Episode 133 The Shocking Smith Family Massacre

Southern Mysteries Podcast

Shannon Ballard

True Crime, Society & Culture, History

4.8 • 918 Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2023

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Demopolis, a small town in West Central Alabama, is the home to many a tale of ghosts and the unexplained, including at Bluff Hall. There is a dark history associated with the grand old home, including a funeral service for four members of the Smith family. The Demopolis Times called the discovery of their bodies in November 1934 “the most shocking tragedy that has happened in the city of Demopolis. Want more Southern Mysteries? Hear the Southern Mysteries show archive of 60+ episodes along with Patron exclusive podcast, Audacious: Tales of American Crime and more when you become a patron of the show. You can immediately access exclusive content now at patreon.com/southernmysteries Connect Website: southernmysteries.comFacebook: Southern Mysteries PodcastTwitter: @southernpod_Instagram: @shannonballard_Email: [email protected] Episode Sources “Tales of Ghosts Haunt Demopolis Landmarks River”, The Demopolis Times, Nov 1, 2019. (Viewed September 3, 2023) <https://www.demopolistimes.com/2018/11/01/tales-of-ghosts-haunt-demopolis-landmarks-rive> “They Just Weren’t The Kind of People for That”, Crime Reads, February 3, 2023. (Viewed September 4, 2023). <https://crimereads.com/they-just-werent-the-kind-of-people-for-that-the-1934-smith-family-massacre-in-demopolis-alabama/> “Shocking Tragedy Here Sunday Stirs Community”, The Demopolis Times, November 29, 1934. (Viewed September 3,2023). <https://www.newspapers.com/image/539484992/?match=1> “Alkire-Smith”, The Demopolis Times, October 11, 1933. (Viewed September 4, 2023). <https://www.newspapers.com/image/539386981/> “Verdict Found at Demopolis”, Our Southern Home, December 5, 1934. (Viewed September 5, 2023). <https://www.newspapers.com/image/551861356/?terms=elsie%20smith&match=1> “Bluff Hall”, Encyclopedia of Alabama. (Viewed September 2, 2023).<https://encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/bluff-hall/> “Murder and Suicide Seen in Demopolis Tragedy”, The Selma Times Journal, November 26, 1934. (Viewed September 2, 2023). <https://www.newspapers.com/image/570062089/> Episode Music Theme Song “Dark & Troubled” by Pantherburn. Special thanks to Phillip St Ours for permission for use. Peace of Mind and Long Note Two by Kevin MacLeod. Licensed under Creative Commons.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Demopolis, a small town in West Central Alabama, is the home to many a tale of
0:11.7	ghost and the unexplained, including Gaineswood, one of the most
0:17.0	haunted structures in the state. Gaineswood, a Greek Revival plantation house, is said to be the home of the ghost of a young woman who served as nanny.
0:28.0	She loved to play musical instruments with the children in her care, but one winter the music stopped and darkness fell when
0:37.4	she died. Legend says her spirit remained at Gaineswood.
0:43.7	Visitors who tour the home have reported hearing the sound of a piano playing in an empty room and
0:50.8	strange apparitions.
0:53.0	It's believed the nanny plays the piano
0:55.0	to entertain guests with the music she loves.
0:59.0	Just over a mile from Gaineswood
1:02.0	is Bluff Hall, one of the oldest Greek Revival
1:05.8	Plantation homes in the state. Bluff Hall's described in historical records as a house that appears fortress-like in its strength and severity.
1:17.2	The home's six white square columns are part of that powerful appearance,
1:23.0	along with its location.
1:25.0	The mansion was constructed on a limestone cliff
1:28.1	known as the white bluffs overlooking the Tom Bigby River.
1:32.8	The haunted history of Bluff Hall
1:35.5	often relates to the first family who lived in the home
1:38.9	when it was constructed in the
1:45.0	1830s, but there is a darker history associated with Bluff Hall.
1:47.0	There are the enslaved who built this grand old home
1:51.0	and a funeral service held there following the deaths of four members of one family,
	...

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