Description: Before the Ohio Penitentiary’s closing in 1979, the execution chamber within the facility housed and displayed photographs of many of the prisoners sentenced to death throughout the state’s history. This portrait of Walker Brown of Hanford Village, Columbus is one of them. Brown was the youngest member of a gang led by another Columbus resident, Henry Loudermilk. On December 10, 1931 Loudermilk’s gang invaded the home of John and Sarah Kidney in Monroe Township with the intent of stealing roughly $60,000 that was rumored to be hidden within. In actuality, the robbers were only able to find $446. John Kidney, an elderly farmer and blacksmith, age 75, was violently beaten and killed by the assailants. Sarah, his invalid sister, age 70, was beaten and tortured. Although there were multiple men involved in this violent crime, Brown was identified by each of the accomplices as the one responsible for the actual murder of John Kidney. However, Brown continually denied being involved. He was the first person in the group to be executed for Kidney’s murder. The caption at the bottom of the photograph reads, “Walker Brown, of Pickaway County, electrocuted June 3rd, 1932, for the murder of John Kidney of Pickaway County, Ohio.” Brown was executed at the age of 24. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08224
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; 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: Pickaway County (Ohio); Columbus (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph from the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus is of 30-year-old Walter Wilson, a laborer from Cleveland. His formal attire suggests that the photograph was taken during his trial or sentencing. Wilson was the 298th individual to be executed via the electric chair in Ohio. The caption at the bottom reads: “No. 298 Walter Wilson Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Legally Electrocuted July 13, 1956, for the Murder of Joseph Fena.” In 1885 the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio, became the location for all executions, which previously took place in the various county seats. In 1896 the Ohio General Assembly mandated that electrocution replace hanging as the form of capital punishment. The Ohio Penitentiary regularly offered tours as well as souvenir photographs and postcards of the building and prisoners on death row. A total of 315 prisoners, both men and women, were executed in the electric chair known as “Old Sparky” between 1897 and 1963. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08350
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Capital punishment--Ohio--History; Death row; Electrocution; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Prisons--Ohio
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); Cleveland (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph from the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus is of 43-year-old Walter Byomin. His formal attire suggests that the photograph was taken during his trial or sentencing. Byomin, convicted of murdering a Wellington police officer, was the 308th individual to be executed via the electric chair in Ohio. The caption at the bottom reads: “No. 308 Walter J. Byomin Lorain County, Electrocuted July 3, 1959 for the Murder of Police Officer Edmund G. Smith” In 1885 the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio, became the location for all executions, which previously took place in the various county seats. In 1896 the Ohio General Assembly mandated that electrocution replace hanging as the form of capital punishment. The Ohio Penitentiary regularly offered tours as well as souvenir photographs and postcards of the building and prisoners on death row. A total of 315 prisoners, both men and women, were executed in the electric chair known as “Old Sparky” between 1897 and 1963. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08360
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Capital punishment--Ohio--History; Death row; Electrocution; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Prisons--Ohio
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); Lorain County (Ohio); Wellington (Ohio)
 

Description: Photograph showing a local government employee, Elizabeth Nichols, using a science kit to test milk on a farm for quality control and cleanliness. The image was captured by photographer Joe Munroe in 1948. Munroe's career began in 1939 at the Cranbrook Academy of Art. He served in the Air Force during World War II and then joined Cincinnati-based Farm Quarterly magazine. Though raised in Detroit, agriculture became an important subject of Joe's photographs. He moved to California in 1955 and free-lanced, taking magazine assignments and selling his own work. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: P400_B04_F16_JPG055a
Subjects: Joe Munroe; Milk--Testing; Local government; Dairy industry
Places: New York
 

Description: This photograph from the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus is of 43-year-old Lester Nichols. His formal attire suggests that the photograph was taken during his trial or sentencing. Nichols was convicted of murdering his father-in-law, Rev. Lewis Whitaker, and wounding others in a home invasion. The caption at the bottom reads: “No. 266 Lester Nichols of Allen County, Legally Electrocuted March 4, 1949 for the Murder of Lewis Whitaker.” In 1885 the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio, became the location for all executions, which previously took place in the various county seats. In 1896 the Ohio General Assembly mandated that electrocution replace hanging as the form of capital punishment. The Ohio Penitentiary regularly offered tours as well as souvenir photographs and postcards of the building and prisoners on death row. A total of 315 prisoners, both men and women, were executed in the electric chair known as “Old Sparky” between 1897 and 1963. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08318
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Capital punishment--Ohio--History; Death row; Electrocution; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Prisons--Ohio; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Death row
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); Allen County (Ohio)
 

