Linda Mitchell interview of her sister and sister’s friends

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com. This interview is available upon request. In this interview, Linda Mitchell records her younger sister and two of her friends telling scary stories they learned from camp, friends, and family. At minute :16, her sister tells several scary stories about killers and the ghost of an old woman. She also tells a couple humorous stories about a mysterious noise and a ghost. Next at 12:53, one of the friends tells stories about boy scouts encountering an Indian ghost, a man who murdered his wives, and a girl killed at a campsite. The sister tells a story at minute 18:26 about a dead girl who moved her own grave. At minute 20:32, one of the friends recounts when a boy stole his dead uncles liver from his grave. They then tell variations of The Golden Arm stories. Next at minute 24:43 another firned tells stories about a killer witch, an old murderer, and three girls spending the night in a hermits house. The interview ends at minute 33:11 with one of the children recounting when the thing killed all but one member of a family. No biographical information has been determined. AHC Oral History Cataloging Worksheet File Information Catalogue number loOs.\/ Ie; Source Field* IContentDM) (\J-u :. . \00 l,\)t\<:CDI C Release form Yes fNo) ~-- Transcript (~~orNo scanned: From ( ;Y~~Jor No Default text: Contributed by an OR: Donated by individual: individual through <your org. name> Georgia Folklore Collection through <your org. name> Object Information Enter information about the Dhvsical obiect here: Title ~ , ( '<---<-- \ ~ ~~ c\, t l ( (interviewee name and date Y'-'\ ~''''' \SV\*l~t' of interview) ;::;\ , LS <; I "- 1G~'i}~ .. ~r'"{~ ({t(o I:, "i . f Description \v\~l-.A : lA,')).. II ~ .(',,:.". ",J ".(.'. Je:\s 't'f. 10 '!) C) If \ (bio on , \l(f""'~;" interviewee) I"il "f,,'1It{ 1'1 'l('("'i ';', I'~k\ (J ( t,"", '~,,,, I.., : 5 ,,,1, ( "J It 11'\ 1 Creator (Enter either an individual's Burrison Folklore Class name or an organization) Collection Name (within the Georgia Folklore Archives organization) Creation Date Exact Date (yyyy-mm-dd) \ q l~ t\. - ~ f,~ ~b (use only one) Year (if only the year is known) Circa (4 digit year) Year Span From To Object Type Image_ Text - Text and image_ Video and s<ynd _ Sound only_ Media Format Reel-reel (VHS, reel to reel, etc) Recording Hours: extent Minutes: ." to , l 'l~7" l ( '!:. - ~{?' tD Derivatives Access copy~~:9r No Access copy format: - C-D Recording c1ip( Yes9rNo Clip extent: "'R\'.l c ~ "'" - k> '( 'L ~ ( / I Gh\J 7--t S+"" I Cf:C>/ Time code for BeginningH I It) \ Enctl)) t<:J.=~_~ r VI clip (h:m:s) {.I/'',") 'C-i> Pf).'t;;t ( Notes HIl \; f-\ ;1.(1, \\ ,I( Ib .\(,w I S\il-I \ ( l',\ d"", h.-c,,, ) ,J (interview t" \'f' '". ~...,l summary) ~i\'\ "1).,,>\ I,'-I .\t.\I:, ,,5~ .:"k\( t~:" -J\" Ilc,..,) 'h\l\A 1,,(' I h",,( I, ( e-.)\\~ h,c,.", ) J\<\A 0--1 etl \~ e I( ",';,,1 l~\~),O ~;;\\fA{'~ ~Ol--~\,_ . (I fI \''{' \~\\'l"~ t>1 oJ,.- 2 Recording issues (backgrou nd 5<::l-'v' ,':I Cfft' ~", ./ f},u I)) Ir (), .. .. \'1'\""'.I\~,,~\' noise, echo, static, etc,) Subject Information Enter 'InformarIon about the content 0 f the ObJ'lect here: Subject Date Exact Date (yyyy-mm-dd) tQl,,0- () s - .? \~ (use only one) Year (if only the year is known) Circa (4 digit year) Year Span From To Subject Who Last Name First Name MI \'Y\ ~ 1- c. h~ II 'is""l' ~', E\/,+I ~ ~- \('I ~ 1S1A't/~ 4' .:::s ~ss;; til_. Subject Country State County Town Local Name Location ~'S,-A G-f: sr:v. I c/ 0" c ).. ~), l (",O-~' '. ~ !) ( n't- Subject What AHC Cataloger will complete this for you, (LOC subiect headinas onlv) Keywords Burrison, John Personal names See subject who for additional names Y~'l ~ ,,~,,'\ '<"-' I'{ ( \, ('/ ( K , \'.. 'I> \A ,I { Q f ,,~ , <,. C'" I q LAII"I 3 Corporate names Geographic locations Topics C9 h'G S1: st. 0 It)' (?<._~~ ,{() I d b"/ ~h; I df'~" OJ\(ii~ (\ fr f ~"", t' C ) ;~"I("bt(1 (~., 4 (lHO~;1' STCmH:~; OF' Cllll.lJfiEN by L:i nda Fitche11 for (John HUl'y'Json 1i'01k101'(" 301 1 :)[0 !1ay 26, 1969 Jr'abl(~ of Conten'\:'s "fntx'oducL:i.()n The Hook-a-byc KiJJor Thc!) N:i.vcna ,c; tory -N 0 t:i tIe ft Old L<Jdy and Old ,,;an fl'lw ~,'~llseurn ~'11an::lac in the Woodn Kim 1 ~utlo:r.~ rndian ~;tory IJluo bc,u'd Gump f:;tory H:i lllj. MttchelJ. GIrl Who Caught the Flu and Tli..,d ri,,' ButleT' cJolmn;y and thp. Liver Mimi \'Lttchell The nold.en AX'lIl Kim BuLler 'T'h(~ Golden Arill IJefJsie nu:Lle:c Green ji'Jngol'nalls :Mald ;J,nd the! Keys 1 9 10 11 12 13 13 III 16 rJ'he 'I'hree nixo:ts and the Hermit House 'rhe Thing in tho Basement Mot.if 8 D.n d 'ralf~ Type s Conclusion flj bJj og)'aphy 1'( 25 Ghont, Stories of Child:con Collecting ntories is a fasclnating, unique and. rcvfrll'ding experlenGe - elJpeG'i.ally \7hen the subjects ''lrC cld.ldPfm. Tn this pY'ojeGt the ehildY'en taped and tflUp"d aI''' tlrc"e I my nistc:r Minri lHtchelJ , ~Jesf3ie [mel 10.111 Butler 'who are sisters alno. Faeh of these children Inw her ()lfn individual rnalm of speelal ghastly ghost stories and, as is easily proven by the tape, loves to add the flavor of gore and blood to her own delight. Mimi attended a Girl Scou't camp-out this past April OV,,(' the weekend of the eleventh and twelfth. 