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| True Louisiana Ghost Stories
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Gardette-Laprete House
New Orleans, Louisiana
The building was constructed in 1836 by Jean Baptiste LaPrete, wealthy owner of a plantation in Plaquemines Parish. He would stay at the house during the cold months then return to the plantation in the spring. Due to a decline in wealth, LaPrete was forced to rent out his home. It was rented by a wealthy man claiming to be a sultan who needed a large house to accommodate a large harem. The new tenant hung draperies in the windows allowing no light to enter. The front doors and gates were locked and guarded by two men wielding scimitars. Passersby could hear music and smell incense if they passed when the door was opened. Stories and rumours began to circulate about the young Sultan. It was reported that his harem consisted of women that were kidnapped and brought to America and were forced to partake in orgies inside the house. One morning as a neighbour strolled by the house he witnessed something gruesome. The front door was open and a stream of blood was flowing from inside. He immediately summoned police and they made their way into the house. Inside was the most gruesome scene these officers had ever scene. Body parts were strewn about the house. Blood covered every inch of the floor and the smell of death poisoned the air. Every person in the house had been slaughtered and chopped into pieces. When the police ventured into the courtyard they found a hand sticking out of the ground. It seems the Young Turk had been beaten then buried alive. At the time it was believed that pirates had heard about the Sultan’s fortune and came to steal it killing everyone in their path. It was later discovered that the young sultan was not what he claimed to be. He was in fact the brother of a Sultan. It was also believed that his brother had sent the assasins to kill him and his family. Since this horrific night there have been many reports of strange occurrences in the house. Residents have reported seeing the apparition of a young man, possibly the sultan, and also apparitions of other people in oriental clothing. Terrifying screams and shrieking can heard emanating from the house. It has also been reported by people walking by that they can smell the scent of incense burning and hear music coming from the house.
LaLaurie Mansion
New Orleans, Louisiana
Delphine Macarty was born in 1775 and after two failed marriages, she married Dr. Louis Lalaurie in 1831. In 1832 the couple bought a mansion in the French quarter, where Delphine maintained a central position in the social circles of New Orleans. Although she would throw lavish parties with guest lists consisting of some of the most prominent people in the city, the atrocious manner in which Delphine Lalaurie tortured her slaves is probably the most widely known of the French Quarter’s macabre tales. Madame LaLaurie kept dozens of slaves who she was brutally cruel to. After several neighbours allegedly saw her cowhiding a young servant girl in the mansion's courtyard, rumors began to spread around town that Madame LaLaurie treated her servants viciously. According to one tale, a young slave girl had been brushing Madame. LaLaurie's hair in the upstairs bedroom. The young servant caught a knot in Delphine's hair, causing LaLaurie to become enraged. The girl ran and Delphine followed with whip in hand. By several accounts, the servant girl jumped to her death from the roof when cornered by Madame LaLaurie. She was quickly brought into the LaLaurie Mansion, but not before being observed by neighbours, who would file a complaint. The neighbours would later add that the young girl was carried into the courtyard late that night, and buried inside the well. After this incident the LaLaurie’s slaves were confiscated and auctioned off. Some of their relatives bought the slaves back and returned them to her. In 1834 a fire broke out in the kitchen and the fire department was called. The firemen rushed through the courtyard to the kitchen and were shocked to find two slaves chained to the stove. It is believed the slaves had set the fire. The firemen were directed to the attic by the slaves where they would find the most gruesome scene they had ever witnessed. Inside the crawlspace attic was an overwhelming stench of death. There were a dozen or so slaves in the room chained to walls and floor. All were naked. Some were already dead. One of the female slaves was stuffed into a tiny cage, her arms and legs broken and then set again at odd angles. A male slave had his genitals severedwhile another had a hole drilled into his head with a stick stuck in it. Another had her arms and legs amputated and patches of flesh sliced off her body. Some of the slaves had their mouths sewn shut, others had there hands sewn to another part of their body. A young boy had the skin on his face peeled off, and a woman had her guts ripped from her body. Body parts were also found in jars placed on shelves like trophies. With so much death and agony, it is no wonder the house is haunted. Many people have reported screams of sheer pain and agony protruding from the house at night, while others have claimed to actually see apparitions of slaves walking around the house and on the balconies. In the late 1890s the house was converted into low rent apartments. While the renovations were taking place floor boards were removed revealing the bones of slaves who were buried there. It is believed that Madame LaLaurie buried them there to conceal the murders. During this time it is reported that one of the tenants was rushed by a naked black man wrapped in chains who seemed to disappear into thin air. There have been reports of strange entities wrapped in shrouds seen throughout the house, an apparition that carries a whip and the apparition of a woman in an evening gown. Animals were found decapitated in the courtyard and there have been reports of a man wandering the courtyard holding his head in his arms. The LaLaurie mansion is considered to be the most haunted house in New Orleans.
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