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The Untold Story Of The Haunted Lemp Mansion - St. Louis - Missouri · Mystery Archives Episodes

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Once, a rich and powerful juggernaut of a family would
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slowly be turned into ghosts as their once blessed lives
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seemingly became infected by some sort of curse.
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Do their spirits still wander the halls of this historic
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mansion? And can we decipher the
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paranormal force that seemingly destroyed their lives before it
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affects anyone else? This is the untold story of the
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Haunted Limp Mansion located in St.
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Louis, MO. And this tale intertwines the
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spirits of the past with the mysteries of the present.
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To tell this story properly, I must first introduce to you just
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who the Limp family was, what they were about, and just what
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happened to them. So let us start at the
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beginning. The Limp family began with Johan
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Adam Limp, who arrived in St. Louis, MO, from Aischweig,
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Germany, in 1838. Shortly after his arrival, he
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would build a small grocery store at what is now Del Mar and
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Six streets, where he sold common household items,
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groceries and homemade beer. The light golden lager was a
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welcome change from the darker beers that were sold at the
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time. The recipe handed down by his
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father became so popular that just two years later he gave up
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the grocery store venture and decided to build a small brewery
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instead. In 1840, the brewery was close
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to where the Golden Arch stands today.
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Limp first sold his beer in a pub attached to the brewery,
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introducing Saint Louis to its first logger.
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Before long, Limp found that the brewery was too small to handle
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both production and storage, and found a limestone cave South of
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the city limits. The Cave, which was located at
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the presentday corner of Cherokee and Dema Neal Place,
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could be kept cool by chopping ice from the nearby Mississippi
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River and depositing it inside, providing the perfect conditions
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for the loggering process to run its course.
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Thus the Limps Western Brewing Company continued to prosper and
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by the 1850s had become one of the largest in the city.
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A millionaire by the time of his death, Adam Limp died on August
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25th of 1862 and his son William would take over and begin a
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major expansion of the brewery. He purchased a 5 block area
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around the storage house on Cherokee above the log ring
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caves, and in 1864 a new plant was completed there on Cherokee
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St. continually expanding to meet the product demand.
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The Limp family would soon come to symbolize both wealth and
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power, as the Limp brewery controlled the Saint Louis beer
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market, a position it would maintain until prohibition.
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In 1868, Jacob Feckhart, William Limp's fatherinlaw, built a
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mammoth of a house a short distance from the Limp Brewery,
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and in 1876 William Limp decided to purchase it for his family,
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utilizing it as both a residence and an auxiliary office.
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While the home was already impressive, Limp immediately
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began renovating and expanding the 33 room house into a
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Victorian showplace, a true showcase of luxury.
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As part of this renovation, a tunnel was built from the
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basement of the mansion and through the caves to the
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brewery, and when mechanical refrigeration became available,
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parts of the caves were converted for other purposes,
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including a natural auditorium and a theater.
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In due time the system would also become host to a large
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concrete swimming pool with hot water piped in from the brewery,
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boiling house and later a bowling alley and then a private
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movie theater would also be integrated and what would
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eventually become the limp Western brewery.
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This ever growing venture would be the first beer company to
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establish Coast to Coast distribution and would also go
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on to assist in the launching of Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer and
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Anheuser Busch. However, underneath this fairy
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tale existence of a life tucked away in the darkness was
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something most unfortunate. The Limp family, although highly
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successful, would begin to experience the first of many
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tragedies to come. In 1901, William, Senior's
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favorite son and the heir to the company, would pass at the young
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age of just 28 years old. Frederick Limp, who had never
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been the pinnacle of good health, had died from heart
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failure. His son's death would absolutely
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devastate William, and following his funeral he began to withdraw
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from public life. He was never the same.
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On January the first of 1904, Williams closest friend
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Frederick Pabst also passed, leaving an ever withdrawn
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William to struggle running his brewery.
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Though he still arrived at the office each day, he became very
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nervous and unsettled. Shortly after these two events,
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his physical and mental health would start to decline, and on
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February 13th, 1904, William would leave this world by his
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own hand. In November of 1904, William
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Limp Junior took over as the new president of the William J.
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Limp Brewing Company. Inheriting the family business
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and vast fortune, he and his wife Lillian began to spend the
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inheritance at a furious pace. They filled the mansion with
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servants, spent huge amounts on carriages, clothing, and art,
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among many other things. Lillian was a beautiful woman
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who came from a wealthy family herself.
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She and William Limp Junior had married in 1899, and William J.
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Limp the Third was born on September 26th of 1900.
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Before long, Lillian became known as the Lavender Lady
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because of her fondness for the color.
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In addition to her lavender attire and accessories, she went
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so far as to have her carriage horses harnesses dyed lavender
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as well. In the beginning, Will enjoyed
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showing off his trophy wife, but Will, born with a silver spoon
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in his mouth, was used to doing and acting as he pleased.
