Eastern State Penitentiary

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Eastern State Penitentiary
July 9, 2009
Mark Davis
Examiner.com

What can be said about a location that has so much history; as well as paranormal history? This is where Al Capone was incarcerated, this is where the now famous "Dude Run" yelled by Brian Harnois from the Ghost Hunters television series was heard for the first time. This is where TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) also from the Ghost Hunters television series had an apparition suddenly appear and turn around and then quickly dissipate back into the darkness.

Eastern State Penitentiary was designed in 1821 by British born architect John Haviland. In 1822 the construction began on the prison. Many people believe that this was the first prison of its kind, but the basis of design for this was from the original "Penitentiary House" built in 1790 within the city of Philadelphia. This prison was constructed as an experiment of day and night solitary confinement. In October of 1829 the first "blocks" of the prison are opened and they begin to receive inmates that are sentence to solitary confinement with labor. The construction of the prison was completed in 1836 and the prison is looked upon as a standard that many nations begin to adapt.

There were many people held within the walls of the prison including "The Cat Murdering Dog" Pep. There is too much speculation to get into about Pep. In 1929, perhaps the most famous inmate ever to enter Eastern State was Al Capone, sentenced for carrying a concealed weapon he will spend the next eight months at the penitentiary.

Ghost stories began in earnest with the arrival of Capone, it is said that he would scream every night for "Jimmy to go away and leave him alone". It is believed that this was the ghost of James Clark who was murdered in the St. Valentine’s Day massacre. Many prisoners were tortured by the guards for a variety of reasons. The guards made up the punishments and executed them when they believed it necessary. During these tortures many prisoners were killed and people believe they still haunt the prison.

The most well known story of the prison is that of locksmith Gary Johnson. Mr. Johnson was involved with some of the restoration work at the prison in the 1990’s. One day he was changing out a cell door lock that was over 140 years old. He felt an overwhelming presence come over him and hold him down. He then witnessed what he described as a "spirit in charge" gesture to him to go into the cell. Needless to say Mr. Johnson did not enter that cell.

Eastern State is a location where you will not encounter Casper the friendly ghost. This is a place where many evil people lived and died and many are believed to still be roaming their halls.