Hunt for ghosts in jail with dark past

FREMONT — Capital punishment in the 18th century has an interesting and dark side.Punishments described as barbaric and severe were applied even for relatively minor offenses. For instance, in the 1840s in Fremont, a dungeon was built for prisoners and a gallows ground was created for executions.Visitors will have the opportunity to take a paranormal tour with ORBS (Ohio Researchers of Banded Spirits) of the facilities, called "Dungeon Descent."The historic Sandusky County jail, where the dungeon is in the basement and the gallows across the street, is a paranormal hot spot for several reasons, said David Thornbury, marketing director of the city of Fremont."Several things attribute to why these grounds have paranormal activity; suicide, public executions and the Battle of Fort Stephenson in 1812," Thornbury said.The Friday tour is sold out, however, brave patrons can attend the last "Dungeon Descent" on Nov. 28.For a more kid-friendly event, visitors can attend the historical jail tour on Oct. 24 and Nov. 7."I think people are intrigued by the unknown and question if ghosts really do exist," Thornbury said. "This area has a lot of interesting and dark history. By attending these events, people get a glimpse into the past." Reach the Register at news@sanduskyregister.com. Follow us on Twitter @SanduskyRegistr and at Facebook.com/sanduskyregisterThe Historic Sandusky County Jail will host Dungeon Descent on Friday.Patrons walking through a hallway at the Sandusky County Jail during Dungeon Descent – Adventure into the Paranormal.The ORBS team used used new technology to show who or what was in jail cells in the back of the Commissioner's building. This figured appeared in one of the jail cells.