Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
If you dig the twisted, admire the outlandish, and are enamored by the unusual, you're in the right place. True crime, the supernatural, the unexplained. Now you're speaking our language. If you agree, join us as we dive into the darker side. You know, because it's more fun over here. Welcome to Total Conundrum Warning. Some listeners may find the following content disturbing. Listener discretion is advised.
[00:01:00] Speaker B: There's a town in the Nevada desert halfway between Reno and Las Vegas, where the past refuses to rest. A town built on silver, tragedy, and legend. A town where the dead outnumber the living. And some may still be watching.
[00:01:17] Speaker A: And if that wasn't creepy enough, someone thought, hey, let's build a motel full of clowns right next to a haunted cemetery.
[00:01:25] Speaker B: Good thinking, because obviously a mining town with a tragic past wasn't terrifying enough. No, let's throw in thousands of clowns just to make sure no one ever sleeps again.
[00:01:39] Speaker A: This is Tonopah, Nevada, where your choices for lodging are either a haunted luxury hotel with ghostly whispers or a clone motel where the decor might be watching you.
[00:01:52] Speaker B: Oh, and did we mention the mysterious plague that only killed grown men?
[00:01:57] Speaker A: And the silver mine fire that turned an underground work site into a horror movie?
[00:02:02] Speaker B: And the Mizpah Hotel, where the lady in red still roams the hallways like she's waiting for checkout time.
[00:02:09] Speaker A: Which, let's be honest, is probably never.
[00:02:12] Speaker B: From haunted graveyards to vanishing figures, from whispers in the night to spirits who refuse to be forgotten, Tanapa has it.
[00:02:21] Speaker A: All, and tonight we're taking you there. Because, hey, if we can't sleep, neither can you. Brace yourselves, Conundrum crew. This is one episode you definitely won't want to miss.
[00:02:33] Speaker B: As always, we value your feedback. Please rate and review our podcast on Apple and Spotify. Subscribe and like on YouTube, and hit that notification bell so you never miss an episode.
[00:02:45] Speaker A: Your support keeps us going. If you have any story ideas or recommendations, contact us@totalconundrum.com or you can find us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.
[00:02:57] Speaker B: And don't forget, today we'll share trailers from our podcast pals at Gruesome and Unnatural and Zach solved Mysteries. If you're craving more creepy content, be. Be sure to give them a listen.
[00:03:09] Speaker A: Without further ado, let's dive into the dark and bizarre history of Tonopah, Nevada.
[00:03:14] Speaker B: We'll be back after these messages.
[00:03:21] Speaker A: Hey, everyone, I'm Shelley. And I'm Eric. And we're the hosts of Gruesome and.
[00:03:24] Speaker B: Unnatural, a true crime podcast about Murder, cold cases, missing people, and just unnatural.
[00:03:30] Speaker A: Join us every Monday where Shelly tells me gruesome stories that. Absolutely with me.
[00:03:36] Speaker B: Yeah. Subscribe and listen on Apple, Spotify or wherever.
[00:03:39] Speaker A: Get your podcasts and back to the show.
[00:03:47] Speaker B: Picture this. It's 1900, the Nevada desert. A man, a donkey, and fate itself colliding in the most ridiculous way possible.
[00:04:02] Speaker A: And by fate, you mean Jim Butler's donkey wandering off in the middle of the night like a rebellious teenager past curfew.
[00:04:10] Speaker B: Exactly. This little guy decides, I've had enough of this life. And wanders into the mountains near the modern day Tonopah.
[00:04:20] Speaker A: Classic donkey behavior. Zero concern for anyone else's schedule.
[00:04:24] Speaker B: So Jim, being the responsible donkey dad that he is, goes looking for him. And when he finds him the next morning, the donkey is just chilling on.
[00:04:35] Speaker A: Some rocks as you do. Rocks that, might I add, turned out to be filled with silver. Like accidentally stumbled upon a fortune kind of silver.
[00:04:46] Speaker B: Imagine that moment. Jim's probably yelling at his donkey like, you little idiot. Do you have any idea what I. Wait, wait a second.
[00:04:59] Speaker A: It's basically the early 1900s version of winning the lottery. Except instead of scratching a lottery ticket, you've got a rock licking donkey.
[00:05:14] Speaker B: Fun fact. Some versions of the story say Jim threw a rock at the donkey in frustration, and that's how he discovered the silver.
[00:05:23] Speaker A: Right in the head.
So basically what you're telling me, Tracy, is that animal abuse led to Nevada's second biggest silver boom.
