Ocean County , NJ History

New Jersey Mirror 14 Jul 1905 Charles Wischnewske, an aged Polish laborer on the farm of his stepdaughter, Mrs. Robert Hewitt, near Bridgeboro, committed suicide on Wednesday morning by shooting himself through the heart while in a bedroom of the house. Mrs. Hewitt was in the barn at the time she heard the fatal pistol shot. When she arrived upon the scene of the tragedy under the aged suicide was on the floor scene, and the revolver he had used, his arm. Help soon arrived on the but it was too late, as the old man had made death sure and almost instantaneous by piercing his heart with the well directed shot from a 32-calibre revolver. Coroner Grobler, of Moorestown, viewed the body and gave a death certificate. People of Bridgeboro and vicinity were greatly shocked upon hearing of the tragedy. The victim had lived there for several years and was highly respected. Despondency is the only cause known for Wischnewake's rash act.

from the New Jersey Courier 28 Sep 1870 Alexander Conklin has presented a silver communion service of five pieces to the Methodist Church at Bricksburg. Rev. Mr. Ogborn preached at the Methodist Church, Toms River, Sunday night and received a collection of $21 for the aid of the M.E. Church at Bricksburg. Lewis, Blackman, and Co. have sold their extensive business to F.M. Marston Kelsey and Blackman have purchased the lumber yard of Fuller and Noble, at Bricksburg. A December 11th article describes their business: "Mr. B informed us that he had got through with middle men and was purchasing quite largely direct of the Manufacturers of Canadian lumber at Burlington, VT. By so doing he was saving quite largely and giving his customer the benefit thereof." Perkins and Townsend have sold out their hardware store to a party who design to open a crockery and hardware store. Moses Bachrach has got a splendid stock of Fall and Winter dry goods in his store The Bricksburg Manu...

Frank Horner, of Bridgeboro, who was committed to jail on June 15 when he failed to furnish $1,000 bail after he had been charged with bigamy, was the first called. Through his counsel, Aaron E. Burr, he entered a plea of non vult contendere. The admission of the charge practically ended the case so far as the hearing was concerned, but Mr. Burr believed that there were "extenuating circumstances," that should be made known to the Court, and he was permitted to proceed. The complainant in the case was Mrs. Horner No. 1, who was Miss Laura A. Edwards, of Delanco, and she was called to the stand. She stated that she married Horner on November 12, 1901. Her testimony showed that from the time of their union until their final separation they lived a rather strenuous life, as the final was their fourth separation. Various causes were assigned for their troubles. When she heard of her husband's second matrimonial venture, which took place at the Riverside Lutheran church on Jun...

This story comes to us from the New Jersey Courier on 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 t...

from the New Jersey Mirror 24 Jul 1889 Samuel L. Little, of Bridgeboro finally succeeded in committing suicide Friday by hanging himself up to a rafter in his blacksmith shop, where he was found by Smith Loyd and William Meeks early in the morning dead. Mr. Litle who has for some time shown signs of derangement and who has been in confinement once, but was deemed sufficiently recovered to be released, was a sufferer from nervous dyspepsia, and had gotten the idea into his head that his place was going to ruin, hence the deed which he attempted once before about Easter. The deceased did a good day's work on Thursday and went to bed apparently all right, but was missed by his wife about five o'clock in the morning. He had cut one of the ropes from the hammock and going to his blacksmith shop, near the house, tied it around his neck, then taking a chair he fastened the other end to a rafter and kicked the chair away. When found his feet touched the ground but he was dead.

That was the headline of 12 Oct 1917 in the New Jersey Courier When Samuel Chattin of Pasadena yesterday noon saw smoke rolling up from the big Brooks Brae plant at that place, he and his son rushed to the plant, and peering through the window into the fiery furnace within, he saw the body ofhis own twelve year old daughter, Hannah, lying uon a cot beside that of a man. The interior of the room was flame and smoke, and the roof was tumbling in, so they dared not enter. With the aid of neighbors they got pieces of timber through the window and worked the cot nearly to the window, when the cot overturned and the bodies rolled off. Later the little girl's body was taken from the ruins, just the trunk and part of the head; that of the man was also found, with arms, legs and head missing. It was an Austrian, Gildo Plazziano, who was watchman at the brick plant. The big brick plant said to have cost from ten to twenty thousand dollars to build, was wiped out by the flames. Prosecuto...

