ghost Stories

excerpt from book:

The Most Haunted House in Tombstone

One of the most interesting encounters we have had involved communicating with the brother of a psychic medium across 140 years of history. It seems that Dan, Dwight and Rhonda were not the first paranormal investigators to investigate the Buford House.

The Buford House Bed & Breakfast is located on Safford Street in Tombstone, Arizona just two blocks from the infamous OK Corral and office of the Tombstone Epitaph, and just a block down the street from historic St. Paul's Episcopal Church, the oldest protestant church in Arizona.. The adobe home was built in 1880 by George Buford, a prominent mine owner. At least two sheriffs, a mayor and state senator have called the Buford House their home. This historic house has been a temporary home to many famous visitors, including John Wayne. Along with the living guests that have laid their hats in the B&B, many claim that there are others who have crossed over and crossed back and there are those who seem to want to hang around.

George Buford, his wife Annie and six of his seven children lived in the Buford House from about 1880 until shortly after 1890. Sometime between 1890 and 1893, they travelled west to Oregon where their youngest child, Ray was born. The family eventually travelled to Los Angeles and remained in southern California. During their residence in Tombstone at the house located on 2nd & Safford, three of the Buford children died. One died from diphtheria, the causes of the deaths of the other two are unknown. Tragedy followed the family. All of this evidence is supported by historical documentation. 

Los Angeles Daily Herald
December 14, 1900
AGED MAN CRUSHED BENEATH TRAIN 

Aged George W. Buford met instantaneous death yesterday
morning about 6 o'clock beneath the wheels of the Santa Fe freight car. The accident occurred near Mateo Street on a switch running from the yards to Alameda Street.

The deceased lived at 1521 Palmetto Street with his wife and four children and peddled eggs, butter, and butter milk, which he delivered to his customers in a small spring wagon. His barn is on the narrow alleyway through which the Santa Fe track runs. In order to reach Mateo street it was his practice to drive over the railroad track and then along the track for seventy-five yards to the street. Yesterday morning he failed to notice an approaching train of three flat cars loaded with lumber, which was backing up from the switch yards.

The horse noticed the train and commenced to rear and plunge. Buford jumped from the wagon, caught the bridle and dragged the horse from the track just as the car reached the spot. The old man was not able to jump out of the way himself, however, and the car knocked him to the ground. He was run over by the first wheel of the truck and then dragged fifty yards before the train was brought to a standstill. The body was horribly mangled, the head was severed from the trunk, one arm was cut off and one leg ground into hundreds of fragments and scattered along the track.

Owing to the intense darkness at the time of the accident the trainmen were unable discern the man and horse until the cars were upon him.

Engine No. 40, which was pushing the train, was brought to a stop as soon as the levers could be applied, and Deputy Coroner Strubel was at once notified. 

Pending his arrival half an hour later, no attempt was made to extricate the body from under the truck. Then it was necessary to start the train forward before the remains could be disentangled. Finally the body was removed to Booth & Boylson' s undertaking rooms, where an inquest will be held today.

A second call had to be sent to the coroner before fragments of bone and flesh left behind on the first visit, were removed.

Residents near the scene say that engines moving through the alley never use whistle nor bell, even on approaching Mateo street, and the shrill shriek of the locomotive as it came to a standstill was the signal for everyone in the neighborhood to flock to the place.

Fortunately Mrs. Buford was spared the awful sight, and neither she nor the children were appraised of the death until the remains were removed. The poor woman is prostrated and had to be removed to the house of friends together with the children, the oldest of whom is only fourteen years of age.
Buford's death leaves the family practically penniless, as the only insurance he carried was a $100 burial fund. 

Los Angeles Herald
February 28, 1901
MOTHER AND CHILDREN ASK FOR DAMAGES
Bring Suit Against the Southern California Railway Company for $25,000

Mrs. Annie L. Buford and her children Pearl, Thomas, Ethel and Ray, have brought suit against the Southern California Railway Company to recover $25,000 damages on account of the death of George W. Buford, the husband and father.

At the time of Buford's death he had been married twenty-two years and lived with his family at 1521 Palmetto Street. It is alleged that December 13, Buford while taking his horse and wagon from his barn across the alley that runs at the rear of his home, was struck by the train and instantly killed. It is also claimed that the train was running at an unlawful rate of speed.

 

EVP Session and pendulum session. 
DB:  Dan Baldwin
R:  Rhonda Hull
D:  Dwight Hull

D: Let me turn this on, EVP session one Buford House.
We're going to do a pendulum session. (Talking in background between film crew and us).
DB: We'll start from scratch.
D: Is there someone here with us right now?
DB: I'm getting a strong yes.
D: is the person who is with us male?
DB: and that's a yes
D: Is the male who is with us attached to this home?
DB:No.
DB: You might define attached.
R: Yeah, he may define attached different than we define attached.
D: Is the male who is with us a former owner of this home?
DB: I'm getting a yes right away.
D: Let me go out on a limb here and ask is the male who is with us; is your first name George?
DB: That's a strong yes.
D: Okay.
D: Okay, George is your last name Buford?
DB: Yes.
D: Okay, thank you, Mr. Buford. I would like to thank you for being here with us and participating here with us. Umm, if it's okay with you, we want to just ask you a few questions just to get to know you a little better and maybe find out why you're here.
So let's try that now. Let's try a – a control question... one I already know the answer to. Let's see if he answers honestly. Buford were you ... uh, did you die in this house?
DB: That's a real strong no.
D: Thank you, sir. We'd like to ask you a couple more questions here. Did you want to ask him a few questions?
R: Not yet.
DB: He's just confirming what you said.
R: He's just like, you know, standing here.
DB: Patient.
R: Patient is a good way of putting it, waiting.
D: Our shenanigans ...
R: He's not put off or ya' know it's very ...
D: He may be interested too. You want to ask him a couple questions Dan?

