“Father into Thy hands I commend my spirit.” Those were the final words that Ralph Crossmire uttered before being jerked into eternal rest by 240 pounds on a pulley on Dec. 14, 1893 at 10 a.m.
At 503 West King St. in Smethport, lies the old jailhouse — now a museum— of McKean County. However, with a reputation of being the home of a residing ghost, this is anything but one’s typical jailhouse. Now, we are not talking about ghosts in the sense of Papa Emeritus nor the giant marshmallow man from Ghostbusters. The ghost that haunts the jail — and exclusively the dungeon of that jail — is very real, according to the staff and countless visitors the jailhouse receives.
This real-life paranormal celebrity is known as Ralph Crossmire. He was accused in the murder of Lucetta Crossmire, his mother. She was found covered in blood and hanging by her neck from a rope suspended in the family’s cow stable in Farmer’s Valley. Ralph Crossmire was found guilty and eventually sentenced to death by hanging. Before his hanging, he vowed to haunt the jail as a result of his execution.
Throughout the years, there have been countless reports and claims of paranormal activity, both long ago and recently. After Crossmire’s execution, a prisoner who was locked in the same cell that Crossmire had resided in, claimed to have seen him in the cell. Panic quickly spread throughout the dungeon as other inmates also saw him. The inmates begged to be released or sent to another jail, but they were forced to stay where they were and face the ghost of Ralph Crossmire.
During a personal investigation several years ago, footsteps could be heard and cold spots could be felt. Almost all of the activity took place in the dungeon — the dark, spooky dungeon. A K-II meter, which measures electromagnetic fields, had a few hits as it could be seen lighting up a handful of times; however, the most incredible thing happened while this writer was listening to a handheld audio recorder (which records sounds not audible to the human ear). Reviewing a recording where this reporter had asked, “Is Ralph here,” a faint whisper could be heard saying “yes, kid.” The faint voice grew slightly more audible and said, “I’m in jail for a life sentence.”
Recently, this reporter revisited Crossmire at the jail. One of the workers explained that a young student on a field trip managed to capture a picture of what appeared to be a misty face inside of a cell in the dungeon.
During this reporter’s investigation, I managed to capture yet another voice after conducting an EVP (electronic voice phenomenon). While taking photos with my camera, I told Crossmire that I could not see him in any of my photos. After that, the recording reveals a subtle whisper that appears to mumble “closer”. I had taken an old wooden chair to sit in while asking questions. I had got up to walk to the end of the dungeon and back while asking questions. As soon as I returned next to the chair, a loud creaking noise as if somebody sat in the chair filled the dungeon. The chair did not even make any noise when I sat in it. It was the final section of my investigation.
It was a feeling of excitement and assurance — I finally had proof that there was a ghost in the jailhouse. There was nobody else in the dungeon with me at the time — except for Crossmire. The jail is more than just an old jail or a museum. It’s a part of history.
The jail has much more to offer than its paranormal history. The non-profit organizations helps to pass the history on throughout the generations of the community. Tours are offered where one can learn about the history of the jail. If you visit the dungeon, Cross may be waiting for you.
