As I get older the more I consider traveling the world. I maybe from West Virginia but there are places that I have not been able to see yet. I would like to visit West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville, West Virginia and take a tour of the North Hall; I went through the haunted house part. Moundville Penitentiary was once the place for justice, now it is a place for business, and has dramatically changed over the years.
In 1866 the construction of the West Virginia Penitentiary was started, just three years after West Virginia separated from Virginia. (Grave Addiction) Moundsville was chosen by the state legislature as the location for the prison because it was very close to Wheeling, which was the capital at that time. The first…show more content… (Wvpentours)Shortly after noon there was a report that the rioting convicts has threatened to shoot the five hostages if any police or prison guards fired gunshots or tear gas at them. Soon after a fire in the basement of the prison was reported to be burning out of control around 12:30 pm. (Wvpentours) Two of the three inmates taken to the Reynolds Memorial Hospital were reported suffering from stab wounds. The first report of what prompted the riot was that a group of convicts overpowered a guard and took his keys to the solitary confinement section of the prison. (Wvpentours) They soon released Bobby Gene Jarvis, who was wait trial for kill one of the guards. Another report was that a convict who they thought to be Paul Ellis Davis, who killed two inmates while restrained to the Penitentiary. (Wvpentours) Then 17 other prisoners from confinement were released and these inmates generated the riot and eventually took five guards hostage. Davis was reported jumping a guard, and taking his keys. It was estimated by officials that about 35 "hard-core" convicts were involved in the rioting and taking of the five hostages. (Wvpentours) This riot was just one of many that has occurred over the years. The prisoners have even tried to escape. The prisoner who tried to escape on November 17, 1988 were model prisoners, but they both were convicted of ruthless murders and are considered tremendously dangerous. (Wvpentours) One was convicted for kill his family and the other was convicted for robbing and heartlessly killing an old man.
