Station Gallery
Whitby, Ont.
march 18, 2017
The sky was grey and the air was damp as we stood outside of the location we were about to investigate. As we waited for the doors to open, it was hard not to notice the difference of the building. One side was brand new, the other side was very old. It was this older part of the building that we would be spending our time in that evening. It was this older part that held a mystery that, to this very day, remains unsolved. Our host, Olex, showed up shortly after and let us into the Station Gallery.
Formerly known at the Whitby Junction, it served as a stop on the Grand Trunk Railway line from Whitby to Lindsay. Built in 1903 and originally located at the foot of Byron Street, this station has seen many things come and go. It was once used as a drop off point for patients of the Military Hospital (which is now the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences). It was also the scene of an unsolved murder. William “Billy” Stone Jr. was working the night shift as a telegraph operator on December 11, 1914. His job was to record passing trains and any telegraph message that came in. It is said that around 12:37am, a single gunshot rang out inside the train station. Shortly after the local Bell Telephone switchboard got a call from Billy, saying he had been shot. When asked if he knew who did it, he replied that he did not know. By the time help arrived, Billy had succumbed to the gun shot, which managed to penetrate his heart. A bloody handprint was found at the scene and it was noted that Billy’s hands were clean. Nothing was awry and no cash was missing. All leads ended up being dead ends. When an inquest began in January of 1915, everyone was questioned. William Stone Sr. was no exception. Having being called as a witness at the inquest, he felt that he had become their suspect in his son’s murder. Not wanting to bear that weight, he decided to end his life. Not far from the murder scene William Stone Sr. laid down on the tracks and waited. It wasn’t long before a passing train had come by and his life was ended. To this day, 103 years later, Billy’s murder remains unsolved. The station was closed in 1969 and moved to the north east corner of Victoria St and Henry St. In 2004 it was moved once again, to its current location.
Formerly known at the Whitby Junction, it served as a stop on the Grand Trunk Railway line from Whitby to Lindsay. Built in 1903 and originally located at the foot of Byron Street, this station has seen many things come and go. It was once used as a drop off point for patients of the Military Hospital (which is now the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences). It was also the scene of an unsolved murder. William “Billy” Stone Jr. was working the night shift as a telegraph operator on December 11, 1914. His job was to record passing trains and any telegraph message that came in. It is said that around 12:37am, a single gunshot rang out inside the train station. Shortly after the local Bell Telephone switchboard got a call from Billy, saying he had been shot. When asked if he knew who did it, he replied that he did not know. By the time help arrived, Billy had succumbed to the gun shot, which managed to penetrate his heart. A bloody handprint was found at the scene and it was noted that Billy’s hands were clean. Nothing was awry and no cash was missing. All leads ended up being dead ends. When an inquest began in January of 1915, everyone was questioned. William Stone Sr. was no exception. Having being called as a witness at the inquest, he felt that he had become their suspect in his son’s murder. Not wanting to bear that weight, he decided to end his life. Not far from the murder scene William Stone Sr. laid down on the tracks and waited. It wasn’t long before a passing train had come by and his life was ended. To this day, 103 years later, Billy’s murder remains unsolved. The station was closed in 1969 and moved to the north east corner of Victoria St and Henry St. In 2004 it was moved once again, to its current location.
Olex graciously showed us around the building and told us some experiences that people had over the time he had been there. We had made the decision to stick to the older section of the building as it was the original building that had been moved. While the inside of the original building has been renovated and altered, the old wood paneling and archways are still very present. What was once the ladies waiting room was made into an office. The area where the telegraph operator would have sat is also now an office. The old doorways were walled up and new ones had been made. This could explain why some had said they had seen the apparition of a man walk through a wall. The team could not wait to get started. We began to set up the DVR cameras and get equipment ready to go. Colin, Sean and Jesse headed to the basement, while Rachel, Paula, Alison and Melissa remained on the main level.
