Camden People - Lewis H. Stehr Jr.

LEWIS HERMAN STEHR JR. was born in Camden NJ around 1876 to Lewis Stehr Sr. and his wife Mary. His grandfather, Harmon Stehr, was a veteran of the Civil War and had served as the City Assessor. His father, Lewis H. Stehr Sr., was born in Camden in 1854. At the time of the 1880 Census the family, which included younger brother Samuel, was living at 348 Sycamore Street, Lewis Stehr Sr. then was working as carpenter. By 1887 the family had moved to 286 Sycamore, and Lewis Sr. had begun working for the Camden Police Department. He had also been appointed as the Overseer of the Poor for Camden in the summer of 1887. In early 1888 the Stehr family moved again, this time to 1131 South 2nd Street.

When the Census was taken in 1900, Lews Stehr Jr. was working as a clerk in a liquor store. he was then renting a home at 604 Chestnut Street with his wife Mary, who had come to America from Germany in 1898.

By 1904 Lewis H. Stehr Jr. had followed his father into the police department. He had also by that year bought a house at 621 Chestnut Street.

During the rash of sightings of the Jersey Devil during the week of July 16, 1909, Lewis Stehr Jr. reported seeing the creature drinking from a horse trough, many of which were located throughout the city at the time. During this period the Jersey Devil was sighted by over 1,000 people, many of them in law enforcement.

Lewis Stehr Sr. passed away on February 16, 1913. Lewis Stehr Jr. steadily rose through the ranks of the Camden police. Sadly, his wife Mary would pass away in October of 1918, most likely a victim of the influenza epidemic.

Lewis Stehr Jr. attained the rank of Captain by May of 1918, and had been promoted to Inspector by the end of 1927. On March 2, 1928 he was chosen by Mayor Winfield S. Price to serve as acting Chief of Police, succeeding James Tatem. Sometime during the 1920s he married his second wife, Anna. He continued his residence at 621 Chestnut Street until his death on December 10, 1930. Charles V. Dickinson served as acting chief for the next year. In December of 1931, Arthur Colsey was considered for Chief of Police. The position, however, went to John W. Golden. Arthur Colsey would become chief in 1934.

Louis H. Stehr Jr. was survived by his wife Anna, who never remarried. She later moved to 1128 Octagon Road in Camden's Fairview section. In 1945 Mrs. Stehr sat on the jury that convicted hold-up man Stephen Burns, who was also implicated in the Casablanca roadhouse robbery near the old Garden State Park race track in Delaware Township (present-day Cherry Hill). Mrs. Stehr joined her husband in October of 1967.

	Philadelphia Inquirer July 1, 1905
Charles H. Ellis - James Clay - Henry Moffett - Fiore Troncone - Lewis Stehr Jr. - John Brothers

Camden Post-Telegram
July 1, 1905

Charles H. Ellis
James Clay
Henry C. Moffett
Fiore Troncone
Lewis Stehr Jr.
John Brothers

Philadelphia Inquirer - July 2, 1905

Charles H. Ellis - James Clay - Henry Moffett
Fiore Troncone - Lewis Stehr Jr. - John Brothers

Camden Daily Courier
April 9, 1906

A. Lincoln James
Elbridge B. McClong
William Horner
William Hill
Howard Smith
Howard McPherson
Lewis H. Stehr Jr.
William Miles

Marmaduke W. Taylor

Camden Daily Courier * April 9, 1906

South 12th Street - Federal Street - M.W. Taylor

Philadelphia Inquirer - January 29, 1916

Lewis H. Stehr Jr. - Arthur Stanley - Charles H. Ellis - George Anderson
Lillian Hoffman - W.P. Wingender - Frank Neutze - Walter McGonigle

Philadelphia Inquirer
February 17, 1916

Arthur Stanley
George Anderson
Harry A. Corson
Charles H. Ellis
Fred Lechleidner
George Nowrey
Lewis H. Stehr Jr.

