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Ralph Wintersgill (1831 - 1912)

Born in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States
Died at age 81 in Gulfport, Pinellas, Florida, United States

Ralph Wintersgill (1831 - 1912)

Born in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States
Died at age 81 in Gulfport, Pinellas, Florida, United States

Family Tree of Ralph Wintersgill


Contents

Biography

Early Life

Ralph Wintersgill was a White male who was born on 7 March 1831 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, United States[1][2] to John Wintersgill and Jerusha. By 1850, he lived with his parents, his older brother Robert, and his younger siblings John, Mary, Jane, Jerusha, Ann, Elenor, and Eliza in Liverpool Township, Columbiana, Ohio and worked as a potter.[3]

Marriages and Family

Ralph likely married Sarah Ann Staley before 1860.[4] He fathered six children through his marriage with Sarah:

  1. Elizabeth J.[5] on 16 June 1854[6]
  2. Robert around 1857
  3. Elmer E.[5][7] on 24 June 1860[1]
  4. Ralph Bafel Jr. around 1865
  5. Mary E.[5][8] around 11 November 1869[9][10]
  6. Lester Mills[5][7][11] around 1873

By 1860, he lived with Sarah, his children Elizabeth and Robert, and a woman named Sarahann Magley in Manchester Borough, Allegheny, Pennsylvania, where he worked as a caulker. His personal estate was listed at $300 and was not listed as deaf and dumb, blind, insane, idiotic, a pauper, or a convict.[4] He lived in Pulaski, Beaver, Pennsylvania by 1870, where he lived with his wife Sarah and his children Elizabeth, Robert, Elmer, Ralph Jr., and Mary. He was not listed as deaf and dumb, blind, insane, or idiotic. His right to vote was not denied or abridged on grounds other than rebellion or crime.[12]

Ralph became widowed around 1874 following the death of his wife Sarah.[5]

After becoming widowed following Sarah's death, Ralph married Sarah's sister Elizabeth Staley, who had also been widowed, around 1876.[13] He moved to her household, which also housed his nieces and nephews (now step-children) Robert, Thomas, Elizabeth, John C. F., and Harry W.

Murder and Trial

Warning! This profile contains information about people or events that some readers may find upsetting

Between 3pm[14][15] and 5pm on 30 October 1877,[16][17][18][19][20][21] as neighbor Mary Shinkle and stepdaughter Elizabeth Hailes conversed in a separate room in the Wintersgill household, Ralph called his wife Elizabeth to a room, where a fight reportedly ensued after twenty minutes. Ralph chased Elizabeth as she ran outside the home and into an alley, with Mary and Elizabeth following. Ralph soon caught her and slit her throat with a razor from ear to ear,[22] resulting in Elizabeth dying within minutes.[23] He then ran to the backyard and severed his windpipe with the razor.[14][24] He came close to death, such that many newspaper articles published immediately following the murder referred to the crime as an unequivocal murder-suicide.[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36] He wrote on a board shortly after the murder, "I die for love. Mr. — is the caues of it. I loved my wife dearly and told her not to go to —, but she said she would if she died for it. I am getting cold."[13] It was suspected that jealousy from Ralph toward Elizabeth due to her alienation was the motive for the crime.[37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54] At the inquest held for the murder of Ralph's wife Elizabeth, held on 2 November 1877, Ralph's lawyers argued that the act was committed under temporary insanity due to fits of melancholy. After Mary's testemony in the trial, it was determined that Ralph was criminally responsible for the murder of Elizabeth.[23]

Imprisonment

Ralph was sentenced to be hanged on 4 October 1878. His attorneys petitioned to change his sentence from execution to life in prison, which was granted by the Governor of Ohio, Richard Moore Bishop, around 27 September 1878.[55] On 3 October 1878, he was sent to serve his sentence at Ohio State Penitentiary.[56]

By 1880, he was imprisoned in Ohio State Penitentiary, still a widower. He worked as a boat caulker.[2] The Ohio state board of pardons recommended a pardon for Ralph around 20 October 1892.[57] An application for Ralph's pardon was heard by the board on 17 July 1896.[58]

Ralph continued to be imprisoned until 25 December 1897, when the Governor of Ohio, Asa Smith Bushnell, pardoned Ralph[59] as part of an ongoing tradition of pardoning prisoners of Ohio State Penitentiary on Christmas day. He was the recipient due to reported good behavior, a decision that was supported by all prison officials.[56] Ralph refused the pardon,[60][61] citing that he did not want to be released in his old age in a forgotten state[62] and that he did not want to leave in the middle of winter.[63] One of Ralph's sons attempted to retrieve him to live together in Pennsylvania, but Ralph refused to leave.[64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74]

Later Life and Death

He eventually agreed to be pardoned and lived with his son in Beaver, Pennsylvania. Around 15 February 1898, he quietly visited East Liverpool by train and stayed for several days, visiting a select few intimate friends.[75]

On the morning of 26 September 1912, Ralph donned a suit that he intended to wear at his own funeral. After walking to the home of his daughter Elizabeth in St. Petersburg, Pinellas, Florida, he remained there for a few minutes and walked back to the home of his son Elmer. He died shortly after sitting on a big armchair on the porch of this home and was soon discovered to be dead by Elmer's wife, Mary. He was buried in Oaklawn Cemetery, Tampa, Hillsborough, Florida on 27 September 1912.[5][7]

Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Florida Deaths, 1877-1939," database, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: S3HY-DT8S-B8F : 8 August 2019), > image 1 of 1.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GYBL-JNQ : 24 December 2015), Ohio > Franklin > Columbus > ED 40 > image 113 of 122; citing NARA microfilm publication T9, (National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C., n.d.)
  3. "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: S3HT-DZBW-MF : 9 April 2016), Ohio > Columbiana > Liverpool > image 4 of 39; citing NARA microfilm publication M432 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
  4. 4.0 4.1 "United States Census, 1860," database with images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9BSZ-9NXY : 24 March 2017), Pennsylvania > Allegheny > Manchester Borough > image 3 of 70; from "1860 U.S. Federal Census - Population," database, Fold3.com (http://www.fold3.com : n.d.); citing NARA microfilm publication M653 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 "Death Comes Suddenly to Two Well Known Men: Ralph Wintersgill Dies While Sitting In Chair On Son's Porch," images, Google Archives (https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5IcLAAAAIBAJ&sjid=71MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4387%2C145491); citing "Evening Independent, The, St. Petersburg, Florida, 26 September 1912, page 1."
  6. "Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: S3HT-6QCS-K58 : 21 May 2014), 1919 > 11861-14700 > image 1331 of 3293.
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Brought Suit to Wear at Death: And First Time Aged Man Donned It He Passed Away." Newspapers.com, database with images, (Newspapers Clip: 156656100 : accessed 6 October 2024); citing The Tampa Times (Tampa, Florida) Fri, Sep 27, 1912, page 3."
  8. "Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-GGYZ-9FWK : 7 January 2020), Beaver > Marriage license applications, 1889-1890, vol 5, no 1242-1590 > image 293 of 756; county courthouses, Pennsylvania.
  9. "Pennsylvania, County Marriages, 1885-1950," database with images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9GYZ-9XCD : 7 January 2020), Beaver > Marriage license applications, 1889-1890, vol 5, no 1242-1590 > image 294 of 756; county courthouses, Pennsylvania.
  10. "Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953," database with images, FamilySearch (FamilySearch Image: 33SQ-G57W-2XP : 21 May 2014), 1939 > 47801-50800 > image 2242 of 3311.
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