Hear tales of ghastly crimes and murder most foul from the archives of the Asylum at Hopkinsville, inspiration for much of John Carpenter’s ‘Halloween’ and other ghost stories over drinks or dinner at Marhiah’s on Halloween night.

Come in Victorian costume or dress as your favorite ghost. Guests are also invited to attend as an inmate of the asylum, (if you’d like for that to be your costume, let me know and I’ll send you info on someone in the archives to base it on) and to share your favorite ghost stories.

We’ll also be doing ghost Q & A with pendulum, (bring your own or any other ghost detection devices you’d like if you’d like – Mariah’s just might be haunted. It is, after all, the oldest house in Bowling Green.

Cost is $5 per person, (to cover rental of banquet room etc), $10 if you would like a tea leaf reading at the party. Tarot readings by appointment.

Program for the evening:

• 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. A Haunted Cocktail Hour
• 7:00-7:30, Commitment:   An Introduction to Western State Lunatic Asylum and Reading of Committed and Escaped Patients Crimes from the 1800s. ‘Commitment’ of Guests Attending as Asylum Patients
• 7:30-8:00, Telling of Ghostly Tales, Fact and Fiction: Guests are invited to share their own ghost stories as well.
• 8 p.m. – 9 p. m. Dinner: With guests having assumed characteristics and habits of various asylum inmates if they so choose.
• 9 p.m. – 10 p.m. Fortune Telling and Ghost Q & A: Tarot, Tea Leaf Reading and Pendulum Questions for the Departed

Suggested Guests:

Choose one to attend as by adopting their primary characteristics throughout the party. Each inmate will be ‘committed’ at the beginning of dinner. Interaction with others as your character is strongly encouraged to create an immersive improv theater experience. E-mail me with your selection or for more info at http://www.facebook.com/lonesomeliz

…Each character is based on a Victorian patient of Western State Lunatic Asylum, names, dates and varying amounts of detail have been changed, not a historic reference….

Your host:

Winifred Wiggens committed 1/23/1880, in asylum twice. Symptoms: Ill since her brother died; staying awake all night; thinking she is dying; threatens to kill herself; sees dead people.

Other Guests:

• Lallie King, committed 2/16/1880 Symptoms: Roving disposition; wants to run away.
• Miss Lucy A. Brown, committed 3/21/1880 Symptoms: Believes cats are located under the floor with telephone wire attached to their tails and by this means messages are communicated to neighbors and she receives news from the community.
• Clive Johnson committed 3/30/1880 Symptoms: Violent; tried to kill himself and family.
• Sam Sanders, committed 4/27/1880 Symptoms: Dispondency and talking of God; says he will be lost if not allowed to go to jail.
• Virginia Eggers, committed 5/5/1880 Symptoms: Thinks she has been eating poison, rats, snakes, etc.; thinks some one will do her injury; sees pictures on the wall.
• Frances Woods, committed about 1880 Symptoms: Curses; raves; fights the walls; believes she is going to be robbed and killed.
• Annie Hamilton committed 1880, been in the Asylum once 20 years ago.  Symptoms: Shouting; singing; praying; wants to preach; no concentration of thought; nervous.
• Florence Goode committed 6/7/1880 Symptoms: Easily frightened and prone to flights of imagination; afraid of poison.
• Mrs. Puss Dixon  committed 6/17/1880  Symptoms: Last Sunday said she had gold in her side; this morning said she had died and been resurrected.
• Walter Lund committed 8/23/1880, sent to Asylum once before. Symptoms: Dug a grave and tried to bury himself.
•  Henry Matthews committed about 1880 Symptoms: Fractous; ill; vicious; contrary; thinks men will care for him; talks in rambling way; threatens to burn house; keeps axe.
• Alvin Parker committed 9/3/1880 Symptoms: Believes mob after him; expecting to be killed.
• Mrs. E.B Rook committed 10/20/1880  Symptoms: Melancholy; cries and talks of being lost; thinks the Devil is after her.
• George Stone  committed 3/6/1880 Symptoms: Excessive use of morphine.
• Dollie Jane Rose committed 7/7/1880 Symptoms: Thinks she is bound by the Devil; carries her Bible with her and quotes scripture.
• Mrs. H.G. Slaughter committed 1/27/1880; in Asylum twice. Symptoms: Imagines danger; crys or weeps spasmatically; religious fanatcisim.
• Fletcher Hicks committed 1880 Symptoms: Silly; says she is a child of God; talks about religions; speaks about Dr. God being her doctor.
• J.S Fox committed 1880 Symptoms: Thinks women are after him because he is good looking.
• Hattie Hart  committed 2/1/1880, in asylum twice. Symptoms: Abusing her husband; shouting; talking about religion.
• Josiah Witcher committed 12/22/1880, in Asylum four years ago. Symptoms: Farmer and minister of the Gospel, became crazy in pulipt.