This past October, my friends Marko, Tasha and I decided to book a ghost tour through a local ghost touring company here in Salt Lake City, UT. On this particular night the ghost tour we had booked was for Fort Douglas Military Cemetery. This cemetery was established in 1862, and is the burial ground for thousands of fallen soldiers during the battle of Bear River, the Civil War, Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam Conflict. Also interred in this cemetery are 21 German Prisoners of War from World War I, also 20 German, 12 Italian and 1 Japanese Prisoner of War from World War II. This place is packed full of history.
This would be my first paranormal ghost tour/hunt. I've always believed in the paranormal, ghosts and spirits... hell, I even believe in aliens. But this would be the first time for me to do anything like this. You could say that I was pretty excited. The tour starts out with our tour guide telling us stories about a select few graves, including a governor, a brigadier general and the guy who bayoneted Crazy Horse, along with the history of the entire cemetery. It didn't look it from the outside, but this cemetery was HUGE. The introduction lasted a little over an hour or so and they send you off to do your ghost hunting. They also provide you with flashlights, EMF meters, pendulums and dowsing rods. Whenever I watch those paranormal shows on TV like Ghost Hunters, Most Haunted and Ghost Adventures, I always see them using similar devices like these and I'm always skeptic about it. You know those shows are dramatised for television.
When they were sending us off into our own groups to investigate, they were handing out the little gadgets to whoever wanted them. I opted for the dowsing rods. I've never used dowsing rods before and whenever I watching these paranormal investigators on TV us them, I just think to myself, "Oh, they're just subconsciously moving their hands slightly to manipulate the movements of the rods.", and when I held them, they did swivel around with the slightest movement. So, already, I wasn't expecting too much from the rods.
The first site that Marko, Tasha and I decided to visit was a grave of a German Nazi Soldier, that was quietly tucked away next to a large tree. We literally had to wait in line for other groups to get in their investigations because everyone was intrigued by the tiny quarter sized swastika carved into the headstone. One guy literally sat there and took a hundred photos all in sequence hoping he could catch some type of orb or ghost ectoplasm from the headstone. When he was finally done with his photo session, it was our turn to have some time with this Nazi Soldier. I began to ask a question using my dowsing rods, "Are you proud of who you are?"... Nothing. Next question, "Do you have a problem with my friends and I standing on your grave?", side note: my friends and I are not white, I'm Thai, Marko and Tasha are Mexican... Much to my surprise, I feel a strange magnetic pull passing through my hands and into the dowsing rods and they began to move and cross each other... on their own. It was a feeling that I've never felt before and it got me all excited that I was experiencing this. Maybe the dowsing rods aren't a quack gimmick after all.
I continued to ask the Nazi Soldier a few more questions, I asked, "Do you have family here? If so, move the rods to the left.". The rods remained static. I then asked, "Are you angry that I'm asking you these questions? If so, move the rods to the right.", and to my amazement, with the same magnetic sensation flowing through both of my hands, the rods slowly moved to the right. Marko, Tasha and I all jumped in excitement. We couldn't believe that this was happening. I then asked, "Do you want us to leave? For yes, move the rods straight forward.", the rods moved straight forward. Even though we may not agree with what this soldier stood for and his beliefs when he was alive in the physical world, we respect his wishes. We complied and respectfully walked away from the Nazi Solder's grave.
We started wandering around the cemetery looking for other grave sites to investigate. The three of us had no other luck with some of the other graves we chose to stop by while we wandered. For most of the night, I no longer felt the magnetic sensation and my dowsing rods remained static for most of the other graves. As we continued to scope out new areas of the cemetery to investigate, I was strangely drawn to a specific location by two large trees. Something about that area just pulled me towards it. I decided to walk to the two trees, Marko and Tasha followed. I held up my dowsing rods in front of me and the magnetic sensation flowed right through my hands again. The dowsing rods were pointed straight and I was headed right to a specific grave that sat right below the two large trees.
