Evidence From The Mansfield Reformatory

Mansfield Reformatory Investigation
November 14, 2008
Ohio P.E.R.V.S. present - Jen and Eric Williams, Craig and Mandi Worrell, Denise and Andy Donaldson.

Back in November, the group had the fantastic opportunity to join Haunted Heartland Tours tour of the historic Mansfield Reformatory located in Mansfield, Ohio. During the several hour investigation, the team was able get several very clear EVP's along with one interesting photo. I apologize for not getting this done sooner, but as always, life and work kept getting in the way.

Photographic Evidence:
The following photograph was taken on the third level. As you can clearly see, there is nothing else on the other side of the rail but air. Denise was taking random shots and caught this:

(Click to enlarge)

As you can see, there is nothing below or above this area. Just space. Looking into the image properties, the shutter speed of the shot was 1/64 of a second. So there was no image stability issues at play here either. Once on the computer, I was able to zoom in and invert the image:
To be honest, we do not know what caused this. I've been working with photography for over 20 years and have seen a lot of different things on film that can easily be explained away, but I cannot come up with an answer for this.
Thinking that it could have been falling paint chips, which are everywhere at the old prison, we tried to recreate this by throwing paint chips in the air and snapping pictures. Any time we did it, you could tell it was a paint chip. But at 1/64 of a second shutter speed, whatever this is, it is moving fast.
All of our photos from the expedition can be viewed here.

EVP Evidence:
1. Our first EVP is from the east cellblock area. There was no one in the area except the girls who are doing some investigating when you hear a southern voice saying "You better get." Click here to hear the EVP.

2. Jen was talking with the other investigators near the TB ward when you hear a childish "Okay". Click here to hear the EVP.

3. Jen, Mandi and Denise were back in the east cell block area and Jen was commenting on brushing up against the "nubs" that are sticking out of the cells and the feeling that she is getting touched when you hear an Appalachian accent in the background ask if she would like to touch his. Click here to hear the EVP.

4. The team was later in the shower room and a voice asks if they smoke. Click here to hear the EVP.

5. Jen was then alone by the "Brooks was here" room. Not really sure what this may be. Click here to hear the EVP.

6. In a solitary, Jen ask's, "They call you Johnny, is that your name?". Click here to hear the EVP.

7. While the recorder was running in the library area, an odd British sounding accent is saying something. What do you think? Click here to hear the EVP.

8. In the TB ward, a sigh can clearly be heard. The recorder was placed on a level surface away from the investigators, this sigh sounds like it is right beside the recorder. Click here to hear the EVP.

9. Another sigh, but at this time, it was noted that on the EM meter, there was a spike. Click here to hear the EVP.

10. Denise was doing some general EVP investigation asking "What's your name?". In the background you can hear a some mumbling that is not very clear. Click here to hear the EVP.

11. This is the EVP that has really stumped us and one that we didn't catch the first time through the digital recordings. The girls were in a cell in the east cell block with the recorder resting on a cot. In the background, there is a faint, childish, "who is it?", followed by noise that sounds like children and then VERY clearly what I think is a Scottish brough saying "who's there?". At that moment, Jen comments that she had heard a sound that sounded like the squeaking of a mattress. There was no one else in the area at this time, just our team. Click here to hear the EVP.

We had several personal experiences here that cannot be backed up by evidence. At one point in the chapel, Craig heard a very audible sigh or breath from one corner of the room that was not picked up by any equipment. Also in the chapel, Andy, trying to remember how to say "The Sign of the Cross" in Latin to see if that would arose any activity since any Mass service held in there would have likely been said in Latin. A knock was heard from the general area where Craig had heard the sigh, but no other evidence was found.
Towards the end of the night, Jen and Denise decided to go back into the cell blocks to try and find the cell marked with an "X" that had activity when the "Ghost Hunters" from TAPS were there, and while walking along the cells, Denise had her arm grabbed, and felt like she was physically spun around. Unfortunately the recorder was not running at the time, and photos that were taken immediately after did have a few orbs in them, but are untrustworthy as evidence.

