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Have you encountered theBell Witch Spirit?Many people believe that the Bell Witch Spirit is still in Adams, Tennessee, in a cave that is located on what used to be the Bell family property. During the research and making of the film, we heard several fascinating stories of people's encounters with the "Spirit". While working on this project, we had a few of our own! This page is for people to share their experiences. So, share and enjoy! Do you have a story or encounter you would like to share? Then email it to us and we will post them on the website.
A few years ago, while conducting research for a script that would later become "The Bell Witch Haunting", I was walking near the opening of the cave on the Bell property with a fellow writer. We were walking right beside each other with no one else around. Everything was quiet, when suddenly we heard a woman angrily whisper over our shoulders, right in our ears, "What are you doing here!" We both quickly turned, no one was there! With the exception of long, hard shooting days, the filming of the movie went fairly smooth. We wrapped photography in February 2003, but due to commitments on other projects, we did not start editing the film until the end of April. After completing the editing of the last individual scene and preparing to put the scenes together; on June 10th, while no one was in the office, a fax machine which was on standby mysteriously caught on fire and burned our office. The machine was always left on (to receive faxes) and was the only thing on in the office. We had the machine for over two years and had never had any problems with it. The machine was on standby because we had not used it in a couple of days and it automatically went into power saver. The office was totally destroyed. Fortunately, we had back-up copies of the film and were able to continue editing, although delayed for a couple months. After the fire, I proceeded to edit at home, where we began to experience several odd things, including strange feelings, strong unexplained odors, a turned off cell phone ringing and unusual problems with the new editing equipment. We had to have the computer repaired three time in three months, causing extra work and delays. Evidently, the "Spirit" did not like what we are saying about her! While we were filming the movie, it was on the news that the Bell Witch Museum curator's house somehow caught on fire and she was found deceased at the front door, evidently trying to get out. A few months after our fire, the Red River Baptist Church portrayed in the movie mysteriously caught on fire. Three unexplained fires that we know of, in less than a year, someone has been busy! Ric White, writer & director of the movie "The Bell Witch Haunting"
A couple of years ago, a group of people (I was in that group) went to the Bell Witch cave in Adams, TN. After touring the cave, our group was talking right outside of the opening. I then decided to walk ahead to our car. Well, while I was walking alone, I suddenly heard a woman's voice coming from behind me say in a loud whisper "Linda! Linda!". As I looked around to see who from the group was playing a trick on me, there was no one to be seen. You see, it's an open field going from the cave to the parking lot of this property. Very unexplainable and very unnerving and made me feel numb with shock! Linda Thornton, producer of the movie "The Bell Witch Haunting"
Back in the 1980's, I went to the Bell property several times with various people. I was in an acoustic band that actually recorded a four-song EP about the Bell Witch (The Shakers, "Living In the Shadow of a Spirit", Carlyle Records 1988) and as many before and after me, had been pretty enthralled with the legend since childhood. Anyway, on one particular occasion I took a girlfriend who was visiting from out of town to see the cave on a Sunday morning. This was in 1986 when the Eden family still owned the property. No one was home when we arrived, but I had been there so often that we thought it would be alright to stroll on down to the cave entrance. It was a beautiful spring morning overlooking the Red River and since the cave was, of course, gated and locked we sat down and were chatting nearby, enjoying the view and the nice weather. As we sat chatting, we both froze in mid-conversation. After a moment or two, one of us said, "Do you hear what I hear?" We both could hear a woman's voice singing, far back in the dark recesses of the cave. The sound was so subtle and ethereal that we couldn't make out words or a melody, but we could hear the voice rise up high and then fall down to a lower register. It was an eerie sound that made us weak in the knees and it went on for a couple of minutes, I guess. Needless to say, we talked in a state of excitement about it all the way back to Nashville. We left without the Edens ever returning home (presumably from church). On another occasion I ended up having the lights turned off and the gate closed on me while I was still in the cave, but that's another odd story. In several visits to the cave, this was the only distinctly supernatural thing I ever experienced, but in talking with old Mr. Eden before he died, he told me some pretty hair-raising things that he had experienced in his 40-odd years of living on that property. Robert L. (Hendersonville, TN)
This is what happened to me in the Bell witch Cave...
