Journal Van Tries Part 6

             JOURNAL VAN TRIES  written by Tim R.Francis Lorain,Ohio 44052
                                                    part 6 of a continuing serial.





                                             My name is Elizabeth Van Tries and this is my story
 
      The date is January the first 1863, a new year and I would hope a good year, a year of peace.  All  this    talk of war is very disturbing, we have friends and family on both sides of this sad disagreement between     the northern and southern states .  Poor ma ma , she is so distraught this morning after learning of the death of her cousin Anna Dunkel from influenza, an illness brought on as a result of this horrible disagreement.
A punishment from our lord, that is what the brother Nelson called it.

      Last evening was new years eve and a celebration was held at the Church of the Pilgrimage in Miller square.  Oh what a wonderful night was had by all, we sang and we danced, it was a lovely evening , we were all having such a wonderful time and little brother Jacob was eating so much chocolate cake, that
 ma ma told him he was strubly.  Our celebration was to come to a horrible frightening end.

   At precisely 12 midnight, a brother of the pilgrimage went upstairs to ring the old German bell, the bell is to be rung twelve times slowly within a minute of each other.   As we were sitting in the pews getting ready to open our new years gift once the bell struck 12, we heard his footsteps above us and then one ring, then another and then what sounded like something crashing to the floor and a sound of broken glass and a slight yell.   The brother Nelson told everyone to be calm it was just the wind  blowing a tree branch against the window.

   Pa Pa not liking or trusting Brother Nelson since he arrived in town a month ago, stood up, as he stood up 3 of the other brothers stood up and nodded at him, the four of them then went up the stairs to the bell tower.  A total of 5 men would be in that tower this night and only 4 men came back down. Pa Pa jacob started to ask, where is ..... hush child ma ma said to jacob, leave pa pa be , elizabeth you and jacob go with the other children to the organ and sing for us.

    I knew what this was, I was to get the other children away from the adults so they could talk, I have never seen my father or the other brothers have such a frightening look on their faces, a look of horror and anguish
I do wonder what could have happened to the other brother, both ma ma and pa pa have said not to ask questions and to forget about it, don't be such a worry wart my dear, you will end up all gray and wrinkly.

    Sally Jenkins my most dear and trusted friend has told me that the brothers are having a celebration for me on my birthday on January third, I am so excited, well I must go for now dear journal, ma ma is calling and I must go and help with the meal, we are having several guests an ma ma has prepared a wonderful ham and turkey.  good night for now journal van tries, I will tell you my thoughts again.
             most sincerely; miss elizabeth van tries.



end part 6, part 7 saturday evening 5pm.

THE JOURNAL VAN TRIES a work of FICTION written by TIM R.FRANCIS LORAIN,OHIO

The Journal Van Tries Part 5 serial

                                               



           The Journal Van Tries  a work of fiction written by Tim R. Francis Lorain, Ohio 44052



                           My name is Johnathan Van Tries and this is my story;

    The date is Jan 22nd 2010, it is 5: 00 in the afternoon, late afternoon, some would call this evening, I prefer late afternoon.  My cousins arrived in town last night, they went straight to the old lantern cafe and tavern, cousin Michael and I met them there at roughly 9 pm.  We asked for a large table in the back of the cafe, there the 7 of us, the remaining Van Druzul cousins would talk about the will to be read on thursday Jan the 28th.  The will is to be read outside on the front lawn of the Van Druzul estate precisely at 12 noon, no matter what the weather conditions are the will has to be read on the 34th anniversary of Aunt Ks death.

    Journal let me introduce my cousins to you;  cousin Katrina Dunkel Van Druzul; her brother
Michael Gaustaf Van Druzul;  Karl Ebeneezer Van Druzul; Alana Katherine Van Druzul;
Duncan Wilhelm Van Druzul; Anthony Gongetti Van Druzul; and of course myself
Johnathan Jacob Van Druzul.    By 9:30 we had our dinner and a round of drinks, I myself had a scotch with a splash of bourbon and a twist of lime on the rocks, after last nights friendly neighborhood meeting I needed it.

