St. Louis – KSDK — A discussion in St. Louis had a crowd of hundreds on the edge of their seats Tuesday. The topic was the true story that led a book and a movie on “The Exorcist.” Two men had just over an hour to give the highlights of their studies on the subject.
It’s been more than 30 years since “The Exorcist” first left moviegoers frightened as well as intrigued. The story with a St Louis connection began with a book, and later turned into a cult classic. “This is such an interesting topic and it’s scary and we like to be scared,” said Eileen Dreyer. People of all ages came to St. Louis University to hear remarks from two archivists who studied the exorcist phenomenon. Their work uncovered what they believe are true accounts of bizarre and demonic like behavior of a 13-year-old. “At root something very strange happened and some of the events were witnessed by reasonable, rational people, but what the cause I don’t know,” said archivist John Waide.
Rumors said an exorcism was performed in the grand hall of SLU’s Dubourg Hall. It happened on a boy known as Robbie in 1949. SLU researchers confirmed an exorcism story was a reality, although the details change from story teller to story teller. Archivists said the only campus building involved was the Francis Xavier Church. Stories of furniture including the boys’ bed suddenly lifting off the floor are accurate. The archivists said getting to the bottom of what really happened in 1949 involving the exorcism depends on who you believe. They did say it definitely included a local connection with SLU, a home in Bel Nor, and the old Alexian Brothers Hospital in St. Louis.
Scariest damn movie I’ve ever seen….. Happy Halloween!
I didn’t find The Exorcist scary at all. For a truly scary movie people need to go watch Jesus Camp!
Scariest shit I’ve ever seen.
The movie gave Richard Pryor one of his funniest one liners.”White guys are crazy they drop acid and go see The Exorcist”.
There is belief, and then there is reality. Sometimes aligned, often not. Belief gives us Good and Evil. Reality gives us Pleasure and Pain. Belief gives us Spirits devoid of bodies. Reality gives us Brains with misperceptions.
Belief gives us Image. Reality gives us Photons.
#30: See wikipedia.
I can’t be scared by Linda Blair anymore when I found out in her later movies that she has the most awesome set of breasts to grace cinema.
Rent “Night Patrol” starring Linda Blair and Murray Langston and you will understand what I mean.
#33
*Actions* and intent give us good and evil. Imagination gives us spirits devoid of bodies just as it inspires children stories and new ideas. Imagination can be used to spark ideas about understanding reality but it is not reality itself.
#30 – Epic fail, as it is a real word.
I win again.
#36
No sir. Just because you childishly call out victory like a four year old at recess does not a victory make. Regardless of how much you stomp your feet and claim victory in face of evidence to the contrary, you are still in error.
> Epic fail, as it is a real word.
Presuming that “it” refers to the phrase “epic fail”, your phrase is actually two words. So, it would be more appropriate to say that you are again in error.
You are a smart fellow as evidenced by previous posts. However, everyone is wrong on occasion and this is one of your times.
I would enjoy speaking with Mr. Waide about the Cottage City/Mount Rainier, MD case. I thought I would share my insight and knowledge of this case. I was born in Mount Rainier, MD almost 9 years after the 1949 case. I lived 4 house down from where it was first thought that boy had lived. I going to share with all of you information that perhaps Mr Waide is not aware of. There are several inaccuracies published by Mark Chorvinsky who did a rather extensive report on the 1949 case back in 2000.
For the sake of full disclosure, I am one who believes Mr Chorvinsky had an agenda, which is to rebuke any connection with the case to the paranormal, as does all his reporting on unexplained cases attempt to do.
There are two major pieces of information in Mark Chorvinsky report on the 1949 case, one which is factually incorrect and one he has left out. In fairness, the one fact he left out he may not have been aware of as I just learned about this in 2007.
Before I share these tow items, let me say that I could write my own piece on this case that would exceed 200 pages about my experience with this case and living in Mount Rainier until 1967. if anyone is interested, please feel free to post back. One thing I want to point out is there is nit any mentioned about the boy attending Gonzaga College High School in DC from 1950-1953 after the exorcism . I live about 30 minutes from Gonzaga High School and when one of my sons visited the school, while I was waiting, i thought i would find out for myself if what a friend of mine, who attended Gonzaga told me was true. He told me to ask for the 1953 year book and watch the reaction you will receive… I indeed did get a reaction from the admissions office and she smiled and said, you are probably the 1000 person to ask to see it and for the 1000 time, we do not make that year book available to to any one, the year book is locked up at Catholic University to protect the boy’s identity. In that 1953 year book, there was only one graduate from Cottage City that year and the bots name would easily be revealed.
