CASE REVIEW – PRIVATE BUSINESS IN NORTHEASTERN WISCONSIN

      

Background

The business has been closed down for some time and is currently under renovation. The client purchased the building last year, and is working to get it ready for a business tenant. Residential tenants are currently renting the upstairs apartment.

 

History

The building was constructed in the 1890s, and began as a saloon. It was owned by J.M. Sr.and his wife, D.R. A local legend states that J.M. Sr. was shot by his son, J.M. Jr. in the doorway of the saloon in 1897. The story goes that J.M. Sr. was cheating on his wife, who was very ill at the time, and enraged J.M. Jr. by bringing his mistress to the bar.

While looking into the history of the family, it was found that the saloon was still owned by J.M. Sr. in 1901. D.R. passed away in 1922, and J.M. Sr. lived until 1923. They had eleven children, one of which was born in 1897 and named J.M. Jr.

How the legend and the family genealogy come together is something that requires more historical research.

In the 1930s, the bar was owned by J.M. Jr.’s son, Lawrence, and his wife, Pearl. During that time, the family lived in the backroom, ran a bar in the front, and a hotel upstairs.

 

Activity

·      The most notable paranormal event occurred in December, 2013. The client entered the building alone one evening to flip a breaker for the upstairs tenants. Upon entering the bar area, he saw a very large, dark shadow behind him. The shadow looked as big as someone wearing a size 5x trench coat. The client tried to call out, but could make no sound. The shadow seemed to go through him, pushing him into the wall and momentarily paralyzing him. He was still unable to call out. While this was happening, the client was aware of intense coldness around him. The shadow appeared to go past him and into the basement stairway landing. The client then felt as if he was released from the wall, and was then able to speak.

·    A black shadow person has been seen going from the doorway between the bar and backroom to the top of the basement stairs.

·    The back door has unlocked and opened on its own.

·    When the bar was in operation, workers often saw a black shadow person and heard pizza ovens going off when no one was there.

·    Chaotic noises have been heard coming from the basement, as if things are being thrown around.

 

Investigation

The investigation took place on February 1, 2014 from approximately 7:30pm until 1:00am. Investigators S. Blaschka, A. Blaschka, Beaudry, Duginski, and Spialek were present. Equipment used during the investigation included digital cameras, digital voice recorders, 4-camera DVR, Ghost Box Ovilus X, Geiger counter, laser grid, motion detectors, Tri Field Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) meter, infrared and full-spectrum cameras, a REM-pod, and an infrared thermal probe.

The client gave investigators a tour of the downstairs bar and kitchen, and the basement. After the tour, temperature readings were taken. The first floor had temperatures between 55 and 65 degrees F.  There were no anomalous temperature readings taken through the course of the investigation.

Electro-magnetic field readings were then taken throughout the first floor. Readings there ranged from 0 to 2 milligauss, except for near the cooler in the kitchen, where readings topped out at 15milligaus. No anomalous EMF or Geiger counter readings were taken through the course of the investigation.

A 4 camera DVR system was set up throughout the building, with one camera in the basement, one in the backroom facing the door that has been known to open on its own, and two in the bar room. Throughout the investigation, no anomalies were captured on these video cameras.

Investigators took pictures of the inside and outside of the building on digital, infrared and full-spectrum cameras. While taking pictures, investigator Spialek briefly saw a dark shadow move from the bar room down the left-side hallway into the kitchen area.

Investigators then set up two laser grids in the bar room facing both the hallway and door into the kitchen and the right side hallway into the backroom. The laser grids project dots of light, which allow for easy detection of movement. Motion detectors were also placed in the two doorways. Investigators then conducted an hour-long evp session in the bar room, while watching the laser grid for movement. During this time, Investigators S. Blaschka and Beaudry saw the light from the laser grid change in the doorway to the kitchen, as if someone were just on the other side of the door.

 

Evidence

Three pieces of evidence were caught during the investigation. One picture taken with a digital camera shows a long white light anomaly in the corner of the bar where a member of the Mallow family was allegedly shot where the doorway originally was located at the time.

 

   

          The band of white light comes from the upper left of the photo to the upper right.        

 

Another picture taken of the bar with a full-spectrum camera appears to show a very tall figure. The figure seems to be outside of the building, looking in the window. The WPRS is interested in possibly returning to the bar for further investigation, to see if the picture could be reproduced.

The shadow figure of a persons head, neck and shoulders can be seen in the lower left of the

right window pane.

 

An evp was also captured during the investigation. While investigators are talking about the legend of the shooting in the bar, Duginski asks if the shooter went to jail. A male voice responds with what is either a moan or the word “No.”

Click To Hear -----> Moan In Bar Area

 

Conclusion

Because of the evidence collected, the personal experiences of the investigators, the history of the property, and the long history of experiencing paranormal activity in the bar, and the credibility of the client, the WPRS believes it is likely that the business is haunted.

 

 

*Any use or reproduction of this documentation is prohibited without the sole permission of Anji Spialek and the WPRS.