Pottery City Mysteries: Serial Killers, Foreign Spies and Mafia Ties

When I started this blog, I said that it wouldn’t be centered around murders. With all due intentions it’s still not. Even though the title of this post suggests otherwise, when I started out I was actually doing research for future post I’m working on looking at the East Liverpool area’s past ties to bootlegging and organized crime. While looking through murder files I came to the realization that something else may be to blame. Since 1797, there have been 116 known or suspected murders committed in East Liverpool, 26 of which remain unsolved today.  While 26 out of 116 doesn’t sound to bad, you have to take into account that most of those unsolved crimes happened in bursts during very short periods of time. There were 4 unsolved murders in 1918, 5 between 1936-1945 and 8 between 1968-1973.

*On February 12^th 1912 an unidentified male infant was found dead on the riverbank.

*On July 2^nd 1915, an unidentified infant was found dead. Investigations concluded that the baby was placed inside a sack and then was downed in the Ohio River

*On November 19^th 1916 an unidentified male was found dead. An investigation indicated that the man had been burned alive.

*On February 7^th 1918, the East Liverpool Fire Department responded to a fire at the Adamant Porcelain plant in the city’s West End. Due to the intense heat they were unable to save the plant. About 6 hours later a gruesome discovery was made next to kiln #3, the charred remains of a human torso missing its arms and legs. A half an hour later another torso was found. The bodies were later identified as David Mumaw and Joseph Cannon, two workers at the plant. Despite the fact that the pilot lights in the kilns were not lit at the time, two torsos were found and a similar fire struck the Kenilworth Tile Company just across the river in Newell, WV the next night, it was determined that the fire was not arson. To makes things even stranger, both companies were just awarded war orders to provide electrical porcelain to the United States Army, who had declared war on Germany about 1 year earlier. Fear and suspicion gripped the area as residents began to believe that a foreign spy was among them. A few days later another fire was possibly averted when a night watch man at R. Thomas & Sons works named Frank Higgins spotted a shadowy figure by one of the clay bins. When he went to investigate a man came at him, Higgins drew his revolver and held the man until police arrived. The man was identified as Willis Payne. Payne later admitted to setting the two previous fires, but those who heard his testimony said that he was coached and may have been a pawn for an enemy agent. Payne even admitted that he was paid 50 cents to burn down the Adamant plant by a man wearing a fur coat living in Midland and said that his next target was the Davidson Porcelain plant. Payne was found to be insane and it was discovered that he was committed to a home for the mentally ill in Columbus just 5 years prior to the fires. While incarcerated, Payne even admitted that he set the infamous Great Chicago Fire of 1861. It was determined that Payne was so mentally ill that he could have easily been persuaded to commit any crime. Several federal authorities including the secret service investigated the case but could not determine who put Payne up the fires. Payne never stood trial on the charges, but he was again admitted to a home for the mentally, this time indefinitely. The case is still officially listed as unsolved.

*On June 23^rd 1918, Jerry Kincaid was found shot to death. His murder remains unsolved.

*In late 1918, Joseph Martin was found slashed to death. The case still remains unsolved.

*On April 30^th 1923, an unidentified female was found dead in the basement of a East Liverpool home. It was determined that she was strangled to death.

*On May 13^th 1936, while enjoying a night out on the town, Francis Cannon,  part owner of the East Liverpool Potteries Company, came across two women walking down the street who were being harassed by 4 men in a automobile yelling obscenities and making sexual comments. Cannon offered to escort the women home. While they were walking, the men proceeded to follow them and continued to harass them. Cannon became angry and told the men to show some respect when around women. The men then stopped the car and got out. An altercation ensued and all four men severely beat Cannon before slashing him with a knife and then leaving him for dead next to the street. A Lisbon man was eventually questioned about the crime but was later released after there wasn’t enough evidence to charge him. To this day, Cannon’s 4 murders remain unknown.

*On October 29^th 1940, Julia Wall was found dead stuffed inside a barrel on Jennings Avenue. Her story appeared in my 2nd blog entry “Murder In Pottery City”

*On June 5^th 1944, 18 year old Sam Winters finished up his shift at Crucible Steel and rode the bus to Mulberry Street in the city’s East End. While walking along State Street he came to the railroad overpass at the intersection where River Road becomes Saint George Street. It was there that he spotted a pair of feet sticking out of a blanket wrapped up with clothesline in the weeds about 8 feet from the roadway. He ran nearby and called police. When Police arrived they discovered that the body was still warm and determined that the woman died about 2 and a half hours earlier. Police were unable to identify the woman so they proceeded to go around town to taverns and restaurants with a picture, in hopes that someone would recognize her, but nobody did. The next day a man rummaging through the trash at Columbian Park on Pennsylvania Avenue came across a ripped up dress and skirt. It was discovered that the unknown woman resembled one of the girls on a poster for the carnival that was held in the park the prior week. Police contacted the owner the carnival and was informed that all his workers were accounted for and that the girl in question performed the night before. A funeral was held at Dawson Funeral Home, where around 1,500 people showed up in hopes of recognizing the girl, but no one did. She was laid to rest in Spring Grove Cemetery without being identified. Today the unknown woman’s identity and the identity of her killer remain a mystery.

*On October 2^nd 1944 the body of 17 year old newlywed Alice Lyons was found in California Hallow (near where Route 30 currently runs)by 3 young boys. Her full story appeared in Murder In Pottery City.

*On February 16^th 1945, local restaurant owner Steve Phillips was stepping out of his automobile in front of his home when he was suddenly attacked with a metal bar, crushing his skull. He died two days later at East Liverpool City Hospital. Police found about $400 stuffed inside Phillips pocket watch, but between $600 and $800 in cash receipts were missing. Police interviewed over 100 people in connection to the case, but came up empty handed. During the investigation, Police discovered that Phillips was involved with an illegal gambling ring and ran several establishments in the East Liverpool area that featured Bingo, Slot Machines, Table Games and betting on the stock market. Police learned that threats were made against Phillips life just a week prior to his murder. Police determined that Phillips was murdered by a “hired thug” in what was believed to be a mob hit. Despite there being a $1000 reward for the capture of his killer, the case has never been solved.

*On December 17th 1968, 81 year old Theodosia Wood was found beaten to death her home. Her killer was never found.

*In 1969, Del Baumgarner was found beaten to death. His killer remains at large.

*In January of 1971, James Brenneman went missing from East Liverpool. 4 months later his body was discovered in the Ohio River near Stratford. Police suspect foul play was involved.

*On July 5^th 1971, a man was found strangled to death in the woods of Jethro Hollow. An autopsy concluded that he had been dead between 3 to 5 days before his body was discovered.

*On July 30^th 1973, a customer discovered the bodies of local businessman Earl Tweed, Linda Morris (who was also pregnant at the time) and her daughter Angela inside Tweed’s Dresden Avenue furniture store. The full story appeared in Murder In Pottery City.

Looking back on these some of these cases, especially the ones that happened so close together, you can’t help but wonder, were these were really isolated cases of murder as we were led to believe or was East Liverpool once plagued by a serial killer that preyed on the defenseless citizens of our city? Given the fact that all the random and sporadic killings seemed to have stopped in 1973, it may indicate that if there was once a serial killer roaming our streets, he has either passed away or is currently incarcerated for another crime.  We may never know the real truth.