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CHAPTER 4

Ghostly Harem Dancing for the Sultan at the Gardette–LePrete House

“Tis now the very witching time of night,/ when churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out/contagion to this world.”

—William Shakespeare, Hamlet

ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING and defining aspects of New Orleans is how cosmopolitan the city has always been. Since its inception, the city has attracted settlers, businesspeople, and travelers from all parts of Europe, the Caribbean islands, and the Far East. This leads us to the legendary tale of one dark and stormy night around the year 1878, when a mysterious ship arrived in the port of New Orleans under the cover of darkness.

When the storm passed that evening, those who ventured out onto the streets were treated to a strange and highly unusual sight, which is saying something profound given what all can be viewed on a daily basis in New Orleans. On this night, a Middle Eastern sultan, whom some said was a prince, disembarked from his vessel, which was laden with trunks, furniture, tapestries, carpets, and an entourage of guards who carried swords and pistols. Completely surrounded by guards as they walked down the street was the sultan’s harem, described as bejeweled and veiled women wearing luxurious silk clothing in vibrant colors.

The sultan prince had made arrangements to live at one of the grandest homes in New Orleans, which was known as the Gardette–LePrete House. Located at 716 Dauphine Street on the corner of Orleans Avenue, the four-story home was considered palatial by the standards of this time in New Orleans, featuring extensive and ornate ironwork on the balcony railings and a ballroom with a view on the top floor.

Originally built by Dr. Joseph Coulon Gardette, it was later sold to Jean Baptiste Le Prete, who owned the home along with a large plantation outside of the city in Plaquemines Parish. Reportedly Le Prete used the home in New Orleans only when the family came in for what was described as the social season, when they hosted elaborate parties and attended Creole functions in the French Quarter. When Le Prete learned through an associate that a sultan was interested in renting his home during the off-season, he reportedly jumped at the chance to rent out the home, as his personal finances were not the best at this time, and he welcomed the extra income. Little did he realize what would happen next and that he would soon shudder and be forever repulsed at the thought of ever returning to his home again.

Upon their arrival in New Orleans, the sultan and his people busied themselves settling into the home, rolling out their exotic and beautiful carpets, unpacking furniture, and shopping for luxurious goods from the local stores. The women could be seen passing by the expansive windows of the home and at times standing along the iron balconies to enjoy the sunlight and fresh air. The interested residents of New Orleans often strolled by the home, hoping to catch a glimpse of the harem women. Many members of the French Creole society entertained ideas of soon receiving invitations by the sultan prince to attend a ball or other formal function at his home as he introduced himself to New Orleans society.

It soon became apparent that social invitations would not be forthcoming. To the surprise of many, the windows were shuttered and the guards, who had completed their tasks of unloading trunks and furniture, now turned their attention to securing all points of entry to the home, stationing themselves outside the main door and gate to patrol the area day and night. The guards were described as menacing in their appearance, and they carried swords and knives at all times. Gossip began to circulate that the sultan had escaped from the country he called home with great treasures and a harem that belonged to another prince. The rumors spread that it was his brother who was the sultan prince and that he had betrayed his brother, stolen his wealth and his harem, and escaped the country. He was on the run, they said, and felt that the New World, specifically New Orleans, would be the best place to hide out and lay low for a while until he determined his next move.

Entrance to the Gardette–LePrete House

Locals were now even more intrigued by the rumors and gossip regarding the sultan. They walked by the property day and night, longing to get a peek into the windows when the guards weren’t looking to see what was transpiring inside. Fanciful stories about the beautiful harem women grew each night, as sounds of music and laughter carried through the starlight nights into the streets. Locals reported seeing the women wearing small coins in belts on their hips that tinkled as they danced for the sultan. Each story grew more lavish, including stories about silks lining the walls in every room, and the women became more beautiful and charming with each new description. Many continued to hope that when the sultan felt safe and comfortable in his new surroundings, he would venture into the city with his harem and invite guests into his home to experience the exotic food, drink, and dancing.

This elaborate party, however, did not come to pass. One night, under a dark moon said to be very similar to the evening when the sultan’s ship first arrived in port, a deep fog rolled into New Orleans, and a strange ship that could not be easily identified was seen offshore. The ship appeared to drop anchor in the sea, and it was assumed that it would not venture closer until the fog lifted and visibility was clear, so that it could carefully enter the port without the threat of damage to the ship or the docks.

