Grandfather's ghost story leads to mysterious mass grave

Grandfather's ghost story leads to mysterious mass grave

www.cnn.com

"Duffy's Cut," as it's now called, is a short walk from a suburban cul-de-sac in Malvern, an affluent town off the fabled Main Line. Twin brothers Bill and Frank Watson believe 57 Irish immigrants met violent deaths there after a cholera epidemic struck in 1832.

They suspect foul play.

"This is a murder mystery from 178 years ago, and it's finally coming to the light of day," Frank Watson said.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
duffyscut.immaculata.edu
en.wikipedia.org
www.philadelphiaw eekly.com
www.penn.museum

This is an interesting article that had its origin as ghost story to the Watson brothers by their Grandfather, but turned out to be more than just a tale to give his grandchildren the creeps. The seemingly harmless ghost story turned out to be more than a chillingly yarn, but a potential mass murder that may have taken place near Philadelphia almost 200 years ago?

The brothers set out to the location of where the ghost story took place and partook in some amateur archaeology, and uncovered some telling circumstantial evidence. After heightening the interest of university professionals, it seems the Irish immigrants may have met their fates not by a viral epidemic but by the hands of man?

It seems perhaps some of the concerns felt by the alleged assailants may have been similar to our own in this day and age? Immigrants where coming over in droves as they are now and people worry about their livelihoods, competition, disease, and other perceived changes to their way of life.

In the past mistrust and ignorance has led to violence and even murder. It may have been the case with these Irish immigrants, and the scenario could very well happen again if the hot topic issue of Illegal Immigration takes a turn for the worse? Lets hope people remain civil and humane as politicians, the MSM, and others continue their sinister ways of fanning the flames of xenophobia and hatred. Sometimes by looking at events from the past, it is mirror of ourselves in the present.

www.cnn.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

[edit on 24-8-2010 by Jakes51]

Interesting, I live 10 minutes away. I feel like a trip is in order!

reply to post by Fester_


OH! Pictures are a must remember!
Hope you bring us back some good ones.

Thanks for the thread OP - always interesting how sometimes dead men do tell tales!

peace

I read this on cnn the other day and thought it was an intriguing story. I was really impressed with these guys for the time and effort they've spent researching this potentially history changing story. Thanks for posting this, can't wait to hear more about it.

reply to post by Fester_


It would be awesome if you could check into this on your own, and pictures would be great! It is a sad story if these men were indeed executed and the crimes covered up by the killers as death arising from a cholera epidemic. I am anxiously awaiting what conclusions the research team makes on this one. From what I read in the article it looks like a mass murder took place?

reply to post by silo13


Yes, dead men do tell tales. It is a fascinating story about two brothers being told a ghost story by their Grandfather and it later turning into a story of far more sinister intentions. These immigrants looked to have been murdered? I thought the story showed the dark side of where this Illegal Immigration issue could go if we continue to allow those with sinister intentions to fan the flames of hatred and ignorance. Thanks for the reply!

reply to post by supergeek


Yes, it is a very intriguing story. My hats off to the Watson brothers for taking time out of their days to see that justice is given to the Irish Immigrants in this story who may been murdered. Hopefully, these men who perished in such an unspeakable form of brutality can be identified through dental records, given a dignified burial, and offer some closure to their ancestors who may not have known what really happened to their relatives almost 200 years ago. If these men were massacred, it is definitely history changing. It is also one hell of a cover-up by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Sad story all altogether.

reply to post by Jakes51


Dental records from the 1800s? Do those exist?

Really cool story Jakes51, very eerie to as I imagined the specters of fifty Irish ghosts glowing blue and green dancing a jig as a train passed by, and a shocked engineer no doubt wondering if he had too much Irish Whiskey himself.

It’s amazing to think the unknown history that is buried literally all around us, well underneath us all around us.

I wonder what happened to them, the only reason I can think that 50 Irish men would be murdered is if they refused to join the Union Army after being drafted.