Episode 54: The Haunting of Clara Robertson
Can children really see ghosts?
Episode Transcripts
It goes without saying, kids say and do the darnedest things. Even when it’s at the expense of their parents, they are often unapologetically quick-witted and happy to explore our world free from the bounds of adulthood norms.
Now I'm sure that many of us long for those days of childhood innocence. For a time when the problems of today lay ahead in some distant future. Back when we could still freak our parents out by the things we did and said.
Of course that, presents the question. To the parents out there, have your kids ever done anything that, well scares you?
No, not in an intentional or even a funny way; but in a sense that's truly chilling when it comes right down to it. Perhaps you catch them staring off in the distance, pointing out to something or someone that only they can see. Maybe you've overheard them engrossed in a full-blown conversation when no one else was around.
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Sound familiar? Well if it does, rest assured you're not alone. There’s a theory in parapsychology that claims that children have the keen ability to sense the other side—meaning that these eerie childhood quirks might just be paranormal activity.
Like I said, it’s chilling when you put it that way. Especially considering that evidence of this theory can be traced back over a century.
Sure, it might be a little hard to believe, but if we look hard enough, we may just find that the proof is out there. So if you’re feeling up to it, why don’t we set out in search of answers here by returning to the place we spent most of our time as kids?
I’m Courtney Hayes and you’re listening to haunts. Stay tuned…
Before we go any further, I think we need to take a moment to understand why. Why are kids so susceptible to paranormal activity, and for that matter, why are we so sure that they are?
Well as many of us know firsthand, when speaking in terms of paranormal research assumption and conjecture unfortunately just comes with the territory. I mean, the field itself is riddled with theories that are rarely backed by credible evidence, or even tested using the scientific method.
Now I’ll be honest, when it comes to children, ghosts, and their supposed connections, we’re in for more of the same. But still, there are two sides of the aisle here that present equally compelling arguments.
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Dr. Kim Peirano, for instance, sights that children have a greater sense of awareness than we do as adults. Meaning that they can perceive and accept external stimuli that you and I likely wouldn’t even entertain.
Simply put kids are not yet bound by the idea that something may or may not exist. So when they encounter something that may seem impossible to us as adults, they don’t try to explain it away with logic and reason. They just accept it for what it is and move on.
Now at least according to one of my sources, this innate ability that children possess may be an indication that they operate at a higher vibrational frequency. One that’s more in line with the spiritual realm. Then, as they get older, this enhanced consciousness per se begins to contract, along with their ability to interact with the great beyond.
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I know, this is all well and good from a New Age, spiritual point of view. But for my skeptics out there, let’s take a look at the psychology behind these claims.
According to Dr. Jacqueline Woolley, A professor of psychology at the University of Texas, it’s developmentally normal for children to see ghosts. Or at least what we would perceive to be ghosts.
You see, approximately 30% of children have an imaginary friend. You know someone they can talk to when no one else is around. A companion who only they can see.
Now, of course, from a scientific standpoint, these so-called make-believe playmates have been characterized as a figment of an overactive imagination. Something that we grow out of when we begin to fully engage with the material world.
And hey, that could be entirely the case.
But you have to admit, to see a child fully engrossed in an activity with a presence of which only they can see well it’s creepy. Regardless of whether the presence is imaginary or not. So, in the end, you can’t blame us for thinking that our children are talking to the dead.
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So then we’re left with this: which of these theories is actually true? Do kids really operate at a higher vibrational frequency, allowing them to pull back the veil and see straight through to the other side? Or could it be that it’s all play pretend?
Well, there’s really no surefire way to answer those questions. But what we can do is apply both sides of the argument to a series of strange events that occurred back in the 1870s at Brinkley College of Memphis, Tennessee.
Up until it was demolished in the early 1970s, Brinkley Female College was a prestigious institution. One that acted as both home and school for dozens of girls from across the southeast.
Back when it was still standing on 5th street, there in the heart of Memphis, the building wouldn’t have seemed like much beyond an ordinary boarding school. It was a place to learn, and for the most part, that was the experience for both students and staff.
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Of course, I wouldn’t be bringing it up now if that were true for every single student. And at least in 13-year-old Clara Robertsons’ experience, there was something stranger lurking through the halls of Brinkley College.
You see, when Clara was a student at Brinkley back in 1871, she began to encounter another school-aged girl whom only she could see. These encounters began in February of that year when Clara found herself alone on one of the top floors of the building.
At the time, Clara had been working away on her music lesson—diligently practicing the piano as a haunting melody echoed through the empty halls. That’s when she saw her. Right there in front of her eyes, the apparition of a young girl appeared before her.
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By Clara’s best estimate, this girl couldn’t have been more than 8 years old. And to put it bluntly, this specter was creepy.
