Kelley (Texas)
New member
Being a beautiful day, I decided it would be a great day to take a few pictures of some trains at the train yard over at Kirby, Texas.
After taking some pictures of a few trains, and not yet wanting to go back home, I decided to drive over to Elmendorf, Texas and take a few pictures of the grave of the famous Alligator Man, Joe Ball. Several years ago, I wrote a story about Joe Ball and took a few pictures of his grave, but I lost them recently when I had computer problems.
Back in the 1930’s, Joe Ball owned a bar in Elmendorf, Texas and he had a few pet alligators behind the bar that were used to entertain his customers on Saturday nights. He would throw neighborhood cats and stray dogs to the alligators while his blood thirsty customers watched and cheered him on. No one knew it at the time, but he was also feeding his bar maids to the alligators. Finally folks got suspicious about the missing bar maids and contacted the sheriff’s department. When they came out to the bar to question Joe Ball, and possibly arrest him, he pulled out a hidden pistol from the cash register and killed himself. He was buried in the St. Anthony Catholic Church Cemetery.
After a thirty minute drive, I arrived at ST. Anthony Catholic Church, the cemetery where the grave of the Alligator man was located. It took a few minutes to again locate the grave, but that was not a problem because I was enjoying the beautiful day. However, things were about to change. As I prepared to take the picture, I got a strange, spooky feeling about taking the picture of the grave, but ignored it. I was thinking to myself, don’t be silly. Then it happened, as I depressed the shutter button, I felt a cold flash go through my body. I must admit, this was not normal and I wanted away from that grave as quickly as possible. I did not know what was happening and quickly threw the camera into my camera bag, grabbed my cane, and headed for the safety of my pickup. I sat in the truck for a few minutes, trying to figure out what had transpired at Joe Ball’s grave. I decided it might be best to leave, get away from that cemetery and try to determined later what happened when I took that picture. I turned the key to start the truck, nothing happened, the battery appeared to be dead.
After waiting a few minutes, a couple walked by me and I asked them if they had some battery jumper cables? They didn’t have any cables. The lady asked me if I had kinfolks buried in the cemetery. I said no, that I had come to the cemetery to take a picture of Joe Ball’s grave. She immediately told me not to go near that grave, don’t mess with it, it was not a normal grave and that the local folks avoid going near the grave site. The couple were visibly shaken at what I had done and quickly left the cemetery.
After the couple left, I called Debbie and asked her to contact our insurance company and see if we had towing insurance. After a few minutes, she called me back to tell me that we had towing coverage and that she had made the arrangement to get the truck towed to the house. I got a little upset when she told me that it could be up to three hours before they would arrive. I did not want to spend another minute at that cemetery, much less up to another three hours. To add insult to injury, I could see Joe Ball’s grave from where I sat in the pickup. I noticed that there were no birds in the tall Oak Tree near his grave and wondered why? Was that lady telling me that the grave was haunted? Was there the ghost of Joe Ball living in that grave? Was the cold flash a warning to not mess with his grave? All I know for sure is that I will never go back to that cemetery, there is something strange about that grave site and that cold flash that went through me as I took a picture of the grave. Two hours later the tow truck arrived, and you will never know how relieved I was when we pull out of that parking lot. Kelley (Texas)
Link about the story of Joe Ball and his evil bar where he fed the bar maids to his pet alligators; http://www.texasmonthly.com/content/two-barmaids-five-alligators-and-butcher-elmendorf
Picture of Joe Ball's grave...........
After taking some pictures of a few trains, and not yet wanting to go back home, I decided to drive over to Elmendorf, Texas and take a few pictures of the grave of the famous Alligator Man, Joe Ball. Several years ago, I wrote a story about Joe Ball and took a few pictures of his grave, but I lost them recently when I had computer problems.
Back in the 1930’s, Joe Ball owned a bar in Elmendorf, Texas and he had a few pet alligators behind the bar that were used to entertain his customers on Saturday nights. He would throw neighborhood cats and stray dogs to the alligators while his blood thirsty customers watched and cheered him on. No one knew it at the time, but he was also feeding his bar maids to the alligators. Finally folks got suspicious about the missing bar maids and contacted the sheriff’s department. When they came out to the bar to question Joe Ball, and possibly arrest him, he pulled out a hidden pistol from the cash register and killed himself. He was buried in the St. Anthony Catholic Church Cemetery.
After a thirty minute drive, I arrived at ST. Anthony Catholic Church, the cemetery where the grave of the Alligator man was located. It took a few minutes to again locate the grave, but that was not a problem because I was enjoying the beautiful day. However, things were about to change. As I prepared to take the picture, I got a strange, spooky feeling about taking the picture of the grave, but ignored it. I was thinking to myself, don’t be silly. Then it happened, as I depressed the shutter button, I felt a cold flash go through my body. I must admit, this was not normal and I wanted away from that grave as quickly as possible. I did not know what was happening and quickly threw the camera into my camera bag, grabbed my cane, and headed for the safety of my pickup. I sat in the truck for a few minutes, trying to figure out what had transpired at Joe Ball’s grave. I decided it might be best to leave, get away from that cemetery and try to determined later what happened when I took that picture. I turned the key to start the truck, nothing happened, the battery appeared to be dead.
After waiting a few minutes, a couple walked by me and I asked them if they had some battery jumper cables? They didn’t have any cables. The lady asked me if I had kinfolks buried in the cemetery. I said no, that I had come to the cemetery to take a picture of Joe Ball’s grave. She immediately told me not to go near that grave, don’t mess with it, it was not a normal grave and that the local folks avoid going near the grave site. The couple were visibly shaken at what I had done and quickly left the cemetery.
After the couple left, I called Debbie and asked her to contact our insurance company and see if we had towing insurance. After a few minutes, she called me back to tell me that we had towing coverage and that she had made the arrangement to get the truck towed to the house. I got a little upset when she told me that it could be up to three hours before they would arrive. I did not want to spend another minute at that cemetery, much less up to another three hours. To add insult to injury, I could see Joe Ball’s grave from where I sat in the pickup. I noticed that there were no birds in the tall Oak Tree near his grave and wondered why? Was that lady telling me that the grave was haunted? Was there the ghost of Joe Ball living in that grave? Was the cold flash a warning to not mess with his grave? All I know for sure is that I will never go back to that cemetery, there is something strange about that grave site and that cold flash that went through me as I took a picture of the grave. Two hours later the tow truck arrived, and you will never know how relieved I was when we pull out of that parking lot. Kelley (Texas)
Link about the story of Joe Ball and his evil bar where he fed the bar maids to his pet alligators; http://www.texasmonthly.com/content/two-barmaids-five-alligators-and-butcher-elmendorf
Picture of Joe Ball's grave...........
I don't see how ANYONE could sit around and enjoy witnessing live animals(especially dogs and cats) being eaten by alligators
Here in southeast Texas I've seen them lying on the bottom of creeks with good visibility just waiting for something to hit the water or flow by. In the end it's just "mother nature" at work but in reality it's not a pretty sight. This would make a good episode for Investigative Discovery History from the Past. Ha! Interesting read and thanks for posting...HH and lens shooting!