DB: You go ahead, you're better at it than I am.
D: Well, Mr. Buford, again I thank you for being here, so we’d like to ask you a couple questions if we can.
DB: I'm getting a yes.
D: Thank you. Mr. Buford, did you love or did you like living ere?
DB: Big yeah.
D: Okay.
D: Well we enjoy your house. It's a beautiful home and we justt thank you for allowing us to be here. Mr. Buford, did you die in California?
DB: Yes.
D: Was your death an accident?
DB: Sometimes you have to give it a little time; that's a yes.
D: I almost scared you for a moment, didn't I?
DB: That's a yes.
D: Well, we're sorry to hear that, Mr. Buford, although we did read the newspaper and we're sorry that that accident happened.
D: Mr. Buford, we had an event here, did you approve of having these people here at your house?
R: From what I'm getting he likes showing up with us, he liked having company, he was very proud of his house.
D: Okay.
DB: ls that true?
D: Are you proud of your house?
DB: Real strong yeah.
D: As well you should be sir. It's a beautiful home.
D: Let me ask another question. Are you happy with what the present owners are doing with the house?
DB: He's really happy - that's a good strong yes.
R: Restoring it to look like it did when you lived here.
D: Thank you, sir.
DB: That's even stronger.
R: Taking away all that crap the last owner did.
D: Yeah, look at that, it's really ...
DB: Even stronger.
DB: (to Catherine) you're doing good.

R: No offense to the past owner I'm just saying it changed it dramatically.
D: He approves.
D: Mr. Buford, I'm going to ask you kind of an off-subject question here real quick, are you with Annie, your wife, right now?
(People moving around in the background)
DB: That is a yes.
D: Good, we're very happy to hear that, sir.
D: ls Annie happy with what they're doing to the house?
DB: That's a milder yes, but it's a yes.
D: I'm going to suppose that means that you're just assuming or supposing she is, is that correct?
DB: Yes.
D: Okay.
R: I'm getting some information. He's actually telling me that his mother in law who stayed with them for a while ... and that's the old woman.
D: Mr. Buford, we feel that there's also an older lady that's also here with you, is that your mother in law?
DB: Big, big yes.
R: And he's also telling me that somebody in the family did the pendulum.
DB: Really?
D: Wow, okay. Let's ask him.
R: I think that's why he came forward when ... he's familiar and he likes your work. (Talking to Dan)
DB: Well, thank you.
D: Let's ask him just for visual confirmation.
D: Mr. Buford, are you familiar with this object that Dan is using?
DB: Oh yeah.
D: Okay.
D: Mr. Buford, do you approve of using this object in your house?
DB: That's a yes.

R: I'm hearing that it's his sister who was ... was it your sister who was a dowser George, Mr. Buford?
DB: Ask it again.
R: Mr. Buford, was your sister the dowser who used the pendulum?
DB: Yeah.
D: Did you, Mr. Buford, did your sister ever use a dowsing device like a pendulum in this house?
DB: Mmmhmm ... Yes.
D: Mr. Buford, can I ask another question, sir?
Did your sister use the pendulum to communicate with spirits? DB: That's an immediate yes.
D: Okay.
R: She was a medium and l 'm getting that they had seances here.
DB: Ask the question.
R: Mr. Buford, did you hold seances in this house with your sister?
DB: That's a no.
D: Ask if the sister had seances.
R: Did your sister hold seances here? DB: Yes.
DB: It's all in the question.
D: Mr. Buford, were you able to or was your sister able to contact sprits in this house?
DB: Yes.
R: Do you think she brought spirits in and that they stayed, did you ever experience hauntings when you lived here?
DB: Again, yes.
D: Well, Mr. Buford, before we go, I just want to thank you for all your time and answering these questions for us. We really do appreciate it, but it is very intriguing, sir, so we're going to continue on just a little bit more here, if you don't mind.
R: Do you mind ifwe ask you a few more questions?
DB: No.
D: Mr. Buford, what you've told us so far is extremely intriguing, so I'd like to ask you a couple more questions. Did your sister ... Okay, let's stop that line of questioning for a second. I just lost a train of thought. Mr. Buford, if you know, did your sister dowse or use a pendulum for other people in Tombstone?
DB: That's a pretty strong yes.
D: Mr. Buford was your sister a medium?
DB: Again, yes.
D: I'm going to change the subject here a little bit, Mr. Buford., Mr. Buford, are your three children still in this house?
R: Did the other four visit here as well or reside here as well with you and Annie?
DB: Yep. Yep.
D: Mr. Buford, we enjoy your children, I think we have talked to them on a few different occasions
DB: He said yes. He's agreeing.
D: Thank you. Mr. Buford, do your children like when Rhonda and I come here to visit?
DB: Yeah.
D: Mr. Buford, do you, would you mind if Dan, and Rhonda, and I continued to come here and show people your beautiful house? Would you mind that?
DB: No.