There is a gravestone in Evergreen Cemetery in Painesville, Ohio which bears the name of Joseph Linhart, the dates, 1867-1922, and the epitaph "Not Guilty." Apparently, Linhart was arrested in the summer of 1921, after the battered body of his wife Anna was found at the bottom of the Linhart well in a place called Hell's Hollow. Joseph Linhart was arrested and indicted on a charge of first degree murder, but before he could stand trial he was found dead in his cell with his wrists slashed. Linhart's attorney, Homer Harper, paid for his tombstone and it's odd inscription. Apparently, some folklore has grown up around this tombstone, including the idea that there was money hidden on the farm, or that Linhart's son-in-law had actually committed the crime. Some also say that the attorney, Harper, had the inscription done because he'd "never lost a case and he was damed if he'd lose this one." At any rate, it's an interesting gravestone.



Linhart was laid to rest under the infamous “Not Guilty” grave, featured on the television show, “Ripley’s ‘Believe it or Not.’” After arguing over a cow, Linhart’s wife disappeared. He was later accused of his wife’s murder after she was found dead in a well. Linhart hired a hot-shot lawyer, Homer Harper, who was said to have never lost a case. Before Linhart could be tried, however, he slashed his wrists with a razor. Many speculated that Linhart’s suicide was an affirmation of his guilt which meant that Harper had “lost” his first case. However, Harper had the words “Not Guilty,” along with an inaccurate date of death, engraved on Linhart’s tombstone. Because Linhart’s death prevented him from being found guilty or innocent, Harper claimed that he still had not lost a case.

I go to Evergreen Cemetery to water flowers I've planted on my sister's grave. I've seen the gravestone with the odd inscription, "Not Guilty", many times. It's there!

There's a place that's called

Hell's Hollow

In north eastern Ohio

Said a ghost walks 'round

Each evening

In a pale blue dress that flows



She is lookin' for her man

He had done her wrong

Beat her up and let her drown

At the bottom of a well

In Hell's Hollow



When the law caught up

With Joseph

He was wild eyed and confused

Wasn't quite sure what

He'd done now

Only he and heaven knows



Oh the cliff is so damn high

In that back woods town

Two hundred sixty two steps

Takin' him down to his hell

In Hell's Hollow



Well, it's told Joe took

His own life

Cut his wrists to hide his shame

But his lawyer was

So proud now

Bought a stone to save his name