Chapter 5: Taunton State Hospital for the Criminally Insane
Stifling a yawn, Joe Santini spoke…..
“We are sitting not ten miles away from one of the scariest and cruelest places in the entire U.S. It’s called the Taunton State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. In its 150 year history there were thousands of weird and unexplained happenings. Though I am going to tell you about one of the strangest things that ever happened there, I wish to rest my voice a bit. Does anyone else know anything about this cursed medical facility?”
“At the risk of boring you guys, I can give you some facts about the complex,” said the history teacher, Mr. Merkens. “There were some 40 buildings spread over 150 acres. It was a miniature city, complete with a theater, a ballroom, a dairy farm, and a complete torture chamber in the cellar of the main building.
Taunton State Hospital
“In 1854 when it was built, mental hospitals treated the patients much more harshly than they would be today. Many of the unfortunates were permanently chained to the walls of the basement. Ice picks were used to give lobotomies to the more troublesome inmates. Electric shocks were employed to erase memories; but all too often the shocks erased the whole brain, leaving nothing but human vegetables.
“As to the paranormal, the hospital has more than its share of ghosts, werewolves, shadow-men, wall-walkers, visitations by the devil, and satanic human sacrifices. The bizarre happenings were not confined just to the hospital, but also to the surrounding woods,” said Markens.
“My Mom worked at in the clerical department at Taunton State in the 1980’s” interjected Bill Ricci, the 15 year old Junior Counselor, “and she told me a few things that she noticed.”
“What did she tell you Bill?” asked Mr. Markens.
“She never saw any ghosts or the guy who supposedly walks on the walls and ceilings. She said the worst thing that she experienced was the howling of the patients during full moons.
“She left work shortly after eight p.m. every night and as she was getting in her car she would hear occasional howls and moans from the patients. On the nights of a full moon the volume of noise would increase by a thousand per cent. The screaming and the whining of the tortured residents became overwhelming.
“She said that her workspace was free of weird happenings, but that some of her co-workers experienced ‘cold spots’. A small area of their office would suddenly get very cold. They said that it was usually a small area covering about three or four feet of floor space. The temperature would drop ten degrees or more in the cold spot without warning and with no reasonable explanation. One of her friends believed that the cold spots were caused by ghosts and that their spirits are contained in the frosty bubble of cold air.
“That’s all I know about Taunton State Hospital,” Bill concluded. “Hey Joe! We’re ready for that story about the strangest thing that ever happened in Taunton State Hospital for the Criminally Insane.”
Joe did not answer. The three friends called his name. Softly at first - “Joe. Joe. Joe.” Then Louder. “JOE. JOE. JOE. JOE!”
Joe Santini still did not answer. His eyes closed, he sat there before the fire, as still as a boulder.
“I think he’s asleep,” said Bobby.
“I think he’s drunk,” added Freddy.
“I think he’s dead,” Bill offered.
“I’m going to shake him and wake him up”, said Mr. Markens.
“Do it.” Freddy responded. “Because I really want to hear the story.”
Mr. Markens reached over to touch Joe but before he could get within a foot of him, Rip sprang to his feet and growled a deep and loud warning to stay away.
Mr. Markens, Freddy, Bobby, and Bill warily backed off and went to their tents.
“Let’s try to get some sleep now,” said Mr. Markens, “and we’ll check on Joe Santini in the morning.”
The end
'Swamp Tales' is written by Bill Russo and in part draws upon themes imagined in the late 1800s and early 1900s by people like Fergus Truslow, Robert Howard and Irvin S. Cobb