Woman in white and vandalized cemetery at Indiana University
A caller who gives the name [name withheld], a cab driver from Portland, tells Art Bell about an event on June 11, 1970, while they were attending a drama conference at Indiana University in Bloomington. They say they saw a woman in white, dressed in 1930s style, in woods near campus. She vanished, and after following a hedge they found an old cemetery with a shattered headstone for a woman named Mary who died in 1936. They report seeing the woman again before she faded away, and then running from the vandalized cemetery. They believe she wanted someone to see the damage.
This clip comes from the source recording. AI chose where it starts and ends, so it may start or end a little early or late. The word-for-word transcript is not published. You can hear the source recording on the Internet Archive (file “Ghost to Ghost 1994.mp3”, starting at 2:14:37). Is this you, or someone you know? Ask for a correction or removal.
The story as told
Caller [name withheld], who says they are a cab driver calling from Portland, tells Art Bell that on June 11, 1970, they were attending an international drama conference at Indiana University in Bloomington. They were walking back about 10:30 p.m. with another Oregon delegate after the last play. They say they looked to their right and saw a woman in white clothing and a 1930s-style hairstyle standing in woods or shrubbery. When they turned back after speaking to their friend [name withheld], she was gone. They report following the hedge 30–40 yards off the sidewalk with [name withheld]. Then the bushes shook violently although there was no wind, and [name withheld] ran. [name withheld] says they found a two-foot stone wall, stepped into an old cemetery hidden on campus, and saw a shattered headstone for a woman named Mary, who died in 1936. They say they then saw the woman again about 20–25 yards away, moving right to left, before she faded away. They realized all the headstones were smashed. They report being consumed by fear and running until other Oregon delegation members caught them. They say no one had reported the vandalism and that they believe the woman wanted someone to see what had happened. The host asks if [name withheld] swears it is true, and [name withheld] says they can still see her looking at them.
Reported events, in order
- 0:10
[name withheld] says they are a cab driver from Portland and gives the date of the event as June 11, 1970.
- 0:27
[name withheld] says they were attending an international drama conference in Bloomington, Indiana, at Indiana University.
- 0:33
[name withheld] says it was about 10:30 p.m., a Thursday, with a full moon rising.
- 0:38
[name withheld] was walking back with another Oregon delegate after the last play.
- 0:53
[name withheld] looks to the right and sees a woman in white, 1930s-style clothing standing in woods or shrubbery.
- 1:25
[name withheld] says they spoke to their friend [name withheld], looked back, and the woman was gone.
- 1:33
[name withheld] follows the hedge about 30–40 yards off the sidewalk with [name withheld].
- 1:49
Bushes to the right shake violently although [name withheld] says there was no wind. [name withheld] runs.
- 2:02
[name withheld] finds a two-foot stone wall and sees an old cemetery hidden by hedge and shrubbery on the Indiana University campus.
- 2:18
[name withheld] steps over the wall, walks about 30 feet into the cemetery, and looks down at a headstone.
- 2:33
[name withheld] says the woman's name was Mary, the date of death was 1936, and the headstone was shattered.
- 2:43
[name withheld] sees the woman again about 20–25 yards away, moving right to left. She fades away.
- 3:02
[name withheld] realizes all the headstones were smashed and vandalized, and is consumed with fear and panic.
- 3:17
Other Oregon delegation members see [name withheld] running, catch up, and stop [name withheld].
- 3:33
[name withheld] says no one had reported the vandalism and that they believe the woman wanted someone to see what had happened.
Claims
Each claim is labeled as something the person telling the story noticed (observation), what they made of it (interpretation), something others told them (hearsay), or something the host said (host statement).
- observation· 1:08
A woman in white, in clothing like that in 1930s films, was standing in woods or shrubbery to the caller's right.
- observation· 1:25
The woman vanished when the caller turned back after speaking to their friend.
- observation· 1:49
Bushes shook violently beside the caller.
- observation· 2:33
A headstone the caller examined bore the name Mary.
- observation· 2:36
The headstone gave a date of death of 1936.
- observation· 2:39
The headstone was shattered.
- observation· 2:43
The caller saw the woman again moving across the cemetery.
- observation· 3:00
The woman faded away.
- observation· 3:02
All the headstones in the cemetery were smashed or vandalized.
- interpretation· 3:33
The woman was a spirit or presence who wanted someone to see the cemetery vandalism.
Scores, with reasons
An AI model gave these scores using a fixed set of scoring rules (scoring-v1). They are editorial judgments and rough guides, not the odds that anything paranormal happened. How scoring works.
