Orb captured in the parlor
| Business Case #19 |
| INVESTIGATION #1 |
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Date: February 18, 2006 Time: 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. |
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Location: 1859 Jackson County Jail & Marshal Home & Museum217 North Main Street Independence, Missouri (816-252-1892) |
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Investigators on Scene: Brenda, Dee Ann, Misty, Jerry & Stacy |
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Attendees on Scene: Lindsey (Jail Historian/Curator) and his friend Erica. |
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Conditions: Clear Temp: 14 degrees Barometer: 30.69 Humidity: 34% Lunar Phase: Waning Gibbous Solar X-Rays: Normal Geomagnetic: Quiet Wind: NE 8 mph |
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Evidence Collected :Digital Photos Taken: 186 Positive Digital Photos: 11 35 mm Photos Taken: 48 35 mm Photos Positive: 2 Video: EVPs: 17 (See Reported Findings and Experiences & Psychic Readings) |
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Brief Property Description: The Jackson County Jail, located at 217 North Main Street in Independence, Missouri was completed in 1859. It was the third jail constructed in Jackson County. The first two were made of logs but due to the rising violence in the region, (the Border Wars and the upcoming Civil War) the 1859 jail was constructed of limestone and iron doors. This was intended to send a message to its citizen's that violence and criminal activity would be dealt with in a much more serious capacity. The jail consisted of two stories, with 6 cell blocks on each floor. The cells were equipped with two doors, the internal door being constructed of hand-forged iron grillwork and the outside door of solid iron. During the day, the outside doors were allowed to remain open, but at nightfall they were closed leaving the prisoners in total darkness. A window was provided in each cell, but was covered in iron grilling and shutters and allowed very little light or protection from the elements. The jail provided no bedding except for a layer of straw. The cells were well equipped with leg and wrist irons. The cells were designed to hold 2 or 3 people but during Order #11 each cell housed as many as 30 prisoners, mostly women and children and some of them were trampled to death during their imprisonment. At the end of the cell block, there was a gallows where at least two known, public hangings occurred. A marshal's house was built in conjunction with the jail and served as the living quarters for the current marshal and his family. The jail was located immediately behind the marshal house and is separated by a narrow hallway. The marshal house consisted of a parlor, kitchen and administrative office on the first floor; the master bedroom, children's room and a guest bedroom on the 2nd floor. The administration office served as the Union headquarters during the Civil War and it was in this very room that Order #11 was planned and implemented. (See our section on Missouri and the Civil War for more information on Order #11) The marshal house and jail were taken over by the Confederates during the Battle of Independence. Sheriff Buggler, who was acting marshal in 1863, was awoken one night after a stage coach loaded with dynamite exploded across the street from the house. He went to the window of the upstairs master bedroom and was shot and killed as he looked out. His son was also injured during this attack but did not die until a few days later. In 1901 a brick jail was added to the back of the limestone jail to house chain gangs. This brick addition has since been converted into a museum which is operated by the Jackson County Historical Society who acquired the jail in 1959. The jail had been permanently closed in 1933 due to inadequate facilities. |
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Current Reportings: (The following are incidents reported by staff members and tourists) ? Volunteers and tourists have reported smells such as the smell of baking bread in the gift shop. The area would have served as the house kitchen during the winter months. ? Many tourists have felt upon entering the home that someone walked up to them and gave them a look over. ? Glimpses of a woman dressed in period attire going up and down the stairs have been reported on the family staircase. ? A set of twins were born in the jail and people have reported sightings of the two twin girls. ? Several tourists have reported seeing a black cat in the house. ? Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. David Waldo were donated to the marshal house and it was decided upon to hang these two portraits in the parlor. Staff members would often find Mrs. Waldo's portrait face down in the middle of the parlor floor. They went to great extremes to make sure that Mrs. Waldo's portrait was securely hung, only to find it face down time and time again. It was then decided to move Mr. Waldo's portrait upstairs and Mrs. Waldo's portrait has hung peacefully in the parlor every since without further incident. ? When visiting the master bedroom, guests have reported having the feeling that something bad happened in there. Also, several years ago, one of the museum volunteers was working in the master bedroom when he had an unusual experience. He refused to talk about his incident with anyone so no one knows exactly what happened to him, but after that night he refused to go upstairs ever again and would send other staff members to do whatever needed tended to on the 2nd floor. This is the room where Sheriff Buggler was shot and killed while looking out the window. ? Staff members often find the quilts disturbed on the bed in the guest bedroom. ? In the marshal's administration office, guests have reported being touched or brushed against. ? The cell blocks seem to give most people a feeling of uneasiness or sadness. Staff members often times hear the cell doors slamming against the limestone when no one is present in the jail. One year, one of the staff members decided to put a Christmas tree in the cell that was once occupied by Frank James. As the staff member was walking out of the cell block, the tree was hurled from the cell. ? Staff members have smelt cigar smoke and have been shoved on the jailer's staircase. |