Camden Daily Courier
May 13, 1918

Clare Street - Locust Street - Federal Street
South 2nd Street - Washington Street

Henry Butler - Edward Brown
Carrie Washington - Rhoda Montgomery
Marie Gibbs - Hazel Shipman

World War I Draft Registration Card

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Philadelphia Inquirer
May 27, 1918

Lewis H. Stehr Jr.
Milton Stanley
Alfred S. Snow
Henry Moffett
George Murry
O. Glenn Stackhouse
Louis Jackson
Etta Shorts
David Castin
Mary Peoples
Kossuth Street
Baxter Street
South 7th Street
Joint Alley

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New York Times - April 15, 1921

Click on Image to Enlarge

CAMDEN COURIER * JANUARY 16, 1922


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E.G.C. Bleakly - Charles H. Ellis - Elisha A. Gravenor - Charles A. Wolverton
George Murry - Ira Hall - William Draper -Anthony Latorre
Dr. A. Haines Lippincott - Gus Giuseppi Guarino - Benson Street
Edward West - Lewis Stehr Jr.

CAMDEN COURIER * JANUARY 25, 1922


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Camden Courier-Post * January 18, 1922

POLICE TO PROBE $200,000 KAIGHN AVE. FIRE
FIRE CAPTAIN MAY DIE, FOUR OTHERS INJURED; DAMAGE IS $200,000
Economy Store and Other Buildings Near Broadway Swept by Flames Early This Morning
Falling Debris Carries Men Through Roof And Into Cellar
Sleeping Inmates of Apartments Roused and Invalid Carried to Safety- Mayor Sees Rescues

Mayor Ellis has ordered an investigation to determine the cause of the $2000,000 fire which swept the properties at 427 and 429 Kaighn Avenue and caused injury to five firemen, one of whom may be fatally hurt.

The fire centered about the property occupied by the Economy Store, formerly Handle’s, and quickly spread to four adjoining buildings.

The fireman whose recovery is despaired of is Captain Martin B. Carrigan, of Engine Company No. 2, Fifth and Arch Streets. Carrigan, who lives at 618 West Street, is suffering from a fractured skull and severe burns and cuts of the face, legs, and body. He is unconscious at Cooper Hospital.

The firemen were injured when a wall, weakened by the intense heat, crumbled and crashed through a roof upon which they were standing, dragging them through the floor below, and into a cellar. Sensational rescues followed as police, firemen, and citizens with bare hands tore at the hot debris. The men were quickly extricated and carried to the street.

“We certainly shall investigate this fire,” the Mayor declared today. “Just what was the cause and who is to blame has not been determined but there will be a thorough investigation.”

“There have been too many of these fires during the past few weeks” continued the mayor. “Surely all of them did not just happen and I am sure there has been someone responsible in one or two of the fires.”

The conflagration was one of the most spectacular of a series of large fires that have visited the city in the past six weeks. The block in which it occurred- Kaighn Avenue between Broadway and Fourth Street is one of the most prominent business squares in Camden.

Flames shot 200 feet in the air, giving the sky a fiery hue and attracted attention for miles before the firemen brought it under control. The flame-lit sky was clearly seen in Philadelphia, Merchantville, East Camden, Gloucester and other communities.

More than a score of families living in the vicinity were forced to flee from their homes in scant attire when the fire threatened them. They were cared for by neighbors.

Fireman George Boone, 46 years old, of Engine Company No. 2, also is in a serious condition. He is suffering from burns of the right hand, right thigh and foot and probable internal injuries. Boone lives at 607 Mount Vernon Street.

The other injured foremen are:

John Voll, 22 years old, 509 Royden Street: both hands badly burned.

C.J. Andrus, aged 31 years, 570 Mount Vernon Street: burns of hands and legs.

Harold Lorang, 29 years old, 19 Hudson Street: burns of right hand and legs and sprained ankle.

