The house stood many years after his death in 1862, and burned in the early part of the 20th century. Wildlife carers have set up a makeshift 'triage' on Murray Street Park in Manoora, Cairns, in far north Queensland, after nearly 200 flying foxes were found dead. John once proposed to her but never went through with marrying her. Before John Bell married Lucy, He was in love with a Kate Batts when he lived in Halifax, North Carolina. "Kate" as the local people began calling her, made daily appearances in the Bell home, wreaking havoc on everyone there. Benjamin Batts(No relation to Kate) had a dispute with John Bell over the sale of a slave. The spirit identified itself as the "witch" of Kate Batts, a neighbors of the Bell's, with whom John had experienced bad business dealings over some purchased slaves.
The cause of death was never discovered. This cemetery is full of rabbits, snakes, spiders and ticks. In the end of the 1770's Kates' lifeless corpse was found next to a well near her home. The dispute was later "tangled," and became the source of a rumor to the effect that John Bell and Kate Batts had the dispute, and the Bell Witch was created by Kate Batts to get revenge on Bell.