'nth an effort to help her sister she asked for and brought baek Lhe tales r have recOl'ded from her. ,Tessie clutler is \1imi I s good friend and offered her Hssistance b.y t-Jelling "Lhree of her favol'lt,e ghost storieso Shn also heard her l s from ,'pend the night parties Hnd one from her sister Kim which in ttn'n was heard at an all night party. Kim Butler is fourt.een years old and was of great h"lp with h"r five sLories. The majority of her tales were told Lo hel' by friends around th" campfire and one was told to hel' by her brother who in turn heard it originaLly from the campfire tales that aI''' so popular wit,h the Poy and Girl ;icoutS. 'I'he reeording session was held a t. my house and worked very well ns the setting was cmnfortable for all. 'Jlhe sesslon VV;JS dlvided in'to t.wo parts: one on ,'ia.turday afternoon May tenth and the other on JJon page 2 day' afternoon Max twelfth. The following is the 'Produet of these f,essions: Mimi These are 80me of the ntori,N; J heard up at camp. Number one, "'rhe Rock-a-bye K1.11er". 1'vro girls heard that on the rad:!.o that they uh there uh was a rock-a-bye killer' on the loose. Wen the r'ook-a-bye killer well uh all he would do is uh out off the uh somebody's head then he'd .Just rook it like a 1H:e it's rookin' a baby. wen these two girls heard it on the radio J so they' were 'ceal scared of and ever'ything. and uh so one girl hid under tho sofa and the othor girl hid uncler the bed and the one under the uh bed vm11 the rock-a-by'e tiller came to the house and uh the Idller yon know uh k:!.J..lecl the girl undnr the bed and so the girl under the sofa uh well um nearby she heard som"thing that kept sayin I "Hock-a-bye, rook-a-bye" and so the gl1'l looked up Hnd the uh !locka-bye Ki11"r was rockin' in tho rocldn I ohair and uh wJ:Lh her friend 's heHd in his lap and uh ronkin' It like a little baby. number two, the "N:lvena". Well 131'" there was these foUl' girls. ~'v{() went to the movie on" night, on 'Lheir way to the movie two um went home and two wen'I', to the movies. 'rhe two that went to the movi"f' ontheil' Vlay they saw one of the gi.r1s that went home they saw that urn that that the um that their fr:tenrJ waf' down mn well tun that their friend was 'Li".d np on a tree and uh they tied and um her she VIas hangin' on a tree that page :3 a loop 11h with a lODP wa.s all arotmd her neck and U1I1 her tongue was hangin' out and she was dead. So th,m her U1I1 her friend saw her and so went to the police department and the police told hen' that to just 11m go on to home r:lghi, after and not to stop at anything after the movies to jnst go straight on home. no they vrnnt c:traight on home only nh only a instead of goin' straight on home like the police told her they stopped off at the malt place and one of her friends who 11h was a boy at that malt place we]]. nh she asks uh well he told her that she uh vlel1 he told the girls that 11m that '3omebody came Hl'otmd and "sked where the, gir>l who uh who was left at home, her address. flo um t.he girls said "Dh no, you didn't tell him did you?" and so tll!1 he said "No T'm sorry I didn't, 110 T'm sorry I did." And so um and so next they nh they went home and they fonnd their um friend who was just hangin' well they heav'd a noi.se and so um they ,just went in and they found out that um that the friend well she was in the kitchen on the frigerator she was just lyin' againn t it with heX' tongue hang:i.n I au'\:,o She I d been strangled& And then number thr"e um well thtl3 thin has no title or anything. \'1",,11 you 8(">(' ther" Vlcre these two girls doin' their homcwork at this apartment and they didn I t their mother vmc; down~ fltairs and fixin' ,;upper and everyl,hi.ng and so they um ty[() gh'ls heard "o"",thing goin' thump - i,hump - thump up thc stairs to thelr apartment. ;;0 they got sea.red and they said "If you don 't, stop tt, if you don I t. got away from that. door, T'll hi..t you." Sco they had a bat and they said "If you don't get away from tha t door, TIll hit you", Ilnd they kept sa;yin I t.hat and it kept goin I thump - thump - thump. ~;o fhlally the thumping stopped cmd something you knoVl was up on the "tail's. 00 th"y WCll'lt and so the'! opened the door real quick and so they went "Bam" and noUdng was then'e and they was sea:c'ed of thei,' cat who was just draggin I up their Hom IS chlcken leg. And th(m Linda nidn I t you tell me you knew a funny one'! li~im:t And t,hen there's um uh "Black Eyes". T mean IifWh:ite ]l:;y"es". You see thel'o was these um a momm,l, a dad, a sister and a broth~T' and a baby. Well one day the uh father went down to a basement to urn get his um 1'V his color 'I'll f,'om downst[\irs and he uh m,nt down to get it and he heard uh something "TIm blaek- white eyes". So he told mother on dewn and she lioard same thing, and the mother told the brother to go down and he) heard sarnO thi ng and then tho brothor told she