The Greenbrier Ghost Reexamined by Arabeth Balasko

Trout Shue's drawing which was done during his prison sentence. Source: 1992.06.001, GHS Collection

          
​The Greenbrier Ghost Reexamined by Arabeth Balasko

     The tale of the Greenbrier Ghost seems like your classic tragedy – featuring a lifeless young bride, her dubious husband, and her bereaved mother; however, this January 1897 murder investigation would end up being anything but textbook.  Although it is famous as the only instance in history where testimony from beyond the grave led to a murder conviction – clearly, there is more to this story than just the supernatural. [1]

     When I began to review the tale of the Greenbrier Ghost, I quickly found that there was an abundant amount of contradicting and conflicting information in the written record, which I found fascinating.  Each story had its own spin on how the death of Elva Zona Heaster Shue happened. I then began to think, with such conflicting information, how is one to find the facts, the truth, when all the resources seemed to be recounting a different story? 
​
     As an archivist and historian, I am always looking for the facts. “How do I get to the truth of what really happened?”  However, with the endless conflicting newspaper accounts, the missing primary resources and crucial documents, and the fact that there are no longer any survivors from the time this case was tried – I sadly have not found any real answers, but I certainly have come up with many new questions. 

     Before we get into this very strange account which has been told and retold over the last century, I wanted to share why I wanted to reexamine this particular case, 125-years after the fact.  Archivists always enjoy highlighting their repository’s unique holdings and collections.  By showcasing these "hidden treasures," archivists aspire to challenge users to think about where that information comes from.  Where do these materials and resources originate?  How have they been used over the years?  How have they been made accessible for use?  How do you find information?  By assessing archival materials, it encourages the archivist and the archival users to reevaluate what they have heard and start a search for the facts, the truth of the matter. [2] 
​
     Speaking of getting to the truth of the matter -- will anyone ever be able to truly solve the mystery of what happened to Zona that fateful day in January 1897?  125-years later, here is my attempt at sharing some new insights and questions to ponder so that you yourself can reflect and decide what you think happened... ​

“The dreams which reveal the supernatural are promises and messages that God sends  us directly: they are nothing but His angels, His ministering spirits, who usually appear to us when we are in a great predicament.” – Paracelsus
 
     In October 1896 in Greenbrier County, West Virginia – in a small area known as the Richlands the newly married Elva Zona Heaster Shue (she was referred to as Zona) and Erasmus Stribbling “Edward” Trout Shue (he is often referred to as E.S. or Trout) set-up a life together in a two-story home at Livesay’s Mill.  Although they apparently had not known each other long before their marriage, all seemed to be well.  He was employed and seen as a talented and respected blacksmith at Livesay’s Mill, and she was a homemaker and was well-known locally around the small community of the Meadow Bluff and Richlands region.  It was not until her untimely demise that winter that rumors began to circulate around town of how others in the community truly perceived Trout and his marriage to Zona. [3] 
​
     While he is often described as a man who was new to the county, his family had a homestead that was located on Droop Mountain, which borders both Pocahontas and Greenbrier Counties.  Additionally, before he was married to Zona, Trout had two other wives – both from locally known families.  His first marriage to Allie E. Cutlip ended in divorce – and his second marriage to Lucy Ann Tritt ended with her death.  There are currently no identifiable official death records for Lucy Ann Tritt, therefore, her cause of death is unknown at this time, but it was a circulating rumor around town that Trout had somehow been responsible for her death. [4]
 
     Therefore, when Zona ended up dead only three months after they were married, and Trout was acting suspicious according to the onlookers at Zona’s wake, rumors began to spread all around town that Trout “must have had” something to, do with it.  So, what exactly happened to Zona that ill-fated winter day?  Here is the story, as it has been told so many times before…
 
