Dead Women Tell No Tales... Or Do They?

It's been 13 years since one of Columbus' oldest landmarks met the wrecking ball in the name of progress. Built in 1834, the Ohio Penitentiary saw thousands of criminals pass through its doors. From Morgan's Raiders to the author O. Henry, many well-known people spent some time behind bars on Spring Street at this prison in its 150 years of operation. Today, it's the site of Nationwide Arena, a few random modern buildings, and plenty of parking spaces. But there might be a few leftover dead people lingering around.

People believed the old Ohio Penitentiary was haunted before it was demolished. Stories say that some of the 332 people who died during an arson blaze on April 21, 1930, still roamed the halls. Ghosts of many executed prisoners who breathed their final breaths inside the high stone walls were said to roam their old cell blocks and wander through the execution chamber. Though the building is gone, paranormal activity has still been reported at the site. If these prisoners really did stick around, perhaps one of them is the ghost of Ohio's first black woman to be executed. And it's quite likely she was a lesbian.

In the 1950s, sexuality was still a very taboo subject. Even newspapers, when faced with the task of telling tales of murder, often avoided the subject or (in certain cases) changing around the facts to make things sound, well, . . . less gay. That was certainly the case for Betty Butler.

By all accounts, Betty hailed from Cleveland, Ohio, where she had lived with her husband Harry, a strict Methodist, and two children. The exact reason why they couple separated is unclear, although court records indicate that Betty "associated with lesbians" in northeast Ohio. For one reason or another, Betty found herself in Cincinnati. She befriended a woman six years her senior by the name of Evelyn Clark. Some say they were lovers, while others say Betty was a woman caught up in poverty who had sex with Evelyn in exchange for money and shelter. Either way, their relationship was quite rocky. Arguments were frequent, and violence was not uncommon.

On September 6, 1952, the women were in a rowboat, joined by 42-year-old Deezie Ivory, enjoying the lake at Sharon Woods Park. A quarrel erupted between Betty and Evelyn; to escape the fight, Deezie quickly rowed to shore. There around 5:00 PM, the argument reached its peak. Betty strangled Evelyn, rendering her unconscious but still alive. In full view of the crowded park, Betty grabbed Evelyn by the ankles and held her head beneath the lake waters. "If I can't strangle her," she cried, "I'll drown her!" Leaving Evelyn partially submerged in the water, Betty nonchalantly said, "My work here is done," and walked away. She was stopped by park rangers before leaving the park; attempts to resuscitate Evelyn were unsuccessful.

Newspaper accounts varied when reporting the details. Some claimed the women argued over a man and it was a crime between "love rivals" while the Plain Dealer claimed it was a "sex revenge" murder. Jet Magazine made full mention of the "abnormal relationship", but seemed to waffle between Betty willingly becoming Evelyn's girlfriend and her being taken advantage of by a lesbian. In any case, it seemed the press was uncomfortable addressing the possibility that this was a legitimate same-sex relationship. They avoided the exact details of the crime as much as humanly possible.

Betty Butler was charged with first-degree murder and taken to jail. Her trial was swift; though Betty claimed it was self-defense "to escape [Evelyn's] perverted intentions" of keeping Betty as a "sex slave", she was found guilty and sentenced to death. She was sent to the reformatory in Marysville, Ohio, to await her execution. While in prison, Betty took up charcoal drawing and found she had a knack for art. "It's one of those things I didn't know I could do until too late," she said.

Her execution was delayed three times by appeals, but she met her fate on June 12, 1954 at the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus. After a last meal of scrambled eggs with cheese, toast, and apricots, Betty went to the electric chair dressed in a pink and black dress with white bobby socks and white Oxford shoes. At 8:00 PM, still clutching her rosary (Betty had turned Catholic while in prison), the switch was thrown. She was pronounced dead at 8:10 PM. She was the last woman executed by the State of Ohio.

Women were housed in a building at the southeast corner of the prison, not too far from the "Death House" where the electric chair sat. Today, this spot is covered by McFerson Commons, better known as Arch Park (so named because of the stone arch found here, the only remnant left of the 1897 Union Station which once faced High Street before being demolished in 1979) at the corner of Spring Street and Street. Perhaps if you take an evening stroll in Arch Park, you can still catch a glimpse of Betty, or maybe she finally found peace and has moved on to a better place.

For more information on Betty Butler's story, read The Penalty is Death: U.S. Newspaper Coverage of Women's Executions by Marlin Shipman.

More News from Our Weird World...

It's been a while since I've posted anything, much less the stranger side of the news. Here are a few of the oddest stories I've encountered during my study break.

This Water is as Hot as...

Everywhere, people are trying to save money, especially in government. In Redditch, Worchestershire, the council discovered it can save £14,500 annually in pool heating costs for Abbey Stadium by using a greener (and creepier) heat source. Ongoing discussion revolves around the crematorium next door and the heat wasted from incinerators which could do the job quite nicely. "I'd much rather use the energy rather than just see it going out of the chimney and heating the sky," council leader Carole Gandy told the Guardian. "It will make absolutely no difference to the people who are using the crematorium for services."