The REM Pod was placed in front of wall, where the door to the telegraph operator’s office would have been. It was said that the shooter stood in the ladies waiting area and fired the gun, the bullet going through the open door frame and into Billy’s chest. Shortly after we had turned the REM Pod on, it activated. “Can you do that again? Come really close, make the light go off,” said Melissa. The REM pod activated. “Perfect. Can you touch the antenna again for me?” she asked. Whoever was with us was eager to communicate as the REM pod activated again. “Awesome,” Alison stated. “My name is Melissa. Is your name Billy? Light that REM pod up one time for yes, two times for no,” Melissa said. The REM pod activated once. “Good job,” stated Melissa. The REM pod agreed – it activated once. “Are you male?” asked Melissa. The REM pod activated one light. “Are you Billy or William?” she asked next. The REM pod activated one light. “Did you die here Billy?” she asked. The REM pod activated one light. “Were you murdered?” was her next question. The REM pod activated two lights. “Are you William Senior? One time yes, two times no,” Melissa asked. The REM pod activated one light. “Did you kill yourself William? Six months after your son was shot? Did you commit suicide?” she asked. The REM pod activated three times. “It sounds like S.O.S.,” stated Rachel. “Are you stuck here?” Melissa asked next. The REM pod activated twice. “Do you want to be here?” she asked next. The REM pod activated once. “Is William Junior here?” The REM pod activated once, then twice and then continued to beep. “Just back away a little bit and it will be able to get your answers more,” stated Melissa. The REM pod went quiet and then activated once. “Do you show yourself to young children that are here to do art? A little boy said he saw you walk through a wall. Was that you?” she asked. The REM pod activated once. “Was it this wall right here?” Melissa asked as she tapped on the wall behind the REM pod. The wall that was once the doorway to the telegraph operator’s office. “There was a door here once, right?” she asked. The REM pod activated once. “Was this the door your son was shot through?” she asked next. The REM pod activated once. “Can you touch the antenna more and get the next light to light up for me? Or all the lights?” she asked. The REM pod activated one light. Slowly it the green light began to blink faster and faster, but then dissipates. The Ovilus spoke – ‘Loud’. “William, are you still here?” asked Melissa. All was quiet now. The REM pod remained inactive. Rachel, Melissa, Alison and Paula began to discuss the way a train station would have operated in the early 1900s. It was then decided that a Ghost Box session would be a good idea to conduct at this time.
The REM Pod was placed in front of wall, where the door to the telegraph operator’s office would have been. It was said that the shooter stood in the ladies waiting area and fired the gun, the bullet going through the open door frame and into Billy’s chest. Shortly after we had turned the REM Pod on, it activated. “Can you do that again? Come really close, make the light go off,” said Melissa. The REM pod activated. “Perfect. Can you touch the antenna again for me?” she asked. Whoever was with us was eager to communicate as the REM pod activated again. “Awesome,” Alison stated. “My name is Melissa. Is your name Billy? Light that REM pod up one time for yes, two times for no,” Melissa said. The REM pod activated once. “Good job,” stated Melissa. The REM pod agreed – it activated once. “Are you male?” asked Melissa. The REM pod activated one light. “Are you Billy or William?” she asked next. The REM pod activated one light. “Did you die here Billy?” she asked. The REM pod activated one light. “Were you murdered?” was her next question. The REM pod activated two lights. “Are you William Senior? One time yes, two times no,” Melissa asked. The REM pod activated one light. “Did you kill yourself William? Six months after your son was shot? Did you commit suicide?” she asked. The REM pod activated three times. “It sounds like S.O.S.,” stated Rachel. “Are you stuck here?” Melissa asked next. The REM pod activated twice. “Do you want to be here?” she asked next. The REM pod activated once. “Is William Junior here?” The REM pod activated once, then twice and then continued to beep. “Just back away a little bit and it will be able to get your answers more,” stated Melissa. The REM pod went quiet and then activated once. “Do you show yourself to young children that are here to do art? A little boy said he saw you walk through a wall. Was that you?” she asked. The REM pod activated once. “Was it this wall right here?” Melissa asked as she tapped on the wall behind the REM pod. The wall that was once the doorway to the telegraph operator’s office. “There was a door here once, right?” she asked. The REM pod activated once. “Was this the door your son was shot through?” she asked next. The REM pod activated once. “Can you touch the antenna more and get the next light to light up for me? Or all the lights?” she asked. The REM pod activated one light. Slowly it the green light began to blink faster and faster, but then dissipates. The Ovilus spoke – ‘Loud’. “William, are you still here?” asked Melissa. All was quiet now. The REM pod remained inactive. Rachel, Melissa, Alison and Paula began to discuss the way a train station would have operated in the early 1900s. It was then decided that a Ghost Box session would be a good idea to conduct at this time.