[00:05:32] Speaker B: I mean, the donkey was fine, probably just confused, like, bro, why are you throwing stuff at me? I just made you rich.
[00:05:41] Speaker A: Either way, Tonopah was born overnight. Word spread fast, and before you knew it, thousands of prospectors were rolling in ready to strike it rich. Rich.
[00:05:51] Speaker B: And just like that, the middle of nowhere became a bustling, lawless, wild west mining town.
[00:05:58] Speaker A: All right, let's talk about the early Tonopah life. Because if you think discovering silver meant a comfortable lifestyle, think again.
[00:06:07] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. Boom. In town didn't mean five star resorts and smoothie bars. It meant zero infrastructure, terrible hygiene, and about 500 ways to die before breakfast.
[00:06:20] Speaker A: Holy smokes.
[00:06:21] Speaker B: Right?
[00:06:22] Speaker A: The first miners tents. Literal tents in the desert.
[00:06:27] Speaker B: Hot in the day, freezing at night, dust everywhere. I hope they liked the taste of dirt, because they were breathing it 24. 7.
[00:06:38] Speaker A: Thought you said they had a smoothie bar.
[00:06:41] Speaker B: No, they didn't have a smoothie bar.
[00:06:43] Speaker A: I'm going to the smoothie bar, goddamn it. And don't even get me started on the sanitation situation. Smelly.
[00:06:52] Speaker B: Smelly is right. Because sanitation there wasn't any.
[00:06:58] Speaker A: Exactly. The whole town smelled like sweat, whiskey, and questionable life choices.
[00:07:04] Speaker B: Ew. So basically a modern music festival?
[00:07:08] Speaker A: Basically. And speaking of whiskey drinking, it was safer than the water supply. So saloons were everywhere.
[00:07:16] Speaker B: And these weren't your friendly neighborhood bars. These were full on wild west debauchery zones.
[00:07:23] Speaker A: Gambling, fighting shoe ducks. Draw your gun, Mr.
Shady Deals. I mean, the local law enforcement was pretty much just hoping for the best.
[00:07:35] Speaker B: The law was basically, hey, maybe don't murder people, but if you do, can you just drag the body outside?
[00:07:43] Speaker A: I'm not saying the saloons were dangerous, but if you walked into one and didn't get into a fight, were you even in Tonopah?
[00:07:51] Speaker B: 100 chance that fists will be flying, whether over a shot of whiskey or a shady game of cards.
[00:07:57] Speaker A: And let's not forget the actual mining conditions.
[00:08:00] Speaker B: Miners spent hours underground, breathing in toxic dust, dealing with collapsing tunnels, and praying they wouldn't run into a ghost or worse, their foreman in a bad mood.
[00:08:13] Speaker A: The turnover rate was wild. And by turnover rate, I mean people literally falling down mine shafts.
[00:08:19] Speaker B: And yet people kept coming because the dream of silver outweighed, you know, basic survival instincts.
[00:08:27] Speaker A: So we've got an exploding population, dangerous working conditions, questionable hygiene, and the wildest nightlife this side of the Mississippi.
[00:08:37] Speaker B: Sounds like the perfect place to build a haunted clown motel.
[00:08:41] Speaker A: Hell, yeah. Oh, we're getting there. But first, let's talk about the mystery plague that started wiping out miners.
[00:08:48] Speaker B: Oh, you mean the one where only the men working in the mines were dying?
[00:08:53] Speaker A: Yep. And nobody knew why until it was too late.
[00:08:57] Speaker B: Imagine you're a minor in 1902. You've survived cave ins, lawless saloons, and the daily threat of being punched over a bad poker hand. But then, out of nowhere, men start dropping like flies.
[00:09:14] Speaker A: And not just any men. Only adult male minors. The wives totally fine, the kids healthy as horses. The town doctor baffled.
[00:09:25] Speaker B: At first, people just figured it was the usual, oh, you inhaled too much, mind us situation. But then the symptoms got weird.
[00:09:35] Speaker A: Sudden chest pain, fever, coughing.
And within hours, dead. No time to call for help. No warning. Just bam. You check it into the afterlife.
[00:09:48] Speaker B: Damn. Doctors were scrambling for answers. Was it in the water? Maybe some cursed silver dust? Or did Jim Butler's donkey come back for revenge with a biological weapon?
[00:10:04] Speaker A: Donkey dust.
It was the original medical mystery. And let's just say 1902 science was not exactly advanced.
[00:10:15] Speaker B: So here's what the town's best medical minds came up with. One, contaminated water.