Conclusion:
The Mansfield Reformatory is an amazing place. Not only a male reformatory, it was also used for a time as a tuberculosis quarentine, so we feel that there is a strong possibilty of spirits other then just the former male tenents still inhabit the premises. Which is very clear from our EVP's. Filled with history and lead paint chips, it's an imposing beast that can easily be tamed by the amateur ghost hunter enthusiast. We did not know what to expect going into the prision, but for me, I felt very comfortable there and not at all "freaked out". As far as our evidence goes, I really do feel that it speaks for itself in many ways. None of this evidence is altered in any way except some of the audio is cleaned up using Roxio's audio tools to try to get the best sound possible with what we have captured. Please let us know your thoughts!

Zoar Analysis Report

Zoar Ghost Hunt, April 26, 2008

Analysis report

BACKGROUND:

The town of Zoar, located in the Tuscarawas Valley, was founded by a group of German Separatists in 1817. The spiritual leader of the group was Joseph Bimeler. When they first settled, life was extremely hard for them, so they formed a communal-type society, in which every citizen contributed, and all food and clothing was shared. There were textile mills, farms, a tin shop, a cooper, iron foundries and several stores. They made money by contracting to dig a seven mile stretch of the canal, which enabled them to pay off their debts early on. Over time, outside influences, such as guests at the hotel, worked to eventually have the communal Zoar disbanded, and citizens were each given a piece of land as their own. Today, the Ohio Historical Society operates a portion of the town as a historic site. A number of the Zoarite buildings are restored and are open to the public.

LOCATION: Tin Shop
TEAM: Andy, Denise, Jen, Eric
EVIDENCE: One EVP and personal experiences
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Low
METHODOLOGY:First impressions- group was optimistic, this was our first hunt, first group to enter Tin Shop this evening. Group spent approximately 20 minutes here. Took digital photo, video, audio.

Experiences: Jennifer got the impression of a tall, thin, gaunt man, very stern but not mean, with dark hair and beard, and he lived on the second floor. Jen also heard distinctive ‘knock’ coming from upstairs, which is empty.

EVP: You will hear a car driving by, shortly thereafter a strange sound which the group describes as a small child vocalizing. No children were in vicinity.
Click here for the EVP


LOCATION: Bakery
TEAM: Andy, Denise, Jen, Eric
EVIDENCE: None
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Low
METHODOLOGY:First impressions: too much outside noise, not promising, others investigating. Group spent approximately half an hour to forty-five minutes, between upstairs and downstairs.

Digital photos, video, audio showed nothing.

Experiences: Jennifer got impression of tall, robust, sturdy, pleasantly happy woman here. (Story was told of woman named Mary, who died of cancer here; vials of morphine have been found in the walls. This does not go along with the impression that Jen received.)


LOCATION: Number One House
TEAM: Andy, Eric
EVIDENCE: Multiple EVP’s, personal experience
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Medium
METHODOLOGY:First impressions: many others investigating, lots of noise. Eric and Andy investigated basement of Number One House. Digital photos and video showed nothing. K2 meter was also used. They had several EVP’s and personal experiences, and modest K2 readings. Andy described having ‘had an eerie feeling’, brushing against something, took photos but nothing appeared. Eric attempted to communicate with an entity and picked up two EVP’s as a result.

EVP: Two EVP’s occur in short order. The first sounds like a hard soled boot taking two steps across the stone floor. The second happens about a minute after the first and Eric makes mention of all the noise upstairs sounding like a “herd of water buffalo”. The voice sounds as though it may respond by saying “mm hmm”, as in agreement.
Click here for the EVP


LOCATION: Number One House landing
TEAM: Jen, Denise, Andy, and Eric
EVIDENCE: K2 Meter, Video camera, audio, and EVP
ACTIVITY LEVEL: High
METHODOLOGY:First impressions- possible activity on the first floor landing next to clothing exhibit. Eric, Andy, Denise, and Jennifer investigated the first floor landing after being told someone felt they were ‘pushed’. Audio from digital recorder and audio from the video both record an EVP of a woman’s voice after spikes on the K2 meter.

