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| '''Kate Morgan''' (1865-1892) is an ]n who died under mysterious circumstances, and is thought by some to be a ] at the ] in ]. She was buried at nearby ] in Division 5 Section 1. | '''Kate Morgan''' (1865-1892) is an ]n who died under mysterious circumstances, and is thought by some to be a ] at the ] in ]. She was buried at nearby ] in Division 5 Section 1. | ||
| ==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Revision as of 20:24, 22 November 2008
Kate Morgan (1865-1892) is an Iowan who died under mysterious circumstances, and is thought by some to be a ghost at the Hotel del Coronado in Coronado, CA. She was buried at nearby Mount Hope Cemetery in Division 5 Section 1.
Background
Morgan (nee Farmer) was born in Hamburg, Iowa in 1865. At the age of 20, she married Tom Morgan, alleged to have been a gambler who worked on trains. According to the Hotel del Coronado's official book (see below) it is not clear whether this was true, or urban lore. The spectacular case of the 'Beautiful Stranger,' which became a national sensation in the Yellow press of 1892, is filled with tantalizing clues, baffling dead ends, and mysterious interweaving threads.
Death
She was found dead on November 29, 1892, of what was believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. This was five days after checking into the Hotel del Coronado near San Diego. A San Francisco lawyer, the late Allan May, speculated in the 1980s that her death involved foul play. Evidence for the alleged foul play was a passing statement (or misstatement), during the coroner's inquest, that the bullet found in her head did not match that of her own gun.. Nevertheless, whatever the merits of his book, he did revive interest in the subject by causing a stir with his murder theory. Officials reviewing the case, however, reviewed his speculations and chose not to reopen the case. The official verdict remains suicide.
Haunting
There have been many putative ghost sightings, and other potential paranormal events at Hotel del Coronado since then. The official Hotel del Coronado website mentions the ghost.
The hotel's Heritage Department has published an official book on this subject, written by the hotel's professional historian, titled The Beautiful Stranger: The Ghost of Kate Morgan and The Hotel del Coronado . It avoids speculation in its research of historical documents available in local public libraries, historical societies, and university libraries as well as city hall and police files. The Heritage Department's book leans toward the official suicide verdict.
References
- Alan M. May. The Legend of Kate Morgan: The Search for the Ghost of the Hotel del Coronado. ISBN 1-122-26574-3
- Official website, Hotel del Coronado, History
- Official Heritage Dept. Book, The Beautiful Stranger: The Ghost of Kate Morgan and The Hotel del Coronado ISBN 978-0916251734