The Greenbrier Ghost and West Virginia history
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- čas přidán 4. 10. 2018
- The death of Zona Shue was thought to be by natural causes. That is, until her ghost told a different story. In 1890s West Virginia, extraordinary evidence became part of a murder trial. This spirit has been called "The Greenbrier Ghost."
The episode is intended for educational purposes. All events are portrayed in historical context. No graphic depictions of violence are depicted.
The History Guy uses media that are in the public domain. As photographs of actual events are sometimes not available, photographs of similar objects and events are used for illustration.
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Script by HCW
#greenbrierghost #thehistoryguy #ushistory
My paternal grandparents told me the story of the Greenbrier Ghost, my grandmother’s father’s cousin testified at the trial as to Mrs Heaster’s character.
I just hear the story in Arabic as brodcasted by the radio of the State of Kwait . Interesting to hear about your family connections with it.
Something similar from Australia - Fisher's Ghost. Fisher was murdered by a neighbor but several weeks later his 'ghost' pointed out the burial place to a passerby. The murderer confessed and was hung after a trial.
Not true. That was a sensational newspaper story, 19C fake news. It was completely obvious to police who the main suspect would have been.
Maybe more similar than you think - On the front page of the same newspaper which reported on Zona's death was a story telling of "The most famous Australian ghost story", which describes both the Fisher's ghost story and the subsequent death-bed confession that the original witness made the ghost story up to divert anger of the dangerous accused away from the witness. There is little doubt that the mother read the article, being on the front page of the same issue which reported her daughter's death. Coincidence?
I honestly don’t understand how you could get any “thumbs down” on any of your videos. Absolutely fascinating and I love your story telling ability!
Historians feuds
56👎 out of 134k views
There are sad people on CZcams who simply click from video to video leaving thumbs down. They arre miserable people who want everyone to be as miserable as they are.
Shu was so afraid that he couldn't tie his own shoes 😎
The fact that he gets very few if any substantial amount of something's down shows that he creates amazing content
This is such an amazing story because poor Zona was so spiritually strong that she managed to find a way to come back & tell her mom what this murderer husband did to her so they could put him in prison. Bravo mom for raising such a strong brave woman.
I come to youtube to lose brain cells not to get educ- woah, education is actually cool! This channel and a couple are literally youtube saviors.
Mr3344555 ...Sure are. So much better than the usual dribble.
Nice.
Do tell .... recovering from shoulder surgery and have a lot of time on my hands....hand
OneLifeToGive Hope you’re doing better! Take care...👋🏻
@@dannynicastro3207 First time I've seen this channel that is why I just subscribed to it.
Another riveting episode. You are great at reliving history. Thank you.
As a WV resident, I was thrilled to watch an episode where s ghost testifies her herself
. Please keep up the good work .
Do a video on Ishi the last wild Indian in the lower 48. His story deserves to be remembered.
I agree. Ishi would be a very good story.
Do eet!!!
maybe you should respect him and call him a Native or First people instead ov a racist outdated term forced up on a slaughtered people
Karnegis yes, I read about him, we don't know his real name because in his tribe you weren't supposed to tell strangers your name. So one of the people he went to named him Ishi.
@@nunyanunya4147 How about, "Injun"... That better crybaby?
Wow, what an honor to have The History Guy share a bit of our beautiful state's rich history. I'm in the Summersville area, probably a half hour or so from where this happened and have actually visited her grave.
Growing up in Greenbrier Country this story is on a historical marker outside the County Court House in Lewisburg. We were told this story every year in history classes and reminded to be good moral people as the truth would always come back to “ haunt” you. Good to see someone retelling it today. To my knowledge it is the only time a ghosts testimony was used in the United States to convict a murderer . Thanks for the flashback to when I was a kid
THIS is one of the craziest stories of history I have EVER heard. Bravo!
I live on Pocahontas county WV, just about an hour from this happened. Glad you did a video on this story. Love the channel. Keep up the good work.
I'm from Pocahontas county enjoyed the story as well
How far away is that from Shepherds Town,WV. ? The reason why I'm asking you is because one of my Great grandfathers was from Shepherds town.
