WV Woman Imprisoned for Witchcraft

Ladies' Cell at the WV State Penitentiary
at Moundsville ca 1924
Source: WV History on View

Sure, it looks a little cramped, but overall, the women's cells at the WV State Penitentiary at Moundsville didn't look too shabby. Up until a new, all-female prison was established in 1947, the state's female offenders were housed at Moundsville. One such prisoner who called a cell like the one above home for four years was Mrs. Mary Loveall. She didn't She didn't murder her husband, rob a bank, or even write forged checks. She was imprisoned for the crime of witchcraft. 

In the summer of 1918, Mary Loveall of Bridgeport, WV was tried in a Wheeling criminal court and found guilty of witchcraft. The cause of all the trouble started when Mrs. Theresa Kullman of East Wheeling contacted Mrs. Loveall about her sick son. In exchange for $640, Mrs. Loveall was to remove the 'sick spell' that was making Kullman's son sick. However, the son passed away and Mrs. Loveall was consequently arrested and tried. 

There is frustratingly little information about this story, but the same several newspaper articles appeared all over West Virginia, making their way into newspapers across the country. Mrs. Loveall did not deny the charges of witchcraft. In fact, she openly admitted that she believed in witchery and that she learned it from her mother, who also practiced. Mrs. Loveall stated that she practiced in both Ohio and in West Virginia, but, this was the only incident that I could find where her success, or lack thereof, was news-worthy. Allegedly, she had no comment when the judge handed down her sentence of four years in the state penitentiary. 

I can only imagine what the other inmates thought of the Witch of the Women's Ward. I'm sure some thought the whole thing was a scam and that she was a fraud...but there were probably a few of the more superstitious of the lot who didn't dare look at her wrong. Also, can we just take a moment to take in the fact that a woman was sent to prison for WITCHCRAFT in the 20th century?? I'm sure fraud charges were more likely what she was actually prosecuted for, but I still find it interesting how witchcraft was so boldly emphasized by the papers, and possibly even the court. And, going off on another tangent...yeah, even if Mrs. Loveall truly believed that she had the power to remove the spell from the young man in question, and tried to do so in good faith, it probably wasn't the smartest idea for the mother, no matter how desperate, to resort to such measures. But, if she had paid a doctor $640 for treatment and the son still died, would she still have a case to pursue? 

In any event, its a sad case that resulted in the loss of a life and a woman sent to prison. But, it's an absolutely fascinating case that takes its rightful place among the strange and unusual history of West Virginia! 

Sources: 

Martinsburg, WVa Evening Journal. 17 July 1918. Page 3

The Independent Herald (Hinton, WV). 25 July 1918. Page 6