Fred Hazel, a white male from Hardscrabble, Ohio, died on December 13, 1924, under circumstances that were later revealed to be part of a disturbing series of poisonings. While specific details about Fred Hazel's age are not readily available in public records, his death occurred during a wave of mysterious illnesses that afflicted numerous members of the Hasel and Gienke families in late 1924.
The illnesses began around Thanksgiving of that year, when several relatives of Martha
Wise—née Hasel—fell ill with severe stomach pains. Among those affected was Martha's mother, Sophie, who succumbed to the illness on December 13, 1924. Although Fred Hazel's name does not appear explicitly in the list of victims confirmed by autopsy or confession, the timing and location of his death strongly suggest he may have been among the poisoned family members. The symptoms experienced by victims included intense gastrointestinal distress, and in some cases, partial paralysis. Ultimately, three individuals died and fourteen others were injured during this period.
The investigation into these deaths led authorities to Martha Wise, a white female resident of Hardscrabble, Ohio, who had recently lost her husband and had been forced by her family to end a romantic relationship. Wise confessed to purchasing large quantities of arsenic and administering it to family members by contaminating water buckets and coffee pots. Her motive, as she later claimed, was a compulsion to attend funerals—she admitted to poisoning relatives to create more funerals to attend.
Martha Wise was arrested in March 1925 and charged with first-degree murder. She pleaded not guilty but was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Her case became one of the most sensational criminal trials in Ohio during the 1920s, earning her the nickname “The Poison Widow of Hardscrabble.” While Fred Hazel's specific role in the case remains less documented than other victims, his death on the same day as Sophie Hasel and in the same location places him within the tragic scope of Wise's crimes.
