Cigars, Sailors, & a Very Rude Ghost

A winter storm closed the world outside, so we opened a door most people keep shut: the Watseka Wonder. Bethany revisits a case tangled with possession, small-town politics, and a healer who worked without touch, guiding us through a sequence that feels equal parts courtroom, confessional, and séance. 

3 men in Watseka take things into their own hands and approach the Vennums about Lurancy. What follows isn’t spectacle—it’s procedure. We walk moment by moment through the questions, the verifiable family lore, and the unsettling pivot when bravado collapses into pain. Stevens’ “magnetic passes” read like an early form of focused ritual or mesmerism, a careful choreography of belief and care rather than force. Whether you see this as dissociation, social scripting, or genuine spirit communication, the ethical stakes stay front and center: how do we treat the suffering when proof is partial and the unknown stares back?

We also hold the narrative up to the light. Bethany compares David St. Clair’s storytelling with the University of Illinois’ scanned documents, noting which names the archive preserves and which the book amplifies. That contrast invites a broader conversation about evidence, folklore, and how memory edits what communities refuse to forget. The real pull of this story isn’t whether spirits exist; it’s what our responses reveal—about mercy, skepticism, and the dangers of imposing belief. Stay to the end for a candid reflection on living with mystery and an open invitation to share your own experiences. If this made you think, subscribe, share it with a friend, and tell us: where do you draw the line between the seen and the felt?

Transcript

Winter Storm And Personal Ties

Speaker 4 0:11

Welcome to Small Town Whispers, where history, folklore, and the paranormal collide. I'm Bethany Yucuis Borden, and I lived in Watseka, Illinois from 1988 to 1999. For over a decade, I walked the same streets, saw the same houses, and even had friends connected to the story we're about to dive into. This isn't just history for me, it's personal. I had had my fair share of the winter weather. And believe me, I also had my fair share of snow while we lived in Colorado Springs, and my dad taught at the Air Force Academy. Chris grew up in Michigan, so we're good on snow. Our son is in college in Florida, and our stubborn Frenchton was not having it out there, so we mainly stayed indoors through the winter storm. But it was beautiful. I loved crunching through the snow around the block, seeing all of the white, and breathing in that familiar northern air. It made me very grateful though when we got into our warm apartment and had everything we needed right here. It gave me some extra time to dig back into the book, and here we are. It's time to get back to the Watsika Wonder. When we

Dr. Stevens Seeks Authority

The Mayor’s Spirit-Guided Life

Speaker 2:31

last paused our story, Tom Vennum had just driven Dr. E. W. Stevens from his property, angry, defensive, and unwilling to listen. Dr. Stevens left frustrated, not just by Tom's stubbornness, but by his own failure to reach him. He understood that for many people, the very idea of spirits was terrifying. In his mind, though, spiritualism was part of God's design. Good spirits came with messages of love and comfort. Bad spirits deceived, played games, caused chaos. That was simply the balance of the world. Others, of course, believed anything involving spirits was the devil's work. Still, Dr. Stevens was not ready to give up on Lurancy Venom. Not yet. His next move was a strategic one. If Tom wouldn't listen to him as a minister, perhaps he would listen to him as a man with legal permission. Dr. Stevens went to the mayor of Watseca, hoping to obtain the right to speak with the Venom family again. At the hotel desk, Ms. Williams told him exactly where to find Mayor Colonel Peters at the bookstore he owned and operated. She said he'd likely be sitting with a cigar, a cup of coffee, and a book in hand. Colonel Peters, she joked, insisted on reading every book that passed through his shop, even ones ordered brand new. She was right. Dr. Stevens found Colonel Peters immersed in the true story of the Battle of Little Bighorn, which led naturally into conversation. Colonel Peters spoke of serving under General Sherman during the Carolinas campaign of 1864. Dr. Stevens admired his service and was open about who he was: a spiritualist minister. To his surprise, the mayor didn't flinch. Colonel Peters explained that his life had taught him one powerful truth. He