A Burlington county tragedy of 14 years ago, when a 16-year-old boy plotted the death of a man living with his mother, was brought to light in Burley, Idaho, on Friday when Charles W. Quigley, formerly of Moorestown, told authorities how his murder plan had miscarried and his mother was killed. The murder plot had been placed in records as an accident, when Mrs. Worthy Quigley was burned to death while lighting a fire with kerosene on the Arthur Collins farm, on April 29, 1925. Quigley told Idaho police that his mother had parted from his father who lived at 55 Elmer street, Bridgeton, a few months before the tragedy in 1925. She had taken up residence with William H. McIntosh, who passed away two years ago at the Lakeland sanitarium, unaware that he had been marked for death. On the Moorestown farm the woman posed as McIntosh's wife, and the boy, smarting under the shame and hating his "foster father," had plotted his death. Quigley said that he had emptied the tank of...

On the 1880 Federal Census for Bordentown Township, Burlington County, there are a handful of households that the census enumerator has indicated were on "Beddles Island". If anyone knows anything more about this place, please send us an e-mail. The households listed in Beddles Island in 1880 were those of : Joseph Fox William Beatty E. Thomas Beatty George Armstrong James Wright

New Jersey Courier 20 Apr 1917 Friday Judge Jeffrey received the plea of a number of prisoners, and fixed bail. Joseph P. Johnson of West Point Pleasant, charged with beating up his wife, and the mother of his children, Bessie Johnson, pleaded not guilty. Trial was set for April 30. Having no one to go his bail, but owning real estate, he was allowed to go on his recognizance, and Arthur P. Gallagher of Lakewood, was assigned to defend him.

The following grim story appeared in the New Jersey Courier on 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 6:3w0 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...

From the New Jersey Mirror Jan 14 1920 Found lying unconscious along the road-side near Georgetown,on Saturday night, John Wormwood, a jitney driver, of Trenton, 54 years old, was taken in an army car to the hospital at Camp Dix where he revived sufficiently to tell how he had been attacked by three men dressed in soldiers' uniforms, whom he had taken in as passengers. He described the men and said that when a lonely spot hed been reached one of them, a shory stocky soldier, wearing an overseas cap, had beaten him over the head with a heavy army revolver. When attacked Wormwood said that he had $300 in money in his clothes. A search by the hospital authorities failed to find the money, which the highwaymen are supposed to have taken after beating the jitney driver into insensibility. He was able to give a partial description of his assailants and tell how they had beaten and shot him and thrown him out along the roadside while they drove off in the jitney man's car. The ca...

the following appeared in the New Jersey Mirror on 1 Jun 1865: A man calling himself John Deacon, was committed to Jail in this town (Mount Holly), on the 23d ult., charged with an atrocious assault upon Charles Mount, a colored man, living in Burlington, thereby causing his death. The circumstances of the case are as follows: On the 15th instant, Mount had a difficulty with a man named Samuel Wilson, which resulted in a fight between them. While the struggle was going on, and when Mount was upon the ground, Deacon deliberately went up and kicked him severely in the neck. The injury at the moment, was not thought to be serious, but shortly after Wilson and Mount were separated, it was found that the neck of the latter commenced swelling, and he continued to grow worse from the effects of the wound, and died on Thursday evening the 18th. An Inquest was summoned by the Coroner, J. Kingdon, and after a long and careful investigation, a verdict was rendered that Mount came to his deat...