@@captainarcher2 3 hr 30 min roughly shepherds town is way over in the eastern panhandle Greenbrier county is in the south eastern part of the state
Hey! I live in Lewisburg and my maiden name is super close to yours. Mine is McGehee
Hi guys!, Athens, WV here
Fascinating story which illustrates the clash of cultures at the time. A folk-lorish , ghostly revelation leads to a cutting-edge for the time, exhumation and autopsy with photography. How strange and conflicted must those people have been
That was not an actual picture of her autopsy.
thank you for telling this part of our history. i was raised in greenbrier county and worked at the hotel where the nuclear bunker was located, and got to tour it before the story was made public. my great uncle rafe little was a witness who testified for the prosecution in edward shue's trial.
I've lived in West Virginia for 70 years and in that time dined at the Greenbrier once. However, I never before heard this story. Thank you for this bit of history.
Pretty accurate....but.... her name was HEASTER, not Hester.... pronounced HEE-ster... Zona HEE-ster Shue... I live beside that sign in Sam Black Church, West Virginia although her grave is about two miles away at the bottom of Little Sewell Mountain... and have known the descendants of the Heasters all my life... the old homestead where it happened is still standing..
That's really cool thank you for sharing
Bruce Fisher, My brother rented an old farm house at the bottom of little Sewell Mountain (Grassy Bottoms) back in 1977 that both myself and my brother stayed at separately alone and both of us experienced crazy loud sounds at night in the empty house. Neither of us believed in ghosts. Neither of us had discussed our experiences until months later. My brother was told the local rumor was it was the original farm family's son who had fallen from the apple tree in the front yard and was killed by hitting his head on one of the common limestone rocks under the tree. He was told he was a large boy and the sounds I heard that night were like the sounds of a large person stomping around in the house. I inspected every room and even under this old wood frame house and can assure you that it was empty. I have never been able to explain it.
are you a ghost? lol. Nice clarification!
My parents are from around this region. My father was born on Sewell mountain.
@@diannameade495 My dad grew up just outside Lewisburg on a dairy farm that would have been off of Route 60 just before reaching town. Great memories of Greenbrier river. My ancestors go back to 1790's in that area.
There is a tiny bit of forgotten history where I grew up in Southern IL. Not really spoken of anywhere but locally really. It's about a gang of union coal miners who kidnapped and murdered some strike breakers brought in from Chicago In the early 20th Century. Just one of the tales told by a book on the area called "Bloody Williamson" by Paul M Angle.
Incredible story... Thank you so much!
Without a doubt one of the best channels on CZcams. Thank you for posting.
Thank you for composing another in a long line of professionally dramatic slices of history. You are very much appreciated!
So glad I came upon this channel!! I will be watching from now on. Very interesting and presented in just the right manner. Cheers to you.
Pat
I cannot stop or pause your videos once they start. This was an exceptional example. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Thanks so much for taking the leap of faith and following your passion for forgotten history. We are all the beneficiaries. Your history stories/lessons are fantastic. Please keep them coming.
I’ve read about this before but the details you added made the story so much more enjoyable. Thank you.
I love your channel, your presentations bring history to life. This particular bit made me so angry it was hard to sleep, though this is the point of story-telling, making people think and consider parallels in the present to avoid the same mistakes. Thank you for taking the time to put these videos together.
As a native of Greenbrier county West Virginia, and more closely the foot of Droop mountain. I appreciate this episode greatly. Our family has a story concerning the period between schues first and second wives that found him being thrown/ dunked in a creek in winter time.
Another great piece of history! Thanks for sharing this.
Amazing story. Great job on this story. Truly needs to be remembered.
I do love your channel so much ! This was a very unusual and interesting tale,as usual presented with such high professionalism and quality!
It's all fine until the Shue is on the other foot.
Absaalookemensch Now that’s crafty....I love it!
LOL !
Or until the Shue hits the fan.
waiting for the other Shue to drop . . .
If the Shue fits, wear it.
Shoe was so scared that he couldn’t tie his shoe!
HA -- I heard it in the story, but somehow did not connect the phonetics until I read your comment!
Well, he wasn't angry. If he were, Shoe would have been "fit to be tied."
scythelord lmao
Trout Shoes are slippery, that way...
That's truly an amazing bit of history I had never heard about! Very well told as are all of your cases of history!
Even in this day and age, it's still amazingly compelling.
Absolutely fantastic history!
As always an interesting story and history that deserves to be remembered! 👍
Thank you. As a resident of Greenbrier county that has been to Zona's grave as well as spending some time in the Jury box of the Greenbrier county courthouse for a murder trial, I must compliment you on the retelling of this story. Keep up the good work!
I enjoy everything you post. Thank you.
