Murder In Sylvania, Ohio: As told in 1857 [Paperback]

Gaye Gindy (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1425979181 | ISBN-13: 978-1425979188 | Publication Date: April 13, 2007

Murder In Sylvania is a true history about a grisly murder that happened in a small, quiet community in northwestern Ohio back in 1857. Everything contained in this book was prepared from documents that existed at the time of the murder, and the actual names of people and places are used throughout. The reader will learn about all the gory details of this murder, confessions to other murders, the sentencing and the hanging of a man whose childhood set the stage for this hardened criminal. The murder, committed by Return Jonathan Meigs Ward, was the first case of capital execution in Lucas County, Ohio, and this brutal murder was the last of a series of slayings committed by this first presumed serial killer in the state of Ohio.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

GAYE E. GINDY is a free-lance writer and author from Sylvania, Ohio, who has been researching the history of the Sylvania community for 30 years. She has been employed for the past 30 years for the public entities of Sylvania Township and the City of Sylvania, working in the services of the Sylvania Township Fire Department, Administration offices of Sylvania Township and currently the City of Sylvania Police Division. She has also been writing a weekly history column for the local newspaper, the Sylvania Herald, for the last five years. Gaye and husband, Sam, have been married 29 years. They have two children, Allan and Samantha. Gaye Gindy became interested in "Sylvania" history during the United States Bi-Centennial celebration in 1976, when her interest in history was realized. This is her fourth book. Other books include: Next Stop Sylvania, Ohio: A History of the First Train Line West of the Allegheny Mountains, and its Journey Through Sylvania - Published by Sylvania Historical Village Commission - 1998; Bridging Time: A History Of Sylvania - Published by Herald Newspapers - 1999; Sylvania, Ohio - Images of America (Arcadia Publishing) by Gaye E. Gindy and Trini L. Wenninger - 2006.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (April 13, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1425979181
• ISBN-13: 978-1425979188
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,163,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Death does not make men honest..., June 1, 2007

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PrairieMania "prairiemania" (Ohio, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder In Sylvania, Ohio: As told in 1857 (Paperback)

Return Jonathan Meigs Ward had killed before. Having gone undetected the first time, the temptation to do so again was irresistible. "I was myself surprised that a life could be taken with so little disturbance," Ward confessed.

However, in 1857, when he murdered his wife Olive in their small home in downtown Sylvania, it became quite clear to him that covering up this crime would not come so easy. He busied himself with destroying any sign of her and came up with a story that he ultimately could not keep straight. While he butchered her up and burned pieces of her in his stove, residents became suspicious.

Author Gaye E. Gindy spent many hours transcribing old documents and newspapers to bring the story of Ward's life and Olive's grisly murder to light. Olive was clearly a victim of domestic violence. She put her children under the care of others because of Ward's ill-will towards them and having left Ward, she confided in friends and family that Ward was surely going to kill her if she returned. Indeed, upon hearing that she would return for her trunk and clothing, Ward confessed that he fully resolved that Olive would never leave his house alive.

Murder in Sylvania, Ohio: As Told in 1857, is a true account of this murder, committed by Return Jonathan Meigs Ward. It chronicles how a small community in Northwest Ohio brought justice to a man the Toledo Blade believed to be "one of the most hardened criminals that ever stretched hemp."