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Reported Findings and Experiences: ? Most everyone present witnessed a dark shadowy apparition come out of one cell, cross the hall and go into another cell. This was witnessed more than once by several of those present. ? While Misty was conducting her reading of the Marshal house, she felt as if someone tapped her on the shoulder just after she entered the guest bedroom. This happened again while she was walking in the hallway between the house and the 1st floor jail. ? While ascending the stairs in the Marshal house, Brenda reported seeing what appeared to be a shadowy figure of a cat dart underneath the chair that sits on the stair landing. MPR members did not sit in on the interview with the jail historian and were unaware of any reported sightings of a black cat in the house at the time of the investigation. ? A 35 mm photo taken while standing in the doorway of the 2nd floor jail appears to contain a vortex. ? Another 35 mm photo taken in the hallway of the 1st floor jail contains an unexplainable object or light on the floor. ? A tape recorder left running in the upper cell block recorded what sounded like a male voice giving his name as "Donald Lewis" or something similar to that. Team members were in the gift shop at the time of the recording. ? A series of EVPs were recorded in Frank James cell on the lower cell block while Misty was experiencing some problems with her video recorder. As the team tried to fix the camera problems, the following EVPs were recorded: A male voice saying, "Yes we do want revenge". This was followed by a raspy male voice saying what sounds like, "Deputy", which was then followed by another male voice saying, "No". Moments later the raspy male voice is heard again saying "Back". ? Another EVP was recorded in Frank James cell shortly after team members saw the shadowy figure of a man cross the cell block. The voice was a male voice saying what sounds like, "I try to do all bad things". This was shortly followed by an EVP of another male voice possibly saying the name, "Jim". A Marshall named Jim Knowles was killed in one of the cell blocks while trying to break up a fight between two prisoners who had opposing views about the Civil War. During these recordings video footage showed several orbs coming out of the cell blocks which appeared to move with movement that was not in same direction as the draft flow that flowed through the center of the cell block. ? Just after Misty entered the administration office before heading upstairs to do her reading, she stated that she felt two women and one man. After this statement, a possible EVP was recorded of a male voice saying, "Let's Go Babe". Misty returned to this room later and began describing an accidental shooting of a 17 year old male that she felt had occurred in the office. A male voice was recorded during this reading saying what sounds like, "You'll See". Later in the evening, when all team members were in the museum gift shop, an EVP of a male voice was recorded saying the name, "Tell 'Em Who". Two more EVPs were recorded during Misty's reading of this room. (See Psychic Readings for details.) ? An EVP of a female voice was recorded in the hallway on the 2nd floor as MPR team members were going into the 2nd Floor Cell Block. You can hear the museum curator saying "Step" as team members descended the three steps into the cell block. In the background, you hear a female or child's voice saying, "Laura, Laura, Hide", followed by a giggle. This EVP was recorded on audio video. All video of this incident and all other tape recorders set up on this level were checked for this audio in order to rule out team members. No team members made this comment nor was there anyone with the name Laura in the house. ? As Misty was doing her reading in the interrogation cell block, video audio recorded a male voice giving the name, "Smith" after Misty had asked for a name of one of the men who did the beatings in there. ? An EVP of a male voice saying, "Leave Us" was recorded in the lower cell block when team members were in the Gift Shop. |
| Psychic Readings: MISTY |
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Marshal House ? I feel one man and two women in the house. I feel the women stronger in the parlor than I do in the office. I'm getting the name Della, Delta, a female name. |
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Orb captured in the parlor |
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Master Bedroom ? Why did they put a sewing machine in that room? That was not a sewing room. It never was. The sewing machine doesn't belong in there. Misty was referring to a sitting area just off the Master Bedroom. ? Who was Della or Delta? Her presence was real strong downstairs. ? Does the last name Sims mean anything? According to the museum curator, there was a Deputy Sims. His presence is really strong in this room. He might be the one everyone is seeing. |
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Hallway/Children's Room ? There is a young boy named William. Something just touched me on my shoulder. I feel the energy of a little boy named William. His nickname was Billy T. He's not a ghost. His energy is just still here. |
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2nd Floor Cell Block ? They kept some women up here. This may be where this Della is coming through. Della Marie. She was a prisoner here. The women were kept on this cell block in order to separate them from the men. During Order #11, the cells were full of women and children. Sometimes there were 30 prisoners per cell. There is also a young man downstairs. He did something. I had a dream about him having a hole in his head. I'll pick up more on him when I go downstairs. ? As Misty and Stacy watched an orb come out of one of the cells, an EVP was recorded of what sounds like a female voice saying, "You're Not Scarin' Me".? Did they use some of the women prisoners to help with clean up around here? This female I keep picking up says that she did that. |
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Vortex in the doorway of the 2nd floor jail captured with a 35mm camera |
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1st Floor Hallway ? I'm feeling with this area…An EVP of two male voices were recorded at this time. The first sounds like he is saying, "I Don't Wanna". Followed by the 2nd male voice saying what sounds like, "Push". Immediately after this recording, Misty stated that something shoved her in the back and she did not complete what she started to say. I feel like that was Billy T because someone is running in and out like they are playing a game. |
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Administration Office ? Oh my gosh. That Sims, he's still here. He killed that kid. It was an accident, he didn't mean to do it but he killed him. The kid's name was David. The kid is still here. They're both here and they relive this accident over and over. He shot him right in the head. He shot him in this room. The kid was 17 years old. He was with a bunch of other guys, a family of like seven people. He was trying to explain that he had nothing to do with what was happening, that they got the wrong family and that they were not part of it. He had a baby sister that they took her away. They gave her away to a religious family. She was about 2 years old. The couple couldn't have children. He's saying they gave some of the younger children away. The boy turned around to say something and Sims thought he was going to do something so he panicked and shot him. There were a lot of things that happened in this room. They all overlap each other but I want to focus on the ones that are still here haunting the place. An EVP was recorded on the tape recorder that was set up in this room during this reading, however it was not heard on the recorder that Misty carries during her readings. See Reported Findings and Experiences for Details. |
