Ohio Reformatory

Ohio Reformatory - Deaths

Most of the 322 inmates who died that night perished from poisonous smoke given off from green lumber being used in construction scaffolding on one part of the cell block. But pictures of the debris attest to the incredible heat of the fire, which turned a tower of catwalks, bars and locks into a tangle of twisted metal.

Prisoners were not the only victims at the penitentiary in 1948, inmates brutally murdered a prison farmer and his family. In 1950, the warden's wife died under mysterious circumstances. She had allegedly died after a gun accidentally fired while she was searching for items in her closet. The warden later suffered a heart attack at the prison, and died a short time later.

Since its closure, rumours of the spirit encounters, ghosts and paranormal activity have filled the town of Mansfield. Witnesses to the paranormal activity at Ohio Reformatory come from reliable members of the local community. Since the Mansfield Preservation opened the former prison up for paranormal tours, visitors havecome here from all over America hoping to have there very own paranormal experience.

In the Administration Wing visitors and employees have reported experiencing strong paranormal activity. The administration wing where Warden Glattke and his wife Helen resided. The story is Helen, while reaching for a box in the closet, knocked a gun off the shelf to the floor, causing a bullet to discharge into her chest. She was rushed to the Mansfield General Hospital where she died as a result of her injuries.

Rumours ran rampant that Warden Glattke was responsible for Helen's death, but there was never any proof to substantiate such rumours. Ten years later Glattke suffered a heart attack and died at the same hospital as Helen previously.

Some believe that Helen and Warden Glattke haunt the administration rooms to this day. The strong smell of Helen's rose perfume reportedly floats in and out of her pink bathroom. Visitors report felling a gush of cold air pass through them as the wander through this wing. It is not uncommon to hear of a jammed camera shutter, which works again once the visitor left the area.