Her eyes were sunken in and lifeless. She was wearing a tattered pink dress that was covered in this green slim-like mold. Oh and according to Clara at least, the child looked more like a skeleton than she did a little girl.
I know, the image that comes to mind is truly chilling. But what’s even more disturbing is that this girl was almost transparent. Clara could see right through her, and yet, there she was.
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Now for obvious reasons, Clara was frightened. So she ran from the music room and as she did, the spirit followed—only disappearing from view when Clara encountered another student.
After this initial encounter, Clara began to tell her teachers and friends about the experience. She was scared and rightfully so she was looking for comfort. So I hate to say that her teachers and classmates didn’t take Clara’s situation to heart.
In fact, many of her peers poked fun at her in the days following the incident. And for obvious reasons, her teachers felt that there must have been a logical explanation. I mean, even her own father was convinced that it had all been a prank orchestrated by Clara‘s classmates.
That said, these assumptions shifted somewhat when the ghost reappeared two days later. Because this time, Clara wasn’t the only one to be shaken by the encounter.
You see on this day in particular, Clara had once again, been up in the music room. She was accompanied by two friends and together the three of them were practicing piano.
It was then, almost as if on cue, that the same apparition appeared before Clara and her classmates. The spirit looked exactly as she remembered. Same moldy, tattered clothes, same lifeless eyes, same startling demeanor that sent all three girls running from the room.
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A similar occurrence happened a few days later. Only this time in front of Clara and one of her teachers.
On this occasion, Clara held a full-blown conversation with the spirit—evidently hearing her voice as clear as day. On the other hand, Clara’s teacher, Miss Boone, could only hear a low mumbling sound that she couldn’t quite make out.
Now that, of course, only makes sense. I mean, if children really are susceptible to paranormal activity, then Clara would have been way more open to an interaction with this ghostly child. Whereas Miss Boone, as a full-grown adult, would’ve likely been more terrified by Clara’s seemingly one-sided conversation.
After these first few encounters, Brinkley College was a buzz with rumors about a ghost that supposedly haunted the campus. And eventually, word of these claims made their way back to the school’s owners, Mr. and Mrs. Meredith.
Now not unlike Clara‘s father, the Merediths were under the distinct impression that this alleged paranormal activity had been nothing more than a prank. Only they took it a step further, launching a full-fledged investigation into the supposed haunt.
In the days following, they questioned nearly every student—hoping to get some answers as to who might be masquerading through the school as a ghost. Although these efforts only lead to questions and all the while poor Clara was still being haunted.
In fact, right around the time that Mr. and Mrs. Meredith began accusing their students of this strange activity, Clara once again encountered the spirit out in the schoolyard. And evidently, the ghost had some accusations to make of her own.
This time around, the girl introduced herself by the name Lizzie. And went on to tell Clara that the school belonged to her by "right, title, and deed."
Apparently, Lizzie‘s family had owned the school building during their lives. Oh, and today the Meredith’s had no legitimate claim to ownership. A fact, that caused Lizzie quite a bit of torment in her afterlife.
Scandalous, I know. And Clara, being pure of heart, couldn’t exactly sit and do nothing with this information. So she told her father before promptly refusing to return to the school.
It was at this point that Clara’s father felt like he needed to intervene. Sure, Mr. Robertson wasn’t convinced that his daughter was being haunted, but at the same time, her well-being had obviously been affected by whatever was going on.
So in typical spiritualist fashion, he organized a seance. He hired a local spirit medium, invited several neighbors to act as witnesses; and together they sat around a round cloth-covered table and watched as something spectacular happened.
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You see, at some point during the seance, Clara reacted in a rather peculiar way. It was like she was in a trace but her hand was moving rapidly. It almost seemed like she was trying to write something.
So they gave her a blank piece of parchment and something to write with. And before all was said and done, Clara had drawn what could really only be described as a treasure map. One that led to an old tree stump, with valuables buried beneath it.
So this map was obviously a bit hard to believe. But at this point, Mr. Robertson’s curiosity was winning out over his skepticism. So once again, he gathered a group of neighbors, and together the men set out in search of the treasure.
Now as a quick aside here, one of the things I love most about this specific era in history is the overall excitement surrounding claims of paranormal activity. In this case, for example, as word of Mr. Robertson’s ghostly treasure hunt spread through Memphis, a large crowd of spectators gathered outside of Brinkley College.
In fact, according to MJ Wayland, who wrote the book 50 Real American Ghost Stories, thousands of curious on-lookers were waiting outside the school when Mr. Robertson and the dig team arrived. Each of whom were hoping to catch a glimpse of Lizzie’s ghost or her treasure.
