"Haunted North Bergen: Part II"

Look, I know the supernatural is something that isn't supposed to happen, but it does happen.

-Dr. John Markway

The Haunting (1963)

It's that time of year again, Halloween. When a bump in the night makes you pull the covers up a little higher. Shadowy figures can be seen from the corner of your eye. Hushed toned voices can be faintly heard at the eeriest of hours. And perhaps if you a teacher like me you dread the Mischief Night antics of rambunctious students. Halloween seems like a good time to examine a few more of the ghosts, goblins and ghouls that call North Bergen home.

The Matantu

Long before we called North Bergen home, and long before the first settlers established the village of New Durham, the land our town was established on was once part of the Lenni Lenape's territory. North Bergen was once known as "Espatin" which in Unami loosely translates to hill. Nonetheless, the Lenape here believed in a spirit, an evil spirit they called Matantu. The Matantu was a destructive and sinister spirit and often associated with bats, stinging insects and plants, all of which were thought to be his creation. Which leads us into perhaps the oldest legend in the towns history, maybe even the state, the legend of the Matantu. It was noted by early Dutch and English settlers that the Natives seemed to stay away from the area we know today as the West Side Avenue. In North Bergen, Tonnelle Avenue was originally a trail used by the Natives, and was the furthermost into the swamps they, the Natives, would go. They believed that the Matantu lived in the meadows and would attack and terrorize those using the trail or attempting to hunt and fish near the waters. There was a belief that those taken by the Matantu were never to be heard from again.

This legend spread beyond the Natives and into the settlement of New Durham. Early settlers and people passing by often reported specters and strange happenings west of New Durham, all lands the Lenape believed belonged to Matantu.  Around 1840 rumors spread throughout that county that the area was haunted and the land may even be cursed. Around the same time residents of New Durham began to move elsewhere with the establishment of new towns like Hoboken, Hudson Town (Jersey City), Guttenberg and Weehawken. With their migration died the legend of the haunting and Matantu, but perhaps he is still out there, lurking in the meadows on the edge of town.

The Ghost of Mary Lee

It was a dark evening on Secaucus Road when a young man walking home came face to face with what he assumed was spirit from the great beyond. As the man near the McCollum home, seen above, near present day Hackensack Plank and Secaucus Road his body froze in fear as this lost soul came nearer. The mans instinct demanded he run away but he was captivated by the sight of the wandering specter. As the apparition came within close distance the man let out a blood curdling howl. The scream alerted others. They found the spook stopped dead. The white linen like material that seeming floated down the road started to peel away revealing a set of eyes. The men now enchanted by the ghost quickly began to make sense of what they were seeing, it was not a vengeful phantom, but a young girl, alive and well. See Mary Lee was not deceased, but a young girl prone to sleepwalking. It was after that the men that encountered the ghost safely returned her to her home. It was reported she did not wake until the next morning, with no recollection of the evening's events. 

The Mysterious Drowning of Eijiro Nakano

Today, most residents know Buoncamino Park for the festivities of the Buoncammino Society or for the recent talks of the proposed power plant. However, what most residents do not know is that about the tributary creek that runs into the Hackensack River. Bellman's Creek as it's known today is an often forgotten waterway that flows through North Bergen. Around the turn of the century Bellman's, or as then, Belmont Creek,(a common name confused for Bellman's) was a popular swimming location. That said, it was the sight of several drownings and one that seems as if the victim was drawn to the water.

Eijiro Nakano, a Japanese student studying in New York ventured to the swimming area one spring afternoon. Shortly after his arrival though Nakano disappeared. He was found 2 days later in in the creek. The police reported there were "no marks of violence found on the body," and "death was accidental." However, some stories began to emerge about Nakano's behavior prior to his disappearance. Two witnesses claimed to see Nakano wandering through the meadows towards the creek. One man named Washington Bell was given $40 by Nakano and told investigators he also gave another boy $10 before throwing his coat to the side of the road. That was the last time Nakano was seen alive.

It seemed as if Nakano was being called to the water by someone, or something. There were always rumors surrounding the deaths at Bellman's Creek, and even legends that not all those that drowned there were found. Today, some old timers even claim there is a ghost that can be seen near the creek. Perhaps one is the ghost of Nakano serving as a warning to those still wanting to take a swim, or something more sinister, something calling those to join Nakano and the other victims in a watery grave.