      We raised our glasses, salute we all said in unison, to Auntie K, we were not loud not the least bit, we did not want to arouse suspicion , michael kept looking at me and making hand gestures, he wanted me to talk about the book.  I started to tell everyone that the stolen book from the shoreway printing company was discovered in the possesion of a woman from our past, a woman named Regina Mason co owner of the old hardware store on Lake Rd.

      Oh no said cousin Katrina, I never did like her I saw her steal something from the old Fulton Bros.deli  back in 1975;  Oh. what a bitch that woman is cousin Anthony said, you know I was in town a few years ago for the NASCAR  race .I was taking some pictures of the winner Carlos Romero, a small boy and his brother came up to get an autograph, the boys older brother was in a wheelchair, they had made their way to the pits where the car was parked, they had just gotten up to Carlos Romero when she walked in front of them.       She told them to get out of her way and she pushed the boy aside and moved in front of him.   Oh how terrible the other cousins said.

       Johnathan, you and mike would not be telling us this unless you had a plan to recover the book, why would she want this book, its just about the neighborhood, a history of sorts, nothing pertaining to her, it has no value  cousin Alana said.   You are slightly correct I told her, true it has no value, but it has an extensive history of the Van Druzul Mansion, they have it listed along with the Franklin Castle as areas where hauntings have been reported.   Hauntings chuckled cousin Karl don't be absurd.  I'll haunt her alright  said katrina.
    
    Quiet down everyone I said, Mike and I have a plan to get the book back, yes said mike, tonight regina will be coming in here around 10 pm as she does every night, only tonight she will be bringing the book with her.   How do you know that ? asked Alana, Easy Alana mike replied I had a friend of mine call her and make arrangements for her to bring the book with her tonight, she thinks she is meeting with Alexis Pierpont of the Paranormal Institute of Boston, when she arrives  I will go up to her and charm that book right out of her hands.

   As 10:00 approached Regina Mason came into the tavern and sat down at the bar, there were two seats, one on each side of her, she had a large purse with her, just large enough to hold a book, which she laid on the bar in front of her.   Mike waited about 10 minutes and then a woman sat down next to her on the one side and then mike on the other.   Regina seemed nervous, mike ordered his drink and then looked at regina, i could overhear the conversation as I was seated at the table directly behind them.

  " well hello beautiful, where have you been hiding all my life" mike said to her  "If you're talking to me, I am here with my husband a cleveland police officer" she said   " Wow what a lucky man he is to have someone as gorgeous as you. I am jealous, maybe I should buy you both a drink " I don't want one thank you, I don't drink, besides I'm waiting for someone" she said, " Well said mike, can I at least get the ladies name that is refusing my generosity, and such a beautiful lady you are"  mike continued and within 10 minutes she had told him her name and accepted the drink.

    At this time mikes friend a woman named Alexis, leaned in and asked if she was Regina Mason, as Alexis was talking to her on one side and mike moving in and talking to her on the other and the drink she ordered, a vodka straight , all causing her mind to wander, she became careless and somewhat loud, alexis ordered regina another drink, the bartender Scott Williams sat the drink down in front of her and leaned in ,
"You know he said looking at her you have the most beautiful hazel eyes"  Regina started laughing, at that time I stood up and moved in next to alexis.
  
    Regina finished her drink and scott brought her another one, regina continued to giggle, it was then that Alexis asked her if she had brought the book with her, she said yes that she had and started fumbling through the purse she had it in. "Oh yeah here this is the nook  oops ,book you see, you want to see, do you boys want a look she said giggling"  She kept her left hand on the book, alexis then placed her hand on the book.
 Oh Regina what a very pretty name for such a beautiful lady mike said to her, may I kiss your most beautiful hand he asked, she freely gave mike her hand but kept the other on the book.  Now just a minute what about me asked scott , don't i get a hand.   With a broad smile and a sloshed giggle she freely gave her left hand to scott at which time alexis grabbed the book and gave it to me.

    I placed the book inside my briefcase and walked back to the table to inform the others that I have the missing book in my possession and replaced it with a cookbook.    As we all were finishing our drinks I saw mike wave to me he was heading back to the cottage, he had scott the bartender with him, giving him a ride to the airport, alexis excused herself and told regina she would be right back , alexis scurried out the back door and got into mikes car to head back to the airport with her fiance scott.

