Friday, December 20, 2024

1911 Christmas Pardon of Daniel Shawn

 

Main Entrance to WV State Penitentiary (1910)
Source: WV History on View


For those of us who celebrate Christmas, we all have our own traditions of the season that we carry out each year. It just doesn't feel like Christmas without my family's Christmas Eve pizza and subs night, or our annual viewing of Santa Claus Meets the Ice Cream Bunny. My tree wouldn't be complete without my favorite Krampus ornaments, or the tree skirt passed down from my grandma. And of course, the season can't get underway until I've heard David Bowie and Bing Crosby sing the Little Drummer Boy.

Once upon a time, the state of West Virginia had its own Christmas tradition. Each Christmas Eve, the governor would pardon the longest-serving prisoner at the (now haunted and historic) West Virginia State Penitentiary. On December 24, 1911, Governor Glasscock participated for the third time by offering a full pardon to a man named Daniel Shawn. 

Daniel Shawn was a 47-year-old illiterate farmer from Hampshire County when he was accused of murdering his brother-in-law, Absalom/Abraham Izor on June 23, 1893. He was found guilty that September, and sentenced to hang. However, due to some "improper and intemperate utterances" made by the prosecuting attorney, Shawn appealed, hoping to receive a new trial. 

A new trial never came, but Governor MacCorkle did commute his death penalty to life imprisonment at the West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville. Shawn became a model prisoner and trustee, even working a job at the Klee's Sons Factory in town. In 1909, he wrote to the newly elected Governor Glasscock seeking a pardon, but was denied. But, luckily for Shawn, his Christmas wish would come true in 1911. After serving 18 years for murder, the now 65-year-old was going home. 

*If you enjoy learning about the HISTORY as well as the hauntings of the WV State Penitentiary, please check out my collection of articles HERE!
Happy Holidays, everyone!

The Raleigh Herald
30 November 1911



Thursday, December 19, 2024

Meeting the Mari Lwyd

 

The Mari Lwyd
Fasnacht 2024


Once upon a time, I thought I had reached peak Creepmas status with meeting everyone's favorite Yuletide demon, Krampus. In fact, over the years, I met Krampus a few times at various events. My family and I still try to make a visit with Krampus part of our annual Christmas tradition. But, last year I kicked the creep up a notch and met another favorite holiday weirdo....the Mari Lywd of South Wales.

Although it was well past the 12 days of Christmas (it was actually during Helvetia's Fasnacht celebration in February) there was no mistaking the festively adorned horse's skull. I was, in fact, in the presence of the Mari Lwyd. But, who or what IS the Mari Lwyd?

Well...there's a lot of legends and lore surrounding this Welsh Christmas monstrosity. The first written record of the Mari Lwyd comes from A Tour Through Part of North Wales, written by J. Evans in 1800, although oddly, it is more associated with the southern part of the country. The Mari Lwyd is, well...it's a horse skull attached to a long pole and decorated with ribbon and festive baubles. The Mari Lwyd, accompanied by 4-7 men (generally) roam around between December 25th and Epiphany (January 6th). The Mari Lwyd and its posse visit various homes, and try to gain entry through a back and forth litany of crude rhymes. Basically, the Mari Lwyd challenges opponents to a rap battle. If the homeowner should back down before the Mari Lwyd, the whole gang is invited in to partake of food and drink, before moving on to the next home.

Hanging out beside the Mari Lwyd


Folklore experts disagree on where the name Mari Lwyd comes from, with some saying that it translates into Holy or Blessed Mary, meaning the mother of Christ. Others believe it simply means 'grey mare,' denoting the origin of the skull itself. Whatever its origin, the idea of a decorated horse skull knocking on your door, demanding entry is kinda weird....and definitely a quintessential part of the creepy Christmas tradition!

Luckily, when I met the Mari Lwyd, I didn't have to engage in battle with it. In fact, I think the poor guy who was wearing the costume was so worn out by having his picture taken, that by that point, all he wanted to do was sit down, which he did beside me. I tried to compliment him, but he just grunted a thanks, so I left him alone. Even an undead horse needs a holiday once in awhile!

