Strange Noises in Benwood

I’ve stumbled across another great vintage newspaper article featuring a West Virginia haunting!  The following article can be found in the 27 September 1893 edition of the Wheeling Register (view original article at Chronicling America). It tells of a large frame building owned by Wheeling Steel and Iron, formerly used by a furniture and casket making company to lay out bodies of accident victims. Strange noises could be heard coming from the second story of the building, and one group of young men even claim to have seen an apparition in white robes dart by on the staircase! The building was at the corner of 8th and McMechen Streets in Benwood, WV, and as far as I can tell, the picture below is of the interior.

 NOW IT’S GHOSTS

WHICH THE PEOPLE ARE SEEING DOWN AT BENWOOD

A Weird, Gloomy and Creepy Yarn About a Haunted House, With All the Usual Accessories

Benwood has a sensation.

It is a reported haunted house.

This house is near the center of the city, and the authority furnishing the story is unquestionable.  Citizens, generally are taking an interest in it, so much that a party of persons, composed of two doctors, a member of Council and a minister of the town, and a REGISTER man, will go in a few evenings to make an investigation of it. In fact, Benwood is all worked up over it.

At Eighth and McMechen streets stands the large frame building formerly occupied by Becker & Zimmerman as their furniture and undertaking rooms. This building, probably the oldest in all that locality, is owned by the Wheeling Steel and Iron Company. Numerous stories have been afloat that strange noises proceeded from the second story of the building. Many a man has been scared out of it by weird noises. Many dead, killed by accidents, have been laid out in the rooms, from which now comes the stories so hard to believe but for the high authority.

Last Monday night a dozen young men, in an unguarded moment, entered the building and sat down. It wasn’t long before their hair was standing on end, for from the rooms above came strange noises. The young men who were so scared are reliable, and would be willing to take oath as to their sincerity in the matter. The noise sounded like bricks were being thrown on the floor, and occasionally, the young men say, they could hear cries and groans not like anything earthly. They say, too, a peculiar sound attracted attention, and there was an echo like a stifled cry. One of the boys, William Rutman, had $5 in his pocket. He offered to give the money to anyone who would ascend the stairs. The boys cowered in a corner furthest away from the sounds, but one of the men started to ascend the stairs, for he wanted the $5. He says a peculiar feeling came over him as he ascended the stairs. The groans increased, and something darted past him, he states, clad evidently in white flowing robes. After that the men made a retreat. They hastened to town and told what they had seen. Though many were incredulous, yet none volunteered to investigate. 

If there be such a thing as “ghosts” this seems to fill the bill, and the crowd which will go to investigate propose to investigate fully.

It is improbable that it could be any person playing a trick, as persons say who have examined the building thoroughly before dark and locked it up, but have heard the strange sounds in the night time.