Hello again, R. L. Stein story club members, I'm Ivy, your ghostly host, and keeper of those

strange and spooky tales from the hidden vault of R. L. Stein. Today is another chilling tale.

This arresting place I visited in California Story Club members is called Alcatraz Prison.

Alcatraz Prison was considered inescapable.

That's because the prison, located on a small island in the San Francisco Bay, is surrounded by freezing water and swift currents.

America's most dangerous criminals were sent to Alcatraz. Its history began in the 1850s when the United States built a fortress on the island to protect San Francisco, but it was never needed.

So, in 1868, the fortress was adapted into a military prison.

In 1909, however, most of the original fortress was demolished, and later, a new prison was built, which became known as Alcatraz Prison or The Rock. It opened in 1934.

The construction of the infamous Alcatraz prison was done by many of the prisoners themselves.

Alcatraz was known for its strict and harsh treatment of the prisoners and many died within its walls.

Eventually, it was shut down in 1963 and made into a national park. Since then, paranormal activity has been reported by the park rangers and night watchmen

who work there after daily visitors leave the island on tour boats and return to the mainland.

A small confined space with no light, Cell 14D, was where inmates were sent

for bad behavior. It was nicknamed the Hole. When the prison was first opened, an eerie

incident was reported. An in Cell 14D screamed to the Alcatraz guards that a monster

with glowing eyes was in the dark cell and was going to get him. The next morning, the cell was opened and the inmate was found dead.

During the prison headcount later that same morning, the guards counted one extra prisoner.

The guards who counted claimed to have seen the murdered prisoners standing among the ranks of his living inmates,

and then vanishing.

Al Capone, a ruthless Chicago gang leader in the 1920s and 30s, was arguably the most famous

inmate in Alcatraz.

During recess, when prisoners were out on the main yard, the guards would let Capone practice

...