Ocean County , NJ History

New Jersey Mirror 25 Jan 1939 Gladys M., 17-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Earl Sager, a senior in Pemberton High School, committed suicide on Saturday afternoon by shooting herself in the heart with a .38 calibre revolver at her home on Burr's road, about a mile and a half from Pemberton. Discovery of the act was made by her parents upon their return from a shopping trip to Mount Holly. They found her slumped across a sofa in the living room of their farm home. No reason is attributed for the suicide. Her parents stated that she was in good spirits when they left home and was looking forward to social events that were listed among the high school activities. The girl had been suffering from occasional fainting spells, which is the only cause that could be assigned for her ending her life. Upon discovery of her body lying on the sofa, Dr. Reuben Frank, of Pemberton, was summoned and pronounced her dead. The "kick" in the old-fashioned revolver, which had been around

According to the death returns for Little Egg Harbor, Maria Chew Estlack (Eastlic?) committed "suaside" there on January 19, 1853. She is supposed to be buried somewhere in Lower Bank.

New Jersey Mirror 28 Dec 1938 Charles Panczer, 54, committed suicide in an outbuilding in the rear of his home on Crosswicks street, Bordentown, on Friday, by hanging himself to a rafter. He was a wire worker in Crescent Mill, in Trenton. His wife, Rose, worried by his absence, went to the building and found his body. Coroner John N. Swartz, of Palmyra, issued a certificate of suicide. Mrs. Panczer said her husband had steady employment and she could offer no reason why he had ended his life. The pair had resided in Bordentown since last April. They formerly lived in Trenton.

9 DEC 1869 - New Jersey Mirror: James Reynolds, of Bass River, committed suicide, on Sunday, the 29th ult.(November, 1868). He was in the last stage of consumption, and so weak that he was confined to his bed--but he gathered strength enough to leave it and grasp a razor, lying on a stand a few feet away. Staggering back to the bed, he deliberately drew the razor across the left side of his throat, severing the main artery, and causing death in a short time. The deceased was a laboring man, about 37 years old. No one but his mother was in the house at the time of his death.

New Jersey Mirror 21 Nov 1906 Drinking a two-ounce vial of carbolic acid on Saturday night, Mrs. Charles Workman, of Palmyra, committed suicide. She was despondent over continued ill health.

New Jersey Mirror Nov 3 1937: Failing in one attempt, J. George Lowery, 58, of Manahawkin, committed suicide early yesterday the same way his brother ended his life two years ago. Lowery, a laborer, who lived alone on Stafford avenue, Manahawkin, stabbed himself twice over the heart with a butcher knife. Then he tied a rope around a second-floor bannister, the other end around his neck, and jumped. Lowery's brother, John, hanged himself in his Manahawkin home in 1935.

New Jersey Mirror Oct 23 1873: A young man named Ambrose Bird committed suicide by hanging himself in the barn of William Tilton, near Jacobstown, on Sunday evening. He had been drinking during the day, and when he left his comrades, about 10 P. M.; he said it was the last time they would see him alive, as he intended to kill himself that night. He was found next morning, dead, as stated. He had used two halter leads and was in a sitting position when found. He was brought up on the farm of Mr. Tilton, but has been working at carpentering in Allentown for some time past. Crazed with liquor is the only cause assigned for the act.

New Jersey Mirror 19 Oct 1881 Benjamin Taylor, aged seventy, committed suicide near Recklesstown last week, by hanging himself. He was afflicted with a cancer on the face.

New Jersey Courier 17 Oct 1917 Reports of a supposed murder and suicide at Pasadena, between Chatsworth and Whitings, were brought back last week by deer-hunters who were locating stands for the opening of the season today. The tragedy occurred on Thursday at Brooks Brae brick manufacturing plant at Pasadena, in Ocean county, a short distance over the Burlington county line. The supposed murderer and suicide was Gildo Plazziano, a watchman at the brick plant, and his victim was Harriet, the 12-year-old daughter of Samuel Chattin, living nearby. Nothing was known of the crime until a small shack in which Plazziano lived was discovered to be on fire. The girl's father and brother hastened to the scene and were in time to see the bodies of the man and the girl lying on a cot in the bedroom, but on account of the heat they were unable to rescue them from the flames and they were so badly charred when recovered that it was impossible to determine the cause of death. The supposition i

New Jersey Courier 22 Sep 1939: A heart rending tragedy touched Ocean County homes Tuesday when Albert J. King, aged 36, and father of 3 small children, and Marie Pirozzi, aged 26, of Bergen avenue, Lakewood, were found dead in the rear seat of King's car in the woods near Lacey Road, about five miles West of Forked River. The man and woman were evidently victims of a suicide pact, as the police and Coroner J. Anderson have found no evidence of violence. The terrible discovery was made by William Cranmer of Forked River, who noticed the car in the woods as he drove along Lacey Road Tuesday afternoon. When he returned about 6:30 he again saw the machine and investigated. He found King's body sitting on the side of the rear seat of the car, and Mrs. Pirozzi's body was lying across the seat with her head nestled in his lap. A hose had been taped to the exhaust pipe of the car and pushed through a crack in the floor so as to supply the lethal carbon dioxide gas which broug

New Jersey Courier 13 Sep 1936 Mrs. Helen Shoemaker, 36, of Jacques Bridge, near Atco, a patient for the past year in the Burlington County Insane Law, at New Lisbon, committed suicide late Sunday afternoon by hanging herself in her room at the institution. Miss Florence Frantz, a nurse, found the woman hanging at about 4:30 o'clock. Mrs. Shoemaker had made a noose of a strap, the end being fastened to the top of a screen at the window. Artificial respiration was applied by the nurses for some time. She was finally pronounced dead by Dr. H. E. Longsdorf, asylum physician. Coroner George A. Whomsley, of Burlington, following an investigation, issued a certificate of death by suicide. A husband, Theodore, survives.