Maybe a bad well or some weird bacteria nobody knew about. But Then why weren't the women and the kids affected?
2 toxic mining fumes mines were filled with questionable air quality. Some people thought the men were basically inhaling their way to doom three. A deadly new pneumonia. A few doctors suggested it was some mystery plague that attacked only minors. Which is conveniently selective.
[00:10:51] Speaker A: Look, I'm no doctor, but when a disease starts acting like it has a type, I start asking questions.
[00:10:59] Speaker B: Right? Like oh, you're only interested in hard working men in their prime. What are you? The most inconvenient dating app of 1902?
[00:11:08] Speaker A: Swipe left on the death plague, please.
[00:11:11] Speaker B: Haha. Exactly. As you can imagine, people freaked out.
[00:11:16] Speaker A: I wonder why.
[00:11:17] Speaker B: Right?
[00:11:18] Speaker A: Miners were dying fast. No one had any idea why. Bodies were piling up quickly. They had to bury them in the old Tonopah cemetery as fast as possible.
[00:11:28] Speaker B: Some folks panicked and left town immediately. Others were like eh, guess I'll just take my chances.
[00:11:35] Speaker A: And the ones who stayed, well, let's just say the town moved on. But the spirits may not have.
[00:11:42] Speaker B: Oh yeah. The ghosts of these miners are said to still wander Tanapa. Especially around the old cemetery. And oh, I don't know, maybe even a certain motel nearby.
[00:11:54] Speaker A: You mean the one covered in clowns? Because nothing says rest in peace like a room full of nightmare fuel.
[00:12:01] Speaker B: Bam. Nailed it. And we'll get to the clown motel next. But first, let's talk about something even scarier.
[00:12:11] Speaker A: Let's talk about sex, baby. Let's talk about you and me.
[00:12:15] Speaker B: Oh wait, that's off topic, baby.
[00:12:17] Speaker A: Sorry.
What?
Even scarier than ghost miners and unexplained plagues? Seriously?
[00:12:27] Speaker B: Yep, you got it. A mine fire so bad it turned one man into a legend.
[00:12:33] Speaker A: Oh, you mean Big Bill Murphy. Let's do this.
[00:12:38] Speaker B: Mining was already dangerous. Cave ins, explosions, poison gas, you name it. But in 1911, Tonopah faced one of its deadliest disasters. And it all started with a single candle.
[00:12:57] Speaker A: A candle. All of the ways for a mine to go up in flames. It was basically a dollar store candle that set off an underground inferno.
[00:13:07] Speaker B: Which honestly is my biggest fear. Just casually lighting a Yankee candle and suddenly our living room turns into a historical tragedy.
[00:13:17] Speaker A: Yeah, but at least our living room has exits. These miners 300ft underground. Thick black smoke filling every tunnel. And nowhere to go but a rickety wooden elevator. Which was also catching fire. And guess what folks? This is where we meet Big Bill Murphy. AKA the bravest man to ever exist in Tonopa.
[00:13:38] Speaker B: So picture this. The fire breaks out. There's panic everywhere. Dozens of miners are trapped. The lift operator Long gone. Everyone else running for their lives. But not Big Bill Murphy, hero.
[00:13:54] Speaker A: Nope. Big Bill takes one look at that burning death trap, shrugs and says, ah, I'll save some people.
[00:14:01] Speaker B: And he does. He personally hauls men up to safety over and over again, riding that fiery elevator back down, each time to rescue more.
[00:14:12] Speaker A: And then, this is the part that wrecks me. After a second trip up, he's exhausted, covering soot, coughing his lungs out. And you know what he says?
[00:14:22] Speaker B: Well, boys, I've made two trips and I'm nearly all in, but I'll try again.
[00:14:28] Speaker A: And that was the last time anyone saw Big Bill Murphy alive.
[00:14:33] Speaker B: On his third trip down, the fire and smoke finally overwhelmed him. He never made it back up. 17 miners died that day. Most of them are buried in the old Tonopah Cemetery. Now, you know, a town doesn't go through something this tragic without some leftover ghost activity.
[00:14:53] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Some people say the ruins of the Belmont Mine are haunted as hell. Shadow figures, cold spouts. And sometimes you can still hear the whispers from below.
[00:15:03] Speaker B: Some believe Big Bill never really left, that his spirit still lingers, watching over.
[00:15:08] Speaker A: The mines in the cemetery. Even worse, visitors claim they've seen the miners in old fashioned work clothes standing between the gravestones, only for them to disappear into thin air.
