High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! William "Bill" Sketoe, Sr. (June 8, 1818 – December 3, 1864) was a Methodist minister from the south Alabama town of Newton, whose lynching there on December 3, 1864 gave birth to one of Alabama`s best known ghost stories. While locally told stories of his life usually say that he was hanged on trumped-up charges of desertion from the Confederate Army, other sources indicate that he was killed for allegedly aiding pro-Union renegades in the area. Whatever the reason for his murder, a shallow hole dug beneath Sketoe`s feet during the hanging (to accommodate his large frame) ultimately led to stories about "the hole that won`t stay filled." According to witnesses, this hole never disappeared—even after being filled numerous times—retaining its original dimensions for the next 115 years.