Ocean County , NJ History

 New Jersey Courier Sep 9, 1897

from New Jersey Mirror 29 Jan 1908 On Saturday of this week Theodore Wills term of imprisonment for his alleged connection with the manslaughter of David Beebe, at Chairville, a few months ago, will come to an end and the young man will again have his freedom. Judging from some of the remarks that Wills has made to friends who have been permitted to see him it is evidently his intention to retire from the turf and lead the simple life.

From the New Jersey Mirror 20 Nov 1907 Judge Horner held a session of court this morning and sentenced Caleb Rogers, convicted of manslaughter, to the Rahway Reformatory, and Theodore Wells, convicted of atrocious assault, to three months in the county jail and to pay a fine of $200. After a series of postponements, the trial of Caleb Rogers, Theodore Wells and Walter Simons, of Tabernacle, under an indictment charging them with manslaughter in connection with the death of David Beebe, at Chairville, on April 27, was begun on Thursday and ended on Friday afternoon, with the result that after about twenty hours of deliberation, terminating at one o'clock on Saturday afternoon, a verdict was rendered convicting Rogers of manslaughter, Wells of atrocious assault and battery, and acquitting Simons. The jury was confronted with a difficult task, as the case was more or less complicated in view of some of the testimony that was surprisingly contradictory. The crime that resulted in

From New Jersey Mirror 11 Sep 1907 At the session of court held by Judge Horner on Thursday morning application was made by Eckard P. Budd, counsel for Caleb Rogers, for a new date for the trial of his client, Walter Simons and Theodore Wells, charged with the manslaughter of Howard Beebe, at Chairville, in April. This trial was set down to begin today, but Mr. Budd was informed last week that a case in which he is interested in the Ocean county branch of the Supreme Court would be called to-day, and he could not attend both courts. Beyond stating that he was ready and anxious to try the cases Prosecutor Atkinson did not oppose the motion made by Mr. Budd, and after a conference in the matter it was decided to call the case on October 1.

From New Jersey Mirror 3 Jul 1907 William Beebe, brother of David Beebe, who was killed at Chairville recently, has been held under bail for his appearance at court for assaulting a colored strawberry picker on his farm near Chairville.

From the New Jersey Mirror 19 Jun 1907 The trial of Caleb Rogers, Theodore Wells and Walter Simons, for the killing of David Beebe, at Chairville, on April 17, has been set down for September 11, that date having been agreed upon after Judge Horner had consulted the lawyers interested in the case. This trial was originally set down for to-day, but the important engagements of Eckard P. Budd, one of the counsel, resulted in a change being made.

From the New Jersey Mirror 22 May 1907 Eleven true bills of indictment were presented to Justice Hendrickson on Monday afternoon as a result of the special session of the grand jury held on that day, principally to hear evidence against those in any way connected with the affray that resulted in the death of David Beebe at Chairville on April 27. At the opening of the session of court in the morning Justice Hendrickson charged the grand jury relative to the points of law applicable in the Beebe case and at that time stated that as Beebe's death occurred during what is known in law as mutual combat the charge to be preferred against the principals could not be more serious than manslaughter. Murder could be the charge only after it had been found by the evidence that one or more of the combatants had prepared for the affray and then taken advantage of an opportunity to kill. It was urged upon the grand jury to indict all those in any way connected with any preliminary fights durin

From the New Jersey Mirror 15 May 1907 Several members of the Tabernacle Council, Junior O. U. A. M., have announced that they will give financial assistance to Caleb Rogers, a member of that order and one of the three men imprisoned here charged with having caused the death of David Beebe, at Chairville, on April 27, that he may be given a proper defence when the case comes to trial. Eckard P. Budd is his counsel. Blanchard H. White has been engaged to defend Theodore Wells, but up to this time Walter Simons appears to be without counsel. Justice Hendrickson has called a special session of the Grand Jury for Monday next, at which time the three prisoners will probably be indicted for the crime with which they stand charged by the Coroner's jury which heard the evidence at the inquest held in Medford.

from the New Jersey Mirror 8 May 1907: The jury empaneled by Coroner Seeds to investigate the killing of David Beebe, at Chairville, the previous Saturday night , heard the evidence presented at the inquest at Medford on Friday, and after brief deliberation held Caleb Rogers, Theodore Wells and Walter Simons, three of the seven suspected men taken from the county jail to Medford by Deputy Sheriff Fleetwood to give testimony before the coroner, if they so desired. Harvey Reeves, another one of the men arrested on suspicion of having been implicated in the killing, was not held for his connection with Beebe's death, but was committed to jail in default of $350 bail on the charge of carrying a concealed deadly weapon. There has been a determined effort on the part of the court to break up the practice so common among a certain class of young men, of carrying revolvers, and it is possible that a term in prison awaits young Reeves, even though he escaped detention on the more serious

From the New Jersey Mirror 1 May 1907: Murder was not the object of the gang of hoodlums from Tabernacle who became drunk with Medford whisky on Saturday night and then started out in their quarrelsome condition to hunt trouble, but that is what their spree resulted in, and seven young men are now in jail awaiting the action of the Grand Jury upon the brutal beating to death of David Beebe, at Chairville. There is no question that over-indulgence in rum was directly responsible for the tragedy, as all the parties concerned, even the victim, are said to have been under the influence of liquor when the fight took place. The crowd of men from the vicinity of Tabernacle, after imbibing too often from the cup that cheers, jumped at the suggestion of one of their number that they go to the home of Irwin Mathis, at Chairville, and break up a dance that they knew was in progress there. It was past midnight when they reached the little hamlet where they expected to raise the disturbance. So