Bellaire's Sheeted Apparition

It's time for a Throwback Thursday vintage newspaper article!  Today's historic ghost story comes from the December 7, 1892 edition of the Wheeling Register.  It seems that the town of Bellaire, Ohio, located right across the river from Wheeling, WV, was being haunted by your classic sheet-wearing ghost.  But, was it really the spirit of William Barnard...or someone playing a prank? This article can be found on the Chronicling America website.

Bellaire

A ghost had been bothering some of the people of the Fifth ward for some time. The white apparition would appear after nightfall and flit around frightening nervous people and creating great excitement in that usually quite neighborhood. Three or four young men who did not believe in ghosts thought they would run down the spook.  Hiding in the barn on the premises of the late Wm. Barnard, about eight o'clock p.m., they had not long to wait until his ghostship made his appearance.  The young men, now badly frightened themselves, waited until the spook got within easy reach of them and made a grab for it.  This frightened the ghost, and while the young men with hair on end stood holding the white sheet which they had torn from the ghost, the thing which had eluded their grasp bounded away at a 2:40 gait toward the Bellaire Nail Works, and has not been seen since.  The young men are positive, however, that the thing they failed to capture resembled a man. 

The Martinsburg Beast

WILD BEAST SCARES PEOPLE
Martinsburg, W.Va., April 9.

---The vicinity of Hodgesville has been terrorized by a strange animal, which has chased many residents to their homes.  The fierce beast has been described as a wolf, panther, wildcat, hyena, and bear.

John Richard, mayor of Hodgesville, has measured the animal's tracks, which are 7 inches long and wolf-like in shape.

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Today's Throwback Thursday vintage newspaper article comes from the April 9th, 1914 edition of the Fairmont West Virginian newspaper, and tells of an interesting beast, sighted in the state's eastern panhandle. I assume that the 'Hodgesville' mentioned is actually Hedgesville, WV, which is located about 15 miles from Martinsburg.  

The description of the beast is interesting to me.  Different people described it quite differently, although all descriptions, save for the hyena, are of natural animals that any West Virginian would be familiar with.  It is also interesting to note the size of the animal's tracks.  They are described as being wolf-like in shape, but quite a bit larger than a normal adult wolf's paw.  What do YOU think the people of Hedgesville were seeing that spring, over 100 years ago?  Do you believe it was a shape-shifting beast, a series of different animals, or was the whole thing a hoax to sell newspapers?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below! 

The Will-O' The-Wisp of Clarksburg's Quality Hill

WILL-O' THE WISP ON QUALITY HILL
Strange being Appears on Main Street and Maiden's Lane and Disturbs Society's Foundations

A will-o'-the-wisp, it is believed, haunts Quality Hill, and there is surmising and guessing galore in that neighborhood.  The residents are busy talking about it, and that is about the only topic of conversation these days.  Various stories are told about the discovery and more or less fright exists among the lady members of society.  That they beheld an apparition they are all firmly convinced and that there is a degree of dread they all confess.

Only a night or so ago they saw a tall person, dressed in female attire and wearing a man's hat.  The actions of the figure were strange and the figure itself just as strange. East Main street and Maiden's lane afforded the scene for the mysterious appearance and actions of the this strange being, mythical or real.  Gliding around in the neighborhood and standing silent as a ghost in the shadows of the darkness of night, the unknown figure aroused the suspicions of the citizens and shudders and chills crept over those who beheld it.

Some think it is a mythical being, others that it is a man dressed in woman's clothes, and still others have no definite idea.

It is surmised that it may be a society man, and yet it may be "Jack the Peeper."

It is needless to say that the appearance of the strange visitor has had a depressing effect along Maiden's lane, as well as the other street, and society is stirred to its foundations in that section.

Watches of the night will doubtless be established, as the strain is becoming intense and curiosity and fear have the upper hand.The mystery must be solved and that quickly, if the equilibrium of that community is to be restored.

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This vintage article is from the July 22, 1903 edition of the Daily Telegram, a Clarksburg, WV based newspaper.  Apparently, either a ghost or a cross-dresser was haunting the rich, well-to-do neighborhood of Quality Hill in Clarksburg.  The largely residential neighborhood, with houses dating back to the mid-1800's, is now a recognized historic district and can be found on the WV's Register of Historic Places.   If you're looking for MORE historic haunts in Clarksburg, WV....please check out my blog on the Waldomore Mansion.  This historic mansion is not only haunted...but its home to the Gray Barker UFO files!

