A variety of stories from the long history of Tuscarawas County, Ohio.
Bloodshed at the Brickyard: The 1921 Murder of George Andrews
A 1921 brickyard argument turned deadly, leading to a trial partially decided by a baseball legend. 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. A fatal confrontation occurred at the Crown…
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Accident or Foul Play: The Dennison Poisonings
During Prohibition, a desperate search for alcohol led two men to drink a toxic concoction. On the night of Monday, January 19, 1931, Kentucky-born Ben McAtee (1881-1931), an unemployed laborer and former railroad worker, met with Adam P. Ludwig (1900-1931), an unemployed pipe fitter, in Dennison, Ohio. During the time of national Prohibition, both men…
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The Mae Eberly Mystery of 1911
After vanishing from an Ohio country road, Mae Eberly protected her stalker’s identity until her death. In January 1911, the brief and mysterious disappearance of Edna Mae Eberly (1889-1912) dominated front-page headlines in the New Philadelphia press for days as the newspapers tracked every dramatic revelation. The disturbing backstory began around 1907, when Mae, the…
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The Great Swiss Cheese Heist of 1931
A three-year-old mystery involving 800 pounds of stolen Swiss cheese finally cracked open in 1935. On a Saturday night in November 1931, a massive quantity of Swiss cheese was stolen from a cellar near Stone Creek at the dairy operated by Swiss immigrant Samuel Knutti (1873–1943). The heist was carried out by Kenneth Umstead (1894–1961),…
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A Fatal Eviction: The 1954 Murder of Harvey Johnson
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 here…
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A Most Mysterious Affair: The 1887 Death of Belle Merrick Albaugh
Four weeks after her wedding, young Belle Merrick Albaugh was fatally shot. Was it suicide or murder? 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…
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Two Lives Lost: The 1909 Midvale Boiler Explosion
Tragedy struck Midvale when a violent boiler explosion claimed the lives of two young workers. On the morning of December 17, 1909, the Royal plant of the Robinson Clay Product Company in Midvale, Ohio, was operating a battery of eight horizontal tubular boilers under approximately 95 pounds of pressure. At 7:10 AM, a catastrophic explosion…
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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 fracture…
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Field of Mystery: The 1965 Killing of Ronald Weigand
The tragic 1965 shooting of teenager Ronnie Weigand remains a haunting, unsolved Tuscarawas County mystery. On the afternoon of July 29, 1965, 16-year-old Ronald “Ronnie” Weigand (1948-1965) left his home with a sense of accomplishment. Just that morning, he had received credits from summer school, officially making him a senior for the upcoming fall term.…
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A Veteran’s Final Battle: The Murder of George LeMasters
New Philadelphia WWII veteran George Jasper LeMasters was tragically murdered during a robbery at a Canton hotel. George Jasper LeMasters (1906–1950), known to many as “Jap,” was born in Union Township, Tuscarawas County. His early life was marked by tragedy when his father, Ernest LeMasters (1877–1918), was killed in a mine accident when George was…
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“Unsolved”: The 1946 Killing of Woodrow Coker
A star athlete and World War Two soldier survived the battlefields of the Pacific only to meet a tragic fate in the comfort of his hometown. On the night of March 20, 1946, Woodrow “Buster” Coker (1918–1946), a decorated World War II veteran and celebrated former Newcomerstown high school athlete, walked home from his shift…
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© Noel B. Poirier, 2025
