Many Tales About John Black from My Past 8th-Grade Creative Writing & Research Class

John Black was the overseer employed by John Bell. He was allegedly murdered by John Bell in the fall of 1803.

John Black's Love Of Lucy Williams Bell

Adam - 8th-Grade Boy:
I, John Black, have woken up from my peaceful slumber to tell you the true story about myself. You might not know me by name, but you probably know me as one-third of the Bell Ghost. You are the only person who can hear me right, so pay attention to me as I tell you my story.

I met Lucy Williams when I was her father's overseer in Edgecombe County, North Carolina. Ever since the day I saw Lucy, I have had a crush on her. She never knew about this because I never shared my true feelings for her.

A man named John Bell started visiting Lucy's father, John Williams, Sr. One day, I overheard them talking. Mr. Bell wanted the sacred Indian land Mr. Williams owned. Mr. Bell was plotting blackmail. If Mr. Williams didn't sell him the land, he would tell everybody in town about the rich minerals in the land. I never knew anything about the minerals in the land. The only way he could get out of selling the land would be to let Mr. Bell marry Lucy. I was shocked! Little did I know about how much John Bell and Lucy loved each other.

When Lucy turned twelve a year later, Lucy and John Bell happily married. I was angry and depressed about this. I really loved Lucy, and I regret not telling her my true feelings for her. I just always wanted to be around her.

After John and Lucy married, John offered me a job to be his overseer. He was offering me a considerably larger pay than I was getting now, so I gladly accepted. Plus, along with the pay, I will also get to see Lucy all of the time.

Jennifer - 8th-Grade Girl:
John Black had a huge crush on Lucy since he was young. He admired her niceness and fell in love with her. There is only one problem. Lucy loved John Bell with all of her heart. She did think John Black was very charming. She actually thought he was "the man!" But, John Bell loved Lucy, and Lucy knew of his love for her. Lucy loved John Bell also, ever since she was young. This did not stop John Black from loving Lucy. He still longed to be with Lucy. John Bell saw and soon knew of John Black's love for Lucy. So, John Bell killed him. It was as simple as that! In the Afterlife, John Black joins in haunting the Bell house. John Bell was always worried that John Black would tell people that John Bell murdered him. But, he never did.

Gabby - 8th-Grade Girl:
It was 1782. I, John Black, was standing in Mr. Williams Senior's office. As I was waiting, I started to think, "I wonder if John Bell will really marry Lucy? Would Mr. Williams let him?"

Suddenly, my thoughts were interrupted. Mr. Williams entered the room with his granddaughter Cate. I was stunned! She was so beautiful! I slowly walked up to her. Mr. Williams said, "Cate, this is my right-hand man and overseer, John Black. John, this is my granddaughter, Cate." I shook her hand and said, "Hello." Her face reddened as she said hello back.

The next couple of weeks, we worked in the fields together. From time to time, I would find myself staring at Lucy, then at Cate. I was surrounded by beautiful women, none of which I could stand a chance with. Or so I thought.

Lucy and John Bell wed. That night, I wept bitterly as I pictured him walking her down the aisle. I didn't sleep a wink all night. I thought about killing John Bell, but that would devastate poor Lucy. I wouldn't be able to stand that. Then I thought about killing myself, but there was still Cate. She and I had become good friends, and I didn't want to hurt her. I also loved her. So, I did nothing.

The next day, John Bell came to see me. He made me such an offer, I couldn't refuse. A great paying job, and a home near Lucy. The only downside was leaving Cate, but my love for Lucy was stronger than my love for Cate. So I took the job.

Oh, Lucy was so beautiful. She got more and more beautiful everyday. Sometimes I would find myself not working for hours and hours, just staring at her. Of course, it wasn't a noticeable stare. But somehow, someone found me out. They told John Bell. Boy, was he mad!

John Black Resigns His Overseer Job With John Williams, Sr.

David - 8th-Grade Boy:
John Black was very pleased today. He had just been offered a new job and an increased pay roll. John Bell had offered him three times what John Williams was paying him now. He was also pleased that he would also be able to follow Lucy Bell to Tennessee.

Now John walked toward the Williams' main plantation house. He looked across the front lawn and saw the typical farming activities busying the scenery. As he entered the inner entrance hall of the house, John could see Cate Williams, Lucy's niece, eyeing him as he came in.

John spoke, "Hello Cate, is your grandfather in?"

"Yes, John, he is. I think he's in his study, or he was when I was there," Cate replied shyly.

"Thank you, Cate." John climbed the long staircase to John Williams' study. All the windows of the house were open to allow the fresh summer breezes to cool the house. He would miss this place. He turned into the study.

He could see John Williams looking at a map of the land. He spoke, "Mr. Williams, I'm here for my appointment."

"Ah, yes, John. You had something to tell me?" Williams looked at John.

"I am resigning from my overseer position." John Black could see no trace of emotion in Williams' eyes.

"I see, John. Your presence will be sorely missed." Williams paused. "This has something to do with John Bell, doesn't it?"

"Yes," John Black said, looking at the floor, ashamed.

"I see I can not stop you. Still, be careful. I don't trust John Bell, and I would hate to hear of ill will coming to you, John."