Willie Windwalker
About three summers ago my son, his wife and another couple rented two canoes and were going down the river near the Bell Witch Cave. The waterfall near the cave was rushing down the mountainside and beautiful. The guys decided to bank their canoe and climb the side of the embankment to get to the top of the waterfall. At the time neither one of the guys knew they were in the vicinity of the Bell Witch Cave. When my son reached the top of the embankment he recognized the area for we had been to the caves before on a tour. He told his friend where they were and they walked over to the locked, heavily bared gate and stood there peering inside. As they turned to leave there was such a blood curdling scream come out of the cave that my son and his friend took off down the side of the mountain in a flash cutting their arms and legs on branches on the way down. These young men are both about 250 lbs and at the time about 26 years old, so they are not just kids with highly creative imaginations. I got a call about 10:00 that night and he was still upset about what he had heard. He told me the story and even though it had happened about 5 hours earlier he was still upset about it. I don’t know if there is anything recorded that might be set up in the cave to scare unwanted trespassers away or not, but if not, that had to be the scream of The Bell Witch…a demon from hell. Cheryl Bogle
I was just looking over your site, and I have a compelling tale to tell. We were going to Rock Castle in Hendersonville, TN to have an intervew with “The Bell Witch Haunting” movie director and producer. Around the same time we were heading to Rock Castle from Nashville, suddenly we started have problems with our Jeep and all of our gauges stopped working. Our original agenda included a two day tour of Adams, TN...to take pictures and speak with local historians...that, of course did not happen. Before we left Hendersonville, we stopped at a garage to have our Jeep looked at...while we were sitting there, Jenn (my wife) and I made a decision... Our decision was NOT to go to Adams, TN...
Jason McCurry (Haunted Lives Paranormal Society)
We bought the movie back in October. Excellent job!!!! However, since then we have noticed some rather unusual things happening that didn't happen before our purchase. We deliver the "Tennessean" paper every night. We get home fairly late. One night recently, we came home and in our bonus room the light, the fan, and the heater were all on. All of which should have been off. When we went to turn off the heater we saw that it was in the off position. A few weeks prior to this incident my husband experienced something in our bedroom. He was awakened by the feeling of someone standing at the end of our bed watching him. He could not move or talk. It didn't last very long but it seemed like it lasted for about 10 minutes.
Ricky and Melissa (White House, TN)
My name is Eddie, and I have lived in Cheatham Co., TN all my life, as well as, my dad and all of his family, they would tell me stories about the Bell Witch and I never believed them. When I was 9 or 10 my neighbor went to the Bell Witch cave and on the way there she was taking pictures. When she got there she was standing next to the cave opening and her friend took a picture and in that picture there was a cloud of smoke and the face of women could clearly be seen. And she took another picture next to a grave site and yet another cloud of smoke, but this time an outline of a cat or dog was seen. Each picture she took near or around the surrounding area had the smoke. All the pictures she took before she arrived on the property were clear and no blemishes in the pictures. So ever since then I have believed in the Bell Witch. My aunt use to live 10 min from there and she said many people had seen strange things. So I am a true believer. Eddie
In 1998, I decided that I would like to visit Adams one night. I had been reading and writing reports on the Bell Witch for many years. Well, I took three friends with me, we saw the sign and turned down the gravel road that leads to the home of the people that run hayrides and such. At this point, we were out of the car and a lady came out and said that it was closed. We all got back in the car and drove back down the road. After parking the car, we began to walk across a field. In the distance we could hear the infamous hounds. I was leading the group across the full moon lit field. I was compelled to stop in my tracks, the field before me (that mind you was lit up by the moon) turned pitch black right before me. I was the only one who saw this. I advised my friends that we could go no further and we left soon thereafter!!! Anonymous
