089: Ghost Hunting in Liberty, Texas

This episode may not be everyone's "cup of tea" because it deals with issues that might make some people uncomfortable. But for those of us (like Harry Houdini) who are “seekers of the truth”, we are constantly on the lookout for and investigating “what’s out there”.

Jamie Salinas and I have been conducting Theatrical Séances over the past five years in downtown Houston. We have also lectured on the subject at the MINDvention in Las Vegas plus we are completing a book on the Business of Marketing the Paranormal Experience. In that regard and to a degree, we have an interest in bizarre magik (magic with a “k”). So when Jamie told me about a ghost hunt in nearby Liberty,  Texas, of course I agreed to participate. This was going to be an all night event with about a half dozen other people plus seven people from the team of Southern Paranormal Investigators.

This podcast includes chats with the Team Leader, a psychic and the owner of the Haunted Historic Ott Hotel in Liberty, TX. We also get to get a little “Ghost Busting 101” as they discuss the do’s and don’ts of ghost hunting plus going over the tools of the trade.

00:00 – 3:20 – Jamie Salinas and I have our bags packed as we discuss what we anticipate what we think the evening will bring.

3:20 – 10:00 – Jennifer Hansen, Founder of S.P.I. talks about what her organization does and how they help investigate paranormal activity in private residences and help to resolve issues in their home. Maria Santos, a Medium, talks about her special abilities and how she helps S.P.I. and some of her experiences during her readings.

10:00 – 22:50 – Susan McCain, owner of the Haunted and Historic Ott Hotel, told me about how she and her husband came to owning this old building. She also talks about some of the history of the building and land plus some unusual happenings she has experienced over the past 11 years.

22:50 – 1:11:00 – If you have been thinking of going out on your own to find spirits, paranormal happenings, ghosts or whatever, then here you get a chance to understand what you should and shouldn’t do when planning to head into that old building or cemetery. They also go over the “tools of the trade” that every good ghost hunter needs for doing some “busting”.

1:11:00 – 1:18:50 – Jamie and I did a final wrap of the whole evening and discuss what we saw, heard and experienced.

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I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts

On Saturday, February 23, 2013, I spent the night in a "Haunted Hotel" in Liberty, Texas along with fellow ghost buster, Jamie Salinas and about another half dozen interested parties. We were led on this paranormal excursion by the team from Southern Paranormal Investigators (S.P.I.). The place was the Haunted Historic Ott Hotel located about an hour or so southeast of Houston.The hotel sits just yards away from an active train rail that has activity 27/7. Not only is the whistle loud, but the whole building shakes from the passing behemoths.

After a lovely dinner of fried catfish, shrimp and jalapeno hush puppies at nearby “Jax Hamburgers”, we returned to the Ott Hotel for a history lesson and guided tour of the old hotel by its owner, Susan McCain.

We then went into the living room for a presentation by the S.P.I. team on the do’s and don’ts of what we should and shouldn’t do during the evening. They then explained all the ghost hunter tools that would be at our disposal including EMF (Electro Magnetic Field) Meters, digital cameras, infrared and heat sensitive scopes, digital audio devices, and more. We then broke up into three teams for the “sweeps” which included three of us novices and two from the S.P.I. team.

At the end of the hall on the first floor was a mirror.

We were told to take several pictures of the mirror throughout the night because some believe it to be a portal into the "other" side. Some have been said to have photos showing people standing behind them when there were no physical bodies behind the photographer. Some have photographed legs or arms sticking out from behind the photographer. Other photos have supposedly shown an older version of the hallway with gaslights hanging on the wall behind the person in the photo.

After the S.P.I. team got all the cameras situated, we went into the rooms: one team upstairs, one team downstairs, and the third on a break. We rotated each hour with an hour break in between. When it was time to do the fourth sweep at 4:30 a.m., Jamie and I decided that it was time to head home as we had seen enough.

You can hear the podcast elsewhere on The Magic Word, but I think you might also enjoy this five minute video of some of what the evening was like.

074: Part 2 - The "Official" Houdini Seance in Ft. Worth, Texas 2012

The “Night of Nights” finally arrived. The table was set and the cast of characters were in readiness. The usual group expected to sit at the séance included; William Radner, Séance Director; from Springfield, MA; Thomas J. Boldt, Séance Director and Houdinite from Appleton, WI; John Cox, Screenwriter and Houdini Historian from Los Angeles; Robert Somerdin, Houdini Collector from Deerfield Beach, FL; Fred Pittella, Houdini Historian and Handcuff Authority from Queens, NY, and: Larry Weeks, Houdini Historian from Brooklyn, NY.

Unfortunately this year due to Hurricane Sandy, Fred Pittella and Larry Weeks could not escape the severe weather. So their replacements came from the Ft. Worth area: Ash Adams, Collector and MC for the evening, and; Kathy Tayefeh, Houdini Enthusiast. Rounding out the Inner  Séance Circle were: Derek Kennedy, Magic Collector and Historian from Ft. Worth; Arthur Moses, Houdini Collector, Archivist, Biographer and Historian from Ft.  Worth, and; Scott Wells, Medium.

There were two levels of tickets for this seminal event. The “regular” tickets went for $35 who received a commemorative, 3 ½” custom-made padlock emblazoned with a special Ft. Worth Houdini Séance logo. The “VIP” tickets sold for $100 each. They received the padlock, too, but also a pair of metal bookends shaped like large padlocks. They also enjoyed a social hour talking with other devotees while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and wine.

At the appointed hour everyone was ushered into the Commandry of the Ft. Worth Masonic  Center. The ushers were appropriately attired in turn of the 20th century clothing complete with top hat and white gloves. Built in the 1930’s, this creepy old building has enough of its own ghosts to wade through to find Harry Houdini.

You can download the evening’s program here to enjoy reading an outline of the evening’s planned activities plus other interesting information about Houdini’s earlier visits to Texas.

The first clip in this podcast features a Keynote® presentation on Houdini which covered a lot of territory with 90 slides in the brief time allotted him. I was seated in the back of the room so the sound quality is not the best, but you will have the feeling you were there.

Next is an audio clip of Bill Radner’s presentation who brought the famed “Séance Handcuffs”. He introduced a short video of his father, Sid Radner. Then finally is the complete Houdini Séance featuring me, Scott Wells, as the Medium. You will hear the Master of Ceremonies, Ash Adams give the “Rules of the Séance” before introducing me.

Following the séance, I sat down with Tom Boldt who discussed his involvement and participation in the Houdini Séance over the past 25 years. The following morning during  breakfast in the home of Arthur Moses, we recorded a recap of the whole experience with him as well as with Jamie Salinas, Houston magician who performed the straight jacket escape as part of the evening’s entertainment; and John Cox, Houdini historian and blogger about “all things Houdini” at http://www.WildAboutHoudini.com/ and also with Joe Notaro who blogs about Houdini’s film, “The Grim Game” at http://harryhoudinicircumstantialevidence.com/

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