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E233: Robert The Doll
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Before the Hollywood dolls that haunt our dreams, there was one (not so) quietly closed in an attic in a Key West home causing quite a stir for anyone with whom he came into contact. As his notoriety has grown and with his placement in a permanent museum display, the reach of that contact has grown tremendously, as has the number of letters he receives from people pleading with him to release them from whatever curse he has placed upon them. This episode is the history of Robert the doll.
If you’d like to read more about Robert the Doll, check out David Sloan’s book, found HERE.
AND, if you are interested in bonus content for our show or in getting some Coffee and Cases swag, please consider joining Patreon. There are various levels to fit your needs, all of which can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/coffeeandcases
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Transcript
Why does Annabelle look different from the original doll?
00:00:00
Speaker
In researching for my case this week, which took a paranormal turn since I'm in the midst of completing interviews and writing for my next four episodes, I learned why dolls scare us so much, and possibly why Hollywood took a lot of liberties with the look of the Annabelle doll in film. The real Annabelle of paranormal and now of movie fame was a raggedy Andal that looks very unassuming on the surface. For the film, she's much more lifelike though, with exaggerated but quasi-realistic features.
Exploring the Uncanny Valley effect
00:00:40
Speaker
You see, there's something that happens to us psychologically called the Uncanny Valley.
00:00:47
Speaker
that refers to how our brain processes and responds to things that are human-like. Up to a certain point, we enjoy things that look human or have human traits, like a cartoon avocado with a cute little face, or when Sylvester the cat walks on two legs and talks like a human. Those instances don't bother us because the thing is clearly still not human. But when something is too human-like, when the resemblance is uncanny,
00:01:21
Speaker
yet not actually human. Our warm and fuzzies take a complete nosedive into distrust and fear. It's why the recent movie about the robotic doll Megan is a horror movie. It's why the Hollywood version of Annabelle is much more human-like, thus making her much more sinister because she dips into the uncanny valley.
Who was Robert the doll?
00:01:47
Speaker
But before there was Meghan, before Chucky, and even before Annabelle, there was another doll that to this day, visitors are fearful of crossing. This is the story of Robert the doll.
Meet the hosts and engage with the podcast
00:02:37
Speaker
Welcome to Coffee and Cases where we like our coffee hot and our cases cold. My name is Alison Williams. And my name is Maggie Dameron. We will be telling stories each week in the hopes that someone out there with any information concerning the cases will take those tips to law enforcement. So justice and closure can be brought to these families. With each case, we encourage you to continue in the conversation on our Facebook page, Coffee and Cases podcast, because as we all know, conversation helps to keep the missing person in the public consciousness, helping keep their memories alive. So sit back, sip your coffee, and listen to what's brewing this week.
00:03:14
Speaker
I feel like this unlocked a part of your psyche that like, I feel like this is one of your biggest fears. Oh my gosh. Yes. I'll just do a lot of praying tonight before I go to bed.
Podcast break announcement
00:03:30
Speaker
But before we start our case this week, I actually have two things that I wanted to tell everybody about. The first thing is that while we will have episodes both this week and next week, we will be taking two whopping weeks off before summer vacation. I'm excited about it, but it is the longest that we've taken off at one time since we started the podcast. But we definitely need it. I know our families need it because
00:04:01
Speaker
I don't know if you guys out there realize how much effort and time it takes to produce a podcast. It takes quite a bit in addition to our full-time jobs. And so we end up taking that time away that we would be spending with our families to produce the podcast and keep it going. So I feel like two weeks They definitely deserve at least that. Yeah, they do. And we do too. So we won't have an episode the final week of June, nor on the 4th of July. But we will be back with a new episode on July 11th. And of course, you'll have next week's episode as
Personal story of doll fears
00:04:38
Speaker
well. so Right. And if you need us that bad, just hop over to Patreon. That's right. And I'm sure we'll be on social media. So you know hit us up on Facebook. The second thing I need to tell you is what Maggie just touched on.
00:04:52
Speaker
And it is that I can't express to you how many prayers I've already prayed that I don't get cursed for doing this episode, especially given my own history with possessed dolls. And if you have no idea why Maggie said that or why my fear of possessed dolls is so great, It means you haven't heard the full story that we covered on Patreon. So we did put a link to our Patreon page. It's down in the show notes if you want to hear the full story about my very own possessed doll. It is in our Scaredy Cats number two episode that was posted way back in February of 2022. Or go back and listen to it before you listen to this one.
