South Putnam Ghost Hunters - MOUNDSVILLE PENITENTIARY

THIS PLACE IS WELL WORTH THE TRIP AND ADMISSION. WE TOOK THE HISTORICAL DAY TOUR FIRST WHICH MUCH TO OUR GUIDE'S SURPRISE QUICKLY TURNED PARANORMAL. WE WERE TOUCHED. WE HEARD A FREEZER DOOR SLAM SHUT, SAW MORE SHADOWS OF PEOPLE THAN THE NUMBER IN THE GROUP, CELL DOORS SLAMMED SHUT ON LOCK-OFF UPPER FLOORS. AND WHILE SEVERAL OF US WERE STANDING ON THE REVOLVING PLATFORM, IT STARTED MOVING BACK AND FORTH EVEN AFTER WE GOT OFF AND THE GUIDE STOOD ON IT BY HERSELF.

A FEW MILES AWAY FROM THE PRISON IS THE WHITEGATE CEMETERY WHICH CONTAINS THE REMAINS OF THE UNCLAIMED PRISONERS. OF ALL THE CEMETERIES I HAVE VISITED THIS ONE JUST TUGGED AT MY HEART. EVEN REALIZING THOSE MEN WERE THERE FOR HIDEOUS CRIMES, THE FACT THAT THEY HAD TO KNOW NO ONE WANTED THEM EVEN IN DEATH GAVE US PAUSE. WE ALL TOOK A PICTURE OF THE ENTRANCE AT THE SAME TIME. MINE WAS THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS ANOMALY.

WE WENT BACK TO THE PRISON THAT NIGHT FOR THE "GHOST TOUR" WHICH FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T HAD THE PLEASURE, WE WERE LOCKED INSIDE WITH NO LIGHTS FROM 9:00 PM TO 6:00 AM. ARMED WITH ONLY CAMERAS, COMPASSES AND FLASHLIGHTS WE SET OFF TO EXPLORE THE PRISON.

IT WAS TOO EASY TO IMAGINE THE SOUNDS AND FEELINGS OF THOUSANDS OF MEN LOCKED INSIDE THE CELLS. IT SEEMED TO SURROUND YOU AS YOU WALKED THE CATWALKS AND THROUGH THE INFIRMARY.

SEVERAL OF US HAD THE FEELING OF BEING FOLLOWED. SOME OF US WERE PUSHED OR HIT, SOME JUST FELT THREATENED. WE SAW SHADOWS OF PEOPLE WHERE THERE WERE NO PEOPLE. ONE SAW THE HEAD AND HANDS OF AN APPARITION LEANING OUT OF A CELL.

ON THE DOWNSIDE, THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 75 PEOPLE ON THIS TOUR. YOU COULDN'T HELP RUNNING INTO OTHER GROUPS WHICH MADE SEVERAL ASPECTS OF INVESTIGATING ALL BUT IMPOSSIBLE.

I HAD TO FILTER THE PICTURE SLIGHTLY SO THE ORBS WOULD SHOW UP BETTER. SEE THE SMALL ONE ALMOST TOP CENTER AND A LARGER ONE FARTHER DOWN THE CELL BLOCK. THERE ARE 2 LIGHT ANOMALIES COMING OUT OF THE CELL DOOR CLOSEST TO ME.

THIS IS THE PRISON GYM. YOU WILL SEE SEVERAL ORBS IN THE LEFT PICTURE -- OF PARTICULAR INTEREST IS THE BRIGHT ORB ON THE LEFT WALL. I LATER DISCOVERED I HAD CAPTURED A GREEN/BLUE ANOMALY JUST BELOW THE LEFT WINDOW (SEE THE CLOSE-UP ON THE RIGHT).