William
Peckham
The
ghost of William Peckham has been seen wandering about the campus
of the University of Rhode Island for at least the past forty
years. According to legend, William E. Peckham (1860-1884) killed
his wife, Nancy, because he thought that she was being unfaithful.
He was found guilty and sentenced to be hanged on July 11, 1884,
the date on his tombstone. About a year after his execution, evidence
came to light that he was innocent. The haunting and subsequent
legend apparently began after a seance was held in the cemetery
by members of the Chi Phi fraternity. According to the campus
newspaper, the fraternity brothers, unaware of any details of
Peckham's life, went to the cemetery in 1962: "It was a warm summer
night, but the wind was still blowing strongly. They had brought
a candle with them and were using it during the seance and the
calling up of the spirit. It was lit on the tombstone of Peckham,
but despite the strength of the wind, the flame did not flicker
at all.
Text © Dr. Michael Bell
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