If you travel to the Alabama city of Carrollton, in Pickens County and you ask to see the photograph in the courthouse window, there are many who will point it out to you. There is even a sign with an arrow pointing it out, high on the wall of the courthouse.

The story of the photograph’s origin is shrouded in mystery, but according to witnesses at the time, it was lightning that placed it there in 1878. It is said that the face in the photo was that of Henry Wells, a freed slave who had been falsely accused of burning the previous courthouse of Pickens County in 1876.

The original courthouse had been burned down by Union troops during the Civil War. The second courthouse was the result of the hard work of the people of Pickens County, who took great pride in its construction, since the destruction of the original appeared to be nothing more than meanness on the part of the Union Forces. During the Reconstruction Era, the South suffered greatly. There was very little money and material with which to build anything, but they finally came up with enough to build their courthouse. By 1876, things had improved somewhat and the courthouse was doing business.

On November 15, 1876, the new courthouse caught fire and was destroyed! The citizens felt a tremendous personal loss at this, since they had scrimped so much and made so many sacrifices to build the courthouse. There was a general sadness around Pickens County, then it was announced that the fire was the result of arson! Sadness quickly turned to anger. It was later learned that the arson was committed as a part of a burglary that was being committed.

In time, Henry Wells became the prime suspect.

ACCORDING TO THE LEGEND:

Henry Wells had a reputation as being extremely violent, with a very bad temper. He carried a straight razor that he sometimes used in the many brawls he had been in. However, with all that, there was little evidence to link him to the burning of the courthouse. In 1878, he was charged with arson, burglary, carrying a concealed weapon and assault with intent to commit murder.

Wells was arrested and taken to the Pickens County Jail, located in the new courthouse. As the word spread that Wells was in custody, a mob formed on the courthouse lawn. Beneath a threatening sky, the mob became more and more violent. The sheriff moved Wells to the top floor of the courthouse and locked him in a room for his own protection.

At some point, Wells walked over to the window and yelled, "I am innocent. If you kill me, I am going to haunt you for the rest of your lives!" Before he could get away from the window a bolt of lightning struck nearby, leaving the image of Wells’ grimacing face on the window pane.

The mob eventually entered the courthouse and took their prisoner. He was hanged in spite of his insistence of being innocent.

According to the legend, it was the next morning that someone noticed the photograph on the window pane.

FACTS THAT DEBUNK THE LEGEND:

The legend appears to have been derived from two incidents in Pickens County history of that time.

Following an article in the West Alabamian newspaper on December 13, 1876, Henry Wells became the main suspect in the burning of the courthouse. The article stated that Henry Wells and accomplice Bill Buckhalter were suspected of robbing a store on the night the courthouse was burned.

On September 26, 1877, Nathaniel Pierce was being held on murder charges, when an angry mob broke into the jail, took him out of town and killed him. Nathaniel Pierce’s death appears to have had nothing at all to do with the burning of the courthouse, but it had to do with an angry mob.

Bill Burkhalter was arrested in January 1878 and confessed to the robbery charge. He accused Henry Wells of burning the courthouse. A few days later, law enforcement officers located Wells and attempted to take him into custody; he fled. He was shot twice in his escape attempt and died five days later. During that time, he confessed to having burned the courthouse. He wasn’t hanged by an angry mob and he wasn't incarcerated at the Pickens County Jail!

Additionally, the windows of the newest courthouse were not yet completely installed. The last to be installed were the ones on the upper floors. Both, Nathaniel Pierce and Henry Wells were dead before they were installed!

Over the years, the window has been repeatedly cleaned, using a variety of solvents and it remains there. It is not visible from inside the courthouse, looking out, only from the outside, looking in.

So, two questions remain. Whose face is that in the lightning photograph? And furthermore, how do lightning photos happen?