MONSTERS: Hone-Onna

 

From the Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki by Sekien Toriyama

Hone-onna (bone woman) is a yokai in Japanese lore and as the name implies she is in a form of bones. She's a woman who has died but has an undying love that brings her back to life. She is seen as beautiful as she was alive, but some will see her as a rotting corpse. Those people are either not blinded by love or strong religious faith.

This undying love allows her to be with whoever she was in love with alive. She seemingly seems normal to them and herself unknown to both that she's a rotting body. The man would more than likely know that she is in fact dead, but is blinded by love when seeing her. 

She would visit them at night and they would have a sexual relationship. This could last up to weeks and unbeknownst to their lover, she is sucking the life force from him. He will eventually die and the two will be together in death.

If she is seen in her rotting form the person and informs the man what was happening. Her lover may be thrown off though and use magic charms on the home to keep her away. This only works if he truly wants that though. She may continue to visit at night as she is still unknown to her own condition. 

Within the collection of writings called "Otogi Bōko" (1666) by Asai Ryōi (this collection is the moral-free version of "Jiandeng Xinhua" (1378) by Qu You) the story "Botan Dōrō" or the Peony Lantern is about a Hone-onna. A man named Ogiwara Shinnojo would meet Yako, a beautiful woman, and they would have a sexual relationship every night. An elderly neighbor would witness the two, but instead of seeing Yako, they would see Shinnojo embracing a skeleton.

One story of Hone-onna is explained in the text "Konjaku Gazu Zoku Hyakki" by Toriyama Sekien (may be referenced to the previous story) in the story Otogi Bōko. Hone-onna is an aged female skeleton who would carry a chōchin lantern that was decorated with Botan flowers. She would then visit the home of a man she loved when alive and have a sexual relationship with him.

In "Tōhoku Kaidan no Tabi" by Norio Yamada there is an odd tale of Hone-onna in the Aomori Prefecture. It's said that an ugly woman in the Ansei period became a good-looking skeleton after death. She is said to walk around town as a skeleton to show off, likes fish bones, and would collapse upon encountering a high priest.

SOURCES:

Wikipedia

Yokai 

Myths and Folklore Wiki

Yokai Wiki

UNIDENTIFIED: September 1878 Omaha, Nebraska Doe

 On October 1, 1878, an unknown Native American (gender unstated) was buried at the Prospect Hill Cemetary in Omaha, Nebraska. It's stated that they died in September. There is little information in this case.

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wiki

Find a Grave

MONSTERS: The Bekatarō

 

The  Bekatarō is an ugly, malevolent, and cannibalistic Japanese Yokai. It's believed that it was a wicked child born with a supernatural and unquenchable hunger. They consume anything they can find including humans. It's said that he was so hungrey he started eating humans and thus became a yokai. Their hunger allows them to devour more than what 10 or 20 adults could and want more.  They have a humanoid form and are usually seen pulling their lower eyelids with its finger and sticking its tongues out in a mocking gesture. 

SOURCES:

Yokai

Yokai Wiki

Monsters Wiki

UNIDENTIFIED: September 21, 1914 Bronx, New York "German" John Doe

 On September 21, 1914, a man had committed suicide. He was found hanging at the Maple Grove Cemetary in Hart Island, Bronx, New York. It's believed that the John Doe may have been a German laborer. He was a white male between 39 to 45-years-old. he had a newspaper, a pair of spectacles, and a red handkerchief. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki

UNIDENTIFIED: September 19, 1902 Detroit, Michigan Unknown Man

At 7:10 p.m. on September 19, 1902, an accident would happen on Jefferson Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. No 176 Woodward car heading west hit an unknown man was leaning over the side of the platform of a Rapid Railway car that was heading East. 

He was still alive and would lay on the road in the rain. He had been bleeding from his ears and had internal injuries. It was said that medical help for him was overlooked, and would soon die. The coroner arrived he was in the same place he died. Angry at the crowd that was watching the spectacle he asked why no one took him off of the road. This caused the crowd to go silent. 

