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| Charleston, WV Circa 1890 Source: My WV Home |
Merry Christmas from Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State!
Since Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year, I thought I'd share a little Weird Wednesday newspaper clipping I found. On Christmas Day in 1888, the streets of Charleston, WV were the scene of something out of a movie. Twenty-year-old Fount Horner had a little too much to drink, found a club, and decided to run around, bonking everyone he came across.
Of those he knocked down, several were injured pretty badly. His reign of terror continued until he came across Edward Aims. Upon being struck by Fount's club, Aims pulled out a knife and stabbed him, killing him. As per procedure, Aims was arrested but let go shortly after.
This seems like a pretty big news story, especially for West Virginia's capital city in 1888. However, to the best of my ability, I have not been able to find ANY information regarding this incident other than the following newspaper clipping. The clipping I've provided below comes from the Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, but the same article appeared in newspapers across the United States for days and weeks following Christmas. The only change in wording is the headline, and the spelling of Edward's last name, showing up as Aimes, Aims, and Ames. I can't find any information through any of those spellings, and there is no listing for Fount Horner's death at the Vital Statistics website.
Hopefully, this all means that the story is a holiday work of fiction. Sensationalized, and downright made-up stories were not uncommon during this time period and were a way to keep readers interested and buying papers....and perhaps renewing subscriptions into the new year! I'll keep an eye out for any follow-ups to this story, but I'm pretty sure I've hit a dead end. It does, however, serve as a great reminder to stay vigilant of one's surroundings, especially during festive occasions and crowded locations. You never know what dangers lurk.
Stay safe and stay spooky this holiday season!
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| The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer 26 December 1888 |
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