Sources and Further Reading:





Tuesday, December 17, 2024

The Hungry Ghosts of Hong Kong

Beef Ho Fun
That definitely looks delicious!
Source



I love a good urban legend story, even if it does take place outside of the tri-state (and in this case, outside of the United States!). In an act of synchronicity, I've come across this tale a few times in the past month or so and thought it would be fitting for this time of the year. Not only does it take place in December, but it also mirrors one of my personal resolutions for 2025...

Back in December of 1989, there was a busy little tea house in the Tai Po neighborhood of Hong Kong called Chao Chung Kee. One evening, the restaurant received a telephone order for delivery. The caller requested a feast for four, including beef ho fun and char siu rice, among other dishes. As soon as the food was ready, it was sent out with a delivery man to the Hei Hau Fai Gardens residence.

Much to the chagrin of any delivery person, the residence in question was dark and quiet. After a frustratingly amount of time knocking at the door, it finally opened. All the delivery person could see was a black void, out of which came a pale hand, clutching some bills. A voice from the void requested that the food be left on the stoop. Payment was exchanged, and the delivery man made his regular pleasantries and headed back to the restaurant.

That evening, the owner of the restaurant was counting the day's income and noticed that among the bills were several pieces of brittle "joss paper." Joss paper, also known as ghost or Hell money, were non-legal tender bills that were usually burned by family members in veneration of the deceased. The idea was to make sure that our deceased ancestors had enough money to cover everything they'd need in the afterlife. More than a little miffed, the owner chalked it up to either a practical joke or an honest mistake.

He changed his mind the next day.

Once again, a call came in from Hei Hau Fai Gardens requesting a feast for four to be delivered. When the same delivery driver went out, it was a repeat of the day before. A hand clutching bills poked out and the food was left on the stoop. At closing, more joss paper was found among the day's profits.

When the same call came in for a third day in a row, the owner himself decided to deliver the food. He found the conditions much the same as reported by his delivery man, but this time, before leaving, he confirmed that the money given was legal tender. So, it was quite the surprise when later on, MORE joss paper was found among the day's earnings. At that point, the owner of the restaurant decided to get the police involved. 

The police arrived at the residence, yet no one answered the door. They finally resorted to kicking the door down and were met with a stench of death and decay. Around a mahjong table, still set up for play, were four young men, obviously deceased. However, there were no wounds or other signs of what killed them so quickly and without warning. Investigation, however, would offer up some answers. The men were killed by carbon monoxide poisoning from a makeshift coal-burning stove. They had been deceased for at least a week when found, based on decomposition....but that didn't quite make sense.

Neighbors had heard the talking of young men and clink of mahjong tiles as recent as the night before! Not to mention, SOMEONE was answering the door and receiving food delivery. Interestingly, the same order that was dropped off three days in a row by the Chao Chung Kee restaurant matched up with the 'fresh' food that was found undigested within the stomachs of the mens' corpses. 

Like many people this time of year, I've made a plan to reduce the amount of takeout food I order, both for health and for financial reasons. But, I admittedly am a little bit addicted. I hate to cook, and I certainly enjoy the luxury of choosing favorite dishes from favorite restaurants to have delivered straight to my door. That makes me wonder if that when I die, will I still try to partake in this activity as long as I can?

Obviously, this tale is less ghost story and more urban legend. Although we've got some pretty definitive dates and place names, none of these can really be verified. When you search for any of the terms, the first results are always re-tellings of the ghostly mahjong players. Further, variations of the tale date back all the way to right after World War 2. But why? With many urban legends, there is some reason behind the tale, usually a morality tale or warning to act in a certain way. Is this a subtle reminder from the companies that produce joss paper to stock up, because you never know when your deceased loved ones will have a craving for beef ho fun?