  Just as we were getting ready to leave, Dr. Kilborne walked past our table, he paused for a moment , good evening Mr. Knepp  he said,  good evening I replied.  he asked if we were having a celebration, I told him no, just a few drinks with my co workers, you know a long hard day at the office calls for a night of relaxation I said.   Ah I see he said, where is your cousin he asked, Oh I said most likely he is out with friends at a cavaliers game  I responded,  Humph he said you do seem to have all the answers don't you.
I try I said back to him.  So you do he said to me, I wouldn't be so overly confident if I were you johnny he said to me and then he walked away.

   Who the hell was that asked Karl and Tony , that was the man from the hardware store, he calls himself Dr. Kilborne a retired dentist and neighborhood historian.  Well it is getting rather late, and I'm tired, when we meet tomorrow down by the lake I will inform you all about him and the deputy.  Right now, lets leave this place, keep your car doors locked, something tells me we are not welcome here, nor are we safe.

    Just as we were leaving a newsflash came across the television screen, An attack of the night before in Mentor Woods was being brought up again. Lets go now! I said to everyone, and again remember keep your car doors locked!.  As we were getting ready to leave, Katrina picked up the bill on the table and said she would pay for it, not thinking she went up to the counter and gave the waitress her credit card to pay the bill.

   Once home I picked up the paper which Michael had tossed over to me earlier in the evening, well I said to myself the Daily Tribune Clevelands  newspaper founded in 1845 and published everyday since. Now lets see this headline I said to myself, Michael had stepped out onto the porch to light his pipe, a pipe which his father had given him after he landed a huge advertising deal with Trump Industries. The pipe once belonged to mikes grandfather.   As I look at the paper, there it is in bold type
 TRAGEDY STRIKES MENTOR WOODS,  MAN AND WOMAN ATTACKED! POLICE HUNT ATTACKER.   Here we go I said, it has begun.
     
                 my name is Johnathan Van Tries and this is my story

END PART 5 JOURNAL VAN TRIES   PART 6 WEDNESDY
SAME VAN TRIES TIME        SAME VAN TRIES CHANNEL
you have just read a continuing serial "The Journal Van Tries"  a work of fiction 
written by Tim R. Francis  Lorain, Ohio

The Journal Van Tries Part Four

          My Name is Elizabeth Van Tries and this is my story

     The date is December the 25th 1862, oh what a beautiful Christmas morning it is here in
Miller Springs Pennsylvania, the sun is shining and the newly fallen snow on the ground is
glistening like a field of white diamonds, everyone is so happy even the birds are chirping.
 Ma ma  looks so pretty this morning and she seems so happy,  I love to hear ma ma hum it is so beautiful, pa pa is outside chopping wood, he went out to the old barn at 8 this morning. I do not believe he is chopping wood though, I believe he has a secret gift hidden in the old barn.

      Pa pa and ma ma  gave me a most wonderful Christmas gift this morning I am writing in it for the very first time.  It is such a beautiful journal, ma ma purchased the paper at Gibson's  General Store
in Lancaster and pa pa attached the paper to a book he formed with wood and covered it with deerskin and he used a branding iron to burn our name into the skin.  The Journal Van Tries it says on the front cover, this will last a lifetime, It will be handed down to my daughter when I get married.

     A man came by this afternoon, a man I have never seen before, he talked to pa pa for quite a while outside in the old barn, later when pa pa came in and spoke to ma ma about his conversation with the man she became sad.   I heard ma ma crying and asking why, I heard her tell my pa pa no that this is our home, it was then that I realized what the conversation had to be about.

    Pa pa had always wanted to live in the city, he had wanted to live by the water, some land had become available in Ohio.  I heard Ohio and I became sad yet I was some what pleased , we have friends that had moved to Ohio a few years ago, making their home in Mentor Woods.  It would be nice I thought to see Rebecca and her brother Duncan Van Druzul once again, I do believe it has been 3 years since we had seen them. 

      Of course, should we leave Miller Springs I will surely miss all of my friends and my aunt and uncle.  Ma mas brother Uncle Karl Dunkel and his wife Maria whom he had just married before we left the plains states for Pennsylvania in 1856 have three children two boys and one girl.  They are a slight bit younger than Jacob and I but we have so much fun together, and ma ma is so happy when she gets a visit from them.

