Ghost Adventures – Bracken Fern Manor and Tudor House – S12E03

While in Lake Arrowhead California, Zak is going to investigate two locations at once that happen to be right next to each other. On one side is the Bracken Fern Manor and on the other is the Tudor House. These two locations were built during the 20s Prohibition era and were known to be a playground for celebrities who wanted to escape the public eye. They indulged in gambling, prostitution and bootleg liquor. There is even talk that Bugsy Siegel may have been involved with the operation. However, the local historian dismisses these claims and says the mob wasn’t involved. He does agree there was plenty of liquor, women and gambling. He also disagrees with Zak that there is a network of tunnels linking the buildings and fanning out in all directions. Zak is quite convinced of these tunnels and isn’t willing to take no for an answer.

As he talks with some of the local staff, he meets with a housekeeper who says she was grabbed while cleaning one of the rooms. They also speak with her son Robert who says he was scratched by one of the spirits and the experience has changed him, and not for the better. He insists the encounter made him violent and aggressive toward people. The mother happens to agree. As they take a tour with Robert, he becomes very agitated. At this same time, Zak and Aaron get an odor of sulfur which they say is the smell associated with negative and demonic energy.

They meet with another man who claims he was down in that same area and smelled rotten eggs. He also claims to have seen a Native American woman, and the spirit walked right through him.

Since Zak didn’t believe the local historian about the tunnels, he brings in a ground penetrating radar specialist and they scan the ground between the two buildings looking for the remnants of a tunnel. While GPR doesn’t actually show tunnels and the like, it does show ground disturbances. As they scan, it looks like there might be something that could form a tunnel between the two buildings. It seems to head in the right direction and be the right width. However, it’s a big if. Even the specialist says it’s only 50-50 to be a tunnel. He’s only able to show the ground is different in locations. However, as they continue, Zak feels they get the best evidence yet that something was dug and then caved in. This might be confirmed by some sinking home foundations in the path they are walking. The radar specialist is willing to up the percentages of a tunnel, but, since they can’t dig anywhere nor do they find any sort of entrance, they are still mostly guessing. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time tunnels were built for the purpose of smuggling liquor and women.

As they begin the investigation, they focus on the story of Violet, who is said to have killed herself after her lover was killed by the mob. We don’t really have a link to the mob, but the idea is certainly plausible. They investigate her room and Zak feels the presence of a woman come up to him. While working with the Ovilus, they get the words Gateway and Lasting. Zak feels strongly this refers to the tunnels they found earlier.

In another part, they set up the Rem Pod and with the help of the SLS they detect a figure moving around. They feel it is a woman sitting across from Zak. During this time they also hear footsteps and get the smell of rotten eggs again.

While trying to communicate with Violet and ask about the details of her death, Zak gets the words Axe for how she was killed and Money as the reason. It’s hard to say if that’s a mob connection, but it certainly sounds like their method and style. Along with this, Billy feels something sneak up on him while down in the lower part of the house. He also gets the words Found and Malicious on his device as though they have found a malicious spirit. The word malicious is coming up a lot lately.

While a Speakeasy with mob connections makes for a good story, there are a whole lot of assumptions associated with this. It’s sort of hard to dispute a mob connection with this sort of place, but they are really reaching to make it happen. And of course, there is always the hard luck story of a prostitute who kills herself. How many times have we heard this snippet before?

As far as evidence goes, it’s pretty hard to latch onto anything solid. Phantom smells aren’t really evidence even if you do think it’s the devil showing up. That SLS camera is somewhat interesting, but who knows what the devil that thing is locking onto. And footsteps in an old building? I think we can come up with some earthly reasons for those like the ever popular expanding and contracting of wood. The scratches on Robert? It’s interesting, but the guy works in an old building, that could be from anything. His aggression? In today’s modern age, that too could be from anything and perhaps he should see someone about it. There might a simple medical explanation.

Again, paranormal is for things that don’t have a regular explanation. There is nothing in this investigation that suggest these events defy explanation. Hell, that sulfur smell could be from a bad lunch and someone just didn’t want to fess up.

Other Articles of Interest:

• Ghost Adventures – The National Hotel – S06E04
• Ghost Adventures – Nopeming Sanatorium – S10E07
• Ghost Adventures – Heritage Junction – S09E06
• Ghost Adventures – Salem Witch House – S04E19
• Ghost Adventures – Commanders House – S16E12
• Ghost Adventures – Dakotas Sanatorium of Death – S13E12
• Ghost Adventures – Astoria Underground – S16E10
• Ghost Adventures – Sacramento Tunnels – S04E23
• Ghost Adventures – Lechtworth Village – S05E06
• Ghost Adventures – Portland Oregon – Shanghai Tunnels – S06E01