The Priestly Mansion, Canton Mississippi and Resurrection Mary At first glance this serene house is the picture of southern comfort. It is surrounded by drooping tree branches. This home, in Canton Mississippi is a beautiful home with a secret. It’s an elegant antebellum home that was built in 1852 by Dr. James Priestley and his wife Susan Priestley. It became a bed and breakfast in the mid-1990s. The house was purchased by Roger and Frankie McMillin. It was featured on Home and Gardens television in a program called 'If Walls Could Talk'. The house is open to visitors on special occasions and tours. When they bought the house, they didn't know anything of its history. Mrs. McMillin now states that she is living with spirits, but that they are friendly spirits. It seems Doctor Priestley died in the house from a Yellow Fever outbreak. His wife also died there, but sometime later. Doctor Priestley had been the town doctor and postmaster. Confederate Soldiers used to hide in the root cellar of the house, gaining entrance through a door in the living room floor. Mrs. McMillin says everyone asks her about the ghost. She suspects it is Susan Priestley the wife of Dr. James Priestley the original builder. It is said when you drive by the house at night you can see her in the bedroom window. Everyone in the McMillin family has said they have seen the ghost in the bedroom where Susan Priestly died. "Oh yeah, you can hear her all the time slamming doors ... She even played the piano one night," Frankie McMillin said. "I was skeptical when we first came, but then you hear her, and I decided it really wasn't so stupid." She first met the ghost when she went into her bedroom. She looked up and the ghost was standing there, looking at her. She says she was startled but went around her and into bed and nothing happened. A phychic, Bruce Baldwin, investigated and was not familiar with the home’s history. Neighbors have said that they have sometimes seen the figure of a woman looking out of a window. Mrs. McMillin explained candles often fall out of their holders. Without knowing about the piano, Baldwin stated he felt the piano had played by itself and felt a presence. When Baldwin went to the second floor bedroom he was overwhelmed with sadness. It was so bad he had to leave the bedroom. The McMillin family stopped sleeping in the room prior to this. A funny thing, or should I say a strange thing, happened when Baldwin tried to set up a digital camera in the bedroom. The battery discharged immediately and so did a second. Baldwin stated the electrical field set up by an apparition can drain batteries and this has happened before. He set up a tape recorder to try and get an 'EVP' (electronic voice phenomenon ) but the tape recorder wouldn't record. He had used a Tri-field Meter in the room, this is a device which detects changes in electro-magnetic frequency, and it went off several times.Mrs. McMillin believes that Mrs. Priestley became so attached to the house through the years that she just can't leave it. It all began with Jerry Palus. He lived on the south side of Chicago. In 1939 he was looking for a good time and picked up a beautiful blonde girl and danced with her all night. He recalled she felt a little strange since her skin was very cold. When the night was over, she asked him for a ride home, and asked if he could pass Resurrection Cemetery. When they got to the cemetery, she asked Jerry Palus to stop the car. She got out and headed toward the main gate of the cemetery and asked Jerry to remain where he was. As Jerry Palus watched, she disappeared right in front of his eyes before reaching the main gate. He became frightened and realized he must have spent the evening with a ghost. He found out where Mary lived and visited her house. Mary's mother was there and told him Mary was dead. Her mother had a picture of her on the table and he recognized it at once, it was the girl with whom he had spent the night. In 1939 a young woman hailed a cab on Archer Avenue. It was snowing and she had no coat, only a white gown. She opened the door of the cab and sat next to the driver. As they rode along, she pointed and told the driver to stop. He turned his head for a second and when he turned back, she was gone. She never opened the door. The cab had stopped in front of Resurrection Cemetery. In 1977 a man was driving by the cemetery and saw a young girl who seemed to be locked in. She was holding on to the iron bars and she looked very frightened. He told the police and returned with them to the cemetery. The girl was gone, but two iron bars were bent and twisted and contained hand prints which seemed to be melted into the bars. The bars were removed and examined and it was found that it would take an incredible amount of heat to twist and bend these bars. In 1978 a couple were driving down Archer Avenue when a young girl in a long white dress ran in front of their car. They tried to stop in time, but couldn't. Just as the car was about to make contact with the girl, it passed through her and she disappeared. In August of 1980 sightings of Mary were rampant. She was seen by dozens of people. While a man was driving to work he saw the body of a woman lying in front of the main gate of Resurrection Cemetery. He checked and she was alive so he went to the police for help. When they got back, she was gone but the impression of her body was there. People had been flagging down police cars all day with sightings. In September of 1980, a woman saw a figure all aglow walking on the grass. When she tried to get a better look her blood ran cold, the figure had no face, just a black hole.
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