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N. A. Reiter and L. L. Schillig CASE ABSTRACT: The site now occupied by the reformatory was once a Civil War training ground known as Camp Mordecai Bartley. By the late 1880s, building had begun on the medieval chateauesque structure now known as the Mansfield Reformatory. This stately building served as a prison until 1990. Hollywood has used this unique setting to film several motion pictures, including The Shawshank Redemption and Air Force One. Today, the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society offers tours and seeks grants to obtain funds to preserve the historic and architectural integrity of this site. The reformatory is ripe with many gruesome tales, the details of which were not privy to us prior to our investigations. The premises was witness to stabbings, suicides, and acts of murder. The superintendent of the tailor shop had his throat slit by an inmate who mistakenly grabbed him while lying in wait for another inmate. The suicides involve a hanging in "the hole" (solitary confinement), an inmate who drank silage alcohol, and a convict who set himself ablaze with lighter fluid and paint thinner. In 1925, an ex-inmate killed a guard at the west entrance while attempting to help a buddy escape. While trying to flee in his car, another inmate who was witness to the murder, jumped on the running board an unsuccessfully attempted to stop him. He was, however, able to obtain the license number. The assailant was later apprehended and within a couple months had been sent to the electric chair. The warden and his wife lived in special quarters set aside for them within the reformatory. The death of the warden's wife in the early 1950s is fraught with rumors of a cover up. She was allegedly killed when a .32 automatic fell from her closet, accidentally discharged, and the bullet pierced her left lung. Old timers claim that she and the warden had been fighting. One rumor states that he had been having relations with their house boy, who was interestingly paroled right after the incident. The warden's business dealings were also a hot bed of alleged corruption. He succumbed to a heart attack of the administrative wing of the reformatory. This site has so many stories along with an exhaustive number of physical features to explore! We encourage anyone even remotely interested in the reformatory and its history to take the tours offered throughout the summer months. For more information, please visit the Mansfield Reformatory Web Site. BACKGROUND: On the late afternoon and evening of 13 June, LS and I were privileged to be given an exploratory tour of the old Mansfield Reformatory, just outside of Mansfield, Ohio. Our hosts were Ms. Connie White, and Mr. Bob Thomas. Also accompanying us were Bob’s daughter and one of her friends. Our objective was to make as thorough a review as possible of the reformatory complex, to look for evidence of the widely reported ghostly activity there. Protocol was consistent with past expeditions. Our hosts were specifically told to limit the extent of ghost lore discussion before our visit; (locations of ghostly activity, historical data, etc.) so as not to provide us with preconceived notions or expectations. Following our arrival, and orientation, we proceeded with the visit agenda; a combination of photography, electromagnetic ambient survey, EVP tape recording, and room-by-room dowsing. Both LS and I took assorted photographs. The instrumentation and EVP taping were performed by me, and dowsing was chiefly performed by LS. Through the course of the night, LS’s dowsing rods were tried out by others of the party, with interesting results. In addition to the dowsing, LS also recorded her psychometric and intuitive impressions of assorted locations. These were later compared with the earlier impressions and observations of ghost authority Ms. Chris Woodyard, and with known and suspected historical events at the reformatory. EQUIPMENT: A number of cameras were used in our survey:
PROCEDURE: The following is a general chronology of our visit. More detailed descriptions of our activities are outlined in the next segments. The day of our visit was warm and muggy, with the region having been wetted by recent showers. The clouds came and went through the duration of our time there, with drizzle toward dusk, and some patchy fog later in the evening. Upon our arrival, Connie and Bob laid out for us, verbally, the basic construction of the reformatory and grounds. Photos were taken of the outside of the structure, and of the lovely pond which lies between the reformatory and the access road. A "base camp", or equipment depot was established in the visitor center to facilitate our carrying of selected equipment on different forays into the reformatory interior. Our first trek was through the west cell block wing, to the guard tower which overlooks the new state prison grounds, and the reformatory cemetery. Apparently, numerous witnesses have, in the past, described figures or ill defined objects which move about in the small, forlorn burial site. The guard tower is the closest vantage point to the cemetery, as the plot lies on state property, and cannot be visited up close. Distance to the cemetery is about 300 meters. Our journey back to the guard tower was valuable in and of itself, as it allowed LS and I to experience our first taste of the truly vast dimensions of the old cell block areas. It also provided the first hint of a curious string of mechanical and equipment failures to follow, over the course of the evening! Returning to the visitor centre, we viewed a short video presentation on the history of the Mansfield Reformatory, produced by the reformatory preservation society. Following our break, we were next taken to a location in the facility said to be a nexus of eerie impressions, and