The Haunted Hotel del Coronado (San Diego, CA)
The Eerie Tale of Hotel del Coronado's Murder Mystery
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This ghostly tale begins with a beautiful, mysterious woman named Lottie A. Bernard. Back in November of 1892, Lottie, solitary and morose, checked into room 302 of the Hotel del Coronado. Carrying a solitary suitcase and a brooding countenance, she was a ticking timebomb of spectral suspense. During her five-day stint at the hotel, she incessantly inquired about her absent brother, purchased a pistol on a festive pretext, and eventually shot herself on a set of exterior stairs leading to the beach. Talk about a gory Christmas present, eh?
The Media's Ghostly Gossip
Following her macabre demise, the press went haywire, churning out sensational stories of the "Beautiful Stranger." From being an intelligent woman succumbing to stomach cancer to a pregnant, abandoned lover attempting miscarriage, the stories swirled, dark and wild, like a demonic whirlwind.
A lady named Elizabeth Wyllie threw her hat into this narrative ring, claiming Lottie was her wayward daughter Lizzie, who had absconded with a married man. As it turned out, Lizzie was comfortably in Toronto, while her supposed paramour was in Cleveland. Seems like Elizabeth had a penchant for tall tales, eh?
The Reveal: Lottie A. Bernard was Kate Morgan
After an agonizing whirl of speculation, the Beautiful Stranger was finally identified as Kate Morgan, a humble servant posing as "Josie Brown." Her story, you ask? Hold onto your specter-spotting binoculars, folks!
Kate, married to a gambler named Tom Morgan, was a trickster herself. The duo would scam unsuspecting victims by pretending to be siblings. Their train ride to San Diego ended in a quarrel, with Tom deserting her, leaving her penniless and pregnant. Tragically, she tried to induce a miscarriage, checked into the Hotel del Coronado, and when her husband didn't return, she ended her life in despair. Quite a sordid story to unearth, isn't it?
The truth, however, was a tad different. Yes, she was married to Tom Morgan, and they had a son named Thomas, who lived for just a few days. Post the loss, she fled Iowa with Tom's stepbrother. Seems like the Beautiful Stranger's beauty was shadowed by a veil of lies and deception.
The Continuing Conundrum
Despite over a century passing since Kate's tragic end, her story remains as enigmatic as ever. New theories keep popping up, like ghostly apparitions. Some folks believe she was planning to blackmail John Spreckels, and her death was a result of his henchmen's actions. Others reckon her death was covered up by a certain Babcock.
While the truth may be as elusive as a phantom's whisper, one thing's for sure: the Hotel del Coronado teems with spectral tales of Kate's lingering spirit. Reports of mysterious lights, sudden temperature changes, a television that turns on and off on its own, and ghostly sightings have made room 302 a hotspot for paranormal enthusiasts.
So, fellow ghost hunters, if you dare to meet the Beautiful Stranger, pack your bags and head to the Hotel del Coronado.
