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Please check out the other sections of this investigation report listed under "Analysis"
for unusual evidence we gathered, and our in-depth and comprehensive analysis of that evidence. This section of
our investigation report deals with the many interesting events that we encountered during the 1859 Jackson County
Jail investigation. We were constantly searching for natural explanations for these events, for every natural explanation
must be examined and excluded before you begin to consider something paranormal.
That being said...even the events with natural explanations can have a psychological impact on you. Here are the
strange events and our analysis of each of them.... |
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PHENOMENON DURING OUR PRE-INVESTIGATION VISIT
During our pre-investigation visit to the location, I began to feel ill when we
entered the Jail Hallway on the 1st floor. My stomach was upset and I felt a bit mixed-up and strange. I just felt
sick all of a sudden. I attributed it to the atmosphere in this place. The damp limestone gives the place such
an oppressive atmosphere. Its dank and mildewed...and just feels all wrong when you are exposed to it.
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This was not necessarily a paranormal effect. I can certainly see why people report
falling ill in this portion of the building. As Mike Cross and I were talking to Lindsey just outside of this same
jail area, I caught a flicker...or shadow...or movement...out of the corner of my eye, through the doorway in the
central hallway of the jail. I immediately looked directly at it to see what was there, and of course there was
nothing. Again, I can't necessarily attribute anything paranormal to this...but it was one of those things that
just makes you that much more uneasy about the place. And this was at 2:00 PM in the afternoon!
I waited until we were outside the jail and away from Lindsey to tell Mike about the flicker I had seen out of
the corner of my eye. Mike said the place made him feel absolutely nothing, and this sparked one of our frequent
discussions about the paranormal...and skepticism. |
WHICH ONE IS THE HAUNTED CELL?
It is said that almost anyone who walks into the 1st floor cell-area of
the 1859 jail can tell which one of the six cells is the "haunted cell." The oppressive feeling and feelings
of illness caused by entering the cell are reportedly so unmistakable, that the haunted cell is apparent even to
the casual observer. Well, a claim like that certainly deserves to be tested! Towards this end, I did not tell
any of the other Ghost Vigil investigators which cell is the "haunted cell." In the first hour of our
investigation, all of our investigators were asked to walk through the first floor cells and attempt to perceive which cell was the legendary "haunted
cell." |
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One problem we ran into...was the fact that various sources disagree as to which
of two different cells are actually the "haunted cell." In his 1982 investigation report, Maurice Schwalm
refers to Cell #2 as the "haunted cell." A minority of written and web sources agree with Mr. Schwalm.
Our host Lindsey Gaston and a majority of written and web sources name Cell #1 as the "haunted cell."
Its possible that more than one cell is haunted...but that wouldn't be consistent with the legend of the one "haunted cell." For the purposes
of this experiment I was seeing how many investigators would choose Cell #1...or if the investigators would focus
in on one particular cell. After their "tour" of the cells, I took each investigator aside and wrote
down their impressions of the jail cells.... |
Mike and Edward stated that they felt absolutely
nothing in any of the cells. I have read a theory posed by Lloyd Auerbach that firm skeptics subconsciously shield
themselves from experiencing or perceiving paranormal phenomenon. Since I would judge Mike and Edward to be our
most strident skeptics, this is something I will be keeping my eye on in future investigations.
Shawn stated that he
did not have a guess regarding which cell might be the "haunted cell," but did state he "was compelled
to look in and return to Cell #1 repeatedly." This is very interesting to me, because while Shawn actually
chose the correct cell, he chose to answer the question is sort of sideways manner. Dave initially stated that he did not have a guess
regarding which cell might be the "haunted cell," but later told me that he had felt "lightheaded"
in Cell #1 during this initial tour. Again, we have a situation where one of our investigators chose the right
cell, but was hesitant to confidently recognize his own feelings and perceptions.
Chris felt very strongly
about Cell #2...but mentioned a bad smell experienced in Cell #1. But when asked which cell was the "haunted
cell," Chris chose Cell #2. Stew
chose Cell #5 as the "haunted cell."
