Did the 'Bell Witch' Once Terrify a Small Community in Lauderdale County, Alabama?

An interesting article appeared in several newspapers across Alabama in 1912. The article reported that the residents of a small community in Lauderdale County of north Alabama were frightened by a "strange animal." Even more peculiar, many residents who heard the beast's haunting screams at night claimed that this was no ordinary animal. They believed the infamous Bell Witch had come to terrorize their small community.

Bell WitchPhoto byimage created by April Killian (bing images)

The Legend of the Bell Witch

The legend of the Bell Witch was a story that originated in Adams, Tennessee around 145 miles north of Lauderdale County, Alabama. From 1817 to 1821, the family of John Bell was supposedly haunted and tormented by an entity called the Bell Witch which eventually poisoned and killed John Bell. Throughout the hauntings, the Bell Witch was thought to shapeshift into several forms, including a strange animal that resembled a dog. In fact, the Bell Witch haunting began in 1817 when John Bell saw the apparition of an animal that looked like a large dog with the head of a rabbit. During the haunting, the Bell family often heard dogs growling or fighting, the sound of animals gnawing on their beds, and a slave owned by the family said a large black dog often followed him as he walked at night. Witnesses said the Bell Witch communicated regularly amid horrifying screams and cackling in the night.

Bell Witch in the Blackburn Community

The newspaper article from 1912 centered on the small community of Blackburn in Lauderdale County which it called the 'Blackburn beat". Although the community of Blackburn no longer exsists, it was once a lively community with it's own passenger station for the L&N Railroad. It was located near the site of the present day Wilson School in the area of Lauderdale County Road 224. The story was first reported by a Florence, Alabama correspondent for the Birmingham News in February, 1912. It was published a few days later by several Alabama newspapers including the local Florence Herald and Leighton News of neighboring Colbert County. The story read:

The Bell witch, which many years ago brought terror and destruction to an East Tennessee family, has reappeared, this time in Blackburn beat, this Lauderdale county, according to the belief of some residents of that place. The story has reached Florence that a strange animal is seen roaming in that section which resembles a large dog, but the most terrifying part of it is its scream. This can be beard for a mile or more and resembles the scream of a woman in terror. The animal is of a reddish brown color with a white streak about its throat. Few have seen it but many have beard it and the boldest are afraid to be abroad after dark. Remembering the sad fate of Judge Bell no one his had courage to shoot at tbe animal. Squire Silas L. Bradley, of Blackburn beat, who was a recent visitor to Florence, is convinced that a deep mystery surrounds the strange animal.

Published March 8, 1912Photo byLeighton News (via newspapers.com)

"Blackburn Beast" Mentioned Ten Years Later

Approximately ten years later, the Florence Herald printed a small paragraph eerily similar to the original article from 1912 (see original newspaper clipping below). Was the Bell Witch back in Blackburn?

The Florence Herald, Florence, Alabama, Fri, Mar 3, 1922Photo byFlorence Herald (via newspapers.com)

What Was the Mysterious "Blackburn Beast"?

What was this "strange animal" that frightened the residents in Lauderdale County in 1912 and 1922? Unfortunately, there were no additional articles published about the fate of the "strange animal" or a possible Bell Witch haunting in Lauderdale County. Was the entire story simply the product of a reporter with a great imagination? Were the screams heard at night from a known animal such as a mountain lion? Was this something much more sinister such as a visit from the Bell Witch, herself? What do you think? Leave a note in the comments!

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