Firemen Prove Heroes

Carrigan and Boone are in the hospital. The other firemen were discharged after their wounds were dressed. After being released from the hospital they returned to the scene of the fire and insisted upon continuing their duties. Chief Peter B. Carter, however, ordered them home.

Most of the loss was suffered by the Economy Store. A few charred walls remain of the large building. The interior was completely gutted. It was estimated today that the damage to that property will total $60,000 At least $50,000 damage, it was said, was done to the stock.

Morris Handle, local theatrical man, who owns the building, declared today that the property was insured for $30,000. “My loss will be quite heavy,” said Mr. Handle. “The insurance will not pay one-half the property damage.”

The adjoining building at 431 Kaighn Avenue is occupied by Dr. S.I. Yubas, optometrist, and L.R. Yubas, his father, a jeweler.

Invalid is Rescued

The rear and upper floors of the Yubas property were gutted and the stock sustained a heavy loss, due to water and smoke. The damage will total $40,000, Mr. Yubas estimated today.

Five persons who were asleep on the upper floors of the Yubas dwelling had narrow escapes. They were awakened by Samuel Goldstein, haberdasher, 417 Kaighn Avenue, who discovered the fire in the Economy Store and turned in the alarm. Mrs. L.R. Yubas, an invalid, was rescued with difficulty.

The property occupied by Mrs. Sadie Bodner, a widow, at 433 Kaighn Avenue, as a house furnishings store, was scorched and also damaged by water and smoke.

Adjoining the Economy Store on the west at 425 Kaighn Avenue is a vacant one-story structure, formerly occupy by the United Beef Company. Firemen were on the roof of that building when the west wall of the Economy Store collapsed. The wall tumbled down on the small roof and hurled the firemen through a hole in the roof, through the floor and then into the cellar.

Several Stores Damaged

Three policemen, Joseph Sparks, Thomas Cheeseman, and George Hill- and several spectators braved the fire and smoke to rescue the trapped firemen.

The property at 423 Kaighn Avenue, occupied by the Charles Jamison Department Store, was damaged in the rear and the stock ruined by water and smoke. The Kresge Five-and-Ten-Cent Store, at 519-531 Kaighn Avenue, was also damaged by water.

Louis Richelson, who owns the properties from 519 to 525 Kaighn Avenue, was unable to estimate his loss today.

Collapse of Wall

Hundreds of spectators, who were watching the fire from the opposite side of the street, shuddered as they saw a brick wall, weakened by the intense heat, totter and sway. Before the firemen on the smaller roof below could scurry to safety, it collapsed.

A groan escaped the crowd as they heard the cries of the entrapped firemen and the deafening thud of the brocks as they landed on the roof where the firemen were at work.

As the full weight of the brocks struck the roof, it caved in forming a gaping hole. The firemen were literally swept into the opening.

The bricks tumbled down, causing another hole in the floor between the firs story and the cellar and dragging the imperiled firemen into the cellar with them.

Mayor Charles H. Ellis was among the spectators who witnessed the collapse of the wall. Other officials were Chief James H. Long, of the Water Department; Fire Chief Carter, Assistant Police Chief Edward S. Hyde, Captain Lewis Stehr of the Second Police District, and Street Commissioner Alfred L. Sayers.

Firemen Under Debris

Observing the peril of the trapped firemen, Policemen Sparks, Cheeseman and Hill, together with a dozen other spectators, rushed across the street to the vacant store. They rushed through the smoke and fire, leaped into the cellar and 5reached the struggling firemen.

Sparks, the first to leap into the cellar, reached Voll, who had been pinned beneath a pile of debris and was pleading to be rescued. The policeman feverishly extricated Voll from his precarious position and carried him out into the street to safety.

Policeman Cheeseman had accidentally fallen into the cellar and, though himself injured, groped about in the dark until he found Boone, whom he dragged outside.

Policeman Hill carried Carrigan out of the cellar in his arms.