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1st Floor Cell Block ? There were a lot of beatings in the interrogation cell. There was a lot of suffering in that cell. It was noticed that Misty's video camera was not working at this time and camera problems ensued. Moments later a dark shadowy figure crossed the hallway leaving the interrogation cell and entering the cell opposite. This was witnessed by all present. ? They had black people in these cells too. They hung some of them in here, didn't they? The museum curator verified that at least 2 black men were hung from the jail gallows. They wrongly hung them. There are 4 of them that are still here and were hung for the wrong reasons. They were beaten to confess to something they did not do. ? The shadow we saw, I can see his face but he's not letting me get his name. He's one of them that did all the beatings. There were 3 of them and they took turns. One of the guys was a big man, long nose, an EVP was recorded here of a deep male voice saying, "Fat", kind of a round, fat face, had a scar on the right cheek and a beard. He was the jailor here. He also raped some of the women upstairs. I don't know if this is why Della keeps popping in or not. Misty's description of the jailor matched a photo of Sheriff Buggler that was taken of him just after his death. This photo hangs in the museum area and Misty had not seen the photo prior to giving this description. The other guy wasn't really a jailor. He was someone they would bring in to do the interrogations. They did use a whip. They broke bones and knocked out teeth. A few of them did not survive the beatings. They didn't take them to a cemetery they just threw them out not too far from here. They waited until after dark to take them out. I'm feeling dizzy in here because of all the bad energy. I'd like to get the name of the other man who helped do this. I'm getting Stephenson or Stevens or Stefens. He had two sides of him, the nice man that everyone liked and the mean side who liked to do the beatings. He got paid to do them. He was in the military so he had the background. ? 1st cell on right: The energy in this cell is bad too. They about froze to death in here in the winter. The most they had was a blanket. Some didn't even have that. The museum curator verified that Misty was correct. This one is not as heavy as the other one but it's still heavy. An EVP of a low male voice was recorded here saying what sounds like, "I was Naked". The black shadow has taken the energy out of here, he still controls the cell block. There used to be a chain in here too. They used to do some beatings in here also. Rest of the 1st Floor Cell Block ? There is still energy that flows down from where they did the hangings. At this time the museum curator and his friend reported seeing the dark shadowy figure again. The curator asked Misty if the shadow was Buggler and she confirmed that it was. He's not happy now. He didn't want us to know his name. He walks between the interrogation room and the 1st cell on the right. He's still here. We know now who's haunting this place and why the other ones are here. |
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An unexplainable object or light on the floor taken in the hallway of the 1st floor jail, captured with a 35mm camera |
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Museum ? I don't feel the soldiers so much in here. I'm not really feeling anything in here. All the activity is in the jail right now. |
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MPR SUMMARY MPR has concluded based upon our sightings of a black shadowy figure and the numerous EVPs collected that the jail is indeed haunted. Just how many entities are haunting the jail is unknown at this time, but we suspect that it's haunted by at least 3 men and possibly some inmates who perished while serving their sentences. MPR would like to thank the Jackson County Historical Society for allowing us access to this very interesting and historical location. We'd like to extend a special thank you to Lindsey Gaston for being our host for the evening and for all the historical information and help that he provided for us. Tours are available of the 1859 Old Jackson County Jail and Marshal Home on Monday thru Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and on Sunday's from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call 816-252-1892 to schedule an appointment. If you're in the area, this is one place you should definitely visit. |
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INVESTIGATION #2 - Follow-Up Investigation |
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Date: May 13, 2006 Time: 9:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. |
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Investigators on Scene: Brenda, Dee Ann, Misty, Mark Guest Investigators: Ali, Jason and Lindsey |
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Attendees on Scene: Marianne (wife of museum curator) |
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Conditions: Partly Cloudy Temp: 65 degrees Barometer: 29.89 Humidity: 48% Lunar Phase: Full Moon, 99% full Solar X-Rays: Normal Geomagnetic: Unsettled Wind: NNW 12 mph |
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Evidence Collected :Digital Photos Taken: 228 (pending report from Dee Ann & Misty) Positive Digital Photos: 21 (pending report from Dee Ann & Misty) 35 mm Photos Taken: 108 35 mm Photos Positive: 9 Video: (See reported findings and experiences) EVPs: 16 (See Reported Findings and experiences & Psychic Reading) |
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Reported Findings and Experiences: ? When we first arrived at the jail, Misty went upstairs to set up her video camera. She was accompanied by Marianne, the wife of the museum curator. After finding that she needed an extension cord, they went back downstairs to retrieve one. Upon returning with the cord a small pinecone was found in the upstairs hallway. Both claimed that the pinecone had not been there when they first went upstairs. Marianne stated that she had just swept the hallway before our arrival and knew that it had not been there before.? Brenda set up her video camera in the marshal's office. Within 15 minutes of turning the camera on to record, the camera shut-off. The batteries were fully charged and the camera contained a new tape. There was no mechanical explanation for the camera shutting off. It was turned back on and recorded with no problems for the remainder of the evening. ? Two 35 mm photos taken in the master bedroom show some odd anomalies bathed in a golden hue. It is difficult to determine rather outside lighting and possible camera movement may have caused these effects but because of the strange anomalies in the hues they are too interesting to rule out. ? Several EVPs were recorded in Cell # 11 on the 2nd floor during the evening. The possible voice of a child saying, "Get a Doctor"; a female voice saying "Get Out"; another female voice calling the name of "Carol" and the same male voice recorded again saying, "No". The male voice and the first female voice were both raspy and sounded like the same voices recorded during our first investigation. ? 