sister to go down and he heard the same thin[', and then tho sister told the> baby to go down and she hoard "T 'm Whit" Ji:yes". So the baby said "You better shut up or else I I11 give you a hIaek eye" and them he kept sayin l "TIm Whi-te Ji:yes". And so "Pow" and them he said "1{ould y"l( believe }Uxed i".;r<:>rfl l' Thi-s story' s about an old lady and an old man who Iiv"d in this house. '>0 eVery night the old lady would go up t.o her room, she'd take the nible off of her 0 off of her dresser and she I cl sit down in her old rocking chair, tllen she I d open the) Bible and rnad it. And t.hem when it was tjme to go t.o bed when she felt tired, she I d pull down thn eovers and she I d um take page ;"; off her slippers and go to beel. And so one night 1,his lady died and then tho next nm no the next day urn about two or about the day right after bel' death well he wont up there to the room of his wHo. Wol1 he was real sad and everyth:Lng and so that night um ;1" Wfmt up !md \lm he saw the rocking ehair well he saw sbrnethini;' take the 'Jibl" off the table nnd something the ,'ockLng chair was rocking 1n there and the B1b1" was open like someone waf) opening and :r~eading. 'rhen about an hou:c past and he y,rent up again and the i:1iblt, closed, she used to read :"01' an hour and then an hour after the IHble e10sed ho uh then the Bible was put like oomebody put it on Ul(> drosser then the \lh covers just flew down the nm someht,ing didn 't make a noise you know sOilWth1ng putting 11ke s11pp"rs putting by the b"d and Ilnd tb"n therD was a big hump 1n thD bDd and on the pilloff and so the man thought ho was crazY. So th(~n trw noxt Iay he rememberod sl,e 11k"d to lun sit IInder a tree and read. :;0 uh on th" ehair h" went out and he flaw Homething you know with a book open and something read1n I, sem"thing i.n the ehair and somethihr, readin I and so he got real h:ysteriea1 and h" went to this mentally hospital. Linda ~low tell me your name. Pimi MImi l'Hche1L Llnda And how old you are. M1mi ~'en aDd a half. Li.nda And wh"re did you hear the stod.es'? 'kIm1 I heard I em at a eampf:lre over at eampf:t:re at eamp. We had a campfire and w" just dedd"d to tell alI ghost stories. I got paee 6 Linda Well tell me more. !'kimi I eat to think of some. Takes me a OK. I.inela"/hat's this one about? ~Hm1. 'rhls one' n about a musou.m~ 1-lhoRC two um thel'c were 't.11roo girls in this one. 'J'hey went to a museum'me night. Well soe there were these throe girls and um it was on a l"riday' and th"y just all of a sudden got this report and had it and had to have it done on 'londay. They had to eo to the museum for information anel it was FY'i.day the last day so the;v had to eo. Tt was about four 0' eloek or fivo a I "loek when they came home so they had to eat supper you know and do the rest of thcd.r homework. So they um vlent to the library and they um went to the museum aetually' it was a library. And then um all three of 'em you see two well all' tln'~,e of them went upstairs and two went downstairi' to find the information and the other went upstairs and so the girls went, upstairs ~llone and the other tvw t.he other ones w(-'mt together downstairs. So tIlL> two other ones see there was a w11d iflaniae j n the museum so tl"" maniac well uh saw well he saw these two gLcls so he took 'em and "hopped off both their loes on both of 'em and they pu- he put he h- he put 'em 1n a closet. When he put 'em in thc closet thcy wer'c stU} alive tryin' to get out and so the girl upstairs whon sh" camo downstairs she caueht sight of him and he said sh" "'dd she didn't know Un! that he vms (-<l maniae that. wan loosoft ,')0 urn nhe so um she said It l-la.ve ;you seen two girls?" and he said "No, 1 1m Borr.y." and :;,0 11m a knife was l>y lri.n pocket :i n his belt, and 80 she recogniz,ed it Hnd so uh she I.;w.id If'l'hank YOUo If .~)he fjiZt'd up and Hho found out by that knU'o that he was urn a killer on the loose. ~;o ahe wont upstairs and thor," was all those um statues tha.t looked like real people and so the g:1.rl VOl to the statue and so 8ho posed ;MJ one of them uh a ]j.'btle Bt.atue pose and so um the maniac went up to look for her and he took his knife off and left :Lt, on the tar)le and Yfrmt clnwnnLnJj"s to l.ook for her - rOJ' her aga:i.n. 'l'hen she took the knife, she posed as a diff(~rent ntatue and the watolYnan weoll ho \m) VTaS clwoking evorything upstair's and see fii'St he went down"tairs and then he Vlent upstairs and upstah's he found out t.hat she wasn I t that. she Viu::m I t a statue and so ,,),," told him the whole story about tho knife and eve:r,I'thing. So he so she ho took the knife and the maldao well he got slght of her again and there was this big 11k" square building and everything and so she had a knife and he had a gun. 00 she said "If you don I t stop 1t, T\11 stab you. Jl and kept sayin that alld so .111 of' a sudden so she ;just went she um stabbed him only in Ids ann prett;y eloBe to his h,iart and so they um quiekl:v' took him to a hOlJpital and UII\ the other two girls 'l.n the uh closet d:le d. shc~ was aliv"e and the! uh lll<lnLac