Spilt Blood: When Murder Walked the Streets of Dayton

by Curt Dalton

Curt Dalton writes about 10 incredible, but true, stories of Dayton murders that took place during the city's first one hundred years, including... * John McAfee, whose murder of his wife and affair with the girl next door still lives on in song nearly two hundred years later * Francis Dick, who bludgeoned his mother-in-law in an attempt to win back his wife * John Dobbins, a Civil War deserter who danced a "hoe-down" on his way to the scaffold * James Murphy, the lieutenant of a Dayton street gang, who was hung twice for his crimes ... and more tales of murder, violence and suicide from the Gem City.

Genres: Nonfiction

130 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

I initially bought this book because of the historical link to my hometown, Dayton, Ohio, and the topic of murder/mysteries made it even more attractive. The 10 stories in ‘Spilt Blood’ are well written and interesting, but very brief. Although he references a few writers and newspapers of the time, all of the author’s resources are court cases or administrative records. I don’t know the availability of publications from that period, but I would have been happier with fewer stories, and a more robust tale. Basically, it’s not a bad book, I just expected more.

[Monica Wiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting stories I've never heard. Definitely worth the short read.