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Harvey Haver, Mrs. Haver and Their
Home; The Scene of the Crime
Haver who had told neighbors that his wife had deserted him
and later when arrested on a charge of tampering with mail
confessed that he had deceived the public and said his wife
committed suicide by hanging finally admitted he choked her
to death and threw the body into an abandoned well on a farm
four miles from his home. The body was recovered and burns
on the arms and legs gave rise to the belief that Haver had
attempted to cremate the body in the furnace at
his home.
Body of Ohio Woman Found In Cistern
Husband Held Pending Investigation
The Lancaster
Daily Gazette: Wednesday, January 27, 1926 –
NEWCOMERSTOWN, OHIO: January 27, 1926 – Two
hours after the body of his wife, Katherine, was found in an abandoned cistern
on his father’s farm near here, Harvey Haver, 45, a mail carrier was taken into
custody today and held for questioning.
Mrs. Haver disappeared December 1, 1926. Haver filed suit for divorce January
18, charging his wife had deserted him.
Haver who was also arrested on a charge of tampering with the mails, declared
his wife committed suicide.
“She made repeated threats to kill herself and requested she be buried in the
cistern.” Haver told authorities.
Haver said his wife’s latest threat was on December 1. He laughed at her and
left for work. When he returned home, he said, he found his wife’s body in the
furnace room of their home.
“She had taken poison.” Haver asserted.
The Havers quarreled frequently, according to neighbors. In his divorce
petition, Haver alleged his wife nagged him persistently.
“She also robbed me of $317 when she deserted me,” the petition said.
When questioned further this afternoon, Haver repudiated both statements,
declaring he feared to inform authorities of his wife’s suicide because public
sentiment was against him.
Mrs. Haver was from Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania, where her parents now reside.
The mail tampering charge grew out of opening of letters from Sinking Springs to
Mrs. Haver.
Convinced that Haver was opening his wife’s mail, inspectors inserted a marked
$5 bill in one of the letters. The bill was found in Haver’s possession when he
was arrested, officers said.
Tragic Death Bared By Confession
 The Lima News:
Wednesday, January 27, 1926 –
NEWCOMERSTOWN, Ohio: January 27, 1926 –
After being questioned half the night by authorities, Harvey Haver, 45 year old
village mail carrier, broke down and confessed that the body of his wife,
Katherine, missing for nearly two months, could be found at the bottom of a well
on his father’s farm, three miles southwest of this Tuscarawas county town.
The body was recovered from the well designated by Haver, and there will be an
inquest this afternoon to determine the cause of her death.
Haver told authorities that on December 1, he and his wife quarreled and that as
he was leaving the home to carry on his duties as mail carrier, she said, “this
is the last time you ever will see me alive.” When he returned home, Haver said
he found his wife’s body hanging suspended from a water pipe on a chain in the
basement of their home.
Haver said that he was very much perturbed, and recalled that his wife, on a
recent visit to his father’s farm, said that the abandoned well would be a great
place for her to seek everlasting peace. She indicated, Haver said, that she
desired to be buried in the well, so “I took her body down from the basement
ceiling, took it to the farm, and placed the body in the well.”
Divorce Suit Filed.
Haver denies that he was at all instrumental in causing his wife’s death.
Haver questioned in connection with the mysterious disappearance of his wife
following the filing of charges against him by postal inspectors of tampering
with the mails. He is alleged to have opened letters addressed to his wife from
relatives in Pennsylvania. For hours, he maintained that he did not know where
his wife was, and recalled to the authorities that on January 18 he filed suit
for divorce on desertion charges. He also pointed out that only a week or so ago
he paid the premium on an insurance policy for his wife.
Haver was born in this county and until about six years ago, lived on a farm. He
came to town when he was married and has lived here ever since.
Mayor M. I. Oliver of Newcomerstown has been active with the federal and county
authorities in the questioning of Haver.
Husband Jailed
COSHOCTON, OHIO: January 27, 1926 – Following the discovery of his wife’s body
in a well at Newcomerstown, 16 miles east of here, Harvey Haver, 45, village
mail carrier, was being held in jail pending a thorough investigation of the
death of Mrs. Haver.
The body was found in the well on the farm of Isaac Haver, father of the
husband.
Haver filed suit for divorce January 18, declaring that his wife had deserted
him. This followed her mysterious disappearance about December 15 last.
Postal inspectors say that Haver has been opening his wife’s mail from relatives
in Pennsylvania.
At the time, Haver told the authorities he did not know where his wife was.
A charge of tampering with the mails has been filed against Haver by the postal
inspectors. The letters he is accused of opening were those directed to his
wife, Katherine, by her relatives. It is not known whether they contained money.
Haver says that his wife left after a quarrel. He says she took with her $317 of
his money.
