A regional newspaper reported that on September 21, 1968, in Coaticook, Quebec, Canada, after panic spread among some children in the weekend, around 8 hours, a crowd of almost 50 people had massed close to the High School because it was claimed again that a Martian was seen.
The majority of those people remained skeptical, though many insisted that they had seen an object that emitted "flashes", orange, red and green. Some said that it resembled a star moving in circle before disappearing or to become motionless.
A young girl, Shirley Green, stated that towards 09:30 p.m. she saw a green face which had neither nose, neither of mouth, nor of hair, emitting intermittent gleams. But her comrade Fabienne Champagne stated to have seen only the trees moving, though she claimed to be certain that a Martian was there. A boy, Jacques Lessard said he saw a large orange, gray and green ball surrounded by a ring making two turns and disappear.
The municipal police force was called on the spot by people who told them that the Martian was on the roof of the high school. Constables Rene Marcoux and Gilles Sauvageau made the investigation, and said it was only lights of nearby garage close to the school reflecting on a wind vane is on the roof.
This did not calm much the kids. A young boy, Andre Bolduc, came home frightened and in tears. A young girl refused to sleep alone in her room as usual, because she was afraid. Other kids started search parties with flashlights to spot the Martian.
Unsuprisingly, someone said that it was found that the Martian had left footsteps traces at some place. Some said it was caused by a mower, other did not accept it, someone claiming that the was one additional trace the next day. Young Jacques Lessard showed the press a circle of flattened grass at another place, supposedly flattened by some flying saucer landing.
All sorts of rumors then circulated in Coaticook. Some even wanted that a radio station of Sherbrooke announce in their news program that a woman who was leaning on the slope of her gallery to see the saucer had fallen down and had died from her wounds. Others said that more than 100 people had gathered at the airport of Sherbrooke to see such an object. The next day, about 80 children had gathered near High School and in various fields of Coaticook to watch for Martians and saucers, under the direction of Pierre Bolduc, Jacques Lessard and Pierre Baker. These kids used flashlights and communicated between them by walkie-talkie, looking for every possible suspect movement in the bushes or in the sky.
In 2008, a reader informed me that he knew Shirley Green well, and, to summarize, "she was not on the same planet as you and I, she had her wires crossed on her head."
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[Ref. ts1:] LA TRIBUNE DE SHERBROOKE:
Flying saucer and Martian in Coaticook?COATICOOK. -- The testimony of two girls who claimed to have seen a Martian, close to High School de Coaticook, spread a panic by several children of this city in the weekend. A young boy, Andre Bolduc, came home frightened and in tears. In addition, a young girl refused to sleep alone in her room as usual, because she was afraid. SkepticismEven though Saturday evening, around 8 hours, a crowd of almost 50 people had massed close to High School because it was claimed again that the explorer who came from another world was seen, the majority of people remained skeptical. Saturday, the municipal police force was called on the spot, for, it was said, "the invader was on the roof of the building." The constables Rene Marcoux and Gilles Sauvageau made the investigation. According to Mr. Marcoux, the phenomenon would be explained owing to the fact that the lights of a garage, located close to this school reflected on a wind vane which is on the roof. However, it seems according to witnesses that the thing had been possible. The majority of the interrogated people insisted that they had seen an object which emitted "flashes", orange, red and green. Some say that they saw this object that resembled a star moving in circle before disappearing or to become motionless. The young Sharley Green stated: "It was towards 9h.30, I saw a green face which had neither nose, neither of mouth, nor of hair." She claims that the being emitted intermittent gleams. For her part, the young Fabienne Champagne stated to have seen only the trees moving but she is certain that a Martian was there. For his part, Jacques Lessard stated to have seen a large orange, gray and green ball making two turns and disappear. According to him, a ring surrounded the object. It is from this ring that the flickerings emanated. The tracesIn addition, traces were shown. They are supposed to be the traces left by "the invader." These traces are approximately an inch broad, six inches long. The marks are distant of five inches. However, some believe that they can be traces made by a mower but at this place the grass had not been mowed. In addition, a witness who went twice on the spot took