[00:15:21] Speaker B: Which, first of all, nope. Absolutely not. If I ever see a Victorian ghost miner staring at me, I'm packing my bags and moving to the least haunted state possible.
[00:15:34] Speaker A: Well, good luck with that. This is America. Everywhere is haunted.
[00:15:40] Speaker B: Fair point. But you know what's even more haunted than a mind full of ghostly minors?
[00:15:46] Speaker A: Let me guess. A motel filled with clowns next to a graveyard full of tragic deaths.
[00:15:52] Speaker B: Bingo. Let's talk about the Clown Motel.
Welcome, dear listeners, to the Clown Motel, where you can enjoy a good night's sleep. And if you don't mind 3200 clowns staring at you.
[00:16:07] Speaker A: Oh, and did we mention it's right next to a cemetery?
[00:16:13] Speaker B: That's right, because nothing says relaxing getaway like a motel filled with soulless clown dolls. Literally overlooking a graveyard of tragic mining deaths.
[00:16:24] Speaker A: Honestly, this place sounds like a setup to a horror movie. And yet people pay money to stay here.
[00:16:31] Speaker B: Yeah, people like you. You'd 100% stay here just for the content.
[00:16:37] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, you betcha. You know, and I'd livestream the whole thing.
[00:16:41] Speaker B: Okay, so how did we get this clown infested horror lodge in the middle of nowhere?
[00:16:47] Speaker A: Great question, Tracy. It all started in 1985, when siblings Leona and Leroy David built the motel in honor of Their father, Clarence David.
[00:16:59] Speaker B: Turns out Clarence was a huge clown collector and his kids were like, you know what? Be a fantastic idea. A clown themed motel right next to dad's final resting place.
[00:17:12] Speaker A: Which you gotta admit, it's either really sweet or deeply unsettling.
[00:17:17] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm going with unsettling. It's one thing to love clowns, it's another to be like, lets turn our father's lifetime obsession into an immersive nightmare experience for paying guests.
[00:17:31] Speaker A: Oh, and here's the real kicker. Clarence Davis. He's buried in the cemetery next door. Surprise.
[00:17:38] Speaker B: Of course he is. Because nothing screams. Dad would have loved this. Like letting strangers sleep next to his grave surrounded by thousands of clowns.
[00:17:49] Speaker A: Hell yeah. You basically summarized my burial wishes. But let's stop cloning around. So Fast forward to 2019 when Ham Anand, a self proclaimed clown enthusiast, buys the place and triples the clone collection.
[00:18:06] Speaker B: And by triples you mean the dude.
[00:18:10] Speaker A: Expanded it over 3200 clones.
[00:18:13] Speaker B: 3200 clowns? That's way too many clowns.
[00:18:21] Speaker A: Well, unless you're Pennywise, in which case it's just a cozy home setup.
[00:18:26] Speaker B: Right, because what could possibly go wrong when you fill an entire motel with thousands of tiny painted faces staring into your soul?
[00:18:38] Speaker A: Well, according to guests, a lot.
[00:18:41] Speaker B: Yeah, people have reported lights flickering, objects disappearing, and clown dolls moving on their own. Which is just great because that's exactly what I want for my motel experience. Possessed decor.
[00:18:54] Speaker A: Honestly, the only thing that would make it worse is if one of the rooms was like super haunted or something.
[00:19:01] Speaker B: Oh, funny you should say that, because that brings us to.
[00:19:05] Speaker A: Ah yes, room 108. Otherwise known as why would we ever stay here?
[00:19:11] Speaker B: This room has so much paranormal activity, even ghost hunters are like, maybe we should sit this one out.
[00:19:19] Speaker A: Guests have reported waking up to a seven foot tall clown standing at the foot of their bed holding a balloon with the name Tracy on it.
[00:19:29] Speaker B: Nope. Immediate nope. I see a clown in my room at 3am I'm setting the whole damn place on fire and sending my regrets later.
[00:19:38] Speaker A: And it gets weirder. People also report objects moving on their own and feeling like they're being watched.
[00:19:46] Speaker B: I mean, they kind of are. By 3200 clowns fair.
[00:19:52] Speaker A: But then there's EVPs. You know those creepy ghost voices caught on recordings? Paranormal investigators have picked up actual messages from spirits here.
[00:20:02] Speaker B: Oh yeah, they're spine chilling. They've heard voices whispering, we mined and.
[00:20:10] Speaker A: We died that day.
Which, yeah, makes sense when you remember that the motel is next to a cemetery full of dead Miners. But still. Imagine you're just chilling in your room and your ghostly clown neighbor whispers about his tragic past.