Valerie chose both Cell
#2 and Cell #5. She stated that when she walked through the doorway of Cell #5, she felt a "static electricity
feeling" in the hair on the top of her head, like something brushed the top of her head. This is completely
consistent with Maurice Schwalm's 1982 investigation report, where he states an police officer touring the museum
"felt unable to go into (the north center) cell as his hair stood on end when he tried." The north center
cell is Cell #5.
The Maurice Schwalm book which contains this information is out-of-print, and Valerie
does not own and had not read the book or this specific passage prior to coming on the investigation. I did not
read about the police officer's experience in 1982 until a couple of weeks after our investigation. Historically...these
two extremely similar reports, some 24 years apart, are significant.
All in all, 2 investigators chose Cell #1, 2 investigators chose Cell #2, and 2 investigators chose Cell #5. All
three cells have paranormal stories tied to them historically.
But when you consider that there is some disagreement among the sources as to which cell is actually the "haunted cell," and that our investigators
did not focus in on one particular cell...I feel comfortable laying to rest the claim that almost any casual observer
can pick out the one "haunted cell." But something new and interesting came from this experiment. Valerie's
report of feeling of "static charge" at the doorway of Cell #5 coincided perfectly with a police officer's
report from 1982. |
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UNEXPLAINED ODORS IN THE HOUSE AND JAIL
Lindsey Gaston had told us that his first possibly paranormal experience at the
1859 Jail occurred on the stairs in the 1903 jail expansion section of the building. He stated that he was walking
up the stairs when he detected the odor of tobacco. See the Background section of this investigation report for
more details.
Within the first hour of our investigation, Mike went up this same stairway and detected
the odor of tobacco. Here's how he described it:
"On the stairs I experienced the smell of "fresh"
tobacco smoke about halfway up the stairs. I was on the stairs alone and immediately got Mark to go up the stairs
but he did not experience the smell...It should be noted that I was the first investigator to go up the backstairs,...so
I can't write off that smell...."
This is very consistent with how Lindsey described the mysterious odor of tobacco that is often detected within
the 1859 Jail. Lindsey had stated that often only one person out of a group of people will detect the odor, and
then it will be gone as quickly as it appeared.
Later in the Breezeway area, Mike and I both detected the odor of tobacco. I occasionally smoke cigars, and I would
describe what I smelled as the smell of cigar tobacco. |
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I walked out of the Jail Hallway, and into the Breezeway...and I just froze in my
tracks when I smelled a strong cigar smell in that area. Mike referred to the smell as more of an "ashtray
smell." Here is what Mike had to say about what followed:
"A little later Mark and I both smelled tobacco in the Extended
Breezeway. This smell for me seemed more stale than what I had smelled on the stairs. However after a little investigation
we discovered that Dave is a smoker. After we smelled his jacket I felt confident in writing off the tobacco smell
in the breezeway as a residual smell from his having been in that area shortly before we experienced the smell."
Mike and I disagree on this point. I also smelled Dave's jacket, and since Dave is a smoker, I did detect a slight
cigarette odor. But to my nose it was completely different than the strong cigar odor I smelled in the Breezeway. |
CREAKING SOUNDS & A FEMALE VOICE
The stairway in the Marshall's House is ancient, and wooden, and creaks
horribly when you walk on it. I'm sure its stable enough...but it tends to creak and pop quite loudly. Early in
the night I was going up these stairs to place an IR camera in the Master Bedroom upstairs. I heard several creaks
behind me on the stairs that sounded like footsteps following behind me. When I got to the top, I stopped and turned
around. No one was there. I realized immediately that the sounds were very likely creaky steps I had depressed
with my own weight, popping back into their natural position. But despite recognizing this natural cause for the
sounds of following me...it was unsettling. |
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Later in the night when several of us were coming down these same stairs, Lindsey
(our host...wearing the black jacket in the photo on the left) asked us all if we had heard a female voice. Everyone
froze where they were and I turned around and snapped this photo. Once we had all stopped, there were three loud
popping sounds that came from the stairway. Pop. Pop. Pop.
Like I stated before, this is a loud stairway. Its possible that Lindsey had mistaken a series of wood-squeaks
as a woman's voice. And even the three loud pops could simply be depressed stair treads popping back into their
natural position. But despite these natural explanations... its always a bit unnerving when you are in the environment. |
HIGH EMF READINGS BY QUILTS IN THE ARCHIVE
In the museum's Archive in the 1903 jail expansion building, Mike recorded our
highest unexplained electromagnetic field reading within the 1859 Jackson County Jail Museum. It was in the southeast
corner of the room, near the shelves where the museum's many hand-made quilts are stored. The reading was a 2.5.