The Givernaud Orphanage Ghost

Barbara Givernaud, widow of silk mill giant Elienne Givernaud, donated her handsome brick mansion to St. Joseph's Orphanage in 1916.  It stood as a symbol of hope and second chance for many of the children that called it home. After some financial issues the orphanage was sold and demolished in 1960. It was after it's demolition that strange occurrences began to happen on the newly created Charles Court. The house that were constructed on Charles Court use bricks from the old Givernaud home. Some believe that it is possible for a certain spiritual energy to be connected to a building and now that building was spread throughout a neighborhood. One former resident recalled seeing dark haired woman float through the home. Could it have been Barbara Givernaud? A former employee of the orphanage? We may never know. Others that live on the site also claim to hear footsteps in rooms no one is in. While there are other stories of tugs and pulls on clothing as they go about their days. Could these happens all be tied back to the fact the Givernaud Orphanage was recycled into these house? Perhaps. Perhaps some of these occurrences are still those looking for a home.

The Guardian Ghost of Gardner's Grave

The Gardner Tombs 

North Bergen is home to eight, yes eight, burial grounds...that we know of. Grove Church Cemetery has burials dating back to 1847 making it the oldest cemetery in North Bergen. With a cemetery that old there are bound to be a few spirits hanging around. One known legend is that of John Gardner. Gardner during his time on earth worked as a lumber dealer with his brother Robert. Together the two amassed a small fortune. As was tradition the two had family crypts built in Grove Church Cemetery. Robert passed and was interned in 1888, while John would join his brother in 1892 to enjoy a peaceful eternity along Kennedy Boulevard. However that would change on the night of September 26, 1894 when John's crypt was opened by vandals and his coffin broken into. This seemed odd to those working in the cemetery as nothing was stolen from the body. Nonetheless, ever since there has been tales of a well dressed man wondering the cemetery near Gardner's tomb. Perhaps it is the elder Gardner watching over his brother, or it may be John Gardner still searching for those who disturbed his rest.

Chief Sullivan and the Mysterious Specter of Weehawken Cemetery

An unexplained event from 1904 still should cause some who live near Weehawken Cemetery to be cautious at night. One night John Hollander was awoken by a large crash. Upon inspection he found his window broken by a rock. As he looked out his window toward Weehawken Cemetery another window was shattered. Hollander raced outside with his hunting rifle and found no one in the cemetery, but a third window would explode as he made his way back into his house. Hollander assumed it was vandals and returned home. However, the next night and the night after the same spectral assault happened. Now shaken by the thought his home was being targeted by those from the beyond he called the North Bergen Police. Two officers responded and searched the cemetery and found no one. But as they returned to report to Hollander one of the officers were struck by a rock mysteriously thrown from the darkness of the graveyard. Police Chief Sullivan was called in to take control and calm the nerves of the residents. On August 5th the Chief and 20 officers surrounded Weehawken Cemetery. Sullivan stood in the entrance to the cemetery and proclaimed:

"If there are any man in that graveyard, dead or alive, who is looking for trouble, let him come  forward."

After the Chief spoke the silence and loneliness of the cemetery were the only thing left. He ordered his men to enter and sweep the cemetery for anyone hiding. The officers hesitantly entered. The Weehawken Cemetery ghost story spread throughout Hudson County and cause many to avoid passing the cemetery and those who lived near it to stay in after dark. The police found no sight of man or spirit. Afterward, Sullivan spoke to the press:

"I have come to the conclusion that this ghost has a whole lot of respect for the North Bergen Police. He must have learned that we were coming down here to look him over, and he decided to to seek some other more congenial play ground. Do I believe in ghosts? No, sir! North Bergen has more grave stones than houses, and we aren't afraid of ghosts because we live right in their midst and we have become sociable, so to speak."

Sullivan added finally when this ghost was caught he'd be charged with malicious mischief. But let it be known no specter was ever caught in regards to the bombardment of Hollanders home, perhaps he still lingers among the headstones of Weehwaken Cemetery.

The Suspicious Suicide of Mrs Devall

Most people who visit North Bergen's Woodcliff neighborhood are taken back by the tree lined streets and Victorian & Edwardian era homes. Such an example of this was the Devall family. The family, Benjamin, Elizabeth, son Benjamin and nephew Warren,  left the bustling Bergen Hill area of Jersey City to settle in the countryside known as North Bergen. Despite the allure of a less congested area tragedy would fall upon the Devall home shortly after their move. Mrs. Devall was found lifeless in her bed by the family servant, Margaret Flynn. Flynn would go on to implicate Mr. Devall in the murder of his wife.

