A Lynching in Weston

Good Saturday morning! Today is an exciting day---this evening I'll be taking part in a public investigation at the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia! I've been to the pre-Civil War era hospital several times and taken several historic tours, but this will be the first time actually investigating the iconic haunt. And, since there has already been SO MUCH written about the hauntings (much of which I will include in a post-investigation wrap-up blog) I thought it would be interesting to take a slightly different look for today's blog.

If you follow Theresa's Haunted History of the Tri-State's Facebook page, chances are you've seen this photo before. One evening last February, I was on the WV History on View site and found this photo. I saw the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in the background, which piqued my interest, but then I saw what was happening in the photo. This photo was taken in July of 1892 by M.T. Smith who later sold the prints for 35 cents a piece. The image is that of the July 6th lynching of Edgar Jones, a 22 year old African-American who was accused of stabbing to death 25 year old Michael Tierney in the kitchen of the Commercial Hotel. The bridge is the West Second Street Bridge.

According to an article in the Shepherdstown Register, on the night of July 4th, 1892, Jones had been working at the Commercial Hotel as a porter when he went on a 'spree.' The paper doesn't clarify what sort of spree this was, only that Michael Tierney, as the proprietor of the hotel, attempted to kick him out. Jones then stabbed Tierney in the heart, killing him almost instantly. Jones was taken into custody, and placed in the county jail. (Shepherdstown Register: 8 July 1892)

Before he could even be locked away, there was talk of a lynching, but a local clergyman, Father Tracy, stayed with Jones, preventing such an event until the early hours of July 6th. Around 2am that morning, Father Tracy could no longer stave off the unruly mob, intent on lynching Jones. A gang of around 25 masked men broke down the door, and dragged Jones off to the nearby bridge over the West Fork River. The rope was secured around his neck on one end, and around the bridge at the other. Within five minutes of him being taken from the jail, the order was to push. Edgar Jones was hanged at approximately 2:05am. His body was then shot at, and riddled with at least two dozen bullet holes. By 3am, the angry mob had dispersed and the town grew quiet. Friends of Tierney, who refused to bury his body until 'justice was done,' made plans to transport him to Sand Fork at 5am.

We, especially those of us in the paranormal community, tend to think about all the tragedy that occurred at Trans-Allegheny itself---it never crossed my mind that something else so traumatic happened right there in plain view of the hospital. Sometimes history can be ugly---real ugly---but if we ignore it, then we ignore the memory of those involved.

Source: Images of Lewis County by Joy Gilchrist-Stalnaker and Bradley R. Oldaker

Newspaper article below from The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer: 6 July 1892