On January 18, 1935 Circuit Clerk Virgil A. Cook died at the courthouse after drinking carbolic acid. Cook was a well-liked individual, and would often be the recipient of little treats and goodies on his desk...coffee, baked goods, etc. However, it was found that his cause of death was due to drinking from a Mason jar of carbolic acid that was also found on his desk. There is still controversy as to whether the death was accidental, a suicide...or if foul play was involved. The official death record does list the death as a suicide, but it is believed that Mr. Cook thought he was drinking from a Mason jar of moonshine, with no intentions of killing himself. (Virgil Cook's Death Record)
In any event, several popular ghost story sites claim that Virgil Cook is the one who haunts the courthouse, but I've yet to find any information on just HOW he's haunting it--whether people are seeing full-bodied apparitions, shadows, etc.
Luckily, West Virginia Paranormal, Inc. is on the case! On October 29, 2011, in conjunction with Pineville's Autumn Fest, the group will be taking part in a two hour paranormal study of the courthouse. Perhaps within a few weeks, we'll be able to make an update!
Update October 2012: Better late than never! The results of WV Paranormal, Inc. have finally been published in an October 22nd edition of the Wyoming County Report, as reported by Mary Catherine Brooks! READ IT HERE.
Colorful History of the Courthouse
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