Resident Spirits
John Patrick Looney
It’s well known that Y.M.C.A.s of the past often served as fronts for mob activities, speakeasies, brothels, and illegal gambling—and the Rock Island Y.M.C.A. was no exception. This is where the notorious mobster John Patrick Looney, often called “the Hat Man” for his signature top hat and cane, conducted much of his business.
Visitors quickly learn that Mr. Looney still claims the building as his own, and it’s said he does not take kindly to those who cross him. He particularly enjoys interacting with mediums, and there are accounts of him “jumping” them in mischievous or intimidating ways.
Looney’s former quarters were located on the 4th floor—Room #415, but he was rarely alone. He is believed to have a companion, a woman he referred to as Ma Cherie, who is said to reside in Room #442. Today, both spirits are rumored to roam the halls, reminding all who enter that the past is never truly gone—and some legends never sleep.
More Information on John Looney Coming soon
Actual reward poster for John Looney
Looney’s Boys
Some of John Looney’s henchmen, known as Looney’s Boys, are said to still wander the halls, interacting with visitors and leaving their presence felt. These spirits are particularly active around trigger objects, especially cigars and liquor bottles, which seem to draw their attention and energy.
Among the henchmen, one spirit identified as Bob has been named by investigators. Legend has it that Bob was involved in throwing the man who now resides in G5 down the elevator shaft, a dark deed that continues to echo through the building. Guests and mediums have reported feeling his energy, a chilling reminder that the actions of the past still linger in the present.
*Photo representation only
Al Capone
It is believed that Alphonse “Al” Capone visited the Rock Island Y.M.C.A. at least once a month to conduct business with the notorious John Looney. While history shows that Capone feared Looney, his caution did not keep him away—especially when it came to Templeton Rye, which he famously referred to as “the good stuff.”
Today, it is said that Al Capone’s spirit still roams the halls, particularly drawn to those who bring Templeton Rye with them. Visitors and mediums have reported strange interactions when the rye is present, as it acts as a trigger object that awakens the infamous gangster’s lingering energy.
Actual photo of Al Capone
Helen Van Dale (Eula E. Wonders)
Helen Van Dale, “Queen of the Looney Underworld,“ was a well known madam of the “Ladies of the Night” She ran many brothels which she referred to as “resorts” on both sides of the river. When the heat would get turned up on one side of the river she would bounce to the other side. She was notoriously cruel to the point that she was the only person John Looney reportedly feared. She ran a strict brothel out of the Y.M.C.A. and had much success here as it attracted both classes of men—the working class that came in on the railroad and the upper class. Helen loves to interact with women visitors, especially if she finds one that she believes would make a good working girl for her. It is also believed she had a relationship with a gentleman who worked in the boiler room of the Y.M.C.A.
Helen was born on July 18, 1893, as Eula Elizabeth Lee in Paris, Edgar County, Illinois near the Indiana border to James Perry and Nancy Jane Lee. When Eula was about 17 years old, the United States government passed the Mann Act on June 25, 1910. This Act prohibited the transport of girls and women for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery. This Act would later have a major impact on Eula’s life.
Eula married Robert J. Rathburn in 1913. The marriage took place in Knox County, Illinois. Eula filed for divorce from Robert in 1914 in Knox County, Illinois. The divorce record names her as Catherine Helena Lee Rathburn. The divorce was granted on August 1, 1914 with Helen requesting the use of her maiden name Lee.
On August 23, 1915, Catherine Helen Lee married Henry G. Van Dale in Clinton, Iowa. Over the next few years, Helen gained favor with John Looney as she soon operated multiple “disorderly houses” in Rock Island and Davenport with girls being moved between the establishments.
In April 1919, Catherine H. Van Dale filed for divorce charging her husband, Henry, had married her within a year of his previous divorce.
O n May 9, 1919, Helen Van Dale and Lester Charles Smith were married. Helen Smith filed for and received a divorce from Lester Smith on January 15, 1920.