Ghostly Face Appears on Porch Column

This is such an interesting lil' historic article from the Charleston, WV area.  Back in 1945, a family noticed a strange image on the stucco of their porch column.  The image looked like the silhouette of a girl's face...but not just any face.  The family who owned the home claims the face resembled that of their daughter, Peggy Sue, who died two years previously on April 4, 1943.  I really wish the picture I found showed a clear image of the silhouette, but I'll keep looking!  Here's the text from the article:

'Face' Appears on Porch Column
The appearance of the profiled silhouette on a stucco porch post at the home of Mr. and Mrs. J.J. Weaver of Rand, said by the family and neighbors to resemble the Weavers' deceased daughter, has attracted widespread attention.

Late yesterday, Mrs. Weaver estimated that since Tuesday, several thousand persons have stopped to look at the framed silhouette, which she says started forming in the stucco last January.

According to Mrs. Weaver, she first noticed a light-colored ellipse over a foot in diameter.  Near the center was a dark spot about the size of a cup.  The dark surface grew larger, which she says she took notice of from time to time.  Last Saturday Mrs. Weaver says she asked her husband if he could make anything of it.  After examining the spot, he reluctantly agreed that it was the shape of a child's face.

Word spread that the silhouette resembled the Weavers' daughter, Peggy Sue, who died at the age of 12, April 4, 1943.  Since Tuesday afternoon the silhouette has been the talk of the nearby communities, and yesterday crowds grew to such proportions that Greyhound buses on U.S. Highway 60 running in front of the house were stopping briefly to permit passengers to look. Shown right is Robert Lee Weaver, student at DuPont High School, son of the Weavers. [Gazette photo].

It wasn't until the 1960's that the strange story was widely told. The Miracle of Peggy Sue appeared in the Charleston Gazette's State Magazine on March 17, 1968. This article provided much more information than did the original newspaper clipping (which unfortunately, I cannot find a source for). On April 1, 1945 (Easter Sunday), the pipefitter J.J. Weaver and his wife were at church, talking to friends and acquaintances after the Easter service and brought up a strange image that had appeared on one of their porch columns, about five feet up. It looked like the silhouette of a young girl. The family believed it was the likeness of their daughter, Peggy Sue, who had died two years previously of pneumonia, just shy of her twelfth birthday. 

Peggy Sue had been buried near the Elk River where the family lived at the time of her death, but after her mother had a dream in which Peggy was drowning, her body was exhumed and reburied at Witcher Creek, closer to the new house in Rand. It was shortly after she had been moved that the ghostly image had appeared. 

Curious, the church folk decided to follow the Weavers home to see for themselves. Indeed, there was a strange image that resembled the Weavers' deceased daughter. Word spread quickly, and looky-loos came by the literal busload. There were so many visitors that the Weaver's porch collapsed from the weight, and a fence was put up to keep people out. That wasn't much of a deterrent, though, so the column was removed altogether. When the family later moved to Texas, the column went with them.

A local insurance salesman by the name of Earle Stephens dabbled in photography, and took a picture of the strange image. He then sold prints for a quarter a piece, making over $500 when it was all over. Of course, there were plenty of skeptics out there with explanations as to why a stucco-covered column may have a dark patch on it, and even why it may RESEMBLE a silhouette, especially to a mourning family, but many in the Rand area still believe that they witnessed a miracle on that little front porch.

  

Beckley Post Herald
30 June 1945

How Far Chief Cornstalk's Curse REALLY Goes

When conducting some research for a blog on Chief Cornstalk's curse on Pt. Pleasant, WV and how that curse may tie in with Mothman and/or the fall of the Silver Bridge on December 15, 1967, I came across an interesting little article from the Weekly Register, dated December 4, 1873. 

"A singular fate, which is said to issue from "Cornstalk's Curse" of Point Pleasant! seems to hang over our fair daughters in the city.  No sooner is one engaged (and that is not often enough considering the great number of marriageable girls) to marry than something intervenes to break off the match.  An instance of this kind happened a few evenings since, when a young man was parting from his adored at the gate, slipped on the pavement, and cut himself quite badly on a tin-type of his love, on which he hit in a sitting posture.  When the "love" discovered where he carried her picture, she was so enraged that she spoke her mind and abruptly said she would not wed him.  They parted---she to her room to cry, and he to Dr. Barbee, to have the pieces picked out."