h(~ got cured Hnd then he Uill went to H mental hospital. And then :r have another story about a maniac. Ano{;hel~ OlH')" Ylell nee there were 'these two girls who went on a date and they uh ran out of gasolcine and so UIIl the boy well they were ill lJJis wooded area. so the Ulll the boy told um told hex' to sta,Y i.n the oax' and don I t ever open the page B door to 8nybod,Y til he come 8 back and so urn the girl Ylell she heard something you know urn pounding on the window Bee saying "Please come out, let me :tn so I've goleta talk to you" you ImoYi and so f:tnally he uh so she <lOd f:i.nally he showed her hi s card he was a police deteetive he wants to t,.,ll her what happened. And so she got out and she and he said "Vlhatever ,yuu do, don't look baek and so !3lle looked back and she saw hEll' um her boyfriend no ski.n was on him at a]~ and a maniac with real, real long f:tnge: cna:Us a>out two or fOllY' inches long and it just scratched all th", skin off and drained the blood. ;,0 that's anothel' one. Kim OK. My name's Kim Butler and T'm fourteen years old and r heard thi s story from nw brothel' who in turh heard it at eamp. Well it starts out in an Tndian village and \JJJl this Tndian this certai31 Indian's b'dng banished from the tribe. Wen he's - the mecJ:i.cine wan docms him to be followed by wolves when he cUes and that he can only appear at n:tght when SOlneone lights a match and he can only disappear when some':lody uh puts out the fire. Well tbere was a troop of boys l,hey wcmt on a campout and they went up in t,h" hills and everything and ono of them heard a noise so he goes out. searching for whatever it was and j ..t,l s so da:ck hf~ can' t se(~ and so h0 lights a match a.nd nIl of a sudden t.hore 1:3 this Indian and a paok of' wolves standin' in front of him and \lh he drops the 'nateh real quick and lt goes out and the Tndian and nh the wolves and everything cHsappeal'. A.nd he has a he ;just si ts there seared to death, ho can't do anything. Well the boys back at c"mp start m:i.m:in' him and they send anothC1r one another boy out a.nd the same page 9 thing happens and they're JUGt standin' there eause their so sca-red. Well uh one of the ancestors uh another boy who was in U", camp had heard the tale of the lndian and said the only timCl he can a.ppear is when a match is lit - whcm a match is lit ~md uh when it is put nut he'll disappear and the only thing that can put. him back in his grave where he belongs is a certain thing that he's the only guy that knows about~ab~ knows it. And so he goes off and then thr"e or foul' boys go up there lookin' for the IncH an uh th"y get cold and light a fire and h" appears. 'fhis Indian appear's to them so uh one of them douses the fire real quick and he rJj sapqears. 'Hell the boys they find tbe other tvm and they all go back to the city- "xccpt for tb1s one who stays up there and he COlJles back a few days later and they uh they don't lmow what he did up there but the Tndi an and eyel'yUring is never heard of again. -Well this one is about uh rnaekbem'd, Tn",an SluClbeard a.nd he's been mard Cld 'ive times and they twver find out what happened to h1s Wives, they ,just kinda disappeared. Well he gets married a sixth time and brings his new bride into the uh hOUSCi thats got ahout eighty rooms in :l t you know and he; says "You can go :into any of the rooms exeep-I; the r'o- closet, downstairs" and she goes in all the rooms and everything and she goes to look in the elose I; and it's loeked. lind them she finds out 11e' s the only guy that I n got a key'. And so she at. night she goen up to his room and takes t,hc~ keys {lYH:l !3oeH dOVtrlfrLairf3 <,:lnd opens the u.h door of the eloset and inside she finds three bodles and three heads but page 10 Lhey're separated you know Liko 130mebody cut thntr h(~ads off d.nd ll.h sho she uh she ElCrfH:tms'.rmd everything a.nd there I s blood an over the floor that eame pourin , out whenever she opened the door and sh(~ dropped the keys tn it. And she wipes up all the blood before she closes the door lmL the blood wouldn't come off the keys. Well "he ju"t put i,hem back in his pocket 'lnyway and went on to hed. 'rhe next morning 11luebeard looked at his looked at his keys 'md uh found the blood on them and knew wh"r" she I d been. ~)o he \'a~nt upstaJl's flnd askp,d he):' v{here she'd been and she said she didu't know so uh (wait, can you stop a minute?) so uh he accused her of [(Din' down to the closet and she said no. :';0 that night when she went to bed he went and Jd11ed her but he didn't cut off her' head or an,jCLhing and he stuffed her in Lhe closet with all the five wives and everything and they were all k:Ll1ed. Well the that night she got she awoke fT'Om th" dead or whatever you call it and uh went upstairs and killed him. And in the morning the po1ic" came in and ev(,rythlng and found uh a]l the bodies in the closet and they all had their head chops- chopped off incluMng hers. 