Ghosts come alive at Rocky River Public Library
By Charles Cassady
Insights
Published Oct. 29, 2008

It is said that the oldest published ghost stories in the world date back to the Roman author Pliny the Elder in the mid-first century A.D. This Thursday some of the newest published ghost stories in the world will be presented at the Rocky River Public Library – by me.

At  7 p.m. I will speak about “Cleveland Ghosts,” my new book from Schiffer Publishing, of Atglen, Pennsylvania. Hot off the presses for 2008, it intertwines local history with legends, tall tales, first-hand accounts, and speculations about how such yarns germinate and grow. Everything from the full saga of Franklin Castle to last year’s alleged entity (it looked like a piece of fluttering blue fluff) captured by a Marathon gas station security camera in Parma.

Science has never recognized a ghost as genuine, but you would hardly know that from the high visibility (or invisibility) they maintain in the popular culture. If you don’t get enough of ghost-hunting shows on “reality TV,” there are numerous backyard “paranormal investigation” teams tramping around cemeteries and landmarks with their digital cameras and tape recorders, often posting their findings online (check out www.ohpri.com, for a Buckeye State example). “Ghost tour” businesses are now in full swing for the October season, in northeast Ohio or any other community of any size. Self-proclaimed celebrity psychics and spirit mediums make big money by claiming to communicate with the dead – one of them, Lisa Williams, just did her thing in Playhouse Square (itself supposedly haunted) Monday night, selling $35 tickets to witness her séance mojo live.

For what it’s worth, my book itself is cheaper. And my Rocky River Public Library appearance is free of charge. Then again, I’ve never seen a phantom myself - aside from local job opportunities, perhaps. But hearing from so many people who have seen spirits makes me feel quite left out.

In some cases ghostly manifestations occur strictly as sounds. The term “poltergeist,” literally translated, means “noisy ghost,” and, by some strict definitions, a poltergeist is by its very nature unseen, though stories ranging from well-documented by outrageous hoaxes tell of flung objects, mysteriously arranged furniture or clothing, or even strange writing. Other lesser known forms of “ghosts” include “forerunners” or “tokens,” regional nicknames for a type of phantom that appears as more or less an omen. It is seen coincident to or simultaneous with the original human’s death. In paranormal tales this type of spirit usually materializes before family members, often over very great distances.

An old superstition claims that if an individual dies in a room with a mirror that is uncovered, the spirit remains trapped in the looking-glass and will be seen peering out. In many ghost accounts it seems that an apparition is visible to some witnesses, but not others.

In a sampling of ghost stories reported to me personally, just in the weeks since “Cleveland Ghosts” rolled off the presses:

• Mansfield Reformatory: A woman was part of a wedding party that had rented the ominous-looking old state prison for the reception. She and a male friend had the opportunity to explore parts of the Reformatory on their own. They ventured into the windowless offices where “Shawshank Redemption” was filmed. She saw a black figure in the darkness that she took to be her friend, but he turned out to be in another part of the room.  She put her left arm through the shape. Later her friends pointed to her arm in its sleeveless shirt and asked, “What’s that?” She found what seemed to be a human bite mark on the upper part. In the same visit she went on a guided tour of the reformatory. This time another bite mark appeared, not far from where the first had been.  She felt no pain either time, nor could she have twisted her head in a position to bite the arm herself that way. And she wouldn’t have asked anyone else to bite her arm, she said; she wasn’t that type of girl.

• Another visitor to the reformatory was on a tour with a friend at one point she turned to walk down a corridor, only to see ahead, a few feet off the ground, red glows that looked like a pair of eyes. She asked her friend, “Did you see that?” Her friend said, “Did you FEEL that?” At the same time her friend had felt some kind of awful chill. Had not seen the eyes. They got the impression something did not want them going down the corridor.

• From the same witness: Her family looked into the purchase of an old homestead in Medina. It turned out to be haunted. The family already living there were born-again Christians, described to me as “living in denial.” Their method of dealing with the ghosts was to ignore them by refusing to go upstairs – ever -  where paranormal activity centered. When the witness’ family took over the house, they would spend long hours renovating, then while driving away see the lights of the second floor flicker back on by themselves.

• The Franklin Castle. A man recalled visiting the notorious near west-side mansion around 1976. He had brought his crucifix and Bible and girlfriend, had paid for the privilege of spending the night in the upstairs, sleeping on the floor. The owner at that time lived in a small residence below. The man was just complaining to his girlfriend that nothing was happening, that this ghost stakeout was a waste of time. Then loud banging began to emanate from the walls. Along with joints of the ceiling they could see “lightning” in straight lines flash angrily. The two ran downstairs to tell the owner they’d had enough and weren’t going to stay any longer. When the man came back upstairs to retrieve his things, the crucifix and coat were missing. The Bible was still there.

I am accumulating many stories like that. Once people feel they can commence speaking with you about ghosts, it really opens the floodgates. You become their confessor, the Crypt-keeper of their strange tales.

Even the managers of the Rocky River Public Library opened up to me about their resident ghost, heard pushing carts, walking about and – just once – seen at the top of a flight of stairs.

No guarantees anything so dramatic as that will happen Thursday night, but if you care to stop by, there will be night-before-Halloween treats for all. The Rocky River Public Library is located at 1600 Hampton Road in Rocky River, and you might want to reserve in advance by phoning (440) 333-7610.

On the Web:

• Rocky River Public Library
• "Cleveland Ghosts" at Schiffer Books