Date: Saturday, October 4, 2003.
Time: Arrived on location at 7:00 PM. Begin time was approximately 7:30 PM. The investigation concluded at approximately 10:15 PM.
Location: The Old Jail Museum, Jim Thorpe, Pa.
Equipment: E.L.F. Zone Electromagnetic Field Detector, Raynger ST2 Infrared Non-contact Thermometer, NightOwl Cyclops Night Vision Monocular Scope, Canon Snappy AF 35mm Camera, Kodak 35mm Gold Max 400 speed color film, (2) RadioShack IR motion detectors, Sony CamCorder with NightShot.
Weather: Cloudy with temps in the mid 50's. The investigation was conducted indoors.
History: Carbon County Jail was built in 1871. The Carbon County Jail served as the main county prison until 1995. Its imposing castle-like structure is built into the side of a rocky mountain. Legend has it that the famous Irish coal miners, convicted of murdering two of their bosses, were housed in this building that resembles an ancient castle. The immigrants fought for better conditions in the mines and swore to their deaths that they were framed by none other than Asa Packer and some of the owners of the coal mines. Alexander Campbell, John Donohue, Michael Doyle, and Edward Kelly were executed at the jail's gallows on Black Thursday, June 21, 1877. Moments before his death, Campbell placed his hand on the wall of Cell 17, and willed that his handprint always be visible, a true sign of his innocence. That eerie handprint can be seen by visitors to this day, even though there have been many attempts to remove it from the wall. All of the brave Irishmen dubbed the Molly Maguires have gone down in history as being largely responsible for the birth of organized labor in this country.
Type Of Location: Old castle-like prison built in 1871.
How Many Occupants: No occupants live at this location.
Pets: None.
Those Present: Sharon & Lew G, and Andy & Tonya K.
Report: After a brief familiarisation tour of the property, we began by setting up three Sony NightShot video cameras in the dungeon. The dungeon is the below-ground level basement of the property and was used for solitary confinement of unruly prisoners. The length of the dungeon's main chamber warranted the use of extended infrared beam attachments for two of the video cameras used in this location. My own video camera was set up inside of what we have labeled as dungeon cell number five. I selected this specific cell for no specific paranormal purpose. Note: individual cells located within the dungeon were not officially numbered on each door. We numbered them ourselves for documentation purposes in a clockwise manner starting from the chamber's main entrance. There are 15 solitary confinement cells altogether on this floor.
After setting up our video cameras below, our investigation began on the first floor main cellblock. This area was host to a gallows located at the far end of the room and many chairs and tables. All lighting was turned off in order to accomodate night vision equipment and flash photography. The second level of this room consisted of a catwalk which allowed entrance to more prison cells. A large portion of the second level, as well as the high ceiling, could be visualized in night vision from the first level. Initially, I began by closely monitoring this large area with night vision and thermal scans. Thermal scans indicated that the rooms ambient temperature remained between 57-61 degrees F. I was unable to obtain any anomalous temperature readings. Also, everything visualized within the night vision scope was of natural circumstance.
Next, the shower room was my point of focus with night vision, thermal scans and electromagnetic field detections. Initially, I began monitoring from the entranceway to this room. Having seen nothing peculiar in night vision, or with thermal scans, I entered the room for EMF measurements. While inside the shower room, there were no anomalous readings of any sort. I took one photograph and moved on. I then proceeded from this location to the laundry room next door. I investigated this room, as well as cells #26, #25, and #24 in the same way and to no avail. The only exception was that I had taken two photographs in cell #24. Although I was not able to document any form of activity in cell #24, as I entered the room, I heard Sharon faintly saying something about the owner and a water fountain. I was not really paying much attention to what she was saying at that moment because I didn't think she was speaking to me. Her statement left the impression that something had to have been first said to her. Yet, I said nothing and therefore didn't think her words were intended for me. It should also be noted that I did not hear what she had apparently heard, yet she thought I said something about needing a drink. This prompted me to take an extra photograph and spend more time with equipment readings in this particular room.
Next, I began to investigate cell #23 in the same fashion as the former cells. While standing in the doorway of this room, and although I could not see anything unusual in night vision, I heard a shuffling sound from within. I monitored this room from the doorway for a few extra minutes before entering. There were no detections out of the ordinary and nothing was visualized in night vision. The moment I entered the room, the shuffling noise I heard stopped immediately. No natural source was found in my attempts to duplicate this sound with the few objects in the room. Thermal and EMF scans yielded nothing out of the ordinary while in the room. Also, there were no findings in night vision including natural sources such as rodents, etc.. Upon exiting the room, although there was anticipation that the sound may begin again, it did not. I waited a few extra minutes in this area to provide ample chance for it to start, but still nothing.
