Over the years I have been to the St. James Hotel at least two dozen times investigating the paranormal claims there. These are photos taken during one such trip back in 2004.Old friends, old memories and we still didn’t find anything paranormal. Along with these pictures was a primitive script. It appears that we were going to film something but the project was never started. I have included some of these notes here as well.
Census reports show the T.J. Wright was not killed at the hotel. Also Fred Lambert, Henry’s son, documented where all of the killings took place in the hotel. There were none on the second floor. They all took place in the saloon or outside of the saloon and the bodies were brought into the saloon.
The myth about why room 18 is locked is because, according to the hotel, if they let someone in there, bad things would happen. This starts with Ed Sitzberger who kept several talking birds in the lobby and 15 smaller birds in a coffee shop aviary. Two finches were found dead after he showed room 18 to five people in 1987. (that’s it, a couple of birds died). (Source: The NEW MEXICIAN, October 27th, 1991)
The hotel now allows people inside the room for $125. Do bad things still happen?
Debunk the swinging lock on Room 18. (insert news footage) Talk about the clock chime coming from the room below. Talk about the Ghost prophecies, Carl interrupts “I’m not Mike” rant.
Owner Rodger Smith used to leave a shot of whiskey for the ghost (On top of the door). Anyone could have drunk it. Talk about investigation when we had a camera aimed down the hallway and how many people come up to the door just to look.
Lead into next scene. (However, not all of the ghost stories at the hotel survive.)Enter the restaurant (where the old bar was located) and tell the story about the deformed child spinning a glass on the bar. Why did this ghost story not survive when the TJ Wright story did? (Staff even thought it was bullshit) describe how stories propagate through the employees. Employees also “invent” stories so everything must be scrutinized. Issues with bias as employees know of the haunting before they even start working there.
The hotel has many issues with how sound travels that could be mistaken for paranormal activity. Explain the technique (sound mapping) and how it is used to determine where a sound is coming from and what it may be. Show team placing recorders throughout the hotel.