Although the house needed decoration and repair, the Longs decided
to buy it. It was rather big, the price was very low and it was in the
centre of London. Both Mr. and Mrs. Long had jobs in the city, so this
was important. There was also a good school nearby for their
six-year-old daughter, Jane, to go to. Some time later, they learnt about
the owner of the house and the terrible things that happened there.
The first sign of trouble came just before they moved in. The
workmen who did the redecoration refused to work in the house after
dark. "I'm frightened", one of them said. Then, when the Longs started
living in the house, they noticed that the rooms were cold, even though
it was the middle of a warm summer. Their daughter began waking up
in the middle of the night, screaming. She said she could hear strange
voices and that they belonged to dead people. The voices told her that
somebody had killed them in the house and buried their bodies in the
garden. "At first we thought she was just having nightmares, but then
my husband and I heard strange noises, as well, "Mrs. Long says.
Sometimes, they both heard more than just strange noises. "One night,
just before George and I went to bed, we heard a woman's voice that
seemed to come from nowhere. It said only a few words, 'No, no!
Stop!' But we both heard it very clearly", Mrs. Long says. Shortly
after this, Mrs. Long learnt from a neighbour more about the history of
the house. It once belonged to Gordon Taplow, who hanged himself in
prison. They say that he murdered three women in the kitchen of the
house and dismembered their bodies. Then he buried the various pieces
of the bodies in different parts of the garden. After his arrest and death
in 1959, many people bought and sold the house several times, but
nobody ever lived in it for very long. Months, and even years, passed
without anybody living in it at all. Mr. and Mrs. Long think that they
know the reason for this. "Although nobody has found the bodies of
the three women in the garden, he must have buried them somewhere.
Therefore the house is haunted by their ghosts. My husband and i are
not superstitious but what other possible explanation is there?"
to buy it. It was rather big, the price was very low and it was in the
centre of London. Both Mr. and Mrs. Long had jobs in the city, so this
was important. There was also a good school nearby for their
six-year-old daughter, Jane, to go to. Some time later, they learnt about
the owner of the house and the terrible things that happened there.
The first sign of trouble came just before they moved in. The
workmen who did the redecoration refused to work in the house after
dark. "I'm frightened", one of them said. Then, when the Longs started
living in the house, they noticed that the rooms were cold, even though
it was the middle of a warm summer. Their daughter began waking up
in the middle of the night, screaming. She said she could hear strange
voices and that they belonged to dead people. The voices told her that
somebody had killed them in the house and buried their bodies in the
garden. "At first we thought she was just having nightmares, but then
my husband and I heard strange noises, as well, "Mrs. Long says.
Sometimes, they both heard more than just strange noises. "One night,
just before George and I went to bed, we heard a woman's voice that
seemed to come from nowhere. It said only a few words, 'No, no!
Stop!' But we both heard it very clearly", Mrs. Long says. Shortly
after this, Mrs. Long learnt from a neighbour more about the history of
the house. It once belonged to Gordon Taplow, who hanged himself in
prison. They say that he murdered three women in the kitchen of the
house and dismembered their bodies. Then he buried the various pieces
of the bodies in different parts of the garden. After his arrest and death
in 1959, many people bought and sold the house several times, but
nobody ever lived in it for very long. Months, and even years, passed
without anybody living in it at all. Mr. and Mrs. Long think that they
know the reason for this. "Although nobody has found the bodies of
the three women in the garden, he must have buried them somewhere.
Therefore the house is haunted by their ghosts. My husband and i are
not superstitious but what other possible explanation is there?"
