What happened
Designed by John Haviland, the prison opened on 25 October 1829. Seven wings radiated like the spokes of a wheel, and each convict was held alone in a cell with a skylight and a private exercise yard. Prisoners were hooded whenever they were moved so they could not recognise each other. The system of “penitence in solitude” was meant to lead to remorse, but it drove many to madness – Charles Dickens was among its critics. Al Capone was held here in 1929–1930 in a comfortably furnished cell. According to guards, he screamed at night for “Jimmy” to leave him alone – supposedly the ghost of a victim of the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. The prison closed in 1971 and its walls began to crumble. Since 1994 it has been a museum, where staff and visitors tell of shadows flitting through Cellblock 6, laughter in Cellblock 12 and faces in the cells. In the 1990s a locksmith removing an old lock in Cellblock 4 reportedly felt something holding him back and saw tormented faces on the walls.
Witnesses
Prison guards (the Capone accounts), museum staff, a locksmith working on the restoration, visitors and paranormal TV crews.
Explanations and hypotheses
The story of “Jimmy's” ghost comes from anecdotes by guards and fellow inmates and cannot be verified; Capone may already have been affected by the illness that later destroyed his health. A ruin with empty corridors, dripping water and draughts creates ideal conditions for auditory and visual illusions. The museum openly uses this reputation with a large Halloween horror attraction every year, while also devoting much attention to the history of imprisonment and isolation.
Legend A story handed down through generations – it can be neither confirmed nor disproved.
Sources
- Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site – History of Eastern State Penitentiary
- Richard E. Greenwood, National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Eastern State Penitentiary (National Park Service, 1974)
More: Wikipedia (en)