'Linda NoW you heard thi a one where'l Kim At uh camp ,just sittin' around t,~llin' 'mH. 1'he1'e was a group of girls out in the woods tell in ' uh ghost stories and one of' thOln had to me the 1)athroom so she v""nt and it was wax on the other aide of the lake. ,"0 uh she uh started vfalletn' a1ont: and she got to about mj,d-way and there vms a shack there and uh ahe hears somebody beatin' on a pipe and it's goin' clank-e1ank-e1ank 11ke page 11 that 'j.ou know an,l uh nobody she yells "Any"body 1n there?" and uh nobody answered and so she, ran down and they heard her scream. And everybody' came X'unrdn I and when they got 1n theX'e they found that she had been strangled and uh she had a scr- a uh wrench in her hand and :it vms attached to the eeHing and it's Just cJa nk-clank-clank against the side of the t:i n building. !Uml T heard this one at camp down at Calloway nardetlfl. Well this :is about a glrl who caught. the flu and dl!:'): do Well see there was this girl whd caught the flu and she um she wus very siGk and they they had no hope 1'61' her" ~)o she knew that she WHS gonna dle and no she said, she was only about ten, and GO urn she ::~aid when she Mes she wants to be buried right by hel' eat In a special eemetary. It's a real huge one. And so well she died one day and so her father and mother buried her enly they didn't bury her vfhere she wanted to be but inst",ad they buried her in the baekyard. And so the next "0 the n",xt that night th", night that sho the day that, she died so the Uill she eame from her grave in the garden and lip to her father's l'oem sayin' "Why didn't you bury me by" my cat?" kept sayin' that and so the father kept sayi.n' "Oh go away and hush up. T' m tl'yin' to sleep." And so the next morning the faUwl' VfCtl't out to the grave in l:ememberanee to remember his little ohild. fmd so um they saw that there was ;jud H big 01' plt in their yard, no dirt or anything ;just dil't l'ight on the side no ,just a h:Lg 01' pit then and um t.he tomb. f3tone was gon0 out waH gone and the flovrers Wf~:re gone. So they went to the place where she Vfll,ntflC] to be buried and so page 12 um flO there was th:Ls nm there was tombstone there ilnn 11('1' name on it" ;.1omeone and flower's wore on it. So they dug up th('~ grave and they opened the coffin, :Ll, Vias the same one, and the gi:rl \.Ims just i.n the:f'e smllin I Ki.m ~IO um thin one' a ealled ",Johnny and the J~iver" and LhC'l'e was this '.Jf" boy named Johnny and his fath- his family Vias real fond of liver and they were goin' to have it to eat that night. So his mot.her told him to go down t.o tho buteher and uh buy some liver and liver was pretty expcns:ive you know and h" wanted t.o buy sOlll"thing with the mo",",:y. And so he kept t.he money and just went nown to the hak"i:' shop 'and bought the papel' and got iX, e paper that you wrap it up in~ and went to his unele' G grave and dug it up. nug up the Irody and took the liver out and vn'apped ,it up and everything Vii th the string and the paper and evcmythlng like that and 'book :Lt home. And that night as they wer'e eatin' it, the father said "'I'his liver's good but it.' S D li:Ltlc bit bloody" and ,Johnny just about had a heart attaek. ,"0 uh that ni,ght ,Johnny hears uh footstepG 'in the hull and he hears somebody sayin' "T'm gonna gitc:ha for taldn 'my liver" "nd thcy come up the stairs one-twot. hree "J'm gonna gitc:ha for takin' my liver" and three more stairs "TIm gonna gitc:ha fm' takin' my liver" and rir,ht outside ,Johnny hears [iO\1l80ne sA.yin ' "T'm gonnn. gitcha f'rJl~ t,akin t my I1v8r H then Lhe door 0PCH18 Hnd t:.hon :i.t. clo~J(H) and he hears foot,steps comi.n' across sayin'uh "tJohnny, TIm gonna gitcha for -!Jakin' my liveru and uh then it's right boside his hed and it sayn "T'm gonna giteha 5'01' taJd.n' my liver" arid then he sees this hand comin' page 13 [,oward Idrn and t.hat.'s whom tho story enels. (Surprise type ending) fJimi J hOc,H'd thin one at campo ftJI n culled l1~_lhe Golden Ann!')" There >t~ was Lhi" old lady and old man who lived in thl H old house. \"011 the old la dy Yh,ll uh nlw na:l.d when she (Hod she' wanted to bo burJcd with hfJl' golden a:Cnl and it vras very Val1J.able. It. Vlat:; wor-Lh about a. mi]li.on dollar". And no uh ono night uh wo1J. she he buried her with h,'r golden arm and so he thought to himself one day IfVlh;y' nhould l' be afraid of that goldE~n arm'! ~nle YlOn I t come back and get me for :it. T'm gonna go dig up hm.' grave and T'll ')8 a ml11ionaire and I Vion1t }1<.1Ve to V10X'r"Y Hbou:L :tt~U 80 he only )nard.oel 1Ie1' for her golelen arm and [Joh,,) vlent up the:e! and hp) dug up the gravo and took the golden m:m [md ,you know that night 1'10 slept wi. Lh the golden ann and so she uh nhe came up and 'mid "Why did you t"ke my golden Brm? Oive it back." lind no hc wouldn't. He ,;aid "No, no." And so all of a sudden uh something Lho golclen arm moved ltke the f:tngel's wel'e movin' li.ke real [md thon IJomething ;just did "0 you lm()Vf jUIJt slOlvly ;jol'ked [winy and sOlllcrl:.hing ehok'd lrim. 