New Jersey Mirror 13 JUL 1865 Abraham Johnson, of Pemberton, committed suicide, on Wednesday, by drowning himself in the mill pond at that place. He had intimated to an acquaintance that he would be carried home when he went there, and after he had been missed sometime, search was made, the pond dragged, and his body found. Intemperance was the cause. He leaves a wife and several children. He at one time owned the stage-line from Vincentown to Mount Holly.

New Jersey Mirror 12 Jul 1893 Miller Chamberlain, a farm hand, living near Recklesstown, was found dead at his home on Sunday afternoon, with the top of his head blown off. He went out into the yard with the gun, and other members of the family thought he intended to kill a crow that had been stealing his chickens. Hearing the report of the gun, they rushed out, but he was dead before they reached him. It is supposed he committed suicide

New Jersey Mirror 6 Jul 1881 John M. Anderson, aged about sixty-two years, and residing near Francis' Mills, Ocean County, committed suicide at an early hour on Friday morning the 24th ult.(June, 1881), by shooting himself in the abdomen with a shotgun. He had been drinking heavily of late and signs of delirium had been observed by his family.

New Jersey Mirror 1 Jul 1939 Officials who made an investigation of the suicide of William S. C. Roray, Palmyra lawyer, said the cause was that he believed he had a cancer of the stomach. Before killing himself, he shot his wife to death. Discovery of the double tragedy was made by the Rorays maid, Mrs. Dorothy McLean, who went to the house at 430 Leconey avenue, Palmyra, at about 11 A. M. on Thursday mornign and found the doors locked, the lights still burning and the milk bottle on the porch. She gained entrance through a second story window by means of a ladder, and found the dead bodies of Mr. and Mrs. Roray. Coroner George A. Whomsley and County Detective G. Clinton Zeller both described the tragedy as "a plain case of murder and suicide." Roray was senior member of the law firm of Roray and Turnbull, in the Broadway-Stevens Building, Camden. Mrs. Roray was a member of the Breyer family who head(sic) a large ice cream concern. Roray spent almost two weeks in West Jer

New Jersey Mirror 28 Jun 1866 John M. Lippincott committed suicide at Evesboro, on Saturday night, by hanging himself in an apple orchard, nearly opposite the hotel. He served his apprenticeship in the Mirror Office, and during that time and for some years after, he was a temperate and industrious young man. But later in life he indulged too freely in liquor, and finally became very intemperate. His sad end, considering the life he has led for sometime, is not surprising. He was about 50 years of age. This case should be a warning to those young men whose course is now fast tending to the drunkard's death.

New Jersey Mirror 12 Jun 1907 The funeral of the late William Aarons took place yesterday. Mr. Aarons was found by one of the employees(sic.) at the Florence Iron Works on Friday , having hung himself to a beam in the barn. The body was warm when found, the examining physician believing the suicide to have been dead about an hour when the body was found. It is said the failure of crops was the cause of his rash deed. The pall bearers were all members of Florence Castle, Knights of the Golden Eagle, of which lodge deceased was a member. They were Albert DuBell, John Spotts, John Bishop, John Rogers, Charles Woolston and George Cottam. Interment at Baptist cemetery.

The following news item about Crosswicks appeared in the New Jersey Mirror on 2 May 1861: Considerable excitement prevailed in Crosswicks, on Monday of last week, in consequence of an attempted murder and suicide. A German shoemaker, named Matthews Blitzer, have some suspicion of his wife's faithfulness to him, determined to kill her, but fortunately, failed in his purpose. He attacked her while she had a young child in her arms, and tried to stab her with a shoemaker's knife--but its bluntness and the thickness of her clothing, prevented the accomplishment of the deed. He then drew the knife across her throat and down her breast, making fearful wounds. Holding her infant in one arm, she applied her apron to her throat to stop the flow of blood, and ran to the nearest neighbor for assistance. Blitzer, immediately after inflicting the wounds upon his wife, cut his own throat, and started across the street, with his hand upon the wound, the blood streaming frightfully down his

from the New Jersey Mirror 2 May 1861 Considerable excitement prevailed in Crosswicks, on Monday of last week, in consequence of an attempted murder and suicide. A German shoemaker, named Matthews Blitzer, have some suspicion of his wife's faithfulness to him, determined to kill her, but fortunately, failed in his purpose. He attacked her while she had a young child in her arms, and tried to stab her with a shoemaker's knife--but its bluntness and the thickness of her clothing, prevented the accomplishment of the deed. He then drew the knife across her throat and down her breast, making fearful wounds. Holding her infant in one arm, she applied her apron to her throat to stop the flow of blood, and ran to the nearest neighbor for assistance. Blitzer, immediately after inflicting the wounds upon his wife, cut his own throat, and started across the street, with his hand upon the wound, the blood streaming frightfully down his body. As he was about entering a house opposite his o

New Jersey Mirror 18 Apr 1893: The sudden death of the supposed wife of William Bloom, at Pemberton on Thursday, gave rise to the suspicion that the woman had committed suicide by taking poison, or that it had been administered to her by some other person. Dr. Hollingshead was in attendance upon the woman, but could not ascertain the cause of her illness, but thought there were symptoms of poisoning. Coroner Hibberd was notified and after hearing of some suspicious circumstances concerning the family determined to make a thorough examination. He interviewed William Bloom with whom she lived. He said he had been married to the deceased, but when a demand was made on him to produce the certificate he admitted he had told an untruth, and that he was not married to her. He said her name was Mary E. Norwood, and that he had known her about four months. When he first met her she was living on St. John street, Philadelphia, and he induced her to come to Pemberton and live with him. All h