5 EVPs were recorded within an 11 minute period on video placed in the upstairs hallway of the marshal house. The first one sounded like a female voice saying, "Leave". This was followed by the same female saying what sounds like, "I Hate It". The video camera also picked up the same EVP recorded in Cell # 11 of a female voice clearly saying, "Get Out". A male voice was soon recorded saying "Move". This was followed by what sounds like a young male voice saying, "Come Help". This sequence of EVPs was concluded with what sounded like a male clearing his throat. There were no men upstairs at the time these EVPs were recorded. ? While in the upper cell block, Bonnie stated that she saw a hand about 18 inches from the front of her face in the flash when Misty took a photograph. Both of Bonnie's hands were on her camera, Misty was on the opposite side of the cell block and the only other person in the cell with them was standing behind Bonnie. Bonnie stated that the hand was close enough that she could see all the fingers. They were discussing this incident in the hallway afterwards and 2 EVPs were recorded of a male voice. These EVPs are currently being transferred to an audio file and will be analyzed when those files are received. ? Another 35 mm photo taken in the master bedroom shows a very clear image of a man's face in the mirror. It was first thought that it might be a reflection of a portrait on the opposite wall but after examining photos of that wall, no portraits were hung there. The image in the mirror is not a reflection of anyone on our team or of anyone physically present during the investigation. ? At approximately 10:30, Brenda was in the gift shop changing film in her camera when she smelled tobacco smoke. Team members came downstairs and also smelled the tobacco smell, along with a guest video technician who had come in from the museum area. Everyone on the first floor experienced the pipe tobacco smell which lasted for about 10 minutes. Brenda first described the smell as cigar smoke but as team members arrived, it began to smell more like pipe tobacco. An EVP of a male voice was recorded in the marshal's office at this time which sounds he is saying, "Howdy". ? While Brenda, Dee Ann and guest investigator Ali were doing some EVP work in Cell #1, Brenda made the following statement, "When we were here last time, you said that they kept you in here naked." A male voice responded with, "Yes, that is correct". Of all the questions asked during this EVP session, the mentioning of the nudity was the only question that received a response. Apparently this act of humiliation strongly affected the man who haunts that cell. ? An EVP of either a young male voice or a female voice was recorded in Cell # 1 which sounds like they said, "She's Come For Us". ? During our first investigation and based upon the EVPs recorded in Cell #6, MPR felt that Deputy Jim Knowles may have been killed in that particular cell. Brenda, Dee Ann and Misty decided to try to make contact in Cell # 6 and shut themselves in, closing both iron doors. Just as they entered the cell, a moaning sound was recorded on tape. Misty felt something in the cell and got up and began pacing. Brenda told her to be careful because there were some glass items in the cell. At this time an EVP of some laughter was recorded. None of the team members in the cell had laughed. For details of the communication see "Psychic Readings." After Misty began to feel someone in the cell she said that Deputy Knowles was standing in the corner between Brenda and Dee Ann. At this time, both Dee Ann and Brenda felt a cold spot on their corresponding shoulders. Then Misty said that he moved up to the ceiling and was hovering over the bed. At this time, Dee Ann stated that her back felt ice cold and something flipped her pony tail up. Seconds later, Misty was clipped behind her right knee and fell to the floor. While sitting in the cell, a light was visible from the bottom of the door but at times this light would totally darken as if someone was either walking by the cell or standing in the doorway. After leaving the cell, Dee Ann commented that her back felt ice cold. Brenda felt both her back and neck and confirmed that there was a significant difference. Her back and neck felt as if she had been outside on a cold winter day while the front of her was warm. ? The darkening of the light beneath the door was witnessed by several members in several different cells. At the time the darkening was noticed by those sitting vigils in the cells, there were no team members walking in the corridor of the jail. ? While Misty, Dee Ann & Brenda were attempting to communicate with a black man whom they feel is haunting Cell # 1, a tape recorder was knocked off the window sill and was busted up when it hit the floor. Just prior to the tape recorder getting knocked off, Misty felt that Sheriff Bugler was standing in the doorway of the cell trying to intimidate the black man. (Again, the light beneath the cell door had darkened.) In an attempt to comfort the black man, Brenda made the following statement, "You don't have to be afraid of him. He doesn't have any power over you anymore." Misty indicated that this statement angered Bugler and told Brenda and Dee Ann to protect themselves with the white light because he was coming in. Just as Misty felt him coming through the door, she said, "You don't have any power here." The tape recorder was knocked off within a few seconds of this statement. A digital photo taken just after this incident shows an orb just below the window sill. Another digital photo taken of Brenda as she exited the cell shows an orb following her. A 35 mm photo taken by Misty just after coming out of the cell shows an unexplained black and red mist hovering over Cell # 4 which is just across from Cell # 1. See "Psychic Readings" for details of the communication with the black man in this cell. ? Orbs were captured on video throughout the house. The lower cell block seemed to contain the most orb activity however several orbs were videoed in the upstairs hallway, the marshal's office, Cell # 1 and Cell #4. |
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Orbs captured in the parlor area of the Marshal house |
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35mm photo taken in the master bedroom shows a very clear image of a man's face in the mirror |
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Psychic Readings: MISTY |
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Cell #6 (Frank James Cell) ? Whoever is in the cell does not want us in here. Was Jim Knowles choked to death, was he stabbed? I'm feeling he was stabbed. I'm feeling pain in my shoulder, in my chest and in my back. It happened in this cell. It wasn't a prisoner, it wasn't a prisoner, it was another guard who did it. Comments were made by Dee Ann and Brenda that they were feeling a temperature drop in the cell. Do you see it getting darker in here? The guard wanted to get even with the prisoner for something. The guard had framed the prisoner that was in this cell. He wanted the prisoner dead. No it wasn't the guard who wanted him dead, it was another marshal. Is there a way to find out if a prisoner that was in here was busted for drunk and disorderly? He had something to do with some money and a robbery. It's not Frank. I'm hearing robbery. He doesn't like the lights on the cameras, hide them. He's coming in. He's coming in. They snuck up on him. Can you feel him? He's in the corner. Both Dee Ann and Brenda commented that they felt a coldness on their shoulders nearest that corner. Now he's hovering above the bed. Dee Ann stated that something had just flipped her ponytail. He's coming down now. No, no, no, no. Misty fell to the ground and said that something had just clipped her behind the knee. Find out if they hung a white man that was in this cell. Don't push me down no more. I don't want to be touched. Garrett, Garrett, Garrison. Garrett or Garrison. I think that was the name of the prisoner. Did Jim sound afraid on the tape because he's afraid? There was a disturbance outside the cell by some of the other team members which ended the communication in this cell. Team members switched cells at this time and reported a sweet tobacco smell, darkening of the cell, a shadow on the wall of the cell and some cold spots. |
