Arkansas History's Mysteries - The Mystery of the Mena Poltergeist

In 1960, in the sleepy town of Mena in western Arkansas, a strange set of events were occurring.    Ed Shinn, a 72 year old farmer, his wife Birdie, and their grandson, Charles Elbert Shaeffer, lived in a small farmhouse three miles east of town.  One evening, just after midnight, Ed and Birdie were snuggled in bed when suddenly windows began rattling.  Puzzled, Mr. Shinn went to investigate but could find no reason for it.  He dismissed the event and went back to bed.  Then strange noises started assaulting the couple.  They explained the noises as "knocking on the wall like someone coming in."  Sometimes the noises were even stranger, sounding like someone was running a handsaw in the attic above their bed.  One night the noises were so intense that they were keeping the couple awake.  Mrs. Shinn politely asked the noises to be quiet and go to sleep.  "I don’t sleep," the entity replied.  "Will you let me sleep?" Mrs. Shinn asked.  "You don’t need to sleep either," the ghost responded.  The mysterious noises frightened the Shinns, but they decided not to tell anyone of the strange occurrences.

In late November, the activity intensified.  Now, instead of strange knockings, objects began to fly through the living room.  Ed found his grandson’s marbles scattered around the room.  He put them back in their place only to find them on the floor moments later.  Light bulbs were unscrewed.  Various pieces of furniture flew as if thrown by some strange force.  Matches fell off the fireplace mantle and ignited.  Two figurines flew into the back of Ed’s head.  Birdie reported being hit in the face with one of the marbles.  The couple’s grandson also told of strange happenings.  He claimed that his covers had been pulled off him in the middle of the night.

While the Shinns decided to keep the mystery to themselves, it soon became public knowledge.  Bridie was visiting her local butcher and accidentally told him of the bizarre occurrences (although it is hard to see how such a secret would come up in ordinary conversation).  Soon the story spread and the Shinns could no longer keep it a secret.  "I guess I must have started it all," the butcher admitted, "I got worried and sent a neighbor out to check on it."  Neighbors around Mena began to gossip about the house.  As the stories got around town, they began to grow more and more fanciful.  One story went that neighbors saw the Shinn’s mailbox revolving.  Others claimed to have seen a coal bucket floating through the air.  Another swore he saw a can of dog food levitate and hang in the air.  The stories soon made the house the focal point for the town’s tourism industry.  Through that first week of December, as many as 300 spectators a night came to the house with the hopes of seeing something supernatural.  This obviously annoyed Ed, who remarked, "Ten people came in and went all through our house the other day and didn’t say a word."  Eventually, the police came to the house to stem the constant trespassing. 

National experts began to weigh in on the occurrences.  The Parapsychology Laboratory at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, told the Associated Press that the events in Mena sounded like events that they had studied around the world.  Their opinion, without having studied the specific case in detail, was that it seemed to resemble a "poltergeist."  Poltergeist in German means "noisy ghost" or "mischievous ghost."  This type of entity, J.G. Pratt, assistant director of the Duke lab remarked, "challenges investigation in our field."

As the activity continued, Shinn decided that enough was enough and he loaded up his family into his truck and decided to leave the house and stay with relatives.  While the Shinn family was away, Polk County Sheriff Bruce Scoggin and three deputies along with four reporters from the local press decided to spend the night in the house to see if they could figure out what was going on.  One of the deputies, John Egger, told the Associated Press, "There’s no doubt queer things have been going on around here.  I can’t explain it.  Of course, no one believes in ghosts.  I’ve just got to where nothing surprises me anymore."  All through the night, the sheriff and his deputies stayed up, waiting for a chair to fly or to be pelted with marbles.  As morning dawned the next day, the law men exited the home – their only experience a lack of sleep.

Shinn decided that no ghost was going to run him out of his home and he moved the family back in.  He told reporters, "We just don’t believe in ghosts.  When something is done, humans have to do it."  Instead of a supernatural reason, Shinn searched for the mundane to explain the events.  At least, mundane for someone living in 1960.  Shinn blamed the ongoing Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union -- it just had to have something to do with nuclear weapons testing.  Maybe radiation fallout was the reason why objects were floating across his living room.  "I believe it has something to do with those rockets and space ships and bomb tests.  Didn’t the papers say Arkansas got more fallout than any other state in the Union?" he asked.  One neighbor, J.L. Ply, told the press, "I talked to a smart fellow about this thing once and he told me it might be caused by uranium brought in through their well."  Sheriff Scoggin brought a Geiger counter to the house, but was unable to detect any radioactivity. 