00:05:35
Speaker
So if you have heard it, you know how much anxiety I feel right now. And I have continually been saying, Lord, please put your protective shield over me so nothing bad can get to me all day long. Not as always. Please protect my soul. Please. I know. OK. Deep breath. Here we go. For my research this week, I not only searched sources online, but I also read a book dedicated solely to Robert the Doll by David
Gene Otto's story and early 20th-century Key West
00:06:07
Speaker
Sloan. And the link to the book is also in the show notes, but in case you're interested in learning even more about Robert. Robert Eugene Otto, the boy,
00:06:21
Speaker
whom we'll call Gene, you'll see why here in a few minutes, was born on October 25th, 1900 and was the youngest of four children. His paternal grandparents had come from Prussia and settled in Key West, Florida, where both, yes, where both Gene's grandfather and his father were doctors. And while I knew that at the turn of the century Key West was still just an island without a bridge to the mainland like we have today, I was not aware of this bit of information that I learned from Sloan's book.
00:07:01
Speaker
quote, doctors at that time did not make as much money as they do now, largely because they would treat patients regardless of ability to pay. For this reason, many doctors doubled as druggists, making most of their income on the pharmacy side of things, end quote. Now when I hear the word druggist, I think of um like you're selling like cocaine ah right to people on the street, but I'm assuming that's not pharmacy. Pharmacist. So I don't think I was aware of that, that doctors would often double as pharmacists and really it's on the pharmacy side where they made most of their money. Interesting.
00:07:50
Speaker
Well, as such, the auto family owned a couple of pharmacies also in Key West, and with that business venture came Will. Jean's father in Key West met Jean's mother, Minnie, who hailed from the Bahamas. Oh, wow. sir They built a home in Key West sometime between 1890 and 1898 at 534 Eaton Street. They're in Key West, Florida, and that is where they raised their four children.
00:08:25
Speaker
with the grandiose house that the whole family resided in, including the grandparents. Is it still there? Yes, it is still there. It is a bed and breakfast. Oh. Yep. They, of course, needed several servants who were hired to help clean and care for the property. One particular couple, William Abbott, who was from the West Indies, and his wife, Emmeline, from the Bahamas, were especially close to the Otto family, but In the research, their treatment by the Otto family is a little bit unclear. It seems like William was a trusted worker in the Otto household because Jean's grandfather, Dr. Joseph Otto, heavily relied upon William when
00:09:13
Speaker
Joseph grew blind in older age, so that seems to be like, okay, he trusts, he really trusts William. But then there are also stories of Joseph Otto, which is, again, Jean's grandfather, calling William in immediately to his room because he could feel a wrinkle in the bed sheet. I feel like that would happen pretty easily. Yeah. And I feel like if those are the complaints you're getting, that would get really old really quickly. Yeah.
00:09:44
Speaker
who After Joseph passed, Jean's father, Thomas, kept the couple employed in the household. William and Emmeline, from my understanding, were probably closer to Jean's father, Thomas's age. And so, yeah, he kept them employed in the household. And it is rumored that an inappropriate relationship may have developed between Thomas, Jean's father, and Emmeline Abbott that may have resulted in an illegitimate child. Oh, so that's a little spicy for back in the day. And so we don't know but the quote-unquote evidence to support this rumor are that Jean's mother Minnie opted to not be buried in the auto family burial plot alongside her husband. There's some tape for you. Yep, and we know that Emmeline
00:10:40
Speaker
birthed and lost a child sometime just around or after Jean's birth in 1900. And we know that she tried to sue the Otto family just after Jean's father Thomas passed away. Interesting. So those are the things we know and those things have let fuel the rumors. Kind of fueled the rumors. Yeah, exactly. So I wanted to let you know of these rumors now because I will come back to this potential history later in the case. So is Gene the youngest of the siblings? Yes.
Origin of Robert the doll
00:11:19
Speaker
Sometime around 1904, young Gene was gifted a doll. The doll was three feet tall, so the size of a young child, fully dressed, filled with stuffing, and covered with felt. And dolls back in this time were creepy.
00:11:37
Speaker
Yeah, well, i'll let me describe it to you just a little bit further. So author David Sloan feels that in his years of research that he has done into Robert the doll, been able to determine Robert's origin. And he has assurance that the doll was actually made by the Stife Company in Germany, which is the very company that created the first teddy bear in 1902. So Robert would have been created around the same time. cool Sloan believes that Robert was constructed in or around 1904 and feels that he was not initially meant to be a toy, but meant to be used for a window display of clowns and jesters, as if he thought Robert couldn't get more scary. He may originally have had face paint and worn a jesters costume.
