Mar 01 2009
The Old Ohio Pen
At its peak in 1955, the Pen held 5,235 prisoners. Among the famous was William Sidney Porter, also known as O. Henry, who wrote more than a dozen stories inside, including “The Gift of the Magi”; Sam Shephard, the Cleveland doctor who was wrongfully accused of murdering his wife, served ten years thanks to our wonderful criminal justice system, and was eventually released due in large part to the efforts of F. Lee Bailey–the TV show “The Fugitive” was based on the Sam Shephard story; and Charles Makley and Harry Pierpont, associates of John Dillinger, who were eventually gunned down during an escape attempt.
In 1930, when an inmate set a fire in an escape attempt and 322 inmates died in the ensuing fire. Rumor has it that the guards deliberately delayed the unlocking of the cells to teach the prisoners a lesson. After that screams and moans were said to emanate from inside the walls.
The prison closed in 1979. Hundreds of people were executed at the prison from the gallows to the electric chair and many believe that this is the cause of the hauntings.