One weekend, me and my family from Texas went to Adams, TN. We stopped by the old school to see what was there. My daughter and myself went into the ladies’ restroom. I heard a lady’s voice call my name, it was a soft whisper. Immediately, I turned and asked my daughter if she heard it and she said no. My sisters were walking toward the steps going upstairs, they both started saying they felt like someone was poking them. Carolyn
The Bell Witch may have left the Tennessee Bell’s alone after Elizabeth Powell died in 1890, but she (the witch) has remained at large in Mississippi. I have not heard if you have interviewed any of the residents near Long Branch Cemetery in Yaloboosha County, Mississippi, but you should. There is especially one residence you should visit. It is known as the Pritchett Place, just up the hill from Long Branch Cemetery. The witch has been seen (yes, seen!) at this residence and in the surrounding community since the 1940s (that I am personally aware of), and is still seen there today although the home has been abandoned, because of the witches presence! My grandmother (Beulah Crenshaw O’Bryant Hughes) and mother (Janie Katherine Hughes Turner Latham) lived there briefly one time. My Gram and my mother’s cousin both saw her (the witch). My mother was there, recalls it vividly, and still lives in the area. My great aunt Mattie Cora Hughes was married to Zadock Bell and lived at the Hughes Plantation, “Hatton”, just below Long Branch Cemetery. The large white plantation home, over 200 years old, is still there and has been restored to its original appearance. The sprawling 1700 acres of rolling green hills, pastures, meadows and ponds were acquired by my great, great grandfather during the Chickasaw Pact of the 1750s. Long Branch Cemetery is the Hughes’ family cemetery. Because of the close ties with the Bells, many Bells are also interred there, including Elizabeth “Betsy” Bell. J Hughes Turner
My son and I were at Belcourt theater today to see “The Bell Witch haunting” with Greenbrier Middle School. As I watched the movie, I remembered all the things my mother told me about her being in Adams growing up as a child, things that really happened. My mother, Betty Jackson Young, lived on a farm that was not far from the Bell’s place. This was somewhere along the time of the 1950's, I guess. She told me once of a man, who was plowing his field that joined the Bell’s property, his tractor turned over on level land and he was crushed. She told me of the disappearance of Mrs. Campbell in the 60's (I think) who was never found. We are friends with Mark Campbell (her son) he was only 17 when his mother came up missing. My mother can tell many strange things that happened back then. It is also thought to be, that Miss Seeley, who was killed in the fire was one of the last Bell family members. I remember talking to her not more than three months before she was killed, she always told stories of the Bell family that would make your skin crawl. The movie was great and I will buy it when it hits the shelves. Carolyn Young Howerton
Today, Aug 7th 2006 My son and I went to adams to visit the Bell Witch Cave. It started really nice, we are familair with the story, but we listened to what our guide had to say. A lot of facts were told that I didn't know. Before we went into the cave, I took a pic of the entrance to the cave, and continued on the tour. While in the cave, through out the whole tour, I was hearing a low grawling noise, deep and short. I could feel it in my chest at times. I also was taking pics, while in the cave. We were at the back chamber, when I decided to check the pics I had taken. The very first picture I pulled up was the entrance, and it has a awesome ORB in it. I showed my guide and snapped more pics, all the time hearing this grawling noise. It was an awesome experience. I always thought ORBS was a staged event, but I know now that they are 100% real. I would love to share my pic with you all. I am now a true believer. Christy G.
