The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-03-31
Police, Firemen and Prisoners
See and Hear Strange Things
BEG TO Be RELEASED
Men Compelled to Stay in
Prison Tell Terrible Stories
Ghosts of Suicides and Old Time
Prison Inmates Said to Make
Night HideOus by Their Return.

Some of the most startling and
my ster Gus things ever heard Of in
Marion have occurred within the
past several days at the headquart-
ers Of the police and fire depart
ments. Many people skeptbcal con.
eerning spocks and ghosts will have
to admit that there is somethinl
.uncanny in the tales that are told
.oi the city hal.
few weeks ago fireman re-
signed his position at the central
department because black snally
object which hovered about his he'd
at ni2ht would not allow him TO
sleep. The young fireman frequen,
ly would jump out of bed in the
middle OF the night letting forth
the most hideous yells that could
come from the mouth OF man. -!
see him Just as plain. Can't you
see him standing right there, the
lad would ask and the other fremeu
would sink back in their beds won
dering what it really was
Recently a prisoner escaped from
tn" 'ty prison. The lock on the
cell was securely fastened when the
officers visited the prison in the
morning but the man was gone.
A prisoner confined In cell a
few nights ago, swore that he saw
the grim face of old "Shoe String
Jaok" who hanged himself I'm the
pr, son n few years ago The pris-
oner was perfectly scbtr and claim
ed that he was not the least BIT
superstitious. ~ could see his face
as plainly rs though he were living
and could distinctly hear his old
crutch pounding on the cement
Foor,'' exN'ined the frightened man.
IIe begged Of the mayor not to con-
fine him in the terrible place an
other night as he said he would he
converted into a raving maniac If
he were compelled 10 go through
another such experience.
II has been a common thing late
ly to have prisoners complain o.
hldeous shrieks and groans which
they say vibrated through the
prison shortly after the midnight
hour There are some men in Mar
ion that would rather visit hadea
than be locked one might in the
city prison The skeleton faces OF
"Shoe String Jack" and the tin
peddlar, both characters having died
in the prison, are said TO be the
most hideous sights imaginable.
Only a few nights ago the entire
fire department was compelled 10
believe that there IS something
that prowls through their corridors
at night. II Is customary with the
police 10 knock there times on the
door leading 10 the quarters Of the
liremen,, when they want the depart
ment The chief of department sleeps
in a bed near this particular doo-
so that he will able to hear any sig
nails from the poNce. On this par
iicu'ar night. there were three
thUTps on the door They were
given in slow but very distinct or
der. The chief and several of his
fellows iumDed OUT Of bed and
hurried to the door II was thrown
wide open but II was darkness
there, and nothing more. The
firemen searched the police head
quarters. thinking that some one
bad tried to play a practical Joke,
but there was not trace OF anyone.
This indescr,bable something has
evidently been seen by the fire de-
partment horses. Tuesday morning
shortly after I o'clock, the big gray
horse which Is the most quiet docile
animal in the barn, almost tore
down the stable In Its efforts to