Juneau’s Alaskan Hotel

The U.S. bought Alaska from the Russians in 1867. Just 13 years after this in 1880 Joe Juneau and Richard Harris discovered gold in the Silver Creek Basin-- soon after the Alaskan Gold Rush began with a vengeance. 

A small tent city named after one of these men, located along the Inner Passage became the capital of the territory--Juneau, Alaska.

The McCloskey brothers, who struck it rich during this rush--along with another investor, Jules B. Caro had a 3-story hotel built near the steamship docks in Juneau in 1913. 

When visitors walk into this 101- year old hotel today they often get a strong sense that they have entered another time. For the Akaskan Hotel has retained most of its original frontier charm.

The hotel also retains several ghosts. It is said after the Alaskan was renovated in 1978 this ghostly activity became even more pronounced. 

One ghost that resides in the hotel is called, Alice. The local legend states Alice first came to the Hotel during the gold rush with her husband. His goal like thousands of others was to strike it rich.

Alice's husband left the hotel promising her he would return within 3 weeks. But when he didn’t return even after many weeks Alice believed her husband was dead. She became desperate for she had used the little money she had. 

In Alaska, the men have always outnumbered the women -- this was especially true during the early 1900s so there were several brothels.

Alice stranded and feeling she had no choice became a lady of the evening. But in a tragic twist of fate, her husband returned just a few weeks later. When he discovered what she had done he became enraged and killed her in a room located in the back of the Alaskan Hotel.

Present day staff and guests have encountered Alice's ghost on many occasions. Her presence is most often felt in the back of the hotel--in Rooms 218 and 219. Several guests who have stayed in these rooms who had no prior knowledge of this haunting have demanded to be moved.

Various staff members have stated that they are always uncomfortable when they are in this area of the hotel. Housekeepers recount how they often discover towels or other items either moved or misplaced in these two rooms. Several have seen Alice's ghost sitting on one of the beds.

One visitor told the staff after his stay that he felt waves of unhappiness and disappointment in one of these rooms. 

Alice’s ghost is sometimes seen walking up and down the hotel’s staircase. One desk clerk at the hotel saw her ghost walk up these stairs late one night. He described her as a blonde lady wearing a white dress.

Alice’s ghost has also been seen in the hotel’s bar. This room has several mirrors and many patrons have seen her form reflected out of the corner of their eye.

One summer resident of Juneau had her own strange encounter in the Alaskan Hotel but not with this ghost. One day while visiting a friend she used the hotel's restroom. She was surprised as she entered this room to see how outdated and old-fashioned it was.

Later that same day she was back in the hotel--she again entered this restroom--but this time it was modern. Flustered she came rushing out to query the staff on what had happened to the quaint décor she had seen earlier that day. They had no idea what she was talking about. Evidently, she experienced a “time slip.”

Guardian Angel--A Request for Help

It was an early Saturday morning when my cousin, Ellen and her boyfriend, Seth picked me up so we could go to band practice at our high school. 

It was bitterly cold and it had snowed the night before. We lived in a small rural community in the Midwest. It was a 20-mile drive to the parking lot where we practiced.

Seth offered me a thermos lid of coffee he was drinking as Ellen explained that she was going to take a brief detour from our destination. She wanted to visit Tommy’s grave. Sadly, Tommy her younger brother, had died in an accident the year before.

As Ellen drove into the cemetery the road was covered in ice and snow. She drove up a steep incline and stopped the car on the top of the hill, she got out. Seth and I watched as she walked over to Tommy’s grave. Seth glanced back to where I sat, “It is way too cold to be doing this today.”

Ellen must have agreed because she hurried back to the car and turned on the engine. But when she put the car into reverse in order to turn it around the back wheels just spun.

Seth got out and pushed but the car didn’t budge. We were stuck. Ellen always the drama queen got out of the car and started to argue with Seth. I huddled in the backseat freezing.

I gathered from their argument that Ellen didn’t want to call her parents for help. They had not visited the cemetery since their only son’s funeral and Ellen didn’t want to upset them. Ellen started to pace back and forth which she tended to do when nervous.

Seth leaned against the passenger side door. Ellen walked back over to her brother’s grave. We heard her state loudly, “Tommy, send help.” Seth locked eyes with me, laughed and shook his head.

I looked over to where Ellen stood and was surprised to see a man with long blonde hair standing between her and the car. I looked around but didn’t see any other cars.

Ellen addressed the man. “My car is stuck, we can’t move it…” The man quietly smiled and replied, “ I know.”

