Grimstone Inc. Gazette Grimstone Inc. Gazette

Grimstone Inc. Gazette
The Official Publication of Grimstone Inc. Paranormal Investigators
Winter 2012, part 1
Volume 2, Issue 2
Welcome to the
Bruce Mansion
By Chris Bailey, Grimstone Inc. Director
I would like to say the Bruce Mansion
is safe. I would like to say it. I am
just not completely convinced yet
that it is true. Too many stories and
too many odd coincidences have
happened at the old mansion. I have
been investigating the paranormal
for a long time and seen a great
deal of weird. I have had things pass
through me. I have seen shadow
people. I have watched as equipment
www.Grimstone-Inc.com
was pulled out of member’s hands.
This past year, I had witnessed with
others a doppelganger. Even beyond
the experiences, in the last 16 years, I
thought I had heard every paranormal
story imaginable. Least, I thought that…
The Burnside Township was originally
settled in 1854 as an agricultural
community. Its flat land and soil led
a few settlers to this region, most of
which German. The town of Brown
City was named after one of the first
settlers, William Brown. A young
Scottish immigrant, named John G.
Bruce, eventually found his way to
this region.
Grimstone Inc.
Gazette
Highlights
We l c o m e to the
Bruce Mansion
Page 1
A Haunting at the
Bruce Mansion
Page 3
Paranormal Word Search
Page 3
The Paranormal Hoax
Page 4, cont. 8
Lilith: A Tale of a Demon
Page 5
I Think there is a
Poltergeist in My House
Page 6
How Do You Become a
Paranormal Investigator?
Page 7
The Grimstone Inc. team with John and Candy Waite in front of the Bruce Mansion. The Waite’s
bought the Mansion located in Brown City, MI in May 2008. For more information on the
property and how you can explore the home, visit www.BruceMansion.com.
Gazette Contributors
Page 12
in the yard. However, the story did
not rest there. Some say the spirit of
the deceased drove the owner crazy,
others says simply guilt. Regardless
the reason, the owner eventually lost
his fortune and he chose to end his life
by hanging himself from the bell tower.
Above the wedding dress is the tower of the Bruce.
It is said a man hung himself from the raptures
there after running over a person with his car and
burying them somewhere on the property. For more
information on the property and how you can explore
the home, visit www.BruceMansion.com.
With a small town of little people
comes a great deal of work. John with
his partner Daniel Webster certainly
found his share. John and Daniel
opened the General Merchants shop.
He was also the post master. John
eventually bought the land that his
proud home would be built in 1874.
Two years later, the mansion was
constructed in the finest of detail. This
Victorian Italianate mansion was the
beauty of the area and filled full of
life with John, his wife Jane, and his
three children.
The 136 year old home though was
not always filled with happiness. As
it rested on its lot along VanDyke
Road, families and fortune came and
went through its doors. The home
saw its share of death. At least three
owners passed away within its walls.
The most unusual being the story
told by locals. One such owner was
driving down the back roads during
a heavy fog. With his sight impaired,
he did not notice the pedestrian
nearby until it was too late. His car
took the person’s life and in fear
and panic, the body was taken back
to the Bruce Mansion. The home
owner terrified buried the individual
2
In 2009, Grimstone Inc. Paranormal
investigators became involved with
the home. They had an investigation
scheduled nearby on a warm
summer day. As a lead investigator,
I was waiting for two of our more
seasoned investigators to arrive.
They were running late and that
created an uncomfortable feeling in
my stomach. I hated when things
did not run on time. When the two
arrived 20 minutes late, they were
highly excited. They had stopped
at a house on the way up, caught
up by its unique grandeur. The
old mansion had beaconed them
and unable to resist, they found
themselves knocking on its door. As
they were telling me this, I felt even
more upset. Not only were they late
to this case, they were soliciting at
another family’s house. I did not
know then of this house and how it
can draw you in.
Strangely enough, the new home
owners of the property had answered
the door that day and invited our
two investigators in. Even more
remarkably, while they had only
owned the house a short time,
they had several odd occurrences
happen. They had purchased the
home to open a costume shop out
of it. They felt the unique look to
the house would go well with the
purpose of their business. What
they did not expect was that some
of the long buried residents came
with the acquisition. Even prior to the
purchase of the home, the place had
a reputation. The realtor’s husband
would often keep an eye on the
property while driving through town
running errands. One day, he noticed
all the doors and windows open to
the place. He stopped and checked
on the site. Not finding anyone
there, he closed the house back
up. 20 minutes later when he was
returning from his errand, he passed
the house only to see that it was
completely open once more.