With the passage of the 18th Amendment and the start of Prohibition on January 17, 1920, a new element was added into local disorderly houses and underworld crime as bootlegging and illegal alcohol became a new source of revenue to fight over. Illegal alcohol soon was another fixture in Helen’s resorts. Helen is rumored to have also begun providing women for resorts in other cities and states. By 1922, Helen was a successful figure in underworld crime. She appears protected by both John Looney and Tom Cox.
November 24, 1922 Helen, John Looney, Tom Cox, and twelve others were charged with illegal gambling, prostitution, and other offenses. On December 5th, Helen was arrested at her Palmer Inn under charges of violating the White Slave law (Mann Act) by taking a 16-year-old Iowa girl into Illinois and also violation of the federal prohibition act. She was placed in the Scott County, Iowa jail pending charges in Iowa and faced extradition to Rock Island County, Illinois.
Helen’s boyfriend, Police Chief Tom Cox, was arrested and charged with planning the murder of William Gable with John Looney and Lawrence Pedigo, Looney’s Chief Lieutenant. Soon after Cox’s arrest, his wife visited him in jail.
According to newspaper reports, Helen was upset while in jail that many of her friends did not support her. There may be some truth to that report, as news was released on December 12th that Helen had made an official statement implicating many of her former friends and boyfriend in illegal activities.
By March 1923, Helen had been released from Scott County, Iowa jail on bond and was ready to be a state witness in Illinois testifying against former boyfriend Tom Cox and Lawrence Pedigo (as Looney was still on the run). With the promise of being a state witness, Helen worked a deal not to be held in the Rock Island County, Illinois jail on her charges.
Helen married for the fourth time on July 19, 1923 to local salesman Edward H. Wriedt.
In September 1924, Helen filed for bankruptcy in Scott County stating she was living in Davenport. In her claim, she stated she had $1,386.18 in debt with no income.
On April 23, 1925, Edward Wriedt died from pneumonia at his parents’ home after an illness of about five months. Being his legal wife, Helen appears to have been given the body for burial. She purchased a lot in Fairmount Cemetery in Davenport and buried Eddie there.
On August 19, 1925, Helen Van Dale, John Looney, and seven others were officially indicted for the murder of William Gable. She was located and arrested on charges of complicity in the murder of William Gable on September 20, 1925 and taken to Rock Island County jail. She quickly began talking to prosecutors.
Helen said she heard John Looney, his son Connor, and Tom Cox plan the murder of William Gable on July 28, 1922. Officials arranged for her to remain in formal custody until the trial of John Looney. On December 14th at 1:00 p.m., Helen Van Dale took the stand against John Looney and she did not disappoint the crowd. From her sometimes coy answers about what type of establishments she ran to her detailed account of the meeting that took place between the Looneys and Tom Cox before the murder of William Gable, she had the audience captivated. One of the more interesting exchanges during the trial was when Helen testified she had threatened to kill Looney if he ever wrote her up in his scandalous newspaper, The Rock Island News, he used to blackmail local residents. Helen said Looney responded no one could kill him as he was protected by the devil. Charges against Helen were not pursued in the case.
On March 28, 1929, Helen married Irvin Joseph Wonders of Davenport in Clinton, Iowa. She was arrested along with her husband in a beer raid at their Davenport apartment in January and April 1932.
Eula E. Wonders, also known as Catherine/Katherine Helen(e), died December 11, 1951 in Peru, Illinois. She is buried in Fairmount Cemetery next to her last two husbands and her mother who died in Peru in August 1952. While Edward and Irvin have headstones, Eula and her mother’s graves are unmarked.
Photo from Google
Ladies of the Night
The Ladies of the Night at the Rock Island Y.M.C.A., also known as Helen’s call girls or working women, are said to still linger in the building, interacting with visitors in eerie, unsettling ways. Male guests have reported encounters that feel as if they were treated like clients, a chilling echo of the past.
