Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' is here. Let's discuss the collaborators, track list and more
ROBERTSON

Bell Witch legend featured in upcoming A&E series

Nicole Young
Robertson County Times

The first episode of a five-part series featuring the Adams-based legend of the Bell Witch is scheduled to premiere on cable television channel A&E next week.

The show, titled Cursed: The Bell Witch, follows a Bell family descendant as he investigates the Bell Witch curse, according to A&E's website. The show will premiere at 9 p.m. on Oct. 26.

A film crew visited Adams regularly from February through August to shoot footage for the new series, according to Mayor Mary Mantooth. Production was handled by Maryland-based entertainment company, Sirens Media. When reached by telephone last week, a representative of Sirens Media declined comment for this story.

Bell Witch legend gets new twist

The series will feature interviews with Adams Historian Tim Henson as well as Bob Bell, a descendant of the Bell family and owner of Austin and Bell Funeral Home; Roy Porter, a present-day neighbor of the Bell Farm; author Dr. Sue Clifton and Mississippi clairvoyant Sara Leigh, who is said to be able to commune with Betsy Bell, according to Henson, who said he helped the crew set up some of their interviews for the series.

A 20-year researcher of the Bell Witch legend, Henson has served as the city's historian since 1995. At first, he said he was reluctant to tackle the legend, but he soon discovered that about 80 percent of Adams' annual visitors want to know all about it, and, as the city's historian, he felt it was his duty to inform them, he said.

"I've never found two accounts that were the same," he said. To date, Henson has authored five books, one of which, "The Black Patch Bells," is devoted entirely to the Bell family and deals with the Bell Witch legend.

"It is so dag gone addictive, not just the spirit side, but the history of it all. I have stacks of information. I could literally write another book," Henson said. He added that he spent about four hours being interviewed on film for the A&E series. All of his footage dealt with Frederick and Kate Batts, he said.

Bell Witch legend nearly 200 years old

"People always think that Kate Batts is the witch from the legend," he said. "But what people usually don't know is that Kate Batts was related to the Bell family. She was Lucy Bell's niece."

As part of his on-camera segment, Henson and the film crew spent time searching for Kate Batts' grave. They did not find it, he said.

"We didn't find it because no one really knows where it is," he explained. "I think I may know the general location of it, but there's no headstone or marker. I think someone took off with it a long time ago."

Since he became the Adams historian, Henson has been involved in 16 different shows and movies detailing the legend, he said. For Adams' sake, he said he hopes this newest series turns out well.

"I hope it does Robertson County some good," he said. "They were here filming for a very long time and they obviously put a lot of effort into it."