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: Digital print of the first page of the 1802 Ohio Constitution. In November 1802, thirty-five delegates of the Ohio Constitutional Convention convened to draft a state constitution. In order for Ohio to become a state, representatives of the territory had to submit a constitution to the United States Congress for approval. This was the final requirement under the Northwest Ordinance that Ohio had to meet before becoming a state. Twenty six of the delegates favored the platform of the Democratic-Republican Party. Among these men was Edward Tiffin, the president of the convention. Democratic-Republicans favored a small government with limited powers, in which the legislative branch should hold the few powers that the government actually possessed. Seven delegates to the convention were Federalists. Federalists believed in a much stronger government. The remaining two delegates were independents. Since the Democratic-Republicans controlled the convention, Ohio's first state constitution established a relatively weak government with the legislative branch holding most of the power. The convention approved the Constitution on November 29, 1802, and adjourned, and Ohio's Constitution of 1803 remained in effect until the Ohio Constitutional Convention of 1851 adopted a new one. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL02729
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government; Constitutions; Ohio Government; Ohio History; Ohio History--State and Local Government
Places: Chillicothe (Ohio); Ross 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)
 

Description: John McGuire, of Lucas County, was electrocuted March 3, 1922, for the Murder of Detectives Schroeder and Long. He was a white male, age thirty and his occupation was listed as a gang member. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08126
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Prisons--Ohio; Death row
Places: Lucas County (Ohio)
 

Description: John Gechenback, of Marion County, was electrocuted June 20, 1922, for the Murder of John C. Boone at Marion, on February 8, 1922. He was a white male, age twenty-one and his occupation is unknown. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08133
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Prisons--Ohio; Death row
Places: Marion County (Ohio)
 

Description: John Karayians, of Trumbull County, was electrocuted December 7, 1923, for the Murder of John Gamble. He was a white male, age thirty-three and his occupation is unknown. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08144
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Prisons--Ohio; Death row
Places: Trumbull County (Ohio)
 

Description: This is a photograph of William Clark, a prisoner who was was electrocuted July 8, 1926, for the murder of Mr. And Mrs. Hoffman of Sandusky County. He was a white male, nineteen years old and listed as a farm hand. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08170
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Prisons--Ohio; Death row
Places: Sandusky County (Ohio)
 

Description: John Bryant, electrocuted September 2, 1926, for the Murder of James McCumber of Meigs County. He was a black male, forty years old and his occupation was listed as a moonshiner. Also, electrocuted for the same murder were John Hedrick and Richard Rhodes. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08171
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Prisons--Ohio; Death row
Places: Meigs County (Ohio)
 

Description: Three photographs showing soap and clothing items issued to early twentieth century prisoners at the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio. The photograph in the upper left depicts two patterned, folded handkerchiefs or bandanas, a pair of overalls, and a folded, button-down shirt. The image on the upper right shows a pair of men's pants, with a label directly underneath that has "MEN'S PANTS" typed on it. The clothes appear to be denim fabric, which could mean they were issued for work purposes. The photograph at the bottom shows three blocks of white soap. Each block of soap appears to be stamped with the words "MADE FOR STATE USE BY OHIO BOARD OF ADMINISTRATION." A typewritten label underneath this image states "STATE BATH & LAUNDRY SOAP" with "Ca 1911-21" handwritten. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08367
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Ohio Penitentiary (Columbus, Ohio); Prisons--Ohio
Places: Columbus (Ohio); Franklin County (Ohio)
 

Description: William Henry Wilson, of Scioto County, electrocuted July 5, 1928, for the Murder of Policeman Paul Frederick at Portsmouth, Ohio. He was a black male, nineteen years old and his occupation was listed as a thief. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: AL08187
Subjects: Ohio History--State and Local Government--Corrections; Ohio History--State and Local Government--Law; Prisons--Ohio; Death row
Places: Portsmouth (Ohio); Scioto County (Ohio)