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 theContinue reading “The Carnival Murder of 1912”
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In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Conclusion
The murder of John Myers ended his life, but not his legacy. Meanwhile, the question of who murdered him remained unknown. Click here to read part six. John Myers, the man senselessly murdered outside a tavern in Zoar in November 1947, was on his way home to his wife and daughter in Bolivar, Ohio. AContinue reading “In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Conclusion”
In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Part Six
Delbert Sizemore’s life of crime—spanning armed robberies, violent assaults, and state-hopping schemes, possibly included the 1947 murder of John Myers where his own words and actions pointed to his guilt. Click here to read part five. Delbert Sizemore was in and out of prison from at least the age of 18, and possibly even earlierContinue reading “In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Part Six”
In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Part Five
Was it probable that Delbert Sizemore was responsible for the murder of John Myers in November 1947? There were reasons to doubt it. Click here to read part four. Tuscarawas County law enforcement had, by the end of December 1947, a man they believed was responsible for the murder of John Myers outside a tavernContinue reading “In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Part Five”
In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Part Four
Who was Delbert Hershel Sizemore, the violent Indiana convicted felon, and what was his connection to the murder of John Myers on the evening of November 19, 1947? Click here to read part three. Delbert Hershel Sizemore’s life began quietly enough in 1914, in the small Indiana town of Center Point. But beneath the surfaceContinue reading “In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Part Four”
In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Part Three
The murder of John Myers sparked a complex investigation involving local, state, and federal law enforcement, as they struggled to untangle conflicting witness accounts, trace potential suspects, and pursue elusive leads across state lines. Click here to read part two. The investigation into who killed John Myers and why began immediately and included law enforcementContinue reading “In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Part Three”
In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Part Two
The events of the evening of Wednesday, November 19, 1947 left one man dead in a ditch beside a tavern in Zoar, Ohio. The timeline presented below is based on newspaper accounts from witnesses and officials. Click here to read part one. On the cold evening of November 19, 1947 John Myers, a railroad employeeContinue reading “In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Part Two”
In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Part One
From a life of hard labor to a mysterious death outside a quiet tavern, the story of John Myers unravels a forgotten Tuscarawas County tragedy. John Russell Lee Myers (1892-1947), who occasionally went by the name Russell or Lee, was born in Pine Grove, West Virginia in 1892. His father, William H. Myers (1861-?), wasContinue reading “In the Shadow of Zoar: The 1947 Murder of John Myers, Part One”
One House’s Story: The Shaffer Family
I have walked past this house so many times and wondered who occupied it when it was a new, and attractive home in New Philadelphia. The home’s history is connected to a family that originally settled on the banks of the Ohio River but made New Philadelphia their home for over sixty years. John D.Continue reading “One House’s Story: The Shaffer Family”
Tuscarawas County Stories 