After the night’s stay had revealed no strange activity, the sheriff decided that the strange happenings had to have some more pedestrian source.  The sheriff and a deputy decided to make a visit at the local high school where young Charles Shaeffer was attending classes.  The sheriff interrogated Charles and eventually the young man admitted that he was the source of the strange occurrences.  Charles sobbed that he had started the pranks several years earlier because he felt that his grandfather had been "picking on" him.  He told the lawmen that it all began with small pranks:  he would bring a pair of pliers to bed with him and then tap the steel bed frame to make noises to disturb his grandparents.  He would rattle the window blinds when no one was looking.  Another favorite prank of his was to rearrange the furniture in the living room when his grandparents were away.  He would throw chairs from the kitchen into the living room causing Ed and Birdie to think that the furniture was flying on its own.  He even created a scary voice to make them believe that they were talking to a ghost.  His grandmother actually caught him once, he recalled.  She saw him throwing pillows out of the kitchen, but he denied it.  He said he never intended anyone to get hurt.  "I didn’t mean to hurt no one," he cried.  In fact, he said that when the press got involved, he could not figure out a way to stop.

The townspeople were shocked to find that they had been fooled by a teenage boy.  Most described him as a nice boy who they would not have suspected of such a scheme.  The press tried to salvage what was an embarrassing story.  While admitting that they had been fooled, the editor of the Arkansas Democrat wrote in an editorial that many smart people believe in such things as poltergeists.  "There’s always the chance that a prankster is responsible for weird happenings as in this case," the editor wrote, "On the other hand, reputable scientists -- neurologists, psychologists and physicists -- have investigated cases in Europe, and they are of the opinion that psychic energy may be responsible."  After all, poltergeists are supposed to be practical jokers.  They tend to be more mischievous than anything… maybe even acting like a fifteen year old teenager.  But, the moral to this story is this:  If you are planning on a fun practical joke on a loved one, make sure that the press does not get involved.  Happy April Fool’s Day!

March 2016 Arkansas History Commission Newsletter

Look inside the March 2016 Issue of the Arkansas Archivist for these and other features!

AHC Celebrates Women’s History Month

Hair tied up in a bandana, arm flexed revealing a rather “unladylike” bicep, clad in the uniform of a factory worker —this is a familiar image to those who have seen  propaganda posters from World War II.  She has been called “Rosie the Riveter”  and that seems like such a stereotype, but during World War II, it was not just a stereotype.

The AHC and BHCA Welcome New Commissioner Elise Hampton

The BHCA and AHC are greatly committed to education, which is why we are excited to welcome Elise Hampton as a  new  member  of  the  Black  History  Commission  of Arkansas.  Ms. Hampton was born and raised in Conway, Arkansas.   She received her Bachelor of Science in Education from the  University  of Central Arkansas focusing on middle level education.

From the Director

In June 2014, the Arkansas History Commission and the Black History Commission met jointly to discuss long-term planning for the state archives.  The result of those discussions is a ten-year strategic plan adopted at the last quarterly meeting of the AHC on March 10.  The plan provides seven goals the agency will accomplish by 2025, and identifies numerous activities that agency staff will undertake as we work to achieve those goals. Goals identified in the plan include: improving and promoting public access to agency collections and expanding our holdings; strengthening the agency’s technology infrastructure and expanding digital initiatives; strengthening the role of the state archives in preserving state records; providing support for the preservation of local government records; cultivating outreach opportunities; providing appropriate staffing for our three facilities; and addressing our growing facility needs.

News from SARA

Lillian Florence “Lillie” Middlebrooks made  her  own  mark  on  Arkansas women’s history.  Lillie was born April 28, 1887, to George D. and Mary Tyson Middlebrooks  who  were  married  in 1882 in Nevada County.  The family was living in Parker Township, Nevada County at the time of the 1900 census, but by 1910 they had moved to Hope in  Hempstead  County  where  Mr. Middlebrooks’ occupation was listed as commercial traveler.

Genealogy Event at SARA in Washington

The Arkansas History Commission and State Archives, the Arkansas Genealogical Society, and the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives Foundation, Inc., will be hosting their annual history symposium on Saturday, April 30, 2016, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the 1914 Schoolhouse at Historic Washington State Park. The symposium’s theme, “Discovering Your Story, “ will feature speakers, James G. Jones, Dr. Daniel F. Littlefield, and Arkansas History Commission staff members Melissa Nesbitt and Jane Hooker.

Topics will include “DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy,” “American Indian Family Stories: Fact or Fiction,” “Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives: Guide to Historical and Genealogical Records,” and “New Services and a New Face: The Arkansas History Commission Today.”

