A well known Tuscarawas County resident avoided prison for a fatal street fight. Fred Hostetler (1873-1932) was a 52-year-old resident of the west side of Uhrichsville, Ohio, who worked at the Royal plant of The Robinson Clay Products Company in the summer of 1925. A former resident of Midvale, he was a well-connected member ofContinue reading “Fractured Skulls: The 1925 Killing of Alex Paleas”
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Fight of His Life: The 1915 Trial of Frank Rose
A young Italian laborer fought for his life twice; first in a Bolivar boarding house and then in a court of law. Frank Rose (1895-?), born Francesco Russo in Caronia, Italy, immigrated to the United States aboard the S.S. Italia, arriving at the Port of New York in April 1913. A laborer described as 5’4”Continue reading “Fight of His Life: The 1915 Trial of Frank Rose”
Death at the Packing Plant: The 1941 Killing of Ferdinand Sandry
Workplace ‘kidding’ at a Dennison meat packing plant in the spring of 1941 sparked a fatal explosion of violence. Frank McGuire (1895-1955), born in Tuscarawas County, was a long-time resident of the Dennison area with a diverse work history. He married Emma Robinson (1898-1970) in 1914 and supported his family through various roles including clayContinue reading “Death at the Packing Plant: The 1941 Killing of Ferdinand Sandry”
A Dream Crushed: The Story of Antonio Lemoni
The story of an Italian immigrant who spent years laboring in Ohio to reunite his family in America, only for a tragic accident to strike just weeks before his dream could come true. Antonio Lemoni (c. 1875-1910), an Italian laborer born in Milan, began his journey to Tuscarawas County years before the tragedy that wouldContinue reading “A Dream Crushed: The Story of Antonio Lemoni”
The 1914 Killing of Joseph Reed on Beaver Avenue
A New Philadelphia teen desperately defended his family from his abusive stepfather. 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 story begins with Catherine Swan Nelson (1867-1957), a Swedish immigrant who, after being widowed fromContinue reading “The 1914 Killing of Joseph Reed on Beaver Avenue”
The Fatal Pursuit of Charles Canter
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”
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”
Twenty-Two Years a Chief: Abraham L. Espich
I often write about the various criminal activity of Tuscarawas County and thought it was only right to share the history of one of the men who fought that crime. Elijah Abraham Lincoln Espich (1861-1945), often referred to as A. L. or by his popular nickname “Lige,” was born in Ragersville, Ohio, to Charles FredericContinue reading “Twenty-Two Years a Chief: Abraham L. Espich”
Glasgow Tragedy: The Conley Killing of 1875
A deadly confrontation, a mob, and a Civil War veteran’s fight for survival ignite a two-year legal battle that divided the village of Glasgow. In the village of Glasgow during the spring of 1875, tensions simmered among the men working at the Glasgow-Port Washington Furnaces. Gilbert Linsey (1839-aft. 1890), an Ohio native born to parentsContinue reading “Glasgow Tragedy: The Conley Killing of 1875”
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”
Tuscarawas County Stories 