Harvey Fairman's Ghost Seeks Justice

One of my favorite themes in ghostlore is the idea of a spirit coming back to seek justice and/or revenge on the person who was responsible for their death. This is a trope that comes up time and time again, especially in some of West Virginia's older ghost stories, including this little gem from 1884. That year, the (Wheeling) Daily Register ran an article about a ghost sighting from Wayne County, WV that "silences the Wheeling [ghost] stories with its superior horrors." It is the tale of Harvey Fairman.

One summer evening, Alexander Moore was out hunting in an area near Bartrum Fork in the Big Lynn area of Wayne County (today, in the area of Genoa). Around dusk, he encountered a rather large, and rather strange goose-like creature, which was behaving oddly. He followed the goose, yet it disappeared into some bushes. Suddenly, Moore found himself face to face with a ghost...not a goose. 

He immediately recognized the ghost as Harvey Fairman, a farmer who had disappeared five years earlier. One winter night in 1879, he was out getting firewood but never returned home. Some thought he simply abandoned his family, while others claimed that the devoted husband and father would never do that. A search party was organized but was unsuccessful in locating Fairman. So, without any sort of evidence, it was largely concluded that he must have been murdered, and his body hidden. His family moved to another county and nothing more was ever said about ol' Harvey...until July of 1884.

Staring at this ghostly apparition, Moore was frozen in fear as Fairman gestured at his own neck. His throat had been slit ear to ear. Luckily, the paranormal doesn't follow our earthly laws of physics and despite such an injury, Fairman was able to speak to Moore. He told him that he had been murdered. For two days, his body had been hidden under his own granary but was later moved and hidden in a hollow tree nearby. Having given this statement, the ghost 'melted away,' leaving Moore to 'drag himself home.' 

Moore went before a Wayne County Justice of the Peace to give his version of events, and it was decided that an investigation should be opened to both look for the hollow tree presumably concealing Harvey's skeletal remains, as well as to inspect the granary for signs of a murder. 

Harvey failed to mention WHO killed him and WHY. And, unfortunately, the anticipated follow-up with a local correspondent either never came, was never published, or I simply haven't found it yet. In any event, it doesn't appear that Harvey Fairman ever truly received justice. Yet, no additional stories have surfaced of him reaching out from beyond the grave to anyone else unlucky enough to encounter a strange goose in the woods. 

The Daily Register
28 July 1884

Wayne County's Mystery Animal

Wayne County News
2 January 1936
Source: Wayne County News Archives FB

MYSTERY ANIMAL KILLED AFTER ALL-DAY CHASE

Wayne County's mystery animal is dead!

The animal which has harassed residents of Grant district for more than six years was killed December 24 after an all-day chase by Will Spry of Milum Creek. Mr. Spry shot the animal in the shoulder after it had fallen into the creek when the ice broke in crossing.

More than a dozen men and several dogs chased the animal. It was discovered by Milton Nelson, who chased it with his dog all day. Other men and dogs joined in the chase but the dogs would quit when they got near the animal, except Rouster, Mr. Nelson's dog, which stayed in the chase the entire day.

Early in the chase the animal ran the ridges but in the evening, when the animal became tired, it dropped down to the creek level. 

Other men in the chase where Sammie Nelson, Norman and Boyd Finley, Fletcher Spry, Keither Caldwell, Charley Maynard, Ballard Finley, Max Lester, Noah Nelson, Carlos Nelson and Lindsey H. Perry, Jr.

It was not learned what kind of animal it is, but it was described by those in the chase as being about five feet in length, with the height of a sheep and feet and legs larger than those of a fox hound. Its weight was estimated at 75 pounds. It has a nose sharp and and long like a fox and its tusks are 1 1-2 inch in length. The animal is heavily furred, and tinted brown and gray. 

The animal was fond of pigs and sheep and several farmers have reported loss of their domestic animals during the past year or more. 

Several people saw the animal during recent years and it became almost a legend in that section of the county.

The animal, it was reported, is being mounted and will be on display in Wayne in the near future. 

Theresa's Note: I found this story in the January 2, 1936 edition of the Wayne County News, which was posted to the awesome Facebook page, Wayne County News Archives at the Wayne Public Library. The headline caught my attention immediately, because ya'll know I love me a good mysterious animal story! 

I was further intrigued when I tried to find out some additional information on the story and found the legend of the Booger Cat, posted to Wayne County History Portal website. The article states that during the early 1930's, the residents of southern Wayne County, especially around the area where Cabwaylingo State Park was currently being built, were being harassed by some weird animal that was eating up their livestock. A group of about 20 men finally hunted the creature down and shot it, but still could not figure out exactly what it was---it was black, had a bushy tail, and sported a snout like a dog's, only shorter. They sent the creature off to Charleston to be identified, where experts came to the conclusion that it was a...grey wolf.  The only problem was that grey wolves were allegedly extinct in that area. Could a small population still have been living deep in the dense forests of Wayne County for over a hundred years, mostly undetected? It is said that even after this creature was shot, other sightings of a similar animal continued. Perhaps the Mystery Animal shot on Christmas Eve was one of the last remaining relatives in a small family of wolves living in the area. 

Wayne County's Elmwood Cemetery

Tombstone of Milton J. Ferguson

The Elmwood Cemetery, located just off State Route 37 in Wayne County, is one of the area's largest cemeteries, still receiving burials in the present day.  However, the cemetery began, as many do, as a small private, family cemetery for the Ferguson Family before being incorporated into a larger, public burial ground.

The Ferguson Family of Wayne County begins with Samuel, and his wife, Mary Jameson, both of whom were believed to have been born and raised in Ireland before coming to America, and eventually settling in Wythe County, VA in the mid-1700s.  One of their sons, William Leonard Ferguson, was born in Wythe County in 1777 and would go on to marry Sarah Stokes in that county in 1799.  A few years later, their son Milton Jameson Ferguson was born, on October 3, 1801.

Some time between 1803 and 1808, the family moved to what is now Wayne County, West Virginia (at the time, the area in which they lived was still a part of Cabell County, VA). 

According to a personal account, found at THIS SITE, it is a local legend that it is the spirit of Milton J. Ferguson who has haunted the cemetery since his death on December 9, 1853.  In fact, his spirit is said to "welcome" visitors to the cemetery, as they enter the old, Ferguson family plot.  The author of the account listed seemed skeptical at first, but did note that a feeling of uneasiness permeated the area.  Later photo analysis (unavailable) showed unexplained anomalies.

This is the only account I've heard of a possible haunting at this particular cemetery, so I'd love to hear from anyone out there who has more information to share!  Also, remember the next time you visit this cemetery, be sure to greet Mr. Ferguson and the rest of the Ferguson clan buried at Elmwood Cemetery!  As an aside...there is another member of the Ferguson Family who is NOT buried at Elmwood.  Milton's son, Milton Jameson, Jr., who went by Jameson, was an extremely prominent citizen in Wayne County, being admitted to the bar at the age of 20, and serving as a Colonel, and even under General Albert Jenkins during the Civil War.  He is buried in Fairview Cemetery in Ft. Gay.  THIS SITE has a wonderful history on this member of the Ferguson clan.

*Photo by Find-a-Grave user, OurPast.  Click on the link for internments.*

*Please note that this is NOT the same cemetery that HPIR was asked to investigate.  For information on that cemetery, please see:  Wayne County Cemetery Investigation*