500 only just beginning to understand some famously spooky 406 00:20:01,500 --> 00:20:05,490 cases from Victorian England. 407 00:20:05,490 --> 00:20:07,760 NARRATOR: This fine mansion Cheshire was 408 00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:10,040 the seat of Lord Combermere. 409 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:12,470 It boasts a splendid library. 410 00:20:12,470 --> 00:20:17,350 In 1891, a Miss Sybell Corbet took a remarkable picture. 411 00:20:17,350 --> 00:20:20,470 Her technique intrigues photographic expert Adam 412 00:20:20,470 --> 00:20:23,140 Hart-Davis. 413 00:20:23,140 --> 00:20:25,270 ADAM HART-DAVIS: She exposed it for an hour, 414 00:20:25,270 --> 00:20:27,760 long long exposure, between two and three in the afternoon. 415 00:20:27,760 --> 00:20:30,700 And you can see the sun is streaming into the room here, 416 00:20:30,700 --> 00:20:31,660 it's lovely. 417 00:20:31,660 --> 00:20:34,020 And when she came to develop the photograph, 418 00:20:34,020 --> 00:20:36,470 she was amazed to find that in this chair on the left, 419 00:20:36,470 --> 00:20:39,260 there is a sort of shadowy figure sitting. 420 00:20:39,260 --> 00:20:40,560 And she was rather surprised by this 421 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:43,440 and she consulted her sister, and one of her sisters said, 422 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:44,670 that's Lord Combermere. 423 00:20:44,670 --> 00:20:47,070 Absolutely positive, she was absolutely certain. 424 00:20:47,070 --> 00:20:49,300 There is a slight difficulty though, because Lord Combermere 425 00:20:49,300 --> 00:20:50,390 was dead. 426 00:20:50,390 --> 00:20:52,970 He'd been run over by a cab in London a few days earlier, 427 00:20:52,970 --> 00:20:54,170 and he died from his injuries. 428 00:20:54,170 --> 00:20:56,280 And he was, while this picture was being taken, 429 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:59,914 he was actually being buried in the graveyard a few miles away. 430 00:20:59,914 --> 00:21:01,080 And so that of course made everyone 431 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:04,570 think it's got to be his ghost, it must be his ghost. 432 00:21:04,570 --> 00:21:07,620 NARRATOR: Sir William Barrett, a pioneer of psychical research, 433 00:21:07,620 --> 00:21:09,480 was not convinced. 434 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:12,430 He wrote an article suggesting that a footman had strayed 435 00:21:12,430 --> 00:21:16,220 into Miss Corbet's photograph, taking an illicit rest 436 00:21:16,220 --> 00:21:17,814 in his master's chair. 437 00:21:17,814 --> 00:21:19,180 ADAM HART-DAVIS: There are various things 438 00:21:19,180 --> 00:21:20,430 that support this. 439 00:21:20,430 --> 00:21:23,930 One is that the figure is quite well lit on the side 440 00:21:23,930 --> 00:21:26,160 where the light is coming from, so you can see one hand, 441 00:21:26,160 --> 00:21:28,420 but he's very poorly lit on the other side. 442 00:21:28,420 --> 00:21:30,300 You can't see the figure's legs at all, 443 00:21:30,300 --> 00:21:32,980 and there's a very neat point here. 444 00:21:32,980 --> 00:21:35,820 All across the picture, all the bright lines are doubled. 445 00:21:35,820 --> 00:21:38,390 There's a bright one, and then a very slightly less bright one 446 00:21:38,390 --> 00:21:40,630 beside it, which suggests that the camera 447 00:21:40,630 --> 00:21:42,560 was moved during exposure. 448 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,370 Now Miss Corbet herself says that she was out of the room. 449 00:21:45,370 --> 00:21:48,260 So somebody jogged the camera during exposure. 450 00:21:48,260 --> 00:21:51,830 Could it be this person came in, sat down, moved a little bit, 451 00:21:51,830 --> 00:21:53,690 suddenly realized he was on camera, 452 00:21:53,690 --> 00:21:56,290 rushed out, kicking the tripod as he went out the door? 453 00:21:56,290 --> 00:21:58,440 It's possible, anyway. 454 00:21:58,440 --> 00:22:01,300 NARRATOR: To test the theory, Adam has set his modern camera 455 00:22:01,300 --> 00:22:03,710 for an exposure of two minutes. 456 00:22:03,710 --> 00:22:07,420 His wooden study seat stands in for his Lordship's armchair. 457 00:22:07,420 --> 00:22:10,280 And as an extra gesture towards authenticity, 458 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:12,938 a footman's coat seems appropriate garb. 459 00:22:12,938 --> 00:22:17,690 460 00:22:17,690 --> 00:22:19,690 ADAM HART-DAVIS: I'm going to have to sit here for a minute, 461 00:22:19,690 --> 00:22:21,340 but I don't want to be completely still. 462 00:22:21,340 --> 00:22:22,890 The right hand is still, the left hand 463 00:22:22,890 --> 00:22:23,874 must move about a bit. 464 00:22:23,874 --> 00:22:25,540 I have to move my legs so that they don't register 465 00:22:25,540 --> 00:22:28,500 on the picture, and I need to move my head from side to side, 466 00:22:28,500 --> 00:22:31,045 and up and down so that it will register as a blur, 467 00:22:31,045 --> 00:22:32,687 but still a head-shaped blur. 468 00:22:32,687 --> 00:22:47,100 469 00:22:47,100 --> 00:22:50,020 NARRATOR: The experiment's result is gradually revealed 470 00:22:50,020 --> 00:22:53,710 in the glow of the dark room. 471 00:22:53,710 --> 00:22:55,490 ADAM HART-DAVIS: It's beginning to appear. 