Planning A Second Visit

Entering The Vennum Home

Speaker 4 4:29

could do anything. Especially because his mother, who had died when he was very young, was always with him, guiding him. She helped him survive becoming an orphan. She helped him escape an abusive tailor he'd been apprenticed to. She helped him earn an education, serve in the military, purchase the Watseka paper, and eventually be elected mayor. All by the age of 34. Dr. Stevens felt certain the spirits had brought them together. Colonel Peters agreed. Spirits, he said, were never wrong. Then he asked the doctor why he was truly in town. When Dr. Stevens explained his mission to drive the entities from Lurancy Venom, the mayor grew quiet. He admitted that he had simply assumed the girl was mad. He had never investigated the situation himself. That realization gave them reason enough to approach Tom Venom one more time. Dr. Stevens left the mayor an article explaining his work and returned to the hotel. After supper and an evening walk, he found a message waiting for him. The mayor would meet him the next day at 4 o'clock to visit the Venom family. The following afternoon, Colonel Peters arrived by Buggy, Asa Roff beside him. Asa introduced himself to Dr. Stevens as a fellow spiritualist. He had read all about the doctor and wanted to see him in action. He would also serve as legal representation. Together, the men left for the Venom home. They were invited inside by Tom and immediately saw Lurancey. She was perched on a kitchen chair, her feet tucked beneath her, arms wrapped tightly around her legs. Her dress hid her bare feet. Her eyes burned like two live coals. Tom introduced her to Dr. Stevens. She spat at him. Rocking back and forth, she breathed deeply and told them to go away. Lurinda began to cry, explaining that Lurancy often became like this for hours at a time. Tom snapped at her not to get emotional. He said he could handle screaming and yelling, but not the crying. So much crying. And that is where we returned to Watseka, America's most extraordinary case of possession and exorcism, on page 162.

Speaker 3 7:16

Tears? My God, how many tears?

“Tears” And A Shifted Mind

Speaker 4 7:19

Lurancy said suddenly. Doctor Stevens turned back to her. What? What did you just say? She was silent. What did you say about tears? Silence. Won't you repeat it or at least tell me what you meant by that? She sat there, eyes closed, everyone staring at her. After a few moments, Dr. Stevens said, We must try and keep her talking. Try and make a wedge into her mind where we can reach her and understand where she is. Tom was surprised. Where she is? What do you mean? She's right here with us. No, said the doctor. Her body is here with us, but her mind is somewhere else. He had seen cases like this before, not as severe, but similar. You see, your daughter is but a shell right now. Someone else is inside her. Oh my god. Oh my poor baby. Please, Mrs. Vennum. The doctor's voice came swift and commanding. If we are to succeed today, we cannot have emotional displays. Then more soothingly, I understand what you are going through, but you must be brave. Embrace yourself until it is over. At no time must your daughter think she has mastery over you. She must not see your tears.

Speaker 3 8:43

Tears. Tears. Why must there be so many tears?

Speaker 4 8:49

She looked at the doctor, her eyes open, the hardness gone. Why? Why always so many tears? What do you mean? The voice was as soft as hers. Everywhere.

Speaker 3 9:03

There are tears. Everywhere.

Shipwreck Vision And Place Names

Speaker 4 9:06

She closed her eyes and resumed rocking. There was another silence before the doctor asked everywhere? What do you mean everywhere? Where are you?

Speaker 3 9:18

I'm I'm here. I'm here and everyone is crying. Crying and looking.

Speaker 4 9:23

She rocked back and forth, her knees pressed tightly against her chest.

Speaker 3 9:28

Looking and crying.

Speaker 4 9:30

What are they looking for? He asked.

Speaker 3 9:33

The boats, of course.

Speaker 4 9:34

The boats? No reply. What boats? Another long silence.

Speaker 3 9:41

The other boats. With the other men.

Speaker 4 9:44

Other men?

Speaker 3 9:45

What other men? The ones who haven't returned, of course.