     On a chilly Saturday morning, January 23rd, 1897, a young African American neighbor of the Shue’s, Anderson “Andy” Jones was asked by Trout several times to stop by the Shue’s house to run an errand of gathering eggs. When he finally made it to the Shue’s homestead, he felt something wasn’t right.  The house was dark and quiet – so he went in looking for Zona, as Trout had asked him to see if “Mrs. Shue wanted anything.”  He apparently called for her, and when she did not answer, he went inside to look for her. According to one report, he had found her lifeless body laying at the bottom of the stairs.  He then ran down the road to his home and told his mother, Martha, what he had found.  When word finally got to Trout that something bad had happened to Zona, he supposedly hurried home and found her dead.  Onlookers reported that Trout had acted inconsolable and told everyone to leave the house and call for Dr. Knapp (the local doctor) to come to his home.
​
       It was then reported that an hour or two had elapsed before Dr. Knapp arrived to the Shue’s home, and during that time, Trout had already clothed Zona in a dress with “a high-collared neck, and a large veil several times folded and tied in a large bow under the chin,” and placed her body into their bed.  This did not seem to arouse any suspicion from the doctor, and he did try to “resuscitate” Zona; however, it was clear that she was dead.  Upon his initial examination, Dr. Knapp supposedly stated that Zona’s cause of death was heart disease or everlasting faint; however, in the official Greenbrier County Death Book, her listed cause of death was childbirth.  It was also reported that Dr. Knapp had been treating Zona for weeks before for some ailment but there are no records showing this – nor was Dr. Knapp’s signature or comments listed on the official death record for Zona.  In fact, her name is not even listed in the official record, she is simply identified as “Mrs. Shue.” [5]  ​

     After her body was fully examined, Zona was taken to her family’s home on Little Sewell Mountain to prepare for a wake and a prompt burial in the coming days.  However, when her body arrived it was noted that her mother, Mary Jane Robinson Heaster, expressed that she felt Trout had something to do with her daughter’s untimely demise.
 
     In fact, during the wake folks began to notice how affected Trout was by Zona’s death – some found it admirable and it seemed to show just how much he had loved his late wife.  Others, such as Mary Jane, felt it was unnatural the way he acted – it was reported that he was acting overly erratic and theatrical – it is stated that he even banned anyone from touching his wife’s body.  He would always be closely to the casket and folks began to notice that Zona’s neck had an unnatural look – loose and wobbly – and she had a bruise on her cheek that seemed to just appear out of nowhere.  Though there was talk going around the community about Trout, his bad temper, and his odd actions around the wake and funeral, it seemed to be a closed case – an unfortunate circumstance – that was all. [6]
 
     Mary Jane was not satisfied with this conclusion – she felt in her body and soul that something bad had happened to Zona.  After Zona died, Mary Jane went into a state of severe grief and constant prayer, begging her daughter to appear to her and tell her what had really happened.  She is quoted as saying, “I prayed to the Lord that she might come back and tell me what had happened; and I prayed that she might come herself and tell on him.”  According to Mary Jane, she began to have visions where Zona appeared to her and told her the following, “He was mad that she didn’t have no meat cooked for supper […] and she said I had plenty; don’t you think that he was mad and just took down all my nice things and packed them away and ruined them. […] She cames four times and four nights; but the second night she told me that her neck was squeezed off at the first joint and it was just as she told me.” [7]
 
     After her visits from Zona, Mary Jane went to the courthouse to talk to Greenbrier County’s prosecuting attorney, John Alfred Preston.  She informed him that something was not right and begged him to look further into her daughter’s death.  Ultimately, an inquest was made and an exhumation was planned. When Zona’s body was exhumed, it was discovered that she had suffered a broken neck, a finding which had been overlooked upon initial examination. Trout was present at the exhuming, and his actions were once again labeled “suspicious,” and as a result of the new findings, Trout was immediately placed under arrest for Zona’s murder. [8]
 ​

     The next few months were full of town gossip, more character assassinations and accusations – in May Trout supposedly threatened to kill himself while he was in prison awaiting the trial.  Every few weeks the build-up to the trial was printed in the Greenbrier Independent.  Finally, five-months after Zona was found dead, her husband, Trout went on trial for her murder. [9]

     At his trial, Trout took the stand, but it was apparently met with unease.  It is reported in the Greenbrier Independent, July 1st, 1897 that, “Shue was on the stand all Tuesday afternoon.  He was given free reign and talked at great length; was very minute and particular in describing unimportant incidences […] said the prosecution was all spite work; entered a positive denial of the charge against him; vehemently protested his innocence calling God to witness; admitted that he had served time in the pen; declared that he dearly loved his wife; and appealed to the jury to look into his face and then say if he was guilty.  His testimony, manner, &c. made an unfavorable impression on spectators.” [10]
   
     When Mary Jane Robinson Heaster was called to testify, she shared the experiences of her daughter contacting her from beyond the grave to tell her how she had been murdered by Trout. She also gave detailed descriptions of Zona's house and the land surrounding the property, despite claiming that she had never visited her daughter's residence. Her testimony was powerful and compelling, and since Zona’s mother was a well-known pious and Christian woman around town, her testimony was accepted as truth, and these powerful accounts became the case’s strongest evidence.
 
