The Strange Case of the Bell Witch

The early pioneers who swept westward during the first half of the 19th century were a stalwart lot, used to adversity and determined to meet the challenges of a harsh new frontier. This may help explain why John Bell and his family refused to leave their 320-acre farm in Robertson County, Tennessee, even after the terrifying events that had befallen them.

To call the entity that tormented them for four years a "witch" might be a misnomer; the activity had the hallmarks of a vengeful spirit or poltergeist. The visual manifestations consisted of strange-looking animals and apparitions of women or children.

John and Lucy Bell moved from North Carolina to the Red River Valley in Tennessee in 1804. For 13 years, the family led peaceful, prosperous lives. One fall evening in 1817, John Bell saw an animal on his property that he described as having the head of a rabbit and the body of a dog. Shortly afterward, the family was plagued by strange thumping and banging sounds on the walls and floors of their log cabin. Then the activity gradually became more violent, as objects were hurled and broken, and family members were scratched, kicked and smacked.

Finally the Bells sought help, first from their neighbors, who agreed to spend a few nights at the Bells' farm to investigate. They reported numerous disturbances, including a disembodied female voice screaming threats and imprecations. When Bell's neighbor demanded to know who the spirit was, it supposedly replied that it was "Kate Batts' witch," earning itself the moniker "Kate."

Kate Batts was a neighbor with whom the Bells had supposedly quarreled. The haunting continued, drawing the attention of members of the local Red River Baptist Church, and even future United States President Andrew Jackson, who with several colleagues spent a brief, but terrifying time at the Bell's farm. Jackson vowed never to return.

"Kate" was a moody, unpredictable spirit, sometimes raging uncontrollably, at other times calmly discussing everything from politics to theology with family members and visitors. She admitted from the start to a fierce hatred for John Bell, vowing that it was her mission to see him dead. She also tormented John and Lucy's daughter, Elizabeth (Betsy), hounding her mercilessly until she broke off her engagement to a young man named Joshua Logan. Kate apparently had no objection when Betsy married local school teacher Robert Powell, instead.

In 1820, after suffering from a prolonged illness for which "Kate" took responsibility, John Bell died. His family found him clutching a nearly empty vial with traces of a strange liquid inside. John's son gave a drop to the family cat, who promptly died. Afterward, "Kate" supposedly cackled gleefully, then proclaimed that she had poisoned John Bell.

As promised, or threatened, the infamous Bell Witch returned in 1828, briefly haunting John Bell, Jr. Before departing, "Kate" said that she would visit the Bells' descendants in 1935, but is not known to ever made another appearance. John Bell, Jr.'s posthumously-published book -Our Family Trouble-- detailed the family's ordeal (Fitzhugh).

John Bell's original log cabin is long gone, but a replica has been erected on the spot, and tours of the cabin and a nearby cave attract lots of visitors. A marker on Highway 41 North near Adams, Tennessee gives a brief synopsis of the Bell Witch haunting. No less than three movies in as many years have been made about the mysterious events of 1817 to 1821 - The Bell Witch Haunting (2004), An American Haunting (2005), and most recently Bell Witch (2007), starring Betsy Palmer (Friday the 13th) in the title role.

Sources

The Internet Movie Database. 6 Oct. 2007 .

The Bell Witch. Pat Fitzhugh. 2007. 6 Oct. 2007

The Bell Witch Cave. 8 Oct. 2007 .