Before Seth could protest this stranger got in the car and turned on the engine. Noticing me in the back seat he turned and smiled, “It’s okay.” He then backed up the car and turned it around without the wheels spinning.

He got out of the car and left the engine running and the driver’s side door open. I heard Ellen thanking him profusely. “You asked for assistance--glad I could help.” He then walked around to the back of the car.

Ellen and Seth got into the car quickly. The three of us sat for a while in stunned silence. Ellen then drove the car slowly down the hill. I looked out the rear window and the man was not anywhere in sight.

More odd was the fact there were no footprints in the snow near where he had stood at the back of the car. Ellen looked at Seth and stated, “Did you notice he didn’t have a coat on?”

Ellen and I at the time agreed that he must have been a guardian angel that Tommy sent at her request. Seth refused to talk about the incident afterwards.

It has been years since I was in high school but I still remember this man’s gentle blue eyes as he looked at me with reassurance.

The Witches Castle

Moosham Castle located near Salzburg, Austria, dates back to the 13^th century. Built by the Prince-Bishops of Salzburg, Moosham, has a strange and sinister past.

Hundreds of witches were beheaded within the walls of this castle. * It is said some still haunt this Austrian fortress, which is run as a museum today.

Moosham’s persecution of witches was not unique for the time. Three centuries ago, mass hysteria swept through the U.S. and Europe. This hysteria was caused by people’s irrational fear that witches lived among them. Witch hunts and witch trials became apart of everyday life.

During this time many women lived in fear of being accused of witchcraft.

In Austria, Moosham Castle became the center stage in the Salzburg Witch Trials. Between 1675 and 1690, over 100 people were killed in this castle, tried, and found guilty of witchcraft.

Thousands more were accused during this time. They were imprisoned and tortured. One interesting fact about the Salzburg Witch Trials was the majority of people charged, were men, not women. The ages of those executed ranged from 10 to 80 years old--ninety-two of them were under the age of 21.

Sadly, the youngest victims found guilty during these witch trials, were actually beggars, or just harmless children--their only crime was they had no one to vouch for their characters.

The methods used to torture were ghastly. Hands were cut off, and people were burned with hot irons--which branded them as criminals for the rest of their lives. Many, while being tortured, confessed to witchcraft, just to stop the agony.

This gruesome history has left Moosham haunted.

Today, staff and visitors, recount instances of being touched, feeling someone’s breath on them, banging sounds, phantom footsteps, and doors slamming shut. Many talk about seeing unexplainable floating white mists.

The current owner of the castle, Theresita Wilczek, states the room called the “room of Toni” was the quarters of the man who was responsible for all the torture. Many feel a dark presence in this room. One museum visitor stated she even conversed with this entity.

In the torture chamber, many have felt hands touch their hair and legs. Others state that an unseen presence came very close to them. It is here where several people have reported they felt someone breathing on them.

Various voices have been recorded during EVP sessions in the castle.

* Another strange part of Moosham’s history is the reports of werewolves, during the 1800s. Many deer and cattle were found close to the castle, mutilated. Several residents of the castle were accused of being werewolves--some accounts state these people were then executed--others state they were imprisoned.

Japan’s 100 Scary Ghost Stories

Japan’s ancient history, rich culture and heritage are spun with death superstitions and ghost stories.

Here are just a few of these traditional superstitions that are connected to death.

The Japanese believe people should “cleanse” themselves after attending a funeral. They do this by throwing salt over their body.

They believe one should never cut their fingernails at night for this brings bad luck or a “haunting” to this person.

They also believe certain numbers should not be referred to--the reason for this is the number 4 is the homonym for death and the number 9 is the homonym for suffering within their culture. An example of this is when they state, “Don’t buy four of those. Don’t give four of these.”

People in Japan share a variety of ghost stories, ghost myths, and legends. The following game evolved from traditional Japanese supernatural beliefs and the fact so many ghost stories are retold.

The “100 ghost story game” which is known as Hyakumonogatari Kaidankai first was played during the Edo period, 1603-1868.

Here is how it is played:

At night, the host of the party lights 100 candles. Players sit on the floor in a circle with the ring of candles in front of them.

Each player takes turns telling a Kadan, their word for a ghost story, and then they extinguish one of the candles in front of them. As the night goes on and each story is told, the room grows slowly darker. 

The result is these stories become scarier --at least to the listener who is now sitting in a dark room.

Many Japanese feel as the last candle is extinguished during this game it represents the conclusion of a spiritual evocation, which summons spirits or ghosts. Which tops off the evening with an added scare.

In one earlier form of this game samurai warriors played it to test their courage.