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35mm photo taken by Misty just after coming out of the cell shows an unexplained black and red mist hovering over Cell #4 |
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Orb in motion captured on one of the cell doors in the 2nd floor jail |
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Cell # 1 ? They tried to castrate the black man. He looked at a white woman. He was a big strappin' boy. That's what they called him, a strappin' boy. "Hey Boy, you're a stappin boy" is what they would say. He's one of them that they hung. Brenda reported that she had a tingling sensation on her face. Moments later she stated that she felt a temperature drop and Misty stated that the cell was getting darker. Just after these last two statements an EVP of a male voice was recorded saying, "He'll find me". Another EVP was recorded of a female voice which sounds as if she is hollering for "Laura". Followed by a male voice which sounds as if he says, "I hear her". It is unknown why this particular EVP was picked up at this time. Brenda said that she felt the black man's name was either Joshua or Joe Burns. Misty again resumed contact. He left the cell when we started taking pictures. It's okay, you can come back in. He's standing at the door. We're not going to look at you. Brenda, who was sitting by the cell door, reported at this time that she felt some sensations on her back. He's trying to come back in. He's a big guy. It's getting cold in here, especially by the window. The recorder shut off at this time due to the tape running out so the rest of the reading is given by memory. They used to beat him to keep control over him. They were afraid of him because he was a big boy. They took turns beating him. He just went over and is cowering in the corner. It's really cold over here. He's very afraid. He's saying, "Please, mister, don't hurt me mister, please don't hurt me." Bugler, he's standing at the door. See how the bottom of the door is completely blacked out. He's going to come in. You guys should probably call down the white light because I'm not feeling good about this. The black man, he's really, really scared. Brenda made the statement," You don't have to be afraid of him. He doesn't have any power over you anymore." He's coming in. He's mad, he's really mad. "You don't have any power here." At this time the tape recorder fell or was knocked off the window sill and busted when it hit the floor. The team members were still seated and had not moved. After this incident, Misty, Brenda and Dee Ann left the cell. See "Reported Findings and Experiences" for details concerning photographs taken after this incident. |
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Faint orb captured where earlier a tape recorder was knocked off the window sill and busted when it hit the floor. Just prior to this, Misty felt that Sheriff Bugler was standing in the doorway of the cell trying to intimidate the black man. |
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A bright orb captured behind Brenda on the cell door on the 1st floor |
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MPR SUMMARY ? MPR seemed to have another active night at the jail and marshal house. Several of the questions we had after our first investigation were answered for us. We accomplished our goals in Cell # 1 and Cell #6, however the evening went very quickly and we did not accomplish everything that we had hoped. MPR will return again in July to do a joint investigation with Ghost Vigil. Hopefully we'll have more time to further investigate the upper cell block and Cell #4. |
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INVESTIGATION #3 - Follow-Up & Co-Investigation |
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Date: July 8, 2006 Time: 9:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. |
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Investigators on Scene: Brenda, Dee Ann, Misty, Joyce & John |
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Attendees on Scene: This investigation was conducted jointly with "Ghost Vigil" who had 6 members present. Also attending was a free-lance writer, Marianne (the museum curator's wife) and her nephew |
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Conditions: Mostly Cloudy Temp: 85 degrees Barometer: 30.06 Humidity: 36% Lunar Phase: Waxing Gibbous (94% full) Solar X-Rays: Normal Geomagnetic: Quiet Wind: SSE 5 mph |
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Evidence Collected :Digital Photos Taken: 88 (pending report from Dee Ann) Positive Digital Photos: 5 (pending report from Dee Ann) 35 mm Photos Taken: 0 35 mm Photos Positive: 0 Video: 0 EVPs: 0 |
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Current Reportings: See previous reports |
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Reported Findings and Experiences: ? Brenda and Misty felt a sudden drop in temperature when they entered the upper jail block. Digital photos taken at the time by both cameras showed numerous orbs. These were some of the only positive photos of the evening. Ghost Vigil came up to do some temperature checks but by the time they arrived, the temperature was back to normal. |
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Psychic Readings: |
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JOYCE |
