A spooky evening with Dr. Mann and the Bell Witch legend
(Posted on Monday, Oct. 31, 2022)
On Tuesday, Oct. 25, Dr. Meagan Mann, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at Austin Peay State University, hosted a presentation on how arsenic might have played a part in the Bell Witch legend.
Folks from around the region, including from Robertson County where the Bell Witch legend unfolded, gathered in a lecture hall of the Sundquist Science Complex for Mann’s presentation. Some of the attendees dressed in their favorite Halloween costumes, including witch costumes, and Mann wore a festive purple Halloween-themed dress and witch’s hat to help set the mood.
Laughter, mystery and curiosity filled the room as Mann used toxicology to explain evidence that a vial found in the medicine cabinet at the time of John Bell’s death could have contained arsenic. She discussed the wide availability of arsenic in the 1800s, Bell’s symptoms, a cat’s quick demise after ingesting the vial’s contents and a blue flame that appeared after the Bell family threw the vial into the fireplace.
The mystery behind the famous folklore tale has spooked the region for over 200 years, and fans of the legend eagerly asked questions about the case.
The presentation – titled “The Murder of John Bell and the Bell Witch Legend: A Paranormal Murder Mystery” – also coincided with the launch of Austin Peay’s new podcast, “The Austin Peay Experience Podcast.” The first episode features Mann and is titled “Mixing Science with the Legend of the Bell Witch.” The podcast is available on platforms such as Apple, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music and Podbean.
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