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So by now you guys a probably wondering, what exactly did this buried treasure hold? I mean it would have to be pretty good to get the entire town of Memphis up in a frenzy, right?
Well, at least according to Lizzie’s spirit, the valuables concealed below the tree stump included thousands in coins, jewelry, and diamonds as well as the title papers to the estate. Meaning that if the treasure was found, the contents would prove her claim that the Merediths didn’t own the property in the slightest.
Now it likely goes without saying that Mr. and Mrs. Meredith weren’t thrilled by the scrutiny that they had been under. But given the public interest that the case had garnered, there really wasn't anything they could do aside from waiting to see what was found.
So over the span of two days, the city of Memphis watched in awe as Robertson and his companions worked to excavate a massive tree stump that sat on the school grounds. I’m sure you can imagine the anticipation as spectators waited for the stump to be removed.
But once it was, they were disappointed to find nothing but the rubbled remains of an old building. It was all brick and no treasure.
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Meanwhile, back at the Robertson residence, Clara was once again startled by a visit from Lizzie’s spirit. I guess she too had been disappointed by the lack of evidence turned up at the dig site. So she had once again gone to Clara, demanding that she go back to the school and look for the treasure herself.
Now I won’t lie to you. The remainder of the story has a flare for the dramatics. So for the sake of brevity, I’ll try to keep things simple.
That said, Clara Robertson did, in fact, return to Brinkley College amidst the excitement. And as she began to dig through the rubble, she quickly discovered what it was they had all been searching for: A large glass jar covered with mold and decay containing what looked to be jewels, several bags of money, and a large yellow envelope.
So following this discovery, Clara actually fainted. Whether that was due to the excitement, or some sort of spiritual possession still remains to be seen, but in any event, it was Mr. Robertson, who pulled the jar from the rubble.
Obviously, it was a chaotic scene. But at some point during the mayhem Mr. Robertson was pulled aside by spirit medium Mary Nourse who had specific instructions from Lizzie not to open the jar for 60 days.
Now to be honest I’m not sure what the reasoning was for this. But the delay did give Clara the opportunity to recover from her fainting spell and allowed the city of Memphis to organize a public event of the jar’s grand opening.
For just $1 a pop, spectators could buy a ticket to watch as the jar was open for the first time. And for obvious reasons, those tickets sold out fast. So you can imagine the disappointment when it was announced a few days before the show that the jar had been stolen from the Robertson residence.
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It was an unfortunate and highly traumatic incident. So if you’re not particularly interested in learning about the graphic nature of these events, you may want to skip ahead a bit.
Because apparently, just days before the jar was meant to be opened, Mr. Robertson was attacked in his backyard by four men wielding a gun. Evidently, they were demanding to know where the jar was being kept, and after beating an answer out of Mr. Robertson, they stole the treasure and fled.
I know this is a devastating end to an otherwise incredible story. But even still, at least a few answers were brought to the surface alongside that mysterious jar.
You see, somewhere along the way, it was discovered that the school building itself was once the home of Winston J. Davie who just so happened to have a daughter named Lizzie. Upon further investigation, it seemed that Lizzie had actually died in the home back in 1861. Then in the days that followed she was buried in her favorite pink dress.
So even though we’ll probably never know what was concealed within the jar, it does sound like there was at least some legitimacy behind Clara’s claims. So in the end, this legend became a coveted piece of Tennessee lore.
In fact, after this whole ordeal finally came to a close, Clara Robertson went on to have a fairly successful career as a spirit medium. And from that point forward, this spirit was affectionately known by the name Pink Lizzie—thanks to the pink dress she is said to be wearing.
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So now that it’s all said and done, I guess that the loose ends of this story have been nicely tied into a bow. Well, that is aside from the overarching question: is this legend truly evidence of the paranormal, or could it be that it was all the result of a child’s overactive imagination?
Like I said, at the top of the episode, there’s no surefire way to answer this question. But while we’re on the topic, I’d like to read you a quote from MJ Wayland’s book that’s linked in my show notes:
Quote: “If this ghost story was just a figment of Clara‘s imagination, how did she know about the Davie family, and about the death of their daughter, Lizzie? More importantly, how did she know the family secret — that Lizzie was buried in her favorite pink dress?”
Credits
Sources
https://theeverymom.com/can-kids-see-ghosts-heres-what-real-moms-have-to-say/
https://www.parents.com/can-kids-see-ghosts-6823180
https://historic-memphis.com/memphis-historic/brinkley-female-college/brinkley-female-college.html
https://lylerussell.net/2022/09/28/tn-gl-episode-8-pink-lizzy-and-the-mystery-jar/
https://unearthedmemphis.com/2020/10/28/episode-seven-the-tale-of-pink-lizzie/amp/