Under these stormy skies in the French Quarter during the wee hours of the morning, a group of men left a local bar and took their nightly stroll by the sultan’s palace. They were hoping that under the cover of the dense fog, they might slip past the guards and peer through one of the windows to glimpse the women dancing in their exotic veils. To their surprise, as the sunrise began to spread the first rays of light over the city, the highly patrolled front gate was unguarded, and the men were greeted by the cold chill of silence. It was eerily quiet without the usual sounds of music and laughter pouring from the windows, and no guards were in sight. Some of the men crept closer to peek through the gates, and as they drew near, they saw pools of blood on the ground. Alarmed, they called the authorities to the scene. The police attempted to rouse the guards. When no one appeared, they entered the property.

According to the legendary story, what they found next was bloodshed and gruesome mayhem in every corner. The sultan’s guards had all been brutally sexually molested and then murdered. It appeared that their own swords had been used to not only kill them, but also to chop off their body parts bit by bit, as their arms, legs, and heads had all been severed in the bloodbath. Moving deeper through the home and into the courtyard area, the police found the sultan, who had been brutally tortured and wounded in such a vile manner that most of the officers on duty would not fully describe the depth of the injuries and wounds, but indicated that he had been tortured beyond the extreme with no mercy. They reported that he had been kept from death at first, in order to be buried alive in the most torturous manner, so that his last moments of life were sheer agony between the pain of his wounds and suffocating to death. The police were soon to find the worst scene of all when they discovered the women, who had been raped and brutally murdered next to their children. Blood splatters covered the courtyard and the balconies, and pools of blood covered the floors throughout the home. The destruction was so severe that it was said that the coroner could not accurately determine which body parts belonged to each body when it came time for the burials.

It was a scene of complete devastation. Along with the brutal murders, all personal belongings and furniture in the home had also been destroyed and hacked to bits, and any evidence of gold and jewels had disappeared. At first, police speculated that the motive was robbery, but this was quickly dismissed as the attacks themselves were entirely too personal. Too much time had been spent on torturing the victims rather than attempting to steal the possessions and make a quick getaway.

Balcony and courtyard area of the Gardette–LePrete House

The next morning, the strange ship that had been seen off the coast the night before had vanished with the fog. It was determined that the prince whom the sultan had attempted to escape from had found him in New Orleans. Consumed with revenge, the prince had sent a team of the cruelest, most bloodthirsty assassins, who crept into the port under the cover of darkness and unleashed their fury on the sultan and all those who lived with him.

Under the next new moon, the hauntings began to be reported at the LePrete home. At first, the sound of music was heard playing, along with the laughter of women. These sounds quickly changed into screams, and some people reported being able to see the women running away in terror from the balconies before they were knocked to the ground.

The home has reportedly never recovered from the dark events that it witnessed. Many people say that if you walk by the home on a dark moon night, you will hear these shrieks of terror. I walked by the house and found the building to be quiet while I was on the street. I spoke with several local people in the area who told me that they and others have heard the sound of music coming from the building before, and they described the music as not coming from a radio and not sounding like jazz or blues, like one would expect to hear playing in the area. They describe the music as having a ting, ting, ting sound. There are also reports of some local witnesses seeing women in beautifully colored silks appearing on the balcony late at night.

It would be fascinating to gain permission to tour the building for a couple of hours on a new moon evening. As active as this place is described and with as much bloodshed that reportedly occurred there, it’s very likely that researchers could pick up some interesting EVP recordings. It’s doubtful at this time that permission would be granted, as the home is a private residence that has been turned into apartments for rent. Haunted tours do offer walking tours and carriage rides outside the home, where the guides share the legend and story of the sultan prince. Some of the guides report that people continue to hear spectral sounds, including music, footsteps dancing, laughter, and, at other times, screams, coming from inside the building at night.

KALA’S TRAVEL TIPS

 The LePrete house is architecturally interesting to see with its beautiful ironwork balconies. Consider taking photos by day and at night in order to capture the look of the building as a souvenir. While doing so, you may end up with a ghostly photo or two.

 Also located on Dauphine Street is the Dauphine Orleans Hotel, which is home to the famous Audubon Cottage, where John James Audubon painted his Birds of America series in 1822. While you’re there, check out May Baily’s, the bar in the hotel named after one of the most famous bordellos in New Orleans, which once operated in the historic red-light Storyville District.

 The port of New Orleans is still one of the nation’s busiest ports, as ships roll in from the Mississippi River as well as from the Gulf of Mexico daily. Many visitors to the city enjoy spending a few days in New Orleans and then boarding one of the cruise lines to see the Caribbean, traveling in a grander style than the pirates and early settlers did on the high seas.