The new home owners would get their
share of visitors. Some were the living.
People struck in awe at the house,
Jeff Klepadlo and Leah Zoochi, Grimstone Inc. field investigators, walking up the original mahogany
staircase of the Bruce Mansion (Brown City, MI). The staircase takes you to the second floor perhaps one of the more haunted areas of the mansion. For more information on the property and how
you can explore the home, visit www.BruceMansion.com.
Grimstone Inc.
Paranormal Investigators
Investigators
(313) 444-GRIM[4746]
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stopping to take photographs; some
braving to knock on the door in hopes
of getting a glimpse inside. Other
visitors came from different periods.
As the owners cleaned the home, they
would occasionally see people come
to the front door only to disappear.
One was a young woman in a long
dress and yellow bonnet.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 10
A Haunting at the
Bruce Mansion
By Karen Green, Grimstone Inc. Field Investigator
Bruce Mansion in Brown City,
Michigan, is definitely one of the
coolest places I have had the pleasure
of visiting. There is information on the
Internet, so check that out. This is the
story of my first visit.
I attended a “Ghost Hunt” at the Bruce
Mansion put on by a paranormal
investigation team called Grimstone
Inc. I was familiar with the group
because I had attended their classes
on investigations, but I was completely
new to doing any myself. On arrival
to the Bruce Mansion, it strikes you
as exactly what a “haunted house”
should look like, turrets and all. I
began the tour and within 15 minutes,
during a K2 demonstration, I was
getting responses to questions! This
was very exciting to me. The friends
who came with me were skeptical, but
impressed. A member of Grimstone
came into the room with his EVP
recorder and captured the “follow the
blonde” clip that is now on the Bruce
Mansion website. I did not know at
the time that anything was caught, let
alone something that clear. I was still
impressed with the K2 hits that we
were getting! We moved into the next
room that had the monitor equipment
set up, and one of the Grimstone
investigators was demonstrating the
way in which cameras are set up and
how they keep an eye on what may be
happening throughout an investigation.
My group were all looking at the
Multiplexer monitor and clearly could
see the room that we had just left, we
all saw a man standing in that room
with old style clothes on, he was tall
although his face was obscured. Two
of us quickly walked down the short
hallway to get a closer look, and
there was no one in that room. The
hallway is a short walk and there are
no other exits from that room. We had
the Grimstone investigator rewind
the footage, and there was no man
seen. We had clearly seen him on
the monitor. A few of my friends were
shook up by this! I was absolutely in
Grimstone Inc.
Paranormal Word Search
EVP: (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) The capture of unexplained spirit
voices / noises on audio recordings.
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BANSHEE: In Gaelic folklore, a spirit of a woman who appears, often
wailing, to signal that somebody in the household is going to die.
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POLTERGIST: A malicious ghost or spirit supposed to manifest its
presence by noises, knocking, moving objects, etc.
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ENTITY: Any being, including people and ghosts.
RESIDUAL: A haunting that occurs in the same place & time repeatedly.
ORB: Photographic anomaly that theoretically represents the “spirit” or
“energy” of a spirit. They typically will appear as a ball of light in photos
or video. In most cases, there are reasonable causes such as dust,
insects, reflection, lens flare, etc.
LEY LINES: Theoretical lines that can be drawn to connect ancient (and
some modern) sites across a country and even around the world. In the
early 1920’s Alfred Watkins coined the term when he noticed that many
ancient and prehistoric structures (e.g. mounds, stone circles, temples,
river crossings, ceremonial hilltops, etc.) could be connected by straight
lines. Some people believe Ley Lines also follow the natural magnetic
forces of the Earth and therefore are very powerful for spiritual and
mystic activity.
DEMON: A demon is a spirit parasite or spiritual being that is usually malevolent. They are hostile entities of non-human origin.
GHOST: A generic term referring to a form of apparition or supernatural entity, which typically takes the visual appearance of a
deceased human’s spirit or soul. Ghosts generally haunt places and not people.
DEBUNK: An attempt to discredit and contradict claims as being false, exaggerated or pretentious.