So yeah.  It appears that this dude cut his butt cheeks (at least I hope that's where the area of the body they were hinting at) and had to go to the doctor to get pieces of a tin-type photograph plucked out of him because he kept his love's visage in his pants pocket as opposed to the breast pocket of his coat.  I think that's what they're getting at, right?  I would think if the Curse of Chief Cornstalk was really affecting the ability of eligible young ladies to find a husband, this girl might want to go ahead and overlook where her beau carries her photo.  Although...I'm not sure if I could personally overlook this whole debacle being published in the local newspaper!  I guess that would be a fun story to tell the grandchildren one day!

Just a quick bit of background information---Chief Cornstalk was a Shawnee leader in the area around what is today the Kanawha and the Ohio River Valleys.  In the 1770s, white settlers began reaching the area, and area tribes formed a coalition to keep them out.  Unfortunately, a battle for the land that took place in 1774 led to a number of colonists being killed, but twice as many Native peoples being wiped out.  Those who were left moved westward into Ohio to avoid further confrontation, and a fort was built at Pt. Pleasant, near the confluence of the Ohio and Kanawha Rivers.  Eventually, however, Chief Cornstalk attempted to make peace with the white settlers in the area, and relations were going well until 1777.  Late that year, the British were coaxing Native Americans to side with them in the American Revolution, and local tribes began making plans to attack the American colonists in the area.  Chief Cornstalk went to the fort to warn the colonists that an attack was imminent and that he would not stop his own men from joining in.

Cornstalk, as well as two other Natives were 'taken hostage' and kept in the fort. It is believed that this arrangement was voluntary, at least at first, as Chief Cornstalk's presence at the fort might cause the other tribes not to attack.  And when Cornstalk's son, Ellinipisco came to visit, he was also detained.  Unfortunately, just a few days later, two soldiers stationed at the fort were ambushed by Indians while out hunting.  In retaliation for the deaths of these two soldiers, fellow colonists at the fort massacred Cornstalk and the others in a brutal attack.  It is legend that with his dying breath, Chief Cornstalk cursed the people who settled the area for 100 years.

Throughout the 1800s, many people in Pt. Pleasant DID believe in the curse, at least to some extent.  The curse was quoted multiple times in area newspapers any time something actually bad happened, but also in a more tongue-in-cheek manner, as you can see in the article, transcribed above! And although the curse was only supposed to last 100 years, there are some who tie in both the appearance of Mothman and the fall of the Silver Bridge with the curse...both far cries from slicing open a young man's cheeks with a metal photograph!

Stop Shooting at Spirits: A Vintage Ghost Story from Pt. Pleasant

Mr. Devaux-Source

Back on July 26, 2018 a young man from Connecticut named Christain Devaux was charged for firing his gun at what he told law enforcement officers was a ghost.  He claimed to be a paranormal investigator, and originally stated that he had fired the shots at what he thought was an intruder breaking into his home.  After he changed his story (and put two bullet holes through his own wall) he was charged with several infractions resulting from his 'lying' to the police.  When this news broke, we in the paranormal community had mixed emotions.  Some thought it was funny.  Others thought it was sad---this guy was obviously mentally ill.  ALL agreed, though, that it made the paranormal investigation community as a whole look bad.

However, Devaux was NOT the first person claiming to be a ghost hunter to actually fire a weapon at a ghost.  In fact, since the mid 1800's, that trope pops up quite a bit in ghost lore, including being a staple in plenty of stories from around the tri-state area.  I'm not sure why, but for nearly 200 years people have thought that a bullet could stop a ghost.  And so, they continuing firing at them...just like another young man from Point Pleasant, WV did back in 1886.

In an article from the Weekly Register, dated 24 November 1886, the story of Richard Edwards versus his neighbor and a bag of flour is told.

Apparently, Richard Edwards was living with his father David on what was then known as Front Street. (From census records, it appears Richard would have been in his early 20s at the time.) The family was living in the historic Roseberry Estate, a home built by Thomas Lewis, Jr. in 1815 and which is still standing today. Also living in another section of the home was a family by the name of Anguish.

