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Page 2 of 7
On the evening of August 3rd, 2001: A member of P.R.O had met a recently employed staff member of the Guild Inn who shared the following with us:
"Paul" has been at the Inn for about a month and is usually one of the last to leave for the evening. I had told Paul a bit of the history of the Inn as well as some unexplained experiences that have happened to myself. Judging by his reaction that I was "open minded" and had experiences at the Inn, he proceeded to tell me something that had happened to him a few nights into his employment.
Paul was just returning the kitchen keys to the front desk after ending his nightly routine of cleaning, locking the refrigerators, and turning off the lights. The only people in the hotel at the time were himself and the front desk clerk, who was not at the desk when Paul was returning the keys. All of a sudden, he heard a crash and the distinct sound of a refrigerator door "opening up" in the kitchen. He had remembered locking the refrigerators with a 12 foot bar and padlock only a few minutes prior and the only set of keys were still in his hand. He put the keys down walked into the kitchen expecting to find the front desk clerk. He was surprised to find nobody there. As he rounded a corner he noticed that some lights had been turned on and one of the refrigerator doors was wide open. The crash he had heard was the metal bar now laying on the ground and the padlock was missing from the immediate vicinity. Paul went in search of the lock while trying to reason with the events that had just happened. After a few minutes, he found the lock on the other side of the kitchen. The lock was open so he walked over to replace the fallen bar and prepare to leave the building. While he was locking the bar for the second time, he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall in his direction. Paul was feeling a little relieved that he was no longer alone and called out to what he thought was the front desk clerk. Hoping to hear a reasonable explanation to what had happened, he turned to confront an apparition. Paul had told us that the ghost was not completely solid but he could distinctly make out a tall man wearing a black top hat. It then disappeared. Paul was in disbelief as to what he had seen and left the Inn immediately. Before we spoke with him, he had no intentions of mentioning his story to anyone for fear of ridicule, so he kept it to himself and placed it in the back of his mind. I imagine he was relieved to know he was not the only person who has had something unusual happen to them there.
This witness was later more fully questioned by two P.R.O investigators.
Update: Sept 16th 2001
Written by Sue Darroch
Steve and I entered the tunnel area in question. The lighting was extremely poor and furnished solely by our flashlight. This particular chamber was devoid of any furnishings etc..- completely empty.. My eyes had not fully adjusted, however I immediately pointed out to Steve that I believed there was something in the far corner. It appeared to be a dark, huddled, humanish mass for lack of a better description. I do not believe that Anita nor Dee had overheard this statement made by myself and I know that they were not privy to my thoughts on the appearance of what I was seeing at the time as I did not verbalize them. Shortly thereafter Anita and Dee entered this room and both immediately and almost in unison stated that there was an 'entity' in the corner that I had previously pointed out to Steve. I found this to be corroboration to what I was physically seeing with
my eyes as well as 'feeling'. My two fellow investigators of the paranormal (Dee & Anita) quickly began what I can only describe as an 'intervention' in order to 'rescue' this perceived soul. They used encouraging and loving words in order to have the said entity 'move on'. While Dee maintained her composure, Anita (in closer proximity to the 'entity') appeared to be physically and emotionally shaken by the unfolding experience. She was in fact crying. At the approximate halfway point of this event my eyes (more properly adjusted) were drawn to a point in the tunnel area directly behind my colleagues, L. Reid and K. Leigh. I saw what appeared to be movement (as if someone had entered the tunnel area) coming towards us. This apparent movement had stopped just short of L. Reid whose position was at the approximate 1/4 mark of the tunnel in relation to us. As my attention had become solely focused on this new event; I did not notice the apparent departure of the 'entity' in the far corner. However, upon completion of their joint 'intervention' I did notice that the 'dark huddled humanish mass' was no longer visible. Very interesting! I would also like to add at this time that I personally had never witnessed this type of interaction before. As for whatever it was that had stopped in the tunnel it was my 'feeling' at the time that whatever 'it' was, was still there as we exited the area.
Other notes of interest: I did not notice any 'cold spots' or other dramatic change in temperature/atmosphere during this event, the total duration of this event was approximately 5 -10 minutes, (my best guestimate as I was not wearing a watch), I did not notice any unusual smells nor hear any sounds associated, my own composure remained throughout and oddly I do not remember a sense of fear or anxiety take hold at any time, which could be interpreted as strange in and of itself considering the circumstances and despite the fact that I was in the company of 5 others. One's senses/emotions typically become more heightened during such an experience. This is only a natural human reaction to that which we do not fully understand.
At this time I will refrain from theorizing and opinionizing on this particular experience other than to say that I believe 'something' of a paranormal nature DID in fact occur, was witnessed to varying degrees by six people, and that this was not what could be classed as a 'residual haunting'. I state this based on my own research and investigation of this type of phenomena to date and my beliefs which are borne out of my own life's experience.
