Bunnings snags, what’s so mysterious about Bunnings snags? Absolutely nothing and this episode has nothing to do with them. Now that we’ve caught your attention, come along and hear about the Apache Death Cave where Braydon tells the tales of mass murder and the unexplainable events that followed. While Belinda, still recovering from her sickness talks about the Aradale Mental Hospital that was active for 126 years. She then goes into the investigation done by a husband and wife team, Drifter Paranormal. (Hint that’s where the snags come into play.)
Notes:
Aradale Mental Hospital was founded in 1865 and was originally named Ararat Lunatic Asylum. Located in South-West Victoria, Australia on a particularly fittingly named hill by the locals called Madman’s Hill. A place where even the government referred to patients as “idiots” and “imbeciles”. Now we refer to the government as “idiots” and “imbeciles”, ah how times have changed.
In 1886 J-Ward was used to house prisoners that appeared to be insane. In the later years a new institution was built for the criminally insane and in May 1988 the Minister of Health announced that J-Ward would be closing over the next year.
Criminals were obviously not the only ones housed there. People with post-natal depression, mental illness, epilepsy, autism and Down Syndrome where also placed in the mental hospital. They were subjected to harsh treatments such as electroshock therapy and being completely restrained.
In its almost 130 year run there were around 13,000 deaths. That averaged to be 100 deaths a year including patients, prisoners and staff. This includes the death of a Superintendent, after he swallowed hydrogen cyanide.
The hospital is now open for ghost tours and one investigative team, Drifter Paranormal, has explored the 63 buildings to determine if the activity that goes on is true. The husband and wife team, Deb and John Christopher have claimed it’s one of the worst places they have visited when investigating in 2017. They couldn’t explain the sound of furniture moving or the solid metal cell doors opening and closing in J-Ward. The team brought along audio equipment and a K2 EMF metre. At one point the K2 lit up as if someone was running passed. They explained it felt like there was a child-like presence playing and hiding behind doors.
Onto the Apache Death Cave in Arizona, US. Two Guns was the site of a mass murder in 1878 of Apaches by their Navajo enemies. The Apaches were known to raid the Navajo and follow their trails. The Apaches had crossed north over the Little Colorado River and charged a neighboring Navajo tribe in a surprise attack. Except for three girls taken prisoner, the invaders swiftly murdered every man, woman and child in camp, then pillaged the victims' homes. At the same time, a second band of Apaches looted another camp a few miles away, murdering 30 more Navajos before both groups returned south.
Receiving news of the attacks, Navajo leaders immediately organized 25 men and raced off in pursuit of the invaders. The group tracked them across the river, rushed to intercept them, then set up along logical routes hoping to ambush the party. The Apaches, however, never came through. It was as if they had disappeared.
The group of Apaches had hid in a cave at Two Guns to avoid detection, but were soon discovered by the Navajos, who lit sagebrush fires at the cave's exit and shot any Apaches trying to escape. The fire asphyxiated 42 Apaches, after which they were stripped of their valuables.
Its believed to be an area filled with ill fortune, cursed by the dead. White settlers who inquired about the site or attempted to build there were warned to steer clear. Naturally, outsiders didn't always listen, and those who ignored the warnings eventually learned of the spirits that stirred in the canyon's shadows.
Fun Fact: Belinda’s first guinea pig was named Apache. But she didn’t even know about the tribe just thought it was cute because he had patches of colour in his fur.
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