The Death of Cecil Hellems: A WV Penitentiary Story

 

Tombstone of Cecil Hellems at Mt. Baptist Church
Photo by Find-a-Grave Contributor, Jean Stewart
Source

It's been a while since I've posted a non-paranormal story from the former West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville. While the prison is obviously known for its haunted reputation, I like to explore the normal, everyday operations of the prison, and the lives of those who called it home. Unfortunately, death was a major part of life in the old prison. Men were murdered or died from disease. Some took their own lives. It's important to document these stories, no matter how tragic, before they are lost to history. 

Cecil H. Hellems was born on February 28, 1938, to parents Kenneth and Idella in Quinwood, WV. This would be where he would make his home the majority of his life, even attending services at the Baptist Church. Regrettably, Cecil couldn't stay out of trouble. 

In 1962, Cecil, his brother Lorren/Loren, and a third man were indicted in Greenbrier County for felony larceny in the amount of $190 from the property of Harry Woolridge and Gilmer White. He was again indicted in 1967 for forgery. It is unclear if it was this incident or a separate charge that led him to being sentenced to 1-10 years in the state penitentiary the following year for passing forged checks in Nicholas County. Either way, on November 25, 1968, Cecil became an official resident of Moundsville.

Less than two years later, tragedy struck.  During roll call on April 21, 1970, Cecil was found in his cell by guards at 6:45 am, deceased. He had allegedly strangled himself with strips of bed linen. No note was left behind, and no clues were ever given as to why he'd want to take his own life. However, no autopsy was performed, and suicide was listed as the official cause of death. 

Apparently, there had been no less than five violent deaths within the past 18 months at the penitentiary, and Cecil's death followed just weeks after the murder of another inmate, David Painter. The warden was quick to dismiss any theories that the deaths were related in any way. The two were housed in separate units in the prison and should have had minimal to no contact or connections that anyone was aware of.

Cecil's family claimed his body, and he was taken home to be buried in Mt. Baptist Church Cemetery in Carl, WV. Rev. Pearly Orrdorff presided over the funeral services. Cecil was just 32 years old. Sentenced for a non-violent offense, he met his end at one of the most violent prisons in the country. Hopefully, his soul is at peace.

*MORE WV STATE PEN ARTICLES HERE*

Death Certificate of Cecil H. Hellems
Source: WV State Archives Vital Statistics

22 April 1970
The Dominion News (Morgantown, WV)

23 April 1970
Beckley Post-Herald

Sleeping with the Spirits at the WV State Penitentiary

 

Convicts in the prison yard of the WV State Pen (1914)
Source: WV History on View

Over the course of its long history, the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville has suffered from a multitude of logistical problems, the most common being overcrowding. In late 1922, the prison had once again exceeded its designed capacity and was now home to well over 1600 inmates. Warden Terrell was running out of sheer space to store all these men, so he came up with a brilliant plan!

The Death House, which was a small building annexed off the main prison, had four cells. As these cells were only used to house inmates who had an upcoming date with the gallows, they weren't in full operation. What if some of the overflow was housed there?

The decision was made to select 35 inmates, all African Americans, to bunk down in the Death House. I cannot come up with a reason other than sheer racism why the black prison population was chosen, but they were. However, this wasn't without problems.  

A trope that continually shows up in these old newspaper articles I share is the stereotype that African Americans are extremely superstitious and afraid of ghosts and spirits. Therefore, the article in question notes that it took a while, but 35 men were found who claimed, "no fear of spooks."  Warden Terrell managed to find almost three dozen men that had no qualms in sleeping in the area where a quoted two score of men had spent their last moments, waiting to die at the hands of the state for crimes accused.

I don't like to think of myself as a particularly superstitious person, but even I have to admit a certain ick factor when it comes to using such a dark place for regular inmates. But it worked out. After a thorough cleaning and disinfecting (which included the removal of anything that would remind the prisoners where they were), the men were ready. Each night, they'd move 35 cots into the area, which were set up in and around the annex and cells. It was said that the sleeping arrangements were just as comfortable as anywhere else in the prison, with an added bonus of increased security features, allowing one guard to manage all 35 inmates. It was even said that many of the inmates assigned to the Death House annex had a sense of pride concerning their new quarters.  I wonder, though....did anyone actually ever have a paranormal experience there? Did the spirits of the executed men ever make their presences known to the 35 inmates who temporarily got a taste of death row?

*MORE WV State Penitentiary Articles!*

03 December 1922
Charleston Daily Mail