Paranormal expert and author Joel Martin returned to share a history of ghostly activities that have occurred in the White House, which he has documented in his book The Haunting of the Presidents(1). Witnesses generally report seeing apparitions of the Presidents whose lives were cut short or they may be seen during a time of great conflict, such as Lincoln's appearance during WW II, he detailed.
In fact, the ghost of Abraham Lincoln is the most frequently seen of all the Presidents, said Martin, who added that a number of these sightings were made by unimpeachable witnesses. The assassination of Lincoln may have been part of a "20 year curse" that was originally placed on William Henry Harrison (who died during his brief tenure in the White House in 1841). Because Harrison had earlier angered some American Indians,Tecumseh's brother Tenskwatawa, who was nicknamed "The Prophet," allegedly made the curse that a "great white leader will die every twenty years," Martin explained.
The curse seemed to hold up with Presidents that were elected in 20 year cycles ending with 0, such as 1860 and 1960, but it may have finally ended with President Reagan, who was elected in 1980. He speculated that Nancy Reagan's consultations with an astrologer may have helped to avert a tragedy. Martin also announced that the History Channel will be creating a special based on his book.

1. http://shadowlawnpress.com/ufo/12haunting.html

Garfield's Ghost

Pres. James Garfield, seen in this photo reading to his daughter, died from complications from a bullet wound during his first year in the White House. According to the book Ghosts: Washington Revisited(1) by John Alexander, Garfield's ghost was spotted by more than one person at the Capitol building, while his body lay in state there.
Interestingly, Alexander writes that Garfield was believed to have psychic powers and may have had a premonition of his own death. Two days before he was shot by Charles Guiteau, he sent for his Secretary of War, Robert Lincoln (Abraham Lincoln's son), and asked him to recount all his memories regarding the assassination of his father.

1. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0764306537/ctoc

Bumper Music

Bumper music from Monday February 21, 2005