Horror haunt in San Antonio unearths ghostly tales

The notions of ghosts and haunting in San Antonio are frequently as hair-raising as the tales. Often times, the campfire folklore transform to eerie rites of passage for each generation to swallow between escalating heartbeats.

The Alamo City is filled with paranormal experiences that sketch out bloody murder, revenge from beyond the grave and aggravating the dead.

The story of the super victimized donkey lady is one such tale. Her early to mid 1900’s existence still lives on today. However, Rhett Rushing, a folklorist for the Institute of Texan Cultures said no one is certain the women ever lived.

Her legend has several variations. In fact, one story even claims she was burned severely by her husband. The result of her donkey-like wounds led her into a life of seclusion. As the story goes, due to her deformity she would exact her revenge on anyone who tried to look on her.

But, there’s another version passed down in folklore about a unique and harmless woman who walked her beloved donkey daily. According to the story, one day a group of kids decided to pick on the two.

“In trying to touch or pet the donkey,” Rushing said. “The donkey actually bit one of the kids.”

The children, of course, ran to alert their parents of their encounter with the donkey lady.

“One version of the legend says they threw rocks and stoned her to death,” he said.

Some said they pushed her off the bridge. The story even varies with the lady and her mule being thrown into the Elm Creek where they drowned.

For years, on San Antonio’s south-side those who disturbed the bridge where she lost her life are said to pay a price of horror. She reportedly overwhelms those who call her name or honk a horn on a bridge near Applewhite Road and Elm Creek.

“Supposedly, you will either see her in the form of a white mist moving over the water coming toward you,” said Rushing. “You don’t want to let her get to you because she will claim you and take you back into the water with her.”

He said there are reports of people being chased back to their vehicles. Their automobiles were scratched up. Some even claim the ghost tried to stone them. 

 There are also motivators that allegedly reveal another San Antonio ghost story favorite. It’s the story of the Chinese Cemetery or “Loma China.”

It’s a family owned cemetery off of 410 and Zarzamora. In fact, Joey Guzman said the plot has been in their family for more than a century. He also admits the infamous haunted cemetery legend has lives with his family as long as he can recall.

“Supposedly, a Great uncle of mine was seeing a Chinese woman and they were in love,” said Guzman who oversees the cemetery. ”My Great grandfather forbade him from seeing her.”

According to Guzman, what’s now a burial ground was a rendezvous spot for his great uncle and his Asian love. The curse: continue to see her and lightning will strike you down.

Rushing said this was the Romeo and Juliet story of Bexar County at the time. The woman, whose name has never been unearthed, was reportedly a Chinese immigrant.

“She was remarkable,” said Rushing. “She was very, very tall even being described as being seven feet.”

Guzman said family accounts claim the curse came to fruition. His great uncle was killed on the very horse he rode in on. In fact, familiar legend said great uncle Guzman was buried with his horse.

Folklore said his Asian love died too. The two reportedly doomed to aimlessly search for each other throughout eternity.

Truthfully, Guzman who lives in Victoria does not like spending time on the family plot. He can’t even recall seeing a tombstone for this mysterious Asian lady. But he can’t escape the haunting that draws everyone to the burial ground.

“There’s a wonderful little interactive thing that teens and curios folks have done, “said Rushing the folklorist. “If you drive to the cemetery, park at the gate, facing the big white cross, roll down your windows so that you are exposed to the air, turn your lights off, turn your car off, wait, and then flick your lights five times.”

One of the ghosts is supposed to appear. More often, there are reports of a seven foot Asian female ghost.

“Most people tear out pretty quickly thereafter,” said Rushing.

Have you heard of the bloody murder-suicide at Midget Mansion?

To date, people are still trying to guess where this ghastly scene took place. A check with the Media Relations Office at the San Antonio Police Department does not document such a crime on record. Yet, legend covers the gruesome occurrence well.

All of the alleged locations of Midget Mansion point to the city's northwest side somewhere near I-10.

The most common versions involve a blood center, a mansion across from a popular restaurant, and a home off of Donore Place that’s reportedly now an upscale apartment complex. In fact, there’s even a reported picture of the mansion circulating on the internet.

According to the story, a wealthy little man and his wife who had normal sized children lived a great life there until he snapped one day about the pressures of his size.  He reportedly attacked his family.

“He evidently stabbed or beat them nearly to death,” said Rushing. “They were not dead, he drugged them all upstairs to a hall closet and stuffed his family into the closet and locked it."

 Legends said he took his own life. Rushing said it would be days before rescuers found the dead family.

“They found the family all dead,” said Rushing. “But, the inside of the door had been scratched and clawed and there had been messages written in blood.”

The graphic messages were reportedly a mixture of disbelief asking the killer, “Daddy, why did you do it?” and a cry for rescue, “Help us.”

The former home would become a regular meeting spot for curious teens, ghost seekers, and satanic cults until it was destroyed.  

“They would swear they would see lights and figures moving upstairs,” Rushing maintains. “The most eerie would be the screams at the cries for help coming form children."

Versions of the story also include normal sized servants who turned on the family or became victims of their boss’ rage.

Rushing said no one is 100 percent sure any of these stories ever happened. But, as a folklorist, that doesn’t matter to him. The beauty lies in the stories living on.