The President's Vampire: Strange-But-True Tales of the United States of America (25 page)

43. Martin, 436.

44. Robert E. Gard and L.G. Sorden,
Wisconsin Lore
(Madison: Wisconsin House Ltd., 1962), 13.

45. Robert Burton,
Anatomy of Melancholy
(New York: Vintage, 1977), first partition, 200.

46. Normand L. Hoerr and Arthur Osol, eds.,
Blakiston’s Illustrated Pocket Medical Dictionary
(New York: McGraw Hill, 1952), 24.

47. Herman Melville,
Moby Dick
(Mahwah, NJ: Watermill Press, 1985),182.

48. African Americans With Albinism
<
http://www.albinism.org/publications/african-americans.html
>.

49. Newton, 24.

50. David Max Eichhorn,
Cain Son of the Serpent
(Chappaqua NY: Rossel Book, 1985), 99.

51. E-mail from Terence Chua to author, 15, November 2003.

52. “Thames Torso Boy Was Sacrificed,”
Guardian Unlimited The Observer
, 2, June 2002.
<
http://www.guardian.co.uk/crime/article/0,2763,726490,00.html
>.

53. William Hjorstberg,
Falling Angel
(New York: Harcourt Brace & Jovanovich, 1978), 155.

54. Roger Ebert, “Angel Heart,”
Chicago Sun Times
, 6 March 1987.

55. Dennis William Hauck,
Haunted Places
(New York: Penguin Books, 1996), 195.

56. Robert Anton Wilson,
Everything is Under Control
(New York: Harper Perennial, 1998), 292

57. Philip The Imaginary Ghost
. George Ritter Films Ltd. (?) Copyright 1974, Toronto Society for Psychical Research.

58. Iris M. Owen with Margaret Sparrow,
Conjuring Up Philip
(New York: Harper & Row, 1976), 15.

59. Philip the Imaginary Ghost
(film)

60. Guiley, 444.

61. Iris M. Owen, 32.

62. 
Philip the Imaginary Ghost
(film).

63. Charles Winick,
Dictionary of Anthropology
(Paterson, NJ: Littlefield, Adams & Company, 1964), 461.

64. Guiley, 616.

65. Alexandra David-Neel,
Magic and Mystery in Tibet
(New York: New York University Books, 1958), 292.

66. Ibid., 314.

67. Ibid., 315.

68. Ibid., 313.

69. Ibid., 315.

70. Ibid.

71. Carroll C. Calkins ed.,
Reader’s Digest: Mysteries of the Unexplained
(Pleasantville NY: The Reader’s Digest Association, 1982), 176.

72. Jon Krakauer, I
nto Thin Air
(New York: Villard, 1998), 252.

73. Dion Fortune,
Psychic Self-Defense
(York Beach ME: Samuel Weiser Inc, 1999), 53.

74. Ibid.

75. Matthew Bunson,
The Vampire Encyclopedia
(New York: Crown Trade Paperbacks, 1993), 254.

76. Fortune, 52.

77. James Thurber,
The Thurber Carnival
(New York: Harper & Row, 1931), 83.

78. David-Neel, 313.

79. Mick Holien “Florence Murders: officials release sketches,”
Headwater News of the Rockies
, 15 November 2001.
<
http://tinyurl.com/ydzrdzf
>.

APPENDIX I

Entries from the logbook of the bark Atlantic.

Wednesday, May 23rd 1866

Fine weather and breeze from S.E. cruising in different directions. Employed bundling bone. 4 P.M. squally furled light-sail. At sunset short sail. Head by the wind on port-tack. 6:30 P.M. James M. Foster while leaning against a cask by the fore swifter was stabbed and lived about five minutes afterwards. John Siars standing near him at the time, said that he saw James Brown 9the cook) do the deed. Put Jas. Brown in double-irons, in the forehold. After being put in irons, he (Jas. Brown) said that [crossed out] to Mr. McKennie (3rd officer) in my hearing, that it was him (the cook) who stabbed Foster. Did it with a sheath knife ground sharp with two edges. After stabbing him he threw the knife overboard. At daylight—the I. of Rodrigue—E.N.E.- 30 miles dist. Steered for it. Strong breeze and squally from S. 12 M. Sandy I. E. the reef 1 mile off.

Thursday, May 24th

Fine weath. and breeze from S. 2 P.M. ship abreast the town. Capt. Wing took a boat and went in. 4P.M. sent in two boats with the corpse. 7:30 boats came off. Steered W.N.W under short sail. M.P. fine weath. At daylight steered W. with fresh breeze from S.S.E.

Ends squally.

Lat. By Obs. 19.40 S.

(New Bedford Whaling Museum ODHS #797)

APPENDIX II

James Brown’s letters

James Brown’s hospital file contains several appeals to President Grover Cleveland in which he describes the murder as an act of self-defense. He also refutes a newspaper story that claimed the captain had been killed. These may be rough drafts or letters that were never sent and are not dated. The spelling and punctuation are copied from the original.