It was last year 2005 I live in Dallas at a duplex the rooms are up stairs and the living-room is down stairs. It was a day before Halloween I woke up to go to the bathroom and I never really turn on the lights to go to the bathroom because I know were everything is. I was on my way back to bed when I herd a whispering so I stop and I herd it again so I went down a few steps and the whispering got louder. I ran up stair to wake my husband and I ask did his uncle come to spend a night he said no why and I said then who is down stair because there is someone whispering. He also herd the whispering so we turn on the lights and went down stair there was nothing the whispering stop we check the closet and cabinets. The whispering started to come from up stairs so we ran up and check our room and nothing then we herd it in the kids room we open the door and it stop the kids were asleep. So we look around and nothing. Then I herd it out side the window but you can not see any thing because it so dark only a big tree. My husband went out side and it said there is nothing. We never found out what it was and we never herd it again since that day. Rosie Montes
My Son Stephen and His girlfriend Jennifer came to visit Me here in Tennessee where my oldest Son and I live, My Son Stephen and I are both intrigued by ghost story's so we tend to seek out places marked by history as haunted. As a treat to both of us we planned a trip to adams TN, destination the Bell witch cave, We drove for over two hours to get there and none of us were disappointed. Stephen and Jenn snapped pictures with digital cameras all through the cave during the tour, there was several pictures taken that had amazing and simply unexplainable footage such as orbs and the white smoke with images of faces, also there's a rock in the back side of the cave called the (Eagles Back) the pictures that were taken that night of the eagles back had the image of a face I will never forget I have seen that rock in other photos on the web and the face is clearly not present in them. As they say a picture is worth a thousand words Simply Amazing!! P.S. some people say the movie doesn't make sense.... I say Go to Adams ( We believe.) Awesome!! 2006 Rhonda, Stephen & Jennifer TN./FL.
I went to the bell witch cave on Halloween in 2000 with a group of friends. One of my friends did not believe in the bell witch. He was saying bad things about her as we were in the cave. I kept telling him he better stop. I had told everyone the story of if you take a rock from the cave something bad would happen. My friend took a rock and when were outside of the cave he put the rock in his mouth. I then took a picture of him. Later that week I got the pictures developed. I was in shock to what I saw. The picture of my friend had a face in it with the mouth open and a rock coming out of her mouth towards him. We have talked and showed the picture for years. I am so excited about the movie. Amber from Kentucky
I am a direct descendant of John Bell and I have heard the stories of the Bell Witch since I was a little girl. One encounter my family had was on a Sunday drive down to the Bell property. This was before the Cave and all was there. It was a bright, beautiful, sunny day. We all piled out of the car at the Bell cemetery to look at the gravestones there and we were walking among them. All of a sudden the sky got really dark and it looked like it was going to storm, big raindrops were dropping and the wind blew so cold and strong. We all got back in the car and drove away, as my dad was backing the car out of the cemetery area the sky cleared and was blue and the wind stopped. Needless to say, we got out of there at that time! Patricia Bell Tyler
I have only been to the Bell Witch Cemetery one time and have never been to the cave. The only thing that happened at the cemetery was that a black bird was sitting on a tombstone and could not be scared away. I also had an ex-brother-in-law who worked for years on filming a movie on the Bell Witch. He even traveled to Hollywood and other places to secure funding and support for this film. He was never able to complete this venture due to various strange occurrences. I have also heard that the library at Austin Peay University in Clarksville, TN cannot keep their copies of the Bell Witch book on their shelves because the books will disappear. I have now purchased my third copy of the Bell Witch book because the other two have disappeared. I am hoping that this book will remain with me. I also have a friend who had his picture made with some friends while on a hay ride at the Bell Witch cave. There is appears to be some figure behind them in the photo. I have not yet seen the Bell Witch Haunting movie, but hope to soon. Peggy, Spring Hill, TN
We are having haunting's similar to the Bell Witch. We have learned we are living on what use to be a cemetery grounds from the 1800's. there are two unmarked graves at our home site here. There have been numerous Paranormal activities here and non stop activity as well. The location has disabled me and my wife we are not able to move from here. Many families have moved from here due to the activity. Now there is a hotel in town that was built in 1833 . Employee's and Customers have seen a lady in a Victorian style dress in the upstairs of the hotel area. John Quinn of Mcdonough Georgia