Written By Lisa Reid
As I have lived near the Guild Inn all of my life, I have always viewed it as a grand, exciting, mysterious place. The beautiful gardens, unique sculptures and interesting buildings make it a place with a great story.
As you enter the gates of the Guild Inn, everything seems so calm, quiet and beautiful. Upon entering the building, you realize that it is a place that has been around for quite some time and that it has been well enjoyed by many people over the years, however you would never expect what was/is lurking below the mail floor. I know I certainly didn't.
Having explored the tunnels below the Guild before with Krystal and friends, I knew what to expect in terms of the condition of the area. There are low ceilings, broken tiles, low pipes, a mildew smell, a feeling of stuffiness and a sense of abandonment.
As we began to explore the tunnels, Krystal took us to a room that does not make sense. As we opened the metal door, we filed in one by one, along a narrow hallway (if that is what I can call it) to an area that is maybe 12 feet by 12 feet at the most. The floor slopes in this space and there is a small section of the back wall that has been cut out and has an opening like a sewer at the top, that we think leads to the outside grounds. Its purpose is still unknown.
As we explored this small area, I heard Sue telling Steve that there is something in the corner of this area. I'm thinking it's a spider or a mouse. As I see her flash the light in the corner, Dee and Anita begin to sense a presence in this area. Anita went to the corner to be with the spirit and Dee started speaking to the spirit. She said that he was sitting in the corner, with his eyes covered, not looking into the light. As Dee kept speaking to him, I had the feeling that someone may be coming down the hallway - maybe the evening desk clerk?; highly unlikely, but possible. Then Sue mentions that she senses someone in the hall area. I thought to myself, I'm having the same feeling. That can't be! As Dee continues to urge the spirit to look at the light, to go to the light, she explains that he has passed on, to not be afraid, and tells Anita to say a few words. I can not see Anita's actions, but I know that she is with the spirit, consoling him. My thoughts are, "is this really happening?, Am I really experiencing this? What is really going on here?", Then Dee announces that he has left the room and that he is now in a safer place. This entire incident lasted about, maybe, 5 minutes at the most.
As we continued to explore the tunnels, Anita and Dee had more feelings in other rooms, of things that had taken place. As we discussed our experiences over coffee, I asked Dee and Anita how many times they had done their team work in helping a spirit move on. They said that this was the first time. This pretty much confirmed for me that something really did happen down there.
So, as it stands, the Guild Inn is a place with a lot of history, with so much more to be discovered! I can't wait to see what we discover next!
"Paul" has been at the Inn for about a month and is usually one of the last to leave for the evening. I had told Paul a bit of the history of the Inn as well as some unexplained experiences that have happened to myself. Judging by his reaction that I was "open minded" and had experiences at the Inn, he proceeded to tell me something that had happened to him a few nights into his employment.
Paul was just returning the kitchen keys to the front desk after ending his nightly routine of cleaning, locking the refrigerators, and turning off the lights. The only people in the hotel at the time were himself and the front desk clerk, who was not at the desk when Paul was returning the keys. All of a sudden, he heard a crash and the distinct sound of a refrigerator door "opening up" in the kitchen. He had remembered locking the refrigerators with a 12 foot bar and padlock only a few minutes prior and the only set of keys were still in his hand. He put the keys down walked into the kitchen expecting to find the front desk clerk. He was surprised to find nobody there. As he rounded a corner he noticed that some lights had been turned on and one of the refrigerator doors was wide open. The crash he had heard was the metal bar now laying on the ground and the padlock was missing from the immediate vicinity. Paul went in search of the lock while trying to reason with the events that had just happened. After a few minutes, he found the lock on the other side of the kitchen. The lock was open so he walked over to replace the fallen bar and prepare to leave the building. While he was locking the bar for the second time, he heard the sound of footsteps coming down the hall in his direction. Paul was feeling a little relieved that he was no longer alone and called out to what he thought was the front desk clerk. Hoping to hear a reasonable explanation to what had happened, he turned to confront an apparition. Paul had told us that the ghost was not completely solid but he could distinctly make out a tall man wearing a black top hat. It then disappeared. Paul was in disbelief as to what he had seen and left the Inn immediately. Before we spoke with him, he had no intentions of mentioning his story to anyone for fear of ridicule, so he kept it to himself and placed it in the back of his mind. I imagine he was relieved to know he was not the only person who has had something unusual happen to them there.
This witness was later more fully questioned by two P.R.O investigators.