[00:20:26] Speaker B: Yeah, I don't care if they're just historically traumatized minors. If I hear whispers in my hotel room that I didn't pay extra for, I'm checking out immediately.
[00:20:38] Speaker A: But here's the real question. Would you stay in room 108?
[00:20:43] Speaker B: Absolutely not. Would you?
[00:20:47] Speaker A: Oh, 100%. I would bring the spirit box, some night vision cameras, and at least one terrified friend to film their reaction.
[00:20:54] Speaker B: Great. You have fun with that. I'll be at the Mizpah Hotel, where the ghosts at least have the decency to be a little bit more elegant.
[00:21:03] Speaker A: Oh, we'll get into the Mizpah Hotel. But first, let's dig a bit deeper into the cemetery next door.
[00:21:09] Speaker B: Ha. I see what you did there. Alright, so what's the deal with the cemetery?
[00:21:15] Speaker A: It was established in 1901, but by 1911 they had shut it down. Because get this, it was completely full.
[00:21:24] Speaker B: In just 10 years.
That's a whole lot of death for such a short time.
[00:21:31] Speaker A: Yeah, welcome to the early 1900s Tonopah. Where between mining accidents, disease, and old fashioned murder, people did not have good odds of making it past 40.
[00:21:42] Speaker B: So who's actually buried there?
[00:21:44] Speaker A: We talked about this a bit earlier in the episode. The mysterious epidemic that swept through Tonopah in 1902.
[00:21:51] Speaker B: Right. Sudden illnesses only affected men, and no one could figure out what the hell was causing it. A lot of the victims ended up buried right there.
[00:22:02] Speaker A: And since nobody really solved the mystery, you gotta wonder, are they still lingering, trying to tell us what really happened?
[00:22:10] Speaker B: Then you've got the miners from the 1911 Belmont mine fire, including our guy, Big Bill Murphy, the hero who kept going back until he didn't come back.
[00:22:21] Speaker A: 17 men died that day, and many of them are buried there. And let's be real, if you die in a mine fire, your spirit's probably not resting easy.
[00:22:31] Speaker B: Oh, and let's not forget the murdered town sheriff. Because what's an old west town without a little gunsling injustice.
[00:22:39] Speaker A: Yeah, he was ambushed and shot back in 1907. And if ghost stories have taught me anything, it's that murdered lawmen rarely stay quiet.
[00:22:49] Speaker B: And then there's Devil Davis, the first African American in Tonopah, shot by his own wife after years of abuse.
[00:22:57] Speaker A: Honestly, good for her. But still, that's some heavy energy to be lingering in one place.
[00:23:04] Speaker B: All right, let's get to the haunted part. What kind of creepy shenanigans are happening here?
[00:23:11] Speaker A: First off, people have actually seen a shadowy figure walking out of the cemetery straight towards the Clown Motel.
[00:23:19] Speaker B: Which again, why?
What unfinished business do you have at the Clown Motel?
[00:23:26] Speaker A: Maybe they saw all the clowns and thought it was the circus. Or maybe they were looking for a quality motel at a budget price. After all, it is the closest lodging available.
[00:23:35] Speaker B: Then you've got the classic hauntings, Weird lights floating over the graves, disembodied whispers, and shadowy figures moving between the headstones.
[00:23:45] Speaker A: Some people even say they felt hands grab them while walking through the cemetery at night.
[00:23:51] Speaker B: Nope. Immediate Nope. If I feel a cold, ghostly hand grab me, I'm screaming and running. You will see a Tracy shaped dust cloud, just like in a cartoon.
[00:24:04] Speaker A: Okay, real talk here. If I booked us to stay at the Clone Motel, would you come?
[00:24:09] Speaker B: Absolutely not.
[00:24:12] Speaker A: What if I got us room 108?
[00:24:14] Speaker B: Listen, I like myself too much to put myself through that, but you do. You boo.
[00:24:21] Speaker A: All right, listeners, if you think Tracy should tough it out for the sake of the podcast, let us know in the comments below.
[00:24:29] Speaker B: Yeah, and if you think Jeremy should stop trying to get me killed, let me know in the comments too.
[00:24:39] Speaker A: Well, let's switch gears a bit and check in at the Mizpah Hotel, shall we?
[00:24:43] Speaker B: Let's do it. The Mizpah Hotel once housed millionaires and madams, now home to ghosts and legends.
[00:24:52] Speaker A: This place is so haunted, it's been called the most haunted hotel in America.
[00:24:57] Speaker B: Yeah, and people willingly spend the night there.