New Jersey Courier 20 Sep 1918 An adjourned meeting of the council was held on Saturday evening. Ordinances covering the building of commercial buildings, regulating the building of outhouses and for the making of the R.R. crossing of the Penna. R.R. at Atlantic Boulevard were up for first reading; all ordinances were approved and ordered published. Each of these ordinances will be a big asset to Beachwood and should have the approval of all Beachwoodites. F. Fay of new York City is currently occupying Miss Gant's cottage on Capstan Avenue for a few weeks. W.Warrow has left for New York City to secure a position. Mrs. Warrow and the two kiddies will join Billy in a few days. The clubhouse will seem rather deserted without "Little Billy" as he certainly helped to make things lively this summer. Dry wells seem to be in order, and it is rather an expensive job to have the wells put down a few feet further. Mr. Smith has moved to his new house on Beachwood Boulevard. ...

from the New Jersey Mirror 6 Aug 1863 The man killed at Florence, on Monday of last week, was named John Quinn. His death should be a warning to all Philadelphia rowdies who visit our pleasant river towns, during the summer months, for a grand frolic. In this instance, a large number came up in the "Edwin Forrest," to Florence, on a pic-nic(sic.). Many of them got quite drunk and were constantly insulting the citizens and acting in a disorderly and disreputable manner. Justice Stewart gave several of them to understand that they must behave themselves or it would be necessary to arrest them. This, however, had no effect, and they continued their riotous proceedings until a short time before the boat was to leave, when they assailed the store and dwelling of Mr. Stewart, which they pelted with stones, breaking his windows, &c.; they also assailed Mr. Stewart and his wife with the same missiles, inflicting wounds on them both; and, against every remonstrance of Mr. Stewar...

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 DEC 29 1859 On Tuesday last, the Warren County Courts commenced, and it was expected that the case of Jacob S. Harden, for the murder of his wife, would be the first taken up. --The trial promises to be long and tedious.-- Over one hundred and twenty-five witnesses have already been subpoenaed, and more will doubtless be summoned before the close of the trial. The prosecution will be conducted by Attorney-General Dayton and Prosecuting Attorney Vleit. Harden will be defended by Ex-Chancellor Williamson, J. G. Shipman and David A. Depue. In advance of the trial, the Warren Journal gives the following sketch of Mr. Harden and his late wife, which is not only interesting in itself, but essential to a correct understanding of the merits of the issue, about to be determined Jacob Snover Harden is the son of Mr. John Harden, a respectable and worthy farmer of some means, residing on the Paulin's Kill, near Blairstown in Warren County. At about the age of ten or twe...

29 Mar 1860, from the New Jersey Mirror On Friday morning last(March 23, 1860), Philip Lynch, convicted at the December term of the Court, of the murder of George Coulter, suffered the extreme penalty of the law, in the yard of the County Jail, in this town(Mount Holly.) The murder of Coulter was one of peculiar atrocity. A brief review of the facts in the case, may not be unacceptable. On the night of the 23d of September last(1859), Coulter and Lynch met at a house in Bordentown, where there was quite a gathering of persons and a raffle going on. After remaining there a short time, Lynch, according to the testimony of Coulter's little boy, who was with him, invited Coulter to go to his (Lynch's) house, which he did. They sat down and commenced drinking. Lynch, shortly after they entered the house, brought a gun from up stairs and showed it to Coulter, remarking that he was "not afraid of anybody while he had that." Soon after, one Peter Conlin came in, and joi...

All of these indictments were handed down by the grand jury in late September 1936: Kenneth Martingale(sic), of New York, for involuntary homicide, by automobile, of William Chase in Bass River township on June 27th. Martindale's car struck Chase and the latter died from his injuries. Arthur Rachor is charged with embezzlement of $1,500 from the State of New Jersey while he was employed at Four Mile Colony. Stacy Wilkins, Evesham, seduction under promise to marry Doris Day, under 21 years of age. Otto Dush, Florence, uttering(sic) worthless ceck(sic) for $200 to Alexander Dasakl. William Gross, Moorestown, assault and battery on Lulu Gross; also desertion and neglect. Harry W. Gifford, Pemberton township, assault and battery on Thomas F. Duff. William Wheeler, Florence, assault and battery on May Wheeler. Earl Schwed, Burlington, malicious mischief, consisting of throwing eggs at gas pump and building of Clarence Curlis. Dennis Hill, Jack Smith, Stanley Kedzierski, Walter ...

