Strange, unexplained occurrences on Broad Mountain near Gordon, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, led to the belief that the place where a burned, unidentified body of a murdered woman was found in April, 1925, was haunted by a ghost, or “spook.” Hundreds were attracted to the scene. Was the place actually haunted? Or were the sounds that were heard made by a practical joker? How was it that autos unexplainedly stalled at the exact spot where woman’s body was found?
The story was covered locally by the Mount Carmel newspapers but the curious visitors to the site came from all over the state. The Lykens Standard reported the following in its Valley View News:
Quite a few of our young folks journeyed to Broad Mountain to see the ghost of the young woman whose charred body was found there sometime ago. As yet none were lucky enough to see this phantom, but quite a few did have difficulty with their machine.
After a few months, the story faded away. No ghost was found.
Here’s how it was reported.
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From the Mount Carmel Item, July 10, 1925:
ARE SPOOKS ON BROAD MOUNTAIN?
For some time past there have been rumors of a spooky apparition haunting the Broad Mountain, near where the burned body of a murdered woman was found April 4 [1925], and Wednesday, three Minersville men, who were picking berries in the vicinity were badly scared by hearing moans coming from the road right where the remains were lying. They thought at first that some one was hurt and went to the place but when they saw only the brush and the pine tree and still heard the wailing, they lost no time in getting back to the main road, and then climbing into their auto they drove away as fast as possible.
Several couples who were parked near the road, on which the woman was found, have been scared away and motorists who drove over the hill at night have reported as eerie feeling came over them while passing the spot. The trio that were scared Wednesday intend to pay another visit to the mountain some night after dark and find out if a ghost is hovering there or whether the mysterious sights and sounds are the product of some joker.
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From the Mount Carmel Daily News, July 10, 1925:
INVESTIGATE REPORT THAT SPOOKS ROAM NEAR CREST BROAD MOUNTAIN
Several Residents of That Section Report Eerie Happenings
Schuylkill County authorities are investigating the reports that a spooky apparition is visiting the spot where the charred remains of a young girl were found on the Broad Mountain several months ago, with the belief that some practical joker is responsible.
The reports of a spook at the point have been numerous for the past two weeks and on Wednesday three Minersville men reported that they had hears moans near the spot and believing that someone might be ill, went there only to find the spot unoccupied. They left the place immediately.
Several persons who have parked their automobiles along the road near the crest of the mountain report that they too have been scared away, with the result that an investigation is now being conducted.
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From the Mount Carmel Item, July 16, 1925:
WILD TALES OF SPOOKS ON MOUNTAIN
While a large percentage of people do not believe in spooks, ghosts or similar unearthly apparitions, this percentage is being rapidly reduced by the manifestations that are occurring nightly on the Broad Mountain in the neighborhood of the spot on which the burned remains of that still unidentified woman was found last spring.
Several Hechscherville men have refused to travel over this mountain because their cars stopped several times at this particular spot and were started after much difficulty, and after the occupants were scared by the sight of a huge cat that howled while sitting near the pine tree at the foot of which the body was lying.
Three Minersville men, hearing of the the stopping of the cars, decided to try the thing out and Monday night about 11:30, George Shellick, owner of the West End Garage and an excellent auto mechanic, Michael Purcell an employee at the garage, and John Boberick, of Jonestown, drove up the mountain in the former’s Oldsmobile car, and to their horror the machine refused to pass the old timber road. Purcell who is nursing a broken arm, ran back down the road, while Shellick and Boberick tried to get the machine going. They heard the wails of the cat and the latter was about to beat it, too, when the engine started off on its own account and they made a record run down to Hecksherville. Purcell was overtaken and was picked up by they drove into Minersville, where they described their experiences to the police and a crowd that had gathered. Several others have signified their intentions of visiting the scene, some night this week and their trip will be watched with interest by those interested in things psychological as well as others who believe in spooks, etc.
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From the Mount Carmel Item, July 20, 1925:
MANY GO TO SEE SPOOK ON BROAD MOUNTAIN
Saturday night found some more inquisitive people driving to the spot on Broad Mountain where the remains of the murdered girl burned after being murdered were found. The stories of the ghost and spook have made many inquisitive people and Christian Shappel and his two nephews of Pottsville went to see and after three or four other cars had moved away and unable to see anything, they started for their machine. The driver was unable to start the machine, then finally got it started but it moved only slowly. After about a half hour it was discovered that the gas was turned off. When they found the trouble, they fixed it, then started on their way, satisfied they would not bother that section again.
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From the Mount Carmel Item, July 22, 1925:
SPOOK DRIVEN FROM BROAD MOUNTAIN
“There is no spook on Broad Mountain,” the Item receives report from four local men who went to the scene of the Broad Mountain murder last night, an excellent night for spooks, but were unable to hear or see anything that would resemble a spook, although an unknown man did make his appearance from the woods, but became so scared that he disappeared so fast he could not be overtaken.