ghostly "energy"; the old chapel. The cavernous, but now empty chapel, in a subtle way indeed seemed to be almost a heart or centroid of the entire reformatory and it’s unsettled aura. On the way to and from the chapel, numerous photos were shot randomly, and at locations where LS’s dowsing rods gave indications. Our attention was focused on the extensive administrative wing, and the unnervingly continuous series of locations where even I felt hair raising sensations. A second trip back to the visitor centre was made to change cameras and equipment. By this time, night had fallen, and all involved would agree that the somber night-time essence of the reformatory was now in bloom. Connie White provided delightful box lunches and drinks, and we all again took a break to eat, and share stories and theories. After our supper, we forayed back into the administrative wing, and spent over an hour wandering through old offices, and the portion of the wing once used as the Warden’s quarters. It was in this area that some of our strongest impressions occurred, impressions we have since tied into the sordid history of the reformatory administration. Later in the evening, by about 2200, other members of LS’s family arrived, and we were given one last short tour through the cell block areas and the chapel. We finished off the evening at around 2300, with a series of photographs of the outside of the facility, and goodbye’s to our friends and hosts. COMMENTARY INTERLUDE: The old Mansfield Reformatory pounces upon the first time visitor like a gargantuan beast. One does not expect to see such a vast, utterly gothic, pile of stone and masonry driving up an innocent country road on the outskirts of a mild mid-Ohio town. Our breaths were truly taken at the first view! As we came to know the layout and feel of the place, two distinct modes, or natures became manifest to our senses. The great cell block wings, as darkness falls, take on the sad black loneliness of a cavern deep in the earth. Isolation, alone-ness, eerie, yet oddly absolved. LS and I feel that there were, and are, cells in either wing which are still home to the energetic patterns and emotional echoes of the hard men incarcerated there. The administrative wings, and old living areas, however, are a creepy of an entirely different flavor! Here is hate, and passion, and a true aura of crime. Specific rooms were absolutely livid with negative feelings, and one even smelled of something which bespoke of murder. The cell blocks felt like lonely, eerie caves. The warden’s quarters felt like... well, more like the dark side of human nature... which are the darker spirits? The guard tower and nearby areas: From the visitor centre to the guard tower, a survey was taken with our LOHET gaussmeter as we passed through the west cell block area and rooms beyond. No indications of electromagnetic were seen, and despite the vast amount of old iron and steel in the building, our route seemed to be magnetically calm. (Less than 10% deviation noted in geomagnetic ambient.) Due to the strenuous climb to the tower and roof, LS remained below and dowsed the spacious room at the rear of the west wing. One strong deflection spot was found and photographed, though no anomalies were later seen on the pictures. From the guard tower, I attempted to photograph the old reformatory cemetery. However, at that point, LS’s Minolta Maxxum camera refused to index the roll of film which we had just loaded. I tried taking some photos with the Land camera, however found that the shutter jammed each time, and I lost 4 pieces of polaroid film. The 35mm film from the Maxxum was transferred to my Petri manual camera, and I ran off several shots. Thus with two cameras down, I returned below. In the large room below the tower, we spent some time taking turns trying out LS’s dowsing rods. LS had little in the way of psychometric impressions, other than the feeling that the room was formerly a workshop area of some sort. (Which could not be confirmed at the time.) The chapel: Our first visit to the chapel produced several localised strong psychometric impressions for LS, which corresponded with dowsing rod deflections. The strongest location was one near the access door to the west cell block area, and another in a small room, possibly a confessional or store room near the door to the east cell block area. Photographs were taken in the chapel using the Petri camera and the two smaller point - and - shoots. LS discovered at this point that the flash on her point and shoot was only working intermittently! No noticeable electromagnetic anomalies were found, nor was anything unusual observed with the 1064 nm IR viewer. The GE tape recorder was set up near the point on the west wall where LS had a strong impression of an older man, and where her dowsing rods had deflected. I started the tape rolling as we left the chapel room. For the record, my own psychometric, or intuitive impressions were mainly focused on the two access doors out into the cell block areas. These both seemed like "barriers" or portals of a rather negative sensation. The east door was the eerier of the two. However, I could not define these sensations down into any more specific images. Nevertheless, there was a strong, pervasive "essence" or feeling in the chapel which we would certainly say was not "evil", but somewhat fear inspiring, or at least intimidating. LS reports that the dowsed spot near the west door seemed to be on the move, but never went north of the doorway. The sensation generated by this location, as felt by LS, was mainly an oppressive one. The administrative wings: We forayed into the administrative wings both before and after our supper. Photographs were taken intermittently in all areas we passed through, with the remaining operational cameras. No infrared anomalies were seen with the 1064nm