I’m very happy to announce that Chris Aubeck, a resident of Spain, has proven to his and my complete satisfaction that a story about the visit of a UFO in 1858 to a small town in Ohio is a complete fabrication! (As if I hadn’t suspected it when I wrote the article.) The existence of the story is true enough: it can be found in an obscure little book called The Illustrated Silent Friend written by a snake-oil salesman by the name of Dr. Earl. Chris spent some time checking the facts (including the information that I used to end the original article), and arrived at a conclusion that I had pretty much thought was correct, although I chose to tie up the piece with a poetic flourish. (Ah! Those poetic flourishes!)

I was delighted by the appearance of Chris’ article in my inbox and would like to share the specifics of it with you here, but Chris’ answer to a query I sent mentioned something about “negotiations” concerning possible publication, so we’d better step lightly. Hint: the answer lies in the existence and location of Jay, Ohio and in the question of which Henry Wallace was the correct Henry Wallace. (Why it’s elementary my Dear Watson!)

Chris has also taken two articles I wrote in which I suggested that the spiritual experiences of the 17th century mystic Jane Lead were similar to the accounts of abductees, and made a book out of the premise. I haven’t seen the book–it was supposed to have been published in Spain–but will give you the details when they arrive.

The best version of the article in question is available at the Farshores Paranormal site. Google will get you there if you type in the title of the book. However, if I can hunt up the article, I’ll post it here for everyone to see.

Congratulations to Chris! I’m pleased that he had the interest and the energy to check this story out and I hope he can negotiate his way into some movie deal to repay his dogged determination to get to the bottom of the mystery. The only concession I ask is that I be cast as Dr. Earl. Ok Chris?