To your Excellency President Cleveland of the United States of America. I am compeled to appeal to you. On April 1866. I was arrested on the high Seas in the Indian Ocean in the Bark Atlantic from New Bedford State of Massachusetts. We were on a whaling cruise along one of those islands which had been once under the French Empire Roundridge [Rodriquez]I had been the cook of her under Captain Wing from Bedford and he was also one of the owner of the Atlantic. When a whale ship sails from Bedford they always take provisions for three years not exceeding four on these conditions the captain was very close with his provisions and the men generally applied to me for more food. But I could not supply their wants for the captain would not permit me. To your Excellency President Cleveland my reply to James Faster[sic] was that captain [word scratched out] Wing had told me that he had been down into the forecastle and he saw meat bread molasses and other things on the forecastle floor He also told me that he had ordered you to clean the forecastle after we left Trustteen [?] ground on our way to Cruiseseet [?] He found provisions wasted by you which could have supported you for two weeks. While we were on the ground of Cruiseseet you went to the captain and made another request for moore foods. He have told you that he would see. You know that I cannot do what I wish this Bark is his and I have to obey him what the steward gives me to cook for you you always get that and if you were not so ignorant you could see for yourselves that it is the captains doings and not mine In the first place the Bark is his and he came out to make money and not to lose. He has claims that you wasts his provisions and I should not give you so much for you do no eat it when he gives me commands to make an addition to you food, I will do so with pleasure. You all held me responsible for the captain’s deed I have been taught to obey my superior. To your Excellency President Cleveland. James Faster said to me. I will also make you obey me I then said to him it will be a very cold day. [scratched out] Thereunder he struck me with a belaying pin on the back of my head. I fell to the deck when I got up he struck me again. I saw the blood runing on my shirt I said to him what do you mean He then struck me third times I then stabbed him with my knife. I was then put in irons and the next day the captain had the carpenter made a coffin and the deceased was buried on the island of Roudriedge [Rodriguez?] for we were cruising along that island the Bark sailed close to it and the deceased was sent in the boat to the island to be buried When the boat returned Captain Wing made sail for the Mouritious [Mauritius] where the American consul was But he was not there at that time for he was in the United States and I was sent to

Bedford by the vice consul in another Bark belonging to the same owner when I arrived there they took me to the house of correction until the next day I was then taken to Boston to the United States court and from there to the jail. To your Excellency President Cleveland. when I was called on by the judge I requested him to postpone my trial until the Bark Atlantic returned from sea for these three witnesses were my [scratched out] enemies for they were not on deck when this occur. They had been sick all the time while they were on board of the Atlantic they could not work and the vice consul sent them on with me Two of them were Portuguese and they could not speak the English language. The Judge said to me he cannot postpone my trial because it is too much expense to the government and the Judge would not permit my lawyer to put any [scratched out] questions to these witnesses I gave my lawyer nine barrels of oil at that time oil was worth two Dollars and seventy five cents a gallons every one in the court saw that I was shamefully dealt most unjustly they all asked to have my sentence remitted from [scratched out] capital sentence to prison for life all desired this because the witnesses were Portugueses sailors and could not speak English therefore their testimony was not sufficient. Mr. Charles R. Train my lawyer is dead I have been told by Doctor W. W. Godding and also the Judge and the attorney general who had prosecuted me they are in their graves I cannot find them I have received a letter from captain Wing of whom you may inquire resides in Monagausett [possibly Mionagausett] Mass a letter directed to that place will reach him The statement which you have seen in the star June 25th 1885 when marshal Banks brought me from Massachusetts it was a misrepresentation. [Brown refers to this story in other letters] I request of you Your Excellency President Cleveland to give me my release I want to leave the United States

Your most respectfully James Brown 3th

From the United States of Spanish Columbian Confederation New Grennada

A letter written years later suggests that Brown’s mental state had deteriorated and may include his original name. Some of the words have been lost in reproduction and others are difficult to make out; the original seems to be written on some kind of wrapping paper.

November 20th 1892 Saint Elizabeth Insane Hospital Washington D.C. I Thomas Azzotte James Brown 5 [?] Henry Thomson James Brown 238 Adam Azzotte James Brown 3 James Brown 2348 He was born in Georgestown Dimmerarada [Demerara, Guyana] But I hailed from New Grannada [Grenada] I will be fifty four years old January coming 1893 I have ___ard Emma F. Cary. Relation and they are also ___ fancy men said that Doctor W. W. Godden send them a letter to Ohio Penitentiary he tell that [?] they must not have Thomas Azzotte

Letter from James Brown to Dr. W.W. Godding (National Archives and Records Administraton)

James Brown 5 taken before a boards of Propreates [?] Judge or if they will not send him here. But get men to forge those propreates Judges __ames and make out a false statement and send him here and I will keep him here and you [?] will have all the chances to put him out of the way and they have also said that Doctor W.W. Godden gree with them Eight mounthes before they brought me here and they said that they have [?] his hand Written which he had advised them to [?] do. Just has they had done to have me brought ____ now [?] gentlemen this is the points Do not take [?] him before a board of propreates judges, For if you do, They would not send him here to me Doctor W.W. Godden this statement show that I am not Crazey

(Case files of patients series 66, Record Group #418. Records of St. Elizabeths Hospital).