Freaky Flint History with Joe Schipani - Revenge April 7th, 1921




Flint is well known for its modern violent crimes but Flint's history is filled with little known stories that read stranger than fiction. Gruesome murders, weird accidents, and violent deaths. Join us every Thursday as Joe Schipani details some of the odd but true deaths he found in Flint's archives.


Revenge April 7th, 1921

This story starts in October of 1920 with a fifteen year old girl named Bessie.

After School, Bessie enjoyed going to her father’s grocery store on Saginaw Street. She would help out her father and earn a little money to go shopping at the second hand store just a couple blocks up the road.

On that day in October, Bessie found herself alone with the store owner Hyman Potashnich. After being gone for a while, she ran back to her father’s store, told him she did not feel well and wanted to go home. A few months went by, Bessie’s mother noticed a change in her little girl. At first she thought it was just the winter blues, but by April she knew something was seriously wrong. Bessie’s mother consulted with her close friend and the two of them sat Bessie down to find out what was wrong. Bessie finally confessed that while in Mr. Potashnich’s store in October, he assaulted her.

Outraged, Bessie’s mother told her father and he soon gathered a small group of friends to avenge his girl. Bessie’s father and friends went to the second hand store where Hyman lived in an apartment upstairs.

According to a neighbor, around three in the morning she heard gun shots and saw a number of men leave the store and drive away. Hyman’s partner in the store arrived at the scene and was the first to find Hyman. He called the police and they found Hyman with two bullet holes in his chest, lying on a small cot in an upstairs room.

After interviewing the only witness, the neighbor, they arrested seven people for questioning. Amongst the people detained were Bessie’s father, her brother, Hyman’s business partner, and a few family friends. Hyman’s partner claimed that it was a suicide and at first the police believed the claim. A rifle was placed in Hyman’s hands and the place was staged to look like it might have been a suicide.

Upon further investigation, they found a bullet hole in the side of the mattress that indicated that the shot was fired in the doorway of the room. This sparked an investigation. During the coroner’s autopsy no gun powder or residue was found on Hyman’s hand. With the new evidence, the case became a homicide.

After the investigation, Bessie’s father confessed to the murder and justified it by claiming he avenged the wrong doing of his daughter.

Hyman’s business partner was also arrested after confessing to the police that this was not the first time Hyman had been accused of assaulting someone. He felt Hyman deserved what he got.

Five people were tried for the death of Hyman and only three served time for the crime. Bessie’s father and Hyman’s business partner were indicted for murder and a close friend of Bessie’s father was convicted of attempted murder. 

~ Joe Schipani is the Executive Director of the Flint Public Art Project and the FFAR Project Assistant at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.  Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HauntedFlint/ 

Join Me at the Spirits of Yule Tea Party





Saturday, December 15, 2018 at 6 PM – 9 PM

VFW Post 822 
5065 S Saginaw Rd, 
Flint, MI 48507-4408

Join me for  fun night of Yule entertainment featuring tea and food,  Yuletide games, and ugly Christmas sweater contest, raffle, performances and more.

The reader line up is just phenomenal! This is your opportunity to sit with some of the best and most unique psychic readers throughout the evening!


  • Angela L. Alexander-Roth reading tea leaves
  • Janet McLaren reading palms
  • Jack Mercer bone reader
  • Through The Veil with Kaylie psychic medium
  • 3 Pagans and a Cat medium, tarot, and pendulum readers. 


It is an evening packed with fun for the yuletide season!

This is an 18+ event, preregister and prepay only. 

No tickets will be available at the door.

Tickets available at Paypal.Me/WitchesTeaFlint

#Creepmas Is Coming



ON DECEMBER 1 THE 13 DAYS OF CREEPMAS 2018 LAUNCHES

"The 13 Days of Creepmas is an online Celebration of Seasonal Spookiness from December 1 - 13. The idea is to bring a macabre twist to Christmas and the holidays. Get creative and post on your blog, website and social media - share your twisted yule visions with the world and be sure to tag them #Creepmas and/or #MakingCreepmas!" 

Learn more here

Click over to How to Participate so you can join the rest of the festive ghouls around the web. 

DON'T HAVE A BLOG OR WEBSITE?

Join in on social media by tagging posts #Creepmas 


I'm a CREEP for The 13 Days of CREEPMAS



Draw it, paint it, photograph it, sculpt it, photomanipulate it - however you want to do it, each day of the 13 Days of Creepmas (December 1-13) has a different theme. Post your images on your social media accounts with the hashtag #MakingCreepmas 

Freaky Flint History with Joe Schipani - The Hammer July 10th,1920


Flint is well known for its modern violent crimes but Flint's history is filled with little known stories that read stranger than fiction. Gruesome murders, weird accidents, and violent deaths. Join us every Thursday as Joe Schipani details some of the odd but true deaths he found in Flint's archives.

The Hammer July 10th, 1920

William Proctor, a night watchman for the Buick factory number 5, was just about to finish his shift on a Tuesday morning in July 1920 when he was served with a bill of divorce.

William and Carrie Proctor never had the perfect marriage.