Roseberry Plantation.  Source: Pt. Pleasant Register

As the story goes, Richard was out one Friday evening watching for ghosts.  It was said he believed that the nearby property of the late Dr. Samuel G. Shaw was haunted and apparently he needed his revolver to help prove it.  Unfortunately, as Richard was making his vigil, Old Man Anguish was coming home from town carrying a sack of flour.  As he crossed the street and approached the side gate to gain entry to his side of the home, Richard shot him in the abdomen.  The bullet didn't make direct contact, but instead left a painful, albeit non-deadly wound.  Richard claimed that the white flour sack resembled a ghost coming up the dark street, and that's why he fired.  Mr. Anguish claimed that when he realized the boy had a gun, he called out to him not to shoot him, and then actually grappled with him after he was shot.  When Mr. Anguish asked Richard why he had shot him, the boy stuck to his assertion that he was a ghost.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any follow-up articles for this story.  Was Richard ever arrested...or perhaps even committed?  He does show up in later genealogical records and appears he died fairly young, never having been married.  And what of Old Man Anguish?  Did he fully recover from his wounds?  But what I REALLY want to know is...why was the Dr. Shaw property thought to be haunted?  Was this a locally accepted fact, or simply all in the head of a mentally unstable young man?  Dr. Shaw, who had died the previous year, was a highly respected early citizen and medical doctor of the Pt. Pleasant area.  Did his ghost (or that of someone else) haunt the old property back in 1886, and if so, could the area still be haunted??

This article can be read in full from the free newspaper archive site, Chronicling America.

Weird Creature Haunts Bluefield, WV

Today's Throwback Thursday vintage news article comes from the Charleston Daily Mail.  It was published on 2 September 1923 and tells an interesting tale of something strange seen along Memorial Avenue in Bluefield, WV.  West Virginia certainly is no stranger to weird creatures and with the new Fallout 76 game featuring so many of them, I'm glad to have the opportunity to share a few of the lesser known.  But, what this some sort of monster or creature...or was it a ghost?  Perhaps it was all just a practical joke.  We may never know, but please enjoy this strange little article, transcribed below and if you're looking for MORE of West Virginia's strange creatures, check out these articles on the Bluefield Gargoyle and the Creature of  Milton's Kilgore Creek!  Stay spooky and stay away from those Petting Parties!

WEIRD CREATURE HAUNTING ROAD SOUTH OF BLUEFIELD
Old Ghost Story of Neighborhood Dug Up and Retold With Assertion That Present Apparition Is Same Old Spirit; Petting Parties Losing Popularity

BLUEFIELD--Sept. 1--A creature dressed in black, chalky white face, with large, shining eyes and long claws is reported to be haunting the south Bluefield roads.  For the last several nights motorists have reported the strange creature appearing in the most lonely spots as though rising from a bush or clump of high weeds. It walks on all fours and as a car passes it appears and raising to its hind feet, it claws at the air with its vicious loafing claw.  Some of the motorists have stopped and even gone back to investigate the proceedings, but found nothing.  A car of young Romeos, several nights ago, decided to capture it, staged a chase, but after running for several yards the ghost-like creature disappeared among some wild underbrush.  The young men were terrified and returned to the bright lights with wild stories.  Several times the police of the city have tried to make a capture but have never been able to see the object or so much speculation.  But it is there, and has been seen by numerous citizens of Bluefield.  Last night it was reported snooping around in the brush along Memorial Avenue and on the old Cumberland Turnpike.

In this day of reality, it is foolish to say there are any ghosts in the world, but there are many in this vicinity who swear the thing is a ghost.  A farmer from Bland County (Virginia side of Bluefield) by the name of Bailey, who was in the city yesterday selling produce in the city market, offered an old tale of the early days of this section as a solution for the mystery.  The story is too long to repeat, but it seems the residents of about fifty years ago can remember a crazy widow who lived along the old turnpike.  The boys in that day used to rock her house and the more timid people avoided passing after dark. One night her body was found in the road near her house.  For many years after, they claimed the section was haunted.

Whether it is a ghost or whether it is someone playing a prank, the effect is the same on joyriders.  Especially the ones who ride at a late hour hunting lonely spots to stage petting parties.  Of course the gentlemen connected with night riding are all brave men but they do not wish to take a chance.  And they do not wish anything to come sneaking around and hopping up on the running board when least wanted.  So again joyriders will have to keep a good lookout for it might not be a ghost and it might not stay in the same place every night.

The Fireco Varmint

It's been awhile since I shared a transcribed article about something weird and creepy that made local newspapers!  So, today's blog is an article from the Raleigh Register, a local newspaper out of Beckley, WV.  This particular article dates to 17 May 1934.  However, there are loads of articles about what people are calling either the Fireco Varmint, or the Fireco Monster, a really odd creature that haunted this small coal company town in rural Raleigh County, WV.  There was a rash of sightings in the spring of 1934, and then another bunch of sightings in the late summer/early fall of 1936.  After that, the tale was retold, time and time again up through recent history.  Theories abounded as to what this creature could be, but I don't think there was ever any definitive answer. 