Speaker 4 9:50

She turned toward him. Weren't you here earlier? Didn't you hear the news? She stretched out her hand and he took it, holding it lightly in his own. The news? No, I didn't hear the news. Tell me about it. It was horrible.

Speaker 2 10:06

The fire reached the powder kegs just as the boats were being lowered over the side. Some men managed to get away, but others were blown into the sea. My brother's still missing. That lady over there, you see her?

Speaker 4 10:17

And she pointed toward Lorinda. You mean your mother? he questioned.

Speaker 2 10:21

That lady isn't my mother. My mother's back at the house, sick in bed, but that woman. And she pointed again at Lorinda. That woman had three sons on the ship, and all three were killed. Lars Holmquist said he saw them being blown to bits. Lars Holmquist? The doctor asked. Who is he? One of the sailors on the ship. He lives here in the village. You know where the road turns and runs around the White House on that hill? Well he lives just a little farther around that corner. In the stone house.

Speaker 4 10:54

And you, Dr. Stevens continued. Where do you live? Where do I live? What a funny question.

Speaker 2 11:01

You know where I live.

Speaker 4 11:02

No, I do not.

Speaker 2 11:04

Oh of course you do.

Speaker 4 11:06

No, I don't. Where is it? She stiffened her body and yanked back her hand.

Speaker 2 11:12

I don't know you. I thought you were someone else. Please. Get away from me. I don't know you. Don't you touch me? How dare you touch me when you don't know me? She looked wildly around the room. Oh God, what's happened to my brother?

Testing Verifiable Details

Willie Canning Takes Over

Speaker 4 11:27

Where are the other boots? She closed her eyes and started to hum. Then the humming got weaker, and in a minute or two she was silent, rocking back and forth in her own silence. That's the way she's been, Tom volunteered the information. She'll go off her head and pretend she is some imaginary person, and then just as quick as she goes on it, she'll go off it. Asa asked the next question. Does she ever become someone you know? I mean, like a departed relative or friend? Tom looked at Lurinda. Once she was my father. Did she sound like your father? he continued. Pa had a deep voice, and she had her ordinary voice. Did she tell you anything while she was your father that she couldn't have known? Asa kept at it. Like what? Like things that only your father could have known. Personal things that might have happened and that Lorency didn't know about. He glanced at doctor Stevens and got a nod of approval. Things of a personal nature. Didn't she say something about Grandma Ida Jones? Tom asked her. Remember, you told me something about that. Oh yes, Lurinda said. At the time when she said she was my father, she told me that Grandma Ida Jones had buried her husband before he was dead. Grandma Jones wasn't really my grandma. We kids just called her that. Before her husband was dead? Colonel Peters was curious now. Yes, old man Jones passed away, and being as there weren't any doctors out where he and Grandma Ida were, she made a pine box and buried him in the woods. Then a few years later, when the church was built and they laid out a graveyard, she wanted grandpa's body to be reburied near the church. Well, when they dug up his coffin, they found the lid had been forced open a bit, and one of his hands was between the box and the lid. Everyone supposed that he hadn't really been dead when she buried him, and then he came to and discovered where he was, but it was too late. No amount of scratching and pushing would get him out. He must have suffocated in there. She shuddered. I never knew that story, and I certainly never told Lorancy that story, but Grandma Ida did bury her husband by herself. That's a fact. I remember the old man and remember when she came over to our farm to tell us what had happened. So there was no way Lurancy could have known about the incident? The colonel asked. No way, said Tom. I only heard about it a few years ago when we was back home visiting, but Rancy wasn't there when they told it. He paused in his speech and looked at them. Hey, wait a minute. Do you gentlemen think Lorinda's father really came here? I mean in Rancy's body? It could very well be, said the doctor. The other two men nodded in agreement. But that's impossible, Tom said. The dead don't come back. Anything is possible, Mr. Vennum, said doctor Stevens. Yes, Asa added. And how do you know the dead don't come back? Well, he said, looking down at the floor. I always thought it was just scary stuff telling tales about ghosts and dead people at midnight at the cemetery and all that. There may be more truth in those tales than we have hitherto imagined, the doctor said. We know very little about death and what really happens when a man dies. I always thought that when you were dead, you were dead for a hell of a long time. Please, Tom, Lurinda shook her head. No profanity. Nothing wrong with hell of a Nothing wrong with hell of a helluva. Helliva, hell of a Lurancy? Lurinda was shocked.