00:12:32
Speaker
Why would you need a window display of clowns and jesters? Maybe to play with the teddy bears, because he's the size of a small child. Oh, I see. Yeah. So using them like a mannequin. Right, exactly. Robert's stuffing is dark woven straw called Excelsior stuffing, or wood wool. Sounds very comfortable. Yeah. He had hair on his head that was made of mohair, which comes from goats. ki Yeah, when Robert was given to Jean, it was at this point that Robert Eugene Otto began going by his middle name and gave the doll his own first name, Robert.
00:13:20
Speaker
Okay, so prior to Robert the Doll, Robert the Human went by Robert. That is my understanding, yes. Okay, then when he gets the doll, he starts going by Gene and calls the doll Robert. Yes. Okay. I have a couple theories already going on. I'm gonna hold off though. Okay. Additionally, the sailor suit that Robert is dressed in now is believed to have originally been Jean's own since there is a picture of Jean as a child wearing a sailor outfit just like the one that the doll wears now. So he's kind of like a life-size Barbie. Correct. Yeah. And so, I mean, he can even wear
00:14:05
Speaker
as, you know, that example just shows Gene's own clothing. I mean, maybe Gene, maybe he wasn't a fan of the Jester costume either. less low like lets chain increase up Yeah, I want to bring up, as Sloan did in his book, that there was not a stigma with a boy having a doll back then. In fact, since the teddy bear had only just been invented, really having a doll like this at all was a novelty and something that only a wealthy family could have afforded. Well, I feel like Jane is just learning how to be a daddy. Yeah. Well,
00:14:43
Speaker
Perhaps despite the fact that we know the doll was a gift, we are not clear on who the gift giver of the doll was. Some believe that the doll was a gift from Jean's grandfather, Joseph Otto, who, as that story goes, met the creator of the doll on a ship and brought the doll home to give to his grandson.
Voodoo curse rumors surrounding Robert
00:15:11
Speaker
Others say that the doll was given by a disgruntled house servant who had been treated poorly and that she had cursed it before giving the doll to Jean. Okay. The most common story in that thread is that the servant was let go because she was caught practicing voodoo and had used the art on the doll before leaving the home.
00:15:38
Speaker
Of course, this story likely grew in popularity due largely to scapegoating of the servants, but even Sloan states in his book that there is, quote, some evidence of an angry servant who was close to the family and may have used voodoo on the doll after it was created, end quote. I'm wondering if it's maybe like a combination of the two because if getting a doll would have been something only wealthy people could have really afforded at that time. Right. I wonder if Jean had the doll, then the employee gets mad and then curses the doll. That could possibly be it. Most likely though, in terms of the gift, rather than Jean's grandfather, according to Sloan, is that the doll was a gift from Jean's mother because Sloan was able to uncover records that
00:16:36
Speaker
Jean was given the go doll in 1904, and that's the same year that Jean's mother took a trip to Germany. Oh, okay. And the Stive Company is a German company. and And she returned from that trip just before Jean's fourth birthday. Oh, and that makes sense, then. It does. She gets home for a gift. Yeah. Well, Jean fell in love with his gift. The boy and his doll, Robert, became inseparable.
Robert's eerie behavior and attic banishment
00:17:05
Speaker
Everywhere Gene went, Robert was in tow. Gene played with him, he ate dinner with him, and he slept beside him. His parents thought the relationship was sweet and even a positive thing for their young son's imagination, especially because they would hear Gene having long conversations with his doll.
00:17:26
Speaker
oh lord As the story goes, Gene's parents would often pass his room and hear a Gene whispering to Robert, a small grin filling their faces, seeing on full display the innocent mind of a child. And everything was fine, until his parents began thinking they heard a different voice in response, something deeper and more coarse. and They would quickly open the door to find only Gene in the room holding his doll Robert. o ah Then Robert started moving. And once he began moving, he didn't stop. The doll would be placed in one room and with no one admitting to having moved Robert, he would show up in another.
00:18:24
Speaker
In one instant, he would be lying on his back. And in another instant, when you turned back around, he would be sitting upright in a chair with his legs crossed. Ew. Then things escalated, Maggie. Well, I would have already gotten rid of Robert. He'd have been at the Goodwill. Well, but then I'd be nervous. Like, is something bad going to happen to me because I've gotten rid of him? Like, is he going to be angry? Is he going to find me like Chuckie? Right. When things escalated, one night, Gene's parents heard a commotion in their son's room. Most versions of the story note that his parents struggled to get Gene's door open, which they were desperate to do because Gene was on the other side screaming.