The awesome blog, Urban FolkOres, shares an early variant of the tale and offers up one of those grains of truth that so often accompany urban legends. It seems that in 1953, a local newspaper shared a story about a group playing mahjong in a Hong Kong apartment who noticed several pairs of disembodied hands had joined their game! They fled in terror, but word spread and people from all over flooded the area to see where the haunted apartment with the mahjong playing ghosts was located. This ended up being a hoax, stemming from a dispute with the landlord and tenants. 

I hope you enjoyed this urban legend as much as I did. Have a happy holiday season, and remember, it's up to you to ensure that your loved ones' fast food fix is fulfilled in the afterlife!

YouTube Recommendation:

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Happy Holidays From a UFO Witness!

One of my favorite Christmas traditions is exchanging Christmas cards with friends and family. Although I'm guilty of relying on mass-produced store-bought options, one of these years, I'd love to create my own. When I do, I'll be using the following card as inspiration!

Back in July, I visited the Gray Barker Archives in Clarksburg, WV. West Virginia's (in)famous ufologist saved just about everything, and the collection is not only home to books and film, but also props, newspaper clippings, unpublished writings, and of course, correspondence.

One such piece of correspondence was a Christmas card sent by a man named Jennings Frederick. Does that name ring a bell? Fans of West Virginia folklore and weird history might recognize Frederick as being the man from Fairmont, who, in the summer of 1968 saw the strange creature now known as Vegetable Man!

Frederick would go on to report his experience with Veggie Man, along with his further UFO/unexplained experiences and research, to Gray Barker. Among their correspondence was a hand-drawn Christmas card featuring Santa Claus apparently piloting a UFO. Inside was a sweet holiday sentiment, a small poem, and a note requesting further communication with Barker. 

As Veggie Man becomes more popular among West Virginia's menagerie of strange creatures, I'm so happy that I stumbled upon this interesting little piece of adjacent holiday history. I'm also thrilled that I get to share it with you this Christmas season! But, if you'd like to check it out for yourself, it's available in the Gray Barker archives, open by appointment. 


Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!









Wednesday, October 23, 2024

Lake Shawnee Swimming Pool Deaths

Lake Shawnee



 Like many locations with the reputation for being haunted, Lake Shawnee is no stranger to death. Mass burials of First Nations people, the Mitchell-Clay Massacre of 1774, multiple drownings on and near the property, and untold traffic fatalities in the vicinity make up a bulk of the deaths, But, there certainly have been others. In trying to find an appropriate way to actually blog about the deaths, both those confirmed and those presumed, I realized I'd have to break it up into multiple entries. 

For this blog, I'll be sharing some of the documentation for three deaths that occurred at the Lake Shawnee swimming pool, between 1930 and 1966. Two children passed away due to eerily similar drowning incidents, and a young gentleman died as a result of a skull fracture while riding on the pool slide. Again, this is by far a comprehensive look at the deaths associated with Lake Shawnee. All blogs dealing with Lake Shawnee here at Theresa's Haunted History will be linked to my original page, Lake Shawnee Amusement Park. 


WAYNE HARMAN:

On Sunday, June 4th, 1961, six-year-old Wayne Harman visited the Lake Shawnee Amusement Park with his family. His mom, Juanita, was in the pool with Wayne and his four other siblings. Although the pool was filled with other swimmers and allegedly had ample lifeguards on duty, at some point young Wayne slipped under the water...and never came back up. No one saw this happen, and it wasn't until later when another swimmer felt the boy's body under the water and alerted the lifeguards. Life-saving measures were taken, but unfortunately, it was too late. Wayne had drowned.

Later that year, Juanita Harman, Wayne's mother, filed a $10,000 lawsuit against Lake Shawnee owner, C.T. Snidow. She alleged that the park was unsafe and negligent in the matter of her son's death. 