viewer. Nevertheless, the instances where LS, and even I, felt strong negative impressions were nearly beyond counting. A doorway here, a room centre there. LS and I have agreed that probably the eeriest, most awful, sensations were associated with an old pink tiled bathroom, in the portion of the east wing used as the warden’s living area. In this room, LS felt a nauseating swirling sensation, a wild energy. I, myself, would say that it was olfactory in it’s strength; a rotten smell, not just of an old bathroom, but of death. In another room, LS got a strong, bordering on visual, impression of a woman. Discussion after our walk through indicated that this room had indeed been the warden’s wife’s bedroom! Under a stairway in the east administrative wing, LS sensed a presence of someone hiding in a small nook. This person seemed to be a boy of about 14 years old. In yet another dark room, LS and Connie W. meandered about for a few minutes. LS said, "I sense money here. Almost like there should be a safe here somewhere." At this point, Bob T. brought a light, and revealed that the dark panelled room indeed had a large wall safe behind the door! On the 2nd floor of the west side of the central administrative wing, was a room where Connie W. had seen her dog behave strangely one night. The dog had sniffed at the open doorway, and behaved as though it were watching an invisible person therein. We found this room to be full of wood, and old chairs. Several photos were taken here. One of these was later found to contain an image of an apparent floating orb! (Discussed in next section.) During our 2nd tour through the administrative wing, our Petri 35mm camera jammed near the end of the film roll. Bob T. proceeded to do a "dark-room" film removal. However, we later found that somehow, all of the shots on the roll were completely light blasted, and ruined. We did re-load, and the camera worked normally for the rest of the night. PHYSICAL AND PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE: In no area of the reformatory did we observe any odd images with our 1064 nm IR viewer. We have recently, however, fitted this unit with an IR light source, for viewing in complete darkness. Perhaps this will allow viewing of anomalous structures. We plan to try this system out on our next visit to the Mansfield Reformatory in late August. The Hall gaussmeter, as well, suggested an environment relatively free of EM disturbances. We do note, though, that there still exists a tremendous tonnage of steel in the facility. Could psychometric or ghostly impressions be stored somehow in ferrous materials, such as structural and cell bars? While properly not beyond the realm of coincidence, we wonder about the strangely high rate of failure of our camera equipment. Of the five cameras brought to the location, all of which seemed to be working beforehand, only one, the little Kodak point and shoot, worked consistently through the night. Another very odd event transpired later in the evening. At about 2230, Bob T. and I went back up to the chapel to recover the GE tape recorder, with it’s EVP tape. To my amazement and frustration, I discovered that, somehow, the PAUSE button had gotten depressed, and that the tape had never rolled! From the fact that the cassette tape had not moved beyond the clear lead-in strip, it would seem as though the button had been pushed almost as soon as I turned away from it after placing it and starting it. Could I have inadvertently pushed the pause button as I set the unit down? Possibly, but I am usually quite careful about such things. After discovering this, I started the tape rolling, and confirmed that it was recording! We then left for a period of 20 minutes. When we recovered the recorder again at 2250, it had indeed recorded onto about 20 minutes worth of tape. Later playing the tape back at a high volume, we hear only one curious audio effect. About 45 seconds after one hears the large door clang shut behind my receding footsteps, a "tapping" sound starts and continues for about 5 minutes. The sound is not unlike a fingernail tapping on the recorder itself! It is quite slow, though, and does not seem to have any resemblance to Morse code. No voices or strange sounds are heard after the tapping. During the course of our investigations, LS and I have come to agree that the single most convincing piece of evidence for anomalous events at haunted locations is photographic. We further believe that by careful study of ghostly images which appear to be genuine, we can arrive at a greater level of understanding of the physics and mechanics of ghosts. We have, in the past, acquired essentially two types of hard-to-explain ghostly images. One is a form like a curling, dense swirl of fog or smoke. The other form, one also found by many other ghost hunters, is that of a ball, or orb. In some cases, orbs are certainly found to be clear cut lens flare. However, in many, the surroundings and circumstances make a conventional explanation of orbs very tentative. From out of the dozens of photos which we took here and there on our visit, we were quite pleased to find that seven shots contain what we believe to be convincing orb, or orb-like figures. Two colour shots show easy to spot orbs in hallways in the administrative wing. Another (B/W) shows a dramatic orb, lurking far down the row of cell blocks, at the fringe of the zone illuminated by the flash. A B/W shot taken in the room where Connie W’s dog acted oddly shows a translucent orb hovering near the ceiling. While the effect may be due to peeling paint seen through the orb, one gets the impression that the orb almost contains a malevolent looking face! Yet another B/W shot taken of the outside of the west administrative wing (from the parking lot) shows a weird blob of illumination against the building side, almost like a flattened out orb.
