Record Display – OhioPix

item in cart

John Downing photograph Save

Description: This portrait of John Downing was housed in the death chamber at the Ohio Penitentiary alongside the photographs of hundreds of other prisoners who were executed in the state of Ohio. These pictures were displayed at the penitentiary until its closure in 1979. The caption at the bottom of the photograph reads, “No. 170, John Downing of Franklin County, electrocuted March 10th, 1933 for the Murder of Mrs. Mauree Bonzo of Franklin County, Ohio.” On October 25, 1932 Downing visited the home of Daniel J. Bonzo, the Parole and Record Clerk at the Ohio Penitentiary. Once inside Downing struck Bonzo’s wife, Mauree, over the head with a bottle, killing her. Later, during his confession, Downing stated that he and Mrs. Bonzo had been very good friends and that she was like a mother to him; he said that he did not know why he killed her. Years earlier Downing had plead guilty to the murder and attempted robbery of another woman, a Cincinnati resident named Allean Williams. He had been sentenced to life in prison for this murder but had been pardoned and released on parole after serving just seven years of his sentence. The circumstances behind this pardon were hotly investigated and contested after Downing committed his second murder. Before his convictions, prison term, and execution, he had worked as a carpenter. He was electrocuted at the age of 43. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08229
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Capital punishment--Ohio--History; Electrocution; Death row; Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio)
Places: Franklin County (Ohio); Columbus (Ohio)

1. Choose a product option

Personal use ($25) Academic/Non-Profit, all media ($50) Commercial, all media ($150)

Thank you for visiting OhioPix. Please note that orders for high-resolution files will be filled within 5-10 business days of placing your order. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

2. Read and Agree

Ohio History Connection Use Agreement and Conditions of Reproduction

One-Time Use. The right to reproduce materials held in the collections of the Ohio History Connection is granted on a one-time basis only, and only for private study, scholarship or research. Any further reproduction of this material is prohibited without the express written permission of the Ohio History Connection.
Use Agreement. Materials are reproduced for research use only and may not be used for publication, exhibition, or any other public purpose without the express written permission of the Ohio History Connection.
Credit. Any publication, exhibition, or other public use of material owned by the Ohio History Connection must credit the Ohio History Connection. The credit line should read “Courtesy of the Ohio History Connection” and should include the image or call number. The Ohio History Connection appreciates receiving a copy or tearsheet of any publication/presentation containing material from the organization’s collections.
Indemnification. In requesting permission to reproduce materials from the collections of the Ohio History Connection as described, the requestor agrees to hold harmless the OHC and its Trustees, Officers, employees and agents either jointly or severally from any action involving infringement of the rights of any person or their heirs and descendants in common law or under statutory copyright.
Reproduction of Copyrighted Material. Permission to reproduce materials in which reproduction rights are reserved must be granted by signed written permission of the persons holding those rights.
Copyright. The Ohio History Connection provides permission to use materials based on the organization’s ownership of the collection. Consideration of the requirements of copyrights is the responsibility of the author, producer, and publisher. Applicants assume all responsibility for questions of copyright and invasion of privacy that may arise in copying and using the materials available through Ohio Memory.
Warning concerning copyright restriction: The copyright law of the U. S. (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to a photocopy or reproduction. One of the specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research.” If a user make a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.
Photographs of Objects. The Ohio History Connection retains rights to photographs taken of artifacts owned by the Ohio History Connection. The images may be used for research, but any publication or public display is subject to the above conditions of reproduction. A new use agreement and appropriate fees must be submitted for each use

Quality Disclaimer: To maintain the authenticity and preservation of historic artifacts, the Ohio History Connection will not alter or endanger items in the collection for the purposes of reproduction or digitization. By completing this order form, the signee acknowledges that any and all requests will be completed with conservation in mind and that the images produced will reflect the physical condition of the item which may exhibit dirt, scratches, stains, tears, fading, etc.

Thank you for visiting OhioPix. Please note that orders for high-resolution files will be filled within 5-10 business days of placing your order.

By clicking I Agree, I consent to the terms, and acknowledge that I am entering into a legally binding agreement.