EMF: (Electromagnetic Field) a physical field produced by electrically charged objects as high frequency waves given off by electrical
devices, power lines, appliances etc. Having a High EMF near you can explain some illnesses, dementias, and paranormal activity.
OUIJA: A board pre-printed with letters, numerals, and words used for spirit communications.
awe; I love that feeling of the hair
standing on the back of the neck!
And remember, I hadn’t even realized
they had caught a “class A” EVP from
that same room in a man’s voice. My
experience at the Bruce led me to join
the Grimstone family, and I have been
an investigator in training ever since.
If you are interested in experiencing
paranormal activity for yourself get
out to the Bruce Mansion, you will be
in for an amazing experience.
The Paranormal Hoax
By Matt Tiza, Grimstone Inc. Research & Analysis
Picture yourself on a dark night inside
of a small residential home. Your
client had been frantically contacting
you over the course of a week,
seemingly scared out of his mind, to
come and investigate his property as
quickly as possible.
“There’s something negative here,
and it’s only getting worse! My kids
are in danger!” he pleads with you, to
help his terrified family.
Like a Good Samaritan and a true,
blue paranormal investigator, you
drop everything, and put this client
on top of your case list. His home
is hours away from yours and out
in the middle of nowhere. Still you
dutifully load up your equipment and
carpool with your team determined to
give him some answers and to try to
document this exciting and frightening
paranormal activity.
Your blood is pumping as you
set up your equipment at the
location. You’ve been building
up to this moment all week. The
place just seems alive with activity.
Unexplained noises are coming from
all over the house, and your team
swears that voices echo around every
corner as objects around the house
are found in disarray.
After Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in April
1865, Mary Todd Lincoln attempted to stay in
contact with her dead husband by visiting the
studio of William Mumler, a Boston engraver
who claimed to photograph the dead. Under her
assumed name, Mrs Lindall, the photo of Mary
with the ghostly Lincoln was taken by Mumler
who claimed he did not know her true identity.
Mumler was later taken to trial for fraud and
today most of his photos are considered fakes.
Even Harry Houdini posed with the late president
in the 1920’s to show how easily it was to produce
such fraudulent ghostly encounters.
and says, “I don’t know.” An awkward
silence follows.
Your client seems genuinely
frightened, and you want nothing
more than to restore peace to his
home. Then one of your team
members upstairs spots a dark
shadow outside. She calls the
team to the window. Everyone on
the team watches as a young man
emerges from the tree line, runs up
to the house, and loudly bumps on
the wall three times. To everyone’s
amazement, he looks around furtively
and then retreats into the woods.
Something suspicious is going
on, but the team carries on with
the investigation anyway. While
conducting an EVP session in the
living room, the team captures an
EVP of an elderly woman clearly
saying, “Help me,” on a digital voice
recorder. The client is ecstatic.
“That’s exactly what I heard in here!
The previous owner of the house died
here. She suffered a heart attack and
died right here in this room!”
“What was that?” the lead investigator
says looking at the client.
Your team’s tech manager perks up:
“I think that I hear static coming from
over here.”
The client looks around nervously
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“Yeah, it does sound like white noise
or something,” another team member
chimes in.
The tech manager opens up a small
drawer on a nearby end table and
discovers a digital voice recorder
inside that is playing back with the
volume turned all the way up.
“It’s this!” the tech manager exclaims.
Clearly annoyed the lead investigator
turns to the client, “Would you care to
explain how that got in here?”
The client is flustered. “I don’t know.
I’m not sure what that is.”
Fed up with the deceptions of a baldfaced liar, the lead investigator looks
the client directly in the eye. “I think
that we’re all done here.”
Lilith: A Tale of a Demon
By Sue Parling, Grimstone Inc. Field Investigator
“And the wild-cats shall meet with the
jackals, and the satyr shall cry to his
fellow; yea, the night-monster shall
repose there, and shall find her a
place of rest.”
Isaiah 34:14 (KJV)
Lilith, also known as the “Night
Demon,” was thought to be the
first wife of Adam. Made out of the
earth, like Adam, she refused to be
subservient. Proclaiming that they
were made equal, she refused to lay
down beneath him during intercourse.