Some of these spirits have made their presence known to mediums and investigators, revealing dark and tragic histories. They claim to have been taken to what is referred to as the Trunk Room, where they endured abuse, were confined in trunks, and in some cases, thrown into the river. These accounts leave a palpable sense of sorrow and unrest, serving as a haunting reminder of the building’s turbulent and tragic history.
*Photo representation only
John G. Dickerson
John Dickerson, a convicted murderer, lived and worked on the 3rd floor of the Rock Island Y.M.C.A. in 1968. At the age of 20, he murdered John Jones, age 30, at the Moline Elks Club over $50 and a pack of cigarettes, claiming they had been stolen from his vehicle.
Today, it is said that John Dickerson’s spirit still lingers on the 3rd floor. He is known to interact with visitors, particularly those who bring $50 bills or packs of cigarettes, which act as trigger objects that seem to awaken his presence. Investigators and guests have reported strange sensations, cold spots, and even fleeting glimpses of a shadowy figure, a chilling reminder that some violent histories refuse to stay buried.
More information coming soon
Actual photo of John Dickerson from Newspapers.com
Paul Lowman
Paul Lowman was just 14 years old when tragedy struck at the Rock Island Y.M.C.A. While attending swimming lessons, he rushed out of the locker room before the others and dove into what he believed was the shallow end of the pool—but it was actually the deep end. Paul was found floating and rushed to the hospital, where he tragically passed away a few days later from pneumonia.
Today, it is said that Paul’s spirit still lingers around the pool area, drawn to curious visitors and investigators. He is known to communicate through paranormal equipment and Necrophonics, making his presence known in subtle ways. Guests have reported strange sensations, unexpected movements, and voices through EVP devices, offering a gentle yet haunting reminder of a life cut far too short.
Obituary Photo of Paul Lowman from Newspaper.com
Rose
Rose is a restless spirit who is said to haunt the old Wrestling Room of the Rock Island Y.M.C.A. During her lifetime, she endured unimaginable suffering—chained to the wall, abused, and beaten, with some accounts suggesting her hands were crushed. Her tragic past has left a lingering energy that continues to permeate the room.
Rose has made her presence known to multiple mediums, who have reported visions of her abuse and messages of warning. Despite her own pain, she is said to communicate with gentle and kind-hearted women, attempting to relay her story and protect them from experiencing the same fate. Her spirit is a haunting reminder of the building’s dark past, and those who encounter her often feel a mix of sorrow, empathy, and eerie connection to a life that ended far too soon.
*Photo representation only, not actually Rose
P J Martin
Once a physical education instructor who taught both boys’ and girls’ sports at the local school, P. J. Martin is now said to remain behind as a lingering spirit. One of the classes he oversaw was a girls’ after‑school program, an association that has followed his legend into the afterlife.
Paranormal reports suggest that P. J. Martin’s presence is most often felt wandering the halls, with particular activity noted around Room 443. Witnesses and investigators claim the spirit exhibits flirtatious behavior toward both women and men, sometimes attempting to engage through whispered voices, sudden cold spots, or unexplained touches.
More troubling accounts describe inappropriate physical contact directed toward women, making encounters with this entity especially unsettling. Because of this behavior, P. J. Martin is considered an interactive and boundary‑crossing spirit, and visitors are often advised to remain aware of their surroundings when investigating the area.
*Photo representation only
Spirit of G5
The spirit haunting Room G5 on the 4th floor is said to be a man who suffered a brutal fate. Multiple mediums report that he cowers in the corner of the room, a lingering echo of fear and pain. His story is one of tragedy: he witnessed something he shouldn’t have, and as punishment, he was reportedly beaten and thrown down the elevator shaft.
Visitors and investigators often feel a heavy, oppressive energy in the room, accompanied by whispers, cold spots, and the unmistakable sense of a terrified presence. This spirit remains bound by fear and trauma, a silent witness to a terrible secret from the building’s past.
*Photo representation only, not actual person
Nurse
A nurse spirit is said to linger in the classroom, sometimes interacting with equipment. Witnesses feel her presence in the room, sensing someone quietly tending to her old duties.
*Photo representation only, not actual person