Hell's Gate: The Supernatural Nightmare At Bobby Mackey's Haunted Nightclub

"In twenty years of psychic investigations into ghosts, haunting, poltergeists and demonic like possessions, I have never encountered a more malevolent or destructive case than that which I experienced at Bobby Mackey's Music World in Wilder, Kentucky. Doug Hensley, in "Hell's Gate", has taken on the formidable and dangerous task of telling the story. Through his eyes can be seen the images of the dark side of human nature and how collective Evil insidiously breaks down the spiritual protection of those who challenge it naively. This is a very convincing story, but more than that it is a nightmare of the real."

Peter D. Moscow Ph.D., MDSRad

President United States Psychotronic Association

The supernatural history of this standing building of brick and wood have long attracted the manifestations of violence and murder. Its notoriously haunted nooks and crevices have long been centered around a gruesome tale of death, tragedy and spiritual evil. It seems as though the building has served no other purpose than a doorway to the dark side of an unnaturally evil soul and a portal to the deepest depths of hell......

"Just south of Cincinnati, Ohio Wilder, Kentucky has, for many years, been a town subject to visits from curiosity seekers, tourists, paranormal investigators and media reporters.They come here in search of a place called Bobby Mackey’s Music World, a night club and tavern that may be one of the most haunted, and most sinister, locations in America...." (www.PrairieGhosts.com, Murder Of Pearl Brayant & Ghosts Of Bobby Mackey's Music World.)

The building where the nightclub now stands has had a long and bloody history. First constructed in 1850 the building served as a slaughterhouse and was the largest packing house in the region. A well that was constructed to catch the blood and bodily organs from slaughtered animals was dug in the basement of the building and is the only part of the original building that still stands today. The slaughterhouse, after many years of dedicated service to the local towns and business, had served its purpose and in 1890 closed its doors for good. The building was thought to have sat abandoned but legend has it that it was a prime nocturnal spot for occultists and the like. According to local lore the well within the basement of the slaughter house became a closely guarded ritual site for satanists. The satanic rituals that are said to have taken place here have possibly opened up a gate to hell within these walls... The ceremonial rituals were not only limited to the slaying of small animals. A very horrific human slaying had taken place here as well. Notoriously famous for the crime at the time the mutilation and slaying of Pearl Bryan brought a whole new spectrum of gruesomeness to the legend of Bobby Mackey's haunted history.

Following is one of the most gruesome accounts of murder and satanic activity to date:

" The victim, Pearl Bryan, was the daughter of an affluent farmer in Indiana. Pregnant with her boyfriend's child and at a loss of what to do, Pearl let her boyfriend convince her to abort the child. He made the arrangements with a friend, Scott Jackson, who was attending the dental college in Cincinnati at the time. Though Scott seemed a convenient and private route through which to dispose of the unwanted pregnancy, Pearl's boyfriend never suspected the disturbing truth that Scott was involved in satanic activity.

In early February, 1896, Pearl left her home and traveled to meet Scott and his roommate Alonzo Walling in Cincinnati, five months pregnant. Scott's ability to perform the abortion was less than well-tuned and he attempted several gruesome methods of inducing abortion, to no avail. They soon found themselves with a still pregnant, but greatly injured Pearl and few options. They took her across the state border into Kentucky and using his dental instruments, severed her head—whilst Pearl was still alive.

Pearl's body was discovered less than two miles from the slaughterhouse. Her head was never recovered, and legend states that it was used by the roommates in a satanic ritual in the slaughterhouse, and then dumped into the basement well. The roommates were offered a life sentence in exchange for execution if they revealed the whereabouts of Pearl's head, but they refused. They said that to do so would be to risk Satan's wrath. Scott and Alonzo were brought to trial in 1897 and quickly convicted, as irrefutable evidence—such as Pearl's hair found in Scott's room—was presented. Pearl's boyfriend was tried as an accomplice." (www.suite101.com, Haunting At Hell's Gate: Bobby MAckey's Music World, Dina Ely, August 25,2006, pg1.)

Soundly convicted of murder both men were hung on March 21st 1896 in one of the largest social spectacles of the century. However, upon the noose hanging loosely around their necks, Scott Jackson uttered a promise to return and avenge his death. After their hanging many people began to whisper that a curse had befallen all who had had a hand in the case. Those who were misfortunate enough to have collected evidence used in the conviction fell victim to bad luck, misfortune and death.