Nor would she submit to any form of
servitude. Refusing to be dominated,
she shouted to God, in his real name,
that she denounced Adam. She then
grew wings and flew out of the Garden
of Eden and made her home next to
the Red Sea.
According to legend, Satan himself, also
known in Jewish folklore as Samuel
“The Great Demon,” had mated with her.
Satan wrapped her into his wings and
embraced her, transforming her from
human into demon.
Adam, lonely and wanting female
companionship, prayed to God for the
return of Lilith. Hearing his prayer, God
sent three angels, Sanvi, Sansanvi
“No, wait! This place really is
haunted! I can explain!” The client
is frantically trying to redeem himself,
but it is too late.
What you’ve just read is how a
typical paranormal hoax might
have gone down. A client is
seeking attention and/or publicity
and deliberately orchestrates fake
paranormal activity on his/her
property. The goal is to deceive the
investigators and primarily to draw
attention to the property.
There are many reasons why
someone would contrive such a
hoax. Perhaps a lonely person who
is separated from his/her spouse
and whose children have left the
home is looking for some company
or for some significance in his/her
life. An overly-medicated person
with mental health issues may be
seeking attention for his/her condition
by manifesting his/her mental
disturbances into the physical world.
A struggling business person may be
desperately trying to revive his/her
business by perpetuating haunted
claims on the property. Paranormal
entertainment (movies, television,
haunted attractions, electronic
equipment, etc.) is a multi-billion
dollar industry. The paranormal
claims are questionable, but the profit
motives are very real.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
One of the most famous depictions of Lilith is in Michelangelo’s “The Temptation of Adam and Eve.”
The painting depicts Lilith as a serpent wrapped around the Tree of Knowledge tempting Adam and Eve.
Michelangelo’s fresco painting can be seen on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
and Semangelaf, to force her to return.
The angels went to the Red Sea and
demanded she return to the Garden
of Eden and to her husband Adam.
Lilith refused. Realizing that she had
been defiled by the Great Demon, the
angels told her that 100 of her demon
offspring would be killed daily. In
response, she vowed to seek revenge
by taking the lives of human children.
The angels advised her that they
would not force her to return as long
as she agreed to leave any child alone
that had an amulet inscribed with their
names upon it.
Lilith would kidnap or kill boy infants
up until they were eight days old.
Female infants she could take until
they were twenty days old. A prayer
and sacred circle would be made
around the infants crib and an amulet
would be placed near the child. Archeologists have discovered
amulets that bear the three angels’
name. It is believed by many scholars
that “lullaby” originated from the
Hebrew “Lilith-Abi,” which translates to
“Lilith begone.”
Hunting at night, Lilith attempts to
conceive as many demons as she
can in order to make up for the
daily murder of her demon spawn.
According to legend, she enters
the dreams of unsuspecting males
and copulates with them. From their
nocturnal emissions, she is able to
create more demons called “lilim.”
These offspring follow in their mother’s
footsteps by seducing innocent males
in their sleep, hence then creating
more demons.
Although there are many versions of
Lilith varying in name and details, one
thing remains the same: Lilith is a high
powered demon hell bent on revenge,
death and destruction.
I Think there is a
Poltergeist in My House
By Chris Bailey, Grimstone Inc. Director
I live in a trailer in Michigan that is
about 34 years old. Almost all the time
my items get stolen from me. Earlier
I was making a Ramen soup packet
and while I was microwaving the stuff
my seasoning pack went missing. It
was right on a box in front of me and
it was gone 20 seconds after I looked
again. I checked my pockets and the
entire kitchen and my room and it was
gone. What should I do about this? I’m
not scared of it, I’ll get it out myself if
you tell me how. I’m 13 and 5 months
old. I always seem to have bad luck
with things since I was a kid, right after
I saw a red shadow on my wall in the
dark which I thought was a demon.
Please don’t give me any crazy
Christian answers telling me to get a
priest to get it out because I can just
do it myself if I know what to do.
When translated in German, the word poltergeist means “noisy ghosts.” Therese Selles experience with
a poltergeist was published on the cover of this french magazine, La Vie Mysterieuse, in April 1911.
Selles was a 14-year-old domestic servant for the Todeschini family. She experienced the
phenomenon in her employee’s home in Cheragas, Algeria.