[00:25:01] Speaker A: Well, some people are into spooky sleepovers, Tracy.
[00:25:05] Speaker B: And some people like not waking up to a ghost whispering in their ear.
[00:25:11] Speaker A: Alright, let's rewind. In 1907, Tonopah is booming with silver money, and the Mizpah Hotel becomes the place to be.
[00:25:19] Speaker B: We'll be back after these messages. Welcome to Zach Solved Mysteries, the most important podcast you'll ever hear in your life.
[00:25:30] Speaker A: I know enough about most things to be inaccurate about everything.
[00:25:36] Speaker B: We're not just a podcast, we're an experience.
[00:25:39] Speaker A: This story.
[00:25:42] Speaker B: Dude, prepare to have your life transformed, because not listening to us could be a grave mistake.
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[00:25:53] Speaker B: We're not just tackling the classic mysteries of the past. We're rewriting history itself. Robert Stack, I think, had dirt on people. Forget everything you thought you knew about Unsolved Mysteries or any sort of mystery.
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[00:26:17] Speaker A: Mystery solved. My and Back to the show.
[00:26:22] Speaker B: At five stories tall, it was literally the tallest building in Nevada at the time. Which, honestly, is adorable, Right?
[00:26:31] Speaker A: Like, imagine going to Vegas now and telling people this was once Nevada's biggest.
[00:26:36] Speaker B: Flex, but at the time, it was super fancy, catering to the wealthy investors, high rolling miners, and of course, the most elite escorts.
[00:26:47] Speaker A: Which brings us to our most famous ghost.
[00:26:49] Speaker B: Okay, let's talk about the lady in red. Because every haunted hotel needs at least one tragic ghostly woman, right?
[00:26:59] Speaker A: And this one, she was a prostitute murdered by a jealous lover right between rooms 502 and 400. 504.
[00:27:06] Speaker B: Some say it was her husband who found out. Others say it was a client who didn't like sharing. Either way, she never checked out of the Mizpah.
[00:27:16] Speaker A: So if you ever stay on the fifth floor, you might experience some of her ghostly affections.
[00:27:21] Speaker B: People report feeling cold touches on their shoulders or more intimate areas.
[00:27:29] Speaker A: Oh, so she's a flirty ghost.
[00:27:31] Speaker B: Let's just say if you wake up feeling a soft caress on your cheek, it might not be your sleeping partner.
[00:27:39] Speaker A: She's also been heard whispering in people's ears. Like, full on asmr Ghost mode.
[00:27:44] Speaker B: And the weirdest part, Guests say their jewelry moves overnight. Like they'll set their ring on a table, and by morning, it's on the floor or completely missing.
[00:27:54] Speaker A: Guess she still has an eye for the fine things.
[00:27:57] Speaker B: Then we've got the ghost kids on the third floor, which, let's be real, ghost kids are always creepy.
[00:28:05] Speaker A: Yeah, apparently these two love to mess with the guests. People hear childish giggles, doors opening and closing by themselves, and tiny footsteps running down the hall.
[00:28:16] Speaker B: Imagine you're just trying to brush your teeth at midnight and you hear kids laughing behind you in the mirror. Nope. Absolutely not.
[00:28:26] Speaker A: There's also reports of ghost soldiers just wandering the halls as if he's still on patrol.
[00:28:32] Speaker B: Some people think he might be from World War I, staying at the Mizpah on his way to or from duty.
[00:28:39] Speaker A: Or he just really liked the hotel's amenities and decided to make it his eternal home.
[00:28:44] Speaker B: Oh, and let's not forget the robbers who were betrayed and murdered and now haunt the basement.
[00:28:51] Speaker A: Yeah, legend says some guys pulled off a huge bank heist, but their partners in crimes decided to cut them out of the deal permanently.
[00:28:59] Speaker B: Now, people report hearing whispers down there, feeling sudden cold spots, and of course, the occasional disembodied scream.
[00:29:07] Speaker A: So, Tracy, if I booked us to stay at the Mizpah, would you go?
[00:29:11] Speaker B: I mean, maybe, but you're not putting me on the Fifth floor. I don't need a ghost lady stealing my earrings.
[00:29:19] Speaker A: But what if we got the third floor and you got to hang out with the ghost kids?
[00:29:23] Speaker B: Ooh, Jeremy, you just made it worse.
[00:29:28] Speaker A: All right, listeners, let us know if you had to pick. Would you rather stay in the room with the haunted lady in red? Or share a hallway with ghost kids and a soldier?