     After the jury heard both sides of the testimony, they recessed for “1 hour and 10 minutes,” and came back with a guilty verdict for murder in the first-degree.  It is quoted in the Greenbrier Intependent, July 8th, 1897 edition that “Though the evidence was entirely circumstantial, the verdict meets general approval as all who heard the evidence are satisfied of the prisoner’s guilt.” [11]    
 ​

     Trout was sentenced to life in the West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville, some local folks felt that justice had not been entirely served and wanted to take matters into their own hands.  They felt that he should have hanged for what he did to Zona, and a lynch-mob was formed by some local townsfolk including C.G. Martin, J.L. Nary, Robert Hunter, and Otey Arbaugh.  The plan was to go to the county jail, where Trout was held, “take him outside and hang him.”   A local man, George Harrah, who lived near the Meadow Bluff area where the mob had formed, found out about the lynch mob’s plans to overtake the jail.  He quickly rode to the local sheriff’s house, Sheriff Nickell, who also lived in Meadow Bluff, in an attempt to stop the mob before they set off for the jail.  In the July 15th, 1897 edition of the Greenbrier Independent the mob incident is reported as follows: “Mr. Nickell and Mr. Harrah then started for Lewisburg, and had to pass the campground where the lynchers were to assemble.  When they arrived there, which was about 9 o’clock, several of the mob were already there.  – They passed by safely but were recognized.  Several minutes later four of the mob pursued and after an exciting chase overtook them, presented pistols, and demanded that they stop.  The Sheriff drew his pistol and was in the act of firing when he recognized his assailant, and not desiring to hurt or kill him concluded to try moral suasion.  – He and Harrah surrendered and were taken back to the residence of Mr. D. A. Dwyer, where after considerable parleying, the Sheriff succeeded in inducing them to disband and return to their homes.  They were provided with a stout new rope, were armed with Winchesters and revolvers, and numbered from ten to twenty, as far as could be seen – the most of them keeping in the background in the shadows of the trees.” [12]          
 
     The irony of the situation is that even if the mob had succeeded in storming the jail in Lewisburg in an attempt to lynch Trout, they would have only found an empty cell.  Having gotten word that a mob was forming, Deputy Sheriff John G. Dwyer was able to take Trout to, “a place of safety in the woods a mile or two outside of town.”  After the foiled lynching, Trout was then escorted to the West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville, where he died in the spring of 1900 reportedly from an outbreak of tuberculosis at the prison. [13]       ​

     Was Trout really guilty of murdering his wife Zona because she didn’t cook meat for supper?  Could Zona have died in childbirth, as the official death record stated?  The young boy, Andy Jones who found Zona, had supposedly reported she was laying on the floor – could she have somehow fallen and broken her neck?  Did Zona really come back from the grave and tell her mother that Trout murdered her?  Was the outcome of this case justice from beyond the grave? Or, was it a witch-hunt – a quest to prove that a man known around the community to be of ill repute was to blame for his wife’s unexpected and untimely demise?
 
     The facts as they stand are very limited.  Regarding Zona, it is known that she married Trout on Tuesday, October 21, 1896, and that they were married only a little over 3-months before she died.  It is known that there are conflicting dates reported for Zona’s death – on the official death record which has her death date listed as Saturday, January 23, 1897 and the newspaper accounts which have her death date listed as Sunday, January 24th, 1897.  It shows on the official record of her death, that her cause of her death was listed as childbirth.  It is also known that Zona had a baby boy out of wedlock on November 29th, 1895, which was almost a year before she and Trout had ever met. [14]    
 
     Regarding Trout, it is known that he never seemed to conceal or hide the fact he had a previous criminal record for stealing a horse, and he did not hide the fact that he was a divorcee and a widower before he married Zona.  It is also known that it was not until Mary Jane had her visions that he was even suspected for murdering Zona and her body was exhumed.  It is known that he proclaimed his innocence and that he was held in the prison in Lewisburg until his June 1897 trial took place – and that he was sentenced to the West Virginia State Penitentiary in Moundsville for the “rest of his natural life” for the murder of Zona. [15]