      Ma ma and I are both feeling a little sad, but we are somewhat happy at the same time as we will get to se the Van Druzuls again.   Ma ma is calling, dinner is ready and Uncle Karl and Aunt Mary have arrived, good night for now Journal Van Tries I will tell you my thoughts again.
  most sincerely; Miss Elizabeth Van Tries

      The Journal Van Tries  a work of fiction by Tim R. Francis Lorain, Ohio

   end part four of serial Journal Van Tries   part 5 Monday Sept. 23rd 
   same Van Tries Time  same Van Tries channel  1 pm
 

Journal Van Tries

                            Journal Van Tries  part 3




On my way home from the hardware store, I drove past the rather elegant looking old Van Druzul Mansion on Old Clifton Boulevard overlooking Lake Erie.  The fog seemed to develop around it and envelop the old carriage house on the property.  Wow! I thought to myself ,I could be living there one day if only I had paid attention to my older relatives, and the stories they told.

     Old Auntie K as all of the kids called her, was a fine elegantly dressed lady with sparkling jewelry
and a bright smile,  very caring, loving and very well educated, she called all of us her children.
Aunt K was childless losing her son Samuel  at the age of 6 when a horrible destructive fire struck bath house at Euclid Beach Park in Cleveland.   They said the body was so badly burned it was unrecognizable, her son had gone into the bath house a few minutes before the fire hit to use the restroom, the started 5 minutes after Samuel entered the bath house and quickly engulfed the entire structure.
      Firefighters on the scene extinguished the blaze within 45 minutes, upon entering all they found were the charred remains of what appeared to be the body of a small child.  Aunt K was devastated by the tragedy and closed herself up in the mansion for several weeks.   In September of 1966 two months after the death of Samuel, Aunt K would once again experience tragedy when her husband of 25 years Wilhelm Van Druzul was mysteriously murdered outside of Terminal Station on Euclid Ave in downtown Cleveland while waiting for a train. Authorities at the scene discovered a tarot card next to his body no robbery was involved.

      As I got out of my car to walk into the cottage my cell phone rang, it was my cousin Michael Van Tries calling to tell me he would be arriving shortly and would be staying with me.   That's fine I thought we have a lot of catching up to do as we haven't seen each other in 5 years.   I told him I had just driven past the old place on Clifton and informed him of the neighborhood meeting being held that night.   I'm going with you he said, I want to see these people and hear what they have to say.
You can't cause problems mike I said, just keep your cool and act like you don't know anything.

     I walked into the cottage and sat down on the couch, I reached over to the antique end table next to the couch and placed my cell phone on it, ah; I chuckled there it was the letter/ western union telegram from a few days earlier.  Oh I remember moving day, leaving Lewistown Pennsylvania to come back home to Cleveland Ohio , back to my roots.  I had left Cleveland along with the rest of the family in 1976 after the mysterious and untimely death of old Aunt K.

     After Aunt Ks death, the old Van Druzul mansion was boarded up, the old carriage house was left alone as it served as housing for the caretakers of the property.  I picked up the telegram which was put inside of another envelope with a letter explaining to me that this to be delivered to myself and all remaining family of Katherine Van Druzul  34 years after her death.  How strange I thought ,
a summons from the grave, all my cousins, all around the same age male and female suddenly summoned back to Cleveland from a request from the grave of Aunt K.

    The summons appears to be for a reading of a second part to Aunt Ks will, a second section of the will to be read 34 years after her death.  Mike and I arrived at the meeting at 8:10 pm, at the old lantern café and tavern built in the 1840s, near the old hardware store, but closer to the lakefront.
 Wow it sure is crowded here mike said to me, yes very crowded I replied. 

      Ah here we go I said to mike, it's the sheriff's deputy.   Good evening Mr. Knepp he said, good evening I replied back to him.
Who is your friend? he asked  just then my cousin started to talk  hi i'm Mike Van...... this is my cousin I interrupted Mike Knepp .  A cousin? the deputy said now that is rather interesting. And you sir I said, what is your name? I never did get it .   No you didn't did you he replied ; staring at the both of us.   No sorry , I didn't what was it again I asked.   Hmm he chuckled, the names Miller, Samuel Miller.