Spooks are supposed to prefer a wet, story night, one when the wind is particularly strong so that it can help the ghost make peculiar noises. Knowing this four members of the American legion, well armed, went to the scene of the murder in an automobile. As many as fifty cars have been stopped at the scene of the murder at night recently, as people wait to try and see a ghost, but last night the weather was so bad that no other car stopped, but the local car, although several passed the spot during the night.
The local men did not expect to see any spooks. They believed like many others that somebody was playing jokes to strike terror into hearts of timid people and went prepared to give the joker a warm reception if he appeared.
Then as he did appear. When the car stopped at the mysterious spot, somebody, apparently a man, got off a stump in the woods and started to walk slowly towards the car. The local men naturally suspected that this person was the joker and when they saw him approach, the local lads started to climb out of the machine to greet him, but when the unknown saw the men getting out of the machine he turned around and ran away into the bushes.
Now, why he would run away is more that the local men can fathom unless the stranger had something to hide or he was guilty of something. It is believed that he is the chap who was playing jokes on the mountain and scaring people and when he failed to scare these chaps and they went for him he lost his nerve and ran.
The soldiers gave chase, but did not know the woods as well as the other fellow and they were soon outdistanced, but sent shots after him. The ghosts will now probably stay off the Broad Mountain.
Car Stalled
After the youths returned from the chase after the unknown, they were unable to start their car. This is a usual trick with the cars of people who have gone to see the Ghost. But these boys are sure that water got into the machinery of their car and that is what prevented it from starting. When it dried out the car operated. While the car was drying the lads slept in the car. They got home late this morning.
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From the Mount Carmel Item, July 23, 1925:
STATE-WIDE ATTENTION BEING GIVEN “GHOST” ON BROAD MOUNTAIN
The alleged “spook” on the Broad Mountain near the spot where the body of a murdered girl was found some months ago has aroused the interest and attention of the entire state and is now coming before the eyes of the nation.
Spiritualists from New York and Boston are now said to be on their way here to investigate the mysterious cried which motorists claim to have heard near the spot of the horrible crime. Spiritualist from New York and Boston tried vainly in the early hours of this morning to get in comunication with the ghost of the young woman murdered on Broad Mountain several months ago. Three mediums tried to communicate with the “spirit” but announced they had no success because of the irreverence of bystanders and the inability of the mediums to prevent bystanders from taking while an effort was being made to receive the message which it is thought the murdered woman wishes to communicate.
Minersville officials have not yet decided whether the interference with automobiles as they pass the spot is due to natural phenomena, or is the result of a contrivance of jokers.
The solution of the entire scare is quite evident to any one who knows the Broad Mountain after dark. Hoot owls and catamounts are quite numerous on the mountain and these are undoubtedly the causes of the excitement.
The house cats can cry almost like human babies in their nocturnal jubilees in the back yards and the catamount (wild cat) has the domestic cat “skinned a mile” in the shrieking of weird cries.
Then there is the hoot owl which campers have often hears on the Broad Mountain. A stranger who does not recognize the cry of the animal experiences a blood curdling sensation the first time he listens to the screech of the hoot owl on a dark night. And the sensation is all the more vivid when that screech is uttered on a lonely mountain top hear a spot where the badly charred remains of a murdered woman was found.
The setting is perfect and all that was needed to arouse interest in the “spook” was the cry of the catamount and screech of the hoot owl. And now one motorist has told the story to the other and nightly there are close to a hundred automobiles parked on the crest of Broad Mountain searching for the “spook” which they will never find.
The situation is no longer that of a plain joke but the fact that almost every motorist who goes to the spot carries one or more guns make the place dangerous. Some evening a practical joker will clothe himself with a bed sheet and promptly upon his appearance he will be peppered with a barrage of bullets.
Some of the shots fired by the “spook seekers” will take effect and the joker may never live to remove his bed sheet. The nervous state of the persons who visit the scene is not of the best and a least little bit of disturbance will cause him to pull the trigger of his gun and fire away.
Motorists have claimed that their machines suddenly stopped when they reached the spot. Others have claimed that their lights blinked.
One motorist calmly explained the situation. His car had balked near the scene. Afterwards he found a suitable explanation of the fact. When he passed the spot he heard one of the “horrible” screeches, no doubt uttered by a humble and innocent owl, his engine kicked and the car almost came to a dead stop. Afterwards he recalled that when he hears the screech he had knicked the gear shift with his foot and naturally the car went out of gear. This one exploit is explained and we have no doubt but what all the mysterious happenings can be similarly explained.
As the Item stated last night three American Legion boys spent the entire night at the scene of the murder and the only thing they was was a man who when they approached him ran for all he was worth through the woods until they lost sight of him. It was evident one of the persons or perhaps the responsible person for at least some of the mysteries being staged at the scene of the murder.