The seminar is free but registration is required. Teachers can earn up to four professional development hours through attendance. Registration is limited and deadline for registration will be Monday, April 25. Check-in will begin at 9:15 a.m., the morning of April 30. Lunch will be provided for attendees.

The Arkansas History Commission, located in Little Rock, is the official state archives of Arkansas and maintains the largest collection of historical materials on Arkansas in the world. The Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives is a resource center for historical research, dedicated to the purpose of collecting and preserving primary source materials that bring together the unique history, culture, and heritage of Southwest Arkansas. SARA is located in the former Washington Elementary School at 201 Highway 195 South, Washington, Arkansas.

For more information about the symposium or to register, contact us at history.commission@arkansas.gov or call us at 501-682-6900.

Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - C.P. Newton papers, SMC.13.3b

Clarence P. Newton was born July 31, 1879, in Pettus Township, Lonoke County, Arkansas. He became editor for the "England Courier" in 1902, and remained in the position for almost ten years. He was appointed superintendent of the Confederate Home at Sweet Home, Arkansas, by Governor Joe T. Robinson in 1913. Newton's political career began as a state representative for Lonoke County, 1909-1913. He returned to the legislature in 1919 as Speaker of the House. In 1920, Newton was appointed Prohibition Inspector for the federal government, and in 1921 became Governor Thomas McRae's private secretary. He was elected county judge for Pulaski County in 1924, 1940, and 1942. Newton married Hazel Wilson of Yell County, Arkansas, in 1924. He was also a Mason, and a member of the Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church, where he taught a men's Bible study group. He died in 1958.

This collection contains correspondence, documents, news clippings, and memorabilia belonging to Clarence P. Newton and his wife, Hazel.

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• 1. 1919 October 15: Joe T. Robinson, Washington, District of Columbia, to C.P. Newton, Little Rock, Arkansas (Reel MG00207)
• 2. 1920 March 20: Thomas C. McRae, Prescott, Arkansas, to C.P. Newton
• 3. 1920 October 14: Thomas C. McRae, Prescott, Arkansas, to C.P. Newton, Little Rock, Arkansas
• 4. 1920 December 24: Thomas C. McRae, Prescott, Arkansas, to C.P. Newton
• 5. 1921 May 1: Thomas C. McRae, Prescott, Arkansas, to C.P. Newton
• 6. 1925 January: "The Journal of Arkansas Education"
• 7. 1934 July 31: J.M. Futrall, Little Rock, Arkansas, to "Those Interested in Our Common Schools"
• 8. 1935 April 15: George Vaughan, Fayetteville, Arkansas, to C.P. Newton, Little Rock, Arkansas
• 9. 1935 April 25: C.P. Newton to George Vaughan, Fayetteville, Arkansas
• 10. 1949 January 11: Napkin from inaugural reception of Governor Sid McMath
• 11. 1949 March 10: Commission, Judge C.P. Newton as member of the Arkansas Tax Commission
• 12. 1949 March 17: C. Hamilton Moses, Little Rock, Arkansas, to C.P. Newton, Little Rock, Arkansas
• 13. 1949 June 10: Invitation to a reception for the President of the United States
• 14. 1949 July 15: Bert Webb, Little Rock, Arkansas, to C.P. Newton, Little Rock, Arkansas
• 15. 1949 July 29: Program, Judge Newton's birthday dinner, Pulaski Heights Methodist Church
• 16. 1953 February 20: Lawrence Mitchell, Prescott, Arkansas, to C.P. Newton, autobiography of William Vernon Tompkins, attorney of Prescott, Arkansas included
• 17. 1959 January 12: J.T. Johnson, Little Rock, Arkansas, to Mrs. C.P. Newton, Little Rock, Arkansas, Resolution upon the passing of Judge Clarence Price Newton and adoption of a new class name in his memory
• 18. 1959 January 15: Mrs. C.P. Newton to "To the Men's Bible Class Pulaski Heights Methodist Episcopal Church, Little Rock, Arkansas
• 19. 1959 March 22: Newsclipping, "Pulaski Heights Men to Dedicate Lecturn"
• 20. 1959 April 10: J. Kenneth Shamblin, Little Rock, Arkansas, to Mrs. C.P. Newton, Little Rock, Arkansas
• 21. Undated: Newsclipping, "Are you Listening?"
• 22. Undated: Invitation, "Governor and Mrs. Sid McMath request the pleasure of Judge and Mrs. C.P. Newton's company at dinner"
• 23. Undated: Letterhead, Arkansas Legislative Council
• 24. Undated: Identification card, Judge C.P. Newton, Chairman, Tax Commision, signed by Sid McMath
• 25. Undated: Letterhead, Arkansas Tax Commission
• 26. Undated: Letterhead, Pulaski County, Arkansas, C.P. Newton, County and Juvenile Courts Judge
• 27. Undated: Thomas C. McRae, Prescott, Arkansas, to C.P. Newton

Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - Arkansas Female College records, SMC.1.4

The Arkansas Female College was founded in 1872 by Myra C. Warner as an institute of higher education for young women. Mrs. Warner acted as principal and teacher at the college for many years. The college was housed in the Albert Pike Mansion in Little Rock, until 1889, when it moved to a smaller site.

Mrs. Warner's daughter, Julia McAlmont Warner, born in 1860, began teaching at the school at age seventeen. She was fluent in German, French, Spanish, Latin, and Italian. Julia was a member of the Aesthetic Club for thirty-one years and co-founder of the Mayflower Society and Alliance Francaise. She was also a charter member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and a member of the Colonial Dames. She died December 30, 1927.

This collection contains catalogs, commencement notices, and miscellaneous items pertaining to Arkansas Female College. Also included are news clippings on Julia McAlmont Warner.

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• Catalogs (Reel MG00201)
  
  • 1875-1876
  • 1879-1880
  • 1880-1881
  • 1887-1888
  • 1895-1896
• Commencement notices and invitations
  
  • 1879
  • 1881
  • 1889
  • 1890
• Miscellaneous
  
  • 1875 June 15: Program, Arkansas Female College concert
  • 1876 June 7: Invitation to Art Levee
  • 1886 December 16: Invitation to library reception, compliments of the faculty
  • 1887 March: "The A.F.C. Aedes Librorum," Little Rock, Arkansas
  • 1886 July 8: An address to the people of Arkansas, by the directors of Arkansas Female College
  • Undated: Diploma, Arkansas Female College
  • Undated: Examination on Latin grammar
• Julia McAlmont Warner newsclippings
  
  • 1912 July 3: "Ex-Pupils of Mrs. Myra Warner to Do Honor to Pioneer Educator Today," Arkansas Gazette
  • 1921 July 4: "Mrs. Myra Warner Dies at Home Here," Arkansas Gazette
  • 1921 May 16: "Mrs. Myra Warner is Shown Honor," Arkansas Gazette
  • 1921: "A Teacher of Youth"
  • 1927 December 30: "Miss Julia Warner dies at her Home"
  • 1928 January 3: "In Memorium: Julia McAlmont Warner" by Mary P. Fletcher
  • 1928 April 26: "In Memory of Julia McAlmont Warner" by Mrs. Charles L. Gordy, Mrs. William W. Mitchell, Mrs. J.S. Eggleston
  • 1942 February 15: "Students and Faculty Members with Graduating Class of Arkansas Female College in 1889," Arkansas Gazette
  • 1948 July 5: "Fifty Years Ago," Arkansas Gazette
  • Undated: "Julia McAlmont Warner"
  • Undated: "Glimpses of Yesterday," Arkansas Gazette
• Warner Literary Club
  
  • 1894-1895: "Research," Warner Literary Club, Little Rock, Arkansas
  • 1896-1897: Warner Literary Club, Little Rock, Arkansas
  • 1897-1898: Calendar, Warner Literary Club, Little Rock, Arkansas

Wednesday's Wonderful Collection - El Dorado Pan Hellenic Association records, MS.000100

The El Dorado Pan Hellenic Association was organized in the 1920s by women who had belonged to college sororities. The association raised money on balls that were the county social events until President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Birthday Balls. Money was loaned to scholastically qualified girls to go to college. The association went out of existence in the early 1960s.

This collection contains correspondence, loan forms, cancelled checks, receipts, account records, and other miscellaneous items.

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• Loans given (Box 1)
  