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When he began to tire of Lillian, he demanded that she
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spend her time shopping, allotting her $1000 a day.
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He gave her an ultimatum that if she didn't spend it, she
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wouldn't get anymore. In the meantime, Will was busy
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running the brewery during the day and pursuing all manner of
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decadent activities during the night, holding lavish parties in
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The Cave below the mansion. He would bring in numerous
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prostitutes for entertainment for him and his friends,
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enjoying the swimming pool, the bowling alley and the free
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flowing beer. His friends who attended these
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lavish events were known to enjoy a high time deep below the
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surface. However, all that debauchery
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came with consequences. Will shenanigans caught up with
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him when he sired a son with another woman other than his
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wife. Strangely, however, today there
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is no official documentation that this boy ever existed.
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But rumors that this boy was hidden in the mansion attic for
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his entire life became prevalent over the years.
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According to Saint Louis historian Joe Gibbons, when he
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interviewed a former nanny and a chauffeur who worked at the
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mansion long ago, both of them verified that the boy did exist
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and was housed in the attic quarters that also housed the
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servants rooms. Spawned from Will's philandering
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with either one of the many prostitutes or a mansion
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servant. The boy was born with Down
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syndrome and was considered a total embarrassment to the
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family. Thus he was hidden away from the
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world in order to cloak the limp's shame.
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Finally, William Junior tired of his trophy wife and her nagging
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from his point of view and filed for divorce in 1908.
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Why she didn't take this step with all of his goings on could
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be nothing more than a sign of the times.
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But the court proceedings surrounding the divorce became a
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major Saint Louis scandal, with all four St.
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Louis newspapers devoting extensive front page coverage to
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the messy affair. The trial opened in February of
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1909 to crowds that flocked to the courthouse each day to
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witness the drama of tales of violence, drunkenness, ego and
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excess. Virtually ignoring William's
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decadent activities. Lillian almost lost custody of
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William Limp the Third because of a photograph that was
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presented at the trial of her smoking a cigarette again.
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Perhaps this was another sign of the times, but in the end she
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retained custody of their son, but soon retired from the public
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eye. The only time that she was ever
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seen wearing anything other than lavender was on the final day of
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her divorce proceedings, when she appeared entirely in black
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before the judge. With the divorce, Will's
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troubles had only just begun. In 1906, nine of the large
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breweries in the Saint Louis area had combined to form the
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Independent Breweries Company, creating fierce competition that
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the Limp Brewery had never faced before.
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And that very same year, Will's mother would pass of cancer.
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The lavish spending on both personal luxuries and ridiculous
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parties has certainly taken their toll on the family
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fortune, but now the company's profits were continually
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shrinking. Despite this, however, the limp
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mansion would be entirely remodeled in 1911 and partially
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converted into offices for the brewery.
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At the same time, William allowed the company's equipment
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to deteriorate, perhaps in order to fund these renovations.
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When World War One broke out in 1914, the brewery was just a
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shell of its former self. William would also build a
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country home on the Merrimack River, to which he increasingly
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retreated to amidst the ongoing troubles, and during this time
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he would also, in 1915, remarry. The downturn in profits due to
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competition would pale in comparison to what was coming,
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and it arrived in 1919 and it was Prohibition.
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The individual family members were already wealthy, so there
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was little incentive to keep the brewery afloat.
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For a time, though, we'll hoped that Congress would repeal
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Prohibition, but finally gave up when it simply wasn't happening.
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Just months after it went into effect, the limp plant would
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close down without notice. The workers learned of the
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closing when they came to work one day and found the door shut
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and the gates locked. And the family misfortune from
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here would only continue on March 20th, 1920.
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Elsa Limpwright, William's sister, the wealthiest heiress
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in Saint Louis, would too breathe her last breath.
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Just like her father had years before.
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Elsa was said to have been despondent over her rocky
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marriage, among many other personal and monetary issues
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arising after the end of the limps brewing dynasty.
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William Junior slipped into an all too familiar depression,
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acting almost exactly like his father.
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He too became increasingly nervous and erratic, shunning
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public life and often complaining of ill health.
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On December 29th, 1922, William Two would exit this world in the
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very same way and in the very same building his father had 18
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years previously. Williams brothers Charles and
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Edwin had long left the family business, seeing as their
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prospects to run the empire were limited at best.
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If it all, it seemed like the Limp dynasty had finally come to
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a bleak end. In 1943, yet another tragedy
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occurred when William Limph, the third, suddenly passed of a
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heart attack at the age of 42, the only legitimate son of
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Williams. Shortly after this took place,
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his brother Charles would eventually remodel the mansion
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back into a residence and live in the house along with two
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servants and the illegitimate child of his brother.
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Charles too, became an odd figure.
