April Slaughter Read Free

to the other in silence, all the while feeling as though someone were watching—just as curious about me as I was about them.
    The Nat has been visited several times by paranormal enthusiasts in search of validation that it is indeed a haunted piece of history still very active today. Are those who once enjoyed the boisterous music and nights filled with dancing and laughter still drawn to the Nat? Eerie recordings known as electronic voice phenomena (EVP) have captured the sounds of a solitary drum playing quietly as well as the distant melodic singing of an unknown woman. These recordings can be a bit unnerving at first, as it dawns on you that someone may be speaking to you. EVPs are some of the most commonly captured pieces of paranormal “evidence” obtained by ghosthunters. Sometimes these audio clips are recorded in places of ghostly interest, such as the Nat, while others are recorded entirely by chance.
    Branden has often allowed ghosthunting investigative teams
and individuals into the building, and spoke with us about the most common phenomena they have reported during their visits. Sudden fluctuations in temperature have been among the most common experiences reported to occur on the upper floor as people have felt cold spots move around them with no apparent explanation.
    Investigators have attempted to capture the various reported anomalies and have often found it difficult to keep their video equipment up and running. Sudden and inexplicable battery drainages have puzzled many investigators as they have struggled to conduct the most thorough investigation possible. Whatever is responsible for the strange equipment failure still remains to be seen, but several people suspect it is largely due to the fluctuating energetic environment often experienced when paranormal phenomena occurs.
    After spending some time in the ballroom, Branden escorted Allen and me to a section of the bookstore also believed to have activity, where investigators had recorded a disembodied voice on their audio recording devices. We stood where a couple of these recordings had taken place, with a recorder of our own in hand. While we were unable to capture anything that day, it can certainly be said that the entire building has an undeniable nostalgic energy about it. I half-expected to turn around and see someone following closely behind us, listening to us as we discussed the ghostly experiences had by so many in the building.
    Natatorium Bookstore on the Route 66 side (April Slaughter)

    It is no wonder that the Amarillo Natatorium has garnered so much attention from paranormal enthusiasts and curious locals, as stories of ghostly couples dancing to unheard music on the large wooden dance floor are sure to be a draw for anyone interested in experiencing the unknown. Should you ever have the opportunity to visit the Nat, take the time to enjoy a good book, a good story, and perhaps have a ghostly encounter of your own.

CHAPTER 2
    Motley County Jail MATADOR

    Motley County Jail exterior (April Slaughter)
    IN 1876, MOTLEY COUNTY WAS ESTABLISHED in the Texas Panhandle following a steep decline in the area’s buffalo population and after the Indians who once called this region home had been relocated to reservations. Signer of the Texas Declaration of Independence, J.W. Mottley became the county’s name-sake, though the spelling of his name was slightly changed in the process. Originally, Matador was not an actual town, but was a working ranch in the county created and managed by Henry H. Campbell. When organizing the county in 1891, the General Land Office required that there be at least twenty commercial enterprises in Matador before designating it the county seat. Campbell encouraged several local men to set up one-day businesses to fulfill the requirement, and the town of Matador was officially born. He also became the town’s first elected judge.
    A growing number of outlaws became such a problem in the area, that in 1891 the