Mike carefully checked to make sure that there was not a natural cause for this EMF reading (i.e., electrical conduit,
an appliance, etc.) Below the map you'll find what Mike had to say about this reading.
"I think it's interesting to note that our highest (unexplained)
reading came from the quilt area. If one subscribes to the theory that EMF may be associated with residual emotions
or psychic energy then this reading would be consistant with that theory. Quilts are a labor-intensive item to
create, often done for individuals with whom the maker has a close personal relationship."
Anyone who has ever seen a quilt pieced together and then quilt stitched, knows how much effort, labor, and love
goes into the construction of these items. When we eventually do a follow-up investigation at the 1859 Jail, we
will attempt to recreate these readings...and perform a more thorough examination of the inside and outside of
the building to make sure that we did not miss a well-hidden natural cause for this phenomenon. |
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THE WALDO PAINTINGS
When the paintings of Mrs. and Mr. Waldo were hung on the wall in the same room, Mrs. Waldo's painting was often
found on the floor of the room when morning came. For this reason, Mr. Waldo's painting was moved to the upstairs
hallway. See the Background section of this investigation report for more details. Chris seemed drawn to these
paintings...especially the painting of Mr. Waldo. |
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Three nights after our investigation Chris had a dream. Here's how he described
it:
"Last night I had a dream that Mr. Waldo drank alot and would
throw the Mrs. around."
Now we don't know anything about the actual relationship or history of the Waldo's,
and we're certainly not suggesting that Mr. Waldo was actually abusive to Mrs. Waldo. But its interesting that
Chris knew the story of Mrs. Waldo's painting falling off the wall in the presence of Mr. Waldo's painting, and
that he was so impacted by our investigation that he dreamed about it. Its incredible the psychological impact
these investigations have on us. Especially when they are at locations with as much history, stories, and reported
phenomenon as the 1859 Jackson County Jail.
PACING BACK AND FORTH IN CELL #5
For his second vigil during our investigation, Mike was closed up behind closed
iron doors in Cell #5. Though Mike was alone in the cell, Shawn and Dave were performing a vigil just 15 feet away
in Cell #1.
Initially, Mike just sat in the darkness and stared at what little light was sneaking
in through the metal windows and under the crack in the door. But soon, Mike was pacing back and forth on the floor
of the cell. Mike said that the enclosed cell made him anxious and had the psychological effect of causing him
to pace. We make no claims that this was paranormally inspired...or caused by paranormal activity. But it is interesting
from the standpoint that it was the only pacing done by any of our investigators the entire night. Its also interesting
as an illustration of the powerful psychological effect these dark stone cells can have on a person.
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FLASHING LIGHT NEAR THE FLOOR
As Chris and I walked into the Master Bedroom, I saw a sparkling white
light about the size of an acorn floating quickly across the bedroom floor near the rocking crib. It faded out
and was gone as quickly as it appeared. Chris had walked into the room behind me, and had not seen the small floating
light.
I asked him to take a photograph of the area...and he immediately did so. The photo on the left is a portion of
that photo. Click on the image to see the larger version. Close examination of the photograph does not reveal anything
unusual. I'm not entirely sure what to make of the sparkling light that I saw. I did not see it out of the corner
of my eye, but it came and went so quickly, that I didn't really get a chance to focus in on it. |
CONTACT IN CELL #1
A large number of our investigators had strange experiences in Cell #1 on the
night of our investigation. Those experiences were interesting enough, that we decided to dedicate an entire section
of our investigation report just those phenomenon. Please see the Contact in Cell #1 section of this investigation
report for more details...
Having completed an analysis of the unusual events we encountered
at the 1859 Jackson County Jail Museum and the Sheriff's House, we can now say that none of these experiences provide
conclusive evidence of paranormal activity during our first 4-hour investigation. While our numerous experiences
were interesting, and many remain unexplained...they do not constitute conclusive evidence. Much of it will serve
as excellent circumstantial evidence as our examination of the 1859 Jail continues.
-Mark Stinson
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