      After giving his name he walked away, my cousin then grabbed me by the arm and pulled me aside, Knepp? he asked that was Aunt Ks mothers name, you know you're a Van Tries! he said angrily, we all take the name Van Tries when we turn 18 its a tradition.   Are you nuts! I shot back at him, you tell them you're a Van Tries and someone will connect the name with Van Druzul.

       Good evening said a voice from behind us, I turned around and it was the old man from the hardware store.  Good evening I replied back to him.  This is my cousin I said introducing him to the old man as Michael Knepp.  Good evening Michael, I'm Dr. Kilborne retired dentist and neighborhood historian.  Oh responded Michael an historian.  Unbeknownst to both of us we were standing under a picture of a courtroom with three judges one of which looked just like Michael, it was a picture of Gustaf Karl Van Druzul the son of Elizabeth Van Tries and Duncan Van Druzul
the other judge which I resembled would be my great grandfather Alexander Yohan Van Druzul.

       As the doctor looked at the picture he just traveled of in his conversation, his eyes came back to glance upon our faces, we glanced back at him and he finished his conversation and started walking away, just as he was walking away, he paused for a moment and looked back at us and said
you know, there's something strange going on here and I have a feeling you two know more than I,
having said that the doctor walked away.

      Mike and I wandered around the tavern talking with the different people there, at about 8:30 a woman arrived carrying a book .  I knew that book, a book that was stolen from the shoreway printing company on Madison Ave in Cleveland in December of 2012.   Having learned of this book printed in 1976 but never released, I immediately started to make inquiries , I found out that 500 of these books had been printed and stored in the back of the print shop.

      The books were bound in soft leather and shrink wrapped for their protection, they were later placed on a table to be priced and put out on the shelves for sale.  In July of 1976 a terrible storm hit the city of Cleveland causing damage to the shoreway printing property.  The company was then closed and boarded up.  In December of 2012 upon hearing of the discovery of this book I had made arrangements to purchase all 500 books for $10,000.00.    I was told that they would have liked to sell the books to me, but the building with all its contents had gone up for sheriffs sale and the bank had an offer of $25,000.00 for it.

        I needed those books, I called a friend of mine at Cleveland Trust National Bank, he told me there was 24 hours left to place a bid on the property.  At that time I then placed my bid of $200,000.00 on the property.  I was successful in acquiring this property and then had it boarded up and padlocked and had all but one book for myself burned and completely destroyed.



Journal Van Tries, a work of fiction by Tim R. Francis     Lorain, Ohio

END JOURNAL VAN TRIES PART 3  TUNE IN SUNDAY SEPT. 22ND
SAME VAN TRIES TIME SAME VAN TRIES CHANNEL FOR PART FOUR    3PM
 

                         Journal Van Tries            part 2

         Just as I was getting ready to leave the store, the old mans grandson came running up to him and told him there were wolves outside in the parking lot.  Not unusual I thought, you are by the lake and in a somewhat woodsy area.  The deputy became alarmed at the fact that there were wolves and radioed animal control and told us all not to go outside the store until animal control came and captured the wolves.
      I wasn't as afraid I continued out the door, having worked in the park service before and as a veterinary assistant, I was always around different animals I can handle myself I thought.  Walking out, the two wolves, cubs to be exact a male and a female came running toward me, I simply reached out and patted them both on the head,  they seemed very calm and relaxed.
      As the deputy came out, the wolves hunched their backs and snarled at the officer.  No I said, the wolves backed down and ran off.   Strange the deputy said to me ,very strange, I will see you tonight Mr. Knepp at 8pm he said as he got into his cruiser, sure I said, I'll be there.
     As I drove back to the cottage on falls road I drove past the old once elegant Van Druzul mansion on old Clifton Blvd overlooking Lake Erie.  The fog seemed to develop around the mansion and envelop the old carriage house where the properties caretakers live.
      Wow I thought to myself, I could be living there one day, if only I had paid attention to my older relatives, to their stories, to old Auntie K, but as a young kid I found their ancient tales rather dull and boring, and now those tales of old bring me back to Cleveland, summoned back by a voice from the grave.
____________________________________________________


end part 2 of the serial Journal Van Tries, come back Saturday for part 3 of the journal van tries, who is it that comes to see johnathan, does johnathan attend the neighborhood meeting, what is the summons, how can it come from a grave, who is the old man from the hardware store why does the old man stare at johnathan. tuen in Saturday afternoon, same van tries time same van tries channel.