[00:29:37] Speaker B: Or just don't stay there at all and enjoy the Mizpah's history from a safe distance like a normal person?
[00:29:44] Speaker A: Fair enough. But here's the thing. The Mizpah hotel isn't the only place in Tonopah where spirits linger.
[00:29:51] Speaker B: That's right. You think the lady in red is terrifying, Wait until you hear about the haunted mines of Tonopah, where the spirits of long lost miners still roam the tunnels.
[00:30:02] Speaker A: Coming up next, we're diving deep, literally, into the darkest part of Tonopah's haunted history. A town built on silver, but at what cost?
[00:30:13] Speaker B: Riches came pouring out of the mines, but so did something else. Tragedy, loss. And maybe even spirits who never left.
[00:30:22] Speaker A: We've talked about haunted hotels, clowns that move on their own, and ghosts lurking in graveyards. But if you really want to experience.
[00:30:30] Speaker B: Tonopah's darkest hauntings, you have to go underground.
[00:30:35] Speaker A: The mining was the lifeblood of Tonopah, but it was also the biggest killer. These mines weren't just dangerous. They were basically death traps waiting to happen.
[00:30:45] Speaker B: Yeah, safety regulations in the early 1900s were pretty much just, don't die and.
[00:30:52] Speaker A: Good luck and spoiler alert, a lot of them didn't make it.
[00:30:56] Speaker B: Cave ins, gas leaks, falling rocks, fires. Working in a mine back then meant rolling the dice every single shift.
[00:31:06] Speaker A: Some say the men who never made it out of the mines still haven't left.
[00:31:10] Speaker B: Visitors and paranormal investigators have reported hearing distant voices, echoing pickaxes, and shadowy figures moving through the tunnels, even when there was no one around.
[00:31:23] Speaker A: And get this. There's been multiple EVPs recorded inside the abandoned mines, where voices whisper.
[00:31:33] Speaker B: And get out.
See, that's my cue. If a ghost straight up tells me to leave, I'm not asking any questions. I'm grabbing my gear and running. No hesitation.
[00:31:47] Speaker A: Right? But some people are way braver or dumber because they go in looking for these spirits, and sometimes they get exactly what they asked for.
[00:31:57] Speaker B: One of the creepiest things reported in the mines. Floating lights.
[00:32:02] Speaker A: Oh, yeah. Multiple witnesses have seen glowing orbs flickering in the darkness, Sometimes moving deeper into the tunnels. Like they're trying to lead people in.
[00:32:12] Speaker B: Yeah. Nope. Not falling for it. That's how horror movies start. Oh, let's follow the weird ghost light. Cut to a missing person poster.
[00:32:22] Speaker A: And then there's the phantom miner. A spirit that's been seen walking near the mine entrances covered in dust, wearing old fashioned gear, and then vanishing into thin air.
[00:32:34] Speaker B: At that point, just quit your ghost hunting hobby. Go back to collecting stamps or something. Less risk of being dragged into the underworld.
[00:32:43] Speaker A: A lot of people say when you're down in the mines, you can actually hear the tunnels breathing. Like a deep rhythmic sound that moves around you.
[00:32:52] Speaker B: Okay, that's unsettling. What even causes that?
[00:32:56] Speaker A: Some say it's a wind passing through the collapsed tunnels. But others believe in the spirits of the miner still whispering warnings to those who enter.
[00:33:05] Speaker B: And if that wasn't bad enough, there's also a constant feeling of being watched. Like someone is standing just behind you. But when you turn around, nothing's there. Nope. See, I'd rather face the ghost clowns than be stuck underground with invisible cold dusted creepers watching me.
[00:33:25] Speaker A: Alright, so we've covered hotels with flirty ghosts, clowns that refuse to sit still, Graveyards full of restless souls, and minors where the dead still whisper. Sounds just like my last class reunion.
[00:33:39] Speaker B: At this point, we have to ask, why the hell is Tanapa this haunted?
[00:33:45] Speaker A: Is it just a coincidence that so much death and tragedy happened here? Or is there something deeper keeping the spirits from moving on?
[00:33:53] Speaker B: Coming up next, we're digging into the theories between Tonopah's hauntings, From ancient legends to ghost magnetisms, and of course, the clowns.
[00:34:04] Speaker A: Because let's be honest, it always comes back to the clones. One theory. The land itself is soaked in tragedy. Between the plague victims, mine disasters, shootouts, and mysterious deaths, there's so much energy tied to this town that it's basically a ghost hotspot, right?
[00:34:24] Speaker B: Like, imagine all that trauma just hanging in the air, waiting to be replayed over and over again like a cosmic horror movie.
