Episode 47: Caught on Tape
Is it hoax or haunt?
Episode Transcripts
It goes without saying that the field of paranormal research is one that’s filled with uncertainty. I mean let’s face it, as much as we believe in the other side, some ghost stories are just that, stories.
If you’ve been listening to this show for a while, then you’re probably well aware of my own skepticism when it comes to this field as a whole. Sure I’m a full believer in the paranormal, but I’ve had too many experiences for that did not be the case.
But at the same time, I’ve always felt that alleged paranormal activity should be analyzed from a logical perspective. If and when that fails to produce a viable explanation, well that’s when you have something pretty remarkable on your hands.
Pause
Now this is not to say that I don’t give other researchers and investigators or even myself the benefit of the doubt. I mean, when exploring the world’s most haunted locations you’re almost guaranteed to have some pretty bizarre experiences. And at least, in the case of intelligent hauntings, it can be pretty difficult to document that activity.
But therein lies the problem. It’s hard enough already to collect cold, hard evidence of the paranormal. Some investigators may claim to have that proof but refuse to share their findings. Others share their evidence only to be ridiculed for calling it proof. Either way, we're left to wonder what's fact and what's fiction.
It’s that very dichotomy that sits at the center of this week’s topic. Yes, that’s right, by the end of the episode, I will present to you some pretty outstanding evidence. And together we’ll try to decide if it’s hoax or haunt.
Pause
I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s one thing to tell a ghost story. But it’s a whole other thing entirely to share your evidence with the world. Because, as we’ll see in the case of the Barton mansion, proof of the paranormal isn’t always received without a hefty dose of skepticism.
I’m Courtney Hayes and you’re listening to haunts. Stay tuned…
Break for music
To understand the gravity of the evidence I’m about to share with you, I think we first need a bit of context. So let’s begin with a story that dates back approximately 200 years.
Pause
There was a sweltering heat on that day in June of 1823 when Benjamin Barton came into the world. Little Ben was born into a prominent colonial family based in South Carolina, and so, throughout his childhood, he enjoyed some of the finest things money could buy.
When he turned 19, Ben Barton set out in search of his own prosperity—eventually enrolling at the Transylvania College Medical School. Upon graduation, he began practicing medicine in Alabama. Then, later on in his career, he moved to Texas where he met Ms. Eliza Brite.
Pause
It wasn’t long before the two were married. With the concept of manifest destiny clear in their mind eventually, the couple decided to venture west—ultimately settling in El Monte, California circa 1854.
In the two years following this move, the Bartons welcomed John and Hiram into the family. They were the first of 5 children that Ben and Eliza would have together. And given the rapid of their young family, the Barton’s felt that their humble accommodations in El Monte were becoming a bit cramped.
So Ben Barton began the search for a family home—only this time in San Bernardino, California. You see, up until that point, this area of the state had been almost solely inhabited by members of the church of Latter-Day Saints. But in late November of 1857, the vast majority of this community relocated to Utah.
It was in the wake of this mass exodus, that the real estate prices throughout San Bernardino were dropping like flies. And so Ben Barton, ever the opportunist, picked up a whopping 640-acre plot for the modest price of $500 dollars.
Pause
Now it was on that very property that the Barton’s built an extravagant villa. The likes of which the entirety of the Redlands had never seen. But today, even in spite of its grandiose somewhat elitist reputation, the Barton Mansion is known for being somewhat darker.
And really it’s no wonder why. Because as it turns out, this building has a very peculiar history.
Break for music
Now it would be easy to say that the family’s time at the Barton Mansion was among the happiest of their lives. The expansive villa offered the Barton’s every comfort in the world. But of course, this haunt wouldn’t be the subject of today’s episode, if that were entirely the case.
Pause
The trouble began not long after Ben Barton purchased this undeveloped plot of land. He was making plans, of course—drawing up blueprints for the family home and scouting out locations to plant a somewhat superfluous vineyard. And all the while he had ignored the advice of his new neighbors.
You see, as he continued to develop the property, members of a local Native American tribe urged Barton to keep things as they were. Apparently, back in the days of their ancestors, this particular tract of land was used as a burial ground.