Image from the John W. Barriger III Collection, from Coal Camp USA

VARMINT YET RUNS LOOSE
Head Snatching Fireco Creature Widens Field of Labor

The weird creature reported snatching heads from hogs and dogs in the vicinity of Fireco and terrorizing inhabitants has grown mightily, since first tales of him trickled into Beckley, and in his new-found size and strength widens the field of his depredations.

First described as "about two feet tall," wearing yellowish gray hair, swift as the wind and especially fond of the brains of hogs, he is now said to be four feet in height, six feet long, to leave a track as large as a man's hand, and to have developed an appetite for beef.

Moreover, he is immune to pistol and shotgun fire, according to reports of a sanguinary engagement in which he participated last night on the high grade north of Fireco.

Tomas Roark, 18, and his brother Lawrence, 23, sighting the monster on the grade about 9 o'clock, near their home, fired on him.  Despite the fact that the target had grown from "two feet high" to four feet, and from an indefinite length to "five or six feet," he lumbered away into the underbrush, either not hit or else not harmed by three .38 caliber pistol shots and two 12-gauge shotgun charges which the Roarks sent after him.

Sunday morning, Wallace Bowling, manager Lillybrook's Company Store, found his cow incised in the midriff and much of her internal arrangements outside; she had, obviously, been attacked by the Fireco Monster from over the mountain, and a veterinarian had to be summoned to patch the cow---now reported recovering nicely.

And Sunday morning, Willis Wooten, 15, found a dog dead, his head "knocked off," and nearby the tracks of some creature--tracks "about as big as your hand."

Berlin Shumate, of Lillybrook, also caught sight of the varmint last Wednesday night on the same high grade above Fireco.

But he has not yet been classified.

Just Another Friday Night in Ohio

I'm not sure what went down recently in Ironton, Ohio....but it looks like it was a helluva Friday night!  In two separate entries in the local paper's police blotter, 'invisible guests' were not welcome at a home in the 400 block of Railroad Street.  Fortunately for the property owner, in the next entry, a woman ghost was removed from (presumably) the same residence. 

Who ya gonna call? Well, I guess if you're in Ironton, Ohio the local police do a satisfactory job in the removal of paranormal entities! I hope the issues were resolved with compassion and that the residents of Railroad Street have no more run-ins with unwelcome guests.

This clipping was brought to my attention by my good friend, former Ironton citizen, and fellow paranormal enthusiast, Carrie, after another Ironton citizen shared it on Facebook. 

Pt. Pleasant's Unlucky 13th Street

This local fright-bite comes from a March 13, 1895 edition of the Pt. Pleasant Weekly Register. The archived article can be found through the Chronicling America website, and tells quite a tale of a very extravagantly accessorized ghost, roaming around 13th Street, in the Third Ward area of Pt. Pleasant, WV. As an added side note to spooky history: Two of the original Mothman witnesses, Roger and Linda Scarberry, lived on 13th Street during the Mothman flap. About a month after seeing the creature in the TNT area, Linda reports that she saw it again on the roof of her home.

From Mothman Wikipedia

A man up in the Third Ward has seen a ghost, and no ordinary ghost either.  It was a woman, of course, and wore silk raiment and razzle-dazzle jewelry. Some time in the morning before dawn during last week an up-town citizen was passing through an alley ostensibly for a near-cut.  When he came near the crossing over Thirteenth Street he saw just a short distance ahead of him, an elegantly dressed woman, her clothing bedecked with silver bangles set with dazzling brilliants.  The apparition would not allow a near approach, as it faded out of sight before he got to it.  

Fake News: A Weird Wednesday Collection

Fake News---This term has become quite the buzz word over the past year or so, almost to the point where you can't read the comment section of any news article without seeing it shouted at least once or twice. But, 'fake news' isn't...new. I once read, many years ago, that newspapers would often publish completely fictitious news, under the guise of REAL news, to help drum up readership. I'm sure that most readers at the time had a pretty good understanding of what was real and what wasn't, just as contemporary readers can usually discern between actual news and the sensational stuff found in grocery store tabloids. They knew the difference between entertainment and what was actually going on in their community.  However, as modern readers go back and look at these vintage archives, it can be a tad confusing. WAS this actual news? Did the people of the time BELIEVE it to be real?  Just what the heck was going on?!?

I love looking through old newspaper archives, and many times, I find some really strange little gems! And while newspaper articles featuring fantastical stories can be found year round, even in our local publications, I recently noticed that quite a few were published in the month of January. January of 1914 was an especially weird month for some reason. 

