The Corpse in the Cellar

And Further Tales of Cleveland Woe

by John Stark Bellamy II

  • Format: Softcover, 304 pages, 5.5 x 8.5 inches
  • Illustrations: 103 black-and-white photographs
  • ISBN: 978-1-886228-33-7
  • Price: $13.95
Description

Bellamy is back! Cleveland's crime and disaster expert returns with 25 more short true tales of woe from local history. As usual, the chapter titles give the best idea of the excitement to follow:

Murderer in Short Breeches: The Gothic Doom of Maggie Thompson (1889)

"Jump Boys, It's a Crash!": The Doodlebug Deathtrip (1940)

Medina's Wickedest Stepmother: The Garrett Tragedy (1887)

"We are Going Down!": The Ashtabula Bridge Disaster (1876)

The Phantom Flapper Killer: The Mystery of Margaret Heldman (1928)

"Step Aside, Daddy, and I'll Fill Him Full of Lead!": The Insouciant Mabel Champion (1922)

Bellamy's signature style brings to life the colorful characters who took part in some of Cleveland's most exciting and tragic moments. Crooks and cops, heroes and villains, ordinary folks who found themselves in extraordinary circumstances— these are the people who make high drama. Bellamy recounts these most notable local dramas in his gripping narratives.

104 spine-chilling black-and-white photographs accompany the text.

Book Excerpt:
The Incredible Vanishing Killer

Edward C. Stanton was probably the most interesting, aggressive, and effective prosecutor in Cuyahoga County history. During his tenure as county prosecutor (1921–1929), Stanton sent eight men to the electric chair and earned a deserved reputation as a publicity-savvy, cunning, and relentless lawman. Propelled into office by his avidity in prosecuting the alleged May Day rioters of 1919, Stanton quickly gained the public's favor with his unexpected conviction of municipal judge William H. McGannon for perjury, for his dramatic pursuit and prosecution of those involved in the infamous murder-for-hire demise of Lakewood printer Dan Kaber, and for the long-awaited guilty verdict that ended the chilling criminal career of Cleveland's Public Enemy No.1, George “ Jiggs” Losteiner. (All of these trials are covered in the pages of the author's previous volume, They Died Crawling.) Stanton's zealous efforts also sent three men to the electric chair for their role in the brutal payroll robbery and murder of businessmen Wilfred C. Sly and . . . [ Read More Free Samples ]

Reviews
The Edgar Allen Poe of Cleveland . . . [John Stark Bellamy] proves that even the murders of ordinary people can make for edge-of-your-seat reading. — The Plain Dealer
You'd have a tough time finding somebody in town more learned--or enthusiastic--about the city's history of death and disaster. — Scene Magazine
More tales of the horrible and bizarre. — Sun Newspapers
Colorful and richly detailed writing. — The Chronicle-Telegram
While the content of Bellamy's book is somewhat gruesome, it is also strangely fascinating and gives readers insight into criminal minds of the past, the way such crimes were reported, and--most shockingly--the manner in which some old-time law enforcement agents treated suspects. — Lake County Tribune
As with all the books in his Cleveland crime series, Bellamy writes with razor-edged wit and his own particular brand of charm. — Medina County Gazette
Bellamy blends details culled from old newspaper clippings, trial transcripts and other sources into an exploration of the city's seamier side. — West Life
Audio for The Corpse in the Cellar

Click to listen to John Stark Bellamy II share his own personal disaster:

Audio was provided by Stephen Bellamy

About John Stark Bellamy II
John Stark Bellamy II

John Stark Bellamy II is the author of six books and two anthologies about Cleveland crime and disaster. The former history specialist for the Cuyahoga County Public Library, he comes by his taste for the sensational honestly, having grown up reading stories about Cleveland crime and disaster written by his grandfather, Paul, who was editor of the Plain Dealer, and his father, Peter, who wrote for the Cleveland News and the Plain Dealer. More About John Stark Bellamy II

Contains References to:

Christina Lispcomb, Cleveland Accidents, Cleveland Gothic Tales, Cleveland Homicide, Cleveland Mafia, Cleveland True Crime, Cleveland's Black Widow, Criminals, Death Stories, Disasters, Electric Chair, Flappers, Joe Filkowski, Medina, OH, Mentor Marsh Murder, Michael Hahnel, Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Fire, Robert Mercer,

Other books by John Stark Bellamy II:
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