Today in Wheeling History: March 6–Thomas D. Carr, a notorious thief, arsonist, murderer, and self-confessed serial killer of 14 men, who was raised by his family in Woods' Run, Fulton, Centre Wheeling, and North Wheeling, was born in Sugar Hill, Virginia (1846).
Thomas David Carr, born on March 6, 1846, in Sugar Hill, Virginia, was a notorious serial killer who spent part of his life in Wheeling, West Virginia. Carr’s family moved frequently around West Virginia, living in areas such as Woods’ Run, Fulton, Centre Wheeling, and North Wheeling. His troubled childhood, marked by an abusive father and frequent fights, set the stage for his later criminal activities. Carr enlisted in the military at 16, serving in the 16th and 18th Ohio Infantry during the Civil War. His military career was marred by misconduct, leading to multiple arrests and even a death sentence, which was later pardoned by President Abraham Lincoln.
Carr’s criminal activities escalated after the war, culminating in the murder of 13-year-old Louiza Fox in Belmont County, Ohio. He was apprehended on January 22, 1869, and confessed to murdering 14 men, including a famous 1867 murder in West Virginia. This murder involved a German traveler named Aloys Ulrich. Carr, along with his accomplice Joseph Eisele, attacked Ulrich while traveling along the Hempfield Railroad. Eisele struck Ulrich with a hatchet, and Carr, fearing for his own life, hit Ulrich with a rock. Eisele then finished Ulrich off with the hatchet. Carr was executed by hanging on March 24, 1870, in St. Clairsville, Ohio. His life and crimes remain a dark chapter in the history of Wheeling and the surrounding areas.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/37epjp4e), Penn State University (https://tinyurl.com/3xbwr5a9), Archiving Wheeling (https://tinyurl.com/39jwpvye), The Ohio Project (https://tinyurl.com/4a876myf), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/2sc23e4w), Murderpedia (https://tinyurl.com/9u292yfk), DBpedia (https://tinyurl.com/yc7uutvn)
Photo credits: Find a Grave, Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Library of Congress Find a Grave
Thomas David Carr, born on March 6, 1846, in Sugar Hill, Virginia, was a notorious serial killer who spent part of his life in Wheeling, West Virginia. Carr’s family moved frequently around West Virginia, living in areas such as Woods’ Run, Fulton, Centre Wheeling, and North Wheeling. His troubled childhood, marked by an abusive father and frequent fights, set the stage for his later criminal activities. Carr enlisted in the military at 16, serving in the 16th and 18th Ohio Infantry during the Civil War. His military career was marred by misconduct, leading to multiple arrests and even a death sentence, which was later pardoned by President Abraham Lincoln.
Carr’s criminal activities escalated after the war, culminating in the murder of 13-year-old Louiza Fox in Belmont County, Ohio. He was apprehended on January 22, 1869, and confessed to murdering 14 men, including a famous 1867 murder in West Virginia. This murder involved a German traveler named Aloys Ulrich. Carr, along with his accomplice Joseph Eisele, attacked Ulrich while traveling along the Hempfield Railroad. Eisele struck Ulrich with a hatchet, and Carr, fearing for his own life, hit Ulrich with a rock. Eisele then finished Ulrich off with the hatchet. Carr was executed by hanging on March 24, 1870, in St. Clairsville, Ohio. His life and crimes remain a dark chapter in the history of Wheeling and the surrounding areas.
To learn more: Wikipedia (https://tinyurl.com/37epjp4e), Penn State University (https://tinyurl.com/3xbwr5a9), Archiving Wheeling (https://tinyurl.com/39jwpvye), The Ohio Project (https://tinyurl.com/4a876myf), Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/2sc23e4w), Murderpedia (https://tinyurl.com/9u292yfk), DBpedia (https://tinyurl.com/yc7uutvn)
Photo credits: Find a Grave, Ohio County Public Library Archives, Wheeling WV; Library of Congress Find a Grave
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