Update: Sept 16th 2001
Written by Sue Darroch
Steve and I entered the tunnel area in question. The lighting was extremely poor and furnished solely by our flashlight. This particular chamber was devoid of any furnishings etc..- completely empty.. My eyes had not fully adjusted, however I immediately pointed out to Steve that I believed there was something in the far corner. It appeared to be a dark, huddled, humanish mass for lack of a better description. I do not believe that Anita nor Dee had overheard this statement made by myself and I know that they were not privy to my thoughts on the appearance of what I was seeing at the time as I did not verbalize them. Shortly thereafter Anita and Dee entered this room and both immediately and almost in unison stated that there was an 'entity' in the corner that I had previously pointed out to Steve. I found this to be corroboration to what I was physically seeing with
my eyes as well as 'feeling'. My two fellow investigators of the paranormal (Dee & Anita) quickly began what I can only describe as an 'intervention' in order to 'rescue' this perceived soul. They used encouraging and loving words in order to have the said entity 'move on'. While Dee maintained her composure, Anita (in closer proximity to the 'entity') appeared to be physically and emotionally shaken by the unfolding experience. She was in fact crying. At the approximate halfway point of this event my eyes (more properly adjusted) were drawn to a point in the tunnel area directly behind my colleagues, L. Reid and K. Leigh. I saw what appeared to be movement (as if someone had entered the tunnel area) coming towards us. This apparent movement had stopped just short of L. Reid whose position was at the approximate 1/4 mark of the tunnel in relation to us. As my attention had become solely focused on this new event; I did not notice the apparent departure of the 'entity' in the far corner. However, upon completion of their joint 'intervention' I did notice that the 'dark huddled humanish mass' was no longer visible. Very interesting! I would also like to add at this time that I personally had never witnessed this type of interaction before. As for whatever it was that had stopped in the tunnel it was my 'feeling' at the time that whatever 'it' was, was still there as we exited the area.
Other notes of interest: I did not notice any 'cold spots' or other dramatic change in temperature/atmosphere during this event, the total duration of this event was approximately 5 -10 minutes, (my best guestimate as I was not wearing a watch), I did not notice any unusual smells nor hear any sounds associated, my own composure remained throughout and oddly I do not remember a sense of fear or anxiety take hold at any time, which could be interpreted as strange in and of itself considering the circumstances and despite the fact that I was in the company of 5 others. One's senses/emotions typically become more heightened during such an experience. This is only a natural human reaction to that which we do not fully understand.
At this time I will refrain from theorizing and opinionizing on this particular experience other than to say that I believe 'something' of a paranormal nature DID in fact occur, was witnessed to varying degrees by six people, and that this was not what could be classed as a 'residual haunting'. I state this based on my own research and investigation of this type of phenomena to date and my beliefs which are borne out of my own life's experience.
Written By Lisa Reid
As I have lived near the Guild Inn all of my life, I have always viewed it as a grand, exciting, mysterious place. The beautiful gardens, unique sculptures and interesting buildings make it a place with a great story.
As you enter the gates of the Guild Inn, everything seems so calm, quiet and beautiful. Upon entering the building, you realize that it is a place that has been around for quite some time and that it has been well enjoyed by many people over the years, however you would never expect what was/is lurking below the mail floor. I know I certainly didn't.
Having explored the tunnels below the Guild before with Krystal and friends, I knew what to expect in terms of the condition of the area. There are low ceilings, broken tiles, low pipes, a mildew smell, a feeling of stuffiness and a sense of abandonment.
As we began to explore the tunnels, Krystal took us to a room that does not make sense. As we opened the metal door, we filed in one by one, along a narrow hallway (if that is what I can call it) to an area that is maybe 12 feet by 12 feet at the most. The floor slopes in this space and there is a small section of the back wall that has been cut out and has an opening like a sewer at the top, that we think leads to the outside grounds. Its purpose is still unknown.
As we explored this small area, I heard Sue telling Steve that there is something in the corner of this area. I'm thinking it's a spider or a mouse. As I see her flash the light in the corner, Dee and Anita begin to sense a presence in this area. Anita went to the corner to be with the spirit and Dee started speaking to the spirit. She said that he was sitting in the corner, with his eyes covered, not looking into the light. As Dee kept speaking to him, I had the feeling that someone may be coming down the hallway - maybe the evening desk clerk?; highly unlikely, but possible. Then Sue mentions that she senses someone in the hall area. I thought to myself, I'm having the same feeling. That can't be! As Dee continues to urge the spirit to look at the light, to go to the light, she explains that he has passed on, to not be afraid, and tells Anita to say a few words. I can not see Anita's actions, but I know that she is with the spirit, consoling him. My thoughts are, "is this really happening?, Am I really experiencing this? What is really going on here?", Then Dee announces that he has left the room and that he is now in a safer place. This entire incident lasted about, maybe, 5 minutes at the most.
As we continued to explore the tunnels, Anita and Dee had more feelings in other rooms, of things that had taken place. As we discussed our experiences over coffee, I asked Dee and Anita how many times they had done their team work in helping a spirit move on. They said that this was the first time. This pretty much confirmed for me that something really did happen down there.
So, as it stands, the Guild Inn is a place with a lot of history, with so much more to be discovered! I can't wait to see what we discover next!
