The murder of John Webb, 1909
Below are a few snippets from the New Jersey Mirror concerning the murder of John Webb by his brother, David. The names of this family seem similar to those of the family of Cassville famous for beginning cranberry cultivation in the 1840s, but I can't be sure.
20 Oct 1909
David L. Webb, of Webbsville, after killing his brother, John Webb, in a quarrel, walked 16 miles to Toms River on Saturday(presumably a reference to October 16, 1909) and gave himself up to the Sheriff after confessing murder. Search revealed the dead body of his brother in his home. The man is believed to be insane
27 Oct 1909
Inquistors appointed by the Coroner to investigate the death of John L. Webb, of Webbsville, Jackson township, in Ocean county, brought in a verdict that Webb came to his death from pistol-shot wounds inflicted by his brother, David L. Webb, who is now in Toms River jail, he having walked sixteen miles to surrender to the authorities. During the inquest the funeral of the murdered man was being held at the little Presbyterian church at Holmansville, and a crowd of curious folk filled the church, while men stood outside in little groups and talked over the tragedy. David L. Webb's son, Edward Webb, of Pittsburg, reached Toms River on Monday night of last week(October 18, 1909) and was met by his mother. They went up to the jail to see the accused man before going to the funeral on Tuesday(presumably a reference to October 19, 1909). The young man says his father has been mentally afflicted, for some time, believing that everyone with whom he came in contact wanted to rob and poison him. He left his wife and family because he thought they wanted to poison him for his money. The son and daughter have supported the family for a long time. All live in New York except the son, who is manager of an anti-tobacco-trust cigar business in Pittsburg. David L. Webb recognized his wife and son. They asked him why he shot his brother. He said his brother and mother had made a compact to kill him for his money. It is believed that Webb will not be brought to trial, but will be sent to the Hospital for the Insane at Trenton.
3 Nov 1909
The Ocean City Grand Jury on Wednesday(presumably a reference to October 27, 1909) indicted David L. Webb for the murder of his brother, John I. Webb, on October 15, at his home in Hobbsville, Jackson Township. Webb's old mother, more than eighty-two years old, was present when the indictment was handed up to Supreme Court Justice Voorhees, who assigned I. W. Carmichael as counsel for Webb, whose family say that he has little or no means. November 11 was set as the day for trial. In the mean time the State will have Webb examined by an expert in lunacy to ascertain whether he is really insane or sufficiently sane to be tried. Webb is the man who shot his brother, riddling him with five bullets as the brother was getting breakfast ready, and then washed and shaved, dressed himself in his best clothes, walked ten miles and took the train to the county seat. He walked up to the sheriff's house in the court house and announced that he had killed his brother.
I found a farmer named John Webb on the 1860 Census in Cassville, when he was 50 years old. Helived with the following people in 1860:
Elizabeth Webb, 25
Edward Webb, 6
David Webb, 4
Angela Webb, 1
Letitia Lane, 57
In 1870, the family was still in Jackson; John gave his occupation as "fruit grower". Elizabeth was now only 33, confusingly only 8 years older than she was in 1860. Edward now spelled his name "Edwin"; David and Angelina were still there. They were joined by new family members:
Mary J. Webb, 10
John Webb, 7 (I believe he was the murder victim)
Elizabeth Webb, 5
Ellen Webb, 3
"no name" Webb, a 1 month old boy
Ivins Reynolds, age 22. (Letitia Lane is gone, but Ivins has taken her place. The relationship of both these people to the Webbs isn't stated).
In 1880, the family is still found in Cassville. John was by then 68 years old--and the census mentions that he has a wooden leg!
(According to one site,
"When it was discovered that consuming wild cranberries (by the crews on the long voyages of sailing ships) prevented the dreaded Beri-Beri disease, John "Peg Leg" Webb, a retired seaman turned local schoolteacher, residing in the Bowman Road area east of Cassville, has been credited with initiating the domestication of the wild cranberry and the development of unique cranberry bogs for maximum growth production in the early 1840's. At peak production after the Civil War, more than 200 cranberry bogs were in production with the majority of the harvested crop being processed and shipped in crates and barrels fabricated at the sawmills of Jackson, to Philadelphia, New York and even Boston, by the Holman family of Whitesville, the Allans of Cassville, and the Poppes of Legler. )
In 1880, Elizabeth was only 45, and the eldest daughter is Jane Webb, 19, who for some reason is missing from the 1870 census. John Webb was now 16 and working on the farm; Elizabeth and Ella were still there, and some new family members as well:
Andrew Webb, 10
Matilda Webb, 7
Harriet Webb, 4
It appears David Lane now was married and occupied the home immediately after his father's. He was married to a woman 3 years younger than he named Lydia. They had two children, Edmund, 3, and Carrie, 1.
By 1900, John Webb, Sr. was dead. Elizabeth lived in the home with only her son, John. I could not find Elizabeth in either 1910 or 1920, so she may have died.