The North Bergen Police were called to investigate the suspected suicide, which was begin reported as a murder. Flynn found Mrs. Devall with a revolver in her hand she told police. She also told police that the couple "did not appear happy" and would "quarrel frequently." Even her retelling of Mr. Devall's reaction to his wife's death seemed strange. Flynn stated that Mr. Devall was unaffected by the sight of his wife, saying "poor thing, she's shot herself." She then went on to dismiss her want to contact a doctor, he reaction, "Where would I get a doctor at this hour?" His last interaction with Flynn was just as offbeat as well, paying her $20, her whole months salary, then dismissing her from duty.

The town was overtaken by the rumors of Mr. Devall killing his wife. A horrid crime committed by the newest resident on the block. It wasn't until the full investigation that Mrs. Devall's death was ruled a suicide. However, the lingering suspicion that Mr. Devall staged the death never faded. Mr. Devall would shortly move out of North Bergen and the story of his wife's death disappeared with him from the towns memory. 

The Gruesome Death of Robert and John Behmer

SCENE OF THE CRIME

Published January 13, 1941

The Jersey Journal

Third Avenue is a quite street lined with red brick two story homes. However, in 1941 one home on the street was the scene of a horrific crime, a double murder. John Behmer, a knitting mill manufacturer seemed just as normal as anyone else on Third Avenue. He had a steady job, wife, family, etc. However, even though Behmer seemed fine, there was something evil lurking on the horizon. See Mr. Behmer had spent some time New Jersey Greystone Park Hospital for Mental Diseases just two years earlier. He was diagnosed with suffering from manic depressive psychosis, an extremely dangerous form of insanity. Nevertheless, Behmer was released, and within 2 years he'd commit one of the most heinous crimes in North Bergen's history.

Mr. & Mrs Behmer with their son John

Publish January 13, 1941

The Jersey Journal

On that fatefully January night, Mrs. Behmer was awoken to the sound of whimpers from her children's room. She found her youngest, John, bloodied in his crib and her oldest Robert still asleep in his bed. She attempted to phone for help, only to find her husband in the kitchen with the stove on attempting to end his life. Police were notified and upon investigation found Mr. Behmer had hacked his two boys to death in their sleep. 

Behmer was arrested. He claimed he was trying to save the boys. Save them from suffering the insanity he did. He claimed to constantly live in fear of being sent back to Greystone, and that his boys would eventually be sent there too. Behmer also had nerves about the growing war in Europe and the safety of his family both in the US and Germany.  All of these factors lead him to commit this wicked crime, and for this Mr. Behmer spent almost 20 years in Greystone Hospital until his release in 1963. However, some say on quiet January nights screams of a woman can be faintly heard in the silence of Third Avenue.

These are just a few of the eerie and chilling tales that can be found right here in North Bergen. A town not really known for it haunts but home to plenty of them. I really hope you enjoyed reading and hopefully learning about some of the local lore. But remember, sometimes it is simply your mind playing tricks on you, and it could just be something going bump in the night, but sometimes, the things you see in the shadows are more than just shadows.

Happy Halloween

Haunted History Part I

Sources:

Matantu

The Native Languages of America Online Resources

John Gardner

“Cemetery Vandals” The Evening Journal, 26 Sept. 1894.

The Ghost of Mary Lee

"Thought Her A Ghost" The Evening Journal, March 12, 1897

Chief Sullivan and the Mysterious Specter

“House Near Cemetery Bombarded With Rock.” The Evening Journal, 5 Aug. 1904.

“Police Hunt Cemetery for Stone Thrower.” The Evening Journal, 6 Aug. 1904.

"Local Police Asked To Search For Missing Jap" The Evening Journal, 5 May 1906.

"Young Nakano Was Drowned" The Evening Journal, 7 May 1906.

"Wealthy Jap's Death Caused by Drowning" The Evening Journal, 10 May 1906.

"Wealthy Jap Not Foul Play Victim" The Evening Journal, 15 May 1906.

The Suspicious Suicide of Mrs Devall

"Husband of "Suicide" Held on Suspicion" The New York Times, March 12, 1908

"Charges Against Devall Unfound" The Evening Journal, March 19, 1908

The Gruesome Death of Robert and John Behmer

"Hacks Sleeping Sons To Death With Ax" The Jersey Journal, January 13, 1941

"Ax Victims To Rest In Common Grave" The Jersey Journal, January 14, 1941

"Indited in Sons Slaying" The Jersey Journal, February 5, 1941

"Say Slayer of 2 Sons Insane" The Jersey Journal, April 15, 1941

"Three Murder Counts Dropped" The Jersey Journal, April 30, 1963