A Dennison man’s life ends in mystery after a fatal punch. Was it murder or a tragic twist of fate? Clarence Garabrandt (1902-1935) was born in the village of Barnhill, nestled in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. The son of Ezra Garabrandt (1868-1923) and Lydia Smitely (1871-1951), Clarence grew up in a family familiar with hard labor.Continue reading “Unindicted: The 1935 Death of Clarence Garabrandt”
Tag Archives: true crime history
“Unknown Causes”: The Mysterious Death of Albert J. Bates
A mysterious night, missing belongings, and a crushed skull. What really happened to Albert Bates in 1929? Albert “Alva” Jerome Bates (1868-1929) was born in Ashland County, Ohio, to farmer Elias Bates (1831-1891) and his wife Harriet Charlton (1824-1900). His early life was marked by hardship when, at the age of two, he suffered aContinue reading ““Unknown Causes”: The Mysterious Death of Albert J. Bates”
Jealousy on the Farm: The 1940 Murder of Nellie Kail
A devoted farm wife, a jealous husband, and a fatal morning confrontation – unraveling the tragic, forgotten story of Nellie Vansickle Kail. Content warning: 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 findContinue reading “Jealousy on the Farm: The 1940 Murder of Nellie Kail”
From the Bizarre Crime to the Heroic Death of Norman J. Hollis
A Dover man, torn by rejection, planned a horrible crime only to have it lead to his heroic death. Born in 1924, Norman James Hollis (1924-1944) was the second child of Floyd James Hollis (1900-1983) and Bessie Lovett (1906-1970), who married four years earlier in Wayne County, Tennessee. Around the time of Norman’s birth, theContinue reading “From the Bizarre Crime to the Heroic Death of Norman J. Hollis”
A Dover Man’s Story: The 1917 Shooting of Frank Pogue
When a Dover man stood up to defend his landlady’s honor in 1917, the violent aftermath set in motion a life shaped by injury, heartbreak, and ultimately, a tragic end. 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 theirContinue reading “A Dover Man’s Story: The 1917 Shooting of Frank Pogue”
A Killing in Dennison: The Story of Minnie Adkins
Minnie Adkins—a young Black mother and domestic worker—sparked a rare wave of public sympathy after she shot and killed a white man who threatened her. Minnie Williamson (1884-aft. 1950) was born in 1884 in North Carolina to Bedford Williamson and Della Willis. One of nine siblings, Minnie came of age in the post-Reconstruction South asContinue reading “A Killing in Dennison: The Story of Minnie Adkins”
A Georgian in Uhrichsville: The Murder of Mayfield Mallory
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 the Twin Cities of Dennison and Uhrichsville, Ohio. This is the sad story of one of those men. According to United States Census records, in 1920Continue reading “A Georgian in Uhrichsville: The Murder of Mayfield Mallory”
No Apology Given: The Leo Byers Murder of 1934
On a quiet street in Dover, Ohio, a friendship turned fatal one Sunday in 1934. Leo E. Byers (1894-1934) was born in 1894 in Pennsylvania to William E. Byers (1868-1945), who later served as police chief in Dover, Ohio, and Jane Robertson (1869-1907). During his early years, he lived with his family in Westmoreland County,Continue reading “No Apology Given: The Leo Byers Murder of 1934”
A Shot in the Dark: The 1924 Killing of Domenico Macri
An Italian immigrant and widowed father was gunned down in a Dennison home in 1924, exposing a hidden past. Domenico Macri (1880-1924), also recorded in some documents as Domineco Marci, was born in the Italian village of Mansoreto. He spent his early years there before he immigrated to the United States around the turn ofContinue reading “A Shot in the Dark: The 1924 Killing of Domenico Macri”
“Murder By Female Fury”: The Mary Senff Killing, Conclusion
The tragic aftermath of Mary Senff’s murder unfolded not only in the haunting fate of Ellen but in ghostly legends that lingered in the community. Read Part Four Note on spelling: Not surprisingly, the Senff surname is spelled differently across many of the historical documents, newspaper articles, headstones, etc. For consistency, I have decided toContinue reading ““Murder By Female Fury”: The Mary Senff Killing, Conclusion”
Tuscarawas County Stories 