Next Time, Remove the Price Tag...

Welsh asbestos remover Neil Simons was sentenced to five years in jail following a string of robbery attempts in Llandaff, Cardiff. Simons first robbed a gas station brandishing an ax and wearing a Halloween mask. . . which he purchased from the same station three days prior. A second robbery attempt nearby was interrupted by a customer. Simons, 30, told the court he felt shameful for his actions, becoming desperate to pay off a £20,000 debt (including money demanded from a drug dealer who had sold him cocaine). Public defender Kieron Malloy told Wales Online “The fact his son bought the mask then returned to the same petrol station wearing it, shows it wasn’t a sophisticated crime.” Here's the CCTV footage:


Getting High on Death...

White powder isn't always snow, flour, or even cocaine. Yet three robbers in Silver Springs Shores, Florida, saw a couple urns and thought they discovered the latter, so much so that they snorted what turned out to be the cremated remains of a man and two Great Danes. 19-year-olds Waldo Soroa and Jose David Diaz Marrero, along with Matrix Andaluz (18), stole electronics and jewelery from the home along with the remains of the owner's pets and father. Realizing their mistake and fearful of fingerprints, they tossed the urns into a nearby lake.

The Blood-Bound Gang...

If you're on Team Edward, it's no surprise that vampires are a sexy, popular topic. From The Vampire Chronicles to Twilight, the increased popularity of blood suckers has evolved into its own subculture, says Sociologist D. J. Williams. The Idaho State scholar (interviewed by Reuters) was consulted for a vampire documentary and has been researching this and similar alternative lifestyles for many years. The important aspect Williams points out is that self-identified vampires are largely misunderstood. (That in itself almost sounds a little emo.) People like Jeffrey Dahlmer give the community a bad name. "They see themselves as normal, regular people in normal regular jobs: they are teachers, lawyers, accountants, they may be parents," Williams told Reuters. "They have normal lives but there is this aspect to needing to take energy from time to time and in certain ways."

A Tale of Two Murderers...

A skull stolen from the allegedly-haunted Old Melbourne Gaol in the 1970s has surfaced again amid questions of its true identity. Originally said to be that of famed outlaw Ned Kelly who was hanged and buried at the gaol in 1880, others speculate that it could belong to murderer Frederick Bailey Deeming (alleged to be "Jack the Ripper") who was also hanged at the gaol 1892. The skull closely matched the death masks of both killers so researchers are pleading for descendants of Deeming to come forward and supply DNA for testing.

A Case of Hearse Harassment...

Making a living out of death is never a simple existence. It may lead to unusual quirks or humor or, in the case of one undertaker in Sydney, Australia, to criminal behavior.

Adam Lee of the cheerfully named Caring Funerals has faced a rough year. In September, he was found guilty of fraud over the mix-up of two corpses. Two bodies, one to see a traditional burial and the other cremation, were erroneously swapped several years prior and bereaved families were compensated for his misdeeds.

But now, it seems Adam found himself in Sydney court again this past week. The 37-year-old unlucky mortician was charged with stalking.

It appears that in December of 2004, Adam drove his hearse in an intoxicated state. He followed Maureen Wyer through the city streets, blowing his horn and unleashing a verbal torrent of obscenities. The incident had been random, since Lee had never previously met Wyer. In court on Tuesday, his lawyer acknowledged Lee's habit of binge drinking on weekends and "deteriorating... mental state". Earlier this year, Adam was found guilty of driving under suspension, "driving in a menacing manner", and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol.

He was found guilty Thursday of four offenses. Although he has been placed on an 18-month bond for good behavior, his license has been suspended for two years and he was fined an additional $400. A doctor's report submitted to the court showed a history of depression and abuse of alcohol, so he was further ordered to undergo psychological treatment.

So remember: if you've been drinking, it might not be wise to get behind the wheel of a vehicle. But more importantly, embalming while intoxicated could catch you in just as much legal trouble.

But Does She Float?

It is said that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks. This point may have been proved true recently in an adult education class in Ferndale, Michigan.

Students in a classroom at Taft Education Center were studying The Crucible, a play pertaining to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. On September 10th, 20-year-old Darin Najor asked the educator outright if she believed in witchcraft. She replied in the negative and further explained that the point of the play was to demonstrate unjust persecution. Najor then tossed his studies to the floor, declaring it "blasphemy".

The following day, he stepped up behind the teacher who was sitting at her desk. While chanting what reportedly sounded like "religious verses", he poured a liquid (later said to be holy water—Najor's attempt at "purifying" the professor) over the head of his teacher and produced a cigarette lighter to "burn the witch". Najor fled the class but was soon found by the teacher and a security guard in his car in the parking lot where he further attempted to burn her with a lit cigarette.

