1184 West Main Street, Decatur, Illinois 62522

On February 1, 1927, Bernice Richardson horrifically ended her life in Aston Hall.

Bernice was a freshman at Millikin University. She was known as a pretty young woman that could not resist the lure of the speakeasy's that flourished in Decatur. Even during this time of prohibition when a hard drink was hard to find, Bernice succumbed to its call. Bernice's studies soon took a back seat to her quest for adventure on the bustling streets of Decatur's downtown area.

The good times ended abruptly, however. Millikin's president, Mark Embury Penney, requested a meeting with Bernice, and his news was harsh. She had failed too many courses, and she would not be allowed to register for the next term.

Bernice felt the world crumble from underneath her. All her plans now lay in ruin. She had planned on rushing for a sorority the next week...now, it could not happen. The thought of telling her parents of how she failed was too much for her. She decided to end her life instead of disgracing herself.

She had acquired a bottle of carbolic acid for a science class. She knew little about the acid, only that the bottle was imprinted with the word 'poison' and an image of a skull and crossbones. Bernice decided that this would be her instrument of death. She shot the bottle down like so many shots of whiskey, and she immediately regretted it.

The burning was excruciating. Intense heat pulsed through her body. Naturally, she vomited, but this only resulted in allowing the acid another pass at her esophagus. The pain was horrific, she tried to scream but the acid had destroyed her voice. She could only wheeze as she desperately tried to make her way out of her room to the hallway and find some help.

The acid did not work as quickly as she hoped. As it burned away her insides, a friend of Bernice's made her way into her room. What her friend saw was terrifying. There Bernice lay, wheezing, her eyes yellowed, her lips blue and burnt. Bernice finally died after an hour of agony.

Today, Bernice haunts Aston Hall, the oldest residence building on campus that houses 100 women. Residents have been startled by the apparition of Bernice. They have described her as a very ghoulish vision. Her eyes are darkened and the burns around her mouth are visible. Some have described her lips being totally burned away, revealing bone and teeth. Adding more to the fright is that Bernice's ghost is visible only from the waist up.

Many have reported seeing her on the third floor where she floats through walls, room to room. In fact, the frightening ghost of Bernice was so disturbing that the third floor was actually closed for a time during the 1930's.

In addition to the ghost of Bernice there has also been disturbing poltergeist activity reported. The most severe activity being that some residents have said that they have been hit or bitten by something unseen. Many have been bitten hard enough that it leaves a mark. Many that have experienced this have found off campus housing the next day.

Other poltergeist activity includes the slamming of doors, and the sounds of scratching and knocking on the walls and the floors.

Tags: Millikin University