Ghosts Busted?

    Where do the ghosts go when their haunted
house is gone?
     I asked myself that question as I took one
of my daily walks in West Pittston this past
week. But, for the whole story, we'll have to
back up a little and a lot!
     Regular readers may remember a Blog I
did last November just days after fire wrecked
a beautiful and classic home in West Pittston.
     Back in 1986 I attended a sort of "ghost
hunt" in the attic of that structure. But the
story started in another area home that
residents claimed was possessed! The family
making that claim was  the Smurls.
They believed their home was possessed by a
demon!
   Their story got all kinds of media attention.
But my family and I were on vacation at the time.
    The reports even attracted well known
"demonologists" Ed and Lorraine Warren
to town to conduct an investigation.
    It was another visitor that brought me
into the story.....and into the house where
my "ghost hunt" took place.
    The  "Amazing  Kreskin," a well known
Television "mentalist" had decided to
capitalize on the interest in the Smurls to
prove that things are not always as they
seem.
    He invited members of the media, me
included, to a seance in the attic of
another West Pittston home owned by
Mr and Mrs Joe Castellino.
    Kreskin had us look around that attic
room then sit down and hold hands round
a table and call on any "spirits" that might
be around.
    Some reporters back then knew a great
deal more about "spirits" than I. But not
the kind we were looking for!
     As we sat there quietly listening
for....well.....anything.......the table started
to move and shake! A few of us shook
a bit too! Guess that included me!
    We still don't know how it happened
except for the fact that it was a trick and
nothing supernatural. We think.
     I remembered that story as I stared
at the burned out ruins of that house and
attic in November.
     But this week a demolition crew moved
onto the scene and leveled the once stately
home. Even the pile of rubble has been
removed now and only my memories of
that day in the attic remain.
     I wonder what became of that table?
     Maybe it was saved and sold in a yard
sale? Hey, maybe the Smurls bought it!
     Hope your "spirits" remain high and
that all your NEWS is good!
         (November 2012)                                                
                                                                                  

   

This week in West Pittston