CONCLUSION: The power and essence of the reformatory, both in symbolism and reality are undeniable. We cannot say for sure just what or who haunts the vast structure, but our subjective impressions, and photographic evidence tells us that this is so. We note that of the orb photos found, five of the seven depict locations in the administrative wings. In a general way, this correlates to our subjective sense, though not specifically correlating room - to - room. Which area of the reformatory IS the more haunted? There are areas which we were not able to view, due to lack of time. Two of these were the diagonal wings, and a basement area said to be where some prisoners were beaten or tortured. Plans have been made to return to the reformatory in late August, for a follow up visit. Perhaps we will be able to view the remaining areas of the facility, and take many more photos. We plan to use at least two new pieces of equipment; an ultrasonic sweep generator, and an infrared viewing system with light source. Our thanks once again go out to Connie, Bob, and the Reformatory preservation society for their hospitality and accomodations. Hopefully, some eventual fruit of our research will reward them for their kindness. Old Mansfield Reformatory - 2nd Investigative
Expedition N. Reiter, L.L. Schillig SUMMARY: On 29 August, from about 1500 to 2300, LS and I made a second review of the old Reformatory grounds. Our objective was to carefully examine several areas of the reformatory which time did not allow for on our first visit, in June. We also revisited several locations in the administrative wings. Emphasis was on photography and dowsing. Unlike our first visit, all of our cameras worked well throughout our stay, and no malfunctions were noted with any other hardware! Equipment used included:
Our strategy was similar to that of our first visit, several forays out into the complex, with periodic returns to a "base camp" to switch gear, and reload film. We will summarise our impressions of the general areas visited: EAST WING: Our first site. On the lowest level, we explored the large room which apparently had been a shower and locker area. This entire room gave both LS and I a peculiar and unpleasant sensation; experienced independently and later compared. We both felt a tightness in the chest and solar plexus areas, and a curious drawing sensation upward. No dowsing reactions were noted however. Many photos taken, though none show any anomalies. We then proceeded to the next floor, which appeared to be an old office or administrative area, with a number of smaller office-like rooms. The sensations here were not as intense as those below, yet they had a different flavour; something like an echo of old sadness, or boredom. Again, no specific dowsing reactions, and no photographic anomalies. Finally, we managed the long, round about path up to the third floor, which turned out to be the old library and possibly commisary or store. What a change. Both LS and I concurred that this single area had an atmosphere unlike anything else in the facility! The air here was calm and inviting, something like a peaceful oasis or an island of goodness in the gothic sea around it. Yet again, no anomalies were observed, and photos taken here do not show any oddities. WEST DIAGONAL WING: The upper level of this wing seemed to contain little "feel", or psychometric history. Of photos taken here, one shot (B&W) shows a translucent "orb" floating near the ceiling in a room with some boards up on window sills. By far, the most interesting portion of the west diagonal wing was the basement level, where a small block of cells exists, as well as a set of very grim cells used for solitary confinement. Down in this area, LS and I extensively used the dowsing rods. A curious region of dowsing rod reaction was found to extend nearly fifteen feet, in front of several of the solitary cells. One particular solitary cell produced a strong drawing on the dowsing rods. An EVP audio tape was run here, later in the evening, without any unusual results. Many photos were taken. Two B&W shots, taken at different times, and looking different ways down the front of the solitary confinement cell blocks show hovering orbs. One is tempted to say that "they" appear to be... watching! The general atmosphere of the solitary area was dark and uneasy. LS and I did not venture down to an enigmatic sub-basement reputed to be a place where prisoners were beaten or tortured, as the stairway was chained and gated. Could the darkest secrets and atmosphere be lurking down there? CENTRAL BLOCK - BASEMENT LEVEL: In this area, a number of old movie props from "Shawshank Redemption" are stored. It was here that one of the eeriest events of the evening occured. I was off a short distance into the room where the old library books are stored, when I suddenly heard LS call out from the wide central room. The area was quite dark, and the time was near 2100. I ran back in and questioned LS as to what happened. LS had been taking flash photos with her Minolta Maxxum. When the flash went off for a particular shot, LS saw, through the viewfinder, the distinct image of a man sitting near the bottom of a support pillar. After the flash, nothing was to be seen by eye. We scanned the area with a flashlight and found nothing further. However, near the spot where LS momentarily