The Bell Witch: The Full Account (2 page)
“Kate’s” Hatred for the Slaves ............................................. 130
Harry and the Fire ............................................................... 130
Philis’ Legs Become Locked ................................................ 131
“Kate” Finds Anky .............................................................. 132
Andrew Jackson Visits “Kate” ............................................. 135
Jackson’s Wagon is Stopped................................................ 136
Jackson’s “Witch Tamer” Becomes a Believer ................... 136
John Bell’s Final Days ........................................................... 138
John Bell’s Shoes Fly Off..................................................... 138
The Affliction Worsens......................................................... 139
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C O N T E N T S
The Death of John Bell ........................................................ 140
“Kate” Sings at John Bell’s Funeral................................... 143
John Bell’s Unanswered Request ........................................ 143
Hearts are Broken.................................................................. 144
The Relationship Grows Stronger........................................ 145
Spring Arrives ...................................................................... 146
A Proposal of Marriage....................................................... 146
Easter Monday on the Red River ......................................... 150
Picnicking by the River ........................................................ 151
Powell Speaks Privately to Elizabeth .................................. 152
The Mysterious Fish............................................................. 154
Joshua Senses a Problem..................................................... 156
“Kate” Ends the Relationship ............................................. 157
“Kate” Leaves for Seven Years ............................................ 161
“Kate” Says Goodbye.......................................................... 161
Elizabeth’s New Suitor......................................................... 162
“Kate” Returns ...................................................................... 164
“Kate” Visits John Bell, Jr.................................................. 166
The Past, Present and Future .............................................. 167
“Kate” Makes Predictions................................................... 168
“Kate” Bids Farewell.......................................................... 170
Life after “Kate’s” Departure ............................................. 170
Did “Kate” Really Leave?................................................... 172
The Trouble Never Ended..................................................... 174
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C O N T E N T S
Reynolds Powell’s Encounter .............................................. 175
Beautiful Music at the Enchanted Spring ............................ 177
Early Published Accounts ..................................................... 178
The Goodpasture Account.................................................... 178
The Ingram Account............................................................. 179
The “Red Book”................................................................... 181
The FGWPA Account........................................................... 182
The Charles Bailey Bell Account ......................................... 183
The “Black Book”................................................................ 183
“Kate” in the Twentieth Century ......................................... 186
Choking Sensation on the Porch.......................................... 186
Tragedy after Theft of John Bell’s Gravestone.................... 188
The Eden Family Buys the Cave .......................................... 193
“Bell Witch” Cave ............................................................... 194
A Wire Disappears............................................................... 196
A Distorted Picture .............................................................. 197
Human Mist Figure in the Cave........................................... 198
A Woman’s Figure in the Upper Passage............................ 199
A Girl is Pushed by an Invisible Force................................ 201
Mysterious Footsteps in the Cave ........................................ 202
Singing Heard Near the Red River ...................................... 203
Sounds of Glass Breaking .................................................... 204
Dogs Attack an Invisible Entity............................................ 205
Human Figure Leaves No Tracks in the Snow..................... 205
Flickering Lights on the Bell Farm...................................... 206
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Unidentified Male Figure in Cemetery................................ 207
The Old Steel Bridge............................................................ 208
Double Shadows on Brown’s Ford Bluff ............................. 208
The Kirby Family Buys the Cave ......................................... 209
Strange Figure Appears in Photo ........................................ 210
A Serpent Crawls Up a Girl’s Leg....................................... 210
Orbs and Mists Appear in Pictures...................................... 211
A Rabbit Leads to an Ancestor’s Grave .............................. 213
A Rabbit Throws Dirt Fifteen Feet ...................................... 214
Rabbits Disappear from a Video Tape ................................ 215
Baby Cries Heard from a Gravestone ................................. 216
Letters Describing Encounters ............................................. 218
Orbs, Moaning and Mist at the Cave................................... 218
A Bad Day in Adams, A Terrible Night in Los Angeles – Kate
Follows a Family ................................................................. 221
Miscellaneous Happenings in the Cave............................... 225
The Bell Farm Today............................................................. 228
Is Kate Always to Blame? ..................................................... 236
The Power of Suggestion ..................................................... 237
Can the Encounter be Validated?........................................ 238
Mechanics of Argument and Persuasion ............................. 238
Supernatural Concepts.......................................................... 243
Is the Incident Really Unexplainable?................................. 245
Ghosts and Poltergeists ....................................................... 246
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Demons ................................................................................ 251
Spirits ................................................................................... 254
Magic and Witchcraft .......................................................... 257
Sorcery ................................................................................. 261
What Was “Kate?” ................................................................ 262
One Entity or Many?............................................................ 263
Was She Really a Poltergeist? ............................................. 263
Spiritual Aspects .................................................................. 265
An Answer ............................................................................ 266
An Explanation..................................................................... 267
Where Did “Kate” Come From?......................................... 268
History of the Land .............................................................. 268
A Vortex on the Bell Farm ................................................... 270
The Spirit Was “Called”...................................................... 271
Turmoil in the Early Nineteenth Century............................. 271
The Sprit’s Agenda ................................................................ 278
To Kill John Bell .................................................................. 278
To Break Elizabeth’s Engagement....................................... 279
To Leave for Seven Years..................................................... 281
To Return in One Hundred Seven Years .............................. 281
What About Present-Day Encounters? ................................ 282
Where is the Vortex?............................................................ 283
What Role Does the “Witch Family” Play? ........................ 286
Epilogue .................................................................................. 288
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Appendices.............................................................................. 291
Biographical Sketches of Those who Figured Prominently
Into the Legend ...................................................................... 292
John Bell (1750-1820) ......................................................... 292
Lucy Bell (1770-1837) ......................................................... 294
Elizabeth “Betsy” Bell (1806-1888).................................... 294
Dean..................................................................................... 297
Richard Powell (1795-1848) ............................................... 298
Jesse Bell (1790-1843)......................................................... 304
Esther Porter (1800-1859)................................................... 306
John Bell, Jr. (1793-1862)................................................... 307
Drewry Bell (1796-1865)..................................................... 309
Zadok Bell (1803-1826)....................................................... 310
Richard Williams Bell (1811-1857)..................................... 311
Joel Egbert Bell (1813-1890) .............................................. 312
Joshua Gardner (1800-1884) .............................................. 313
Reverend Sugg Fort (1776-1829) ........................................ 315
Reverend James R. Gunn (1772-1845)................................ 317
Reverend Thomas Gunn (1770-1859).................................. 318
James Johnston (1759-1851)............................................... 319
John Johnston (1783-1874) ................................................. 321
Calvin Johnston (1796-1859) .............................................. 323
Richard Powell’s Petition to the Tennessee State Legislature
for Financial Relief ................................................................ 327
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C O N T E N T S
Biographical Sketch of Richard Powell from the Tennessee
Legislative Encyclopedia ....................................................... 330
Early History of Robertson County, Tennessee.................. 332
The Town of Adams, Tennessee ........................................... 337
The Primitive Baptists ........................................................... 347
The London Baptist Confession of 1644 .............................. 351
Calvin’s Doctrine of Predestination ..................................... 352
The Bells in Mississippi ......................................................... 368
Frequently Asked Questions ................................................. 374