Spirits linger after death

By Mark Schulman
Campus Life Editor

There are many locations in Eastern North Carolina where spirits are said to continue to linger long after their untimely deaths.

These places include the Sandford House and The Vander Light in Fayetteville and The Meadowbrook Cemetary in Lumberton.

North Carolina has a unique blend of history and legends that entails strange phenomenon that science cannot explain.

These accounts have been derived by many different witnesses and sources. But for the curious individual, he or she can conduct his or her investigation.

Clare Townsend died on her wedding night at the young age of 24 in 1912. Many people claim to see her apparition strolling through the Meadowbrook Cemetary late at night. Her tombstone reads: “The same sweet face, but glorified, is waiting in that home where we shall meet.”

People have seen a mysterious glow along an abandoned set of railroad tracks in Fayetteville known as The Vander Light. One stormy night a long time ago, Ticketmaster Archer Matthews was waiting for the next train to approach when he heard a noise in the neighboring woods. He grabbed a lantern and went to the edge of the train platform above the tracks to investigate the disturbance. He slipped and fell onto the tracks. As he lay unconscious, the train barreled over him, ending his life. To this day, you can still see the light of Archer Matthews’ lantern still looking for the noise from the woods.

The Sandford House is reported to have the Lady in Black appear on the staircase of this old house in downtown Fayetteville. A young lady and her lover once lived in this house during the Civil War. They tried to escape through a tunnel as the Union Army approached when it collapsed, burying the two alive. Guests of the house have sighted imprints of a body on the couch, most likely the woman’s lover who will also change the television channels.