saw the sitting figure, we found a strong dowsing reaction. Both LS and I excitedly awaited the developing of the "picture". However, when the photos came in, we found that the shot taken was, for some reason, extremely out of focus and blurred, even though the Maxxum was set on auto-focus! Additionally, the next two shots on the roll (taken of different later locations) were also blurred, and then over the course of perhaps two more shots, the pictures became clear again. This event does not seem to have an easy explanation. ADMINISTRATIVE WINGS: One of our objectives was to re-visit two several locations in the administrative wings where either we had both previously experienced strong impressions, or had seen anomalous orb images show up on film. In the second floor room where once Shelley W’s dog had reacted, and where an interesting orb had showed up on a photo from our first visit, we took several photos. Once again, upon developing, an orb image is seen; this time floating down near the floor, partially obscured by a chair! What was this room, and what may have happened here? Toward the end of the evening, we visited the infamous "pink bathroom" in the warden’s quarters. The atmosphere here was not quite as strong as it was during our first visit, however, the disturbing atmosphere was undeniable. No photos taken here showed up any anomalies. The GE recorder was left rolling for about 20 minutes for an EVP sequence. No noticeable noises or voices were heard, however, upon playback. Quite a few colour and B&W shots were taken in the corridors of the administrative wings. Oddly enough, none of these showed up any orb images, as appeared on our first visit. Do the "orbs" wise up? CONCLUSIONS: Once again, the evidence for anomalous activity at the old Mansfield Reformatory remains clearly in the realm of the photographic. Certainly we cannot likewise write off the odd malfunctioning of LS’s camera at apparently the precise time of the momentary apparition viewed by LS. If one considers the placement, and context of the appearance of orb images in ghost photography, one after a while gains the distinct impression that they represent "something" which is acting in a watchful manner, even stalking! As we ghost hunters move about a location, are the ghosts themselves carefully tracking us? Just how intelligent and aware is a ghost? In one other B&W photograph, we see a view down the East Cell Block. Floating in the near darkness, one sees at least four orbs, of varying density and size. We can only speculate about that which lurks... In closing, LS and I would like to once again thank Connie, Bob, the security personnel, Shelley the cat, and the members of the restoration board for their time and kindness. Hopefully, more visits to the great old Gothic edifice called the Reformatory will be forthcoming in the months and years ahead. With every visit, we learn. The Old Mansfield Reformatory: Third Expedition - 12 June 1999 N. Reiter, L.L. Schillig On the late afternoon and evening of June 12, LS and I were pleased to be the guests once again of "Connie White" and "Bob Thomas" at the old Reformatory. Our objectives for this visit were to examine at least two areas of the facility not examined by us before, as well as a shakedown of two relatively new additions to our list of investigative equipment. An extra bonus was provided in the form of an additional guest, Mr. Ike Webb. Ike is a former employee of the old Reformatory; once serving as a guard in the late 1950’s. Mr. Webb was able to provide us with a number of stories concerning deaths at the facility, as well as his own views on the now infamous death of a warden’s wife. Our visit began with a conversation and beverage session, where Ike pointed out verbally some of the specific spots in the cell block areas we might wish to visit. We also laid out our itinerary for deployment of certain equipment. A supper of tasty subs was provided most graciously by Connie and Bob! The weather conditions on the day of our visit were warm and muggy, although dry. The sky was generally overcast. Thunderstorms had tracked to the north of Mansfield earlier in the afternoon, however during our visit, no rain fell. First Round: During our first foray, we passed through the old administrative wing and set up the Watchdog; our infrared sensing automatic camera, in a room where we had twice before captured orbs on film. (The "chair room") We then walked away, and proceeded down into the area of the solitary confinement cells. LS and Connie both dowsed extensively in this region, and found several locations where strong dowsing rod reactions occurred. Numerous BW and colour photos were taken. Additionally, I ran another new piece of equipment, a home-built electrostatic gradiometer. The gradiometer was fairly stable, however at one point during my wandering down the corridor in front of the old solitary cells, I saw two quick (< 1 second) jumps on the meter, indicating that there may have been a transient disturbance in the background electrostatic field! Bob then conducted us down to the basement region under solitary, where rumours had hinted torture and beating of inmates had taken place. LS and I found this region to be fairly quiet, but disconcerting. We had anticipated that our senses would be assaulted by all manner of evil residuum. In reality, the