A Ghost Named Lucy

by M.P. Pellicer | Stranger Than Fiction Stories
The area of West 44th Street in New York City was just a patch of farmland and forest in 1792. The American Revolutionary War had ended less than 10 years before, and maybe events that took place then caused the ghost that eventually became known as Lucy Ryan to haunt this area.

---

Hell's Kitchen, NY c.late 1800s

After the Revolutionary War, New York City grew and by the 1800s a road was laid down in what would eventually become 44th Street. In 1862, a brick townhouse and cottage occupied the lot, and within 10 years it was up for sale.

The neighborhood was originally named Clinton, but through the years it became a slum known as Hell's Kitchen.

In 1917, John J. O'Donnell a 41-year-old bachelor lived at the townhouse, and died after a short illness, but the house did not have any unsavory past, or at least none that was known of.

The place was close to the theater district, which is perhaps why actress June Havoc bought the property at 428 West 44th Street in 1962. By then she was an established film actress who had started out  in vaudeville, and was the sister of burlesque striptease performer Gypsy Rose Lee.

The house had been renovated through the years, but by the time Havoc became an occupant it still retained its Victorian appearance.

She rented the upper floors to various tenants, and lived downstairs because no one would renew the lease on it. She was soon to find out the reason why.

---

Sybil Leek, self-proclaimed witch who often worked with Hans Holzer as a medium

Before long June started to hear rappings on the kitchen floor, at the magic hour of 3 AM. She thought there was something wrong with the structure of the house and brought in a carpenter, a plumber and an architect who found no problem with the home. June's maid also heard the tapping, so she knew it was not her imagination.

Underneath June's apartment was a floor-through apartment, but strangely the tenants never complained of any noises. It was then that June started to believe that her house was haunted, and spoke about her experiences on her television show. Gail Benedict who was involved in public relations got her in touch with Hans Holzer.

​In his book, Ghosts: True Encounters with the World Beyond he described the investigation of June Havoc's home. 

He arranged several seances starting in January 1965. He brought with him the English medium and witch Sybil Leek. It did not take long for the ghost to make its appearance by tapping on floorboards in the rear of the house. The entire interaction was being filmed for June Havoc's television show.​

---

June Havoc's one time home which was supposed to be haunted

While visiting a small courtyard in the back of the home, Sybil Leek said a body might be buried close to the wall of the basement. Then she allowed the spirit to speak through her, and the lost soul identified herself as Lucy Ryan who was 20 years old, and to her the year was 1792. She complained of being very hungry. When asked how she had gotten there, Lucy described herself as a camp follower of the army in Napier's regiment. She said she couldn't leave because of too many soldiers, and that she was making noises because she wanted to get food, "meat and corn". Lucy described where she had been abandoned by a soldier named Alfred, who left her in the care of another man. 

Sybil Leek ordered to her leave, and she refused; transferring the tapping from the kitchen to June Havoc's bedroom. 

---

Col. George Napier (1751-1804)

Research was completed regarding the information given by Lucy the ghost, and it turned out Colonel George Napier, a British officer had served on the staff of Sir Henry Clinton. The Clinton Mansion had once occupied the area where June's house was at now. Holzer had investigated other ghostly manifestations at Clinton Court two blocks to the north.

It turned out that Napier had been in charge of a regiment from 1778-80 at this very place where he served as a captain. It was especially noted in the history books, that Napier's wife Elizabeth Pollock (Polloch) and their daughter Sarah Elizabeth (b.1777) had contracted yellow fever while living there and both died in 1780. Their other daughter Louisa Mary survived and died in 1856. Colonel Napier took his surviving child and left for England, where he married Lady Sarah Lennox in August, 1781. 
​
The area where the Napier family had lived and died would eventually became Potter's Field. 

During a second séance on January 15, 1965 Lucy was again channeled through Sybil Leek. She gave Alfred's last name as Bailey and that she was waiting for him, since he told her he would return.

The group tried to cross Lucy over, but instead of leaving the tappings were now heard throughout the entire apartment.

​A third séance was conducted in March 1965. Sybil Leek under trance described where Lucy had moved on, but Alfred was still there. He was waiting for Lucy now. He described where it appeared several people were sick close to the river. Alfred described where people were hungry and cold and were buried in a pit.

​The activity quieted down considerably, and Hans Holzer cautioned June Havoc not to feel sorry for the ghost, and eventually all activity died away. She lived there until 1969. ​

---

June Havoc with Hans Holzer and Sybil Leek in trance c.1966

ACTUAL HISTORY

It wouldn't be the first time that ghosts come through with dates that are not on the mark. Such is the case with the story of Lucy. This information also disputes dates supposedly researched and reported in Holzer's book.

​The information given that Alfred Bailey served under Napier could be possible, however the year of 1792 does not. Captain Napier as he was known then, first married Elizabeth Pollock in 1775, and both of their daughters were born in Britain. He spent a brief two years in America, before becoming sick and being sent back to England by Sir Clinton with his one remaining child. 

In 1781, he was already in Britain where he married Lady Sarah Lennox with whom he had 8 children. He did not return to America.

Yellow fever reached epidemic proportions in 1795, 1799, and 1803 claiming thousands of lives over the course of its presence in New York City. Upon infection, most victims would experience headaches, followed by severe exhaustion, high fever and slowed heart rate. This period was followed by a remission stage and then by delirium. During the delirium stage, victims acquired a characteristic yellow hue on their skin and pupils. In final stages, a vomiting of black bile occurred and was followed by death. 

So did the ghost of "Hungry Lucy" really exist? If she did, was she really a camp follower during the Revolutionary War, or a confused spirit who lost her life after a bout of yellow fever and was buried in the Potter's Field? Or perhaps she was just a made-up character to stoke the interest of June Havoc's TV audience, and a character in one of the many ghost books authored by Holzer.

---