The Raleigh Register
06 June 1961




                                     
Beckley Post-Herald
09 December 1961




JOHN TALLEY:

On Sunday, July 3, 1966 12-year-old John Talley was visiting Lake Shawnee with his family, only a day after his twelfth birthday. Assuming he had already left for home, the rest of the family packed up and followed. However, John wasn't there. They returned to Lake Shawnee to find him. Late that evening, his body was finally discovered at the bottom of the pool. He was buried at Roselawn Memorial in Princeton. 

The Charleston Daily Mail
04 July 1966




Death Certificate of John Talley
Source: WV Vital Statistics



KELLEY SOUDER:

On Wednesday, August 6th, 1930 Kelley Souder passed away at a hospital in Princeton, WV. A week earlier, Mr. Souder had been visiting Lake Shawnee Amusement Park and was enjoying the sled ride that slid into the pool. Unfortunately, Mr. Souder was standing on the sled instead of being in a seated position, so when the sled hit a dip in the chute, Mr. Souder lost his footing and fell, striking his head on the side of the chute before reaching the water. When he didn't emerge back out of the pool, his companions came to his aid, rendered aid, and rushed him to the hospital where he underwent an operation to attempt to save his life. He never regained consciousness. 

Bristol Herald-Courier
10 August 1930




Monday, October 14, 2024

Paranormal Activity at Putnam Aging

Putnam Aging
October 2024

In October of 2018, local news station, WCHS-TV ( article and video), ran a story involving potential paranormal activity caught on security camera. Upon arriving to the Putnam Aging offices, located at 2558 Winfield Road between Winfield and St. Albans, staff found the doors to one of their transport vans wide open. Fearing the work of thieves, security camera footage from around the property was closely inspected. 

No evidence of thieves, trespassers, vandals, or anyone else entering the property was found on the footage. Instead, staff was shocked to see that the doors to the van simply opened all by themselves around 1:19am! No explanation was ever found for why the doors were seemingly jiggled, then pushed open from inside the vehicle, a feat that should have been impossible with the door latch secured. 

Side of Building/Parking Lot
October 2024

While unsettling, this alleged paranormal activity came as no surprise, as spooky stuff had already been happening at the office building. Registered Nurse, Danny George, reports seeing a woman in an 1800's era gown in the main foyer. 

But who or what could be causing a haunting at the main offices of the Putnam County Aging program? The older building, located near the junction of Winfield Rd and old Teays Valley Road at Scary, is situated right on the Kanawha River. On the property is a memorial marker and informational signage for the 1861 Battle of Scary Creek.


Battle of Scary Creek Monument
October 2024

The Battle of Scary Creek took place on the afternoon of July 17th, around 3pm, and lasted for about three hours. In that time, the Confederate Army was able to hold off Union troops. However, a total of 19 soldiers did perish in that fight. Interestingly, there is another ghost story attached to this battle. About three weeks after the fight, neighbors living in the area heard the tell-tale sounds of battle. Rushing out, thinking another skirmish had started, they found nothing. For years, the phantom sounds of a battle replaying itself were heard. (Scary Creek Battlefield Blog)

Based on how the apparition was dressed, it would seem that at least one ghost haunting Putnam Aging is from the Civil War era, but it's anyone's guess as to who the woman actually may be. Perhaps she is a member of the Simms Family, or the Vintroux Family, both of whom have been in the area for many years. Perhaps the activity stems from way before the 1800's (archaeological explorations in 19th century have uncovered evidence of Woodlands-era people living in the immediate area). Or, perhaps the hauntings, especially the more trickster-like pranks of opening the van doors comes from way after the Civil War. For whatever reason, this stretch of road has had quite a history of fatal car crashes, especially throughout the late 1960s and early 1970s, with many losing their lives in sight of the Putnam Aging Property. 

Ghost hunters were allowed to come in and check out the potential activity, the results of which can be found at the Mitchell Family Reality Show TV YouTube Channel. 


Map Card of 2558 Winfield Rd.



Property Outlined in Light Blue. Note the Kanawha River to the
right and the Battlefield Grounds to the left. 