While standing in the main chamber, having recently exited cell #23, a brief creak sound came from the direction of the gallows. Ironically, and perhaps having something to do with the power of suggestion, the sound reminded me immediately of something heavy swinging from a rope. Although there were four of us investigating this floor simultaneously, I was nearest the gallows at that moment. Also, I was the only one to hear the sound, although I thought it to have been loud enough that the others should have heard as well. Regardless, inspection of the gallows revealed, the platform through which a prisoner is dropped upon execution was hanging freely. This led me to believe that the incident was of natural circumstance. Also, I was able to duplicate the exact sound by lightly touching the under-side of the hinged platform. Further inspection of the gallows with equipment yielded nothing.
Although I had not been able to investigate this entire area as thoroughly as I had started, time limitations dictated that it was time to move on. Additionally, other investigators had been into those areas I had not. We went into the dungeon to retrieve our video cameras in order to strategically place them on the first floor. Andy and Tonya used their cameras much in the same way as in the dungeon. Especially so since they were using their extended-range IR beams. I chose to place my camera in cell #23 since my experiences appeared focused in this area.
While in the dungeon's main chamber, I was unable to document any anomalies through night vision. My attempts at EMF and thermal detections revealed nothing unusual. However, at about midway through this portion of the investigation, I did hear what sounded like booted footsteps on the concrete floor coming from an area closer to the front of the building. Immediate use of night vision and thermal detection yielded nothing unusual. Sharon had also confirmed hearing the sound. Those who did not hear it were not in the main chamber of the dungeon. The first question that ran through my mind was if our host had managed to access that area from another thoroughfair, and if so, what kind of shoes was he wearing? Alone, I went into the area from which the sound of the footsteps originated. Again, equipment revealed nothing out of the ordinary. However, I did find a lighted stairwell which led to the first floor. Listening in the stairwell for signs of activity I could designate as coming from our host, I heard nothing. As I made my way back to the others, Andy had asked me from a distance if I had seen a blue light coming from the area of dungeon cell #7. I told him I had not and he said he saw a bluish light in that area that he had initially assumed was coming from me. However, having seen that I came from a completely different area than that from which he had seen the light, his suspicions were aroused. Sharon and Tonya had also seen this mysterious light, but I was not as lucky. Eventually the bluish light stopped altogether and I was not lucky enough to have caught a glimpse of it.
Next, the team managed to move into the dungeon area at the front of the building. This is the area from which the booted footsteps originated from and is not accessible to anyone who takes the tour of the jail. We spent a short while here before deciding to leave. Nothing unusual happened while we were in this area. However, as we started to leave and enter the main chamber again, the blue light was seen again. With each of us peering through night vision, Andy, who was in front of the group, saw what he described as being a black ball (through NV scope) that seemed to have come from one of the distant cells. It stopped in the main chamber, re-entered a cell, and was not to be seen again. It was during this experience that I, located at the back of the group, felt as if someone was needlessly applying pressure to my thermal scanner which dangled at my left hip from my tool belt. Although I couldn't help but notice this, I did not mention it at all at that moment. It was only after Sharon had commented that she had heard as though someone had come up behind us that I said anything. It should be noted that, although I was at the rear of the group and Sharon was in front of me and to my right, I did not hear any noise to substantiate what she had heard. Yet, it did seem strange that we had each had experiences at that specific moment in the investigation. All of these events (bluish light, black ball, pressure on thermal scanner, and hearing someone behind us) happened in very close repetition of each other. Based on the fact that these experiences involved visual, touch and auditory senses, I am not led to believe this a mild case of mass hysteria. Although further research on this topic is warranted.
Shortly thereafter, and due to time constraints, our investigation had come to a close. We thanked our wonderful host, but not before finding out if he had been in the dungeon from the stairwell I had noted before in this report. I did manage to notice that he was wearing sneakers! He did admit to having been in that area at the start of our investigating the dungeon. He assured us that that was the only time. The booted footsteps I had heard occurred a ways into our investigation of this area. Although I am inclined to believe it was not him (his sneakers didn't sound nearly the same), there is always that remote reason to induce doubt. At this time I believe that further investigation on a more thorough basis is warranted. An overnight investigation has been requested.
Impression: Although many circumstances that were present during our investigation were found to be of natural cause, for some we could not find explanation. The absence of explanation when considering paranormal activity is by no means a confirmation. It is only a suggestion of it. There were many suggestions of paranormal activity in this preliminary investigation. It is in my better judgement that an overnight investigation would be beneficial and warranted. In this manner we would be afforded the time required to perform a more thorough investigation and to concentrate on likely areas of paranormal interest. Review of photographs, audio and video is pending at this time.
Special Thanks: On behalf of the PGHA, I would like to send a special thank you to our host. We are very grateful for this wonderful and exclusive opportunity we have been afforded. Thank you for selecting the PGHA to perform the first ever scientific inquiry into potential haunting activity at the Carbon County Jail at Jim Thorpe. We sincerely look forward to our future endeavors with you.
Lew Gerew
President & Cofounder
Philadelphia Ghost Hunters Alliance
10/5/03