note that at one day of interval, there was one more trace. The rumorsThe rumors from the most serious to the most whimsical circulated in Coaticook. Some even wanted that a radio station of Sherbrooke announce in their news program that a woman who was leaning on the slope of her gallery to see the saucer had fallen down and had dies from her wounds. Others said that more than 100 people had gathered at the airport of Sherbrooke to see such an object. These rumors show quite well what the state of mind that reigned in certain circles was like. Unquestionable thing, all those who say to have seen the flying saucer are ready to swear that it is the truth and fail to understand that the unhappy ones who did not have "this vision" do not believe them. Yesterday evening, nearly 80 children had massed close to High School and in various fields of Coaticook to watch for what would occur. Under the direction of Pierre Bolduc, Jacques Lessard and Pierre Baker, young people surveyed with flashlights and communicated between them by walkie-talkie. They were indignant at the skepticism of several and watched with attention all the movements that seemed suspect to them. In addition, several observed the sky. Latest traceIn addition, Jacques Lessard also led the representative of La Tribune in a field of Mr. Boivin where the grass was crushed. It was a circle of approximately 42 feet in diameter. AN EXPERT REMAINS SKEPTICAL BUT DOES NOT DROP "THE CASE"COATICOOK. -- Mr. Jean Dicaire, of the Saucer Institute of Research, of Montreal, stated that he is very skeptical as for the veracity of the appearance of a Martian in Coaticook. The expert on the matter made a point of stressing that all these comments are personal and do not engage in anything the Association of which he is member. According to Mr. Dicaire, the trace of the place where the saucer had allegedly landed appears to have been made with human hands. According to him, if there had been a flying saucer, the ground would have been pressed and not dug. In any case, measures were taken to cast light on the matter. Photographs and questionnaires, that once filled will be sent to the authorities which will study the file. Ridicule"Even if it looks ridiculous and if you'd expect to be called an idiot, at the time when people believe to have knowledge of such a phenomenon, they should alert the competent authorities, said Mr. Dicaire. Asked about the problem arising from the appearance of flying saucers, Mr. Dicaire declared that personally he believes in the collective hallucination. However, in such cases, when there is more than five to ten people, there are always one or two of them who saw something different. When all the witnesses say the same thing exactly, it would be impossible that it then is a matter of collective hallucination," added Mr. Dicaire. Mr. Dicaire also stated that personally he does not believe that the flying-saucers are the product or of the United States or Russia, for these countries would not yet be scientifically powerful enough to build machines that could move at such speeds and without noise. CharrouxMr. Dicaire believes that the visitors would come from Venus. He explained that he was influenced by the theories of Robert Charoux, theories that claim that at the moment when the Atlantic was immersed, people of the Earth might have foreseen the disaster and have abandoned Earth for Venus. Those would now try to return to their native soil. For those who are interested in this theory, it is exposed in the book: "Unknown History of Mankind Since 10.000 ans." Mr. Dicaire believes personally in two theories, either that this is about space patrol, or they are people of another planet who want to come in contact with us. Mr. Dicaire pointed out that he currently carries out research in order to be able to communicate with them by telepaty [sic]. In any event, according to Mr. Dicaire, if the thing is true, there will be more appearances. |
[Ref. js1:] JACQUES SCORNAUX:
Jacques Scornaux indicates that in Coaticook, province of Quebec, Canada, on September 21, 1968, two girls saw an "entity" which was not described more than that.
Several people claimed to have observed an object emitting glares of orange, red and green light.
Several traces were discovered, as well as a burned circle, 12 meters in diameter.
According to John Brent Musgrave, this case would be non-existent and result from a fusion of the case of the entity of Drummondville, and from an observation in Coaticook on a different date, confusion that would come from the fact that the two cases were reported closely together in the newspapers (he gives as reference "28", case 54, page 48 and one note page 59).
Jacques Scornaux ironically notes that "of course, Ted Phillips does not fail to pick up with the greatest seriousness this imaginary case" on page 59 of his catalogue, providing as reference the defunct Canadian ufological magazine Saucers, Space and Science, without mentioning the issue number, "that goes without saying!"