472 00:22:55,490 --> 00:22:57,590 It's the blacks that come up first. 473 00:22:57,590 --> 00:22:59,030 And the ghost is shadow, so it will come 474 00:22:59,030 --> 00:23:00,590 up last if it's there at all. 475 00:23:00,590 --> 00:23:02,660 I can see the books. 476 00:23:02,660 --> 00:23:04,582 I can see the chair. 477 00:23:04,582 --> 00:23:06,660 Yeah, there's definitely something there. 478 00:23:06,660 --> 00:23:08,920 There's a right hand. 479 00:23:08,920 --> 00:23:10,150 Yes, there's a ghost there. Look! 480 00:23:10,150 --> 00:23:11,210 Look! I'm in it. 481 00:23:11,210 --> 00:23:14,440 Terrific, it's worked, so maybe, maybe we've solved the mystery. 482 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:18,050 483 00:23:18,050 --> 00:23:19,450 Here's the Combermere photograph, 484 00:23:19,450 --> 00:23:20,730 and here's my photograph. 485 00:23:20,730 --> 00:23:22,540 And mine's like a sort of section 486 00:23:22,540 --> 00:23:25,330 out of this, a small section blown up, if you like. 487 00:23:25,330 --> 00:23:27,780 And if you look over here on the left, there's a chair, 488 00:23:27,780 --> 00:23:29,800 and over here on the left of the frame there's a chair. 489 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:31,530 And here there's a shadowy figure, 490 00:23:31,530 --> 00:23:33,570 you can see a sort of blurred head, 491 00:23:33,570 --> 00:23:35,140 and here there's definitely a shadowy figure 492 00:23:35,140 --> 00:23:37,590 and you can see a blurred head, which does look rather like me, 493 00:23:37,590 --> 00:23:38,445 I have to admit. 494 00:23:38,445 --> 00:23:40,770 And over in the Combermere photograph, 495 00:23:40,770 --> 00:23:44,770 there's a rather sharp right hand and arm. 496 00:23:44,770 --> 00:23:46,040 And that's exactly the same here, 497 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:48,040 a sharp right hand and arm. 498 00:23:48,040 --> 00:23:51,020 But there is no left arm or hand, 499 00:23:51,020 --> 00:23:53,450 although this is slightly blurred a bit, on the hand rest 500 00:23:53,450 --> 00:23:54,230 there. 501 00:23:54,230 --> 00:23:56,555 And here, there is no left hand, although there's 502 00:23:56,555 --> 00:24:00,020 a slightly blurred patch just on the hand rest. 503 00:24:00,020 --> 00:24:01,950 So, so far we're doing quite well. 504 00:24:01,950 --> 00:24:05,090 And here we've got no legs at all, 505 00:24:05,090 --> 00:24:07,400 the sharp edge of the chair and no sign of legs. 506 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:11,310 And here, sharp edge of the chair, no sign of any legs. 507 00:24:11,310 --> 00:24:14,080 508 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:16,120 This could still be a ghost. 509 00:24:16,120 --> 00:24:18,230 I can't disapprove that it's a ghost, 510 00:24:18,230 --> 00:24:20,110 but it seems to me that I've made 511 00:24:20,110 --> 00:24:23,570 a pretty fair representation of it myself, 512 00:24:23,570 --> 00:24:25,590 just messing around in my own sitting room. 513 00:24:25,590 --> 00:24:28,210 I reckon that there's something like an 80 or 90% 514 00:24:28,210 --> 00:24:29,870 chance that this was just somebody 515 00:24:29,870 --> 00:24:33,000 who wandered into the picture, and wandered out again. 516 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:39,120 517 00:24:39,120 --> 00:24:40,580 ARTHUR C. CLARKE: Most of us know a place 518 00:24:40,580 --> 00:24:42,470 that seems to be haunted. 519 00:24:42,470 --> 00:24:43,730 I certainly do. 520 00:24:43,730 --> 00:24:46,790 When I was a child living on an old farm in the west 521 00:24:46,790 --> 00:24:50,530 of England, the bells, once used to summon servants, 522 00:24:50,530 --> 00:24:54,150 would ring from rooms that we knew for certain were empty. 523 00:24:54,150 --> 00:24:58,490 In the end, we put it down to rats in the wiring. 524 00:24:58,490 --> 00:25:01,710 That experience taught me the power of suggestion. 525 00:25:01,710 --> 00:25:04,120 An ancient building, empty rooms, 526 00:25:04,120 --> 00:25:06,740 the dark shadows of night, conspired 527 00:25:06,740 --> 00:25:09,490 to create a ghostly scenario. 528 00:25:09,490 --> 00:25:13,110 But all too often, a rational explanation comes only 529 00:25:13,110 --> 00:25:15,550 with the cold light of dawn. 530 00:25:15,550 --> 00:25:19,840 So I am very skeptical about haunted places. 531 00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:22,630 But I must confess that I have a sneaking sympathy when 532 00:25:22,630 --> 00:25:25,880 the manager said, I don't believe in ghosts, 533 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:28,300 but I'm scared of them. 534 00:25:28,300 --> 00:26:00,567