6
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Sincerely,
The Young and the Haunted
[email protected]
www.Grimstone-Inc.com
Mark Krueger, Grimstone Inc. Chapter Director
& Lead Investigator, setting up a surveillance
camera in the Bruce Mansion back in October
2009. Krueger has been a dedicated volunteer
with Grimstone Inc. for more than 3 years.
Dear Young and the Haunted,
The first thing you should do is consult
your family. If you are experiencing
odd happenings, perhaps they are
too. It may give you more details and
a better understanding as to what is
happening. If your parents or guardian
feel it is paranormal and worth dealing
with, they should contact a paranormal
investigation group in your area.
Generally these groups do not work
with minors and only deal with the
property owners. Thus, the contact
should best be done with your parent
or guardian.
Celebrity Ghost Stories, A Haunting,
and any other paranormal shows that
I could. I know all of the basics and
even have studied the different types
of spirits. The reason behind this
question is the fact that I would like to
join a team and work with them until
I have enough experience to where I
can officially say that I am capable of
starting my own group. Any help any
of you can offer would be great!
like to think all people who contact a
paranormal investigation group have
serious paranormal issues, some do
have serious mental issues or other
problems. Investigators, perhaps
unknowingly, put themselves into a
great deal of risk. Many groups do not
do risk mitigation, control exposure,
or have safety protocols. If you are
looking to join a group, you might wish
to ask about that.
Sincerely,
Paranormal Pursuer
Now with all that being said, if you are
looking to do this seriously, there are a
number of skill sets that can be helpful
including strong communication skills,
good organization, being observant,
a background in sciences such as
physics or related fields can help. Look
to work with experienced teams that
provide training. After all, at the end
of the day, it would be helpful to know
why you are waving a meter around,
what measurements are meaningful,
and what you should be looking for.
There is a big variety of groups out
there and they all operate differently,
so talk with a few and find one that is a
good fit for you.
Dear Paranormal Pursuer,
Paranormal investigation, unlike
private investigation, is not a
trade licensed by the state. There
is no college offering a diploma
for it in the United States. Pretty
much anyone can claim they are a
paranormal investigator. For those
that just like going to public ghost
hunts or cemeteries, that is fine. For
people that go to private homes and
businesses offering these services,
it can be a problem. Uneducated
clients may let anyone into their
home in a desperate need for help.
Improperly trained individuals can
cause more harm than good for these
people. In addition, while we would
Many groups do have openings and
a means of applying. Often these are
on their websites. I know Grimstone
normally has 1-2 positions available
due to its territory size and case load.
In most cases though, hauntings are
typically benign and not harmful. Most
people who are injured by them do
so because they are startled and in
haste, hurt themselves. I would not
be concerned about safety unless
symptoms escalate or take on a
malicious nature.
For answers to your paranormal
questions, contact Chris at
[email protected]
How Do You Become a
Paranormal Investigator?
By Chris Bailey, Grimstone Inc. Director
Laugh if you will, but since I was a
young girl I’ve always been fascinated
by Ghost Stories and I loved watching
Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures,
Karen Green and Jeff Klepadlo, Grimstone Inc. Field Investigators, review video evidence taken at an
investigation at a private residence. Green has been a paranormal investigator with Grimstone Inc. for
almost 3 years and Klepadlo for 2.5 years.
So do a search for your area and talk
with others.
For answers to your paranormal
questions, contact Chris at
[email protected]
The Paranormal Hoax
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
Reputation is everything in this
field. Once a property gains national
recognition as a “haunted’ location,
it is inundated with attention from
thrill-seekers, investigators, psychic
mediums, television crews, and sheisty
paranormal writers looking to make
a quick buck. Stories of paranormal
phenomena have satisfied the natural
human appetite for spirituality, the
unknown, and for adventure since
ancient times providing a rich demand
for paranormal-themed products and
experiences.
investigators are not out chasing
fairytales. The hoaxes that concern
investigative teams are of the more
nefarious sort. These hoaxes come
about from those who wish to deceive
others for attention, profit, and often
times both. Hoaxsters will employ a
variety of means to deceive others and
to avoid detection.