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Front entryway in Marshal House ? The vibration comes from the door across through here. There has been an attack here in this hallway for some reason by a man trying to attack the sheriff or the man in charge. There was fear that I felt over by the door in the summer kitchen which led me into the hallway. I think that the man who was a threat to the sheriff had come in and the sheriff had caught him. There was definitely fright here. The fright is coming from not the person who came in but from the person who was already in here. I see the year as being 1872. I don't know who the sheriff was but he was a tall slender man with black hair and a black flat top hat. The man who is coming through is a short man and a stocky man and a very, very rough man. I do not see that he was an inmate here, but he was someone that the sheriff had been looking for. He came here to try to hurt the sheriff. I do see the year of 1872. I can't get the sheriff's name. The man who came after the sheriff was named Bill. His name is William. He had a nickname. He has very straggly, straight, stringy, coal black hair and black eyes. He was part Indian, part Native American. They called him Bill and I think his name was something like "Crazy Bill." Why he was after the sheriff I don't know but they had a confrontation somewhere and he knew that the sheriff was wanting him. He thought he'd get the drop on him. I do see him later on being put in jail but I can't tell if it's here, but I think it is and I'm hearing Cell #3. ? I'm also feeling that the vibration is taking me into the hallway between the house and the jail. There is a pain in my left side, out of the breast and into the outer part of the lung. ? I'm down now in front of the cells. As I stand at the doorway and look through there are many spirits there. All different colors, faces, many. There are women and men. There is even a young boy no more than 16 or 17 years old. He stands in the background of the others. They are gathered around. I don't know if it'll be on the tape or not but one of them said, "We heard you were coming." I'm going to go in where the cells are now if I can. ? There is one that is trying to keep me from entering. A man with black hair and of authority, with a badge on. He's a tall man of probably 5'10" or 5'11" and he's stocky built. He as a big strong upper chest and strong arms. He's standing in the doorway and doesn't want me to enter. I'm not sure if he's a sheriff or deputy. He's someone of authority. He doesn't want to talk to me. He doesn't want to say anything. He just stands there. He also has a rifle that he's holding across in front of him. It's not pointed at me he just doesn't want me to enter into where the cells are but I'm going in anyway. He has on tall brown boots, dark britches, a real faded out gray shirt with a light tan stripe to it. He has on a vest and there is a star on his vest but I can't see if it says Sheriff or Deputy. It's partly covered with a piece of the vest that turns backwards to the left that partially covers it. He doesn't want me to enter but there are others on the other side of him, who stand behind him who want me to come in. They want to tell me what happened. The name of Edward comes in for the man who was standing at the door. There's a man behind him that says, "Hey, I'm Pete." |
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Lower Jail Cell ? As I come into the jail, it's very heavy and of course it would be. The residue from the years gone by has not cleared it out even though it has been years. I'm seeing prisoners at the time being man-handled by two and three men. I see them being beaten. I also saw when I first come in that there is a room we haven't been to yet that they used to book them in. I see them standing there 2 and 3 at a time and having their names written down and being brought into and put in the jail. One of them is named Henry Hansen. He has been brought in here because he defied them during Order #11. He would not leave his property. They shot his wife, one of his children and brought him to jail here. I see that as being latter part of 1863. I see others. ? There is a man here who tells me his name was Audrey. I always thought that Audrey was a woman's name but he tells me his name was Audrey. He shows me his arm. His arm was broken in two places and broken by the men who brought him in here. ? There is one man who stands here and hopefully he'll talk on the tape. He keeps telling me that the bad ones are in the back cell. ? There are 4 black men who stand before me now. They are standing back at the side. They were in the same cell together. One is John, one is Jacob, one is Harry and one they called Jake. They have not told me why they are in here. They were mistreated. One of them had his scalp partially cut off, from the back and to the left side. They only cut. He raised up the corner of his hair like a wiglet to show me that he could take his hair up. He was in pain. ? Another man here said that "All I did was tend to my market." I think he sold tomatoes and milk and stuff in the town from the farm. I don't know why he's in here. They caught him for some reason. He won't tell me if it's from Order #11 but I think it is. |
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Cell #4 ? Someone come up and pulled my left arm at the elbow so that I would walk into this cell. The vibration here is of many, many. There is a man here that has been hanged but he didn't die. He has the rope burns around his neck. He can hardly talk. He talks with a very harsh voice. He had a very hard time expressing his thoughts after someone tried to kill him. They thought he was a horse thief, but he wasn't and it was proven later that he wasn't. He was treated very badly. The name I get for him comes in as James Overstreet. ? There is a man also that I see who had ropes tied around his wrists so tight and then he was hung by them over his head for a day. His arms wouldn't work after that. They were pulled out of their joints and were crooked. He has funny shaped arms and a funny shaped neck. I can't tell if he was hung here or if he was let loose. I get the name John with him. ? I feel Frank James was in this cell. He was very happy here. ? There was a man who came to me that was in the cell to the left (Cell #3) and he said that a lot of his skin had been taken off of his back because of a deed that he was supposed to have done that he didn't do. It was supposed to have been against a woman. He won't tell me what because he said it's something you should not say in the presence of a lady. He's a black man. He did not do it. They had literally cut him and then with pliers or pinchers of some kind they pulled skin off of him. They put him in that 2nd cell. He said he was hanged. There are 4 stations where people were hanged. He was in the #4 spot. He was religious so he went to heaven but he can come back here. He was religious. ? There were 5 men hung at one time. They are showing me on the calendar the 26th day of the month. There was another jail here before because he's giving me the year 1849. The museum historian confirmed that there was another jail on the same spot before the current jail was built in 1859. If the records go back far enough, it will show that they hung 5 men on a Thursday, on the 26th in 1847 or 1849, before we go into the 50's and 60's of the Civil War. The 26th day of the month fell in April and July in 1849 and in August of 1847. ? A man walked up and said, "My name is Hank and I was a stagecoach driver." And that's all he said to me. I don't know why he was in the jail or why he comes here. I don't know if he had someone he was visiting here. I see him being shot but I don't see him being shot in the jail. ? I go into the 1890's and there is lots of drinking, killings, assassinations in and out of the jail. ? There is a big man with black skin who tells me to "Come, come this way." Joyce begins crossing the hall and goes into Cell #1. |