'Them he died, but sh~ got! heH' Golden H:t'nl bank" T\im Th:rb l s t,he f:;nme vmy mine ts but uh thin is in,V version of :it that T hea:r'do There In Lhis uh this old V!OlHon 'Chis old Y10man and 11(~r son and nh sho had to have hoI' ann cut off YOIl knoV! and she I'/Hnted to aet kinda blg and evc;J'.vthing hfl.d it l'oplaced by :1 golden HI'tn. And uh well sho rii.ed and hel' 1J0n bocnme bn.nl<l'upt !lnd evcn'.ything you kncm !lnd he didn (t have an,I' mon",;\, !lnd all uh all at once hc thought "Well she wan bud.ed vrLU, her golden ar,n, 1'11 just go page Ilf dig :i:t up and eve:t',ycldng them' T'll be d.eh again." Well he went tha t night a.nd he dug :1.t up and everything you lmoVl and he was Bea:rod robbers lHJd t;(~'~'Tl him that he heard ,about. burglers gain 1 around t.he ~rIJvc)yards and everyt.hing, digg:i.n 1 up people Hnd get.:.. tin' all their L.I'easuces and everyUdng. And uh he put put the f.':olden ann uncler his pillow. 'fhat night he heard a voice sa;'! "Why did you take my golden arm?" and says "I'll lclll you for that," So lw uh feels someth1ng movin' nnd,~r his pilloVf and he 11:fts the pillow up and this golden arm co",es right out under him ~lnd S'bl"HYlgle s rdJll9 IJcr'lsie T hc~al'ld a story f:-com my sister about. "nr(~en F:i.ngernails" and T'd like to tell it to ;you and she she she sh gave it to me. She m;y name's Jessie Butler and she-she {;old it to me. Well thel'e there was these bvo Houses and t,his wo- this lady she had uh seven teenage girls and tjwre was a witeh that lived aeros s the street. She had a pair of green fingerna11s. And she "fon't over there and she asked the mother if she :if onf~ of her -te"nage daught"r:1 eould come over and help h,,1' elean up so she so one of her teenage cJaught~:cs, the oldest one, w,mt. over there and the vii teh sa.id "If you don't "at my green f1ngerna:l1s, J'll ifnI you." So she, she hid 'em undeI' th" pillow and the witch cnmo baek and said "Gl'een fingerna:l.ls, green flngernal1s \'fl){~re are you?" and the green fingernails ans~", wered "Under the pillow" and so the t.ha- the witch ki.lled her, ehopped of her heHd and uh then the she went baek over and asked if another girl eould come over cause it's gettin t page 15 harder. And so I>hn girl hid it in I>he drawer. 'rhe witch said flU you don I t eat I em TIll kin you" and the girl hid I em in the drawer. And so when whon the witch came home uh the v,-1.1;ch said "Gre,'!) f:l.ng"rnails, green fingernan.n wher" Dl'e you'I" "Tn the-" and the green fingcrna:\1s answered "In the di'awer, in the ct-,'awer. II So the witch cut off her head. And so the ..wxL to the olde,rL uh the next girl came. The witch went over and afiked if one of her another girl eould come over and the girl eame over and uh the witeh said "If you don I teat th~ se gre'm ring,~rnails, TIII kill you. II And so what she hid I em in the uh pictllr", picture frame and and so the uh vr:i.tch "\'umt out and when she came home she said ItGreen fingernai.ls, green fingerna'lls where are you'l" So and the, gr'O"!l fingernails answered "In the pietu.!'e frame, in the pieture frame." ~:o the no ShE. cut off her head. And .final1~v the witch went back over to the house and said ii' she could horrow another girl. And the and' ''0h0. lllother was gett-in I worri0.d and she aske d where her girls were and she said "Oh theylre over there down in the l'lHSernent. Yrorking. tI And so so she let nno'th en' girl Game and the uh'eirl the girl hid it in a bank and the so th0. uh so the, v,,'een fingernai.lfJ so t.ho witch said. IITf yoU don I teat- thes'" greon fingernails, I III k:i.11 you. II ,';0 she came home and she sui d "nreen fingerna 118, t~reen l.':ingerna:i.ls whore aX'('~ you'lll And nh so those'! grenn fingnl'n.ails answered "In the b.1nk, in t.he bank." fio the witch cut off her l)()ad Hnd them finally thE) last girl eal"e and the 11h wi- girl eame ovel' therE) and tho wi t.ch page 16 sai.d "If you don't oat these gl'eon fingernails, I'll ki.ll ;vou." :io the g:irl ate the green fingernails. And when the witch came home she she said "Green fingernails, gl'eon fingen'nails ..where are' you?" And the gx'"en fi.ngernails answered "In the! stomaeh, in the st.omaeh, in t.h" .stomach." And so the witeh nai.d "Go to work. U Llnda And what. doe s thHt mean'? ,Jessie Uh to t.ear ou'l; all of her 'insides and start Berat-ehin' lem up. Linrla And where did yon hear this one'l Linda And she heard it where'l ~JC'lnsie "r don1"L- probably :in school. Vfell uh this on8 1s 'Vnis one's pretty, it's OK but T heard it from some of my friends at luneh :i.n Cleveland. IJh 'l;his man he was real old and everything and every Friday night. 'Lhe kids would go out and play out, play games and everything and s= every night tlw man at least. killed two chi.ld- two ehildren. He I d eut I em up and so OYl0'1 day he wanted n maid and he gave the maid some keys to all the rooms allover 'l;he house but, he showed the maid one key t.hat to a 010[3et tha'l; the maid was mver to tell - open, T. r,wan. And 80 eve:ry day when the maid would elean up every room then she'd go by that uh room and he she'd hear she:' d th:i.nk of why the nwn wouldn't let hel' open it.. So one day "he wen'l; by i'l; and she "aid "l' m gorma open that doo I' and Bee wha.t EH'~Grfd:.13 in t.he:ceo If ~)o when 8ho opcnnd tt she a "thole bunch of heads fell ou'l;, arms a.nd eV"I'ything then- then 1'i8- a. body :['ell nu't and 'then a skele'ton fell ou't and then i't sear'cel her and she started screamin' "nd screamin' and she went back to the she vmnt to 'thi' police and 'tho poliee got bade and 'they found 'the man dead in there, the old man. U nda II.nd what was the other one'! J')ssle Uh about these 'three girls and I heard these from my' uh sp- uh sp- uh sleep out on m;y birthday. 