Rachel turned on the P-SB7 and began. “Is there anyone in here with us right now?” she asked. A male voice is heard - ‘Hi’. “Hi!” exclaimed Alison. “Can you tell us what your name is?” asked Rachel. A male voice is heard – ‘William’. “I heard that!” Alison exclaimed again. “What did they use to call you?” Rachel asked next. A male voice is heard – ‘Bud’. “Billy are you here with us?” she asked next. A male voice is heard – ‘William’. “Billy, can you tell us what your last name is?” A male voice is heard – ‘Yup’. “Billy what is your last name?” The same male voice is heard speaking very quickly –‘Stone’. “What happened to you Billy? How did you die?” Rachel asked next. But there was no response. “Do you know you’re dead?” A male voice is heard – ‘No’. “How many ghosts and spirits are here with us?” asked Alison. A male voice is heard – ‘You’, ‘Two’ The Ovilus spoke – ‘Adjust’. “Are you watching us?” asked Melissa. “If you’re watching us, can you tell us the name of someone in the room?” she asked next. Nothing was heard. “Do you want to hear what Terry Boyle wrote about this place?” asked Rachel. A Male voice is heard – ‘Rachel’. Rachel begins to read the excerpt from Terry Boyle’s book “Hidden Ontario: Secrets from Ontario’s Past”, entitled “Who Shot Billy Stone.” A male voice is heard over the ghost box – ‘Stop’. Rachel begins to read about William Stone Senior’s suicide. The Ovilus spoke – ‘Observe’. As Rachel read about the possible suspects, the Ovilus spoke again – ‘Return’. “William, are you still here?” Rachel asked. The ghost box remains quiet. There was then a discussion on how this murder could have possibly happened, and perhaps who may have done it. The Ovilus spoke again – ‘Descend’.
Colin, Sean and Jesse had now returned to the main level. “Anything downstairs?” Rachel asked. “Not really,” responded Colin. The group continued with the ghost box session. The Ovilus spoke – ‘Kind’. “We are kind. We mean no harm,” Alison stated. “Whoever is with us, can you give us the name of someone in this room? We are all here now,” asked Melissa. A male voice is heard –‘Jesse’. “Did you hear that, Jesse?” asked Alison. “No, I didn’t,” he stated. “Can you say that name again?” asked Alison. But the ghost box remained quiet. A new male voice came through - ‘Hello’. “Who’s with us? Can you tell us your name?” asked Rachel. The Ovilus spoke – ‘Order’. “It sounded like it said murder,” commented Rachel. It was then that a weird smell filled the room. “Did you guys smell that weird smell all of a sudden?” asked Rachel. Alison agreed. “Smells like that weird breath smell,” stated Melissa. “Like terrible breath, salami breath,” added Alison. “Kinda like you’ve been drinking the night before, like you really need water,” Rachel chimed in. Then it happened again, the smell was back. “Do you like that we are here trying to talk to you?” asked Alison. A male voice is heard over the ghost box – ‘Stay’. “Yes, we will stay for a while but you gotta tell us what happened to you,” stated Rachel. Some unintelligible words were heard through the ghost box. “Keep trying,” said Rachel. It was at this point that the REM pod activated again.