Perhaps the greatest and most prolific
period of paranormal hoaxes is the
Spiritualist movement of the mid
1800s and early 1900s. Shysters from
around the world deceived enthralled
audiences for profit. Often times
these hoaxes involved conjuring up
the spirits of deceased loved ones
or historic figures and/or producing
spirit photography to coincide with
the activity. The Fox Sisters are one
of the earliest known “spirit rapping”
mediums. In their elder years, at least
two of the Fox Sisters confessed to
creating the rappings in the dark by
various manipulations of their hands
and feet. Yet after years of Spiritualist
deception, much of what they
fabricated still endures today with a
variety of psychics and mediums that
tell fortunes and communicate with
spirits for profit.
In recent times paranormal hoaxes
encompass a wide variety of interests
from spirits to aliens from outer space
Whatever the reason for the hoax, the
end result is the same. Paranormal
investigators must be wary of those
who deliberately try to deceive
them with hoaxes. Sure, many
paranormal claims are exaggerated
or even falsified, but there’s always
plausible deniability with any unknown
phenomena. However, when
faced with obvious deception, the
upstanding paranormal investigator
must call shenanigans and uphold the
tenuous integrity of the paranormal
investigative enterprise.
Paranormal hoaxes are far from new.
Emerging from local legends, like the
Cardiff Giant in New York State, and
other ideas from folklore, paranormal
hoaxes sometimes exist to keep the
legends of old alive today. Campfire
stories, fairytales, and nursery rhymes
often trace back to local legends which
were later revealed to be paranormal
hoaxes. In this sense, paranormal
hoaxes are not malicious attempts to
deceive others, but rather part of the
richness of many cultural heritages
around the world.
However, the majority of paranormal
8
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to crypto-zoological creatures. Again
some of these “hoaxes” actually stem
from local legends and those who
honestly believe in these experiences
while others are clearly staged for
attention and profit. The popular
late-night AM radio program “Coast
2 Coast with Art Bell” has been a
popular playground for hoaxsters
over the years. Calls from alleged
Area 51 employees and disincarnate
demons are not unusual on this
program. While much of those who
call into the show do so in good fun
in the spirit of the paranormal theme
of the show, others clearly have profit
motives in mind by selling books,
DVDs, etc.
While paranormal hoaxes do
serve to entertain us through
local legends, ghost stories, and
campfire tales, they also place a
tremendous burden of proof upon
paranormal investigators. Not only
are investigators expected to capture
evidence and to scrutinize it, they
also must face the harsh criticism
and skepticism of people who have
already written off all paranormal
topics as hoaxes. Authors, such as
Joe Nickell, have made careers out
of debunking paranormal hoaxsters
while at the same time incriminating
all of those who investigate or
show interest in the paranormal as
hoaxsters themselves. Skepticism
is healthy in all aspects of life,
however, an environment of
absolute incredulity hinders any
scientific pursuit. Just ask Galileo or
Copernicus.
Today, investigators have to stand up
to more scrutiny and skepticism than
ever before. So many paranormal
hoaxes have already been identified
and categorized. Current and
emerging technologies allow for
total manipulation of the client’s
environment. Audio, electrical, and
visual deceptions are not uncommon.
A simple timer switch on a circuit
can cause lights to turn on and off
seemingly by themselves. This type
of hoax has been reported in the
field, but only a seasoned investigator
will follow up and identify the source
of this phenomenon. Hidden
persons on the client’s property can
create disturbances that can be
misinterpreted as paranormal. Often
times an excited client will play up the
purported activity to fuel suggestion.
A calm and analytical investigator
is required to separate fact from
fiction. Often times this requires
hours, after the investigation, of going
over evidence and parsing through
what he/she must rule out and that
which may be genuine phenomena.
Nobody said that paranormal
investigation was easy.
Perhaps the most insidious deception
of all arises from within the paranormal
investigation camp. Investigators
seeking fame and fortune will
deliberately manipulate evidence to
perpetrate high level hoaxes. False
EVP (electronic voice phenomena),
object manipulation, and various forms
of photo and video manipulation create
false evidence. A casual YouTube
search will illustrate thousands of
examples of adulterated paranormal
evidence. Even the technologically
disinclined have been shown to
collude with clients to make false
paranormal claims. Such investigators
will act in concert with clients to give
the impression of unbiased thirdparty support for the validity of the
paranormal activity. Several famous
paranormal hoaxes, supported by
alleged investigators and/or mediums
whereby each party had a stake in a
lucrative book or movie deal, gained
national and worldwide attention.
These high profile hoaxes discredit
the paranormal field and cast
suspicion on legitimate investigations.
