Hi Julie, I remember our chat quite well!

I do know for certain there was a real Fingernail Freddy, he lived in the Diamond Hill Area of Cumberland, RI, and that he earned the name after brutally killing three teenage boys sometime in the early 1800s. We discovered that the legend has a direct link to some rather extraordinary phenomena that we investigated in that area in 1990-91. Once I manage to locate the research we did on this I'll post it here or on the website's under RI's Haunts. Very interesting stuff!

A. Laird

Sorry its taking so long, but I'm still trying to track down the original research on this. Although the basis of the story is found in fact (the man lived, the homestead still survives and town records confirm the court proceedings)the story is like most urban legends in that it has many variations. To my knowledge the story goes like this...

In the early 1800s, three boys were accused of burning a recluse's house down with his sick daughter still inside. The boys admitted to setting a woodpile on fire as a joke, but claimed they had no idea the fire quickly spread to the house and barn. "Freddy" observed the three accused boys running away before attempting to save his daughter and was badly burned in the process but survived.

The boys were acquitted and the fire declared an accident, but "Freddy" demanded justice for his daughter, loss of his property and his own disfigurement. In open court and before the whole town he threatened to "levy his own justice on the three boys" and stormed out of the courtroom.

For a year no one saw or heard from "Freddy" until one of the boys failed to show up for school and was found killed. Within month's time, the other two boys involved with the burning were found...their throats ripped open and their bodies clawed apart.

Right away after the first boy's murder death the townspeople remembered "Freddy's" threat, but a search of the area only brought fear to the community. Finally, eight days after the last boys was buried, a searcher accidentally found "Freddy" sneaking into the remains of his homestead. A trap door hid the entrance to the cellar beneath. Hours later, a half mad Freddy emerged from his hiding place and was caught, still covered in blood and with fingernails purposely grown long and sharpened. He was hung on the spot and left to rot, but someone eventually cut the man down and buried him beside his daughter not far from the homestead.

And this homestead still actually exists?

I have been to the foundation, its still there. I and a few others from my senior class did a research project on this case in 2001 after hearing the story from my parents who grew up in Cumberland.

If you decide to go, go to the town library and do the research. Thats' where we found the actual historical records are about Freddy...it will make the trip much more intersting once you've learned for yourself that this madman actually lived. Also, get permsiion first or you will get tossed or maybe even arrested as it sits on both private Diocese and off limits protected state land!

Lynn

Lynn,

Thank you for the reply! you beat me to the gun!

Bryan,

I had some friends formaly "escorted" of the property by RI State Wardens. So Please get permission. The Sister of Mercy Admin. offices are located on the right just after Mercy Mount elementary school.

Good Luck

-Dave

Oh My God! I was just borwsing though and I spotted this post about Fingernail Freddy! I grew up in the Diamond hill area of Cumberland (RI) and with all the stories about Freddy. My parents still live just a few miles from where the real Freddy lived and was eventually hung. The stories still scare me, though, and I still refuse to hike in those woods...they're just not right and you can feel it. My husband laughs at me, but it was he who backed down from a dare to visit the old foundation last Halloween, not me! LOL

Hello

Wow, all these years I was told that Fingernail Freddy killed those teenage boys in the cemetery next to Arnold's Mills in Cumberland? Funny how I grew up in Cumberland and now just finding out what the true story is. Thanks for the great research all!

Here's our posted (and most popular) version of the urban legend...

http://www.triprg.com/rihaunts.htm

I've hiked to the old foundation where Freddy and his family homesteaded and I will agree that the entire area is saturated with bad vibes...for lack of a better explanation. I took an entire roll of 35mm film and every picture contained what looked like overflash. Thing is it was in broad daylight and no flash was used! My husband's digicam did get some nice pictures of the charred stones in the foundation. But as we were sitting there watching the video we suddenly heard a crystal clear voice speaking behind our convesation at the time saying to "get off my land" in a low, menacing voice...again we were very much isloated and alone. Neither Dan nor I will ever go back there after hearing that!