'Cause we all get out there a't 12 d' clock and say uh say ghos't sLories. Well 'thls one's about uh 'these 'throe girls Llnda, Ann lInd Susan. And up on '!,h1n hill thore \'las a hennit house and 'they'd uh go up there one \'Then they'd spend the ni.gh~. 'Phoy \'Ten't uo thore and people would say that thore' d be men up there who' 0. kill and everything. So they wanted to go up there and see i.f 'there real'l y was, So they were goln ' up there and Susan had forgottem her something or nuther and wall gain I bade 'to 'tho house and uh so Linda and Ann wore gett,in I wor.ried about her. E1l\(1 never came baek 80 that they were gain I horne and they saw tlle'se two leegs s'tj ckin I ou't from a hush sO they pieked 'em up and the body wasn't there ,jus't 'GYm legs eut off and there they had Ann's shoes on J. mean Susan's shoes on I~me And BO they went up the trail a l:l.ttle longer and th~y found SOlne more uh arms not tl'm but one and soe :Lt had :itwan' s ring on and so they went up a little farthor and thny found thee head with j,t's nmJe off :rou know <md that with the body and theeri the,',' vmnt up a Little fartheer and they found 8nme bonos from from ,(;U8 an I s other arm and no they starteel l'unrd.n I. A.nd so they page 18 kept on runnin' and Y'l1nn:tn' t,hnn a1] of a sU.dden this man jumped out in front of 'em and squeezed both of their neeks and uh Linda f,~11 and uh Ann she her \)110- he broke uh her' neek but Linda she played like she VW.8 dead so the man took away took the uh uh took A,m took Linda down :in the basement and star'tNj eatin I hel' and everything and so so uh Linda so Ann got up and she vmnt to a went. to the police and the police came back and ciX'elf~d the house ;:md the uh man carCle out. and w::nt Imts and everything, "tar ted lei.1:1 in I ever,ybody and then they shot him Hnd then he star'ted di sappear'ing off the (ll'e1Jnd. j'l:lrn:i. Oh my f~('i.nnd Kay r,'1athis heard thif) one uh I don't knovf,v-he:rB my friend Kay' Mathis hear'd th:ts one, Well see ther'e vms this fam:i.ly and they had five or six poople i.n it with a mother, to> dad, a s1ster', .a bl"J'Lhel' and a baby And well one day the dad went down t. f~et somethIng Hnd he hellX'd somethin l say-in' \1h "I'm going to eat you, 1 1m going to eat you." And uh and so uh when the mothet' ca.me down to nee if he '\"lilS ready .f'o:r r:mp!Jer I eause he'd been down 'there for about a half an hoUl' and he hadn' 't come up so she went down there and she found him all stabbed and overy;" thing and a whole bunch of blood. was fullin(l like a puddle and uh then the mother' well when she ViaS looldn I at hIm to seo what happened there wasn't a knife or an:yth:tng by h,!m. Woll uh somothing saicl"Itm gonna :r,'ip you. n And fiO uh the uh let's see so when the mother was uh well 'the sist"" to Dome down and see what huopened to her"CtllWe she Vftts down there for an hour hwt,<'lad for a change and uh she and uh the sister found all these heapage 19 uh heads uh away hor mothers head in a oornor of the basemont and uh tv/a arms all under the washer and uh :tt Was just all ret pped off and overythlng and so uh when the sistor was staring at it what happened someth:ing said "I'm gonna st-, I'm gonna kill you" and so uh some So tho thing killed her and tho broth e1' vrent down to urn f:1.nd so uh cmwe hc was gonna go to a someplace wi,th h:is uh girlfriend and they ,'ound out that uh and so he just wcmt down there and uh and to f'ind the camera so they could take I.he pioture" and uh and uh oh yea and uh so the brother, so the brother hears Homet,h:lng say !tllm gonna strangle you" and so the brother wan strangled and tho baby went down ther" and the ba1W well uh he was lookin for someth:ing and so uh he found all these dead bodies and everyLhing and he was wondel~:i.ng what hauoenod uh h:ts mother and and thcH'e I s nobodyloft in '"he honse at all exeept for hIm (lnt the "hing and uh 80 he heaX'f3 says sornc'Llring HI I m gonna kill y'Oll" so uh and so he uh says that the uh Vle11 the ',aby just saId "Oh shut up." And uh so :it Bays "T'm gonna"eat you" and so tho baby said "Oh shut up" and so them Lhe thing said "1 ' m gOillla oat you, rip you and ldU ~\,ou" and so the baby elaJ.d "Oh shut IIp'' and so uh the baby vICmiJ (sucks in breath) and t.ht~ thing he :]u::rl::. BYlallowcd the thing o page 20 Hotifs and 1.'alc Types 'rhe Hock-a-bye Killor zSOO Horror stOY'ies - '1'h",so are told for the effect of hony,!'. ffhe emph9.rdG in on the grisly or strange l'r.rLhCl' than t.he EJupCl'na tur'ale The Nivena zSoo Hory'or stori",s - These are told for the effect of horror. 