Lastly, the public is left to decide
whether there can be any truth
to claims of paranormal activity.
Fortunately for the field, a great
deal of credulity has remained since
the Spiritualist movement. Many
paranormal enthusiasts “want to
believe,” and seek out evidence to
support their paranormal curiosities.
Ideally investigators would like to
find a balance between the absolute
disbelief of skeptics and the gullibility
of paranormal thrill-seekers.
Paranormal hoaxes have discredited
and disgraced the paranormal
field, yet from the negative publicity
investigators have learned to analyze
and to question paranormal evidence
with even greater scrutiny. Assuredly,
all of the tricks haven’t been exposed
yet, but investigators are in a much
stronger position to detect them and
to narrow down the possibilities for
genuine paranormal activity.
Dave Owen, Grimstone Inc. lead investigator,
standing at the original front door of the Bruce
Mansion located in Brown City, MI. For more
information on the property and how you can
explore the home, visit www.BruceMansion.com.
Welcome to the
Bruce Mansion
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3
The Bruce Mansion features a Michigan basement where several accounts of paranormal activity
has been reported. Through the doorway is the old coal room where people often witness a shadow
figure wandering the room. A creature is said to occupy the corner to the right of the coal room.
Strangers of the Bruce often report hearing growling coming from that area. For more information
on the property and how you can explore the home, visit www.BruceMansion.com.
10
Grimstone Inc.
Paranormal Investigators
Investigators
(313) 444-GRIM[4746]
Case load was heavy that year, but
despite that Grimstone was asked to
perform an investigation at the house
and in September one was conducted.
A team of six individuals was selected.
However, after that night, only five
remained with the group. The Bruce
had affected one of our newest
members too much and they decided
ghost hunting was not for them. During
the night, the lead investigator heard
footsteps up in the attic. The motion
detectors set up in this region would
randomly go off through the night.
Investigators would also get responses
on electromagnetic field detectors
when questions were vocalized out
loud. What was unique about this is
that it would occur on multiple meters
and it did not matter if the meters read
only AC or DC current. Both types
were affected. One member had their
hair brushed back.
One member, Pam (not her real name)
had much more. While walking up
to the attic, they had strands of their
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www.Grimstone-Inc.com
hair pulled out. Members could hear
it being tugged out as she would cry
out in pain. She left this area. The
investigation at this point was close
to being over and the equipment was
being torn down. Pam stayed in the
parlor breaking down the equipment
when once again she cried out in
pain. This time it was her back. She
showed the female investigators and
they could see three bleeding claw
marks too high and in the center of her
back for Pam to reach. Pam ended her
paranormal career then.
After the investigation, the home
owners offered us the ability to have
a fund raiser on their property. Since
they were not using it as their home
and most of the place was vacant,
they thought it might be a way to
generate a little income to help
restore the property. We agreed,
even though what happened to
Pam was fresh on our minds. The
opportunity for a fund raiser for
Grimstone Inc. is usually few and far
between and we had equipment that
needed to be upgraded.
For one night that October, Grimstone
Inc. conducted paranormal tours
of the property. Individuals had the
opportunity to see the home and
learn about various ghost hunting
equipment and techniques as they
went. What surprised one group
came into the large upstairs bedroom
and as they were being taught about
the multiplexer video surveillance, a
man in formal clothes with a top hat
suddenly appeared on the screen. He
was located in the nearby adjacent
room. The tour got disrupted as they
backtracked to that location only to
find the room empty. When the video
tape of the event was replayed, the
room showed to be empty, despite a
half dozen people all witnessing the
event the first time.
Three more years passed and while
Grimstone Inc. did not return to
the house during this time. Other
investigators did. One group, named
Beyond, visited the mansion and
recorded various EVPs throughout
the home. They also recorded an orb
traveling across the room, get caught
in some plastic in a garbage can, and
lit it up. The most unusual thing about
the video is that the camera tracked
the whole event even though it was
unmanned and a stationary camera.
The camera was later found knocked
over on its tripod.
In 2012 Grimstone Inc. was called
to the mansion once more on a dark
night in October. The home owner
explaining that there has been a lot
more recent activity. I was finishing up
a lecture nearby when they contacted
me and asked me to come. I explained
my current obligation and that it
would not end until late. They did
not care. They wanted me to stop by
afterwards that night. I did so. When I
got there, I was pulled into the parlor
and sat down at a large table. In an
excited voice, one of the home owners
started telling me all the things that
were occurring. I tried to keep them
all sorted and organized in my head.
