The Bell Witch: The Full Account Read Free Page A

........................................................... 347
    The London Baptist Confession of 1644 .............................. 351
    Calvin’s Doctrine of Predestination ..................................... 352
    The Bells in Mississippi ......................................................... 368
    Frequently Asked Questions ................................................. 374
    Why was Kate kind to Lucy Bell but hateful towards John and
    Elizabeth? ............................................................................ 374
    Do John and Lucy Bell have any descendants in the Robertson
    County area today?.............................................................. 377
    What remains of the Bell farm today? ................................. 377
    Can One see where the Bell home stood?............................ 378
    Common Myths...................................................................... 379
    Kate Batts was the “Bell Witch” ......................................... 380
    Elizabeth Bell was Abused by Her Father ........................... 383
    The Legend Was Made Up................................................... 384
    If you stand in front of a mirror, something bad will happen to
    you........................................................................................ 385
    Information about the “Bell Witch” on the Internet.......... 386
    - x i i -
    C O N T E N T S
    The Bell Witch Folklore Center ........................................... 386
    Walter Bell’s Bell Witch Page ............................................. 387
    About the Author................................................................... 406
    About the Artist ..................................................................... 406

    - x i i i -
    14 P A T
    F I T Z H U G H
    PROLOGUE

    T

    HIS IS THE STORY OF AN ENTITY that
    terrorized a pioneer family — driving a man
    to his death and holding an entire
    community in a maligned grasp of terror. The
    astonishing events that took place in the Red River
    Settlement of Robertson County, Tennessee between
    1817 and 1828 have baffled scholars and
    researchers for nearly two centuries.
    First appearing to farmer John Bell in the form of
    a small animal in his field, the sinister entity grew to
    knock on the walls of Bell’s log home at night and
    pull the bedcovers from his children as they lay
    sleeping. Soon, the sounds of rats gnawing at
    bedposts and chains being dragged across the floor
    were commonplace in the Bell home.
    After a year of being terrorized by the entity’s
    noises and removal of their bedcovers, the children
    began to experience physical abuse when they tried
    to resist. The force was getting stronger. One target
    in particular was John Bell’s youngest daughter,
    Elizabeth, who was barely twelve years old at the
    time. Night after night, the entity pulled her hair,

    THE BELL WITCH: THE FULL ACCOUNT
    15
    tied it in knots, and slapped her face as she tried to
    pull away. This was only the beginning.
    With the passage of time, the entity developed a
    voice that began in whispering and crying tones, and
    later developed the strength to be understood. The
    entity’s intelligence was remarkable. It knew every
    passage in the Bible, everything about a person’s
    past, and what people on the opposite side of the
    world were doing at any point in time.
    The entity’s character was enigmatic. It assumed
    various physical forms and spoke with multiple,
    disembodied voices — often using reverse speech. It
    never gave a straightforward answer when asked
    about its purpose, only stating that it would torment
    John Bell to a slow, painful death and ensure that
    Elizabeth never married her suitor, Joshua Gardner.
    On one occasion, however, the entity claimed to be
    the “witch” of Kate Batts, an eccentric woman who
    lived near the Bell farm. This proclamation earned
    the entity its infamous nickname, “Kate.”
    While Kate fostered strong hatred for many,