They
see dead people: Ghost Hunters visit prison Michael
T. Burkhart • (Cherry Hill, N.J.) Courier-Post Staff •
February 24, 2008 In
the basement of the old jail in Mount Holly, N.J., John Kurkis probes the inky
darkness with a sound recorder and an infrared thermal thermometer. He's hunting
for ghosts. Every
now and then, he snaps a digital photo, hoping to record an orb, a wisp of ectoplasm
passing by, or even a rare vortex. A member of South Jersey Paranormal Research,
Kurkis helps probe spooky houses, historic buildings and cemeteries looking for
evidence of the hereafter.
"I've
been interested in it for years," says Kurkis, 39, of Deptford, N.J. Last
fall, a crew from SciFi Channel's Ghost Hunters visited the jail, now a museum,
for several days.
The
jail, now the Historic Burlington County Prison Museum, has lots of stories, says
Susan Bove, who founded SJPR in 2001. For more than a century, the jail housed
all walks of life, from petty crooks to murderers. Hangings were carried out in
the prison yard. And until an adjacent house was built, the warden's family lived
behind the thick masonry walls. "We
love the history," says Bove, 46, of Glendora, N.J. "It was built in
1811 and housed prisoners until 1965." SJPR
comes to the jail a few times a year. Because of the activity members say is recorded,
it's a good place to give new members some hands-on training. Other
groups also have been there, including South Jersey Ghost Research, another organization
that fans out across the area. Last
fall, a crew from SciFi Channel's Ghost Hunters visited the museum for several
days. The show is expected to air in the new season, although a date has not been
announced. Bove
knows there are skeptics out there - people who say spirits don't exist or that
tapes and photos are fabrications - and she invites them to tag along with the
group to see things firsthand. Some
people, like Bonnie Knowles, a new member, participate while searching out answers
to life's questions. "I
want to know where we go when we leave this life," says Knowles, 37, of Egg
Harbor Township, N.J. "I'm just looking for answers to what happens when
we move on." Things
that go bump Ron
Reed, who has volunteered at the museum for six years, won't say if he believes
the place is haunted, but he's seen some strange things over the years. "Let
me put it this way," says Reed. "I don't say I do, but I don't say I
don't. There are some things that can't be explained." He
says he's heard footsteps echoing when no one is around. He has a recording of
someone saying "hang him." One day, just before closing, he felt what
he swears were fingers poking his lower back. "The
hair on my arms stood up," says Reed, 57, of Mount Holly. "I haven't
seen shadows. But I've heard things." The
jail was built in 1811 and designed by Robert Mills, one of America's first native
born and trained architects. It was in use until 1965, and renovated as a museum
in the mid-1990s. When
it closed, it was the oldest prison in continuous use in the United States. Built
to hold 40 people, it held about 150 when it was shuttered.
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