A small island on the Delaware River with a macabre past and a reputation for being haunted has been put up for sale. Part of the city of Easton, Pennsylvania, the six-acre spot of land became an infamous part of local legend nearly two centuries ago via a somewhat bizarre and decidedly gruesome event. Known as Getter's Island, the location received its name after it served as the site of the last public execution in the state of Pennsylvania when a man name Carl Getter was hung there.
According to area lore, Getter had been sentenced to death in 1833 after being convicted of murdering his wife. The man's trial was such a sensation in the area that an astounding 20,000 people descended upon the area when it came time for his execution. In response to the enormous wave of would-be spectators, officials opted to relocate the hanging to the small island so that everyone could witness the 'big event.'
When the time came for Getter to meet his maker, onlookers saw a strange and grisly spectacle as he had to be hung twice after the first attempt failed due to the rope breaking. However, it was the audience's reaction which proved to be more unnerving to many as the atmosphere was described as jovial with one reporter at the time recounted considerable "drinking, carousing, laughter and merriment." The lack of solemnity at the event actually led to a change in the law which saw public executions banned.
Since that time, stories of Getter's ghost lurking on the island have been passed down through generations of residents living in the area. The predominant version of the story seems to be that the spirit of the executed man has been known to appear at the site of his hanging. And now, for a reasonable $150,000 dollars, someone can own that spot as well as the rest of the six acres of land. Although, in circumstances befitting a haunted island, they'll need to bring a boat and a tent if they plan on doing any ghost hunting, since there's no bridge to the island nor any place to stay once you are out there.