    One of the six jurors present during the exhuming of Zona’s body, C. G. Martin, was a self-described neighbor and friend to Mary Jane who stated in an October 11th, 1897 letter to Richard Hodgson (Secretary of the American Society for Psychological Research);  “Mrs. M. J. Heaster told me about her vision or dream ten days to two weeks before the body of her daughter was taken up and examined.  I was one of the six jurors at the examination of the body and heard her testimony before she knew anything of what we had found. [..] In short I would say upon examination we found every iota just as Mrs. Heaster had told several others and myself beforehand except in the hollow as located above and behind the plank in the cellar we found nothing although diligent search was made. [..] Mrs. Heaster is a nigh neighbor of mine, a daughter of an English sailor, and as daring, gritty woman as I ever saw.” [16]
 
     It was also this same man, C. G. Martin who was identified in the July 29, 1897 edition of the Greenbrier Independent as one of the members of the lynch mob that was summoned to the Circuit Court to account for his intended actions again Trout. [17]
           
     Those are the facts.  Very limited in nature, and mostly circumstantial.  As an archivist, I believe in following the records; however, I have found that with this case, the primary resources, records, and documents outline a confusing story – one that is peppered with few facts and several strong feelings.  It is clear in Mary Jane’s testimony that she felt in her body and soul that Trout had murdered her daughter – it is also apparent that many in the county also felt that Trout was guilty – he was not to be trusted or believed – he was a stranger.  Those who had witnessed against him were viewed as good, Christian folks, they were known in the community, and were reliable.  Their words and testimonies were believed, they were trusted…they meant something. 
 
     Maybe we shall never know the truth of what happened to Zona. Regardless of the truth, it is a fascinating story about the relentlessness of a mother's love, the miscarriages of the justice system, the power of personal persuasions, inherent feelings and biases about those whom we perceive as evil, and the overwhelming need for society to have a villain who fits the typical criminal profile.
 
