ERIC BRADLEY | REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK
A few weeks ago I was having lunch at Tea Roses, 101 E. Main St., in downtown Mason with a colleague when they let me in on something that is definitely not everyday lunch conversation -- this place is haunted, folks.
How haunted? I asked the owner, Sally Gasior.
Haunted enough for the basement door she locked the night before to be mysteriously unlocked. She forgot to lock or close it, you might say.
All right, how about this? There is an iron faceplate on the fireplace downstairs. It is a pretty heavy looking, securely fitted piece of metal. Just before they opened Tea Roses, Gasior said, it was found dislodged on the floor.
That's not all. Chelsea Hartz and Julia Hall, servers at Tea Roses, were in an upstairs bedroom that, legend has it, was the site of a woman's murder.
"They were both in there working," Gasior said. "One of them felt something fall out of her apron pocket."
"She saw a ball of yarn going across the floor. She looked at the other girl --she had seen the ball of yarn, too. When they looked back, it was gone."
No, I'm not scared, but I may be running up the steps tonight if all the lights are off downstairs.
So who is this mysterious alleged ghost?
Her name was Rebecca McClung, as many long time Mason residents might know. It is said she was exceptionally beautiful and that she had a jealous husband who rarely let her leave the house.
On April 12, 1901, her husband allegedly murdered her in her favorite upstairs bedroom. Even though he was found with blood on him, the story goes, he managed to escape conviction.
Could it be true? Was this woman who met an untimely death really killed by her husband? Is she haunting 101 E. Main St.?
I intend to find out in the coming weeks.
To gather information, I'm asking readers out there to call me. E-mail works, too.
The leaves are falling and Halloween is approaching. Instead of candy, let's swap stories about the time Rebecca said hello to you and what you know about the house.
My information is below. Have you had experiences at the building that at times has served as a residence, hotel and restaurant? Do you know of anyone who has? Nothing is too trivial.
Is it just a tall tale? I'll leave you with this: Rebecca McClung is buried in Rose Hill Cemetery. She died on April 12, 1901.
http://news.communitypress.com/apps/pbc ... 1075/Local
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