Good Samariton Ghost Helps Telly Savalas
This Time, the Apparition Wasn’t the Hitchhiker; the Driver Was
Telly Savalas is best known for his key phrase, “Who loves ya baby?” and as “Kojack,” the lollipop savoring detective who always apprehended the crime’s perpetuator. He was one of the first celebrities to openly talk about having a ghostly experience, which he did on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show.
Urban Legends and a Documented Case of Ghostly Hitchhikers
Common threads of legends: Young lady walks by a lonely country road in bad weather. Gentleman offers her a ride home. She’s cold. He lends her his jacket. She gets out of the car at a ramshackle cottage, still wearing his jacket.
Next day, man goes to cottage to retrieve jacket. Elderly woman answers door. Tells him her daughter is dead. Woman shows him her picture. Same young lady. He finds cemetery. Goes to her grave. Finds his jacket, neatly folded, on top of her tombstone.
Resurrection Mary: Ghostly Dancer is a very well documented case that takes place in Chicago. Mary was killed on her way to a dance. She became a ghostly hitchhiker, seeking a ride to the, then, O. Henry Ballroom or to the cemetery where she is buried. It’s not until she vanishes, the men who gave her a ride realize she is a ghost.
The Good Samaritan Is the Ghost
February 27, 1957: actor Telly Savalas was halfway home when his car’s engine began to sputter, then died. It was out of gas and he was stranded on a lonely road in heavy rain late at night. He saw a diner’s neon sign and ran toward it to find out where the nearest gas station was. Telly got the directions, then headed to his destination.
He heard a car behind him. It was a black Cadillac. The driver rolled down the window and asked if he could give him a ride. Telly felt wary and unsure why, but accepted the man’s offer. The man asked him where he wanted to go. The actor gave him the directions. Telly noticed the man wore a black tuxedo, white shirt and bow tie. He asked him where he was going. The reply was to the crossroads. The actor grew very uneasy and was relieved to see the gas station.
Telly wanted to give the stranger some money, but discovered he had left his wallet behind, so he asked the man for his name, phone number and address. His name was Harry Agannis. He wrote down the other information and gave Telly a dollar so he could buy gas.
Telly Visits Ghost's Widow
A few days later, Telly called Harry to find out if he could stop by to pay him. A woman answered. He asked to talk to Harry. Her voice sounded distressed and she asked if this was a joke. Telly told her he had seen Harry several days ago. He was shocked when she told him Harry died three years before. He told her he had just seen her husband. She hung up the receiver.
Puzzled, Telly went to the house to find out what was happening. Jan Agannis opened the door. Telly introduced himself and she invited him in. He told her what had happened and showed her the paper Harry wrote on. It was her husband’s handwriting. She showed him pictures of Harry. This was the man who had given him a ride on that cold rainy winter night.
Harry was killed in an accident with a truck at a crossroad, not far from the gas station, in February 1954 as he was returning home from a class reunion.
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