Monday, October 7, 2024

Meet Molly at the Elkhorn Inn and Theater

Empire Coal and Coke 'Miner's Clubhouse'
Source


The former town of Landgraff, located in McDowell County, WV, was a mining town under the operation of Empire Coal and Coke Company. In 1922, the coal company built a multi-story brick 'Miner's Clubhouse' to replace two wooden buildings that had burned down. Over the years, this building would go through many different incarnations. According to the Elkhorn Inn website, the building was used in the 1940's as housing for miners' families. In the early 1950's it was privately owned but became the office and residence of a mine supervisor and his family in 1957. Throughout the 1960's and 1970's, it was used as office space for Hawley Coal. In 1988, it became home to a company called Data Services. In the 1990's, it was owned by Billie Cherry and known as the Cherry-Key Inn. At one point, it even served as a dormitory for nurses, and later as a State Police barracks. 

As the town of Landgraff suffered from population decline, fires, and at least two devastating floods in 2001-2002, the old clubhouse was left as the only substantial historic structure in town. And, it almost met a similar fate, as it was slated for demolition. Luckily, two FEMA relief workers, Dan and Elisse Clark, purchased the building, spent a year renovating it, and opened it in May 2003 as the Elkhorn Inn and Theater. 

Today, the Elkhorn Inn is a haven for tourists coming to the southern coalfields for trail-riding, trout fishing, and 'rail-fanning,' as the inn is located along both the Elkhorn Creek and the NS Pocahontas line. There's also a variety of weekend getaway packages, gourmet meals provided by Chef Dan, and wonderful views of the fall foliage throughout Autumn. The Elkhorn Inn, which has 14 guestrooms, is also a stop on the Coal Heritage Trail, and is the only attraction on the trail that offers both dining and lodging options. On the first floor, in an area that was originally a coal camp doctor's office, is the inn's museum and gift shop, where you can learn about the history of the building, the town, and the coal mining history of Southern West Virginia, and then take home a unique souvenir to remember it by. 

Since Dan and Elisse took over the inn, it has been featured on numerous television shows and in several books....including two GHOST books! That's because the old inn is believed to be haunted by a spirit known affectionately as 'Molly.' 

During the initial renovations to the Elkhorn Inn, the Clarks, as well as other workers and friends, would hear strange sounds, including what sounded like shattering crystal and banging wood. Lights would turn on by themselves, and paintings removed themselves from the walls. 




Many who spent time in the inn claimed to feel or even SEE the spirit of a woman that Dan named Molly. Molly is an adult female, who is seen wearing either a long dress and button-up boots, or a blue blouse with her hair done up in a bun. Several psychics have confirmed that there is a female presence that calls the inn home. Luckily, Molly is a benevolent spirit who seems to watch over the inn. She prefers to make her presence known to staff and family, but on rare occasions, she has let paying guests know she's around. Once, she rattled the doorknob in a guestroom two nights in a row!

The Elkhorn Inn Facebook page has several photos they believe may be Molly trying to manifest, and there have been paranormal investigations/events conducted most notably by local ghost hunter, Mark Painter. One such investigation led to strange noises being captured in the former doctor's office/current gift shop. And, while it doesn't give a name, a Facebook post about the hauntings suggests that a ghost hunter also received a spectral massage while staying at the inn!

The next time you're in the southern coalfields of West Virginia and are looking for spooky opulence that's also pet friendly, stop in at the Elkhorn Inn. You might even get an in-room spectral spa treatment! 


Sources and Further Reading:

Elkhorn Inn and Theater Website

Elkhorn Inn and Theater Facebook Page

Mark Painter's Blog (Signs of Ghosts)

The Railroad Connection---this guest post by Elisse gives a beautiful account of how she and Dan fell in love with each other, and fell in love with the Elkhorn Inn. It's a great account of the building's known history, how they acquired it, and the work they put into it. 

Ferris, Gina. Sleeping Where Ghosts Dwell: Southeast. Amazon Link

Davis, Deborah. Some Things Go Bump in the Night: Haunted Hotels, Inns, B&B's, and Restaurants. Amazon Link