Scene of grisly mob slaying has haunted past

By COLLEEN LONG ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER This photo, provided by the Victorio Associates architecture fim, shows the freshly restored Kreischer mansion, a fitting backdrop for many a ghost story on a secluded hilltop, shown Nov. 2, 2005, Staten Island, New York. Over the years, as the Victorian-style home traded owners, visitors told of strange happenings, odd clanging noises and weeping that carries through the halls late at night, caused by the spirits of people who supposedly died on the land long ago. (AP Photo/Victorio Associates, Ronald D. Victorio) NEW YORK -- It is a fitting backdrop for a ghost story: An old mansion on a secluded hilltop sits empty, save for a caretaker who lives upstairs. A no-trespassing sign is staked near the locked metal gates, and the stately grounds are covered in thistles. Over the years,... [read full story]