This is the story of the writer William Sidney Porter (O’ Henry) as told by a franchise ghost tour business. The tour group is standing in front of the O’ Henry Museum in downtown Austin.
This is an example of what tour guides around the country are referring to concerning the gibberish history the out of state companies are telling about their cities. We can’t blame the guide. It is the fault of the franchise company protocol of indifference to what is beginning told on their tours.
- O’ Henry did not meet his wife Athol in the Capitol of Texas. This is a probably made up because he worked in the General Land Office which is located in the Capitol Complex. He met Athol in 1885 when she was a high school student. They eloped in 1887 the year he started working at the General Land Office.
- O’ Henry was accused of embezzlement in 1894 and 1896 was found guilty of embezzlement by Federal Auditors and a trial date was set. This tour guide explains he was actually innocent the missing money was due to: “technical mismanagement because they didn’t have the technology back then that we have now, like facial recognition.”
- Franchise ghost tour guide: “He knew he was going to prison for 5 years (no trial yet).
- Tour guide: “her death bed is still in this museum; it is said to be the object that ties her soul to this place.” (In fact, Athol died at her parents’ home at 307 East 4th Street which is two blocks East of Congress. The bed was not her bed.”
- “Athol was a very powerful spirit; she knew how to manipulate and go places to be in the world without being in the world. I feel like they are still here, but it is a happy haunting.” (Porter died in 1910 in New York City and is buried in Ashville, North Carolina.)