David L. Webb appears in 1910 on the census in the State Hospital in Trenton. He was still there as of 1920
20 Oct 1909
David L. Webb, of Webbsville, after killing his brother, John Webb, in a quarrel, walked 16 miles to Toms River on Saturday(presumably a reference to October 16, 1909) and gave himself up to the Sheriff after confessing murder. Search revealed the dead body of his brother in his home. The man is believed to be insane
27 Oct 1909
Inquistors appointed by the Coroner to investigate the death of John L. Webb, of Webbsville, Jackson township, in Ocean county, brought in a verdict that Webb came to his death from pistol-shot wounds inflicted by his brother, David L. Webb, who is now in Toms River jail, he having walked sixteen miles to surrender to the authorities. During the inquest the funeral of the murdered man was being held at the little Presbyterian church at Holmansville, and a crowd of curious folk filled the church, while men stood outside in little groups and talked over the tragedy. David L. Webb's son, Edward Webb, of Pittsburg, reached Toms River on Monday night of last week(October 18, 1909) and was met by his mother. They went up to the jail to see the accused man before going to the funeral on Tuesday(presumably a reference to October 19, 1909). The young man says his father has been mentally afflicted, for some time, believing that everyone with whom he came in contact wanted to rob and poison him. He left his wife and family because he thought they wanted to poison him for his money. The son and daughter have supported the family for a long time. All live in New York except the son, who is manager of an anti-tobacco-trust cigar business in Pittsburg. David L. Webb recognized his wife and son. They asked him why he shot his brother. He said his brother and mother had made a compact to kill him for his money. It is believed that Webb will not be brought to trial, but will be sent to the Hospital for the Insane at Trenton.
3 Nov 1909
The Ocean City Grand Jury on Wednesday(presumably a reference to October 27, 1909) indicted David L. Webb for the murder of his brother, John I. Webb, on October 15, at his home in Hobbsville, Jackson Township. Webb's old mother, more than eighty-two years old, was present when the indictment was handed up to Supreme Court Justice Voorhees, who assigned I. W. Carmichael as counsel for Webb, whose family say that he has little or no means. November 11 was set as the day for trial. In the mean time the State will have Webb examined by an expert in lunacy to ascertain whether he is really insane or sufficiently sane to be tried. Webb is the man who shot his brother, riddling him with five bullets as the brother was getting breakfast ready, and then washed and shaved, dressed himself in his best clothes, walked ten miles and took the train to the county seat. He walked up to the sheriff's house in the court house and announced that he had killed his brother.
I found a farmer named John Webb on the 1860 Census in Cassville, when he was 50 years old. Helived with the following people in 1860:
Elizabeth Webb, 25
Edward Webb, 6
David Webb, 4
Angela Webb, 1
Letitia Lane, 57
In 1870, the family was still in Jackson; John gave his occupation as "fruit grower". Elizabeth was now only 33, confusingly only 8 years older than she was in 1860. Edward now spelled his name "Edwin"; David and Angelina were still there. They were joined by new family members:
Mary J. Webb, 10
John Webb, 7 (I believe he was the murder victim)
Elizabeth Webb, 5
Ellen Webb, 3
"no name" Webb, a 1 month old boy
Ivins Reynolds, age 22. (Letitia Lane is gone, but Ivins has taken her place. The relationship of both these people to the Webbs isn't stated).
In 1880, the family is still found in Cassville. John was by then 68 years old--and the census mentions that he has a wooden leg!
(According to one site,
"When it was discovered that consuming wild cranberries (by the crews on the long voyages of sailing ships) prevented the dreaded Beri-Beri disease, John "Peg Leg" Webb, a retired seaman turned local schoolteacher, residing in the Bowman Road area east of Cassville, has been credited with initiating the domestication of the wild cranberry and the development of unique cranberry bogs for maximum growth production in the early 1840's. At peak production after the Civil War, more than 200 cranberry bogs were in production with the majority of the harvested crop being processed and shipped in crates and barrels fabricated at the sawmills of Jackson, to Philadelphia, New York and even Boston, by the Holman family of Whitesville, the Allans of Cassville, and the Poppes of Legler. )
In 1880, Elizabeth was only 45, and the eldest daughter is Jane Webb, 19, who for some reason is missing from the 1870 census. John Webb was now 16 and working on the farm; Elizabeth and Ella were still there, and some new family members as well:
Andrew Webb, 10
Matilda Webb, 7
Harriet Webb, 4
It appears David Lane now was married and occupied the home immediately after his father's. He was married to a woman 3 years younger than he named Lydia. They had two children, Edmund, 3, and Carrie, 1.
By 1900, John Webb, Sr. was dead. Elizabeth lived in the home with only her son, John. I could not find Elizabeth in either 1910 or 1920, so she may have died.
David L. Webb appears in 1910 on the census in the State Hospital in Trenton. He was still there as of 1920
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