This is a True Ghost Story. That I found in my book True Ghost Stories Haunted Heartland from the American Midwest. Book By: Beth Scott and Michael Norman
Each City in America has it's tales of heroic firefighters, public servants whose lives are oftened sacrificed to protect the public they serve. Chicago is no different. The files of the Chicago Fire Department are filled with the names of those who have died in the line of duty, and of the fires which have clamied them.
Of course, every American school child knows of Mrs. O'Leary and errent, lantern-kicking cow whose actions triggered the conflgration which nearly destroyed the city. But one of the strangest cases in Chicago fire history does not concern a particularly spectacular or long-remembered fire. Althought there was a tragic loss of ten lives, including eight firemen, the events which unfloded after the fire make the story chiling.
Francis X. Leavy ...Frank to felloe firefighters ... seemed molancholy, preoccupied, as he raised the soapy rag to clean the winter's dirt from another window in the firehouse at 13th and Oakley. It was Good Friday, April 18th 1924. Leavy was scheaulded to work that day and Easter, according to the recently-posted work scheadule. Leavy was a thirteen-year verten of the force, dedicated to his profession, but disturbed by being away from his wife Mary and childeren, June and Frank. They would understand, of course, but that didn't assuage Leavy's gloom as he struggled to concentrate in cleaning the windows in the firehouse.
The cold winter and late spring had taken it's toll on the spirit's of the men at Engine Company 107 and Truck Company 12. They were think full that in this day they could leave the learge red doors of the firehouse open as the went about spring cleaning.
Leavy's friend Edward McKevitt, was concerned about his comrade's dour expression. He walked over to Leavy. Was there a problem? he asked. Leavy's shoulder's sagged . This is my last day ay the fire department. he replied. The soapy palm of his left hend rested on the window glass as he contunied to clean the one across from it.
Then the alarm went of telling them there was a fire at Curren Hall. They were sent inside to cut a hole in the roof for ventilation to help the smoke get out so, they could put the flames out. Then the wall started to crumble and Frank never had a chance to get out. Out of the ten victums his face was the only on reconigizable. The next day McKevitt look around the firestation and a smuge on one of the windows caught his attention. He went over to investigate and relized that it was the out line of Leavy's hand where he had been was the window's not even 24 hours earlier. Everyone in the firehouse tried to get the had print off of the window but no matter what they tried the print would not be removed. The 20 yrs to the date that Leavy died a newspaper boy through a news paper at the station and it hit the window pane the contained the goastly hand print of Leavy and the window pane shattered into a thousand pieces
Rosalie-Midnite Community Member 
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