The Ghost of Willie Fort

With only a few more days left till the night of fear, Halloween, I thought I would continue to share the rest of the articles. This one and was found on  This one was also on  GenealogyBank.com  it appeared in the Charlotte Observer out of Charlotte, North Carolina in June of 1922. This might be of special interest if you’re researching the surname Haley or Fort from the Forestville area of North Carolina. 

GHOST VISITS HOME OF WAKE COUNTY RESIDENT

Resident of Cemetery Pays

 Night Call to Mr. Haley and

 Relates His Troubles.

RALEIGH, June 3 – Persons living near Forestville, Wake county, 14 miles north of Raleigh are considerably aroused by a ghost who makes nightly visits and tells his troubles at the home of W. H. Haley, a well known farmer of that section, according to a story published here today Mr. Haley declares that spirit has called at his home every night for the past five months, and that he revealed himself as a man who died in that vicinity 14 years ago. More than a score of other persons have talked with the ghost, the newspaper asserts.

Mr. Haley declares the ghost first visited his home on the night of January 14 when he and the other members of his family were awakened by vigorous knocking at the front door. He got up and went to the door, but no one was there. For several nights thereafter, he declares, he was aroused by this strange rapping. Determined to catch the intruder, Mr. Haley secreted himself in the yard and it was there, he declares, that a voice spoke to him. He looked in every direction but could see nothing that looked like a man. The voice followed him into the house and since has been a regular caller.

Several nights ago, Mr. Haley says Willie Fort was invited voice to visit his grave in the Forestville cemetery. A number of young men of the neighborhood are said to have gone to the burying grounds in place of young Fort and the ghost failed to show up. One of the party went to the Haley house and demanded with an oath to speak with the ghost.  Deaf to the pleading of Mr. Haley not to speak thusly of the voice, the young man entered the house. The voice came and the question was asked if he would speak to the young man. The ghost replied very distinctively “Tell him to go to hell.” Mr. Haley declared.

His statement corroborated by members of his family and by others from the community who declare they heard it.