Speaker 2 15:28

Helluva. Helluva and piss and fart and shit. Fart and piss.

Speaker 4 15:42

Lurancy Vennum! Now you stop that!

Speaker 1 15:45

Just shut up. Every time you open your mouth, people realize you're more of a fool than they thought the first time. So just keep quiet and nobody'll know the truth. Old granny doesn't have many brains in that old head.

Speaker 4 16:01

Who are you? The doctor asked.

Speaker 1 16:03

I'm Willie Canning.

Havana

Speaker 4 16:04

She stretched out her hand and shook the doctor's.

Speaker 1 16:07

Who are you?

Speaker 4 16:08

My name is Dr. E. W. Stevens.

Speaker 1 16:11

Glad to know you, sir. Is it a medical doctor?

Speaker 4 16:16

Or a horse doctor? A little bit of both at times. What are you doing here, Willie?

Speaker 1 16:26

I don't know. I was just lollygagging around, not doing much of nothing, and here I am. Hey, do you happen to have a cigar, do you?

Speaker 4 16:36

Lorency!

Speaker 1 16:38

Now, old granny, just you hush. She never did like when I smoked. Said it made me look like the devil's rear end, with all the smoke coming out of the hole.

Speaker 4 16:47

How dare you! I never said a thing like that in my whole life! Lurinda got up out of her chair, but the doctor motioned for her to sit back down. Please, old granny, he said with a wink. Let's not get upset. We should be happy that Willie is here for a visit. She sat back down, arms crossed angrily at her daughter.

Speaker 1 17:07

About that cigar.

Speaker 4 17:09

Colonel Peters reached into the pocket of his suitcoat and pulled out a silver case. As he offered it, opened, to Lurancy, it was Tom Vennum's turn to get indignant. Please, Mr. Mayor, I won't abide by my daughter smoking in my house.

Speaker 1 17:27

Your house? Hell, mister, you don't own this place. Nobody does. And don't call me your daughter. I ain't your daughter. I am all man. And if you want me to, I can prove it to you. I can open my trousers front and show you something your daughter don't have.

Speaker 4 17:46

The laugh was longer now. She reached for the cigar, expertly bit off the end, and inhaled deeply as the colonel held the match.

Speaker 1 18:03

What is that? Cuban?

Speaker 4 18:04

Colonel Peters nodded.

Speaker 1 18:06

I thought so. They make the best over there. When I was in Havana, we used to buy them by the handful.

Speaker 4 18:13

You were never in Havana! Lurinda clapped her hand over her mouth quickly. I'm sorry, she whispered at Dr. Stevens. He smiled at her and motioned. It was okay. Tell me, Willie, the doctor said. What was your father's name?

Speaker 1 18:27

Pete. Peter Canning.

Speaker 4 18:30

Where were you born?

Speaker 1 18:31

In Cardiff. Do you know where that is?

Speaker 4 18:34

Wales?

Speaker 1 18:35

Right, but I haven't been there for a long time. I ran away when I was about ten and never went back.

Speaker 4 18:42

Where did you go?

Speaker 1 18:43

To sea.

Speaker 4 18:44

As a sailor?

Speaker 1 18:46

As anything at all. Anything the captain needed.

Speaker 4 18:49

Were you a sailor all your life?

Speaker 1 18:51

No, when I was about twenty or so, there was a gentleman in Peru who needed someone to manage his fishing boats. There's good solid white fish off the coast, and he dried them and sold them to people in Europe. But it didn't work out.

Speaker 4 19:06

Why didn't it work out, Willie? The doctor asked.

Speaker 1 19:10

Politics. There was a revolution. Damn! There was always a revolution down there. And his ships were destroyed. I was lucky. I got out with my life.

