Kicked out of his apartment, a Dennison man took his rage out on the World War Two veteran who evicted him. 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 hereContinue reading “A Fatal Eviction: The 1954 Murder of Harvey Johnson”
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1925-1932: The Seven-Year Hunt for the Slayer of Frank Wilson
During the Great Migration, a period of American history when millions of black southerners moved to find work in the industrialized cities of the north, many found themselves in Tuscarawas County, Ohio including Tennessee native Frank Wilson. In the early hours of November 7, 1925, Frank Wilson (1902-1925) was killed by a six-inch ax fractureContinue reading “1925-1932: The Seven-Year Hunt for the Slayer of Frank Wilson”
From Argument to Amputation: The Mishler Case of 1945
An inheritance dispute led to a shotgun blast that shattered an Ohio family. 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. Howard (1909-1987) and Olive Viola Horn Mishler (1910-1964) lived a seemingly ordinary life near Gilmore,Continue reading “From Argument to Amputation: The Mishler Case of 1945”
Intent to Kill: The 1946 Joseph McClain Shooting Spree
The path of Joseph McClain led from his rural Tennessee roots to a dramatic shooting spree in the heart of Dover, Ohio. Joseph L. McClain (1909-1969) was born in Tennessee in late 1909 or early 1910, the son of farmer Charles McClain and his wife, Laura (Skillern) McClain. Recorded as four months old in theContinue reading “Intent to Kill: The 1946 Joseph McClain Shooting Spree”
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”
Shot in a Dover Coffeehouse: The 1921 Murder of Mike Lambros
A confrontation between Greek immigrants in Dover, Ohio, over an alleged insult toward one the men’s wife resulted in a murder. Michael (1894-1921) and Alec (1896-1985) Lambros immigrated from Greece in 1914 and, by 1920, owned and operated their own barber shop on the 300 block of West 3rd Street in Dover, Ohio. The brothers’Continue reading “Shot in a Dover Coffeehouse: The 1921 Murder of Mike Lambros”