Grimstone Inc. Field Investigators Lisa, Angela, Leah, and Jeff discuss EVPs and other evidence captured at the Bruce Mansion at the monthly meeting in
November 2012. For more information on the property and how you can explore the home, visit www.BruceMansion.com.
good, honest people, with
a beautiful piece of history.
I agreed.
Our West Chapter Director
said it best, “The Bruce
Mansion has all the
physical characteristics
for a haunted house - old
Victorian house with the
spooky tree outside and
the exquisite architecture
inside. However, unlike
most places, it has the
paranormal activity to
back it up producing class
A EVPs almost every
recording session.” The
place has a life of its own,
that wants to come out. We
hope as we start to offer a
few limited ghost hunts to
the property, it will continue
and flourish.
When we held our last
meeting at the Bruce, we
got the idea it might be
that way. Our members
worked diligently to get
ready to start tours,
understanding the floor
plans, considering items
we would need, thinking about
emergency exits and CPR training.
However, that evening had a surprise
for one of our members as well. His
first visit to the Bruce caught him
when he was vulnerable. “My first
experience with the Bruce mansion
was an interesting, if not slightly
embarrassing one. I went to use the
restroom and could not seem to keep
the door shut. I decided to hold the
door shut as I was in there. This is
when it got weird. As I had my hand
on the door I felt a firm push from the
outside of the door. Even with my
hand on the door it moved about an
inch and had enough force to make
the coat hanger on the door swing.
Naturally my first reaction was to
check with everyone else in the house
to see if they had done anything. No
one had been outside the door and no
one was in the house’s second floor
that could have made the door move,”
The Bruce Mansion maintains its original mahogany staircase. The
second floor of the home is said to be the most active with several
class A-EVPs recorded here and a variety of claims of people
witnessing several full-body apparitions, including one of an old
man in “old-style” clothing. For more information on the property
and how you can explore the home, visit www.BruceMansion.com.
It was difficult to keep up. Then she
pulled out a recorder and pressed
play. What I heard sent shivers down
my spine. I could clearly hear voices
joining in on conversations; the other
members being completely unaware
of them. The words were crystal
clear. She then pulled out pictures
of apparitions. A little girl could be
seen standing in a door frame. Not
one image, but two; one taken with
a digital camera; the other taken the
next day with a disposable 35mm.
What shocked me more was after the
long show and tell. They told me they
wanted to bring life into the Bruce.
They wanted people to be able to see
the home and have experiences as
well. They felt I could help them bring
people in and help generate some
funds to restore the home. I had not
seen these people in three years and
here they were saying I was the man
to help them. I was awestruck. I knew
these people from before. They were
12
Grimstone Inc.
Paranormal Investigators
Investigators
(313) 444-GRIM[4746]
stated Josh Spearow, Historical
Researcher. When the story was
recounted to the home owners, they
only chuckled and said that men
sometimes have that problem with
that bathroom.
The home owners concluded with
a few more charming stories of the
unique happenings in the home;
strange sounds, signs flipping from
closed to open, etc. The group
listened intently and packed up to
leave. During this time, the home
owners had me aside and mentioned
something else they saw in the house
and on the grounds. This was large,
very large, and black, and would
glide. The one time they saw it in
the yard, the neighbor passed away
shortly after. I listened.
Now we start a new adventure. Now
we can hopefully have more hands
to help unravel some of the mystery
of the Bruce Mansion. It should make
things easier to understand what is
occurring there. I would like to say
the Bruce Mansion is safe. I would
like to say it.
Grimstone Inc.
Gazette
Editor-in-Chief: Leah Zoochi
Copy Editor: Josh Spearow
Layout Editor: Kara Swanson
Contributing Writers: Chris
Bailey, Karen Green, Matt Tiza,
Sue Parling, Kara Swanson.
Photography: Chris Bailey,
Kara Swanson, Google Images
Contact Us:
(313 444-GRIM [4746]
[email protected]
www.Grimstone-Inc.com
Gazette Website:
Grimstone-Inc.com/Gazette
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www.Grimstone-Inc.com