The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-12-24
Oaviess County Jail Is Said to
Be Haunted by Form
er inmates.
HEAR TERRIFYING NOISES
SHERIFF SAYS THAT FREQUENT.
" HE IS AWAKENED At THE
DEAD OF NIGHT ~ CALLS OF
THE PRISONERS.

washington, 4nd., Dec. 24.-AccOrQ-
ing to Sheriff Colbert and his prison.
ers the Daviess county jail is haunted
by ghosts that produce terrifying
sounds. Cells on the two floors OF the
jail extend the full length OF the build.
ing to the right, with an extra cell
fronting on Third street that is used
as the women's ward. 1t was in this
cell that Steve Cole, the murderer Of
his cousin. says he heard the ghosts
every night he was in Jail.
Sheriff Colbert says that time and
again he has been awakened in the
night, usually between the hours OF IL
and !, by his prisoners calling for him.
The haunted part of the jail is the Sec
gond floor. In a cell on that floor two
men and one woman have hanged
themselves in the last ton years and
the ghosts of these unfortunates are
supposed by the prisoners to visit the
Jail. Strange noises seemingly come
from the cells. The sound as OF q man
snoring first reaches the frightened
mems ears; then comes the sound Of
a man strangling to death. The death
rattle completes the mysterious noise
and then all is quiet.
What Friohtens the Most.
However. the preliminary sounds are
what attract the attention Of the in.
mates of the jail. The huge iron cage
opening from the hall to the cell cor
ridor rattles; then follows a changing
as II all the cell doors on the floor are
being forced off their hinges. BY this
time the prisoners are fully awake.
The strangling sounds furnish enough
fright to cause the men to call for the
jailers.
Steve Cole described all these sounds
before he was taken to Michigan City.
He said that Friday night he was
awakened by the cage rafting and
then by the shaking of the cell doors.
He was on the second floor and got
out of bed. thinking the sheriff was
putting some one in a ceH. He look
ed out, but all was quiet. Soon after
the rafting of doors the sounds came
from a cell near him. He said they
were so realistic he could almost see a
man in the cell choking to death.
Though he had heard the sounds before
he was unable to go to sleep again.
and lay awake again the rest OF the
night.
Cole was one out CT many to tell the
same story of the haunted Jail. Each
of the three suicides died a slow death
by strangulation, using their towels
for the purpose.
The Daviess county Jail was built a
number of years ago. John McGregor
late county commissioner OF Marion
county, was the contractor. 1t Is
substantial brick building. but the
heating apparatus is out Of date and
inadequate. 1t is asserted by scoffers
that the strange noises are due to the
water in the pipes Of the heating plant
but prisoners say the noises have been
heard at times Of the year when there
was no water in the pipes. The cor
RESPONDENT sat in the dimly lighted
corridor Of the jail last Saturday night
while Steve Cole told Of the murder hi
had committed when he shot his cousin
George Cole in the back with a rifle
Following the narrative Of the murder
came his vivid description Of thu
haunted Jail in which, altogether. HI
had spent about sixty nights. Man!
of these nights his sleep was disturb
ed by the ghosts. It is not improba
bic that the noises. however they arr
produced. contributed to his comics
sion, as his conscience was at thu
breaking point many times and thes'
alleged nightly visitations Of ghosts
of other criminals told on his power
NJ endurance Ghosts or no ghosts
it is not an inviting place to spend
night, and at the conclusion OF CoIe''
story the correspondent was glad tt
seek the fresh air.