I won't come out and say that any of these news stories are actually 'fake news,' but I will venture to assume that January has, historically, been a slow month for reporters here in the tri-state!

1. The Mountain Octopus:  The story of the Mountain Octopus appeared in local papers on January 11, 1946. A group of students in Thomas, WV, discovered several of the creatures in a local stream, and brought two back to school with them to show to staff/students. No one was ever quite sure how and why an ocean creature got (and survived) in our cold, freshwater streams of West Virginia.

2. Hungarian Woman Sought Murder Clue from Spirits: This strange story appeared in a Huntington, WV newspaper on January 23, 1914. A widow from Thurmond, WV made a stop in Huntington after traveling to Ohio to seek the services of a well-known medium. The woman was seeking information from the spirits concerning her husband's recent murder.

3. Meteor, or Bad Omen Over Huntington?:  Here's another weird story from Huntington, WV that appeared in the local paper on January 13, 1914. Around that time, a meteor was seen streaking over the skies of Huntington. However, a group of kids playing near the old C&O Hospital claimed that they saw the meteor then spell out a name in fire, and then morph into the image of a woman's face in the sky! 

4. Women in Hysterics as Ghost Runs Down Street: Although the account was published in a local paper on January 8, 1914, this tale actually comes from New York and is a humorous telling of how a prisoner on the loose with a sheet flung over his head terrorized some church ladies leaving a service. 

Mingo Man is WV Penitentiary's First Prisoner of 1910

Photo from Find-a-Grave contributor,
Brenda Hatfield

Today marks the 108th anniversary of the day Tilden Browning was taken to the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville. Tilden Browning, a man from Mingo County, WV, has the distinction of being the first new prisoner brought to the penitentiary in 1910. Here is his story, as found in the January 19th, 1910 edition of the Point Pleasant Register, available on the Chronicling America website:

Tilden Browning, a one year man from Mingo county, arrived at the Moundsville penitentiary yesterday morning. Browning has the distinction of being the first convict to arrive at the prison in 1910. The sheriff of Mingo county accompanied the prisoner to the prison where he was at once placed in the hospital.

Browning was to have been brought to the pen during the latter part of 1909 but was given a respite by Gov. Glasscock. When his sentence was finally decided upon, he had contracted a serious illness, and as the penitentiary officials are not accustomed to send guards to such remote counties for one convict, Warden Matthews negotiated with the sheriff, resulting that latter accompanying the man to the prison. Mingo county officials have no accommodation for sick prisoners, and it was deemed necessary to save his life that he be brought to prison hospital. -Wheeling Telegraph.

Tilden Browning's life was indeed saved. After his release from the penitentiary, he went home to Verner, WV. He passed away on October 22, 1953 from what was believed to be gastric complications. He is buried in the Browning Cemetery. 

Death Certificate

Find-a-Grave Memorial

Newspaper Article

I will be returning to the West Virginia State Penitentiary at Moundsville later this year, and am busy compiling additional research on one of my favorite historic locations in the Mountain State! Some articles will be strictly historic, while others will definitely highlight the paranormal aspects of this super haunted prison! Keep an eye out for future blogs and a future page set aside solely for Moundsville research! 

Hungarian Woman Sought Murder Clue From Spirits

Today's blog post is another interesting newspaper article I stumbled across during my research.  It comes from the January 23, 1914 edition of the Huntington Herald Dispatch and is of interest to tri-state residents of both West Virginia AND Ohio!

HUNGARIAN WOMAN SOUGHT MURDER CLUE FROM SPIRITS

Widow of Thurmond Miner calls on Coreyville Spiritualist but Mrs. Blake is ill---instructed to return in February to communicate with unseen world.

Coming from a little mining camp near Thurmond, W.Va. to talk to her dead husband through Mrs. Blake, the far famed spiritualist of Coreyville, O., Mrs. Frankie Ravis, a Hungarian woman who cannot talk English, was forced to return last night when the mysterious woman of Coreyville was unable to talk with the spirit world.

Mrs. Blake told Mrs. Ravis that she was ill, but instructed her to come back without fail late in February, at which time she might hear her husband's voice.

When Mrs. Ravis came to Huntington, she was taken to police station by a business man to whom she appealed. The man could not understand the language she spoke and therefore asked the police to find an interpreter. The woman had a paper in her hand on which was written, "Mrs. Blair."