Darin was arrested Monday on an assault and battery warrant. The pretrial is scheduled for October 23rd. Fittingly, Najor does not have an attorney for the case.

After over 300 years, some people just can't quite grasp the lessons of history. Or perhaps he isn't as dim-witted as we percieve and merely attempted to reenact the proceedings of the times.

This isn't the sort of "live history" anyone had in mind.

At least he didn't drop a house on her.

What If God Was One of Us...

God has some real explaining to do.

God Lucky Howard (yes, that's his real name) was arrested in Tampa, Florida for selling crack cocaine. Outside of a church!

Police have been hot on God's trail since April. Last month, they obtained a warrant and found an additional 22 grams of cocaine in his home. He was arrested on June 21st and remains in jail.

Let's just hope he doesn't have a son named Jesus. That could spell disaster.

Ghosts Pointing Fingers...

Being dead isn't always a handicap. Given the right opportunity, you can fight crime from beyond the grave.

A pedophile is behind bars right now to prove this point.

During the taping of a live show for medium Patrick Hutchinson last year in a pub, a message came through from an audience member's grandmother. The spirit told Hutchinson that the girl had been abused 10 years prior and the guilty man was still at large. The ethereal confession weighed on the mind of the 20-year-old receiver and prompted her to tell her friend... who had also been a victim of Terrance Dunstan of Morley, Leeds.

A complaint was filed in October. Soon after, a third girl came forward with similar allegations. Dunstan was charged with 5 counts of indecent assault on the three girls, and the court discovered previous allegations and a guilty plea from 2005.

Dunstan, 61, has been sentenced to over 5 1/2 years in prison and will be on the sex offenders list for the remainder of his life.

No More Thrill Rides...

With the soaring popularity of investigating hauntings, it seems everyone is trying to jump on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, some people fail to follow any sort of legal procedures.

Five "ghost hunters" in El Paso, Texas, learned their lesson the hard way last week.

Jorge Montoya (17), Carmen Salazar (17), Gerardo Santoyo (18), John Carrillo (20), Rene Nunez (21), and Felipe Ochoa (23) decided to investigate the abandoned Magic Landing Amusement Park on Wednesday night. They ignored the 'No Trespassing' signs placed around the property and wandered around by flashlight, snapping photographs and looking for paranormal activity. A neighbor phoned police after seeing the lights. The quintet fled to their vehicles when police arrived, but couldn't escape the law.

Each was charged with criminal trespassing Thursday morning.

The property owners take the matter very seriously. In April, an arson fire caused $485,000 in damage to the former amusement park. They have since told Sheriff Deputies they will press charges against anyone found on their property without their consent.

Nicknamed "Tragic Landing", the park was only open for four years. Legend states that a boy lost his hand and died at the park; his ghost is said to wander the grounds. In 1985, an 18-year-old employee named Frank Guzman Jr. was killed after his arm was severed by a roller coaster while retrieving a customer's baseball hat from the track. The roller coaster is gone now... it was sold to Bosque Magico in Mexico.

I doubt this is the sort of fame hoped for by the group. Perhaps they should have made a phone call to the owners and saved themselves the trouble of calling a friend or family member to get them out of jail...

Ectoplasmic Excuses...

It seems there is a new trend in criminal defense tactics: blame it on dead people!

In England, Dawood Khan is accused of murdering a Yorkshire College student last year with a cricket bat. He claims no knowledge of the actual crime. Doctors at the Stockton Hall Hospital where he is being held have stated that he believes he was under the influence of "black magic and two ghosts".

Similarly, in Salinas, California, attempted to explain the 1996 drug-related murder of 20-year-old Victor Manuel Gutierrez on a ghost, only to recant his tale later. As his trial approaches, he is now blaming it on another (living) man.

Has this ever been a valid argument, or are people just more desperate to use the insanity defense?

Plots for Potheads...

Three teenagers in Texas were in desperate need of a marijuana fix. Since they didn't happen to have a bong handy, they decided to improvise.

Allegedly, the druggie trio sneaked into an abandoned cemetery in the woods near Humble over a two-day period, dug up the grave of an 11-year-old boy who passed away in 1921, removed the skull from the interred body, and carried the head home to smoke marijuana out of the cranium.

Police were questioning Kevin Wade Jones Jr., 17, on a charge of vehicular burglary when he recounted the tale. The police thought it was merely an attempt to throw them off course.

When they went to the home of Matthew Gonzalez, 17, and asked him about the story, he spit his food out at the dining table.

Police have charged them all with abuse of a corpse. Gonzalez was also charged with misdemeanor theft for the vehicle break-in while Jones and the unnamed third juvenile each face charges of credit card abuse.

And the skull? It's still missing. Authorities are still attempting to locate it in an effort to place it back in the grave.

The cemetery is believed to have been the final resting place for black war veterans and their families.