We might add that many who go seeking the ghost are of the opinion that somebody is making the fun. Many of the sightseers usually take a nip or two to steady their nerves and have guns to shoot any suspicious joker.
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From the Mount Carmel Item, July 24, 1925:
ABOUT 2,000 ON MOUNTAIN TO SEE SPOOK LAST NIGHT
If interest in the supposed ghost on Broad Mountain continues, Butler Township will have to place traffic officers on the Flats to prevent accidents. Some system should also be devised by the authorities so that sightseers can tell definitely what are spooks, if any, and what are sightseers in the bush, or there are liable to be accidents.
An autoist who crossing Broad Mountain last night about eleven o’clock stopped at the “Country Store” Dondero’s and stated that at least 300 automobiles were parked along both sides of the road along the Flats on the mountain in the vicinity of the spot where the murdered girl was found several months ago.
The news of the spooks traveled far and wide and now people come from great distances to try and see the spirits. Both sides of the road, for a distance of what would be several squares the cars were jammed in last night so that it was difficult to drive over the mountain. It is estimated that 2,000 people must have been looking for a thrill last night.
Many had flash lights and were spooking about the woods trying to find the thrill, but as near as we are able to learn there was not even a weird sound last night. The catamounts, owls and other animals and creatures that might have been near enough to hoot or shriek were evidently scared away by the crowd while the ghost hunted a new place to flit as they do not like crowds, they say.
It has been generally taken for granted among people here that the murdered girl was killed far from here and brought to this section, then burned on the mountain. These things are again being discussed, but the mystery, itself, is not nearly so important with more people now as the supposed ghost, which hundreds are anxious to see.
Practically everybody who goes to the mountain, state that they know there are no ghosts, but they want to see what is to be seen. Many figure that jokers are at work, as the legion boys of town, proved, several nights ago.
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From the Mount Carmel Item, July 27, 1925:
LOCAL CAR STOPS ON THE BROAD MOUNTAIN
Broad Mountain, a spot that has been in the limelight ever since the burned body of an unidentified girl was found several months [ago], proved to be a veritable magnet to hundreds of motorists, throughout the region over the week-end.
One local motorist, who was ascending the northern side of the mountain, met an experience that has confronted scores of other motorists, who happened to visit the spot. His car came to a dead stop.
Before leaving Mount Carmel, the car had been filled with gasoline and everything seemed to be in proper working order but the car, like a balky mule, failed to budge.
Remembering the same experiences that befell other motorists, who passed over Broad Mountain, the local driver worked hurriedly to find the difficulty.
Fully three-quarters of an hour was spent in tinkering around the seeming disabled automobile. Then, a more detailed examination revealed that the gas line was blocked.
The line was cleared, the gas shot through, and the car sped away.
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From the Mount Carmel Daily News, July 31, 1925:
CATAMOUNTS AND SCREECH OWLS BLAMED FR SCARES –
Broad Mountain Is Still the Scene of Pilgrimages to “See and Hear the Ghost”
Catamounts and screech owls are now believed to be responsible for the weird sounds that are heard nightly on top of the Broad Mountain near the place where the charred remains of a young girl were found and which is visited nightly by the curious and superstitious.
Each night finds several hundreds of automobiles parked near the place, while the occupants try to get a “thrill.” Flashlights in the woods add to the aerie aspect of the place, as some of the bolder searchers look about in the underbrush trying to fathom the real cause of the cries. The screams are so shrill at times that there are still some who disbelieve animals and birds responsible.
Some of the best spiritualists in the country have visited the place in an effort to communicate with the “spirit” but claim that the levity of the large crowds assembled there distracts their attention and prevents good results.
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From the Lykens Standard, Valley View News, July 31, 1925:
Quite a few of our young folks journeyed to Broad Mountain to see the ghost of the young woman whose charred body was found there sometime ago. As yet none were lucky enough to see this phantom, but quite a few did have difficulty with their machine.
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From the Mount Carmel Item, August 3, 1925:
BROAD MOUNTAIN IS PEACEFUL
Only one automobile, a Ford coupe was parked at the summit of the Broad Mountain, a spot that has been basking in the limelight since the burned body of an unidentified girl was found there several months ago at nine o’clock last night, local motorists reported today.
No weird sounds that have been reported to have occurred lately at the top of the Broad Mountain were heard last night, according to reports. And as far as could be learned, no motor cars were stalled. It was a peaceful scene.
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From the Mount Carmel Item, August 10, 1975:
SPENT NIGHT ON BROAD MOUNTAIN IN GHOST HUNT
Andrew Statsko and George Moskowitz, of Freeland, who motored to Hershey Park to attend the outing of the Freeland Overall Company employees, spent the night on Broad Mountain upon the return trip looking for the ghost that is said to have been there. The men reported that they failed to see any traces of a ghost and branded current rumors as untrue.
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News articles from Newspapers.com.
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