Here are some articles from July 27-28, 1884 that report on the haunting of cemeteries in Queens (the description of the neighborhood is interesting too).Following an elusive voice
A haunted woman
And according to this article, the haunting continues to this day!
Over in Machpelah Cemetery, Harry Houdini may still return on the anniversary of his death, but if he does this Halloween, no one will know about it. According to About.com, the cemetery is closed today.
Know any other Queens ghost stories?
12 comments:
Houdini, Erich Weiss, grew up in Appleton, Wisconsin. If you look directly above the Houdini grave, on the hill, you will see a mausoleum. The name on the mausoleum is Appleton. (Unfortunately not visible in the posted photo, but, trust me, it's there.)
Questions:
1) The Society of American Magicians usually had a "wand-breaking" ceremony each Halloween. Is this still performed at the grave?
2) What is the significance of the Weeping Woman figure at the gravesite?
That's funny, at first I thought you wrote "wind-breaking" ceremony and the first thought that came to my mind was "Thank goodness it's outdoors!"
Crapper, you are a card!
But seriously, the Society of American Magicians (S.A.M.) used to meet yearly at the grave to break into 2 pieces a magician's WAND in memory of the departed prestidigitator. This act is a venerable commemoration of a departed magician.
great post Crappy. The Elusive Voice was an entertaining read. Times sure have changed.
A longtime workman
at the RKO Keith's Flushing theater
once told me that the place is haunted.
I didn't, at first, believe him......
but he strongly kept on insisting
that it was true.
On several occasions (long after closing time)....
he said he heard sounds and a voice (or voices)
below the stage area....
originating from somewhere in the basement.
But when he went downstairs
to check out the source
(many times and on different days) ......
nobody could ever be found.
H-m-m-m......
hopefully the ghost (or ghosts)
jumped like a flea onto Tommy Huang
and will follow him
for the remainder of his earthly days.....
and maybe even long after.
A vaudeville spirit may tolerate a bad review
(or an occasional tossed tomato)
like a seasoned trooper .....
but not a villain who destroyed their house !
Happy Halloween.....Tommy & Sons.....
hope you sleep well !
Boo Hoo to egomaniac Tommy and his arrogant two sons. They will be coming to get youuuuuuuuuuuuuu soooooooooooooon.
There WAS an automobile (I believe)
double fatality that happened out in front
on the Keith's sidewalk in the 1950s.
The car just missed the box office!
That ought to keep any superstitious Chinese
from buying the theater.
Maybe the ghost drove out Boymelgreen.
You want to see something scary?
THOUSANDS OF MEXICANS, in family groups, form a frenzied mob on Broadway and Steinway running in from store to store in search of candy. For hours.
You cannot walk on the sidewalk or hardly get your car down the street. Absolute madness and totally uncalled for. A deteriorating community out of control where the public either smiles benignly over an expression of the gorgous mosaic, or, since no one said its a problem, being the somewhat uneducated nature of the community, just shrug their shoulders and look the other way.
Someone told me they mentioned the public safety issue with a number of civic leaders. The reaction ranged from denial (business leaders) to 'lets change the subject' (police).
Wonderful how the tweeded know they can do anything they want.
Oh yes, one older woman, a real Edith Bunker type, in classic Astoria style, did mention how much fun she had working a store giving out buckets of candy all evening long.
Nice for Crappie to get an image of this travesty.
The real "wind-breaking" ceremony happens each year at York College when Helen Marshall delivers her State of the Borough blast.
Holloween report from Astoria:
http://www.astorians.com/index.php?topic=8499.0
WE ARE THE TWEEDED!
GET OUT OF OUR WAY!
THE FUTURE (AND YOUR CITY) BELONG TO US!!
great, just can't wait until Hillary gets elected.
Astoria is going to hell. A poor place for a real estate investment.
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