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Cell #1 ? He has a bad leg. He's been hurt. He's in here. His right knee is swollen. He could hardly walk on it. He had a rope put under his arms and was dragged to where his back and buttocks and part of legs have the skin ripped off. He's been whipped with a black snake whip. Joyce goes to the corner of Cell #1 where Misty felt during our 2nd investigation that a black man cowered in fear from the jailor. He's a man of 24 years old. He was a southern sympathizer. He worked for a man who owned a farm south and east of here. This is a man who has been falsely accused of something that a white man did. He has a scar over the right temple of his eye that goes up to his hairline, where he's been cut. He's very, very, frightened. There are 3 others with him. There is a small white man, he's no more than 5'2" or 5'3". He's a skinny, wiry little guy. And he sits in a corner. Another black man is in that corner. The big man is in this corner and he's a ghost here. He wants to know why he can't leave here. He knows he can move around. He's afraid of the authority here. The other man is the young man who I saw before who is about 17 or 18 years old and he says his last name is Trimble. They call him Billy Dee Trimble. He sits here a lot by this window. They sit here and watch the door. On the 1860 Platte County census, a William Trimble, age 12, was listed living with his grandmother and mother. Near the end of the Civil War, he would have been about 17 years old. Perhaps he came to Jackson County sometime during the war seeking employment or enlistment. The man who's in authority was mean to them. The big black man that is in this corner is partially blind. He cannot see very good. When he hurt his eye, it hurt his vision because I feel him wanting to feel his way around the cell. There's so many that just keep coming. I want to go to where they hung him. Brenda asked Joyce if she could get a name on the big, black guy. What is your name? Josh, Joshua. Joshua Williams and he belonged to a Williams family that had come here from the south. Brenda had also picked up the black man's name Joshua in that same cell during the 2nd investigation. He was trying to get away and get as far north as he could. He said he wanted to go to Canada and he's still trying to get there. He knew there would be freedom in Canada. He says he has a brother in jail too. He's in the last cell (Cell #6). They called him Little Billy Williams. He didn't say why they picked him up. This cell is full of spirits. They are all full of spirits. They are all gathered around. On the 1860 census, a white man named Joshua Williams was living in Lone Jack and claimed two slaves. He was from Kentucky. Living on the same property was another entry for a black woman named Martha Williams, age 33, with 2 children in her household, Jane (age 3) and Joshua (age 1). Perhaps her husband was one of the slaves claimed by the white owner, Joshua Williams. |
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Cell #2 ? This cell is where a man named Tom Blades was. There was a man that walked up and said "My name is Tom Blades and this is where I was. They hung me for stealing a horse." Did you steal it? He said, "You damn right." Did they hang you for it. "Yes" |
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Cell # 5 ? Was there a cell where they kept women? There's a man in here that says "I'm in here and my wife is upstairs. My wife is in here." ? When I first walked in there is a man sitting in that corner who is all hunkered down. He is very ill and they don't help him. He dies in here. His spirit remains here. I think he had like an appendicitis or something because it's in his stomach. They didn't get him proper help and he died. Then you have those that are drunk. ? I could spend all night giving you names of people in this jail but I want to go where the women were kept, because I know they were kept here. That man in there told me. I don't want to go up through the family house because I know there was another way to get up there and that's the way I want to go. I want to go the same way they took the women. The museum historian revealed that there was a stairway from the lower jail to the upper jail that is no longer in existence. He took Joyce up the back stairway that was added after the jail was decommissioned. |
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Upper Jail Block ? The man and his wife were here because of Order #11. They were very mean to them while they were here. The man down there in the cell said his last name is Carson and his wife is Carson. Her name is Ella. His name was Benjamin Carson. During our first investigation, Misty picked up a woman prisoner who's name she gave as Della. This is where they kept women. They put men in here if the jail was loaded but usually it was used for women and young ones. I can see that it was very difficult for the women to be in here. ? There is a woman here who says her name is Jane Anderson. She got locked up because she got into a fight. ? There are 4 spirits in here. ? There is a very tiny, frail woman here. Very frail. She's not old but she's very frail. ? Where did they hang them? ? There weren't very many women put to death here but some of them died here through stress. Some of them remained here. Some come back because they were falsely accused. ? Did anyone have a child who died here, about 5 or 6 years old, one of the sheriff's or deputies? Joyce was told that one of the marshal's sons had died here. A boy? He just ran across the door. He went down the hallway and went into that room. Joyce pointed to the room which was used as the children's bedroom. He came down the hall and waved at me. |
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Guest Room ? I like this room. This a very good feeling room. I don't feel bad about it. |
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Upstairs Hallway ? I see a woman who had dark hair that she braided and pulled up on both sides and tucked in the back. She was the wife of one of the authorities here. She actually liked it here. Her name was Jennie or Janie. I get the name Jennie. This may be the woman that visiting guests have reported seeing on the stairway. Mark from Ghost Vigil asked Joyce what the woman would appear as. She would appear in period dress, puffed sleeves, skirts and blouses, flat dark shoes. She wore a little thing on her head a lot of the time that looked like what the Amish would wear that's like a puffed bonnet. She may also appear in a white dress. She's quite lovely. ? Mark from Ghost Vigil asked Joyce to describe what the little boy she saw looked like. He's not very tall. He's not as tall as an 11 or 12 year old but more like 4 or 5 years old. He's not big in stature. He has bobbed off hair, it's dark with bangs. He had a toy pistol that was made out of wood. He was pulling a little dootley thing. He was dressed in a dark homemade shirt with puckers and knee britches and high socks. Oh, I know why we didn't hear him. He's barefooted. He has a sister who is older. Her name is Sally Elizabeth. He had a sister named Joanie that died when she was older but before he was born. In checking the 1860 census records, Sheriff Bugler had 4 daughters and one son: Bridget (age 8), Mary (age 5), Julia (age 3), Sallie (age 2) and Henry (8 months). Bugler was killed in 1863 during the attack outside the jail. His young son was injured and died later. His son would have been near the age of 4 years at the time of his death.? Brenda asked who Laura was because of the EVPs captured on past investigations that said gave the name. Laura was the wife of one of the sheriff's that lived here. She had lighter colored hair than the one with the braids. She was here during the early 1900's. I'm seeing 1904 for her. There was a baby that was stillborn here. That's why you pick up Laura because she had the stillborn baby here. ? I feel okay here. I don't feel danger. I feel there could be some sadness. I'm not feeling any trouble between man and woman until the latter part of the 1800's when a woman left her husband who was the caretaker or sheriff here and she'd had enough of him. She left him. ? One of the bedrooms up here had an elderly lady who had arthritis and kidney problems and back problems. She couldn't get out of bed and they had to take care of her. |