  • 1. Ruby Irby (Mrs. Edward) Adams
  • 2. Modean Sides (Mrs. Bruce) Anthony
  • 3. Mary Frances Ball
  • 4. Hattie Barringer
  • 5. Helen Bezoni
  • 6. Evelyn Blass; Mary Frances Bowen: See Mrs. Willard Glowers
  • 7. Fannie Bradford
  • 8. Kathleen Bradford
  • 9. Merle M. Burke
  • 10. Mary Frances Bowen (Mrs. Willard) Glowers
  • 11. Christine Culp
  • 12. Monnie Davis
  • 13. Cathrin Francis; Vestell Francis: See Mrs. F. M. Harrison
  • 14. Ruth Welch (Mrs. Prentiss) Griffith
  • 15. Vestell Francis (Mrs. F.M.) Harrison
  • 16. Dorothy Hoskins; Marjorie Slater Inabnette: See Marjorie Slater; Ruby Irby: See Mrs. Edward Adams; Blanche Jernigan: See Mrs. Earl Phillips
  • 17. Mary Ann Lee
  • 18. Mildred Leroux
  • 19. Audna Lewis
  • 20. Agee McMurrain (Mrs. F.B.) Lowe
  • 21. Marie Willett (Mrs. William C.) Lowe; Agee McMurrain: See Mrs. F.B. Lowe
  • 22. Doris Whittington (Mrs. Otho N.) Milton
  • 23. M. E. Mullins
  • 25. Blanche Jernigan (Mrs. Earl) Phillips; Modean Sides: See Mrs. Bruce Anthony
  • 24. Mary E. Parsons
  • 26. Marjorie Slater
  • 27. Angie Mai Tankersley
  • 28. Dorothy Mae Whittington (Mrs. H. Y.) Thompson
  • 29. Chloe Tucker
  • 30. Melba Ruth Ware; Ruth Welch: See Mrs. Prentiss Griffith; Doris Whittington: See Mrs. Otho N. Milton; Dorothy Mae Whittington: See Mrs. H. Y. Thompson; Marie Willett: See Mrs. William C. Lowe
• Loans not granted (Box 2)
  
  • 31. Urcelle Curry
  • 32. Dorothy Lester
  • 33. Dawne Tucker
  • 34. Billy Marie Williams
• Cancelled checks, receipts, forms
  
  • 35. 1925-1926
  • 36. 1927
  • 37. 1928
  • 38. 1929
  • 39. 1930
  • 40. 1931
  • 41. 1932
  • 42. 1933
  • 43. To Mrs. B.J. Whittington
  • 44. For loans
  • 45. Overdrawn check forms from Exchange Bank and Trust Company of El Dorado, [Arkansas]
  • 46. Receipts from payments made on loans
  • 47. Receipt book stubs
  • 48. Accounts of loans issued and payments made thereon
  • 49. Rough draft of letters
  • 50. Announcement, loans offered from the Scholarship Loan Fund, 1946 March 8
  • 51. Internal Revenue Service forms
  • 52. Miscellaneous
  • 53. Blank forms for loans
• Ledger books (Box 3)
  
  • 54. Records of payments made #1
  • 55. Records of payments made #2

Acquisitions and Accessions for March 2016

AHC Books and Periodicals

The Backtracker:  Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society, Vol. 44, No. 4 Autumn 2015

The Heritage:  Hot Spring County, Arkansas Historical Society, Vol. 41, 2014

State College of Arkansas “Scroll” 1966

State College of Arkansas “Scroll” 1968

State College of Arkansas “Scroll” 1970

State College of Arkansas “Scroll” 1971

State College of Arkansas “Scroll” 1972

State College of Arkansas “Scroll” 1973

State College of Arkansas “Scroll” 1974

University of Central Arkansas “Scroll” 1975

University of Central Arkansas “Scroll” 1976

University of Central Arkansas “Scroll” 1977

University of Central Arkansas “Scroll” 1980

University of Central Arkansas “Scroll” 1981

University of Central Arkansas “Scroll” 1985

University of Central Arkansas “Scroll” 1989

University of Central Arkansas “Scroll” 1990

AHC Printed Ephemera

Perry County Historical Society, November and December 2015 Newsletter

Brickwall Gazette, November 15, 2015

Brickwall Gazette, December 5, 2015

Brickwall Gazette, January 17, 2016

Carroll County Historical Quarterly, Volume 60, No. 4, December 2015

Madison County Musings, Volume 34, No. 4, Winter 2015

The Chestnut Tree:  The Pierre Chastain Family Association, Vol. 42, No. 1, January 2016

South Arkansas Historical Journal, Vol I5, Fall 2015, 3 copies

SARA Periodicals

 

Ouachita County Historical Quarterly, Vol. 47, No. 2, Winter 2015

AHC Accessions 

State Land Survey Plats supplement, 9 cu. ft.

Nancy J. Hall Portrait and Plaque

John Lee Webb House, Condition Assessment Report, 2 cu ft

Jesse Core Papers, 22 cu. Ft

Arkansas Black Hall of Fame Journals, 0.25 cu ft

Arkansas Department of Career Education, Photograph Collection, 0.50 cu ft

Pulaski Chancery Court Summons, Henry Wilson, 0.1 cu ft

Henry Norwood collection, 1.2 cu ft