Colin, Sean and Jesse had now returned to the main level. “Anything downstairs?” Rachel asked. “Not really,” responded Colin. The group continued with the ghost box session. The Ovilus spoke – ‘Kind’. “We are kind. We mean no harm,” Alison stated. “Whoever is with us, can you give us the name of someone in this room? We are all here now,” asked Melissa. A male voice is heard –‘Jesse’. “Did you hear that, Jesse?” asked Alison. “No, I didn’t,” he stated. “Can you say that name again?” asked Alison. But the ghost box remained quiet. A new male voice came through - ‘Hello’. “Who’s with us? Can you tell us your name?” asked Rachel. The Ovilus spoke – ‘Order’. “It sounded like it said murder,” commented Rachel. It was then that a weird smell filled the room. “Did you guys smell that weird smell all of a sudden?” asked Rachel. Alison agreed. “Smells like that weird breath smell,” stated Melissa. “Like terrible breath, salami breath,” added Alison. “Kinda like you’ve been drinking the night before, like you really need water,” Rachel chimed in. Then it happened again, the smell was back. “Do you like that we are here trying to talk to you?” asked Alison. A male voice is heard over the ghost box – ‘Stay’. “Yes, we will stay for a while but you gotta tell us what happened to you,” stated Rachel. Some unintelligible words were heard through the ghost box. “Keep trying,” said Rachel. It was at this point that the REM pod activated again.
“William, are you back in the room with us?” asked Melissa. A male voice is heard over the ghost box – ‘Yes’. “Can you touch the REM pod for me again? Make the green light go off?” she asked. Everything remained quiet. “Okay, someone other than William?” she asked. The REM pod activated and a male voice was heard – ‘Yes’. “Okay, are you...,” Melissa began but was cut off by the REM pod activating feverishly. It once again sounded like it was trying to say S.O.S in morse code. “Are you male? Blink one for yes, twice for no,” stated Melissa. A male voice was heard – ‘I Blinked’. Shortly after another male voice was heard – ‘Hi, What’s up’. “Ha, Paula just entered the room and it said ‘Hi, What’s up,” laughed Rachel. A woman’s voice was then heard – ‘Hi’. “Is there a woman here with us?” asked Melissa. “If there is a woman here, can you tell us your name?” asked Alison. The REM pod activated once. “So you’re a woman?” Melissa asked. The REM pod activated once. “So you’re a women, playing with our equipment?” asked Alison. A male was heard over the ghost box – ‘Yes’ and the REM pod activated twice. The REM pod then continued to activate. “I’d like to see two colours if you can,” Rachel asked. The REM pod continues to activate to the point where the green is solid, but doesn’t go farther than that. “Does that sound like S.O.S. to you?” asked Alison. “Like Morse code?” Rachel asked. “Yeah, Morse code,” agreed Sean. “That makes sense for a telegraph operator, right?” asked Alison. “We’re kinda to new school for that,” stated Melissa. “Could you back up a bit?” she asked. “William Junior, are you here?” she continued. The REM pod continued to go off quickly. “Can you please make two colours go off, or all of them if you can?” asked Rachel. A female was heard through the ghost box – ‘Can’t’,’Stop’. “Can you make more lights light up for us? We’d really like to see it,” added Colin. The REM pod continued to go off. “Are you trying to say S.O.S?” asked Alison. But there was no response. “Are you still here?” asked Melissa. The REM pod continued to go off. “Are you trying to send a message? Try sending it again,” asked Colin. The REM pod continued to go off in quick succession. As we waited for a reply, something caught a few of the investigators eye. “I thought I just saw someone walk by the door over there,” Colin stated, pointing towards the door to the hallway that leads between the new section and old section. Rachel agreed. She had thought she had seen someone as well, but figured it was Sean. Both Alison and Melissa agreed with Rachel. At this point the REM pod went completely silent.