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As he grew older, he developed a morbid fear of germs, and his
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obsessive compulsive behavior included wearing gloves at all
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times to avoid bacteria and constantly washing his hands.
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It was during this time, shortly following the renovation, that
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Williams illegitimate son, now in his 30s, would two have his
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name added to death's roll count.
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Shortly after his nephew's passing, Charles would become
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the 4th member of the limp family to breathe his final
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breath on his own accord. First he took his beloved
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Doberman into the basement of the mansion.
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Then climbing the staircase to his room on the 2nd floor, he
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would go the way of his brother and father.
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Charles was discovered on May 10th of 1949 by one of his staff
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still holding a revolver. It also seems that his passing
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was not so quick. Either he appeared to have tried
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to descend the stairs or had fallen following what had taken
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place of the Limp family. Only Edwin, who had long avoided
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the life that had turned so tragic for the rest of his
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family, remained. He was known as a quiet,
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reclusive man who had walked away from the Limp Brewing
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Company in 1913 to live a peaceful life on a secluded
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estate in Kirkwood, MO. Edwin passed away quietly of
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natural causes at the age of 90 and 1970.
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According to Edwin's last wishes, his Butler burned all
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the paintings that the limbs had collected throughout his life,
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as well as a priceless limp family document and their
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artifacts. These irreplaceable pieces of
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history vanished and the smoke and embers that very day.
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The Limp family line ended with Edwin and their final resting
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place can now be found at the Bella Fontaine Cemetery and a
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mausoleum bearing their namesake, and although
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physically there remains sit within its concrete walls, do
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their ghosts still unhabit their once prosperous estate?
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After the death of Charles Limp, the mansion was sold and turned
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into a boarding house along with the nearby neighborhood.
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And this is where we begin to hear the first haunting tales of
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the old limp mansion. New residents, upon moving in,
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quickly began complaining of ghostly knocks and phantom
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footsteps being heard all throughout the house.
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Coupling these frightening manifestations, those same
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residents also began to see spectral apparitions throughout
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the rooms and halls. People became so frightened that
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they would typically move out almost as quickly as they had
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moved in, ultimately leading to the decline and closing of the
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boarding home. Now in a state of decay.
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It seemed like the mansion might finally be demolished.
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However, it would again be purchased in 1975, and the new
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owner, a man named Richard Pointer, immediately began to
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renovate, eventually turning the once incredible estate somewhat
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back to its former glory. It would now become a restaurant
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and in and they say that spirits that inhabit particularly older
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buildings and homes really don't like renovations.
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And whether this stirred up the energy of the place or they
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simply sensed a new presence within the mansion itself, those
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very same ghosts would now make themselves very well known, even
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more so than before. Workers within the house often
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told stories of apparitions, strange sounds like 1000
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whispers in their ears, among other things.
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Their tools too began to vanish and they all had a bone chilling
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feeling of being watched by eyes that they couldn't see.
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Frightened by the haunting, many would abandon the job site,
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never to return. Eventually, though, the
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renovations would be completed and the eatery and inn would
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open. Since the restaurant opened,
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staff members have reported several strange experiences.
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Again, apparitions appear and then quickly vanish.
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Voices and sounds come from nowhere, and glasses will often
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lift off the bar, flying through the air by themselves.
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On other occasions, doors have said to lock and unlock by
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themselves. Lights have inexplicately turned
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on and off of their own free will, and the piano bar often
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plays when there's no one near it.
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Could this be the tragically departed souls of the limp
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family? There are three areas of the old
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mansion that have had the most activity The stairway, the
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attic, and what the staff refers to as the Gates of Hell in the
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basement. It is this area of the basement
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that used to be the entrance to the caves running below the
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mansion and the brewery. The attic is said to be haunted
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by William Junior's illegitimate son, referred to only as the
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Monkey Face Boy. This poor soul, who was born
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with Down syndrome, had spent his entire life locked in the
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attic of the mansion. Strange occurrences are often
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witnessed on the third level of the mansion as well.
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The face of the boy has regularly been seen from the
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street, peeking from small windows of the mansion.
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Investigators have often left toys in the middle of his room,
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drawing a circle around them to see if the objects have been
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moved consistently. When they returned the next day,
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the toys are found in another location.
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In the downstairs women's bathroom, which was once William
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Junior's personal domain and held the first freestanding
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shower in Saint Louis, many women have reported a man
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peeking over their stall. One such occasion, a woman
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emerged from the bathroom returning to the bar.
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She yelled at the two men that she was there.
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With that she hoped they got an eyeful.
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However, the two men quickly denied ever having left the bar,
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which the bartender verified. The confusion and disbelief must
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have been palpable, and this ghost is said to be that of the
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womanizing William Junior in William Limp.
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Seniors room guests have often reported hearing someone running
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up the stairs and kicking at the door when William ended himself.
