Halloween is right around the corner and, with that in mind, TAP will be sprinkling in a few spooky posts leading up to the holiday. Our first post comes from Greenbrier County, WV, and will tell a unique ghost tale of a woman who wouldnt go gently into that good night. Lock the front door, dim the lights, put the kids to bed then sit back and read this story of the Greenbrier Ghost. Born in the early 1870s, very little is known about Elva Zona Heasters childhood growing up in the Richlands (West Virginia, not to be confused with my Virginia hometown) community of Greenbrier County. The young mother of a child conceived out of wedlock, Zona began an ill-fated relationship with a blacksmith who had just drifted into town named Edward Shue. The two were soon married despite the strong objection of Zonas mother, Mary Jane Heaster, who detested Edward. The couples wedded bliss was short-lived as the dead body of Elva Zona Heaster Shue was found on January 23, 1897. Andy Jones, a young neighbor boy, had been sent to the Shue residence by Edward Shue to see if Zona needed anything from town. Andy went into the Shue home and found Zonas lifeless body lying at the foot of the homes stairs. Young Andy frantically ran home to tell his mother about what he had witnessed. Andys mother sent for the towns doctor, George Knapp, to go to the home to check on Zona. It took Dr. Knapp approximately an hour to get to the home and by the time he got there he discovered an apparently grief-stricken Edward Shue. Edward had already carried Zonas body up their bedroom upstairs, dressed her corpse in a dress with a high neck and a stiff collar, covered her face with a veil, then laid her out on their bed. As Dr. Knapp attempted to examine Zonas body, Edward reacted hysterically to such an extent that the doctor cut his examination short. Officially, Dr. Knapp originally ruled that Zona had died of an everlasting faint (polite wording for a heart attack). Later, Dr. Knapp changed the cause of death to childbirth. Zonas body was sent back the her parents home for the wake and funeral. Edwards actions during this time were quite odd as he fluctuated between being completely distraught and highly energetic. He had tied a large scarf around his late wifes neck saying it was Zonas favorite. Edwards actions continued to raise suspicions in Mary Jane Heaster that he had something to do with her daughters demise. After the funeral, Mary Jane removed the sheet that had been in Zonas coffin and attempted to return it to Edward. After he declined the offer, Mary Jane noticed an odd odor on the sheet so she decided to wash it. Once she submerged the white sheet in the wash basin, the water in the basin turned blood red. The sheet then turned pink and the water became clear again. Mary Jane interpreted this as a sign from beyond about her daughters death. Mary Jane prayed every night for four weeks that her daughter would reveal to her what had really happened. Finally, Zona revealed herself to her mother initially as a bright light that slowly morphed into the image of Zona. The image of Zona then told Mary Jane that Edward had been very abusive to her throughout their marriage. Zona said her death was caused when he had broken her neck after he believed she hadnt cooked any meat for his dinner. As proof of this happening, Zona turned her head around until it was completely backward to show her mother. The ghost of Zona would then reveal herself to Mary Jane on four separate occasions before Heaster went forward with the story. Mary Jane then went to the prosecutor, John Alfred Preston, begging and pleading with him to try to get him to reopen the case. Preston went to speak with Dr. Knapp who admitted the inadequacy of his examination and this served as enough justification to exhume the body of Zona for an autopsy. Edward Shue was required to attend the autopsy which, not surprisingly, he was vehemently opposed to being conducted. The autopsy revealed that, indeed, Zona had suffered a broken neck just as Mary Jane had said. Shue was arrested and charged with murder. While awaiting his trial, Edwards shady past began to come to light. He had been married twice previously having divorced his first wife who had accused him of being very abusive. His second wife had died under mysterious circumstances when she had supposedly slipped and bashed her head on a rock. Edward boasted that he planned to marry seven women and that there was no way he could be convicted of the murder with there being no evidence. During the trial, the prosecution attempted to skirt the issue of Zonas ghost visits preferring to stick with the facts of the case. The defense, however, was determined to use Mary Janes ghost talk in the belief it would undercut the prosecutions credibility. Under cross-examination, Mary Jane consistently stuck to the story exactly the same as she had told from the beginning. The defenses tactic backfired and the jury was persuaded by Mary Janes passionate description of what had been revealed to her. The jury would find Edward Shue guilty of murder and he was sentenced to life in prison. He would only live for three years in prison as he was taken out by an epidemic that swept through the area. As for Zona, her ghost has not been seen since and Mary Jane Heaster never wavered on her story for the rest of her life. There is an old saying that dead men tell no tales but, apparently, dead women do on occasion. Appalachia has no shortage of spooky stories so feel free to tell us of others that we should check out. We have several more in the works already but always looking for a good story. - Shane
Posted on: Mon, 06 Oct 2014 02:05:06 +0000
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