Story of John Rhodes—Original Urban Legend

A Chapter by Steven Cash

Original Urban Legend by me, Steven Cash

For those who do not know, in Chicago there are trains just like every other cities. But what’s different in Chicago is that the trains run on elevated tracks. That’s why they are called the “L Trains”. Yep, trains ride about 20-30 feet off the ground, and it makes for wonderful commutes cause you have all the trains overhead and not crossing the street.

Wonderful thing for everyone. All except for John Rhodes.

Rhodes was a poor black man who worked as a train repairman. It was a normal day in July 1964 and he got a call that a stretch of track on North State Street downtown was broken and needed repair.

He drove down in his beaten down pickup and parked near the ladder. He climbed quickly, and got to the top and he began to look for the break in the line. He pulled out his toys and were ready to begin fixing, when he heard a sound in the distance.

It was a train coming. A train he was assured wouldn’t come.But even worse than that, someone else was coming up the ladder behind him.

“What are you doin up here, boy?” a man asked as he came up. A man who had a gun. “What are they doin letting a coon like you work up here?”

Rhodes backed up as far as he dared onto the tracks. There was only a 2 foot wide side rail on the side of the tracks, where repairman was to stand, but the man with the gun kept making Rhodes back up. Soon Rhodes was square in the middle of the tracks, with the man still holding the gun.

“What do you want from me?”

The man raised the gun. “I don’t want a coon like you stealing a job that belongs to me. So either you quit, or you die.”

“But I can’t quit! My family needs the money�"“

Before he finished, he was shot thrice and left to be run over by the train. Upon further investigation, the gunman was a disgruntled former employee. He made the call himself, luring Rhodes there so he could kill him.

On any night under on North State Street, under the L Train elevated tracks you may spot the ghost of John Rhodes. He usually poses as a homeless man wearing a long black coat, no matter the weather. You can know for sure if it’s the vengeful ghost of Rhodes, because he will ask you for change. But he will have no cup to hold the change in.

The only way to escape with your life is to reply with, “I have no coins, but that officer back there does.”

This will give you just enough time to get away. For you see, there was no officer on the street the day Rhodes was killed. So if you mention an officer, the vengeful spirit of Rhodes will go looking for said man. But you must have left within 10 seconds, or he will realize you have tricked him and kill you.

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