"Very well, Mr. Williams. I will clear out my cabin." John Black left the study.

"Ha!" thought John Black. "Worry about Bell indeed. I can take care of him. I will be perfectly safe!"

From The Cat's Standpoint

Amanda - 8th-Grade Girl:
"Please, can you hear me? Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty! Are you there?" Amanda asked. She was trying to get the Spirit.

The cat said, "Coming. Did you bring some catnip?"

Amanda said, "Yes, and I brought you some toys."

"Thank you," the cat said.

Amanda asked, "Will you tell me about Lucy Bell?"

"Sure. It will be another long story. And this time, Amanda, don't fall asleep on me."

Amanda said, "Okay, but don't get into so many bloody details."

"All right," the cat agreed. "But I don't know much about their marriage. But I'll tell you her life story. She married John Bell when she was 12. They had gotten busy after that. They had many kids. Yada yada yada. While she was married to John Bell, John Black was working for her. She was rather sad when Black just left. Well, anyway, they moved away after that. Quite a few years later, the hauntings started. Lucy feared for her children. What's the matter?" the cat questioned.

"Sorry," Amanda said. "I'm sill not used to a cat talking, even though you are a ghost."

"Get used to it," the cat ordered. "Where was I? Oh, yeah! When Lucy feared for her children, she thought it was horrible how they were getting tortured. When the ghost started talking, she felt a bit relieved. At least it was a woman, or so she thought. Later, Lucy fell ill. People started to tempt her with foods. It didn't work. Nothing agreed with her. The ghosts got the idea. I saw them speed out of the house. Later they returned with baskets full of walnuts. They told Lucy to open her hands. She did. The walnuts pored into her hand. A couple hit me in the head."

"Guess they didn't have perfect aim," Amanda said with a fit of the giggles.

"I guess not," the cat agreed. "Anyway, a few moments later, the Spirits asked Lucy what was the matter. She said that she had nothing for cracking. Both men hit their heads with their hands. They pressed on the nuts and they all opened. They agreed with her. While she ate them, Nathan sang so beautifully that tears came to everyone's eyes. Except mine, of course. I don't cry. Afterward, the men left again. This time, they brought things like wild grapes, bananas, and more. Lucy got better soon after.

Let's skip ahead a bit. More time passed. The Spirit was giving reasons for haunting the Bell house. One time they said that they were none other than Cate Williams Batts' witch. Lucy went crazy. She asked that they spell that name with a K for Kate instead of a C for Cate, as in her niece's name. She wanted to protect her niece.

One day, a girl from town said her butter wasn't churning right. She said that she stuck a hot poker from the fire in the mixture. Then she said, "Take that, Cate Williams Batts." Then that girl went to visit Cate. Later on, Lucy went too. Sure enough, Cate had a burnt hand. Lucy asked how Cate burnt her hand. Cate explained that she picked up the poker on the wrong end as she was so busy worrying about her family. Lucy took that for a logical explanation, but that girl didn't. She started spreading more false rumors."

Amanda asked, "I wonder why that girl was so mean?"

The cat continued as if it hadn't heard Amanda's question. "Cate was chewing out those two men for what they said. To continue, things got worse with Cate Williams Batts. One time a ghost layer (like a ghost buster) gave Betsy a drink that made her puke and get diarrhea at the same time."

Amanda asked, "Why did Betsy drink it? It sounds horrible!"

"Betsy drank it as she wanted to convince people that she wasn't the guilty party. You see, some people blamed Cate. Some people blamed Betsy. Lucy was shocked when she saw all the brass pins in the vomit and excrement. They didn't know that the men put them in at the last moment. I saw them. She was very relieved when the doctor said that Betsy was all right. Not long after that, John got sick and died from drinking bad moonshine that didn't mix right with his medicine. Lucy was so depressed. When she finally stopped crying, they decided to test the potion on me. And you know the rest. The bad moonshine killed me even worse than it killed John Bell."

Amanda said, "Thank you so much for sharing that story. Do you see the light now?"

The cat said, "Yes, but I'm not going. Thank you for these toys and the catnip. I'll be here if you have any more questions. Good-bye for now."

Epilogue: These stories were written in 2002 by my 8th-Grade students after being exposed to what the archives say and what I had found out through doing two years of research on the topic of the TennesseeBell Witch. The above tales and anecdotes are a compilation of what they wrote about John Black, the overseer allegedly murdered by his employer - John Bell.

Through some rather strange circumstances, I spent from 1993 to 1995 researching and writing the real story of what happened to the family of John and Lucy Bell. My book also proves the innocence of Cate Williams Batts who was wrongly accused of being the poltergeist who haunted this family from 1817 to 1821, even though she was a living woman at the time. After meeting with actual descendants of Cate Williams Batts and her husband Frederick, visiting courthouses and libraries in four states, consulting psychics, and twice visiting the BellWitchCave in Adams, Tennessee, the book practically wrote itself. This book made up of 85 chapters and 365 pages is called "The Bell Witch Unveiled At Last! The True Story Of A Poltergeist" written under my pen name of DJ Lyons. For more information about this book and my one-woman show, please visit http://bellwitchunveiled.com.