The Wandering Oddball Presents:Tales of Love, Lust, and Betrayal From All Over

Ahh…. Valentine's Day. It's just a few days around the corner, and I thought I would share some ghost stories to help lighten the mood. Yes, ghost stories. These stories have it all: romance, betrayal, and murder! You could use These lovely tales as icebreakers for your Valentine's date.

Disclaimer: The Wandering Oddball is not responsible for any changes in your love life (i.e., no second dates, ghosted, break-ups, divorces, or restraining orders). If you decide to tell these stories, how you tell them is entirely up to you. 

Together Forever in the walls of the Castillo de San Marcos- St. Augustine, Florida

We head back to St. Augustine, Florida, to the well-known tourist site, Castillo de San Marcos. Construction for the fort started in 1672 and finished in 1695. It was built using coquina, a rock mixed with shells of sea life. This was used to help absorb the blow from cannonballs fired at the fort. Many people were held prisoner in the fort, including pirates, Seminole Native Americans, Geronimo's Chiricahua band, and prisoners of war. Many sounds of gunfire can still sometimes be heard by fort visitors. 

There are many tales within the walls, as well as bones. There is a particular story that goes as follows: a woman named Senora Delores Mari, who was the wife of Colonel Garcia Mari, fell in love with Captain Manuel Abela, and the two had an affair. Her husband found out when he shook hands with the captain and smelled a familiar perfume. The next day, Dolores and her lover go missing. The husband claimed Dolores fell sick and was taken to a family member's house to recover, and Abela was sent to Cuba for work. Everyone believed his story. 

In 1833, a cannonball broke through the wall, and two skeletons that were chained to the wall were found. It turns out Garcia kidnapped his wife and her lover and buried them within the walls, alive to perish. While some reports say they were human skeleton bones, others say it was animal bones. It is said people have smelled the perfume, which they believe to be the lingering scent of Senora Delores. 

The Jilted Master of the House- Franklin Castle, Cleveland, OH

Let's revisit Franklin Castle and focus on one particular ghost story. Legend goes that Hannes Teidemann, the owner of Franklin Castle, was secretly having an affair with a servant girl named Rachel. One day, she announced she was getting married to another man. Enraged, Hannes strangled Rachel to death, particularly in the tower of the house on the fourth floor. It is said that her ghost is seen from the window, and the sounds of her screaming and choking can be heard in the walls of Franklin Castle. 

How accurate is this tale? It's safe to say it's primarily false, as there is no documentation of a servant named Rachel who ever worked at Franklin Castle. Hanne, for some particular reason, has usually been painted as a villain of ghost stories when, in fact, there is evidence that nothing nefarious happened, as I went into detail already in two previous articles on Franklin Castle. 

Double Crossed Hearts- Spring House Gazebo - Cincinnati, OH

Not all marriages end on a high note. Many unfortunately come to divorce. Most of the time, however, it is usually bittersweet, and people go their separate ways. Early do they end in murder. In Eden Park, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, a pavilion sits on a hill overlooking the fountain. While one would go there to get a peaceful view of the park, many do not realize a sinister event took place at that very spot many years ago. In 1925, a bootlegger in Cincinnati named George Remus was sentenced to two years for his prohibition crimes. During his stint in jail, his wife Imogene started an affair with a prohibition officer. They wanted to liquidate all of George's assets, tried to have him deported, and even attempted to kill him by hiring a hitman. 

No sooner than George was released, Imogene was in the process of filing for divorce. The divorce would not be finalized as George would not let her get away from the injustice she has done to him. On October 6, 1927, Imogene was driving to the courthouse to finalize the divorce. George rode in a car with a driver. He instructed the driver to run Imogene's car off the road near the Spring House Gazebo. After her car drove off, George got out of the car and shot his soon-to-be ex in the stomach, which ultimately ended up killing her. 

George was tried for the murder of Imogene. Not only was he brave enough to represent himself in court, but he also was able to get off free due to an insanity plea. He claimed that his wife's actions drove him mad, which was why he went against his better judgment and killed her. To this day, there is a rumor that Imogene's spirit is seen at the gazebo where she overlooks Mirror Lake. 

Happy Valentine's Day! BWAHAHAHA!