In the August 31st, 1854, issue of the New Jersey Mirror, a rather strange story was related from Washington Township. It seems that sometime in 1853, two men worked for William H. Sooy. They were apparently Germans, as Sooy had many Germans working for him and was unsure of the names when asked a year later about the men. At any rate, it appears that John Meyer was accused by another worker, a man named Mulheiser, of mistreating his wife. Mulheiser evidently intervened to prevent what he deemed inappropriate behavior on Meyer's part. The story relates that Meyer sought revenge on Mulheiser, and went to his cabin with a gun and a knife. Mulheiser evidently fled out the window, and immediately obtained a warrant for Meyer and had him arrested. The other workers intervened at that point, and apparently smoothed everything out. Both men soon left Sooy's, and Sooy believed Meyer ended up working at the Jackson glassworks. At any rate, a man named John Muller seems to have hear...

All I know about this place right now is that it is in Bass River Township, and at one point in time was known as Bass River Neck. It is located between Route 9 and Hammonton Road running down to the Mullica River. It was at this place that the first Quaker and Methodist Churches were built in the area of Hillside Cemetery. When the Methodist Church moved to it's present location on Route 9, the old church building was moved across Hillside Lane and converted into the Frogtown Schoolhouse. (This information kindly provided by Peter H. Stemmer and is taken from an article he wrote for the Bass River Gazzette in Oct 1998. Used with his permission.) There are a few items in a couple of issues of the New Jersey Mirror which mention Frogtown, though it's not clear if this is the same place or not: 4 Nov 1818: Sale of 30 acres of woodland near Ong's Hat, adjoining lands of William Hilyard and others. The land is covered with pine, chestnut, and white oak. Also a house an...

from E.M. Woodward's 1883 book: Bass River is located in the southeastern portion of the township, and is a small and somewhat scattered hamlet. It contains one Methodist and one Presbyterian Church, one hotel, one wheelwright shop, one blacksmith shop, post office, four stores, and a few scattered dwellings.. The hotel was erected in 1851, by Thomas French , who carried on the business for a short time, and was succeeded by Franklin Adams, who purchased the property in 1856, and has carried on the business since. Among the early merchants of New Gretna was John Miller, who carried on the business as early as 1812 for a period of years. He was succeeded by William Allen, who carried on the business for a period of twenty-five years. Since that time there has been a succession of merchants in New Gretna. The present merchant is Francis French. Adolphus H. Lansing erected a wheelwright-shop in 1856, and did quite an extensive business in the manufacture of heavy wagons, which ...

Early Bass River consisted mainly of large farms owned by the Mathis, Cranmer, and Allen families. There was no town as we know it today. The first area to be called Bass River was the present Pilgrim Lake Campground-Fir Bridge area. A sawmill and the old Bass River Hotel were built here before the Revolutionary War. The hotel housed a post office, tavern, and stagecoach stop on the much traveled stage road from Tuckerton to Philadelphia and was an important landmark in the area for many years. It closed in 1855 as a result of the town center shifting two miles down Allentown Road, now North Maple Avenue, to New Gretna. [above passage quoted with author Pete Stemmer's permission from the Bass River Gazette, October 1998}]

The search spread from Cape May County to Canada, but William Enman didn't go very far at all. The 64-year-old paranoid schizophrenic who admitted to a 1974 double killing was found in a wooded area on Ancora Psychiatric Hospital's 657-acre grounds around 3 p.m. Tuesday, officials said. He was wearing camouflage. Enman was believed to have walked away from the hospital Sunday afternoon when he failed to return from an unsupervised walk. A search for him included a state police helicopter, infrared scanners and police dogs, but it was two staff members looking out a window who recognized Enman as he wandered the hospital's grounds, said Ellen Lovejoy, spokeswoman for the Department of Human Services. The staff member got into a car and followed Enman until a state trooper and members of the hospital's police staff arrested Enman. He had banged his head after scaling a fence and, despite concerns of a flight to property he owned in Nova Scotia and a rumored sighting at ...