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William Junior was known to have run up the stairs to his
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father's room and finding it locked, began to kick the door
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in order to get to his father. Perhaps this is some sort of
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residual haunting taking place. Experiences have also taken
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place outside of the home as well.
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A tour guide reported hearing the sounds of horses outside the
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room where William Lim Senior had kept his office.
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However, when the tour guide looked through the window,
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nothing was there. This area north of the mansion
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was now used as a parking lot and was once utilized as a
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tethering lot for horses. There have also been many
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paranormal stories told by those who have visited the old Limp
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mansion over the years. And this is just one of many
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stories. On Saturday October 9th of 2004,
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two women who will call Katie and Amy visited the Limp mansion
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along with Saint Louis historian Joe Gibbons.
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Joe had spent many years researching the Limp mansion and
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often gave tours of the end with the permission and cooperation
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of the owners. This is told from Katie's
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perspective. Meeting up with Joe at the bar,
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we settled in for a bit, drinking on a couple of loggers
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and chatting it up. Afterwards, he began to show Amy
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and I around the mansion as Joe described an intricate detail,
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the history of the limp mansion and the land in which the
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mansion stands on, as well as the many strange occurrences and
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this now haunted building. While we were on tour, several
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strange events occurred. The first was when we were
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standing in the darkened attic. As Joe described the monkey
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faced boy, I began snapping pictures and during our time
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within the attic I began to hear a faint whisper like that of a
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small child from behind me. The whispers happened so fast
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and alternated from ear to ear. It was like someone was speaking
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into them simultaneously at close range.
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I couldn't really make out the voice at first, but it sounded
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like it was saying help me over and over again.
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Later in our tour, we ran into another group who was on a
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different tour, and after a brief discussion, several
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members of their group would describe having passed a man in
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the hallway and asked us if we had seen him as well.
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He was holding a key in his hand, was acting irritated with
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a large group moving through the hallway.
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He was said to be pale and older, wearing a white shirt and
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black pants. No one thought anything of it at
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the time, believing him to be a member of staff.
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However, we would find out that there was no such gentleman
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working or staying at the mansion that night that met that
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description, though no harm was done and nothing was disturbed
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in the guest room. The whole experience was very
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bizarre to say the least, and it's certainly not an experience
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I will soon forget. Was this the ghost of one of the
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limp patriarchy, seemingly angry that their space was being
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intruded upon? This particular case, those
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involved and their demise certainly prompts more questions
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than answers. Just what drove so many of them
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to bring about their own ruination?
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Could it have been circumstantial stress induced, A
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genetic predisposition that affected their mental chemistry?
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Or was it something else, something darker that we simply
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can't explain? Did the victims of their
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product, those seemingly caught in the throes of addiction,
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result in some kind of curse for the family?
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Did they cut some sort of deal with the devil in order to gain
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such profound wealth and admiration, only to have the
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House of Cards fall and the bloodline extinguish?
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Or could it have been something that dwelled within those caves
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underneath the mansion? Perhaps an old evil that got
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disturbed once they're remodeling efforts began to take
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place? It's truly hard to say because
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those that could know such things are no longer walking
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this earth in human form, but perhaps are still walking the
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earth nonetheless. The Limp Mansion has been
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featured in a number of magazine articles and newspapers and now
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attracts ghost hunters and historians from around the
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country. Today, it still features a bed
25:54
and breakfast with rooms restored in periodic style, a
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restaurant featuring fine dining, and a mystery dinner
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theater. Tours are also still available
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at the mansion, if you so dare. As previously mentioned, the
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Limp Family Mausoleum still stands today housing the remains
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of the family tree known today as the Monkey Face Boy.
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The unfortunate soul who was born out of wedlock and the very
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same one that continues to show his presence at the mansion is
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also buried with the family but on the cemetery plot and marked
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with only a flat, small marker labeled Limp.
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A sad ending to once amazing story of success turned tragic,
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but it just goes to show that one may never truly know what's
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happening just below the surface.
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Because behind all that wealth, a smiling face and excess could
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be nothing but a thread holding the demons at Bay, and all it
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takes is for them to breach the surface like a creature hiding
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in a body of water. But what do you think?
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What caused the family curse? Is the mansion truly haunted or
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is it superstition? Let me know down at the comments
27:14
below. I'd also really like to thank
27:17
you guys so much for watching this new video.
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Although it is a little different from some of our usual
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cases, I really enjoy the historical aspects of older
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stories such as these, so I hope you did too.
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And with that, I hope all of you are doing well mentally and
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physically. I want to remind you all that
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with the grind of our daytoday lives to please take time to
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care for yourself. Because no one can but you and
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you can't take care of anyone else if your basics are not
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yourselves. I love you all.
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And until next time, this has been Cody here at Mystery
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Archives. Please remember to stay safe out
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