A particularly grizzly murder took place in New Philadelphia, Ohio in the fall of 1901. Despite the violence of the crime, and the fact that there were a number of potential suspects, no one was ever brought to justice. The victim’s death, and life, were subsequently forgotten. It was a Wednesday afternoon in late OctoberContinue reading “Unsolved and Forgotten: The 1901 Murder of Mrs. Martha Hensel”
Tag Archives: murder
William Watson, Gold Mining, and a California Tragedy
While recently writing about a Murder in Klondike, it got me wondering if there were any people from the Tuscarawas County area that decided to try and find riches in the gold fields of the American West. In doing so, I stumbled upon the sad story of William Watson. A note: Names are often misspelledContinue reading “William Watson, Gold Mining, and a California Tragedy”
A Murder in Klondike
Many immigrants arrived in Tuscarawas County at the turn of the 20th century to work in the industries that dominated the local economy at the time. Among them were coal miners who came to work the county’s numerous coal mines, leading to the creation of “company towns” like Klondike. Many of the stories of theseContinue reading “A Murder in Klondike”
“Murder in Colorado”: The Death of Dyas Mills
After the death of their father two brothers made the move from Tuscarawas County to the Great Plains. One of those brothers would lose his life at the hands of another man on New Years Eve in a remote town in the middle of the Colorado Territory. Jonathan Winn Mills (1813-1869) was born in VirginiaContinue reading ““Murder in Colorado”: The Death of Dyas Mills”
“Sure I Shot Him”: Murder on Panhandle #34
The State of Ohio was, and still is, crisscrossed with railroad tracks and routes. While the heyday of railroad passenger travel has long since left Ohio, in the early 20th century it was abundant. Those passengers often found themselves travelling through Tuscarawas County on their way to destinations east and west. Sometimes those trains wereContinue reading ““Sure I Shot Him”: Murder on Panhandle #34″
The Unsolved Murder of Antonio D’Alassandro
The story of America is a story of waves of immigration. During the late 1800s and the early 1900s that wave consisted principally of immigrants from central and southern Europe. These immigrants, in their search for a better life in America, brought with them aspects of their previous lives in Europe. Religion, language, culture allContinue reading “The Unsolved Murder of Antonio D’Alassandro”
Burned, Broken & Illness: The 1883 Winkler Family Tragedy
The development of heavy industry in Tuscarawas County in the 19th century led to an influx of immigration from all over the European continent. Among the immigrant families that relocated to the county was the Winkler family from Switzerland. Four brothers hoped to start a new life in America and bring the rest of theirContinue reading “Burned, Broken & Illness: The 1883 Winkler Family Tragedy”
Port Washington’s Stull Distillery (oh, and a murder)
I thought I would take a break from the Fallen Heroes series and look into something new. My neighbor and I enjoy a wee-dram of whiskey every now and then, so I thought I would look into early distilling in Tuscarawas County. I did not expect the examination of one early distilling operation to leadContinue reading “Port Washington’s Stull Distillery (oh, and a murder)”
The Christmas Murder, Part One
While researching the life of New Philadelphia lawyer, judge and politician Abraham W. Patrick, a previous occupant of my home, I came across newspaper accounts about a murder on Christmas Day 1890. Abraham W. Patrick served with the prosecution during the murderer’s trial. It is a story worth telling. Our modern conception of the celebrationContinue reading “The Christmas Murder, Part One”
The Christmas Murder, Part Two
Henry Wehrli, William Gribble, and James Booth spent most of Christmas Eve 1890 drinking copious amounts of rye whiskey, eating oysters and arguing amongst themselves. By the time they all decided to go to their separate rooms, Henry and James were threatening one another with death while William attempted to stay out of the fray.Continue reading “The Christmas Murder, Part Two”
Noel B. Poirier 