New Jersey Mirror 22 Sep 1909 Because his cousin, Miss Eva Oliphant, refused to marry him, Joseph Budd Cranmer, a member of one of the leading families of the shore, is supposed to have committed suicide on Sunday night, September 12, 1909. Cranmer, who was about 35 years of age, lived alone in the Cranmer homestead. He had for some years been attentive to a cousin, Miss Eva Oliphant, daughter of William Oliphant, and the young woman was probably the last person who saw him alive. Sunday, September 12, he spent the evening with her, again urging her to marry him, and she again refused. Since that time he disappeared from all his accustomed haunts.-- On Saturday night, neighbors burst open the door and found his dead body on the garret floor. A broken rope swung from the rafters, and another bit of rope was around his throat.

An admitted killer who walked away from a southern New Jersey psychiatric hospital over the weekend has been captured, CBS 2 and wcbstv.com have learned. William Enman was found in Ancora, wearing camouflage clothing in a wooded area behind the Ancora Psychiatric Hospital, where he had escaped from on Monday, authorities said. He was taken into custody without incident. Enman now faces charges of escape. "He banged his head after scaling a fence the first night and remained in the area ever since," State Police spokesman Steve Jones said. Enman, 64, was taken back to Ancora after being discovered by a State Police detective and two Human Services police officers. Jones said he was unarmed and taken into custody without incident. The arrest ended 48 hours of frantic searching that had authorities chasing several leads that ended nowhere. Now that Enman has been caught, he will likely face criminal charges of escape. If convicted, it is possible he will end up in a state pris...

From out of the past: a pictorial history of Barnegat, NJ : The first early settlers here were English families from Long Island and had settled in Middletown and Elizabethtown. Among those was William Cranmer, formerly of Long Island where he was listed as a freeholder in 1670 and later named as one of the original settler at Elizabethtown, NJ. Subsequently with his brother Josiah, he took up lands near Forked River and Cedar Creek. Then they settled near New Egypt. This land they traded for land and privileges between Manahawkin and West Creek at a point later known as Cranmertown. From there William removed to a point "near Waretown" which point became Barnegat. Other early settlers were William Cranmer's son Levi Cranmer, Timothy Ridgway, Stephen and Nathan Birdsall, Ebbenezer Collins and others. Then came whalers from Long Island, Rhode Island, Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard. They followed the whales into the area and were .soon coming to the mainland s to establ...

Barnard is located in modern Hammonton at the northwest corner of Ninth Street and the railroad, but it is not certain whether it was an actual settlement, a lone house, or a "paper town." McMahon and Beck make no mention of it (except one possible reference by the latter), nor do either of Hammonton's two histories (Wilbur & Hand and McMahon) or Hall's history of Atlantic County. The Sanborn maps do not appear to cover that edge of Hammonton. Several of the old state quad maps make reference to a "Banard Station" having existed along the railroad there. The name of the site may derive from Andrew J. Barnard, who owned the land between 1865-1905. He in turn bought it from a man named Nutter Richards and his wife Margaret. The Richard's name is closely associated with Batsto and Atsion, so it seems natural to wonder if this man is of the same family

The state census for Ocean Co., NJ lists a section of Manchester Township called "Bakersville". I've never heard of this place before, and there were only three occupied homes in it in 1915. The three families on the census in 1915 were as follows: GEORGE WITTERSCHEIR He was born in May of 1890, and worked as a farmer. He lived with his wife, Mary (b. Jan 1889), and son, George, Jr. (b. Nov 1908). A woman named Ada Darcy lived in the same home. She was born in May of 1900; her father was from England, her mother from New York. Charles Darcy, b. Jun 1893, also lived in the house. It's not clear how any of these people are related Charles worked as a farm laborer in 1930. IVINS COWAN He was born in Dec of 1880 in New Jersey. His father was from Massachussets, his mother from New Jersey. In 1930, he worked as a farm laborer. His wife, Olive, was born in Feb 1884. (Both of her parents were from Pennsylvania). Three children lived with them: Jennie Cowan, b. Aug...