A firsthand, specific story that hangs together, with dates, place, a named headstone, and a clear sequence. Some ordinary explanations remain, and the caller clearly marks their interpretation as their belief.
Evidence for and against
- The caller clearly places themselves at the scene as a witness.
- A concrete date, place, time, and sequence are given.
- Specific details of the headstone are given.
- The caller separates what they saw from what they believe.
- A living person could have stepped behind the hedge, as the caller's own remark suggests.
- The bushes moving could have an ordinary cause.
- The vandalism could be ordinary vandalism with nothing to do with the ghost.
- No one else backs up the story.
- No second witness on air and no outside check.
- The labels showing who is speaking are uncertain in one short stretch.
- 0:10
- 0:27
- 1:08
- 2:33
- 2:36
- 2:43
What the model inferred (not said on air): Scored as a detailed firsthand story. The scores for other explanations and for measured claims are lower because a living person, an animal, and ordinary vandalism could account for parts of it, and the interpretation can't be independently checked.
The caller's own word plus details that could be checked (date, university, a named headstone and its 1936 date), but nothing was examined or verified. The caller's friend and the other delegates are claimed as witnesses but are not on air.
Evidence for and against
- A specific date, place, and institution are given.
- A named headstone and date are given.
- The caller claims the vandalism was visible.
- No photograph, recording, document, or physical trace is examined on air.
- No second witness speaks on air to confirm any part of the story.
- The host's question about whether the caller swears it is true is not evidence.
- The claimed vandalism and headstone are not shown or independently checked.
- No second witness speaks on air.
- 0:10
- 0:27
- 2:33
- 2:36
- 3:02
What the model inferred (not said on air): A score of 11 to 25, because details that could be checked and claimed witnesses are present, but nothing is verified.
A cemetery at night, a woman in white who vanishes, violently shaking bushes, a friend fleeing, and all the headstones found vandalized create lasting unease. There is no direct attack or threat.
Evidence for and against
- The encounter happens at night in a cemetery.
- The woman vanishes, and later fades away.
- The bushes shake violently and the friend runs.
- The caller reports fear and panic.
- No physical harm, attack, or threatening being is reported.
- The caller escapes and is stopped by other delegates.
- It is not fully clear whether the woman was seen as a threat or as a witness to the vandalism.
- 1:08
- 1:25
- 1:49
- 3:00
- 3:02
What the model inferred (not said on air): Placed above mild eeriness because of the cemetery setting and the panic, and below frightening because no harm or pursuit is reported.
A woman in white in a cemetery is a familiar image. But the 1930s dress tied to a shattered headstone dated 1936, and the widespread unreported vandalism, give the story an unusual frame.
Evidence for and against
- Period clothing and hairstyle are specified.
- The headstone date is given as 1936.
- The caller links the woman to unreported vandalism.
- Stock elements include nighttime, a cemetery, a woman in white, and a vanishing figure.
- No strange event beyond the ghost and the moving bushes is reported.
- Originality compared with the rest of the archive can't be judged from this part of the broadcast alone.
- 1:08
- 2:36
- 3:02
- 3:33
What the model inferred (not said on air): Provisional score. The comparison with the rest of the archive is not available from this part of the broadcast.
Scoring confidence 0.82 · analysis confidence 0.86 · checked against outside sources: no · evidence available: The caller's firsthand story; Claimed presence of the caller's friend [name withheld]; Claimed presence of other Oregon delegation members who saw the caller running; Claimed vandalized headstones, not examined; No photograph, recording, document, or second witness on air. The originality score blends the model's score (58) with how rare the story's details are across the archive. This method is still provisional.
Ordinary explanations to consider
These are possibilities only. None is a finding about what happened.
- A living person in period-style dress could have stepped behind the hedge and left the area. · The caller says they could not figure out where she went and notes there was enough of a hedge there.
- An animal or another person moving through the plants could have caused the violent shaking of the bushes. · The caller reports the bushes shook violently and says there was no wind, but the caller does not report seeing an animal.
- The shattered headstones could be ordinary vandalism with nothing to do with the ghost. · The caller says all the headstones were smashed and vandalized and that no one had reported the vandalism.
What stands out
The story connects a woman in 1930s-style white clothing to a named headstone dated 1936 and to widespread damage in the cemetery that the caller says had not been reported. It is not a simple story of a place that is haunted again and again.
Related stories
Matched by shared recurring details, categories, and wording.