[00:34:33] Speaker A: Which honestly explains why people report hearing the same ghostly voices or seeing shadow figures doing the same things night after night.
[00:34:43] Speaker B: Another theory. Some believe that the land was already sacred and that the spirits long predate Tanapa's silver rush.
[00:34:50] Speaker A: Yeah, some stories suggest that Native American tribes saw this land as a place of powerful energy and disturbing it, like, say, by digging massive mines into it, might have awakened something.
[00:35:02] Speaker B: Oof. So what you're saying is maybe the clowns aren't the problem. Maybe the land itself is pissed.
[00:35:10] Speaker A: Honestly, I'd like to blame the clowns. But you know what else might be keeping these spirits Around.
[00:35:15] Speaker B: Ugh. Of course we're circling back to the clowns.
[00:35:19] Speaker A: Look, hear me out. Some people believe that the Clown Motel is more than just a horrifying roadside attraction. It might actually be a portal for spirits. And I gotta say, it makes a.
[00:35:30] Speaker B: Weird amount of sense.
[00:35:32] Speaker A: Think about it. A motel full of thousands of eerie figures, each one maybe acting as a vessel for a spirit. And where is it? Right next to a graveyard full of unsettled souls. You can't tell me that's not a recipe for supernatural chaos.
[00:35:48] Speaker B: I mean, when you put it that way, it kind of sounds like the world's worst Airbnb review. Nice day, but the clowns kept opening my suitcase and whispering about the afterlife.
[00:36:00] Speaker A: All right, Tracy, let's settle this one once and for all. If you had to choose one haunted Tonopah location to spend the night in, which one would it be?
[00:36:09] Speaker B: Ugh. Why do you do this to me? All right, okay. If I had to choose, I'd probably go with the Mizpah Hotel. Still, at least the lady in red seems classy about her hauntings. What about you?
[00:36:24] Speaker A: Oh, I'm absolutely picking the Clone Motel. I want to see if the dolls actually move. Or maybe catch an EVP session with a ghost miner. Plus, imagine the content.
[00:36:36] Speaker B: You and your live streaming addiction.
[00:36:39] Speaker A: Look, if I get possessed by a ghost clone, I expect you to go viral telling my story.
[00:36:46] Speaker B: Don't you worry. I'll be selling the story to Netflix immediately. You'll have your own documentary and everything.
[00:36:55] Speaker A: Perfect Clownspiracies, the Possession of Jeremy.
[00:36:59] Speaker B: Catchy title. I'll start working on the trailer.
[00:37:03] Speaker A: All right, folks, that wraps up this deep dive into Tonopah, Nevada, a town of riches, tragedy, and spirits that refuse to rest.
[00:37:12] Speaker B: We hope you've enjoyed this creepy, chaotic journey through the haunted hotels, underground ghosts, and way too many clowns.
[00:37:20] Speaker A: And hey, if you ever stayed in Tonopah and had a paranormal experience, let us know. We'd love to hear your stories.
[00:37:27] Speaker B: Oh, hell yeah. I would love to hear those. I get to hear others experiences from a safe distance. Perfection.
[00:37:37] Speaker A: Fair enough. We love hearing from you, Conundrum Crew. You got a chilling tale, a haunted hot spot, or a mystery that keeps you up at night? Send your spooky suggestions our way@totalconundrum.com or connect with us on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Who knows? Your story might just be our next deep dive.
[00:37:57] Speaker B: Thanks for tuning in, Conundrum Crew. Don't forget to follow, rate and review our podcast on Apple and Spotify. Hit that subscribe button. And ring that notification bell on YouTube to make sure you don't miss any of our eerie explorations. And remember, whether it's whispers from the minds, flickering lights in a haunted hotel, or a clown doll that definitely wasn't in that spot before, sometimes the biggest conundrum is whether to run or stay the night.
[00:38:27] Speaker A: Stay spooky, stay curious, and maybe don't book a hotel next to a haunted graveyard.
[00:38:33] Speaker B: Until next time, keep on creeping on. We love you.
[00:38:37] Speaker A: Bye.
Thanks for hanging out with us here at Total Conundrum. Please make sure to check out our website and blog and@totalconndrum.com for news, upcoming events, merch bloopers, and additional hysteria. You never know what will pop up, so be sure to follow along. If you want to show your support for Total Conundrum and gain access to all of our bonus content, please visit our Patreon page. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The links are available in our Show Notes. If you have any questions, comments, recommendations or stories to share, please email us at contactotalconundroon.
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