Now it’s worth mentioning that, at least from my own understanding, this local tribe didn’t particularly care that Ben Barton had assumed ownership of the property. However, they did feel a moral obligation to warn the Bartons of what was lying just six feet below the surface. Because disrupting those graves would almost certainly bring what they called an unholy pestilence onto the Barton family.
It was, of course, an admirable cause. But in the end, Ben Barton didn’t heed this warning—instead opting to continue with the construction. And allegedly, that decision came at a great personal cost.
Pause
According to local lore, Eliza had suffered a strange and unfortunate accident not long after the move to San Bernardino. It was a hot August afternoon when Eliza collapsed seemingly without cause. And even in spite of her otherwise good health, she ultimately succumbed to death.
Understandably, this tragedy weighed heavy on Ben Barton’s mind, and in the years that followed the widower became a bit of a recluse. Ultimately confining himself to the villa until he too passed.
Pause
Okay, I can’t lie to you. This is the story that I found throughout the majority of my sources—a young woman in the prime of her life dying unexpectedly just days after her family was supposedly cursed. Her husband, stricken by love’s keen sting, eventually withdrew into self-imposed isolation.
I know that’s quite the story. If it were true that is, although for the sake of transparency, I should mention that this narrative may be a bit blown out of proportion.
You see, throughout my research, I was able to track down the obituary of none other than Eliza Henry Brite Barton. Born on the 6th of July, 1827, her death in August of 1920 meant that Eliza lived to the ripe age of 93 years old.
Now this is not to say that her death wasn’t unexpected and tragic. But even by today’s standards, taking a fall at 93 isn’t exactly a good prognosis. And based on these findings at least, it sounds like Eliza spent years living at the Barton estate. Not days like many of my sources made it out to be.
In other words, it seems to me that Eliza spent her golden years living there in San Bernardino. And if the family was in fact cursed, well those effects must have been an incredibly slow burn.
But what about Ben Barton and his solitary confinement? Surely that part of the story is true, right? Well, I do keep in mind that record-keeping back then was somewhat more lax than it is today. But at least, according to his own obituary, Benjamin Barton died more than 20 years prior to his beloved wife.
Break in music
In the decades that followed the family’s stint living in San Bernardino, the Barton Mansion has served several different functions. You see, since those poorly documented beginnings, the building was renovated into a polio treatment center, then a sanitarium, and after that a nursing home.
Suffice it to say, that each of these phases imposed a grim new chapter on the property. And at least from where I’m standing, it seems that could be the very reason behind the building's alleged haunts. However, I should mention that local lore paints a somewhat different picture.
Now for the argument's sake, let’s assume that the story I told you in the previous segment is true. That Eliza Barton passed well before her husband and he had in fact resorted to a life of solitude within the grand estate.
Supposedly that narrative continues. Spinning the tale of an old widower who refused to be separated from his beloved wife by the icy hand of death.
So yeah, at least, according to this version of the story, Ben Barton couldn’t face the reality of Eliza’s passing. And as far as he was concerned, he didn’t have to—not when he was living through the height of spiritualism.
Pause
So the story goes, Benjamin Barton became an active member of the occult following Eliza’s passing. He curated a library filled with books on necromancy, spiritualism, and supposedly satanic rituals.
I know by now this is starting to sound like the beginnings of a Mary Shelley novel. But here’s where things get that much more macabre.
Apparently, Ben Barton took it upon himself to perform more than a few of these rituals inside the mansion. And being that he was a medical doctor himself he had a keen fascination with rituals involving human remains. Which was convenient as well as it was morbidly given that he was living atop a mass gravesite.
Pause
It’s an unsettling thought no doubt about it. But do keep in mind that this narrative is all hearsay, a local legend. A ghost story and likely nothing more.
So then why is it that paranormal investigators flock to this spot from far and wide? What could be the reason that paranormal researchers like myself believe this to be one of the most haunted locations in all of California?
Well, the answer to those questions is really quite simple. It all comes back to a single video that was captured inside Barton Mansion back in the fall of 2001.
Break for music
As of 2017, the Barton mansion has been acting as a fairly popular wedding venue. I know that’s somewhat hard to imagine, given its odd history. But hey, if anyone’s in the market, I’ll have the website linked in today's show notes.
