The majority of people in any society are law-abiding citizens.  But every society has a small percentage who commit crimes against other members of that society at least once.  In some instances the types of crimes committed have evolved with social values and technical progress.  The same can be said of the punishment meted out to those who break the law.  In today's "civilized" world the murderer is not stoned to death, nor is the thief's hand cut off.  Some of Ohio's criminals and the crimes they committed will appear in this section of the Ohio ALHN.  You might also learn what punishment they received.  One thing is certain, many of those appearing here were among society's blackest sheep.

This will be an ongoing project.

If you have any helpful suggestions or material for this category--send a message to the Email address below.

If you have a Web site that fits this category and you would like to have me provide a link to that site--send a message to the Email address below.

If you have a criminal ancestor whose story you would like to tell, or if you know of a person who qualifies to be listed in this section, please, send a message to me at

International Black Sheep Society for those who have a black sheep ancestor. Ohio Lynchings Ohio Murders Ohio Executions, 1793 through 1963 Portaits of The Executed 1897-Present Ohio Penitentiary Murder of Penitentiary Guard Charles B. Lauderbaugh (November 18, 1898) Ohio Penitentiary Fire Victims Early History (See also Early Institutions--Ohio Penitentiary) Ohio Penitentiary Wardens 1815-1984 (NOTE: The last four were in charge of the facility after it had ceased to function as the primary penal institution in the state.) The Ohio Penitentiary Death of a Legend Inside the Pen Ohio Department of Rehabiltation and Corrections Crime & Punishment Bibliography

For excellent background information, both historical and contemporary, about this subject see Rob Gallagher's site, Before the Needles.

For those who are curious about the term Lynch Law I offer the following found in The Portsmouth Times, Portsmouth, Ohio, June 30, 1860, page 4:

The origin of this term may be found in Historical Recollections of Virginia, by Henry Howe. This is an extract:

Colonel Charles Lynch, a brother of the founder of Lynchburg, Va., was an officer of the American Revolution.—His residence was on the Staunton road, in the south-west part of this (Campbell) county, now the seat of his grandson, Charles Henry Lynch, Esq. At that time this country was very thinly settled, and infested by a lawless band of Tories and desperadoes. The necessity of the case involved desperate measures, and Colonel Lynch, then a leading Whig, apprehended and had them punished without any superfluous legal ceremony. Hence the origin of the term, "Lynch Law." This practice of Lynching continued years after the war, and was applied to many cases of mere suspicion of guilt, which could not be regularly proven.—"In 1792," says Wirt's Life of Henry, "there were many suits on the south side of [the] James River for inflicting Lynch's law."

Listed below are are some of the twenty-six (26) documented lynchings that took place in Ohio.  I have tried to locate and present information about these victims of illegal executions (lynchings) that occurred in Ohio, and I will continue trying to locate additional victims and information.

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