For #7 on the countdown, we’re heading south to the site of Bill Sketoe’s hanging in Newton, AL.
Bill Sketoe was a methodist minister and confederate soldier in the south Alabama town of Newton. He was born on June 8, 1818 and lynched on December 3, 1864 on the banks of the Choctawhatchee River. Bill was executed for alleged desertion from the Confederate Army and for allegedly aiding pro-Union renegades in the area. Sketoe denied the accusations and plead his innocence until his lynching.
When it came time for Bill Sketoe’s lynching from a bridge in Newton, something went wrong. Sketoe was a rather tall man and a shallow hole had to be dug beneath his feet to accommodate his tall stature and properly execute the lynching.
To this day the hole that was dug beneath his feet cannot be filled. Over the years people have filled it with dirt, trash and other debris numerous times but eventually, the hole reappears. It is said this was Sketoe’s way of haunting the hanging site since he always claimed he was innocent.
What do you think? Does Bill Sketoe haunt the hanging site to this day? Or is this just a geographic mystery? I’ll let you be the judge.