Let me get to the two points:
1) Mark Chorvinsky states that the house at 3210 Bunker Hill Road in Mount Rainier was burned to the ground in 1962 by the Mount Rainier Fire Department in a training drill. This is WRONG!!! when i pointed this out to Mr Chorvinsky he got defensive rather than accept the fact his date was 4 years to early and the house stood until 1966. I told him the following, that I lived at 4100 33rd street in mount Rainier which was 4 homes down from 3210 Bunker Hill Road, which was at the corner of 33rd Street and Bunker Hill. When I was in first grade in 1964, my class at Mount Rainier Elm walked to the Mount Rainier Fire Department on a field trip. On the way the back, out teacher stopped our group at the 3210 House which was burned a little on the inside (you could see the kitchen) but stood as a three story structure. The house was scary looking and I will never forget my teacher saying aloud that the Devil was once in that house. So indirectly, that was the first I ever heard about this case, well before the book and the movie. Of course, what she said made little sense back then. In terms of the house, in 1966, the fire department burnt the house down to the ground.
Point number two and I bet this will be new to everyone… Mark Chorvinsky was correct, the boy did live in Cottage City, however, I have a source who is very high up in the Archdiocese of DC and he states that Archbishop O’Boyle in 1949 was so convinced of demonic possession that he wanted to conceal the exorcism as best as possible. This meant, not conducting it at the Cottage City home or the DC Infirmary, which was being discussed at the time. Whatever connections the Archdiocese had at the time, they were able to secure the vacant house at 3210 Bunker Hill Rd for about 2 months. So, both accounts are correct, the boy lived in Cottage City but the exorcism began at 3210 Bunker Hill Rd, before the boy was moved to St Louis.
too many typos, lets try again…
I would enjoy speaking with Mr. Waide about the Cottage City/Mount Rainier, MD case. I thought I would share my insight and knowledge of this case. I was born in Mount Rainier, MD almost 9 years after the 1949 case. I lived 4 house down from where it was first thought that the boy had lived. I going to share with all of you information that perhaps Mr Waide is not aware of. There are several inaccuracies published by Mark Chorvinsky who did a rather extensive report on the 1949 case back in 2000.
For the sake of full disclosure, I am one who believes Mr Chorvinsky had an agenda, which is to rebuke any connection with the case to the paranormal, as does all his reporting on unexplained cases attempt to do.
There are two major pieces of information in Mark Chorvinsky report on the 1949 case, one which is factually incorrect and one he has left out. In fairness, the one fact he left out he may not have been aware of as I just learned about this in 2007.
Before I share these two items, let me say that I could write my own piece on this case that would exceed 200 pages about my experience with this case and living in Mount Rainier until 1967. If anyone is interested, please feel free to post back. One thing I want to point out is there is no mention about the boy attending Gonzaga College High School in DC from 1950-1953 after the exorcism . I live about 30 minutes from Gonzaga High School and when one of my sons visited the school, while I was waiting, I thought I would find out for myself if what a friend of mine, who attended Gonzaga told me was true. He told me to ask for the 1953 year book and watch the reaction you will receive… I indeed did get a reaction from the admissions office and she smiled and said, you are probably the 1000 person to ask to see it and for the 1000 time, we do not make that year book available to any one, the year book is locked up at Catholic University to protect the boy’s identity. In that 1953 year book, there was only one graduate from Cottage City that year and the boys identity would be revealed.
Let me get to the two points:
1) Mark Chorvinsky states that the house at 3210 Bunker Hill Road in Mount Rainier was burned to the ground in 1962 by the Mount Rainier Fire Department in a training drill. This is WRONG!!! when I pointed this out to Mr Chorvinsky he got defensive rather than accept the fact his date was 4 years to early and that the house stood until 1966. I told him the following, that I lived at 4100 33rd street in Mount Rainier which was 4 homes down from 3210 Bunker Hill Road, which was at the corner of 33rd Street and Bunker Hill. When I was in first grade in 1964, my class at Mount Rainier Elm walked to the Mount Rainier Fire Department on a field trip. On the way the back, our teacher stopped our group at the 3210 House which was burned a little on the inside (you could see the kitchen) but stood as a three story structure. The house was scary looking and I will never forget my teacher saying aloud that the Devil was once in that house. So indirectly, that was the first I ever heard about this case, well before the book and the movie. Of course, what she said made little sense back then. In terms of the house, in 1966, the fire department did burn it down as part of a training drill.
Point number two and I bet this will be new to everyone… Mark Chorvinsky was correct, the boy did live in Cottage City, however, I have a source who is very high up in the Archdiocese of DC and he states that Archbishop O’Boyle in 1949 was so convinced of demonic possession that he wanted to conceal the exorcism as best as possible. This meant, not conducting it at the Cottage City home or the DC Infirmary, which was being discussed at the time. Whatever connections the Archdiocese had at the time, they were able to secure the vacant house at 3210 Bunker Hill Rd for about 2 months. So, both accounts are correct, the boy lived in Cottage City but the exorcism began at 3210 Bunker Hill Rd, before the boy was moved to St Louis.