00:19:14
Speaker
When they were finally able to get the door open, the room had been trashed. Furniture was overturned. Toys were torn and destroyed. Gene was curled in the fetal position, shaking and crying. He was terrified. Robert was seated on the foot of Gene's bed with his legs crossed. Of course, with Gene being the only person in the room, his parents began demanding to know why he had destroyed his room. Gene, crying, just kept saying, it wasn't me, Robert did it.
00:19:53
Speaker
In fact, that phrase soon became commonplace in the auto home. Whenever Gene was blamed for anything bad or destructive like accusations that were leveled at him of shoving the servants into closets and holding the door closed so they couldn't escape, his response was always the same. It wasn't me, Robert did it. This pattern continued for years. Well, my issue with this one is he's like four, maybe five by this point. How could he hold a servant in a closet? Right. I know. But then, you know, for somebody who's not, who doesn't believe in that sort of thing, then they're saying, okay, well, this is just a way for him to get out of getting in trouble. Getting in trouble. But you're right. I mean, there are certain things that you've got to say,
00:20:51
Speaker
I don't know. It doesn't make logical sense that a young, young kid could do it. At some point, because of the moving, because of the destruction, Robert was sent to the attic. a Even when confined there, the family would hear little footsteps, movement, and even an occasional midnight giggle. Absolutely not. No. And I was like, Lord, please protect me. Please protect me.
00:21:23
Speaker
As Gene grew older, he didn't play with Robert, especially after Robert was sent to the attic. He was banished to the attic. Yes. Instead, Gene devoted his imagination and his energy to art. I mentioned earlier that the Otto family owned some pharmacies. According to author David Sloan, quote, one of the Otto drugstores was located across the street from the family home on Eaton Street and offered a variety of sundries as well as art supplies. What the heck is a sundry? Unlike other items? Interesting. Yeah. This is likely where Gene acquired his first brushes and paints, starting a hobby that would lead to his later career, end quote. So Gene put his energy, like I said, into art. And to further his studies, Gene went to Paris. Oh.
00:22:17
Speaker
Yeah, it was there that he met another artist, pianist Annette Parker. Annette Parker, who was soon to be Annette Parker Otto, was born December 9, 1902 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and she began playing piano when she was only five. In addition to exploring her love of music, she also attended the Garland School of Homemaking, hello where she took courses like food and its preparation, and child study. She called it her, quote, bow to society, end quote, because she was learning how to be seen as a proper wife.
00:23:01
Speaker
Weren't things so different back in the day? I know. Well, there are still expectations. We just don't send people to school for it. Right. Right. You know. After the two married in Paris in 1930, they moved to New York, where Anne secured a highly prestigious position playing piano at the Rainbow Room, where her talents were on spotlight. It's fancy. Yeah. Yep, but Jean's mother Minnie fell ill in 1945. So Jean and Anne gathered their things in New York and they came to Key West to be with her and to help care for her. And is he still going by Jean? He is, yes.
00:23:46
Speaker
His mother passed away on September 14th, 1945. While the Otto family estate was divided among all four children, the eldest three signed over their share of the home to Gene and his wife, Anne. Because of Anne's gift as a pianist and Gene's gift in painting, the home actually soon took on a new moniker. It was called the Artist House. Oh! It seems after the move to Key West that moniker actually though mainly referred to Jean though, because Anne left her life and love of music and a lot of ways to now take a supporting role in her married life and to boost Jean in his role as artist and kind of give him his turn in the spotlight, which he would solidly remain in for their remaining years together.
00:24:43
Speaker
Okay, well, you know, okay. I mean, it was almost like, well, you've had your turn. Now I get to have that date. Yeah, now it's fine for the rest of my life. Thank you. Anne was, though, a wonderful hostess to evenings in her home where guests would dine on her delicious food. Apparently she was a great cook. Well, you know, she took the class. She did. And they would nosh on her now famous lemon pie or key lime pie. And she would turn on the charm to sell her husband Gene's painting. All was going splendidly. Until Gene again found his old companion, Robert, who was still in the attic.
Robert's return and disturbing presence
00:25:27
Speaker
He had been waiting for Gene to return the whole time.
00:25:32
Speaker
Now, Jane, I know you're a little, but I really hope you just left Robert in the attic, like I hope we learned some lessons. He did not. Oh my God. And so because of that, as you can imagine, Jean's wife Anne was not fond of the doll, especially when Jean brought Robert downstairs and again began carrying him everywhere, just as he had done as a child. Jean would dine with Robert. He would sit and paint in the turret room with Robert sitting right next to him.
