A drunken shooting spree leads to a fatal police pursuit, a murder indictment, and a hopelessly divided jury. On a Monday night in February 1888, Charles “Dock” Canter (1863-1888), a railroad brakeman from Buchtel Furnace, Ohio, arrived in Dennison. Though his fellow employees typically considered him a peaceable man when sober, he frequently became cantankerousContinue reading “The Fatal Pursuit of Charles Canter”
Tag Archives: murder trial
Death Ends a Family Quarrel: The Ware Case of 1928
After years of abuse, a Newcomerstown woman took the law into her own hands. Content warning: The following story contains references to domestic violence. If you are experiencing domestic abuse or violence and need help, please visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Willa May Kennedy (1909-?), born in Nashville, Tennessee moved to Ohio with her parents.Continue reading “Death Ends a Family Quarrel: The Ware Case of 1928”
American Dream Ended: The Murder of Arnold Abbuhl
A Swiss immigrant’s American Dream ended with a blast of buckshot in 1885. Arnold Abbhul (1848-1885) and his family arrived in the village of Barnhill shortly after their immigration from Switzerland in April 1885. Arnold sought a new life for his family in Ohio, only to find a labor conflict brewing when he arrived. TwoContinue reading “American Dream Ended: The Murder of Arnold Abbuhl”
Murder in Newcomerstown: The 1917 Nickles–Mayer Case
An early-morning confrontation at an Ohio foundry in 1917 ended two lives in different ways. Content warning: This post contains a historical discussion of ethnicity and race in Tuscarawas County. Very little is known about William “Bud” Nickles (1871-1925) other than what newspapers reported about him at the time. He was born in Louisville, KentuckyContinue reading “Murder in Newcomerstown: The 1917 Nickles–Mayer Case”
The Brightside Road Killing: The Death of Asbury S. Fowler
A feud between two Tuscarawas County neighbors ended violently on a Goshen Township road in 1924. Asbury S. Fowler (1870-1924) was born in Warwick Township, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, the son of George W. Fowler and Susan B. Burroway. He grew up in the Uhrichsville area alongside several siblings and half-siblings. Fowler married Eva Stempfly inContinue reading “The Brightside Road Killing: The Death of Asbury S. Fowler”
“You Want Your Divorce”: The 1949 Murder of Mary Covic, Part Two
The trial of Andrew Covic was one of the most talked about trials of the era, garnering attention from the entire county. Content warning: The following story contains references to domestic violence. If you are experiencing domestic abuse or violence and need help, please visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The trial of Andrew Henry CovicContinue reading ““You Want Your Divorce”: The 1949 Murder of Mary Covic, Part Two”
“You Want Your Divorce”: The 1949 Murder of Mary Covic, Part One
In July 1949, Andrew Covic ended his troubled marriage to Mary Covic with a fatal gunshot. Content warning: The following story contains references to domestic violence. If you are experiencing domestic abuse or violence and need help, please visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline. Andrew Henry Covic (1884-1966) and Mary Elizabeth Getchey Covic (1888-1949) were aContinue reading ““You Want Your Divorce”: The 1949 Murder of Mary Covic, Part One”
Adam Lantzer and The Newlywed Killing of 1913
A moment of joy between a Dover couple was shattered by a drunken driver on Wooster Road. Verna C. Dawson (1892–1923) was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, the daughter of Robert E. Dawson (1862–1916) and Etta Little Dawson (1874–1949). Her father, once employed at a pipe works in Newcomerstown, later returned to farming as theContinue reading “Adam Lantzer and The Newlywed Killing of 1913”
Frank Burns and a Christmas Eve Murder on Depot Street
A quiet laborer in Dover, Ohio, Frank Burns became the unintended victim of a Christmas Eve shooting in 1943. Note: The Clakley surname is spelled a number of different ways in the various source material. I have chosen the spelling that appeared in the official criminal court records. Frank C. Burns was born in Milton,Continue reading “Frank Burns and a Christmas Eve Murder on Depot Street”
Jealous and Armed: The Murder of Ruth Moore
Ruth Moore’s life ended in violence after suspicion and jealousy turned her husband into a murderer. Content warning: This post contains references to suicide. If you or someone you know has a mental illness, is struggling emotionally, or has concerns about their mental health, there are ways to get help. Click here for resources to find helpContinue reading “Jealous and Armed: The Murder of Ruth Moore”
Tuscarawas County Stories 