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Witnesses recount strange lights
By The Helena IR - 10/28/04
Editor's note: Helena's always had moments of weirdness. The following story was taken from the March 23, 1881, edition of the Helena Daily Herald.
Ghostly Visitations!
Strange and Mysterious Lights in the Valley.
Does the Murdered Man's Spirit Visit its Old Stamping Ground?
Investigation to be Made by the Helena Scientific Club
For a long time past we have frequently heard that mysterious lights have been seen moving about, of their own accord apparently, over the farm and around the house and outbuildings of the late Charles Tacke, who was murdered last fall by Peter Pelkey who was hanged here in February for the crime. ...
For a while, no attention was given them, but so often have people who were passing the Tacke ranch in the night saw these lights and told about them on their arrival here, that night before last a party of our citizens, who have the organ of inquisitiveness developed to a litttle more than the ordinary, concluded to ride down to the ranch and witness for themselves the phenomena, if such there were. ...
One stolid German farmer, who lives close by, and who told us his story with all gravity, and whose word we would not think of doubting, for he believes all he says, is sure he saw these lights about the time the snow began to fall. They looked like the light thrown from a red glass lantern at first, but have been growing paler and lighter in color ever since. He has seen from one to four of an evening moving about the place, some going up as high as twenty feet and moving around in different directions, and sometimes, apparently, settling on the corners of the fence; the moving around the house, barns, corrals, etc., then finally sinking down and disappearing in an instant, leaving darkness behind. He couldn't think what it was made them do so. ...
Another farmer, who lives near, says he has seen the lights ever since the nights began to close in early last fall. ... We should believe this man fully if we did not know he takes a good deal too much stimulus sometimes to be a good judge of such wonderful sights as he describes, and think his imagination plays him tricks. Yet he is truthful and believes what he says.
The gentlemen of Helena who went down to satisfy their curiosity are all sober-minded, reliable men. They were a little belated on account of the bad roads, and had got off the direct track a little, and arrived there about 10 o'clock.
Two of them, who we happened to see first on their return, agreed that as they turned the corner and went into the road which led by the farm, and after riding awhile along the fence, all of a sudden they saw a large, bright light moving over the open field, somewhere from ten to forty feet above the ground; that it was apparently from four to six inches in diameter and from eighteen to twenty-four inches high, the body of the light being of an orange color, occasionally flashing off rays of a greenish or sometimes of a bluish tintage; that it moved up and down over the fields slowly, and gradually sank down and vanished. They also saw two other lights moving around which looked like a lamp light surrounded by a porcelain glove, the body of the light not being visible, but white, mild and distinct. ...
We have heard of no ratinal attempt to account for the singular lights seen. Some believe they are connected with the end of world, which Mother Shipton prophesied will take place this year.
Others say they are electric lights that have escaped from Edison's or Brush's laboratories, but they cannot see why they hang around one place so persistently. Others are sure they sent out from h—l by the murderer to find the place where the murdered man had buried his money. Not having seen them, we pretend to give no theory.
http://www.helenair.com/articles/2004/10/28/helena/a06102804_01.txt
Montana also boasts a House of Mystery!:
[...] you’re in for an even bigger treat as you head east along US-2. The town of Hungry Horse, a service center for the large reservoir to the southeast, proclaims itself "The Friendliest Dam Town in the Whole World," and boasts ever bigger roadside attractions, starting with the House of Mystery ("Montana’s Only Vortex"), on the north side of US-2 (Apr.–Oct. only, daily 9 am–dusk; ; 406/892-1210).
Located along the Flathead River at the mouth of Bad Rock Canyon (which Native Americans thought was haunted), this is among the more credible of these places where, to quote from the brochure, "the laws of physics are bent, if not broken altogether. . . where birds won’t fly and trees grow at odd angles. Could it be a bearing point for extraterrestrial visits centuries ago? . . . Nobody knows!" It’s as fun as these places get (which is to say, very, if you get into the "spirit" of the place), and well worth the minimal admission fee; there’s a good gift shop, too.
[...]
http://www.roadtripusa.com/us_2/montana.html