00:26:08
Speaker
Anne continually pressed Jean to put Robert back in the attic, especially since his presence really freaked out the friends and society members that Anne loved so much to entertain. Yeah, I don't think that adults would really know how to take that another grown man is now suddenly carrying around a doll. And because of that, eventually Jean agreed to do so. But Robert was not happy about being moved out of sight, even though when Gene put him back, he furnished the room with small child-sized furniture. now So Robert could have furniture and also gave Robert his own stuffed animal to keep him company. Well, Robert murdered that, probably ripped the stuffing right out of that thing. Oh, he still has it today.
00:27:08
Speaker
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00:28:07
Speaker
The couple, and their many visitors, would hear footsteps upstairs. They would hear a childlike giggling, and children of the neighborhood would avoid the artist's house altogether, after swearing that they would see the doll in one window of the turret room, that he would disappear, and that they would then see him reappear in another window of the turret room, following them with his gaze. na And whether this is true or lore at this point, they say that Gene would go up to the attic, sure the children were wrong because he had you know secured Robert in the attic after all, and not in the turret room where the windows were. However, he would find the attic empty, only to find Robert sitting in a chair of the turret room, looking out the window, just as the children had said.
00:29:03
Speaker
Oh no. Yeah. Each time Gene would put Robert in the attic, he would end up back in the turret room where he had a view. Was there an attic, like a walk down attic, or did you have to pull steps down, I wonder, because that just adds a whole other... Actually Maggie, what are you talking about? This is a doll escaping an attic. It's weird either way. It's weird either way. Yeah. The couple lived there with Robert for several decades until Gene passed away on June 24th, 1974.
Gene's later years and Anne's exclusion
00:29:34
Speaker
A local paper, The Sun Sentinel, later reported in the 1980s that, quote, in the months preceding his death, as his health failed, he, meaning Gene, spent most of his time in the attic room talking to Robert. No. quote
00:29:53
Speaker
No. You're talking to a demon. As if that detail, if it's true, weren't difficult alone for Anne to grapple with. After her husband's passing, she found out. Hold on. Hold on. No. No. No. Do not tell me. Do not tell me in this next breath. that he and his will leaves his estate to Robert the Doll. Do not tell me that. He does not, but he did leave Anne out of his will. He gave, the only thing he left to Anne was the house itself. He gave it everything else that they owned to his sister.
00:30:39
Speaker
After she gave up, and everything, everything. And I think learning of being taken out of the will had to have been particularly difficult because of that, because she gave up her love for music. yeah She let Jean be in the spotlight for so long. And Sloan actually reported that those close to Anne later commented on the Otto's marriage, saying that Jean was insecure of being overshadowed by his wife's accomplishments, so he refused to let her play piano anywhere outside of their home, and that he would make her wait five minutes after he entered a public event before coming in herself, so he wouldn't have to share the attention. That's what those close to Anne said.
00:31:26
Speaker
He's a red flag guy. Red flag. So if that's true, I think learning that the man that she sacrificed so much for writing her out of the will would have just been even more upsetting. And they didn't have kids? No. After Jean's passing in 1974, Anne moved back to Boston to live with her younger sister. And when she did so, I know. Yeah, she should have been set for life. When she did so, there was a clause that came with the rental of the Key West home that she had once shared with Jean. Quote, Robert must remain the sole occupant of the attic room. End quote. ah Yes.
00:32:11
Speaker
However, many report Anne's scorn of her newly deceased husband when she also made comments like, quote, That doll was Jean's best friend. Of course, he never had any other friends, end quote. So I think she's a little Bitter. It's okay. She should be. Yes. Even though Anne was no longer in the home and Jean had passed, the rules were clear. Whoever got the house got Robert along with it. And in case you were curious, Robert's activity didn't stop with Jean's passing.
Posthumous disturbances attributed to Robert
00:32:51
Speaker
Some of the stories are as follows. Two men had rented the house only to continually hear noises coming from the attic. And can you imagine you rent a home and end the renters agreement? It says, Robert the doll must remain the sole occupation of the attic. I would be like, never mind. Yeah, I'll find someplace else. I didn't read what kind of noises, so I don't know if they were scratches, if it was the sound of furniture moving, as like this little furniture, maybe those late night giggles, the sound of little feet, but it was noisy enough that several times they peeked to their heads up in the attic to see where the noise was coming from. ah Reportedly, every time they did so, Robert was in a different place and in a different position from the last time they had looked.