 Steubenville Herald-Star: Saturday, April 17, 1926 –
NEW PHILADELPHIA, OHIO – Harvey
Haver, 41, former Newcomerstown mail carrier, faced the grilling of his life on
the witness stand here today in his trial for the death of his Matrimonial
Bureau Bride, Kathryn.
Pale and visibly shaken, Haver who yesterday afternoon told of choking his wife
to death in self-defense mounted the witness stand again today for a
cross-examination by the state.
Haver testified that after choking his wife at their home, December 1, 1926, he
concealed his crime by dropping his wife’s body into a well on his father’s farm
because he feared consequences of his deed. The body was found 56 days later.
“Harvey, why didn’t you give your wife a decent burial?” asked Henry Bowers,
Haver’s chief counsel.
Was Frightened.
“Because I was frightened,” said Haver. “She had bruises on her face and body
from failing downstairs earlier in the day and neighbors knew we quarreled and I
feared no one would believe my story.
“I was panic-stricken and thought only of concealing the body.
“First I sat down and cried. Then I took the body to the well. I was sorry for
it afterwards.”
Admits His Guilt.
Haver admitted in substance practically all of his signed confessions introduced
by the state but elaborated on details.
“My wife threw a shoe at me,” he said. “I shook her and told her not to do it
again. Then I sat down to read the paper. My wife came up from behind and
grabbed me by the throat from over the back of my chair. She screamed ‘Now I’ve
got you.’ I reached back over my head and grabbed her by the throat, and then I
whirled round in my chair still gripping her neck. I felt her go limp and let
go. She fell to the floor. I felt for her pulse. There was none. I felt her
heart and it had stopped beating. “She was dead.”
Accused Man Cries.
Haver was crying as he finished his recital. So was Mrs. Charles Hettinger, of
Sinking Springs, Pennsylvania, sister of Mrs. Haver who came all the way from
her home to see the avenging of her sister’s death.
Mrs. A. E. Lichti, only woman on the jury, had tears in her eyes too, as did
many spectators in the courtroom.
The defense introduced physicians, neighbors, relatives and friends on the stand
in rapid succession to show that Mrs. Haver was afflicted with heart disease,
that she had been taking strong drugs and that her death from a heart stroke had
been predicted at any moment.
To Jury Next Week.
The defense expected to finish presentation of evidence today. Final arguments
will follow. The jury is expected to get the case early next week.
Throughout the trial the courtroom has been packed. Fearing an influenza
epidemic, Judge C. S. Turnbaugh, of Cambridge, Ohio, presiding, has ordered the
courtroom cleared and thoroughly ventilated at each noon recess.
Haver is Taken to Columbus
to Begin 15-Year Sentence
Steubenville Herald-Star: Thursday, April 22, 1926 –
NEW PHILADELPHIA, OHIO – Handcuffed
to Sheriff George W. Stucky, Harvey E. Haver, 41, former Newcomerstown mail
carrier, today was taken to Columbus by the sheriff to start serving his fifteen
year sentence in the state penitentiary. Haver was convicted of manslaughter
early Sunday morning in connection with the death of his wife, Kathryn, whose
body was found in a well. Judge Charles S. Turnbaugh imposed the prison sentence
Monday.
The Coshocton Tribune: Wednesday, September 09, 1931 –
The contemplated parole of Harvey
Haver, former Newcomerstown mail carrier, who was sentenced to serve between 15
to 20 years in the Ohio penitentiary for the murder of his wife, Kathryn, in
1926, has been met with a storm of protest from residents of Newcomerstown, it
was learned today.
Haver is among hundreds of convicts at the penitentiary who are eligible for
parole this month as a result of the recent action taken by the state
legislature to relieve congestion in the state prisons.
The ex-mail carrier was convicted in common pleas court at New Philadelphia,
Ohio, in April 1926, of manslaughter, and was sentenced in April of that year.
Mrs. Haver’s body was found in an abandoned well on the old Haver farm, south of
Newcomerstown, and after making several different statements to court as to how
his wife met her death, one being that she strangled herself to death, Haver
finally confessed that he had murdered her.
Haver was arrested in Newcomerstown for tampering with the mails, and at that
time admitted that his wife was dead. It was several weeks after his wife was
murdered that Haver was arrested. He confessed to J.C. Ross, Newcomerstown, that
her body lay in the abandoned well. Ross obtained the confession from Haver
through a ruse.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON HARVEY HAVER
1900 United States Federal Census
Harvey Haver (age 15) was living in Oxford,
Tuscarawas County, Ohio, with his family. Others listed on the census at this
address are Isaac Haver (age 51 born in Ohio), Amanda Haver (52 born in Ohio),
James Haver (19), Charley Haver (14), Clarence Haver (12), and David Gadd (25).
World War I Draft Registration
Harvey Ellsworth Haver, born October 09,
1884, World War I Draft Registration
Social Security Death Index
Harvey Haver
Born: October 09, 1884
Died: April 1972
Last Residence: Newcomerstown, Ohio 43832 |
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