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＇*＇ The head of NASA at that time was Dr。 Thomas O。 Paine。
8 … Procession of the Damned
1。
While Mothman and Indrid Cold attracted all the publicity and turned everyone's eyes to the deep skies of night； the strange ones began to arrive in West Virginia。 They trooped down from the hills； along the muddy back roads； up from the winding 〃hollers；〃 like an army of leprechauns seeking impoverished shoemakers。 It was open season on the human race and so the ancient procession of the damned marched once more。 A doctor and his wife driving along a country road in a snowstorm saw a huge； caped figure of a man struggling through the snow； so they stopped to give him a ride。 He vanished。 There was nothing but whirling snowflakes and night where he had stood。
Black limousines halted in front of the hill homes and deeply tanned 〃census takers〃 inquired about the number of children living with the families。 Always the children。 In several instances； the occupants of the big black cars merely asked for a glass of water。 The old fairy trick； taken up from the Middle Ages and dusted off。 A blond woman in her thirties； well…groomed； with a soft southern accent； visited people in Ohio and West Virginia whom I had interviewed。 She introduced* herself as 〃John Keel's secretary；〃 thus winning instant admission。 The clipboard she carried held a plicated form filled with personal questions about the witnesses' health； ine； the type of cars they owned； their general family background； and some fairly sophisticated questions about their UFO sightings。 Not the type of questions a run…of…the…mill UFO buff would ask。
I have no secretary。 I didn't learn about this woman until months later when one of my friends in Ohio wrote to me and happened to mention； 〃As I told your secretary when she was here 。。。〃 Then I checked and found out she had visited many people； most of whom I had never mentioned in print。 How had she located them？
There were other weird types on the loose。 In early December one of them tried to waylay Mrs。 Marcella Bennett； one of the ladies who had had the frightening meeting with Mothman in the TNT area on November 16。 She and her small daughter； Teena； were driving along a deserted back road outside of Point Pleasant when she became aware of a red Ford Galaxie following her。 It was driven by a large man； a stranger； she said； who appeared to be wearing a very bushy fright wig。 She slowed down； expecting the vehicle would pass。 Instead； it tried to force her off the road。 She accelerated and the other car raced around her； shot down the road； and disappeared around a bend。 When she circled the bend she was alarmed to find that the Ford was now parked crossways on the narrow dirt road； blocking it。 Badly frightened； she warned her daughter to hold on and jammed the gas pedal to the floor。 The other driver； seeing that she didn't mean to stop； pulled over hastily and let her pass。 She had never seen the man before。 And she never saw him again。 Molestations of this sort were rare； virtually nonexistent； in Point Pleasant before Mothman arrived。
Mrs。 Mary Hyre entertained the first of her long string of peculiar visitors early in January 1967。 She was working late in her office opposite the county courthouse when her door opened and a very small man entered。 He was about four feet six inches tall； she told me in a phone call soon afterward。 Although it was about 20°F。 outside； he was wearing nothing but a short…sleeved blue shirt and blue trousers of thin…looking material。 His eyes were dark and deepset； and were covered with thick…lensed glasses。 He was wearing odd shoes with very thick soles which probably added an inch or two to his height。
Speaking in a low； halting voice； he asked her for directions to Welch； West Virginia； a town in the southeastern tip of the state。 She thought at first that he had some kind of speech impediment。 His black hair was long and cut squarely 〃like a bowl haircut〃 and his eyes remained fixed on her in an unflinching； hypnotic way。
〃He kept getting closer and closer；〃 she reported。 〃His funny eyes staring at me almost hypnotically。〃
He told her a long…winded； disjointed story about his truck breaking down in Detroit； Michigan。 He had hitchhiked all the way from Detroit。 As he talked； he inched closer and closer to her； and she became frightened； thinking she had some kind of a nut on her hands。 She pulled back from her desk and ran into the back room where her newspaper's circulation manager was working on a telephone campaign。 He joined her and they spoke together to the little man。
〃He seemed to know more about West Virginia than we did；〃 she declared later。
At one point the telephone rang； and while she was speaking on it the little man picked up a ball…point pen from her desk and examined it with amazement； 〃as if he had never seen a pen before。〃
〃You can have that if you want it；〃 she offered。 He responded with a loud； peculiar laugh； a kind of cackle。 Then he ran out into the night and disappeared around a corner。
The next day Mrs。 Hyre checked with the sheriff's office to find out it there was any mentally deficient person on the loose。 The answer was negative。
II
On the afternoon of January 9； 1967； Edward Christiansen and his family returned to their new home in Wildwood； New Jersey； after a trip to Florida。 They had just moved into the new house； some distance from the place where they had lived at the time of their November UFO sighting。 Neither their address nor phone number was listed in the then…current phone book。 They entered their house by the back door。 The front door was still heavily bolted and locked； the way they had left it when they had gone to Florida。
At 5：30 P。M。 there was a knock on the front door。 Mrs。 Arline Christiansen was in the kitchen preparing dinner。
〃Check and see who that is；〃 she told her seventeen…year…old daughter； Connie。 〃If it's a salesman； don't answer。〃
Connie took a peek and reported back； 〃It's the strangest…looking man I've ever seen。〃
Mrs。 Christiansen went to the door； unbolted and unlatched it。 It was growing dark and was bitter cold outside。 There was no car in view and this seemed peculiar because the Christiansen home was removed from other houses in a rather isolated spot。 A tall man stood on the doorstep。
〃Does Edward Christiansen live here？〃 he asked。 Arline admitted he did。 〃I'm from the Missing Heirs Bureau；〃 the man continued。 〃Mr。 Christiansen may have inherited a great deal of money。 May I e in？〃
It was an approach that was hard to resist。 She stepped back and invited him in； calling out to her husband。
Edward Christiansen is six feet two inches tall and heavyset。 The stranger towered over him and must have been at least six feet six inches tall。 He was also enormously broad and might have weighed at least three hundred pounds。 He wore a fur Russian…style hat with a black visor on it and a very long black coat that seemed to be made of thin material。。。 too thin for the col