00:33:43
Speaker
Another renter claimed Robert had locked him in the attic. Then there was the poor plumber who had come over to do work in the house. He was alone doing the work. But when his back was turned, he kept hearing a child giggling behind him. He turned and only seeing a doll thought his mind was playing tricks on him. So he turned back to his work only to hear the giggling again. When he turned around this time, he noticed that while he was still alone, the doll was now on the opposite side of the room. No, I would have left. No, no, wait, I was terrified. Yeah. And I was reading the research for this week's case. I can see you reading this book at night, like in your bed. Looking over yeah my shoulder, like what was that sound?
00:34:36
Speaker
Eventually, the woman who bought the home, Myrtle Ruder, found peace with Robert and didn't seem terrified by his antics. Just as those who came before her, she reportedly often found Robert in a different place or different position from where she'd last seen him. It was also under her care that people began commenting that they thought Robert's facial expression would change, especially if someone spoke ill of Jean or of him. Okay.
00:35:08
Speaker
Years later, reporter Malcolm Ross noted the same when he felt that Robert's countenance changed when those who were visiting with him called Gene Otto names. Ross said, quote, there's some kind of intelligence there. The doll was listening to us, end quote.
00:35:28
Speaker
So maybe because she didn't speak ill of Jean, I don't know. But Myrtle felt almost safe from Robert's escapades. She's like, I love Jean. Jean was great. Yeah, exactly. I love him so much. In spite of any paranormal experiences, when Myrtle moved from the house on Eaton Street to 1722 A. Von Pfister Street, she brought Robert with her. Did he did she bring his animal? Yes. and they continued to live together in some semblance of harmony from 1980 until 1994. Eventually though, Myrtle, and I didn't read why or what changed, but she grew tired of Robert's continual movement to different rooms and she decided to lock him into a room. Not only was Robert somehow able to get out, but she swears that as retaliation, he locked her in a room.
00:36:29
Speaker
When she was finally able to escape, she immediately took Robert and donated him to the Fort East Martello Museum in Key West on August 19th, 1994. She said, here's Robert. Here's his dog. lucky Yeah, I have a very special doll to donate. You're going to love him. Yeah. Once that was his new home, Robert was back to his same games. Staff reported Robert moving places and positions. They heard noises, doors opened on their own, the lights flickered that never had done so previously. The staff were so afraid of him that he was put in a back room of the museum with a sheet thrown over him.
00:37:14
Speaker
But when Robert's location was made known to the public, thanks to the author of the book that I read, David Sloan, Robert's notoriety grew and people began wanting to see him.
Robert's fame at the Fort East Martello Museum
00:37:26
Speaker
So hard to ask for me. Yeah, same. To do so, originally anyway, they would have to make appointments to see Robert. The staff would, as I personally would have as well, make the appointment on days that they themselves didn't have to work. Because if someone's going to have to show Robert, it they didn't want it to be them. But Robert's popularity Maggie grew so great. I mean, he now has social media accounts. Yes, that the museum had to pull him out into the open as a permanent display. And even though he is enshrined in glass, there are still too many stories to count about Robert and his games. Most of them are small things.
00:38:10
Speaker
Someone's camera will malfunction just as they're about to take a picture of Robert, only for it to start working again when they leave the museum. And if they are able to snap a picture, the ones taken of Robert rarely turn out. Sometimes just the pictures of Robert are messed up and sometimes the whole camera roll ended up being ruined. Depends on his mood for the day. Right, but other, more serious occurrences linked to Robert began happening to those who visited Robert as well, according at least to the letters they sent to Robert afterward, asking that whatever curse he had put on them be
Seeking forgiveness from Robert
00:38:51
Speaker
lifted.
00:38:51
Speaker
Oh. Let me read you a few of the letters from Sloan's book. Robert, I take back anything bad I said about you. I know. Me too. on Me too. I love you, Robert. That's right. Letter number one. Could someone please read this aloud to Robert? Hello, Robert. In early September of last year, 2011, my family and I visited you and Key West for the holiday weekend. We heard stories of you and decided to pay our respects to you on our way out of town. We asked for your permission to take your picture and nothing strange happened. And although we didn't voice our doubts out loud, perhaps you could sense that we were not real believers in you and your powers.
00:39:33
Speaker
Well, it's been about six or seven months since our visit and since then my life has been one nightmare after another. Within a couple of weeks of returning home, it started with my kitten suddenly dying. but My bank account being fraudulently used twice. losing a substantial amount of money, having my bird die, my son falling and fracturing his skull, the hotel we stayed at on vacation set on fire, lost my job and now on the verge of being laid off of my new job, being forced out of my home, and my husband and I have separated.