In the man's pocket was an article from the Toledo Blade, the article was about a similar accident. It is possible he was recently in Ohio City. A jury found that the man's death was an accident from his own carelessness. 

The man was a white male and was around 35-years-old. He had black hair and a sandy almost red mustache. He had the tattoo J.M.C. on the upper part of his right arm. He was 6 ft and 190 lbs. He was wearing a black worsted coat, light striped trousers, a black topcoat, black flannel overshirt, black lace shoes, black socks, and a black fedora. 

It's unknown if he had been identified or not, but his grave is still marked as "Unknown Man". 

SOURCES:

Find A Grave

Detroit Free Press September 20, 1902

Detroit Free Press September 26, 1902

GHOSTS: The Hat Man

 

The Hat Man is an entity that is reported to be seen as a shadow man dressed in a top hat or fedora. He is dark in his entirety without any details but has substance. When seen he is seen he does absolutely nothing for minutes even when touched. It will sometimes move around a bit just before disappearing. He doesn't vanish in a sense but leaves like any normal person would. People who see him are struck with fear he doesn't want physical harm, but to scare their victims.

It's believed that he may be related to sleep paralysis. People who typically see him are either sleeping and awoken or in a groggy state. 

SOURCES:

Monster Wiki

The Week

Hunt a Killer

UNIDENTIFIED: September 17, 1849 Manhattan, New York, Unknown Man

 On September 17, 1849, an Unknown Man around 35-years-old died in a Manhattan, New York Hospital. It is unstated his cause of death, but he was buried at a potters field on forty-fifth street in Manhattan.  

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified Wiki

UNIDENTIFIED: September 16, 1948 Stony Creek, Virginia

 On September 16, 1948, remains were found in a shallow, makeshift grave by highway workers in Stony Creek, Virginia. The crew found the body when they noticed disturbed dirt near a picnic table. The young woman had died around 6 weeks before. It was stated she was missing one or both hands, but it's not stated whether or not it was intentional or from animal activity. 

Jane Doe is an African American female between 15-25-years-old. She was between 5'2" to 5'3" and around 130-135lbs. She had brown hair. 

SOURCES:

NamUs

Doe Network

Unidentified Wiki

UNIDENTIFIED: September 14, 1947 Cassian, Wisconsin Jane Doe

 On September 14, 1947, a woman's body was found in a shallow grave in a rural area near an old grass-covered roadway in Cassian, Wisconsin. It was around 3.5 miles north of the intersection of USH 51 and USH 8. The victim was strangled to death and was found lying face down. It's not stated how long they believed she was dead.

Jane Doe was an adult female. She was 5'2" and 170lbs. She had brown greying hair. 2 distinct lines running from the forehead down to the nose, very small feet and ankles, and a broad nose. She was wearing rayon or silk pants, an undershirt and slip, and a large corset. She had a gold-colored ring on her left hand.

SOURCES:

NamUs

News-Record October 15, 1947

The Journal Times December 18, 1947

MONSTERS: The Blinking Man

 

Photo by Stefano Pollio

There is an entity that goes by many names The Blink Man, Peeping Tom, the Flickergiest, or The Tunnel Man that haunts the Iichester Tunnel in Elliot City, Maryland. You can't simply catch a glimpse of this entity, but have to summon him in an hour-long process. It is only accomplished by staring down the tunnel for an entire hour between midnight and 1 a.m. without blinking. 

If accomplished the Blinking Man will constantly be in your vision and with every blink, he comes closer. It's said that he comes so close that you can feel his eyelashes touching you. He wants you to blink a final time. What comes is either madness or death.

SOURCES:

Chesapeake Horror 

The Patch November 23, 2016

Horror Society June 25, 2019

Murder of Eleanor Louise Bockmann

Back of the Bockmann's home where Eleanore died

In 1922 18-year-old Herbert Cyril Curnow who went as Cyril had made friends with the sons of the Lawrance Bockmann through football. He would then met the Bockmann family by practicing at their home in Sandilands, South Australia, Australia. He would soon become infatuated with 17-year-old Eleanor Bockmann. He became friendly with her and accompanying her to Sunday School, Church, and local dances. The two began to date.