[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:
Albert Rosales indicates that in Coaticook, Quebec, Canada, on September 21, 1968, at 09:30 p.m., two young girls said they saw a "Martian" on the roof of the Coaticook High School.
By 08:00 p.m., a crowd of nearly 50 persons had assembled. Shirley Green said that at 09:30 p.m. she saw "green face with no nose, mouth or hair," and that the man emitted intermittent sparks.
In a field owned by a Mr. Boivin, grass was burned in a circle 42 feet in diameter; some tracks were found.
Albert Rosales indicates that the source is Saucers Space and Science #54.
[Ref. tn1:] A READER OF THIS FILE:
A reader of the file as of January 19, wrote to me by email on January 19, 2008, providing the following details:
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From: [Firstname] [Name] [email]@[email].ca Hello sir I stumble on this website by chance I read the article on the martians in coaticook Sir, Shirley Green is not on same planet you and I are living on she has her wires crossed in her head I know her well I used to date her sister [Firstname] (who is ok) and one of her brother is in a mental institution (Dixville Home) Shirley walks around with her toothbrush and brushes her teeth 50 times per day , today still shw goes in the hospitals of Sherbrooke to pray for the patients and so on I thus hope you will loose your time anymore investigating on the martians in coaticook. Have a nice Day [Firstname] |
When I opened this file on June 2, 2007, I noted:
"Contrarily to John Brent Musgrave's opinion, the case is not non-existent, the report by the two young girls was real. It also cannot be the Drummondville case."
"However, it does not take much skepticism to realize that all this amounts to one young girl saying she saw a "green face" only, and a "face" with no eyes, no nose, no mouth no hair, basically a non-face and rather some vague green light high on the high school roof at night."
"Clearly the other young girl said she saw nothing, and the police indicated that this was a reflection of a garages' light on a window pane on that roof."
"With all the confusion and panic among the kids, and gathering of kids and adults in search of some saucer or Martian, such vague sightings caused by ordinary confusion were bound to happen, and make for a really worthless close encounter of the third kind case."
With the information by [tn1] in January 2008, it appears that witness Shirley Green was prone to such confusions, or even delusions. Thus, this is one case where the confusion relates to the particular psychology of the witness, it is not a case where an alert and capable observer was fooled. This, of course, does not bear on my previous notes, and does not change my initial evaluation of the case, except that I add that the witness was a fantasy prone personality.
| Id: | Topic: | Severity: | Date noted: | Raised by: | Noted by: | Description: | Proposal: | Status: |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Data | Severe | June 2, 2007 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | No ufology investigation report available. | Help needed. | Opened. |
| 2 | Ufology | Severe | June 2, 2007 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Witness is kid, other witness also a kid said she saw nothing but a move in trees. | - | - |
| 3 | Ufology | Severe | June 2, 2007 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Panic and confusion among the residents, ideal conditions for some influenced kids to misinterpret some vague light. | - | - |
| 4 | Ufology | Severe | June 2, 2007 | Patrick Gross | Patrick Gross | Case is explained by the police investigation. | - | - |
Confusion, fantasy prone personality witness.
* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.
| Main Author: | Patrick Gross |
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| Contributors: | [tn1], a reader, on January 19, 2008. |
| Reviewers: | None |
| Editor: | Patrick Gross |
| Version: | Created/Changed By: | Date: | Change Description: |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.1 | Patrick Gross | June 2, 2007 | Creation, [ts1], [js1], [ar1]. |
| 0.2 | Patrick Gross | June 2, 2007 | First published. |
| 1.0 | Patrick Gross | January 19, 2008 | Conversion from HTML4 to XHTML Strict. Addition: [tn1]. The first name "Sharley" in the newspaper [ts1] was probably a mispell for "Shirley" when considering [tn1], this first name is now corrected in the summary. Addition "fantasy prone personality witness" to the confusion explanation. Addition in the end of the Summary: "In 2008, a reader informed me that he knew Shirley Green well, and, to summarize, 'she was not on the same planet as you and I, she had her wires crossed on her head.'" |
