The Bell Witch · The Thing That Spoke

In 1817 strange noises began in the Bell household in Tennessee: knocking on the walls, blankets pulled off at night, slaps from an invisible hand. Later the thing spoke, could quote scripture, could appear in two places at once, and said its name was Kate.

It troubled the Bell family for four years. By the record, Bell himself was slowly tormented to death by it, and it was still singing beside him as he died. This is one of the earliest records of a “talking spirit” in America.

The Bell farm today has a graveyard and the remains of the old place. Many teams of researchers have come through; their conclusions have never agreed.

Occult Chronicles / Adams · USA / 1817