Monday, October 24, 2011

Haunted tour fundraiser was a spook-tacular success

On Saturday night Ralph and I volunteered for three hours outside a stately (and haunted?) Victorian mansion that is now a funeral home.


It was one of several stops along a Halloween-inspired haunted lantern tour through downtown Derby, Ct. 
We told a spooky story hat we read from a script given to us.
Hundreds of people - who paid $5 apiece - came to get spooked and learn local history.
I counted 20 tour groups, although I could have lost track, because I was getting rather punchy near the end of the event.
 

So does Ralph look kinda creepy here? I think so.
It was cold out there and the wool cape added a bit of a 'Grim Reaper' look, in my opinion...


We told the story of a young woman, Emma Schabert, who lived in the house with her first husband - who was 40 years her senior.
She and her brother were lucky enough to survive the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 after being rescued from a lifeboat by the crew of the Carpathia.
The question we posed was: would her wealthy husband, Rufus W. Blake, who owned the Sterling Piano Co. in Derby, be as lucky?

As the story goes, the couple was home one night playing cards when Rufus went upstairs and accidentally shot himself in the eye. He never regained consciousness.
Newspaper accounts at the time said his death was accidental. However, the "accident" left Emma a very wealthy young widow.


Coincidence? No one can say for sure.

But as the script we read says, "Someone in the house rests uneasily.  Footsteps are heard echoing through the building, cigar smoke is frequently smelled and doors open and close without explanation."


Hmmm... 

Before the tours there was a Jack O'Lantern contest. Guess who didn't win?

 BEFORE
AFTER
 


Bwahahaha ~ I've only carved three pumpkins in my entire life, so I'm not too skilled at it.





7 comments:

Barb said...

Ralph looks f-f-f-freezing!

You didn't WIN? That's not right! It looks just like a pumpkin! Amazing, actually!

I've carved ONE pumpkin.I should try to dig up a photo my Dad did one year when we were much younger. It totally ROCKED. My brain is fried though... I can't even remember who it was supposed to be. I must have pumpkin brain.

:)

xoxo

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

you should have won! it's way better than i could have done!

smiles, bee
xxooxxoox

Cinderella said...

Ralph looks like he's freezing - but not creepy. Well maybe...

Nobody shoots themselves in the eye accidentally.
Poor man wants Justice, and without it, Rufus' soul does not rest.

You did better with the pumpkin carving than I would have:)

Linda said...

I've got to wonder why someone would be one minute playing cards and then the next minute upstairs doing anything with a gun that might cause it to go off accidentally. I mean, did Rufus jump up in the middle of the card game and yell out, "I need to go clean my gun now!" or what? Strange things are afoot!

Looks like you and Ralph had a good time but Ralph does look a bit chilly and just a little spooky in his hooded blanket. Hope you bundled up warm, too, I'd hate to have you come down with bronchitis like I have.

Oh, and in reference to a few posts down - YAY for no more chemo!! I bet that's a relief and let's hope there's more ever again in your future!

The Summer Kitchen Girls said...

hey....I've carved a multitude of pumpkins in my life....and they all look pretty much like yours - lol!! That is an "old school" pumpkin Patti :)
Ralph did need a scythe to help him out with his hallowed look :) Loved the idea of this fundraiser...what a ton of fun that had to be! Did they tour the whole house then? Were there treats to eat? We're curious.....!

Dianne said...

the cape could be creepy yet I think he looks a bit like a Civil War general
for the North of course ;)

I have never carved a pumpkin
I like yours, it's happy

bj said...

BOOooooooooo.........