Beach Haven Axe Murderer, 1929
New Jersey Courier 2 Aug 1929: BEACH HAVEN AXE MURDERER FOUND INSANE BY JURY Sam Conklin, Who Battered John Carlson's Head With Axe, Called Insane By Dr. Cotton A jury of seven men and five women, taken from the regular petit jury panel of the December term, on Wednesday pronounced Samuel T. Conklin, Beach Haven, as insane and unfit to stand trial for the murder of John Carlson. Conklin had previously, since his arrest, admitted the killing of Carlson on his (Conklin's) houseboat near Beach Haven, on Sunday night, December 16 last in a drunken brawl. Carlson's body was found next morning along the main road to Beach Haven, his head smashed in with an axe, and his face battered. A wide trail showed that the body had been dragged from Conklin's houseboat on the bay shore. Conklin said that they had a quarrel over a sick dog and he had killed Carlson, or the other man would have killed him. Conklin was indicted for murder. Before time for trial, he was said to be ac