from the Industrial Directory of New Jersey , 1901, p. 2 ATCO, Camden County: On the Atlantic City Railroad, Central Railroad of New Jersey, and the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad. Station of each road in the town. Population 500. Banking town, Camden. Money order post office and telegraph station. Express service, Adams, United States, and West Jersey Companies. Tax rate, $ 2.38 Land for factory purposes bordering directly upon the line of the railroads ma y be had in any size plots, free of charge or at nominal prices. Water is pure and plentiful, the climate is healthful and free from malaria, and there is a good supply of labor, either male or female. One small factory building, floor area of 600 feet, with steam engine and boiler, will be rented for $ 10 per month or sold outright for $ 1500. These industries are now in operation E.H. Flood, manufacturers of window glass; employs 47 persons. John E. Hand, manufacturers of ship's compasses; employs 8 persons

New Jersey Courier 6 Sep 1929 Going into the jail on Sunday morning last, September 1 to unlock the cells and feed the prisoners, Wiliam Liming, jail warden, was set upon by James Harris, colored, who knocked Liming down, kicked and stamped on him, and escaped from the jail. Harris was caught by state troopers in less than an hour and was back in his cell, giving up when they chased him through the woods, firing at him. Warden Liming is in Kimball hospital, bruised and beaten from head to foot, almost. His condition is good, and he is expected to be out soon. His worst hurts are where the negro kicked and stamped upon him with his heavy shoes. Mr. Liming will be at the hospital for a week or two yet it is reported, though he is getting on nicely from his brutal treatment. The Warden had gone into the jail alone, as his custom was, to unlock the cells and let the prisoners out into the corridors for their breakfast. He had just risen, and was still in his pajamas. The first tier of...

from the New Jersey Courier 6 Sep 1929 The high powered cruising sea skiff Audrey, from Bay Head, coming thru the draw on the county bridge last Sunday afternoon, crashed into a rwoboat in which were a man and a woman crabbing. The Audrey had aboard her owner, C.A. Nicklas of No. 6 Church Street, New York and Spring Lake, with a party of Spring Lake friends. Her sailing master is Capt. Charles G.I. Gifford They seemed to be in a hurry and had blown repeatedly for the draw to open, while still some distance off. They had just come through the draw when they hit the rowboat. In the small boat were Mr. and Mrs. John G. Duner of New Brunswick, and a dog. Mrs. Duner clung to the wrecked rowboat; the dog was killed and Duner was aided by a sailor who plunged overboard from the San-Cath-Ann, of Allenhurst, which moors at Mantaloking. The San-Cath-Ann crew took both the D uners aboard and ran them ashore at the Dutch's Inn dock. It is understood that Nicklas settled the damages. Dr. Fra...

from the New Jersey Mirror 15 Jul 1875 Among those who suffered from the operations of the light fingered gentry at the Beverly Monument celebration last week were James P. Nicholas, of Mount Holly, who lost a silver watch, and David P. Lukens, of Burlington, relieved of a pocket book containing about $90.