When, I was 7 we moved in a home that was haunted by a old man that lived in the house before we moved in the house. Well my room was upstairs and, I was the only one up there before going to sleep there were noises like someone was walking around. Then when, I would come home from school there were all type of noises that would come from upstairs then it would start to walk down the stairs and back up. One day, I was upstairs and it was night time. I was in my bedroom, I looked out in the hall way their was a shadow on the wall then it walked off the wall into a room this happen all the time until we moved out. Grace Gray
Yes, I have a story of which I would like to share with you. Now, if this does not classify as a poltergeist or demonic spirit, then I do not know what else does. These experiences with whatever this entity seems to be, they have never truly ended, and from time to time I still notice it's presence. At times, I may be merely sitting at the computer, and I will see it's shadow go past. That happened only a few nights back. Where it all started was back in my late teens. As it happened, I was lying in bed late one night with a book. I had been having night-mares quite often around this time. I would dream of things like, I would see these ominous cloaked beings (black as pitch, as they say). And like, they would be trying to get after me. Often in these dreams, I would be at the center of their chanting, or some abandoned church etc. They would be doing this chanting (almost like harmonizing), and it always felt very sacrificial! In these dreams, I have seen them as many things, from cloaked to deformed looking beings (prelude). However, it was on this particular night that I had been lying in bed, I'd been doing some reading, and I felt this strangely oppressive type of feeling, as if something was really wrong. It was as if I had been intruded upon, and this feeling just seemed to come from out of no-one. I was just immediately aware ("hard to explain"). When I looked up, I saw this cloaked (black as pitch) being or entity. It did not speak, however I did receive a message from this being (it's often coined "telepathy"). So, I could only hear it in my mind, I could see it with my eyes. It said: "Come with me." I was paralyzed with fear, but not just fear. I will honestly tell you, I believe this entity had me paralyzed! When I did try to scream, I could not, when I tried to move I also could not. So, it was then (after the immobile effect left me), I decided to pinch myself, I thought I might be losing it! And, when I did, this entity was still there! I believe that this entity is an oppressive force upon our family, and that it is able to influence the actions of others around me. I once was told in a dream "to shut-up about it, that I knew to much." It was obvious to me that it was not appreciated. Also, at times, I notice that lights will flicker, things will move on their own accord. At times I notice, as do the animals, that there will be something (some entity) moving around the immediate vicinity. I often see them roaming around the house. They often appear as shadows, both cloaked and of a man. Anyway, I know it may sound kooky. However, I swear to you, it is the truth! Any and all other experiences, I now how made into a book (totally non-fiction). This book is now available at both Amazon.com, and Wastelandpress.net. It is called: Psychic Limbo (New releases section). There are also many great stories on this which may be found by going to the Shadowlands on the net. Melissa - Mobile, Al. 2006
Oh yeah, I have a story about the cave and what ever haunts that area. Around Oct. 28, 2000, my daughter Jessica of 14 at the time, her friend Melissa, my son Tyler who was 4 at the time, my friend Mark and I all decided we’d go to this scary place. Well, most of us have been on these haunted hayrides and scary places around this time of the year so that’s was what I thought this night was going to be. When we got there, you could feel a presence of something more than scary. There was a sense of more. There was a full moon and it was a cool brisk night. We went to the museum and then ventured toward the cave. We took pictures outside and the tour was ready to start. There was probably 15 to 20 people on the tour along with the guide. As we entered, the girls went on down to the end and as we caught up, I was a little farther behind the crowd and I was going to take a picture of the girls way down at the bottom. All of a sudden, some kind of super strength power just picked me up off my feet as I was snapping the picture and threw me down on the rock floor like I was a Raggedy-Ann. I was totally in a daze for what seemed like a few minutes and I heard a voice telling me to “Leave, get out of here!!. All the people around me were asking like “oh my, are you ok?” Some helped me up and as I stood I was like oh my, what in the hell just happened? Others were asking “what happened, what made you fall? I was like, “I don’t know but I was just standing there and there was no explanation for what happened. We went on with the tour and hayride but I had a weird feeling for the rest of the night and even for a while. I got the pictures developed like the next day and when I got to the picture of the girls that I took when the witch knocked me down and threatened me to leave, there is the strangest image to the right of me in the frame. It looks like a transparent, a ghost of a woman. I still have the picture. Every time I look at that picture or even think about that night, the hair stands up on my neck!! Well, that’s my encounter with the spirit in Adams, TN. Be careful, who really knows what’s up there. L.E.
