There’s something about historic Texas courthouses that makes them seem haunted even before anyone starts telling ghost stories. Maybe it’s the ominous architecture, the creaking staircases, or the fact that generations of drama, heartbreak and attempts at justice have unfolded inside their walls.
In Gatesville, west of Waco, the Coryell County Courthouse doesn’t just feel haunted. According to the folks who work in the building, it absolutely is.
The building is undeniably beautiful with its ornate statues and domed clock tower standing like a limestone castle in the center of town since 1898. Stepping inside feels like entering another century as sunlight spills into the marble rotunda and portraits of long-forgotten judges stare down from the walls.
But ask the courthouse employees, law officers and late-night visitors, and they’ll tell you there’s much to this building that can’t be seen. Many claim they’ve heard footsteps echoing through the empty rooms while some describe cold spots drifting down the halls. Objects move without explanation, and some even claim to have seen figures and faces. Mysterious things were happening so frequently that the workers decided to name (and blame) a ghost from 1909.
Folks believe the spirit goes back to a shooting that took place in the 52nd District courtroom, where a man named John Hanes was killed by his alleged victim, 16-year-old Verna Ware, through a courtroom window. The hailstorm of bullets also killed two bystanders. There are still bullet holes in the door behind the witness stand.
Standing in that courtroom, I couldn’t help but glance over my shoulder more than once. The old wooden floor and benches groaned, and the silence carried a strange weight as if the building was watching me. Or maybe that was just the ghost.