Speaker 4 19:21

What do you mean?

Speaker 1 19:22

Well, the shit-eating government soldiers were coming in one door just as I was going out the other. They fired at me, but I got away. Damn fine leaf this is.

Speaker 4 19:35

Willie, Dr. Stevens' voice was slow and deliberate. Are you positive you got away? Lurancy took the cigar out of her mouth and looked at him.

Speaker 1 19:46

What kind of dumb question is that? Of course I got away.

Speaker 4 19:50

Alright, the doctor said. Assuming you did, where did you go after that?

Speaker 1 19:56

After that? Well, after that I went to to Well, I think it was No, Willie, Dr.

Speaker 4 20:07

Stevens was insistent. I don't want you to tell me where you think it was. I want you to tell me where you know it was. There was a long pause as the girl studied the pattern the cigar smoke made in the musty parlor air. Did you go anywhere after that, Willie?

Speaker 1 20:26

Well yes.

Speaker 4 20:27

I went to Where did you go, Willie? I must hear it from you yourself. I must know where you went. He looked at the others in the room. They were not quite sure where he was going with this line of questioning. Finally he said, Willie, I want you to remember when the soldiers came in the front door. I want you to remember what it felt like when you heard the shooting.

Speaker 1 20:51

What it felt like? What what felt like?

Speaker 4 20:54

Your body, Willie. What did your body feel when you heard the shots that were fired at you? She closed her eyes, as if the darkness would help her recall the incident in better detail.

Speaker 1 21:05

Well they came in the front door of the house. I was in the first room and I ran towards the cooking area because I had my revolver there.

Speaker 4 21:12

Alright. Then what?

Speaker 1 21:14

Then I got the revolver and I turned to fire at the two soldiers who had come after me.

Speaker 4 21:19

Then what?

Speaker 1 21:20

I'm trying to think. Then I fired one shot and then The voice stopped. And then Oh my god!

Speaker 4 21:30

What happened?

Speaker 1 21:31

Behind me. There were others at the door behind me. My back. Dear Lord, my back.

Speaker 4 21:38

She gave a cry and reached around, trying to clutch at her back.

Speaker 1 21:42

The pain. Sweet Jesus, the pain.

Speaker 4 21:46

Tears welled in her eyes. She looked at Dr. Stevens as if seeing him for the first time.

Speaker 1 21:54

I didn't didn't go anywhere after that, did I?

Speaker 4 21:58

He shook his head.

Magnetic Passes And Release

Speaker 1 22:00

Sweet Jesus I didn't I didn't go anywhere They got me They got me and I I You died the doctor said You left your body and you died Yes Yes Yes That that must be what happened I died I really died Lorancy looked at her hands and then touched her face But but if I died why why do I still have a A body? Yes Why do I still have a body?

Speaker 4 22:37

The hands were touching Lurancy all over You have a body, but it is not your body. You have taken over the body of a young girl, Willie, an innocent young girl, and you are doing it great harm. You must leave. Leave her and never come back.

Speaker 1 22:56

To go where?

