The shores of Pass Christian, Mississippi |
Around 1850, a sea captain by the name of Hawes picked up a passenger by the name of Julia Vinestro. It is said that she was carrying a chest of gold with her it the time. She also had with her a harp that she loved to play and serenaded the crew each night with her music. However, when Captain Hawes neared the Mississippi coast, he and his crew robbed Julia of her chest and set fire to the ship. They escaped in a row boat to the shore.
Captain Hawes used his share of the gold to retire in a mansion along the coast near where the tragic event occurred. However, he was never really able to enjoy his retirement because he claimed to be haunted by the ethereal sound of harp music playing every evening. The ghost of Julia Vinestro had come back to haunt him.
To this day, many say you can still hear harp music carried on the wind at the location of the Hawes Mansion ruins as well as along the coast. There are others who claim occasionally you can see the glow of a burning ship off the shore and outline of a phantom rowboat with four figures in it, escaping the blaze.