You are a great story teller! Your videos are thoroughly entertaining! Perfect video for the beginning of October, please keep them coming!
Thanks for another wonderful piece of history.
Yay! Thanks for this! We live in Greenbrier County and poor Zona is very much still talked about here.
I love history and so glad to come across your channel .keep up^^ the good work!
I grew up in Lewisburg WV, about 15 miles from where this took place near Sam Black Church off of interstate 64. My grandfather Paul Reuben Jones was actually in the the book as a baby about the Greenbrier Ghost. I also worked at the Greenbrier Hotel for 17 years before I moved to Texas. Brings back memories
Love the channel. Thanks for doing this ☺
This is the first time I've seen your show and I will keep on watching thank you for the history
I really enjoy your vids. I love history, and I really adore odd little bits that are forgotten by main-line history narratives.
I love your stories on the history channel.
I've come across this story before, but not related in this degree of detail. A fascinating tale, and, as the other comments show, open to all manner of interpretations. Ghost stories of this type, seeking to redress a wrong were once a major part of folk culture but are almost forgotten now. Well done, HG for keeping this one alive.
Mr. Ballen just recently uploaded a telling of this story with a bit more detail in some areas :)
Fantastic! I have learned so much from you that I've started taking notes. Thank You!
Beautiful narration
Thanks for sharing
Thanks for adding to the depth of the story by telling the story of the origin of the state of West Virginia as well.
Another great video! Thank you 👍
I found an episode I hadn’t seen yet, ahhh the little things. Thank u sir.
Wow! Great defense work! LOL.
You put up tons of videos that I wonder how this could be interesting. Once again it is fascinating history.
Thank you again.
Wow, fascinating as always, HG! And it brings to light an important issue: There are those who believe in spirituality, that this physical life isn't "all there is" and that there is an afterlife. It's certainly rare that spirits give such detailed (and accurate!) insights from the other side, but even the biggest skeptic would have to agree that the evidence here is compelling. Unless...unless Zona's mom was the one who... Nah, what mother could kill her own child?
I love this channel!
Yes, I enjoyed it very much, thank you for your stories!
Great video as always. I would like to point out a few things which I've subsequently found which either aren't mentioned or doesn't come over very clearly in your video.
Firstly, there's virtually zero doubt that the conviction had nothing to do with the ghost story. There was a strong circumstantial case against the accused and, although rare, it wasn't unheard of for such a case to earn a conviction. The local paper made it clear that the conviction was based on evidence presented.
There's no evidence that the case was re-examined based on the mother's claim of seeing a ghost, but rather because of 'community suspicion'. A number of people had complained that the husband was acting strangely around the body, including packing material around the head in the coffin to prevent the head moving. He had also made a number of odd statements including words to the effect of 'they won't be able to prove I did it'. He was also known to be violent and had almost been murdered by his previous wife's family due to his treatment of her (that's where the ice lake story comes from - they actually tried to drown him in an ice lake).
It should also be pointed out that there is no record of the mother knowing how her daughter died until after the autopsy. In fact, it was 3 hours into the autopsy before the examiners even checked the neck area and found the dislocation. If they had exhumed her body because the mother told them her neck was broken wouldn't it be reasonable to assume they would check that almost immediately?
There are a number of stories that two of his previous wives died mysteriously, but (as you correctly state) only one previous wife was dead, the other got a divorce while he was in jail for horse theft.
Most damning of all to the ghost story, according to Fred Long, editor of The Hinton News-Leader, on the front page of the very newspaper which reported Zona's death was the story of 'The Greatest Australian Ghost Story', which I presume refers to Fisher's Ghost. The Fisher's Ghost story is a famous Australian story from early 19th century of a man who was murdered and his ghost pointed out the location of his corpse and apparently resulted in the conviction of the killer who later confessed to the crime. The story in the paper was actually relating that the man who claimed to see the ghost, confessed on his death-bed that he made up the ghost story to divert the anger of the accused (who was obviously dangerous) away from himself. The man had actually witnessed the crime but feared saying so because he was afraid of being killed himself. There's little doubt that the mother would have seen this story, being on the front page of the issue which reported her daughter's death.
Very interesting, thank you
Thank you for sharing
Interesting ghost story, he would have gotten away with if it wasn't for those meddling kids ;-)
Scooby Dooby Doooo
Dag nab it!
"scooby doo" That praying mother of hers, and......ghoooost?!!!!!! God says, "Yeah, the Devil works for me anyway, hahaha."