Description: Photo of Lewis Harmon of Franklin County; Electrocuted October 28, 1904, for the Murder of George Geyer. Harmon was charged with robbing, shooting and killing Gever, a farmer in Alton, Ohio. Miles Wallingforth, who aided Harmon in Gever's murder, committed suicide in a Texas jail before authorities were supposed to rerun him to Ohio. On August 8, 1903, Harmon and three other prisoners escaped from the county jail but was caught and returned later that day. Harmon died by electric chair October 28, 1904. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08071
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Capital punishment--Ohio--History; Death row; Electrocution; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Prisons--Ohio; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Death row
Places: Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is a photograph of Wesley Jenkins of Montgomery County, who was electrocuted December 4, 1914, for the murder of Nellie Bailey. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08096
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Capital punishment--Ohio; Death row
Places: Montgomery County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph from the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus is of 57-year-old Willie Johnson. His formal attire suggests that the photograph was taken during his trial or sentencing. Johnson was the 240th individual to be executed via the electric chair in Ohio. The caption at the bottom reads: “No. 240 Willie Johnson of Cuyahoga County, Legally Electrocuted March 10th, 1944, for the Murder of Margaret Wilson.” In 1885 the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio, became the location for all executions, which previously took place in the various county seats. In 1896 the Ohio General Assembly mandated that electrocution replace hanging as the form of capital punishment. The Ohio Penitentiary regularly offered tours as well as souvenir photographs and postcards of the building and prisoners on death row. A total of 315 prisoners, both men and women, were executed in the electric chair known as “Old Sparky” between 1897 and 1963. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08294
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Capital punishment--Ohio--History; Death Row; Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Electrocution; Prisons--Ohio
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); Cuyahoga County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph from the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus is of James Willie Brown, age 28. His formal attire suggests that the photograph was taken during his trial or sentencing. Brown, along with Cook Jenkins, was convicted of robbing and murdering Jacob Reinstatler, a Cincinnati jeweler; both men were executed. The caption at the bottom reads: “No. 241, James Willie Brown of Hamilton County, Legally Electrocuted April 6th, 1945, for the Murder of Jacob Reinstatler.” In 1885 the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio, became the location for all executions, which previously took place in the various county seats. In 1896 the Ohio General Assembly mandated that electrocution replace hanging as the form of capital punishment. The Ohio Penitentiary regularly offered tours as well as souvenir photographs and postcards of the building and prisoners on death row. A total of 315 prisoners, both men and women, were executed in the electric chair known as “Old Sparky” between 1897 and 1963. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08295
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Capital punishment--Ohio--History; Death Row; Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Electrocution; Prisons--Ohio
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: This photograph from the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus is of James "Cook" Jenkins, age 24. His formal attire suggests that the photograph was taken during his trial or sentencing. Jenkins, along with James Brown, was convicted of robbing and murdering Jacob Reinstatler, a Cincinnati jeweler; both men were executed. The caption at the bottom reads: “No. 242, Cook Jenkins of Hamilton County, Legally Electrocuted April 6th, 1945, for the Murder of Jacob Reinstatler.” In 1885 the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio, became the location for all executions, which previously took place in the various county seats. In 1896 the Ohio General Assembly mandated that electrocution replace hanging as the form of capital punishment. The Ohio Penitentiary regularly offered tours as well as souvenir photographs and postcards of the building and prisoners on death row. A total of 315 prisoners, both men and women, were executed in the electric chair known as “Old Sparky” between 1897 and 1963. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08296
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Capital punishment--Ohio--History; Death Row; Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Electrocution; Prisons--Ohio
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio); Cincinnati (Ohio); Hamilton County (Ohio)
 

Description: Vincent Damico, of Summit County, was electrocuted March 31, 1920, for the Murder of Patrolman George Werne. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08112
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Capital punishment--Ohio--History; Death row
Places: Summit County (Ohio)
 

Description: Walter Wright of Jefferson County, was electrocuted March 1, 1922, for the Murder of Harry D. Cummings. He was a white male, age 28 and his occupation was an entertainer. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08125
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Prisons--Ohio
Places: Jefferson County (Ohio)