The Journal Van Tries, a work of fiction by
Tim R. Francis  Lorain, Ohio 44052...... serial
 

                                Journal Van Tries

                                                   20 January 2010

    As I write this entry it is  5:30  late afternoon here on the north coast, daylight is waning, dusk is slowly approaching and the darkness of night will soon be here.   I have to wonder what the night will bring as already a  lite fog is developing and blanketing the area.  I arrived in town by train yesterday afternoon January the 19th from Lewistown Pennsylvania, I took a  taxi from the Amtrak Station
to the little cottage at 3717  falls road, this cottage has been in our family for years, my great great grandfather settled here with his family before their new house was built on old Clifton Blvd.
      In 1970 the property was removed from my families name and put into the name of a local business which is owned by my mothers family.    Today was a rather misty and cloudy day as the temperatures hovered in the mid 30s, it has been a day filled with an eerie quiet, I have to wonder if  the events from the night before could be having an oddly strange effect on the people of the area.

     Earlier this afternoon, I visited Masons Hardware store, the old hardware store of my great great  grandparents day, wow I thought to myself as I walked around the store it is just simply amazing that this store looks almost the same as it did in 1867, the pictures hanging on the walls of the store are like a walk through history.   As I strolled through the store and gazed upon the pictures, one picture caught me by surprise, there it was the picture of my great, great grandfather
 Ebenezer Yohan Van Tries, standing with him were his daughter Elizabeth and his son Jacob,
Elizabeth according to family history would elope at the age of 15 and poor Jacob would die from scarlet fever at the age of 5.   Hmm I just stood there for a moment thinking and wondering what year the picture was taken, I thought about asking the store clerk but changed my mind and just continued to walk through the store.   I had come to the store in search of some wood polish for an antique rocking chair.

       I was approaching the counter when an elderly gentleman and his grandson walked in, the sales clerk quickly walked over to the man, the mans grandson was sent off into the store to look for batteries and flashlights.  I could overhear the salesman ask the old man if he had heard about what happened east of the city in Mentor woods the night before.  The old man replied that yes, he had heard about what had happened, he was asked by the salesman if he was coming to the meeting tonight at the old lantern café and tavern .  With a deep breath and a sigh, the man replied that yes he would be there, we have things that need to be discussed he said, strange things are once again being thrust upon our great city, I will be there.  Odd I thought for a moment , what strange things, just then the old man noticed me standing there.   Coming to our meeting? he asked me, Oh I don't know I replied.  You're new around here aren't you ? he asked me, yes I said , I am from Detroit.  Detroit? he asked, well I'm sure you will like it here in Cleveland, he then asked me my name, Johnathan I responded without giving my last name.  Hmm Johnathan, nice name johnathan he said, thank you I replied ,chuckling, I like it.     Hmm the old man said as he looked at me, the picture of  my greta, great grandfather hung on the wall directly in front of him.  I noticed he was staring at it and then staring at me, de was all the old man could get out of his mouth as a sheriffs deputy walked in.
   
       The deputy had heard me tell the old man that I was new in town, as he approached the counter he noticed the old man staring at the picture, he glanced at him and the picture and then asked me my
last name.  Van I started to say, what was that the deputy asked me, I wasn't quite paying attention.
knepp I said, my name is Johnathan  Knepp  I'm from Detroit.   I had to think quick and knepp was a name I knew could not be traced back to Van Tries, had I said Van Tries they could have checked on that and it would not have been good, my arrival in town is meant to be a secret until such time as I decide to reveal who I am.

     Well Mr. Knepp, welcome to Cleveland, we'll see you  I hope at our neighborhood meeting tonight.  Yes I told him I'll be there, I need to be there I thought to myself if only to find out what their fears are and what they have to say.



we will continue the story thursday>   what causes the old mans grandson to come running up to the counter why does the deputy say strange to johnathan, what is the tarot card, why is cousin Michael angry, what is in the letter from their aunt , why does johnathan call it a SUMMONS FROM THE GRAVE! find out Thursday same van tries time same van tries channel.
                         The Journal Van Tries.... a work of fiction by Tim R. Francis Lorain ,Ohio 44052