'I'ho emphasis is on the Grisly or strange r'lther than tho supernatural. sn3 Murder by strangling. story - No title. 1318B Dropping dough thousht to be Shost. Sweden 15. Vlhite ~Y8S Not able to find any motif or tale t;ype. Old Lady and Old Man E33 '7.1 [~ounds of re=f~naeted act.ions. ,;568.1 Hevenant leave's lmpresni.on of bod;y in bed. Dl601. 28 Solf' rocking chair. z500 Horror stories - 'fhese are r,old for tho effect of horror. The emphasis is on the grisly or strango rathor than the supernatural. Haniac :I.n the Woods z500 Hon'or stodes - The sc arc t,ld for the effect of horror. 'I'he emphasis is on the gr:lsly or strange rather than the sup('~rnat U1:' al 0 page:: ?l '[ncH.an story w/65 .1.3 Lifo lights in lower world. Each Light mystl call:V connected with life of person. Vlhen light is ,"xtinguished, person din s. Ji:h22.l.u.5.1 Inoradieable bloodstain af.ter bloody tragedy. Camp r)tor:;v' z500 lIo1'f'01' stories - 'l'11oso aYe told for the effeet of hom'or. 'rhe emphasis is on the grisly or strange rather than the superna '0ural. (UrI Who Caught the Flu and nied E)119. B (11108t returns to enforce its burial wishos or to prol.ost disl~('lgard of such w:tshes. North Garolina lJ ,Johnny and the Liver F,),19.7 chost returns when part of body is removed from grave. fo:2'3'~.)!.l Hoturn from dead Co punish theft of Golden Arm fpom grave. 'rype 36rS r1'ho Han From the nn,lJovls. 213.1 rrhe teller [Jaare::> t..he lir:3trwr o The tel le 1" uscs par't of the dialog of the story, shouting :i.t at a crucial point to scaro the l:istner or he i;rabs the listner and y"lls UHoolt etc~, at an nxc:lt:ing point. 'rype 366 'J'heHan From the Gallows !l man fJl.eals ohIO heart. (l:L vel', stomach, clothing) of onn who has bel'll hanged. lIe gives :i.t to hin wife to eat. rrhe ghost. comes to clrllm h:l.s property and carries t.he man off e (N ot.e: Engl-; sh and Amer:Lean forms, except for the theft page 22 of a golden or silver arm from COl'pSEJ , usually involve tho fin ding of a part of tho body by a man who uses j_ t. in a sonp. 1'he owner returns at night and tiakos tho man away-, All forms eit.od are uncd HS scaring star-ins; t.he tol1t~r at the end imperson.:rt,es the l~host or the vic= tim and shouts at a memher of the audienoe: "'rhou hant it" 01' "Take itl II) Typo 366 '1'hol!an From tho nal10ws. TJan:!.sh 39. nrundtuig //[\7 rphc noldcn Arm K:cistens('m ~;katteg:caveren II 166. Eh19.7 C'rhos"\:. ret.urns whp.n part. oJ' )10dy :is removod from Brave. 'F:?35.4.l Hoturn from dead to punLsh theft of Golden Ann from grave. Tyro 366 Tho Man From tho (,allows. Type 366 1'hr, Pan From the Gallows. nanish 39. nl'undtuig 1187. 'T'he Oolden Arm gl119. '7 Ghost returns whon part of body is removed from grave. g235.4.1 Heturn from dead to rmnish theft of noldan Arm from Type 366 The Man From 1'ho nallows. nani sh 39. nrundtuig f187. Kristensen Skattegraveren n 1(,6. ~reC'n F'inge:('n::J.i.ls G269.1.5 Witch sCl'a-tchAs porson. Fwi d and the Ke;ys Jo:h2? .1.11. 5.1 Tncradicable bloodstni n after bloody tragedy. 'rhe 'J'h:cee Gfrls and the H:-_'l'nrl.t I-louse page 2) s162 Mutilat:Lon : cutting off legs (reot) . rn61 ~.rutilat:i.on: cnt,t:Lng off hn.nds, arHlS" rn'l2 Huti,.lat..ion: nose cut.. off 0:(' crashed" 'rlw lrhing in the Ba semen t 2500 Ilorror ator; "s - Th"sc arc told for' the efreel; of horror. frh(~ cmphns-is is on the griflly or stranl~~e rathor tha.n the supernatural" page 24 Orisly,hoY'J,'lble [.;toric~s ;]1'0 not. nnw. T'hc::i:r mot.ifs and th(~mes have been lH~~f:Hl over and ove:r' by gcmm''<'l"i:...i ans of poople. Adults have thAir own horror n-tJo:ricR to an L:-x"tent and real-izc th<'-lt wha'tt.hoy hCCl,r'd as ch:i.1clren was unr""J and s'llly_ nut chi lrlren a:ce fascinated by being IIscared to death". 'T'lw.y shiver and shnke and don't 'l'mnt to hear anymo:cE: (unlc)f)s SOH\cotw has another OrH~ to t,e111 J J) but the nnknown is to exciting to be' f'orgottun and the unreal i1:1 0ven bctt(~r. With these threo girls especially tH~'sio and l:linrl a f~;l-JOf:rG storyv{,'Jsntt all that [;ood unlc:ns more blood and guts Vlef'li thx'OVln in for added glee and hor1'or. ILfter all, those ghorrt ::d,()Y''icJs VIOl'C Lo seare the listenn:cs and Tim not to 8ure T wouldn It. be a.f~('ald of rntul'n:ing to my t,c:nt in tho woodn nftcl' hOtlring Lhef.>c ~,tOI':los around the l'J.,:C(; or in a tent by" eGndlel:i ghl;_ f\ibl1ogt>aphy page 25 <:md North I\rm~r:i.ea A PDF transcript exists for this recording. Please contact an archivist for access. Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions. As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us inaposition to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, andbias isreflected in our descriptions, whichmay not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materialsaccurately.Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment.We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created.Additionally,our work to use reparative languagewhereLibrary of Congress subject termsareinaccurate and obsolete isongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailingreference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.