The Suicide Stain at History Day 2013

Once again, HPIR was present at History Day at the State Capitol, promoting our Haunted and Historic Ghost Tours and chatting up the many politicians and other local historical groups throughout our great state.  This year, we also got an opportunity for a really interesting photo op...

This photo can be found in the West Wing of the main capitol building, very close to Room W201, which happens to be the office of state attorney, Patrick Morrissey.  The stain, affecting at least six pieces of the expensive terrazzo tile is oddly human shaped when looked at from the right angle.  A head, along with two arms, and a lower body curled into the fetal position can easily be made out from the image, which is slightly raised.  On a facetious level, I think the stain, when viewed at this angle, looks like the little stick man found on wet floor signs took a nasty spill!

Anyway, according to a tip I received on my blog about the Haunted History of the WV State Capitol, it is believed that this stain is the result of a suicide that took place in the building when a state employee was found to be embezzling state funds, possibly during the 1930s.  This tip came straight from an anonymous capitol employee, so of course, I was intrigued!  Unfortunately, intrigue has only taken me so far in solving this mystery.

I have heard rumors of deaths at the state capitol, including at least one suicide, but verifiable information is hard to come by.  We do know that other reported ghost sightings have included a former maintenance worker, a lady in red, and a shadowy, human figure seen in an office near the Senate side of the second floor.  Without yet taking the time to systematically go through all the death records available for Kanawha County since the West Wing was constructed in 1924-5 to find someone who may be listed as dying at the capitol, I don't have a lot to report.  However, I was able to uncover some information about State Auditor John C. Bond.  Bond, who was born in Pendleton County in 1880 became the state auditor in 1920, and again in 1924.  In 1926, he was accused of embezzling funds from the state by way of writing checks to friends, family, and even people who didn't exist.  His employees would cash these checks for him, and Bond would pocket the money.  In 1927 he did officially resign, but would brought up on embezzlement and forgery charges shortly after.  While awaiting trial, it is said Bond had to be committed to Huntington State Hospital.  He was later found guilty and sentenced to six years at Moundsville State Penitentiary.  He didn't off himself though---he died in a Charleston hospital in 1943.  Obviously, that rules him out as the suicide victim, but I can't help but wonder maybe if one of his employees who was assisting him in these illegal activities might be our suspect?

The stain and the mystery behind it were definitely the highlights of the trip, but I was also able to get a photo of my uncle Paul's name engraved on the war monument, which honors those who died serving their country.  If you read Theresa's Haunted History, this is the same Paul discussed in Paul's Story, who disappeared on Normandy only to leave a puzzling mystery back here at home.

UPDATE 2025

I still haven't found any documentation to prove the mystery behind the 'Suicide Stain,' but while searching, I came across several newspaper articles about a horrific, near-fatal accident at the capitol building.  On Friday, July 15th, 14 year old Chilton DePue was assisting his father, Hal DePue, Sergeant-at-Arms of the House of Delegates, in rearranging some furniture in the House of Delegates committee rooms. Around 11 am, he left to run an errand. 

Shortly thereafter, K.C. McGregor, a bookkeeper for the State Police, was in his office next to the elevator. He heard moans and cries, and thus started a search for their cause. After various rooms and closets were searched, the battered body of Chilton DePue was found atop the elevator cage.

Somehow, DePue had fallen down the elevator shaft from the third floor, and landed on the elevator cage, which was resting at basement level. He suffered a fracture to the front of his skull, a shoulder injury, and various bruises over his body.  It was difficult to remove his body from the elevator cage, but finally, a piece of the grate work was removed, and he was taken through the elevator, and sent to Charleton General Hospital. He was not expected to live, but miraculously survived. 

An extensive investigation of what happened was undertaken, with no clear answers. All the elevator components seemed to be functioning perfectly. It is believed that the doors to the elevator shaft must have been left slightly open on the third floor, and the child fell while leaning over to look. 

The Charleston Daily Mail
15 July 1932

Was it a Ghost Seen in Barboursville?

While doing some research on a completely different topic, once again I ran into an interesting newspaper article that something in me told me to save.  In fact, its such a small story, located several pages into the publication, that I'm not entirely sure what about it caused me to stop the microfiche reader and take a look.  But, I did, and here's the tale:

From the Huntington Advertiser, September 6, 1945:

Chief Deputy Sheriff One Dunfee reported today that the and aides were unable to find a body along the Chesapeake &  Ohio Railway Co. right-of-way near Barboursville after a freight train engineer had dropped a note to station employees of Barboursville saying that his engine "probably struck a man" just west of that town.  

Tracks and adjacent territory for several miles were searched by the deputies.  A later check-up with residents of the area failed to reveal anyone missing under unusual circumstances.

At first thought, one would assume that there is a logical explanation for this episode.  It is very likely that the engineer is mistaken.  Perhaps the train came close to hitting someone, but that someone made it to safety without major (or any) injury.  It's also likely that perhaps fatigue or other circumstance led him to misidentifying a deer, a tree, or even a simple mirage.

However, I'm a paranormal researcher...and as logical as I try to be, there's always going to be the side of me that WANTS this to be paranormal, lol.  There are so many ghost stories that are linked with the railways and train disasters, and one common theme that has come up in WV ghost-lore many times is the tale of a phantom pedestrian being hit.  Perhaps the most famous of these cases is actually Screaming Jenny from the Harpers Ferry area, who is seen running down the tracks, screaming, as she finds herself engulfed in flames. More than one engineer has claimed to have hit this fiery apparition.

Could there be a chance that this engineer DID hit someone...but that someone was a ghost?  This idea has intrigued me so much, that I'm trying to methodically research if anyone has been hit and killed by a train in that area, perhaps on the anniversary of when this event was reported.  And that is where I need YOUR help loyal readers!  If you have any information, even if its just legends that have been passed down, I'd love to hear them!  I'd love to hear if anyone else has seen or reported a possible pedestrian struck in this area, or if anyone knows of any actual deaths that happened.  I did search the next few weeks' worth of papers, and there was no mention of a body ever turning up, nor any further mention of the case at all....

...but it does bring up another interesting aspect.  If this WAS an actual person that was hit, and a body not found, could that have sparked a new haunting, as an unknown person searches for his own closure to his own death?  Contact me at theresarhps@yahoo.com if you have any information on this subject, and I'll update if I find anything of note.

Photo is of a train near Barboursville in 1955.  Property of the Doors to the Past website, Barry Huffstutler