The building remained abandoned for years after the conviction Of Scott Jackson and Alonzo Whalling. Eventually the property was sold and changed hands quite a few times before becoming the bar and tavern it is now. Tales of gambling and lustful affairs, gang shoot outs and murder are buried stories within these walls and all contribute to the stories and tales of paranormal activity. It wasn't long before another humanly horrific event would take place at Bobby Mackey's, adding to the legends of the building.

According to the stories, the owner of the club’s daughter, Johanna a cabaret dancer, fell in love with one of the singers, Robert Randall, who was performing there during the club's casino days, and became pregnant. Her father, a well known mob boss, was outraged upon hearing about his daughters' condition. Thanks to his criminal connections, he had the singer murdered with a fatal gun shot wound to the head that same night. Johanna became so distraught over his murder that she attempted to poison her father and then succeeded in taking her own life. Her body was later discovered in the now infamous basement... and according to the autopsy report, like Pearl Bryant, she was five months pregnant at the time.

Is there a connection between these tragic events. Bobby Mackey's wife believes so. Upon settling the sale on the infamous building both Bobby Mackey and his wife Janet spent much time there renovating and fixing the building up to its former glory. Both Bobby and Janet were unaware of the buildings notoriously haunted past and explained some of the unusual encounters and feelings as the results of an over active mind correlated with an over whelming sense of fatigue. Until one day, a few weeks into the restoration of the old building, Janet was beginning to descend the stairs from the top floor into the basement when she was pushed by an unseen force. The thrust from these invisible hands sent Janet tumbling down the stairs. As she fell she could recall hearing a strange voice yell "GET OUT". It would not have been so bad if she were not pregnant at the time. Janet was rushed to the hospital and delivered the baby prematurely. Fortunately for Bobby and Janet Mackey, the baby survived. At the time of this terryfing encounter Janet Mackey was, like Johanna and Pearl Bryant before her, 5 months pregnant. Coincidence or not?

Although the Mackey's have endured a number of years of success with the tavern, the good times have never quite erased the "taint" caused by the history of murder and death. The haunting's at Bobby Mackey’s Music World do and will always remain stained with blood.

According to 32 sworn affidavits from regular patrons , staff, other eye witnesses and local police Bobby Mackey's Music World is seriously haunted. The paranormal activity within the club is most often times proceeded by the strong smell of rose perfume, attributed to Johanna one of their resident ghosts. Famed Carl Lawson, the nightclubs caretaker, has had several paranormal experiences with the old jukebox in the dance hall. It is said that the jukebox has come on suddenly and has played an old tune from the 1940's, "The anniversary Waltz". Many are quick to attribute it to a malfunction in the player, the only thing is that songs like this from the 1930-1940's era were never loaded. The "Waltz" is a particular favorite in that it has been heard numerous times by different people. Chairs have moved inexplicably, rooms have gone cold, doors have unlocked on their own, lights have been turned on and off, bodily welts and scratches have appeared out of no where, people have been poked, prodded and touched and people have heard their names called, only to turn around and see no one there. Shadow figures have been seen in the basement as well as the bar area of the night club. Who the figures are no one is certain, many of the staff attribute the ghostly like figures to Scott Jackson and Johanna. A tall man in a cowboy hat is also seen wondering the hallways as well. No one is sure of his identity but some claim it is the previous owner who committed suicide when the mobsters took his business and ran him out of town when the tavern was known as the Primrose in the late 1940's. A sense of great fear is said to overwhelm anyone who enters the basement. Some are said to feel nauseated, sweaty, and short of breath.But, perhaps the most bizarre aspect of the Bobby Mackey's saga are the claims by several people that they have had spirits enter their bodies, or momentarily posses them,  while in the club. Some of the sworn affidavits claim they felt cold chills run through their bodies, while others claimed to have taken on different personalities and even facial features while inside.

After a while Bobby decided that his best bet to battle the paranormal forces that had seemed to take over the nightclub was to perform an exorcism. On August 8, 1991 reverend Glenn Coe performed a supposedly successful cleansing and exorcism of the building and surrounding grounds concentrating specifically on the well area. The entire feet was recorded on video tape. Unfortunately, the exorcism wasn't as successful as first conceived. Within a few weeks the paranormal activity returned with a vengeance and continues to this day.