Host Reflection On Sources

Speaker 4 22:58

To go where you were supposed to go so many years now past. To go with the others who have given up their mortal bodies. doctor Stevens got up from his chair and stood in front of the girl. Willie, would you like to go there? She nodded her head. Very well, I shall try and send you there. He placed his hands in the air, slightly over her head, and began to move them slowly, first around her hair, then both hands down near her ears, down to her neck, and clearing her shoulders with a sweeping motion. His hands never touched her body, but he shook them as if they were shaking off something that was clinging to them, caught between his fingers. Then he stepped to one side of her and started the same movement across the top of her head, down in front of her face, and down the back of her head. At the base of her neck, the hands swooped out again and were shaken again. That was when she gave a muffled cry, bowed her head, and sat like a rag doll, all hunched up on folded legs. Her breathing was normal. The tears had stopped. Very good, sir, said the colonel. You have sent that entity to paradise. Or at least away from Lurancey, put in Asa. That was well done. My congratulations. I had often read of such a thing, but I've never actually seen it done. Magnetic passes, you call it? Yes, it is a process that I have studied and perfected over the years, he answered. Tom Venom was most impressed. How did you do it? Yes, his wife chimed in. I'm so relieved. I don't know what I do, he confessed. All I know is that it works. In cases of spirit possession, it almost always works. Then that was a ghost that was in her body? Oh Tom, you know I don't like these things. Just hush up, Tom commanded. That Willy person is gone. He looked at Dr. Stevens. He is gone, isn't he? Gone for good? I hope so, the doctor replied. I hope I have sent him into Spirit Land where he will understand the fact that he is dead and will begin to progress into his next life. Wow, that was a lot to take in. The language genuinely made me laugh, but the thought of this actually happening is deeply unsettling. David St. Clair, the author, was an internationally known expert in the psychic field, which makes the story even more intriguing. While there's clearly a great deal of creative liberty taken in the storytelling, it does make you wonder, was he somehow tuned into details of what truly happened? Or was he simply a brilliant and imaginative writer? Either way, it's undeniably entertaining and thought-provoking. If you want to explore the documented case for yourself, try Googling the What Seek a Wonder. The University of Illinois has an original scanned copy available. Interestingly, it references Katrina Hogan and Willie Canning, but not Lavinia Durst. Then again, don't we love to hate her?

Porchlight Whispers Begins

Speaker 26:34

Now, join me under the porch light. The place where memories meet the present and voices from the past still linger in the dark. Tonight we listen not to the pages from a book, but to the people who have felt the unexplained and found the courage to share it. Welcome to Porchlight Whispers.

Beliefs

Speaker 4 26:59

This week, I read the Watsika Wonder document by Dr. E. W. Stevens in its entirety. I wanted to understand what was documented as fact and what had been shaped by time, retelling, and belief. I think most of us are always searching for the truth. Not just because we want answers, but because we want to be right. Between the document and the book, there are many things that feel unbelievable. Can we believe that a human body can be taken over by the spirit of someone who is passed on? Can we believe that a man can heal simply by passing his hands over a body without touching it? Personally, I don't see why anyone would make these things up. At the end of the Whatseek of Wonder, Asa Roth asks a similar question. Why would he risk his reputation if he didn't truly believe in spirits? For him, belief made sense. And for people who have never encountered possession or never studied spiritualism, disbelief also makes sense. That's the thing about belief. We aren't born with it. We're exposed to ideas. We have experiences. We watch what happens to ourselves and to others, and over time, we decide what feels true. To believe is to accept something as real or existing, often without absolute proof, relying instead on faith, trust, or conviction. When there is no solid proof, belief becomes a choice. In Watsika, some people believed spiritualists were doing the devil's work. Many people would say the same thing today about mediums, tarot cards, or Ouija boards. And yet, what stands out is not that beliefs were different, but how those differences were handled. Some religious people judged Mary and Lorenzi harshly, even though the girls were clearly suffering and at times dangerous. There was a humane way to treat them. But many were quick to lock away anyone who was inconvenient, unsettling, or didn't fit neatly into society. We can look around today and see how complicated it still is. Belief becomes harmful not when it exists, but when it's imposed on others, especially through fear, punishment, or violence. We need to leave room for mystery, compassion, difference. Because no matter what someone believes, they chose that belief. Hopefully because it helps them live more honestly, more gently, and is the best version of themselves. When I started reading this book again for the podcast, I realized that the entertainment is dynamic. But the conversation the story opens is thoughtful and relevant. I know one thing I believe, we do not and will never understand the complexities of this universe and life. And I hope to have many thought-provoking conversations with people, no matter what they believe. Until next time.

Choosing Mystery And Compassion

Speaker 29:53

That was this week's edition of Porchlight Whispers. Do you have an experience of your own to tell? We want to hear your stories. Share your experience and let your small town whispers become part of ours.

Speaker 4 30:09

And with that, the porchlight dims, but the whispers stay with us. Join us again next time when another voice steps into the light.