00:40:10
Speaker
I had been debating on writing this letter for weeks, but I'm at the point where I'm desperate. I truly believe in you and the powers you possess and kindly ask that you remove anything negative surrounding me and my family and give us your blessing. I have also removed the pictures that I've taken of you from Facebook." end quote Okay, I'm invested. I need to know, did this woman's life turn around? I don't know. Letter number two, quote, last month, my boyfriend and I visited East Martello. I was especially interested in Robert the doll. Mark made several comments about all the hype and hysteria about Robert. He insisted that it was just a ruse to get people in the door at the museum and made a number of rude comments about Robert. I'm far more inclined to believe the stories. And now, so is Mark.
00:41:03
Speaker
As soon as we left the museum, things started to go wrong for Mark. At 31 years old, he received his first speeding ticket just around the curb from the fort. Next, we missed our flight back to Chicago. When we finally did get back home, my bags arrived without incident. However, Mark's bags were lost for nearly two weeks. Unfortunately, Mark's diabetic supplies were all in his luggage, so he had to replace all of them. When we arrived home, our dog, who is very friendly and has never shown any signs of hostility, began to attack Mark, growling, snarling, and going for his ankles and throat. It took almost two weeks, about the same time it took to get his bags, it took his bags to arrive, before the dog returned to his regular demeanor. It was never directed toward anyone except Mark.
00:41:55
Speaker
All of my vacation photos came out beautifully, but all of Mark's were ruined, except the ones in his camera. And those were all of Robert. My sister plans to visit and hopes to smooth things out for Mark, end quote. Wow. Mm-hm. According to these letters, Maggie, and he gets several each day. Robert has been blamed for car accidents, yellow fever, divorce, just about anything negative that you can think of. While some may have written letters, others bring Robert candy or even money in an attempt to stay on Robert's good side.
00:42:37
Speaker
The staff at the museum, of course, as you can imagine, don't dare take the candy or the money from Robert. No matter how good that Twix looks, that is Robert. You best leave it there. It is not yours, yes. The overall message is clear. Be nice to him or else. So the museum developed some rules for visitors interactions with Robert, some of which you heard referenced in the letters that are read.
Museum rules for interacting with Robert
00:43:04
Speaker
Maggie, you should greet, these are the rules of the museum. You should greet Robert when you come into the museum and go up to his display. Tell him your name and where you are from. You should ask his permission before taking his picture.
00:43:19
Speaker
And you must say goodbye to him before leaving the museum. And definitely don't talk badly about Jean or question the power that Robert has. Don't take it lightly and don't make fun of him. If you do, you may just suffer the consequences like hundreds who have come before. Not gonna lie, I'm scared of Robert at all. I am too. I wouldn't even want to work in the museum and definitely wouldn't want to be one of the few who are in charge of restoring Robert and getting him out of his case for his yearly once-over. Yeah. Can you imagine that? I would be like, okay, Robert, I'm going to pick you up now. Right. Can I? I'm going to have to brush your hair. Is that okay with you?
00:44:12
Speaker
One story from the late 1990s occurred just after such a cleaning of Robert. Rumor has it that Robert's suit was cleaned as was his body before he was placed inside the glass. Well, the next morning they say the employee who opened the museum saw tiny footprints on the ground and looking closely saw dirt again on the bottom of Robert's feet, followed by a child's giggle when she turned to walk away. Y'all just need to let Robert do Robert. Yeah. Like, let him live there. I don't know if he likes visitors or maybe he doesn't really like visitors. Maybe you should just let him, you know, have free reign over this little museum. Yep. And even the artist's house is still said to have activity related to Robert's presence there years prior. Now that it's a bed and breakfast, which, by the way, I looked it up. And when I looked online, there's no mention of Robert.
00:45:11
Speaker
So when you book it, I feel like you need to know this. Yeah, you need to know. They said doors will randomly open on their own. Back when there were corded phones, the corded phone would fly off the hook. Patrons get the feeling that they're being watched or they feel a negative sensation around them, especially if they're near the attic. One shutter on the home's turret room where Jean would paint won't stay open, even when screws are placed in it to hold it open. Oh, and it's said that sometimes when a passerby looks up at the turret windows that are now covered on the inside with shades, they'll see the shade move to the side as if someone or something on the inside is peering out. And you know, Robert always did enjoy a view.