As we approached this one particular grave, I read the name carved into the headstone:
MICHAEL QUINN
Aug. 4, 1829 - Mar. 14, 1866
It was a simple inscription, not much else was said on the flat headstone. For some odd reason, I felt a sadness and loneliness and isolation take over my body. These emotions came out of nowhere. I then proceeded to ask some questions, "Is there anyone here with us? For yes, please cross the rods together.", and with that now familiar magnetic flow, the rods crossed without any hesitation. My heart sank. The magnetic flow seemed stronger and the rods seemed to have more force behind them as they moved in my loose grip. "Are you Michael Quinn? For yes, please uncross the rods.", the rods uncrossed. My heart began to pound out of my chest. My hands began to tremble and my palms began to sweat. I relaxed, calmed myself down and took a deep breath. I introduced myself and my friends, "Hello Michael. My name is Drew, and these are my friends on my right, Marko and Tasha." Next question, "Are you here alone? for yes, move the rods to the right.", the rods moved to the right. "Do you have any family here with you? For yes, move the rods to the left.", the rods remained static. "Are you aware that you have passed away? For yes, please move the rods forward.", the rods slowly moves forward.
My heart sank deeper and deeper as I was asking Michael questions. The emotions of sadness and loneliness sank in further and further. "Do you have any children? For yes, please move the rods to the left.", the rods moved to the left. "Were you married? For yes, move the rods straight forward.", rods move straight forward. Remember, Michael was born in the year 1829 and died in 1866, that would make him around the age of 37 when he died. This would mean that he was still more than likely married to his wife and his children may have been young when he passed away. I continued with the questions, "Do you feel alone? For yes, please cross the rods.", as I was asking this very question, tears began to fill my eyes... the rods crossed. "Do you like us being here talking to you? For yes, please uncross the rods", the rods uncrossed. As the dowsing rods uncrossed for this question, I could feel in my heart a slight happiness. I said to Michael, "Well, it's very nice to meet you Michael. My friends and I are very glad to have had this experience with you.". As I said that, I felt a calm come over me. It felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted and that my heart was rising up in my chest. There was no more sadness or a sense of loneliness. A sigh of relief.
It was time for Marko, Tasha and I to say goodbye to Michael Quinn. It was nearing midnight and the ghost hunt was coming to an end. The tour guide approached us and she asked us how it was going. I filled her in on our experience with a man named Michael Quinn. An expression of fascination came over her face. I asked if she was familiar with Michael and she responded that she had no idea who he was. She said that she would do some research on Mr. Quinn and that she would contact me via Facebook Messenger if she found anything. As I returned my borrowed dowsing rods and said our goodbyes to our tour guide and a few other investigation groups, I looked back at the location where the two large trees were and where Michael Quinn had been resting for the past 151 years. It was as if I had made a new friend and had to say goodbye to him all at the same time. I felt like I've made a real connection with Michael. It was actually a sad moment for me to leave.
Later the next day, our tour guide sent me a message. She had found something on Michael Quinn. Michael Quinn was a freemason. He had a wife, Adelia, and three sons, Charles, Stephen and John. When Michael died, his younger son, John was only four years of age. The tour guide didn't find the cause of death or anything else on Michael. Just that he was not from Utah and that he more than likely came to Salt Lake City for work and suddenly died. After thanking the tour guide for her help in the research, I decided to do some research of my own on Michael Quinn. As the tour guide stated, not much could be found on this man. But I did come across on some things that had happened with his family after his death. As soon as he died, his wife, Adelia, and their three sons did not stay in Utah much longer after that. I believe that his wife and sons all moved back to Illinois, where the family and Michael himself were originally from. Adelia soon remarried to a man named James Berry and the two together had two daughters, Rosalia and Nellie.
Michael has no family or relatives buried in Utah, nor does he have any known relatives living in Utah. Michael was pretty much left behind, while his family moved away and moved on with the rest of their lives. It is unknown if any living decedents are even aware of him. Which may explain the sad and lonely emotions that I felt when I had visited his grave on that October night. I don't think anyone has visited his grave since the day his family decided to leave Utah and head back to Illinois. For 151+ years, Michael has been alone with no known visitors... that was until my friends and I decided to book a ghost hunt/tour, we were probably his first visitors in a long, long time. I like to think that he enjoyed our company, I sure enjoyed meeting him. Even if it was from the other side.
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