Occasionally I run across someone who has an apparent Alabama connection, but after doing a bit of research the connection seems to vanish. See my post on author William P. McGivern, for instance. Marshall Buell is another good example.
I recently stumbled upon an article about the Odd Fellow's Hall/Opera House in Westminster, Maryland. The building, opened in 1858, served as an entertainment venue after the Civil War and well into the twentieth century. One incident probably in the 1870's has contributed to its reputation as one of the "haunted theatres of Maryland."
Sometime during the presidency of Ulysses S. Grant, i.e. 1869-1877, a comedian named Marshall Buell appeared at the Opera House. During his performance he affected a broad Southern accent and proceeded to make crude fun of Grant. The audience reacted violently, tossing rocks and other items toward the stage. Buell fled but was later found murdered near the theater. The Sheriff had supposedly offered a night in jail as protection; Buell refused. His killer was never caught, and he was buried in an unmarked grave in Westminster Cemetery. Every account of this matter identifies Buell as a comedian from Alabama.
These accounts all seem to be secondary. I first came across the story in an article by Kevin Dayhoff, "The Odd Fellow's Hall Opera House in Westminster a witness to history for over 165 years" published in the Baltimore Sun on April 16, 2021. He mentions an article by Mary Ellen Grabill published in the Sun on June 3, 2007, and an earlier lengthy one by Jesse Glass in the Carroll County Times November 3, 1978. Dayhoff's article does not mention any sources contemporary to the Buell incident, so this story may be a case study in building folklore--a real event transmuted far beyond its origins.
I made some effort to track down Martin Buell, but Ancestry.com and the Library of Congress' Chronicling America collection of 19th century newspapers coughed up nothing. I did find a Martin Buell working in the General Land-Office of the U.S. Department of the Interior in 1878, but he was born in Massachusetts. Of course, Buell may not have been his real name, and perhaps he wasn't really from Alabama. Nevertheless, Buell is said to haunt the locale of his last performance. Perhaps a seance could be held to ascertain the true facts.
Source: Historical Marker Project
Source: Find-A-Grave