Back in 1977 while stationed at Ft. Campbell Ky, a buddy and two girls and I decided to be big bad soldiers and head to Adams Tenn. to see the Bell Witch House and it's property. Upon arriving in Adams Tenn. it was 1 am on a early Sunday morning. We found the paved road that the Bell residence was on. We had to park our car just off of the paved road into a clearing ... There was this two track that headed up the hill to the house. As we began our walk into the darkness I decided to try and scare the three people with me by throwing small rocks into the woods that flanked us on both sides. In doing so, I accidently threw my car keys into the woods. With a small pen light, we looked for 45 minutes and finally found the keys. We decided to head to the house. Once arriving at the home which sat on a slight hill, with the almost full moon settling behind it, the four of us were hesitant to go further. After a few minutes of discussion we ended up on the front porch of the house. The doors and windows were no longer in their place and the house was totally decapitated. Old slatted wood siding moldy and mildew hung on the exterior walls, the entry door laying on a slant and off of its hinges. We went into the home and started looking around when the four of us were startled to death. All of us stopped in our tracks to listen to the noises we heard coming from up the stairs. No mistake in the sounds we heard, they were foot steps on the ceiling above us coming from up stairs. With these steps we also heard what sounded like doors or windows slamming. We did not stay in the house for very long. We made a bolt for it out the back door and once we all stopped running we decided to head down for the cave. approx. 50 feet from the cave, the night air turned frigid cold with noises coming from the woods. That was our cue to head back to the waiting car which was 70 yards from the house. As we ran down the two track towards the car, we could hear our hearts beat out of our chests. The four of us fought to get into the car. As I was driving backwards to get out of our parking spot, all of us heard what sounded like someone slapping on the side of our car. By this time, I had a clear shot to put the car into drive and floor it west to exit the area. Once getting down the road and into an area that had some sign of life and lights, we pulled over to use the bathroom. One of my friends noticed on the side of the car, a hand print in what looked like mud. The hand print was placed near the front left tire and it smeared all the way back to the rear tire. None of us seen anyone that could of done this but we all heard the slapping sound. To this day, I still tell the story of the Bell Witch. Once telling it to my children and their friends, the kids did not believe me. So I called the Adams Tenn police dept. and had an officer relate the story to the kids that were spending the night with my kids. I am not a believer in spirits and such, but something did happen at that house one August night in 1977. Larry Yaklin, now of Reese , Mich
Back in the late 70's or early 80's, when I was a young teenager, I had gotten a book about the Bell Witch from my local library. I grew up in Western Kentucky, Murray. I had read almost half of it after a few days and had put it away to do other teenage stuff for a couple of days. One night my dog had wanted to go outside and we always put him on a chain before we opened the door because he had the habit of running away, I put the chain on him and opened the door to let him out and he wouldn't go out, in fact he backed over me trying to get back in. I looked up and saw a white figure float past the door, she had on a flowing white gown that was blowing even though there was no wind, her face, hair and gown were the same white color and as she went by the door she turned and looked at me and said my name very slowly. I gasped and my father asked what was wrong and I told him and we went outside and of course didn't find anything, we had a fence around the backyard that the dog could get under but it would have been hard for a person to. About and hour later I was walking through the house and something caught my eye from out in the road in front of the house. It was a solid white cat and it was sitting in the middle of the street just staring at our house. I took the book back the library the next day. J. W |