(creepy organ music) - [Narrator] This is a ghost story, a tale of horror and pain, of demons from beyond and the undead returning to their castle of evil to perform their violent, unspeakable rights.

(thunder roars) Well, no, not really.

This is a ghost story, all right, but it doesn't take place in a far off castle, and it doesn't involve creatures of the night evading our world.

(whimsical music) This ghost story takes place right here in Indianapolis at the Murat Temple, home of Indianapolis Shriners, and its main character is a very gentlemanly ghost indeed.

- I started running into this quite a few, I've been a member here for 43 years and actually I hadn't heard except one or two slight references to ghosts before I retired 10 years ago.

Then in talking with the maintenance men and some of the crews working around here, I heard various and sundry ghost stories about doors slamming, lights switching back on.

Some of the strange things that some of the people had seen, a number of people had seen an eerie blue light, a sort of a shimmering blue light that would rise out of the third box seat down there and come up towards the stage, then sit there and glimmering a little and then just sort of dissipating.

And because of some of the things they had seen, the boys started calling it Jacoby's Ghost.

(singer singing indistinctly) - [Narrator] Elias Jacoby was potentate or leader of the temple at the time it was built in 1910.

A fastidious man, who said never had a wrinkle in his suit, Jacoby devoted much of his life to the Shriners, even serving as national leader or imperial potentate of the organization.

Today, many people still feel his presence remains in the temple.

- I walked through the Social Room one night coming back and it's dark, and yet there is a light there by Jacoby's picture that I keep on so I know my bearings.

It's so dark in the room.

And as I started across, I kind of whimsically said, "Well, goodnight, everybody."

And I swear to you, the hair on my arms raised up and I said, "That's not funny.

Now stop it.

You're not frightening me."

I don't know whether it was me or just whimsy, I thought I kind of heard a chuckle.

- There was one of the maintenance men who had turned off the lights upstairs in the Egyptian Room and he saw a dark figure, looked like a man with a cloak, and had a grayish blue light around.

It was coming across the Social Room right towards this portrait.

And it disappeared into the portrait and he then heard strange music.

He didn't describe why it was strange, but it was coming out of the theater.

He went over there.

There was no one in the theater.

The curtains were moving, but there wasn't anybody there.

- [Narrator] Lloyd held a vigil one night with 10 other people to see if there was anything to these stories of Mr. Jacoby's return.

(singers singing indistinctly) After several hours of meditation, Lloyd noticed that something was happening to the portrait.

- And I saw his face changing expression, he was scowling, then he was smiling.

And as I watched, it went through three completely different transformations of age, all the way from a young man with thin face and black hair, through middle age, and up to a man with a chubby face and wrinkles and white hair.

And then I thought I was hallucinating.

I saw something and I tried to wash it out of my mind, and a lady behind me said, "My God, he's crying."

And there was, there was tear going right down the side of his nose.

- I felt that Jacoby's spirit had entered the portrait.

I'm sure that it has.

There are many people that have questions as how can this happen?

It does happen.

Objects can get possessed, houses can get possessed.

Somehow, Jacoby is so attached to the Murat Temple.

He was probably one of the founders of the temple.

He was there when it was built.

I believe he was the fifth potentate in the line.

I think that he's there to watch over.

He's a jovial, happy spirit.

We felt happiness with it, nothing bad.

- [Narrator] If Elias Jacoby does haunt the Murat Temple, he certainly isn't causing anyone any harm.

In fact, some people might find it comforting to have a resident spirit keeping an eye on the place.

Just be sure to pick up the trash and keep our seat reserved in the theater, you never know who might drop by.

(whimsical music) - [Presenter] For more "Across Indiana" stories, go to wfyi.org/acrossindiana.