Sergeant Lee Wilson called Harry Ziegler, who speaks the Hungarian language, and in a short time Mr. Ziegler learned the Hungarian woman's story.

Late in last autumn her husband had fallen from a bridge near Thurmond and was killed. The wife suspected that he had been a victim of foul play, telling Mr. Ziegler that he had been struck on the head by a robber or assassin.

She desired to communicate with him in the spirit world through Mrs. Blake, of whom she had heard.  One of Mrs. Ravis' friends whose husband had been mysteriously murdered in a black-smithing shop had gone to Coreyville and talked with her dead husband through the spiritualist, according to the story given Mr. Ziegler by the foreign woman.

"How is Mrs. Blake going to communicate with the spirits when she probably can't talk Hungarian?" suggested a bystander.

When this thought was conveyed to the foreign woman she was perplexed not at all but declared that she couldn't talk to her husband in English because he didn't know that language any better than she did.  She thought that Mrs. Blake would have no difficulty in summoning the spirit.

Mrs. Ravis said after returning from Coreyville last night that she would return in February to communicate with her husband. She was greatly disappointed at not having the opportunity of hearing his voice again.

"The woman has some property in Thurmond, according to her statement to Mr. Ziegler yesterday afternoon.  Her husband had been a successful miner and saved most of what he made.

Mrs. Ravis is a picturesque character and in her younger days must have been a beautiful Hungarian woman. She gave the impression of being a woman of considerable education and her manner was one of culture. 

She wore a black dress, hat, and veil of foreign appearance.  Although having been in the country for a number of years she had associated practically none with Americans.

FREE Online Research--Newspaper Research

Photo by ShironekoEuro

As a paranormal researcher and the Historic Research Manager for Huntington Paranormal Investigations and Research, I have discovered that one of the absolute best sources of information comes in the form of newspaper archives! I have spent countless hours hunched over the microfiche machines at the Cabell County Public Library, looking up obituaries, news coverage of disasters, and other articles of interest. Even advertisements can offer useful information about daily life. Many times I'll be looking for one thing, and stumble upon an article or photograph pertaining to another local haunting or interesting story!

I'm lucky that I live relatively close to the library and can usually find the time to visit a few times a month, since these archives are not yet digitally available off-site. But what if you're NOT able to visit these archives regularly...or are researching a topic or location from another area? If the internet is your only option for research, there are some pretty awesome newspaper archive services out there...but they come at a fairly hefty price, usually available through monthly, 3-month, 6-month and yearly subscriptions. However, if this is a service you find yourself using often, it might be well worth it---saving on travel expenses and the ability to research topics at your leisure and from your own computer (and printer) are excellent reasons to consider a subscription service.  Most also offer a free 30 day free trial---so you can do some major research on a variety of topics all at once and then cancel! Newspapers.com is my personal favorite and is running a reduced price on yearly subscriptions this month.

The options above are great and all, but here at Theresa's Haunted History, I'm always looking for resources that are completely FREE! Below I've compiled a short list of free online newspaper resources that I have personally used in my own research. Do you know of any other FREE newspaper resources, especially those pertaining to the tri-state area of West Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky?  If so, please join me over on Facebook and let us know!


Free Online Newspaper Archives

Chronicling America: The Library of Congress has digitized a great number of newspapers from across the country.  While obviously not ALL newspapers are represented, there are plenty of examples from West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio.  Unfortunately, the archive only dates between 1836 and 1922. Still, there is some great information to be found, and the search options are very user-friendly.  Just doing a little exploring, I found some interesting articles about both the WV State Penitentiary at Moundsville and the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum.

GenDisasters: GenDisasters is a collection of newspaper articles about different disasters transcribed by volunteers from across the country.  By searching by state, disaster, year or even keyword, you'll gain access to different tragedies such as fires, explosions, train derailments, etc.  I have been a volunteer transcriber for several years now and have added a number of Huntington, WV area articles.

Google News Archive: I have mixed feelings about the Google News archives.  There are different ways of maximizing your search results using this feature, but quite honestly, I've found that the easiest thing to do is do a regular Google search for whatever you're looking for and see if any newspaper stories are included in the search results. The big problem is, however, is that the newspapers aren't transcribed by a human--they are digitally translated using a software program.  This results in a LOT of mispellings---to the point where its almost impossible to actually read what is being said.  Plus, you generally cannot read from the actual newspaper image itself---just the text box below, which is all running together.  Still, I've had some measure of success and at the very least, have found out critical dates of events so that I can narrow down the search parameters on the microfiche and find out what the local papers have to say.

