Along with the story about the missing nun, Jane Ammeson wrote in the October 1983 issue of Texas Highways Magazine in her article entitled “Ghosts of the Coastal Bend” about a strange occurrence that took place in Corpus Christi many years ago.
There was a county judge who was highly respected named Judge Walter Timon. Once when he was visiting in the home of his father on Mesquite Street in Corpus Christi, he was startled to suddenly look up and see the apparition of a man, standing by the fireside. What made the figure so strange was that a circle of flames surrounded the figure’s waist. As the startled judge watched, flames engulfed the entire apparition. Then, just as suddenly as they had begun, the flames started to recede, and then the figure disappeared as well, leaving the puzzled judge standing alone in the room.
Other people have also seen the same apparition. Mrs. Millie Sullivan Timon saw it on midnight, November 2, 1909. She was alone, as her husband was away selling some cattle from the Bayou Ranch where they lived, on the Nueces River. At first she thought the figure she saw was that of her husband. Then, realizing it was not, she watched in absolute terror as flames started to encircle the man. She was speechless! She finally found the breath to murmur, “Lord, have mercy on his soul,” before the flames and the figure both disappeared.
Ammeson wrote that the apparition appeared once more at the Bayou Ranch house. This time a friend who was taking care of the Timons’ children while they were out of town saw the figure.
Later on, the Bayou Ranch burned down. Was it because of the ghostly figure? Who was he, and why did he come? To this day, no one has been able to find out.