Beyond the South End

Maine’s “Real” Halloween Stories

 

It’s Halloween and it’s time to bring forth the scary stories. Maine sure has its own share of unsolved mysteries. They may not have happened on Halloween, but they sure make good campfire stories.

The king of fictional ghoulish mayhem is of course the great Stephen King. However, for real stories of real murders, we have to credit our own special librarian down in Bucksport, Emeric Spooner. He is our very own historical mystery writer. Even his name sounds like a mystery writer.

Some of the stories coming from Bucksport were mentioned in last year’s blogs: “The Witch of Bucksport” and “Other Weird Stories of Bucksport and Bucksport History” can be found in the July 2011 archives.

The Maine Supernatural site at:

http://home.myfairpoint.net/espooner/id57.html.

is the place to go to find out about Emeric and all of his books up to the present time. I will mention some of them here, but because of copyright issues I can’t bring you excerpts. I will give you an overview however and let you explore the site on your own if you wish. I did find it fascinating.

Bucksport has long been known, as Spooner says, as the supernatural or paranormal center of Maine’s most famous mysteries. He tells of other mysteries that come from Maine also. Here are some of the highlights of those books:

The Boston Strangler From Maine

In this book, Spooner suggests that the series of murders known as those of “The Boston Strangler” really began in Maine and spread to the Boston area. He includes a poem written by Albert DeSalvo, accused and convicted of being the “Boston Strangler.” It was written before he was murdered in prison.

Here is the story of the Strangler, yet untold,

The man who claims he murdered thirteen women,

Young and old.

The elusive Strangler, there he goes,

Where his wanderlust sends him, no one knows

He struck within the light of day,

Leaving not one clue astray.

Young and old, their lips are sealed,

Their secret of death never revealed.

Even though he is sick in mind,

He’s much too clever for the police to find.

To reveal his secret will bring him fame,

But burden his family with unwanted shame.

Today he sits in a prison cell,

Deep inside only a secret he can tell.

People everywhere are still in doubt,

Is the Strangler in prison or roaming about?

We’ll probably never know whether he was just telling tales or if he was being truthful. Maybe he never told us the whole story.

In Search of Melissa Thayer

This book investigates the “Trim Murders” which took place south of Bangor and north of Ellsworth on October 13, 1876 (Yes, it was a Friday.) Three members of a family died in mysterious fires. A paranormal vision of the tragedy by a witness before it happened is also included.

Return to Smuttynose Island and Other Maine Axe Murders

One of the stories included in this book is the “Purington Massacre” which happened in Augusta on July 11, 1806, before Maine was even a state. Captain James Purington murdered his wife, six children, and then himself.

Also in that book is the story of “The Thorndike Slayer,” or John True Gordon, of Thorndike, Maine. On June 19, 1873, he killed his brother and sister-in-law and their baby girl. At the Maine Supernatural site there are videos about some of these murders. This story was made into a song by Johnny Cash, called “Hung my Head,” which you can hear on the site. News Channel 7 has videos here that are also interesting.

At the same time as the Thorndike slayings, a man named Wagner killed two Norwegian women with an axe.

Both men were hung at the Thomaston State Prison on the same day, June 19, 1873.

In Search of Maine Urban Legends

This book includes a story called “The First American Serial Killer.” Spooner researches the historical origins of Maine’s urban legends.

Maine Gravestones & Flags Honoring Our Heroes

From the Maine Sun Journal, December 4, 2010, Spooner says:

“You may be asking yourself what a book on Veterans and the battles they fought bravely in and in some cases died for our freedom might have to do with a website focused on Maine Mysteries? One of the greatest mysteries I have ever come across is why are these men forgotten? Why are their stones abandoned, broken, or discarded? Why in all the attention I have tried to draw to this incredible loss, does it still continue to occur?
I think it is a cause worth fighting for. I believe they fought for our freedom, so someone should fight for their memory.”

Well said, Mr. Spooner.

Visit:

http://strangemane.blogspot.com for Halloween events in Maine.