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Marshal's Office ? They didn't have it set up this way. They had it set up where the desk was along here by the door so that his back would not be to the door and that he could see out the window. He had chairs over there where the desk was so that people could sit in. When they did Order # 11 and set them in chairs all along here and took down there names. ? A man walked through the door with a gun in his hand. He had it out and pointed. He'd keep that door to the house closed. ? I'm feeling like there was another entryway or something underneath this floor. I'm feeling like a trap door. This does not look like the original flooring to me. There was a place where they could hide in case something went wrong. There was a hiding place somewhere. From the "History of Jackson County, Missouri; History of Independence", published in 1883: The first jail was built in the year 1827 and was constructed of hewn logs of ten to twelve inches in diameter. The building was something over sixteen feet square, and about fifteen feet high, with two rooms of apartments, one above, called the debtor's room, and the lower room, or dungeon for criminals. The floor was the same kind of hewn logs, and firmly fastened together. Very little light came through the small grated window to the criminals in the dungeon. Staples with rings were driven into the logs for the purpose of fastening the shackles of desperate men. A stairway on the outside to the upper room was the only way of entering the jail. When within the debtor's apartment, the lower room or dungeon was reached by means of a trap door, through which all the prisoners must come to leave the dungeon. ? Someone was shot in the left side. He keeps coming to me and telling me he hurts. He lived for awhile but he was in lots of pain. He started bleeding inwardly and that's what killed him. His name was Earl. Earl Franklin. He was shot here. |
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Joyce continued later with her reading in Cell #1 ? I feel a man here with red hair, straight red hair with a fair complexion. He's a really, really light colored man. He's wearing homemade pants and a homemade top. He has his pant leg slit up the side from his shoe to his knee. He has been doctored. His leg is wrapped. He was hunted by dogs. They tracked him down and one of them bit him several times on the leg when they caught him. He was held in this cell. The date was June 24, 1897. ? Another man held here had a bad breathing problem. They preformed a tracheotomy on him. I don't know why he tells me this. ? A man named Edgar Wright was also held here. He was a school teacher and was arrested because of Order #11. ? A man comes to the cell door who has on black britches, black boots, a black coat, black shirt, black hat and dark hair. He has a slender face, a sharp nose and he's carrying a Bible. He's come to save some lost souls. Whoever was in here told him to go away. The one who told him to go away was the school teacher. Edgar Wright was the school teacher. He was of a different faith. He was talking to Edgar as if he was a lost soul and Edgar didn't like that. ? The school wasn't in this city. It was outside the city. He was a teacher in a one room schoolhouse that had a big pot belly stove in the corner when you walked in the door. It was used as a church sometimes. I get the name of the school as "Little Grove." He was a good teacher and he was well liked in his neighborhood. He lost everything during Order #11. They let him out of a jail and then someone shot him in the back. |
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MISTY |
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Master Bedroom ? The bed was not located between the windows. The headboard was up against the wall where the bureau is now. They had two dressers in here that were kept against the wall with the windows. They would put them in front of the windows when they were in danger to help stop the bullets. ? The sheriff had a baby girl but his wife miscarried about 5 months into the pregnancy. The baby girl was their first child. They also had a son who was born in this room. That Della or Ella was a midwife. She helped deliver the babies. ? Misty did not give any more readings on this particular evening due to this being Joyce's first visit to the jail. |
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MPR SUMMARY MPR was very glad that Joyce was able to attend our last investigation of the jail and marshal house. This allowed us to compare her readings with those previously given by Misty and to look for similarities in their interpretations of the entities present there. The following is a list of those entities which both seemed to feel were haunting the jail: ? A woman named Della or Ella ? A young boy who runs through the upstairs hallway of the marshal house. ? A former jailor who haunts the lower cells. ? A young boy of about 16 or 17 years old who haunts the lower cells and marshal's office. ? A black man who was falsely accused of liberties with a white woman. He was severely beaten and hanged and was terrified of the jailor. He haunts Cell # 1. ? Misty & Joyce both picked up the names of Billy Dee and Billy T which were both associated with being one of the young men in the house. ? Both psychics stated that 4 black men were unjustly hung. ? Both psychics detected that 2-3 men took part in the beatings of the prisoners. ? The women who were arrested during Order #11 were house in the upper jail cells.
MPR would like to thank Ghost Vigil for inviting us to attend this investigation with them. It was very interesting to see the different types of equipment that their team uses and we were quite impressed with their professionalism. We had a great time and hope to do further co-investigations in the future. MPR and Ghost Vigil had several experiences that seemed to coincide with each others findings. Please visit their website at www.ghostvigil.com for a full report of their findings.
MPR would also like to thank Steve, Marianne and Lindsey for granting us access to the facility and sharing their knowledge about its fascinating history. We had a great time and feel we had some very productive investigations. We highly recommend stopping by and visiting the Old 1859 Jackson County Jail and Marshal House. Not only is it abundant in ghost activity but it is also rich in local history. |