Their relationship was not a good one. Within two months they began to argue and Cyril was becoming increasingly jealous. He did not like it that Eleanor was friendly was other young me. One night he saw her walking down the street with a drunk young man. His arm was around her and this infuriated Cyril. In response she stated, "If you don't like it, you can lump it!"

On September 2, Cyril would stay with the Bockmann family while football finals were happening and on September 3 they would go to church . After church another argument erupted between the young couple. This was when Eleanor broke up with Cyril. He would continue to obsess over her. He would be staying at the Bockmann home

After breaking up with him Cyril began threatening Eleanor. He would tell her if he had a knife or gun he would use it on her and then kill himself. This made Eleanor tense and scared as she believed his words. 

On September 8, the family ate lunch together. Cyril would wait for Mr. Bockmann and Lawrance to go back to work. He would go and get the family's gun and bring it to the boy's room with him and clean and load it. It was noticed by Eleanor, her sister Gladys and cousin Alvera he had the gun. He left in the veranda in the kitchen.

Eleanor feared Cyril when she saw him with the gun. Eleanor would tell Gladys "Let's go up to the bedroom, he might shoot us." The sisters went upstairs to hide in their room and Alvera stayed downstairs in the dining room. Cyril would leave the home to get a drink and Alvera called out to the sisters that he was gone.

Eleanor would then go to the veranda and take the gun. She would hide it. When Cyril came back in and confronted Gladys about its whereabouts and she didn't know. She would tell Eleanor to get the gun, and she did and gave it back to Cyril. Eleanor would go back to her room to hide. Cyril would leave the home again and Gladys told Eleanor it was safe to come out. This time he went to the Stables. 

The three girls would then settle down in the dining room and mend stockings. Cyril would return back to the home and go back to the boy's room for a few minutes. He would come to the living room with his coat and hat on. The gun was in his hand.

He pointed the gun at Alvera first, she would stand up and scream "Auntie". He then pointed the gun at Gladys, and then the gun at Eleanor. "Please don't shoot me Cyril," was what Eleanor cried before he pulled the trigger. He shot her through her left side of her neck. He fled the house and she would hold her head down for a brief second and then held her neck and ran outside the back door. 

She would collapse next to the water tank. Gladys ran outside to get her father and brother. She screamed and told them that Eleanor had been shot. They got to the house in the cart. Their father would hold Eleanor in his arms as she died. 

He was found guilty at trial and was set to hang just after Christmas. His sentence would be commuted to life in prison. He would then be released from prison in 1935. 

SOURCES:

The Haunts of Adelaide 

The Register September 12, 1922

The Argus November 30, 1922

The Sydney Morning Herald November 30, 1922

Barrier Miner December 23, 1922

Kalgoorlie Miner December 23, 1922

The Mail March 16, 1935

UNIDENTIFIED: September 6, 1932 Pelham, North Carolina John Doe

 On September 6, 1932, a young man was killed in a railway accident in Pelham, North Carolina. He would be buried at the Oak Hill Cemetary in Danville, Virginia. There is little information in this case. 

SOURCES:

Find a Grave

Unidentified WIki

UNIDENTIFIED: September 5, 1922 Kearney, Missouri John Doe

On September 5, 1922, a man had robbed a post office in Kearney Missouri. He had been shot by the city marshall Frank Milbourn. his identity is unknown and he had broken into several buildings in town. 

He was a white male and was around 20-years-old. His hat had an Iowa town mark and a picture of a woman and child photographed in Clinton, Illinois. 

SOURCES:

Unidentified Wikipedia

Find a Grave

Missouri Digital Heritage: Missouri Death Certificates, 1910-1970

UNIDENTIFIED: September 4, 1779 Liverpool, England

On September 4, 1779, an unknown man drowned in Liverpool, England. He was buried at St. John's Garden.

SOURCES:

Find a Grave