00:45:58
Speaker
Yeah, sure. One caretaker of the home named Jessica, as Sloan details, decided to lighten the bed and breakfast home up a bit by buying a bowl and filling it with bright plastic lemons. But she found that the lemons would vanish one by one, only for guests to return them at checkout, unclear of how the lemons ended up in their rooms. Then one day, Jessica received a plastic lemon mailed back to her in a box with no return address. We don't like lemons because Gene's wife made lemon pie and Robert doesn't like Gene's wife so he doesn't want lemons in his house. I mean, it could be.
00:46:43
Speaker
Well, we found out the reason why she got this random lemon, because one of the letters that Robert received at the museum explained why. And I wonder if they really read these letters to Robert. I bet they do. I hope they do. I bet they do. I would. Mm-hmm. Yeah, don't want to make a man. That's right. The letter detailed that the letter writer and her husband, while staying in the home, had decided to sneak a peek into the attic. Just seeing the furniture and nothing else that seemed particularly legendary or spooky, they just went about their day. A few hours later, both she and her husband felt severe pains. She was later diagnosed with shingles and her husband with kidney stones.
00:47:27
Speaker
When she got around to unpacking their bags at home, she found a plastic lemon from the Key West home. They had no idea how it got there, but she felt that she needed to return it. So she did without a note because she didn't want the caretake caretaker to think that they had stolen it. um But once they mailed the lemon back and it was out of their home, they both began to feel better immediately. Wow. vote Obviously, because of our knowledge of the letters Robert continually receives, because of the many people who struggle to take a clear picture of Robert, and because of that uncanny valley phenomenon that I talked about in the intro, there are many who think that Robert himself is evil. A malevolent spirit bent on wreaking havoc.
00:48:18
Speaker
Still others believe that Robert might be misunderstood. He might just be the spirit of a young child that's trapped in him. Maybe even the child that the servant and Jean's father Thomas may have had together, which may or may not have been a half sibling of Jean's. Maybe that's why there was an attachment. If that's true, the spirit in Robert could be innocent and playful. You know, enjoying tricks, but no malicious intent. And those who believe this theory think that maybe it's Robert, perhaps, who's even keeping darker entities at bay.
00:49:01
Speaker
yeah In an interview Sloan did with Florida Weekly on June 22, 2017, he indicated his belief in the latter theory that other spirits might be congregating around Robert. That perhaps it isn't Robert himself who is causing all the negative aftermath. Sloan said, quote, it doesn't make sense for the spirit of a little boy to cause so many problems. I believe there are a lot of entities out there looking for energy and a lot of people who visit Robert bring negative energy or fear. I believe these spirits prey on that. Some psychics believe there is a portal in the fort and Robert is trying to stop anything bad from coming through.
00:49:51
Speaker
I don't know what the entities are, but I do not believe that they were ever human." end quote Asked elsewhere in that interview if Robert and his reputation is just a bunch of hoop law, Sloan quickly responded, quote, Robert should be treated with respect. It is people who disrespect him that run into problems. I don't suggest asking permission because it empowers the entities, but respect the doll for sure. It's all about respect. Hundreds of letters arrive at the museum each year asking Robert for forgiveness. Overly sensitive people or anyone afraid of dolls should be cautious. The doll is powerful and there's still a lot we don't know about him.
Respecting Robert's power
00:50:42
Speaker
I think people should be respectful, but not afraid." end quote
00:50:49
Speaker
Even the author of the book, David Sloan, said he experienced many setbacks and supernatural phenomenon just for writing his book about Robert. Closing the interview, Sloan noted, quote, when I was writing the book, I was yanked from my bed and levitated. ah oh Electricity shot from my fingertips. I lost three hard drives and the manuscript that were on them. everything from the book was backed up, but vanished," end quote. So what are your thoughts, Maggie? Are you a believer? Would you show Robert respect? Oh, 100%, 100%. I am more inclined to believe that Robert is a childlike spirit yeah who is inclined to mischief because that makes me sleep better at nighttime.
00:51:44
Speaker
But 100%, I respect you, Robert, and the work that you do to keep evil at bay, because that's the theory that I'm going to go with. Okay. Yes. It must be taxing. That's right. For my part, I will just say that I'm sorry, Robert, if I've misrepresented anything, and please don't curse me.
Visiting Robert and following the rules
00:52:04
Speaker
Second that. If you are brave enough and so choose, you can visit Robert the Doll yourself at the Fort East Martello Museum located at 3501 South Roosevelt Boulevard in Key West, Florida. You can even choose to spend a night in the museum in the dark with him. Just make sure no matter what that you remember the rules or else you'll be getting that pen and paper out yourself to write him a letter.
00:52:35
Speaker
yeah
00:52:42
Speaker
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00:52:50
Speaker
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