Now it likely goes without saying that this revival had been pretty much inevitable. I mean the Redlands of California would be an enviable place to say your I do’s. And even if it does have a dark reputation, the Barton Mansion is a gorgeous piece of architecture.
That said, this facelift didn't exactly happen overnight. In fact, the Villa and surrounding property stood vacant for a number of years—instead acting as a playground for urban explorers and paranormal enthusiasts.
Pause
It was an otherwise ordinary night back in September 2001, when a group of four local teens made the trek out to the vacant Barton estate. Now this group of youngsters was not dissimilar from you or I. They had a love for the paranormal, and they of course knew the rumors being made about this property.
They were told that the old caretakers would often encounter shadow figures throughout the building. They had been warned that furniture tended to move on its own. And I’m sure they were prepared for the foul stench that supposedly emanates through the halls of this old villa.
I guess you could say that they were as prepared as they could be. Armed with digital recorders, EMF detectors, and an old-school camcorder in hand, they walked into the Barton mansion with all the confidence of seasoned professionals.
And to be honest, I think they help their own. I mean, I don’t know how I would’ve reacted if I had shared this experience.
You see from the moment they stepped inside, this group of teens had been using that old-school camcorder to document the exploration through the mansion. They probably didn’t expect to capture anything on tape and they surely weren’t expecting to see anything with their own eyes. So you can imagine the terror-induced chaos that ensued when they encountered something otherworldly up on the second floor.
Pause
Okay, I’m gonna do my best to describe this thing. Popping out from a closet in one of the upstairs bedrooms, this entity appears to be cloaked in a white shift. It’s inhumanly tall, with skin that’s ghostly pale. Oh, and there are gaping holes where its eyes and mouth should be.
I’m probably doing a poor job painting this picture for you, but no matter. As you have likely already surmised, this group of teens, along with their simple camcorder, captured the whole event on film.
So before we go any further, I think it would be best for you to head to the show notes and watch the video for yourself. Don’t worry, I’ll be here when you get back.
Music fades out
So by now, I bet that many of you are divided into two camps. Either you believe that this footage is incontrovertible proof of the paranormal or you feel that this haunt is an undeniable gimmick.
To be totally honest, I myself am divided on the matter. I mean, if this footage is truly bona fide evidence, then any skepticism that I have left for this field would be pretty much depleted. But that's a really big if.
In light of that, I think we should close out this episode by discussing both sides of the argument--ideally from an objective point of view. So if you will, let's put aside all of our preconceived notions and look at things with a clear and logical mind.
Pause
On the one hand, I think it's safe to say that this legend is more or less just a bit of local gossip. Sure, it's an incredibly chilling tale--one that has everything from romance to satanic rituals, paranormal activity, and beyond.
But by all accounts, this story is just that and nothing more. And if any truth is written into this narrative, I have no doubt that it's been blown out of proportion after centuries of retellings and revisions. So is it illogical to think that this video is more of the same? Well, I guess not. But that doesn't refute the other side of this argument.
Pause
On that note, I think it's worth noting that this video was filmed in the early 2000s. Technology was simply not as, let's say, easily manipulated as it is today. So at least according to one of my sources, it's highly unlikely that this entity was edited in after the fact.
Now, you could probably argue that any post-production editing wouldn't be necessary to fake footage such as this. All you'd really need is a friend who was willing to dress up in a creepy costume and wait for their queue.
I admit, that's more than a valid point. But let me ask you this: did you not hear their screams? Did you not feel the sheer panic in their voices as these teens ran in haste from the building? Didn't this reaction seem genuine to you?
Pause
In the end, I guess this entire argument is purely conjecture. We'll likely never know whether this haunting is real or fake. But you do have to admit, this video really makes you wonder, doesn't it?
Break for music
credits
https://frightfind.com/barton-mansion/
https://bartonmansion.net/about-the-property
https://aboutredlands.com/articles/redlands-hauntings
https://www.ranker.com/list/barton-mansion-haunting-facts/jacob-shelton
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8318935/ben-barton
https://rahs.org/awards/barton-villa/
http://mojavedesert.net/history/pioneer/osnt-12.html
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/21084932/eliza-henry-barton