THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2010
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 123 ISSUE 50
DEVIL'S DOOR
Dispelling the myth of Stull's famous 'portal to hell'
Small town's legend attracts unwelcome tourists and vandals
BY STEPHEN MONTEMAYOR
STULL — Satan will not be appearing here Sunday evening, as previously reported by this paper over the last four decades and by websites of varying credibility.
smontemayor@kansan.com
Standing on her front porch and looking across the street at the town's cemetery, Julie Moses confirmed the Devil's absence Wednesday. For three years, Moses has lived across from the graveyard that has drawn unwanted revelry since the 1960s.
Multiple "NO TRESPASSING" signs line the entrance and fence of the Stull cemetery to ward off unwelcome visitors. The fence was put up in response to vandalism of the old church and the cemetery.
"We start dreading it about two weeks before Halloween," Moses said.
Dalton Gomez/KANSAN
Each year carloads of thrill-seekers from surrounding high schools and the University of Kansas pull up to Stull Cemetery late at night looking for the supernatural. The University Daily Kansan first wrote of an urban legend spread by word-of-mouth in a November 1974 article.
"According to legend, this graveyard is one of the two places on
Legend also has it that Pope John Paul II once ordered a flight en route to Colorado to avoid flying over Kansas because of Stull. It was reported in Time magazine, paranormal websites say. However Time's website — which features an archive devoted to the pope — has no record of this.
earth where the devil appears in person twice a year," the article reads. Retellings of the legend since that time have Stull as one of seven or eight "portals to hell," with both solstices as well as Halloween inspiring visits from afar.
Apparently no demon, witch or werewolf has so much as dropped by for a cup of coffee. In the event the devil was after anything of commercial appeal, he'd be better served haunting the neighboring cities of Lawrence and Topeka. There isn't a gas station, liquor store, Starbucks or McDonald's in Stull. The census stopped providing statistics for it as while ago (The Kansan had Stull's population at 20 in its first article — that number appears to have shrunk still further). There is a church and about all one can purchase is the day's paper for a few quarters in front of a long-vacant bait shop.
SEE STULL ON PAGE 3A
CAMPUS
Symphony Orchestra hosts Halloween Bash
nroesler@kansan.com
BY NICOLAS ROESLER
Imagine the "Halloween" movie series without the classic Michael Myers sound track. Imagine Freddy Krueger without his famous background music.
For professor David Neely, music defines a feeling that a visual simply can't. Neely will be conducting the second Halloween Bash tonight at the Lied Center. Presented by the School of Music and featuring the University Symphony Orchestra, the Halloween Bash will feature songs to get anybody's heartbeat racing for the approaching Halloween weekend.
There will be a costume contest before the concert for all who dare to dress up like the symphony itself. Neely himself will be wearing five or six different costumes throughout the performance to match each musical piece he will be conducting.
Evan Palmer/KANSAM
SEE COSTUMES ON PAGE 3A
Scott Sheu, a senior from Manhattan, looks through racks of clothing Saturday morning in the lobby of Murphy Hall. The Theatre Department, which is hosting a costume contest today, had a costume in preparation for the event.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO BE FOR HALLOWEEN AND HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO SPEND?
COURTNEY SLONE Derbv junior
Derby junior
Strawberry Shortcake
"I wouldn't spend more than $35.
It's ridiculous unless you're going to wear it for five more years."
MEG PATRZYKONT
Kansas City junior
Marylin Monroe
"I think that if you spend $200 on an outfit, that is ridiculous."
JULIA GUARD
Lawrence senior
Modern Ghost
"I'm not into dropping $50 on a costume. It seems a little fresh-
GREG SCHLEIFMAN Arlington senior Miller High Life guy "$25 is the highest I'd pay, it's not like it's your wedding."
KATELYN MITALSKI Shawnee junior Smurf "I went to Fun and Games, bought a bottle of body paint for $16, that's all I'll need for years."
NATE KANEY
Minnetonka, Minn., junior
First night: Sheik
Second night: MILF Hunter
"I spent $40 dollars for both, it's definitely worth it for a once-a-year deal."
DAVID COHEN
Chicago junior
Allen from "The Hangover"
"I was Billy Mays last year. It's cheap and I wanted to utilize the beard again."
1
KU College Republicans work with statewide campaign Clean Sweep to keep Kansas a red state.
KU Republicans prepare for Election Day
POLITICS | 6A
POLITICS 6A
Students head to Washington for Stewart, Colbert marches
Individual students and a group of KU Young Democrats will be at the National Mall tomorrow for the "Rally to Restore Sanity" and the "March to Keep Fear Alive."
FOOTBALL | 10A
The Jayhawks have lost by an aggregate score of 159-24 in three Big 12 games. They'll look to a third-string quarterback in an effort to stop the bleeding Saturday in Armes against the Iowa State Cyclones.
Kansas looks for first league win Saturday
Classifieds...9A
Crossword...4A
Cryptoquips...4A
Opinion...5A
Sports...10A
Sudoku...4A
INDEX
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