Underrated Ghost Stories And Mythical Creatures All Over The World: One Hundred And Forty-Fourth Stop – Carbondale, Illinois

Underrated Ghost Stories And Mythical Creatures All Over The World: One Hundred And Forty-Third Stop – Hernando County, Florida
December 29, 2020
Underrated Ghost Stories And Mythical Creatures All Over The World: One Hundred And Forty-Fifth Stop – Le Hunt, Kansas
January 13, 2021

Underrated Ghost Stories And Mythical Creatures All Over The World: One Hundred And Forty-Fourth Stop – Carbondale, Illinois

A photo illustration of the Hundley House Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, outside the Hundley House, Carbondale.

Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, Illinois. The city was developed in the year 1853 because of the railroad construction in the area. The top attractions to visit when you will go to Carbondale are the Boo Rochman Memorial Park, the Honker Hill Winery, the Kite Hill Vineyards, the SIU Arena, and The Science Center of Southern Illinois.

Downtown Carbondale, Illinois. (Link: https://thesouthern.com/news/local/communities/carbondale/free-wi-fi-is-now-available-in-downtown-carbondale/article_be29b662-724f-5c77-9fea-a4c1bab2211c.html)

Another place to visit, that is if you are up for it, is the Hundley House. It is reportedly haunted because two murders took place at the home.

A photo of the Hundley House today. (Link: https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/206-S-Hundley-St_Albany_MO_64402_M83114-34408)

The History of Hundley House

Not much is known about the Hundley House but it was built in the year 1907. It is located at 601 W. Main St. and many people have been going there not because it is a bed and breakfast but because of the supposed hauntings that take place in the area.

Accordingly, two people got killed in the Hundley House on December 12, 1928. The victims were the original owners of the home named Mayor James Charles Hundley and his wife Luella. Reports claim that the Hundleys just returned home after a night out. They were finalizing their plans for the holidays and they were supposed to spend their New Year in Florida. Their butler claimed that he went upstairs to prepare for bed. The butler was the last person to see them alive.

A day after they were last seen alive, a neighbour heard a gunshot from the bedroom of the Hundleys. It was around a little after midnight and the neighbour was tending to a sick baby. The neighbour then called the police but because they Carbondale cops could not go because it was too late, the Murphysboro officials responded. It was raining that time and the roads were muddy. The police took an hour to get to the home. No one answered when they knocked on the door of the Hundleys so they had to enter through the kitchen door. Luella was later found dead on the food of the servant’s staircase. James Charles, was found on his bed and was barely alive. He was rushed to the hospital but died on the way there.

James Charles was a former mayor and was currently working as a banker when the unfortunate event took place. A .45 caliber Colt army revolver was identified as the weapon used to kill the Hundleys. The police also claimed that the killer hid behind the bed frame of James Charles and waited before attacking. James Charles was shot on the back of his head.

A photo of the bed where James Charles got killed. (Link: https://dailyegyptian.com/74313/news/the-haunting-of-hundley-house/)

Luella, on the other hand, was shot in the head twice and once in the heart. The case remains to be unsolved to this day.

A photo of the newspaper where the illustrations of the victims and their house were reported. (Link: https://thesouthern.com/news/local/communities/carbondale/historic-hundley-house-is-for-sale/article_8ac4ee15-dc74-595b-9aed-158b30fe8413.html)

Initially, the suspect was the son of James Charles from his first marriage named Virgil. Accordingly, James Charles cut Virgil off his will and although Virgil had a good reputation in the community, he was a bad businessman and he always needed money. However, Virgil said during the trial that he and his father patched things up before the murder and that no revised will was ever found. The wife of Virgil likewise testified that her husband was at home on the night of the murders. The other suspects were Virgil’s wife and his sister, Dora. All of them were acquitted and they left Carbondale.

The former business partner of James Charles was also a suspect but he said that their business was dissolved way before the murders. Another theory about the killings was that Luella and Virgil had an affair. Some believed that something went wrong on the night of the killings that is why Luella also ended up dead.

The Hundley family gravestone Friday, Oct. 20, 2017, in Oakland Cemetery, Carbondale.

A photo of the tombstone of the Hundleys. (Link: https://dailyegyptian.com/74313/news/the-haunting-of-hundley-house/)

The Ghosts at the Hundley House

The ghosts of the Hundley House are reportedly James Charles and Luella. Many passers-by report that they hear a gunshot and that they also see the porch swing move without any wind. The past owners of the bed and breakfast also claimed that the CD players turn on and off on their own, the doors also slam without anyone in the rooms, and they hear groans as if a person was suffering from some kind of pain.

The TV series called “Ghost Lab” went to investigate the Hundley House. Per the technology they used, they saw two hauntings in the Hundley House. The first is the haunting because of the murders. In their recording equipment, they heard someone walking up the stairs and racking a .45. They also heard a kind of prayer then someone saying “Father” or “Papa.” Later, they heard the gunshots and then the light switch being turned off. Luella, on the other hand, was heard cursing while in the back stairwell.

Other people who stayed in the Hundley House or visited it said that they are never scared by the presence of the ghosts. They even refer to it as a peaceful vibe.

A photo of the Hundley House at night. (Link: https://dailyegyptian.com/74313/news/the-haunting-of-hundley-house/)

Leave a Reply