The team continued to do a ghost box session. The Ovilus was also speaking away – ‘Affair’. “I wonder if the murderer is here?” Rachel questioned. “Obviously he would be dead by now. If it was a ‘he’,” stated Rachel. “Who knows? Maybe it could have been unrequited love. She wanted him?” Alison added. The Ovilus spoke again – ‘Killed’. “Were you killed by a woman, Billy?” Rachel asked. No answers. “There is a woman saying ‘hi’ to us. Is she with him?” Alison questioned. The REM pod activated. After this the REM pod stayed silent for the rest of the night. “Can you tell us who is playing with our equipment right now? Who is playing with the lights?” asked Alison. A voice came through the ghost box – ‘Nancy’ or ‘Andy’. The Ovilus spoke again – ‘Teacher’. “Affair, Killed, Teacher,” Alison said. “Maybe the person who killed him was a teacher?” Rachel questioned. The group discussed a possible love triangle, or a jealous person that may have been the one to pull the trigger. It was all speculation at this point. Rachel decided to switch it up and see if William Senior was present. “Billy, is your Dad here with us?” she asked. “William Senior, are you hear with us?” she continued. A male voice is heard over the ghost box – ‘Yes’. “Pretty sure I heard a ‘yes’,” Melissa stated. “William Senior, can you tell us how you died?” asked Rachel. A male voice is heard over the ghost box – ‘Railroad’. “I just heard ‘railroad’!” exclaimed Alison “What about the railroad? What did you do on the railroad?” asked Rachel. “What were you doing on the railroad when you died?” she continued. But no answers were heard. The Ovilus spoke – ‘Aunt’. Rachel then had an idea. “We should play some 1914 music. Just for the love of God, don’t play ‘Beautiful Dreamer’,” she stated. Colin begins to play music. “Do you like this music?” asked Rachel. A male was heard over the ghost box – ‘No’. “Ha, it said ‘no’!” exclaimed Rachel. Colin changed the music to something closer to the year Billy had died. “Billy, do you like this music?” asked Melissa. The same male voice was heard over the ghost box again – ‘It’s Okay’. “Ha! It’s okay,” stated Jesse. “What music do you like Billy?” Rachel asked. No answer was heard. Rachel decided to try something else. “Let me try this. I think this might help us,” she said. At this point Rachel mutes the Ghost box and begins to play the sounds of a steam engine pulling into and out of a station. When the recording is over, the team sits in silences and listens. Nothing out of the ordinary was noted. Rachel find another train station soundtrack and turns it on. She also puts the ghost box on low. A seagull cry is heard on the recordings. “That’s a bird, not a train,” Rachel states. “It’s the squeaky wheel,” Alison joked. The train was getting closer on the recording. “The train is coming,” stated Rachel. A male voice was heard on the ghost box – ‘No’. “Who’s coming on the train?” she asked next. But nothing was heard. All was quiet except for the train soundtrack playing. Rachel turned the soundtrack off and the team listened again. The Ovilus spoke – ‘Fiddle’. More questions were asked but no responses were heard. The Ovilus also spoke a few more words (check out the list below to see what words were said, and in what order). It was then that we decided to go Live on Facebook and share our investigation with our followers. To see what happened, make sure you check out our video posted at the bottom of this page! After we had finished our live video, we decided it was a good time to end the investigation. Everything has quieted down and it felt that whoever was communicating had felt like they had got their message across.
The Station Gallery in Whitby is definitely a historic site to take in. Along with the beautiful artwork and exhibitions it showcases, the mystery it holds deep within its framework is something to take in and think about. The probability of Billy’s murder being solved is slim to none, we can only hope that being able to communicate with us about what happened helps him get his story across.
For more information or to plan a visit to the Station Gallery, check out their website at www.whitbystationgallery.com
OVILUS
The Station Gallery in Whitby is definitely a historic site to take in. Along with the beautiful artwork and exhibitions it showcases, the mystery it holds deep within its framework is something to take in and think about. The probability of Billy’s murder being solved is slim to none, we can only hope that being able to communicate with us about what happened helps him get his story across.
For more information or to plan a visit to the Station Gallery, check out their website at www.whitbystationgallery.com
OVILUS
- ALTHOUGH
- NOW
- HIGHWAY
- POSE
- COUNT
- GENERAL
- OAR
- LOUD
- ADJUST
- OBSERVE
- RETURN
- DESCEND
- KIND
- ORDER
- AFFAIR
- KILLED
- TEACHER
- AUNT
- NICK
- TRAVEL
- FIDDLE
- ZERO
- BURY
- TRAP
- SOLDIERS
- YES
- ROUND
- GREEN
- WATER
- SIZE
- MULTIPLE
- AFRICA
- SEE
- MEET
- POSSIBLE
- TIME
- ENGLISH
- BURNED
- REVERNED
- PLUTO
- PERSON
- TYPE
- ALPHABET