The Glenville Mercury: Glenville State College in Glenville, WV, which began as a Normal School, has digitized their school newspaper!  Archives go from December 1929 to July 2000 and while the content may be a little more geared to local and college interests, there's some interesting stuff in there if you look hard enough.

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Scaring Up "Ghosts" at the Ohio Penitentiary

GHOST SCARE WORKED WELL

GUARDS AT OHIO "PEN" TRY NOVEL FORM OF DISCIPLINE

Columbus, Aug. 11.  The guards of the Ohio Penitentiary have decided on the "ghost scare" as a sure cure for misbehaved colored prisoners and attempted their first experiment with ghosts Saturday night.  The experiment worked to such good purpose that the prisoner experimented upon nearly went into hysterics.

Many of the colored prisoners are habitual criminals and spend most of their time in solitary confinement much to the annoyance of the guards in charge.  One of the guards conceived the idea of giving a "ghost scare."  Throwing a sheet over his head he went into the cellar about 11 o'clock and proceeded towards the cell of one of the men confined.

With a yell that could be heard all over the big prison, the colored prisoner fell to the floor begging for his life and moaning as if he was about to die.  The guard thinking that his man had enough went away, but the prisoner could not be quieted.  He threw himself about and appeared to be in such agony that medical attention had to be called to quiet him.

In a short time the news that ghosts were about the prison was known to all of the prisoners, who had heard the scream of the scared man, and sleep was impossible the rest of the night.

The plan worked so well that the colored population have vowed that they will be good for all time to come and have promised the guards that if they will keep the ghosts away they will have no more trouble on their account.

It is the plan of the guards to try the "scare" as often as the occasion calls for.  If it works again as it did Saturday night the "solitary" will be a deserted place for a long time to come.  Many tricks have been used, but none of them has had the effect of the one lone ghost.

The subject of the experiment is in good condition again, but does not know the ghost he saw was not real.  Much comment on the mysterious ghost is passed, and when the occasion requires the men to go near the cellar they waste no time in getting by the supposed headquarters of the whiteclad spirits.

From:  The Evening Independent [Massillon, OH].  11 August 1909

Above is a REAL newspaper article about the former Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio.  The prison opened in 1834 and served the incarcerated of the Buckeye State until 1984.  It was demolished in 1998 after housing decades of famous prisoners, suffering devastating riots, and even surviving through one of the worst prison fires in history.

I picked this particular article to include in the Friday Night Funnies section of this blog because despite it being pretty cruel and unusual punishment, it appears to come off as an absurdly simple joke.  However...I can't help to wonder if there isn't something a LOT more sinister hidden in this little ghost prank.  Obviously it bothers me that only the "colored" population was targeted for this experiment.  And...it doesn't take a genius to make the connection between that little fact and the "sheeted" ghost of the article...

Spook Messages

While doing research at the library, I found this article in a March 29, 1911 edition of the Huntington Advertiser.  It's not REALLY paranormal, but shows that the influence of the Spiritualism movement was still alive and well into the 20th century!  It also shows that charlatans have been preying on the vulnerable for years, using grief and faux messages from deceased love ones. 

SPOOK MESSAGES WERE EFFECTIVE

ENABLED WASHINGTON WOMAN TO GET MONEY

SON OF HER AGED FIANCE SUES TO RECOVER THIRTY-SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS

Washington, March 29---Spooks with a penchant for high finance have made Mrs. Laura Cramer, a government employee, the defendant in a suit instituted by the son of Fenton J. Hurd, a wealthy octogenarian to whom she claims to have been betrothed and from whom she received $36,000.

The son asserts that spooks wrote letters to his father advising him to "take good care of Mrs. Cramer and give her money."  He is now trying to get the money back.

Mrs. Cramer admits having indicted a few bright thoughts from over the Styx to her aged lover, but says she did so because he "was just crazy to get some message from his dead wife."  She declares Hurd gave her the money "just because he loved her."

I found a follow-up to this story in a May 5, 1913 newspaper called the Reading Eagle.  Basically, it states that Mrs. Laura Cramer milked this elderly gentleman out of a sum closer to $40,000...and was being forced to return it to his estate.  Mr. Hurd was a Connecticut millionaire, but had been declared incompetent by the state of Connecticut.  Originally, Mrs. Cramer had been awarded the money, but Hurd's son had appealed, and a higher court demanded the money returned.

The message to take away from today's post:  If the spirits are telling you to give exorbitant sums of money to your MUCH younger lover...you better make sure they actually are from the other side!