The Carnival Murder of 1912

When a carnival rolled into Newcomerstown in 1912, it left behind a dead man and a vanished killer.

Documenting the life of Elix Vandil (1884-1912), known variously in American records as Alex Bender, Alex Raudel, and Alexander Vendel, illustrates the significant challenges faced when tracing the paths of recent immigrants at the turn of the twentieth century. The inconsistent recording of immigrant names, often altered by clerks, census takers, or the immigrants themselves to better fit American norms, complicates efforts to establish a clear narrative. Elix was born in Hungary to Garbor Vandil and Nonno Mezzei and he arrived in the United States in 1903 during a time of intense immigration and migration. By October 1907, Elix arrived in Stark County, Ohio where he married fellow immigrant Rosa Nogg (1886-?). The couple was living on Clow Avenue in Newcomerstown when the 1910 census was taken along with one child, Rosa’s mother, and several boarders. Elix was employed by the J.B. Clow Pipe Company in 1912, and he earned a reputation as an “upright citizen” and a prominent figure within Newcomerstown’s immigrant community where he was regarded as something of a community leader.

Equally difficult to document was Claude Walter Hitt (1888-?), a West Virginian transient and often undocumented itinerant performer. A married man of slight build, Hitt was easily recognized by his light hair, ruddy complexion, and a distinct scar on the left corner of his mouth. “Cowboy Hitt”, as he was called, worked with the Great Empire Carnival Company as a cowboy in its popular Wild West show. Like many who lived on the move, Hitt left only faint traces in the historical record. Performers like Hitt often lived outside the reach of conventional record-keeping, frequently absent from censuses, city directories, or formal employment rosters.

Elix Vandil and Walter Hitt fatefully met when the Great Empire Carnival Company was in Newcomerstown, Ohio for a week in September 1912. On the evening of September 17, 1912, a violent altercation occurred between the two men behind the tents of the snake and Wild West shows. Walter was alleged to have attacked Elix with a heavy tent stake. Witnesses reported seeing Vandil collapse at the edge of the Wild West tent as Hitt fled the scene. A nearby tent stake, believed to be weapon, was later found close to Elix’s unconscious body. Though rushed to a doctor and then to his home, Vandil died shortly after midnight from a skull fracture behind his left ear.

Local police scoured the area while broader alerts were sent to nearby towns and railroad stops. It was discovered that Hitt had escaped Newcomerstown within an hour of the attack by hopping a freight train bound for Steubenville. From there, he traveled to Wheeling, West Virginia, where he arrived Thursday morning. Acting on a circulated description, detectives spotted Hitt, arrested him without resistance, and returned him to Ohio authorities. At the time of his arrest, Hitt was still in his cowboy costume: corduroy trousers, boots, a blue shirt, and a broad-rimmed hat.

While in custody, Hitt admitted to striking Vandil but insisted it was in self-defense, claiming Elix threatened him with a knife after refusing to leave the tent area. Hitt expressed remorse but claimed he had no intention of killing the man. Contradictory reports, however, suggested the dispute may have stemmed from a drunken misunderstanding, or possibly a robbery attempt, after Vandil reportedly flashed a large sum of money. While officials worked to determine the exact motive and legal charge, Hitt remained in the Tuscarawas County jail. But not for long.

A month after his arrest, Claude Walter Hitt, along with three other inmates in the Tuscarawas County Jail escaped. Using saw blades smuggled to them by Hitt’s younger brother, they sawed through the bars of a window and made their escape. While some of the escapees were recaptured, Walter it was believed, escaped into the wilds of the West Virginia mountains and was never recaptured. Hitt’s brother served one year in the Mansfield Reformatory for his role in the escape. What happened to the murderer of Elix Vandil is unknown to this day.

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© Noel B. Poirier, 2024.