The Proctors had adult children, one living in South Carolina and the other two had lived in homes on the same street. They were also the adopted parents of their two grandchildren, ages thirteen and five.

They spent 40 years of their marriage arguing. But this fight was different.

William discovered that his wife had opened a bank account without his knowledge and was hiding money from him. They fought for numerous days about this matter and William demanded she close the account and return his money to him.

When William arrived home after work he was angry. He knew that the divorce bill was coming,  but the blow to his ego combined with being served at work pushed him over the edge.

After a half hour of screaming at each other William picked up his hammer and started hitting Carrie in the head with it.

As she fell to the floor their oldest adopted child was awoke by the noise and came into the room. When he saw what had happened he let out a scream. William heard the scream and started swinging the hammer at the child. Lucky for the boy he was small and quick and avoided being struck by the hammer.

This made William suddenly realized that his anger was out of control.

By this time the neighbors had heard the screams and notified the police. William heard the sirens coming down Nicholas Avenue. He knew his fate was sealed. He pulled a razor knife out of his pocket and slit his throat from ear to ear.

By the time police arrived William Proctor was dead. He had bled to death.

Carrie Proctor was still alive at the time the police arrived. She was rushed to Hurley Hospital but died during surgery.


~ Joe Schipani is the Executive Director of the Flint Public Art Project and the FFAR Project Assistant at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.  Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HauntedFlint/ 

Freaky Flint History with Joe Schipani: Hanging in the Jail June 8th,1919


Flint is well known for its modern violent crimes but Flint's history is filled with little known stories that read stranger than fiction. Gruesome murders, weird accidents, and violent deaths. Join us every Thursday as Joe Schipani details some of the odd but true deaths he found in Flint's archives.

Hanging in the Jail
June 8th, 1919

Gera Cassie, who went by the alias Julius Nemeth was in jail awaiting trial for charges of statutory rape with his twelve year old daughter.

The turnkey at the jail claimed that Gera was despondent, spending most of his time in his cell crying and not eating. The turnkey also stated that he wasn’t sure if the tears were tears of being wrongly accused or tears of guilt.

Gera was housed on the second floor with the other circuit court prisoners, due to the nature of his crime.

On the night of June 8th, 1919 Gera disassembled the rope used to draw the windows open and closed.  

Later that night, he climbed on the top bunk and tied one end of the rope to the metal frame of the bed and the other end around his neck.

He then took the second rope and hog tied his feet and hands together, stopping him from changing his mind at the last minute.

After Gera had all the ropes secure, he rolled himself off the top bunk.
He died instantly, waking the inmate in the bunk below him.

When the guards came, the thirty-four year old Austrian man hung from his bed with his hand and feet still tied behind his back.

The prosecutor took that as an admission of guilt.    


~ Joe Schipani is the Executive Director of the Flint Public Art Project and the FFAR Project Assistant at the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.  Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HauntedFlint/ 

Creepy Christmas Cards

Are you taking part in a Creepy Christmas Card Exchange?

You can either purchase creepy cards or make your own.

Below are a few cards I made. I simply combined Halloween stickers (bats, cats and skulls) and Christmas stickers (Santa hats, trees and bows) and created my own creepy Christmas designs.






Not into DIY?

Zazzle has a great  selection of creepy cards. Just go to zazzle and search creepy Christmas cards, skull Christmas cards, spooky Christmas cards, gothic holiday cards, etc. 





I got the idea for the BGtATH creepy card exchange thanks to the collection I started last year.

The Bewitching Creations Creepy Christmas Collection. 

My daughter did the graphics for the products available through our Zazzle Store and I did the handcrafted designs available in our Etsy store.

Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas Card
Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas Card
by BewitchingDesigns
Have Yourself a Scary Little Christmas Card 2



I made the Santa hats on the skulls and skeletons out of clay and painted them. The other items are hand painted as well. 


I'll be adding more Creepy Christmas items to the Etsy Stores in the next couple weeks as I restock my supply.  

I have been making Santa hats out of clay to add to the skeletons and skulls I purchased for Halloween and I've been painting creepy holiday ornaments. 

I also make Yule ornaments- witch hats, goddess images, mini brooms to hang on the tree...




The Bewitching Cauldron and The Bewitching Witchery



Creepy Christmas Card Exchange


I miss receiving holiday cards in the mail. These days I only get a handful. 

No one seems to send physical cards anymore.

And I have a collection of dark holiday cards I would love to send out, but I have a feeling my in laws would not appreciate them. LOL

So I decided to create a creepy Christmas card exchange.

Interested?

Please include your FULL NAME and COMPLETE MAILING ADDRESS including country if you are outside the US.

Sign up below or if this form isn't working, use this link.

#CreepyChristmas #Creepmas #Gothmas #CardExchage



Halloween 2018 May Be Over But We're Always Here

The 2018 Halloween season has come to a close but have no fear, A Bewitching Guide to All Things Halloween will always be here when you need a Halloween fix.

I need a break for a couple days to unwind after a busy October and get started on my winter holiday plans and projects. 

But Halloween is always in my heart and new blog posts will start again next week including our Freaky Flint History posts on Thursdays.

I'll also post photos of my family's pumpkins, our Halloween costumes and more.