Citations and Footnotes:
[1] It is reported that this case is the “Only known case in which testimony from a ghost helped convict a murderer.” – https://wvtourism.com/ghost-who-gave-legal-testimony/
[2] Each of the newspaper accounts seemed to have a different sensationalized spin on how this event unfolded.  In fact, this story has been revisited numerous times over the decades/century after the events took place.  Each story seemed to be more outlandish than the last.  In a 1966 The Orlando Sentinel (Orlando, FL, 20 Nov 1966, Page 99) article by Frank Edwards, Zona was even described as “a beautiful, teen-age blonde.”  As the event got further and further away from the present day, the recounts of what happened that day and the search for truth became harder and harder to uncover.
[3] In Katie Letcher Lyle’s 1999 novel, The Man Who Wanted Seven Wives The Greenbrier Ghost and the Famous Murder Mystery of 1897, she used a mixture of truths and fictionalizations to describe the scenarios surrounding this case. The information regarding the Shue’s home and their standing in the community was confirmed and reported as facts by both her and other sources.  
[4] The Greenbrier Historical Society and North House Museum Archive has the original marriage bond for E.S. Shue and Allie E. Cutlip.  The bond is signed by E.S. Shue, and witnessed by Joshua Sharp – “x” – it was approved and signed by Charles B. Buster, County Clerk of Greenbrier County in 1885.  This bond proves that Shue was present in Greenbrier County in the 1880s and was not a total “stranger” who roamed into town out of nowhere in 1897, which is what is often reported.  To learn more about Charles B. Buster’s role of County Clerk, please visit: http://www.us-data.org/wv/greenbrier/bios/buster_charles-b_1838-1929.txt -- Primary resource documents are not available showing when Shue and Tritt were married, but according to Lyle’s book, there are newspapers articles from the Pocahontas Times reporting Tritt’s death, “ 2-15-1895 – Mrs. E.S. Shue, wife of ‘Trout’ Shue died very suddenly at her home near here on last Monday morning the 11th.  We haven’t been able to learn the particulars of her death.” Pp. 71
[5] There have been several notations regarding Trout’s odd behavior around dressing his wife, acting “possessive” of her body, etc. which has been reported in an 1897 newspaper articles from the Greenbrier Independent July 01, 1897 edition.  To read the full excerpt, please visit: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84037217/1897-07-01/ed-1/seq-3/ as well as an article in the Staunton Spectator and Vindicator.  It was noted in the official Death Record for Zona, that she died in “childbirth.”  The Death Record also only identifies her as “Mrs. Shue” and there is not a doctor listed; however, the Handly Undertaking Company in Lewisburg was listed as the official undertaker.  -- Zona’s death announcement also appeared in the Greenbrier Independent 01/28/ 1897 edition: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84037217/1897-01-28/ed-1/seq-3/   In this article it is stated that she died on “Sunday the 24th;” however, her death is recorded as happening on” Saturday, January 23rd, 1897” in the official record.  This again shows the differences found among the available records and resources for this case.
[6] Lyle’s mentioning of Zona’s wake was confirmed and reported as facts – however; it has also been reported as fact in the Greenbrier Independent that there seemed no cause for suspicion until Mary Jane Heaster reported her “visits from Zona” to the County authorities that led to Zona’s body being exhumed.
[7] This excerpt was taken directly from Mary Jane Robinson Heaster’s testimony which was printed in the Greenbrier Independent 07/01/1897 edition.  To read the full excerpt, please visit: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84037217/1897-07-01/ed-1/seq-3/   
[8] Ibid.
[9] It was reported in the Greenbrier Independent 5/20/1897 edition that “Trout” Shue who is now in jail here awaiting trial for the murder of his wife, has threatened to kill himself.”   https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84037217/1897-05-20/ed-1/seq-3/  
[10] Although E.S. “Trout” Shue’s testimony was not fully provided in this article, it did highlight his erratic and strange behaviors while taking the stand.  These comments were printed in the Greenbrier Independent 07/01/1897 edition.  To read the full article, please visit: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84037217/1897-07-01/ed-1/seq-3/
[11] This statement was printed in the Greenbrier Independent 07/08/1897 edition.  To read the full article, please visit: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84037217/1897-07-08/ed-1/seq-3/
[12] This excerpt was printed in the Greenbrier Independent 07/15/1897 edition.  To read the full article, please visit: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84037217/1897-07-15/ed-1/seq-3/  These individuals were also IDed on the July 12th, 1897 Court Case “The State of West Virginia vs. Warrant -- John Seward, Otey Arbaugh, John Nary, CG Martin, John Thompson, Robert Hunter, Cassie Bivens, and Marshall Heaster and others whose names are unknown of the said county, did unlawfully combine and conspire together for the purpose of inflicting punishment and bodily injury upon E. S. Shue then confined in the jail of Greenbrier County under sentence for murder: These are therefore in the name of the State of West Virginia to command your forthwith to apprehend and bring before me the body of the said John Seward, Otey Arbaugh, Cassie Bivens and Marshall Heaster, John Nary, C G Martin, John Thompson and Robt Hunter to answer the said complaint, and to be farther dealt with according to law.  Given under my hand and seal this 12th day of July, 1897.”  The 1897 Court Case document can be found in: The Greenbrier Historical Society Archives, Greenbrier County Courthouse Collection, July 12, 1897; Box 1890-1899.
[13] This statement was printed in the Greenbrier Independent 07/08/1897 edition.  To read the full article, please visit: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84037217/1897-07-08/ed-1/seq-3/
[14] According to the WV State Birth Records, Zona had a baby boy born on “November 29th, 1895.”  Under the name of the father the  record reads “Supposed to be George Woldridge.”  The state website has her name listed as “Zoma;” therefore, the record does not populate with a search for “Zona Heaster.”  The record also identifies Zona as being “22 years old;” however, in her 1897 death record, her age is also listed as “22 years old.”  Once again, the official records provide an unclear picture of what is fact and what is fiction.  http://archive.wvculture.org/vrr/va_view.aspx?Id=499632&Type=Birth
[15] This statement was printed in the Greenbrier Independent 07/08/1897 edition.  To read the full article, please visit: https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84037217/1897-07-08/ed-1/seq-3/
[16] In Katie Letcher Lyle’s 1999 novel, The Man Who Wanted Seven Wives The Greenbrier Ghost and the Famous Murder Mystery of 1897, she discusses in Appendix VII: Visions Resulting in Conviction for Murder, a study that was conducted by Richard Hodgson, while he , “…served as secretary of the American Society for Psychical Research (ASPR)” during the fall of 1897. These letters contain written responses from a variety of folks involved or close to the Heaster family, including C.G. Martin, who claimed to have been “…one of the six jurors at the examination of the body (of Zona) and heard her testimony before she knew anything of what we had found.”  He was also a self-proclaimed neighbor and friend of Mary Jane Robinson Heaster.  Pp. 183-190.
[17] As stated above in footnote 12, C.G. Martin was one of the identified members of the lynch mob that attempted to hang Shue after his trial had ended.