| The Pauly Jail and Court House The Pauly Jail and Court House offered APRT a unique opportunity to get a glimpse inside one of the states oldest standing jails. The building is a classic Gothic structure complete with witch hat caps at the corners. The jail was active until the 1970's and also used in the filming of the movie "Heaven's Fall" The actual history of the building tells of the prohibition era and the law men who helped to remove active moon shine stills in the area. Many of the stills collected are still located in the old jail. Copper tubbing, tubs, and thumpers line the walls and old pictures of law men hang in the Deputies quarters of the jail. An interesting feature of the old jail is perhaps the trap door located on the second floor. Used for hanging prisoners in plain site of other inmates. It's a gruesome part of the Pauly Jail history. Still in working order a lever is pulled that releases a trap door below a hanging inmate strung up in a noose fixed to an eye hook still in the ceiling. It's rare to see such contraptions in such great condition much less in working order. If you are ever lucky enough to get a tour of the old jail be sure and ask for a demonstration of the trap door. |
Union Springs, Alabama is a small location but packed with history. Our reporter for the night Jovani Fox of the
Union Springs Herald informed me that in the days of slavery that all the town's businesses would close early on
Thursday's so that slave owners could buy, sale, and trade slaves. Even today several of the town's businesses
still close at 12 on Thursday's. This tiny southern town stuck in time still offers a look at what life was like in the
days before the Emancipation proclamation. In the days of farmers and wagons. Pictures line the wall of the
Bullock County Courthouse of buildings still standing in the middle of town. A large mural also depicts the town's
history and accomplishment. The town's cemeteries are packed to the brim with confederate soldiers and
monuments set within them to document these fallen men.
Union Springs Herald informed me that in the days of slavery that all the town's businesses would close early on
Thursday's so that slave owners could buy, sale, and trade slaves. Even today several of the town's businesses
still close at 12 on Thursday's. This tiny southern town stuck in time still offers a look at what life was like in the
days before the Emancipation proclamation. In the days of farmers and wagons. Pictures line the wall of the
Bullock County Courthouse of buildings still standing in the middle of town. A large mural also depicts the town's
history and accomplishment. The town's cemeteries are packed to the brim with confederate soldiers and
monuments set within them to document these fallen men.
| Colonel John Branch who is credited for firing the first shots in the civil war from his ship is buried in the main cemetery in Union Springs, Alabama |
| Monuments can be found at just about every location in the middle of town. This one sits behind the Red Door Theatre (once a church) in a Confederate cemetery |
| The Red Door Theatre. Was once the Trinity Church. The Log Cabin Museum and Confederate cemetery is located just behind this building. |
| The Bullock County Jail seemed to offer more then the quite Pauly Jail. The Story of Sheriff Red Williams was told to me by the current Sheriff Raymond Rodgers. Sheriff Red Williams died a few years ago but disclosed to his deputies that he had a dread feeling inside the courthouse. The eye's of a photo of a confederate soldier that hangs in the hall wasn't a favorite of Sheriff Williams. He would swear that the eye's of the man would follow him when he walked past it. To the point of actually covering the photo. Sheriff Rodgers also told me that lots of times the elevator will go up and down on it's own with no one on it. |
While APRT has ruled these pictures as inconclusive due to no other evidence collected. We did try to reproduce
this picture under the same circumstances and could not. We made every effort to assure there was nothing in front
of the camera as well. Whether or not these photo's are paranormal or just some glitch in the camera it self they are
unusual. We hope that we will have another opportunity to investigate the Pauly Jail and Bullock County courthouse.
this picture under the same circumstances and could not. We made every effort to assure there was nothing in front
of the camera as well. Whether or not these photo's are paranormal or just some glitch in the camera it self they are
unusual. We hope that we will have another opportunity to investigate the Pauly Jail and Bullock County courthouse.
| As common as these occurrences are inside the courthouse our team didn't catch much on this particular investigation. The night was quite for the most part. Or was it? These photo's were taken inside the court room from the judges chair. The photo's show a mass that seemed to move past the camera. With no distinct features it's hard to say what it is. |