EVP: You hear Denise ask, “Can you tell us your name?” You then hear a very clear voice answer, “Mary Grace.”
Click here for the EVP


LOCATION: Number One House Attic
TEAM: Eric and Andy
EVIDENCE: Third Person and First Person Experience
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Debatable
METHODOLOGY: Eric and Andy went to the attic and witnessed a woman having a personal experience with a ghost child. Digital photos, audio recorders, and videotape proved inconclusive. The woman having the experience was visibly upset and sad. She claimed to have contact with a sickly little boy who was upset with all the noise and people in the house that night.


LOCATION: Magazine basement (large)
TEAM: Andy and Eric
EVIDENCE: EVP
ACTIVITY LEVEL: Low
METHODOLOGY: Andrew and Eric visited this stone basement together. After spending about 20 minutes of investigating, the team turned up one EVP. Digital photos and digital video turned up negative. A K2 meter turned up modest results and K2 activity did coincide with the EVP. No team member had a personal experience.

EVP: Eric asks the questions while Andy is taking photos. Eric asked the entity if it was a child and the entity responded with a distinct, though very soft “yes”. Speakers need to be up for this one.
Click here for the EVP


LOCATION: Magazine basement (small)
TEAM: Denise and Jen
EVIDENCE: Personal experience, possible EVP
ACTIVITY LEVEL: High
METHODOLOGY: Jen and Denise went into the lowest part of this basement. As they were going around the corner down the stairs, Denise saw a dark shadow go around the corner in front of them. Tried to recreate this shadow by going back up and down several times, but were unable to recreate. Immediately upon following shadow down into deepest part of basement, Denise felt very uncomfortable. Audio recorder used, possible EVP of a heavy sigh into microphone. No camera was present at this time. Jen tried EVP work, with humming. When humming would stop, EMF would spike, as if to prod her to keep humming. Denise felt a sudden tug on hair at this time. EMF spikes continued for approximately 10-15 minutes.
Click here for the EVP


LOCATION: Magazine basement (large)
TEAM: Andy, Denise, Eric, Jen
EVIDENCE: Equipment malfunction, K2 readings very active.
ACTIVITY: Medium
METHODOLOGY: Team went back into part of basement where Andy and Eric got the “Yes” EVP, almost full battery went suddenly dead, K2 readings spiking very high, seemingly in answer to questions. No EVP’s caught, but Eric felt that he heard ‘something’ behind him at one point. Questions ‘answered’ seemed to be that it was a younger, married, male entity.


FINAL IMPRESSIONS:Overall, too many people involved in hunt to be able to investigate accurately. Too much outside noise, and people moving around. We had many personal experiences, but it was noted nothing happened in the Number One House until Jen picked up a quartz crystal and started carrying it around. At the end of the evening, we spoke to one of the Zoar tour guides and asked if she knew anything about the tin-smith, and she told us she had seen pictures of the gentlemen. Her description of the pictures matched almost exactly to Jen’s earlier impressions of the man who lived there. The guide also told us the man was married and had 7 or 8 children, and did, in fact, live in the upstairs of the tin-shop, as Jen had suggested earlier. We were pleasantly surprised to have been able to capture all of the EVP’s that we did, even with the large crowd that was there that night.

Special thanks goes out to our “Ghost Guide” of the evening, Sherri Brake-Recco of Haunted Heartland Tours, and her work with the Ohio Historical Society for arranging this hunt.

The first of the Zoar EVP's

I know, I'm running behind on getting my chores done. Just last night I started converted the video to digital format to start analyzing and I will place a report on here once that is complete. But I wanted to wet your appetite in the meantime. During the April 26th, and sadly the last, event at Zoar, Eric was asking specific questions with his digital recorder running. The following is just one of the EVP's we landed that night. I apologize, the quality isn't real great, but I think you can hear all that you need to. Eric asks, "Are you a child?"
For the response, click here
Please share you thoughts in the comment section for this post!