I don't have much information about this Gloucester County town at all right now, other than to note that one of Leon Koster's daughters married a man from there: from the New Jersey Mirror 23 Dec 1936: Weeks-Koster Wedding -- Miss Janice Elizabeth Koster, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Leon A. Koster, of Green Bank, and Franklin Weeks, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank H. Weeks, of Somers Point, were married on Saturday evening, December 12th, at the Almonesson M. E. parsonage, by the Rev. C. Russell Nixon, a former pastor in Green Bank. Mrs. Weeks is a graduate of the Egg Harbor High School and of the Atlantic City School of Nursing. Mr. Weeks, a graduate of Hammonton High School, is employed by the Fischer Baking Company in Atlantic City. A reception and dinner was held on Sunday at the home of the bride's parents. Another wedding announcement from 22 Mar 1882 is the only other info I have at this time: STEWART--BORTON.--At Medford, March 13, by Rev. G. R. Snyder, David S. Stewar...

from the New Jersey Mirror, 25 May 1881: At Camden last week, James M. Allen, who it was alleged tried to establish a free love, Mormon, communistic and socialistic colony at Ancora, was arraigned for trial. He was accompanied by two women, said to be his wives, neither of whom is over thirty years of age, and one of his fathers-in-law sat beside him. One of the wives wore a neat suit of blue and the other wore a Bloomer costume. They were very affectionate toward each other and their joint husband . Allen said that he would act as his own counsel. The case was finally dismissed, on the ground that no breach of the law had been shown.

The only place I have seen reference to this place is in Edwin Salter's History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, from 1890. He says that this place is in the south-western part of Monmouth, and was often named in 18th century surveys. I've been searching off and on for years, and have never come across any other reference to this place. Anyone out there ever heard of it?

From New Jersey Mirror 29 Nov 1818 A Coroner's Inquest was held over the body of Luke Quan (a colored man) on November 19, 1818. The Jury decided "that the repeated blows given him by Richard Denby (a colored man) in an affray near Lumberton, on the 14th instant, occasioned his death." Denby has not yet been taken.

from New Jersey Mirror 7 Sep 1854 A man was brought to prison, in this town, on Thursday last, charged with killing an Irishman, near Tuckerton, on the 29th ult. the affair happened on board of a vessel in the Bay. They had both been down to Hatfield, where they had indulged in a few social drinks, and upon getting on board the vessel, they had a quarrel which was followed by a severe fight, using clubs, knives, &c., pretty freely. At the time the fatal stab was given, the Irishman ran towards the prisoner with a large knife, when he was met with a similar weapon, which put an end to his existence in a few hours. The prisoner is an Englishman, and about 23 years of age. He has a severe sound over his eye, and his hand is cut very badly. He says he had no expectation of killing his antagonist, but he was obliged to defend himself the best way he could, for the purpose of saving his own life. We understand that the sympathies of the people "along shore" are strongly in fa...

Now that flags are seen flying from every available place it should be remembered that to fly your flag between sunset is considered disrespectful and even more so thatn not to display it at all. If you have real feeling for your flag, put it under cover at sunset. Last week a party of secret servicemen visited the farm of Moritz Groepler at Beach View to look over the place to verify the report that they had a wireless station and were supplying news to Germans and were working against the U.S. in various ways. They found nothing whatever and were satisfied it was the work of some busy body who wanted to circulate reports for pure malicious purposes. Mr. Groepler has been an American citizen for many years and is as loyal as any of us, as this is his country by choice and we need have no fear of him or his sons as they have always been good citizens in every way. We should be careful about starting rumors in these critical times, as ...[indecipherable]...are too ready to do injuries ...

Quaker Bridge in Shamong was built in 1772. It was named after the Quakers who would cross the Batsto River on their way to monthly meetings at Tuckerton. Evidently, there was a drowning one year as they crossed the river and it was resolved to construct a bridge as the crossing was deemed too dangerous. One stormy evening, a stagecoach was heading through torrential rains traveling to the Quaker Bridge Inn. The stagecoach driver saw a light in the distance and was relieved to see that he had finally arrived at the Inn. Suddenly, an enormous white stag appeared before the stagecoach. The driver left the stagecoach and approached the stag, hoping to scare it away. The stag mysteriously disappeared. Then the driver noticed that the bridge had collapsed. If it weren't for the white stag, the stagecoach would have plummeted into the river. Since then, the white stag has been considered a good luck symbol in the Pine Barrens. Arthur Thompson is said to havebuilt Thompson's Taver...