Scooby Doodied Shoe
Zoiks!!!
you are the greatest history guy,
....in the entire history,
.............of history guys.
(.......never stop....)
Interesting video - thanks for posting 👏🏻‼️
Fascinating, as always!
Really great episode.
As always.....THANK YOU.
Not the first time I have heard this story, but this one by far has been the best telling of it...good job!
Wow! What a great piece of History! A ghost convicts a man! KEEP ON ROCKING!
Fascinating story! Thank you.
I love this history dude!
Loved this! I live in WV and grew up hearing this story.
Great job, Thank you 🙏🏽
Great video. It is October so, more ghostly history would be appreciated.
Quite captivating, unusual story. Thank you for relating it.
Love the history! You are correct! These stories need to be told & remembered! Thank you so much! I am from Haywood county, North Carolina. Maybe you can find something I don't know about where I grew up?
As a winner of The Golden Horseshoe, I really like your WV history stories.
This is so amazing thank you Mazel Tov
Wow! What a fascinating story. Thanks so much.
New subscriberAppreciating your work
Another great and unknown bit of history.
Thank you love your videos
Always a good listen...
Fascinating story. I used to drive to West Virginia to go trout fishing when I lived in south western Pennsylvania. Beautiful mountains and scenery.
Yes! Very good, as always.
These are so good. I'm sure that you get ideas for little shows all the time, but here are a few from me, a history professor down in Texas:
1) Gonzalo Guerrero, the rebel Conquistador
2) The Battle of Palmito Ranch, the last and strangest battle in the Civil War
3) Ah Maxam, the 8th century Maya artist (pronounced Ahh Ma-Shaam)
4) The Kingdom of the Natchez in Central Louisiana
5) The voyage of U-234, the Last U-Boat and its uranium cargo
6) Bernardo de Galvez, the forgotten hero of the American Revolution
7) The "Candy Bomber" of the Berlin Airlift
Feel free to use some, all or none of these. Just keep making great shows, man!
Another awesome episode. Thanks for doing these :-) Only disappointment was when you started talking about the bunker I was hoping it was going to be it being haunted. Please do an episode about the bunker. I think that a very interesting episode.
Thanks from West Virginia! Wish there were more stories from here.
I'm happy this popped up in my feed so close to Halloween! 🎃
Subscribers climbing steadily; good on you!
I really enjoy your videos - you have a flair for presenting stories clearly and in a way that keeps me listening. Can you share about how you make your videos - how long does it take to make each one? Do you write a script for each one, or do you talk from memory?
Filming takes about two hours. Processing (largely collecting the media) another two to four. Research time depends on the topic. I do script the episodes, but all pieces done to camera are done from memory- no cue cards or teleprompter. I write most scripts, but my wife also authors some episodes.
Thank you! I'm impressed that you get these done so fast. I'm an instructional designer by trade (been doing it for 20+ years), and I've also designed courses in history (working with people who have deep knowledge of the subject matter) and I think what you do is fantastic and to me it looks like you have a lot of experience in writing and teaching, among other things.
I usually don't get to do fun and creative videos at work, and I've been dreaming for years about making videos and animations, putting then on CZcams, and seeing if I get an audience. So I admire very much that you have gone ahead and just done it.
I have another question which of course you don't have to answer - how do you fit video creation into all the other things you have to do in your life, such as work and marriage and kids, etc.? Any advice?
Oh, and I love history too!
-vTom
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel Thank you both then
Great vid , thanx.
Such a damn cool piece of history!!!!!!
Great!!! Thanks so much!!!
Fabulous story telling. Please don't underestimate the power of a mother daughter connection!
Fascinating piece of American crime history.
I enjoy these!
Good one, very entertaining.
Great Videos as usual. Quite ironic that you posted this, because the video game Fallout 76 is coming out next month and it takes place in West Virginia and The Greenbrier is one of the locations that you can visit. They are going to add a lot of WV lore to the game, so it should be interesting.
Absolutely fascinating.
Wow! So cool. Thanks!
Great Video for Halloween Time!
Amazing video! I'll have to visit the grave site when I visit family next! :)
Good to hear that the
*History Guy* has not forgotten about
Wild and Wonderful
West Virginia
Mountain Moma
Only in WV would the testimony of a ghost allow to be admitted in to evidence
There is no other place on earth as beautiful as WV
I really enjoy the video's. Do you only do video's on the United states history or do you do other countries as well?