April Slaughter by Ghosthunting Texas Page A

help. She is reportedly seen by man people near White Rock Lake, though no one knows exactly who sh is. One of the most common experiences reported is that of drivers in the area who happen to see a wet and stranded girl near the lake in search of a ride home. Several drivers have stopped to offer the poor girl some assistance, only to have her disappear a short while later, leaving nothing behind but a damp mark in the vehicle where she had been sitting.
    This vanishing hitchhiker has fascinated people in the area for decades. Some think she may be the spirit of a young woman involved in some sort of fatal accident on the lake where she and others may have died. Desperate to get home to her family, she provides the driver with an address before suddenly disappearing from the car. Those who have taken it upon themselves to locate the address found that, indeed, the family living there had lost a young woman to a tragedy on the lake. The ghostly apparition witnessed by many at White Rock Lake may actually be more than one female spirit. Other accounts tell of at least two other women who perished in the water between 1935 and 1942 due to suicide by drowning. Visitors to the area have not only seen the figure of a woman hitchhiking for a ride, but also rising up out of the water before vanishing into thin air.
    This legend has survived for nearly a century. Is the lady of the lake still wandering the night asking passersby for help? Could there be several female spirits destined to roam the area for eternity? The only way to find out is to take a drive out to White Rock Lake and see for yourself. You just might end up with an extra passenger . . . or two.

CHAPTER 8
    The Majestic Theatre DALLAS

    Majestic Theatre exterior (April Slaughter)
    NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE, there is a list of places people “just know” are haunted. Ghosthunting groups discuss them amongst themselves and list the reported phenomena online. A local resident or two can usually tell you all kinds of stories about these places. Some of the ghost stories may be true, while others may be the products of overactive imaginations. Either way, ghostly lore has a way of reaching out to people and drawing them in.
    When my husband and I formed The Paranormal Source, we thought a perfect place to start looking for ghosts would be at The Majestic Theatre in downtown Dallas. Any local paranormal group
would tell you that they would jump at the chance to investigate this well-known haunt.
    The Majestic first opened its doors on April 11, 1921, highlighting performances of entertainers popular during the vaudeville era. Mae West, Bob Hope, and even Harry Houdini were featured there until films became the primary attraction. The Majestic closed after the last showing of the film “Live and Let Die” on July 16, 1973. In 1976, the theatre was donated to the city of Dallas and began undergoing major restoration efforts. When The Majestic re-opened in 1983, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and once again provided the community with access to the performing arts.
    In the past, management believed that the theatre’s benefactor, Karl Hoblitzelle, was still visiting the building even though he had died in 1967. Former actors and actresses were also thought to make their presence known from time to time. The staff reported occasions when all of the phone lines to the theatre would simultaneously light up, but no calls were coming in. Backdrops would often move without having anyone backstage responsible, and odd smells would quickly come and go without any reasonable explanation.
    After several attempts to reach those currently on staff at the theatre, I was finally able to speak to the management. Over the past several decades, The Majestic has seen different managers come and go, all having varying opinions on whether or not the historic building was haunted. Sadly, arrangements to investigate the theatre with The Paranormal Source team could not