There was one time, AGES ago, I was, I think 4 years old, but the story still gets told over and over again by my brother and our cousins. This is in San Jose, California. 
We were all sleeping in 1 bedroom at grandma's house. All the adults were sleeping. There was 7 of us, 4 years old (me), 5 years old, two 10 year olds 13 years old, 15 years old and 17 years old. Well, one of my cousins, 10 years old, had to go to the bathroom so he woke my brother up to "BATHROOM BUDDIES". Since the hallway bathroom was under remodeling we had to go to my Grandma's bathroom which is right at the top of the stairs. Just before they opened Grandma's door, my brother saw something at the bottom of the stairs. HE said it was an indian man. BOth boys ran screaming back into the bedroom and woke everyone up (surprisely not the adults). Well, we all went to check it out. There was nothing there though, Then my 15 year old cousin turned around and next to the bathroom door was an "Old Man 49er" standing there with NO HEAD! 
That was enough to wake Grandma and Grandpa up but still our parents SLEPT!
Grandpa told us that the house was built ontop of an Indian Celementary and there was a story about a family situation between a white family and an indian family which got deadly. A father, a 49er Mine Digger, was be-headed by the father of the indian family. 
None of us, EVEN TODAY, will NOT walk the hallways, stair or anywhere ALONE!