Uncle Mike
Interview by Dave Juliano
I interviewed the owner of this haunted house located in southern
New Jersey about 12 years ago. This is the story she told of some
incidents in her house and others with her family. This house is on a
quiet street in a small town.
It started in the early sixties , when Joan's brother Mike started
dating a wild girl whom the family called Reds. One night out, Mike and
Reds were joy riding around Philadelphia. Both of them were intoxicated.
Reds kept telling Mike to drive faster and faster. His speed still did not
satisfy she reached her foot over and stepped on the gas pedal, Mike lost
control and slammed into a utility pole. Reds was killed in the crash and
Mike was seriously injured. He was even unable to attend the funeral. He
was ordered to remain at home in bed. When the family returned from the
funeral they went up to Mike's room. As soon as they walked in the door
Mike began to describe exactly what Reds was wearing in the coffin, down
the rings and other jewelry. The family asked him how he knew all this
since he wasn't there. He told them that Reds had just been there to visit
him.
Years later Joan's son, Bobby, was supposed to ship out to Vietnam
on the following morning. His Uncle Mike told him he would stop by in the
morning to give him a lucky coin that would bring him good luck and
protect him. His Uncle was very persistent about Bobby getting this coin.
The next day, The whole family was there to see bobby off at the airport
except for his Uncle Mike.. As they waited for him to arrive Bobby bought
his 2 young sisters Raggy Ann dolls. His Uncle never showed up and Bobby
had to leave without the lucky coin. When Joan arrived home her neighbors
told her to put on the TV and watch the news. She turned on the TV and the
scene was of her brother Mike laying dead in the street. He had been
killed while attempting to rob a bank, he was trying to steal a coin
collection.
One night while Bobby was on guard duty near the front lines, He saw
a figure approaching him in the distance. He called out for the person to
identify themselves. Bobby had never fired his gun at a person before and
He was hesitating. The figure was even closer in an instant and he
recognized it, it was his dead Uncle Mike. His Uncle told him to turn
around and he spun around to be face to face with a North Vietnam soldier
with his bayonet raised. He fired instantly killing the enemy soldier. He
quickly turned around but his uncle was gone. Joan received many letters
form men in Bobby platoon who told of mines not going off, shells veering
off in opposite directions, etc. All of these occurred when Bobby's life
was in danger. His uncle had failed to give him the lucky coin, so he was
protecting him from beyond.
During the war the sisters had started sleeping in Bobby's room.
This was the same room that Red's had visited years before. One night they
both awoke to find the Raggy Ann dolls sitting up in bed laughing at them.
After the war Bobby went to work as a bus driver. On one late night
run he got the feeling of his Uncle's presence just like in Viet Nam. He
heard his Uncle say "turn around", he did and there was a man with a knife
ready to stab him. He overpowered the man and called the police. Bobby
still has times when his Uncle Mike appears to aid him.
The day before I conducted this interview Joan's grandchildren were
over and were playing in the room that was once Mike and Bobby's room.
They ran downstairs to Joan and her friend and claimed someone was
watching them as they played. The women went upstairs to look. The room
was very cold, but they found no intruder. The girls said they were being
watched form the closet. Joan showed the girls there was nothing in the
closet, she even stood inside to point this out. As she stood in the
closet, she looked up and noticed a small hole in the ceiling above the
closet door. She inspected the hole and found a box full of old clothes
and things. Among them were the Raggy Ann dolls that had come alive years
before.
For the skeptics among you, I met Joan through my Mother at our
Church. She became a good friend of the family and later became our town's
mayor. I also know Bobby, he was my football coach. Real people, real
story.