essence of the place was rather subdued, however, in one particular spot, somewhat midway through the length of the cellar, a choking sensation, or an unpleasant tightness was apparent, though not overwhelming. The Second Round: On our second foray, Bob and Connie escorted us up to an area where we had not ventured before, the Infirmary. Previously, the Infirmary had been off limits for health and safety reasons, due to the large quantities of bird and bat guano there. This however, has since been cleaned up. On our way to the Infirmary, we spent some time again in the old chapel. Whilst dowsing, LS received many of the same impressions, especially near the west cell block access doorway, that she had felt on earlier visits. Our GE tape recorder, with remote mic, was left running on "record" near the altar area of the chapel. We exited the room, and went up to the infirmary. While in the infirmary, we took a substantial number of photographs. Another new piece of equipment was used here as well, an ultrasonic converter. This unit is essentially a circuit that converts ultrasonic energy or modulation, into audible sound. It does so by division of frequencies. Our hunch has been that ghostly phenomena produce ultrasonic "signatures" or that even ghost voices may be primarily in the ultrasonic, with the rare exceptions that are caught on tape as EVP. Near the doorway of the third side room from the north; west side, I did hear a short lived odd sound in the earphones. It was sort of a whoosh or whistle, but did not re-occur. Could this have been an anomaly? We also noted that Connie’s dog, who had walked with us most of the way, balked and acted quite nervously on the stairs leading up to the infirmary... As intuitive impressions go, LS seems to have had the strongest ones of the night, in the infirmary. In her words: "The first two rooms to the left gave me the impression of mortuary preparation. The two rooms that were connected at the center of the left hand side were equally uncomfortable, however, I sensed procedures being done in this area (some of which I would venture to say were more on the line of experiments being unwittingly performed.) The last room or two were more psychically quiet, but they had more of an administrative or office flavor to them. I would be interested to find the facts concerning the actual uses of these rooms." Returning from the infirmary, we retrieved both the tape recorder from the chapel, and the automatic camera from the "chair" room. The Third Round: In this round, we ventured out into a section of cell block area, where Ike Webb had indicated that an inmate had once committed suicide by setting himself on fire. We took numerous photos in this area. Finally, we ventured back up into the administrative wing, to the old warden’s area. The essence and aura about the strange old pink bathroom was still as strong and noxious as ever. Again, numerous photos were taken. Bob Thomas had provided for an interesting experiment at this point. He had brought along a 110V operated variable rate xenon strobe lamp, which we plugged in and let shine across a broad area, near a section felt by LS to be of particularly intense energy. Our objective was to see if any orbs or anomalies could be seen by eye, in real time, in the pulsing strobed light. While we did not observe any, the effect was unnervingly strange! An interesting observation was made by Bob, relating to human optical response, however. We observed that when Connie would walk across the field of flashing light, the little LED light on her camera appeared to the observer to float around almost as if detached from the camera itself! In essence, it seems that when a constant light source moves relative to a background illuminated by pulsed or chopped light, the eye / brain combination amplifies or exaggerates the resultant motion, producing an eerie, unreal looking effect. Does this figure into ghost physics somewhere..? LS noted that the atmosphere in the administrative wing, especially in the upper floor old warden’s area, was more hostile on this trip. She received the distinct impression that... something... was annoyed by us, and wanted us out! Results: As in the past, it seems that photography provides the best results in our ghost investigations. Several photographs were taken that display either one or multiple orb anomalies. Another shot, described later, seems to actually show a bluish hazy image that could be construed as a figure or apparition! We note that during the time in which the Watchdog camera was set up in the "chair room", no triggered shots were made. A review of the audio tape rolled in the old chapel revealed no unusual sounds or voices. Two possible anomalies were noted with some of our most recent instruments: The quick double deflection of the electrostatic gradiometer (giving the impression of something "flying by") and the curious short lived whistling whoosh heard with the ultrasonic detector. A rundown of the photos acquired:
Once more, we would like to thank Connie, Bob and especially Ike Webb for their time and courtesy! Every opportunity to explore the secrets and enigmas of the archaic testament to crime and punishment; the Reformatory, brings us closer to understanding greater issues of the mystery filled world around us. |
Summary Of Investigation: Old Mansfield Reformatory
