Bell Witch - Basic Legend

Basic Legend

John Bell Sr., who made his living as a farmer, lived with his family in Adams, Tennessee in the early 1800s. In 1817 his family came under attack by a witch. Various accounts written after tell stories similar to other poltergeist legends. It began with noises in the walls and grew to include unusual sounds, people being slapped and pinched, objects being thrown, and being spooked animals without visible cause. In the 1894 book An Authenticated History of the Bell Witch, author Martin Van Buren Ingram claims that the poltergeist's name was Kate and that she frequently cursed the Bell family out loud. The activity centered around the Bells' youngest daughter, Betsy, and worsened after she became engaged to one Joshua Gardner. Several accounts report that during his military career, Andrew Jackson was intrigued with the story and was frightened away after traveling to investigate. Other stories relate that the family was haunted by scratching noises outside their door after Bell found a half-dog, half-rabbit creature. Some stories end up with Bell being poisoned by the witch. Accounts vary about the witch being someone who had been cheated by Bell or a male slave whom Bell had killed.