FAMOUS CASES
Alcatraz
Alcatraz Prison was originally built to be a
military prison in 1859. It's location in the middle of San Francisco Bay on
Alcatraz Island, surrounded by bitterly cold water swirling in powerful
currents, made it an ideal place for that purpose. In 1933 it came under
federal jurisdiction, where for thirty years it served as a harsh home for the
most difficult and hardened criminals. Life was severe in Alcatraz. The
harsh rules were very strictly enforced, with infractions resulting in
solitary confinement, or an extended stay in a steel box; a punishment
naturally dreaded by the inmates. Suicide and murder were a common
occurrence. When the buildings began to crumble from age in 1963, the prison
was discontinued, but Alcatraz continues today as a national park, open to the
public for tours.
However, Alcatraz does not stand empty
between tours, if the reports can be believed. In the cells, the passageways,
the hospital, and the blocks, something remains. Feelings of presences and
impressions of pain and distress can be felt in different areas; loud clanging
noises have been heard, voices echo with no one there, Freezing temperatures
in the solitary confinement cells and the areas where the steel boxes were
kept have been regularly felt and reported.
Sylvia Browne investigated Alcatraz. She
took an ex-convict of Alcatraz and a CBS news team with her. While there,
she reported impressions of violence, plus the distressed presence of a former
inmate known as "Butcher" in the laundry rooms. From her description, the
former inmate accompanying her was able to identify the entity. Browne held
a seance in the dining room of Alcatraz, for the purpose of freeing "Butcher"
to enable him to go to the other side. Apparently, in spite of reassurances
that he would have help and guidance, "Butcher" refused to do so, preferring
to remain in the prison where he had died. Browne hopes to return in the
future to try again.
If you're interested in visiting Alcatraz for
yourself, you MUST make a reservation for the tour. You can do so by calling
415-546-9400. If you go, be sure to tell "Butcher" hi for me...
-Webmaster.