The five firemen were carried to a waiting police ambulance and rushed to Cooper Hospital. Carrigan was unconscious. He haws a slim fighting chance to recover.

Carrigan was promoted to a captaincy the first of the year. He is popular among his comrades and has the reputation of being a fearless fireman.

Mayor Praises Firemen

Mayor Ellis praised the work of the firemen and the bravery of the policemen who had risked their lives to effect the rescue.

“Never did I see such remarkable work” said the Mayor. “When I arrived at the scene, it looked as if the whole block was doomed. The flames were shooting upward and the whole sky seemed lit up. The firemen tackled their job with dispatch and courage. I was proud of them. They knew their business and showed it by confining it to a comparatively small area. The work of the police also was commendable.

Mr. Goldstein discovered the fire shortly before midnight.

“I had just left my home at 417 Kaighn Avenue,” explained Mr. Goldstein, “intending to get a soda. As I passed the Economy Store I noticed strong odor of smoke. I peered into the glass doorway of the store. I immediately saw the place was afire.”

Rescues Sleeping Family

“Then I ran back to my store” continued Mr. Goldstein, “and I telephoned police headquarters. I went out again and returned to the scene. I remembered that the Yubas family were asleep on the second and third floors and rapped on the doors. Mr. Yubas came down in a bathrobe. He was not aware of the fire.”

The six persons asleep in the Yubas home were Dr. Yubas, Mr. And Mrs. L.R. Yubas, Bernard Helfand, Miss Bertha Cuden and Anna Recowitz, a domestic.

Mrs. Yubas, who is recovering from an illness, was too weak to make her way outside through the smoke. Assisted by her husband, Policemen Becker and Cheeseman and Constable John Cunningham, Mrs. Yubas was half carried downstairs, and out through the rear of the building to safety.

Blaze Had Big Start

“The fire had gained such rapid headway,” said Sergeant Thomas Cunningham, “that when the firemen arrived, smoke was actually issuing from cracks in the sidewalks and between the cobbles near the trolley tracks.”

The second and third floors of 419 to 423 Kaighn Avenue are occupied by private families as apartments. In the rear were number of frame dwellings. More than a score of families were obliged to leave their homes in scant attire when the firemen began playing hose upon their properties as a precaution against the fire spreading.

Mrs. Catherine Fox, 410 Sycamore Street, and Mrs. E. Chambers, 412 Sycamore Street, whose homes are in the rear of the Economy Store property, had removed part of the furniture to the street. Even after firemen assured them the danger of their homes catching on fire was over, the women and children could hardly be persuaded to return.

Crumbling walls and cracking of glass hampered the foremen in their work and made their task hazardous. The firemen were further handicapped by the big start the fire had gained. Despite this, they stuck dangerously close to the flames.

To play hose upon the fire to advantage, several firemen scaled the outside walls of adjoining properties and reached cornices, from which they directed streams of water.

High Wind Fanned Flames

A high wind gave them great difficulty. A number of times, when the firemen seemed to have the fire under control, the flames burst out afresh and compelled them to retreat. Then the reflection would light up the sky overhead.

Water Chief Long gave the firemen great service in maintaining the water at a high pressure to ensure facility in getting the streams to play upon the flames.

Kaighn Avenue, between Broadway and Fourth Street, was literally alive with residents and passers-by attracted by the flames. Included among the spectators were scores of persons who came from Philadelphia and distant points, in the belief the blaze was much more serious.

According to the estimate of the loss made today, the insurance on the property and stock damaged by the fore will not pay for one-half the loss sustained.

Chief Carter was determined to take no chances with the fire because of the high wind and the fire was attacked on all sides. While firemen were fighting the flames from Kaighn Avenue several companies of firemen had worked their way into the yard in the rear, from whence they played streams of hose.

An effort is being made today to determine the origin of the blaze.

Thomas Shanahan, Engine Company 6, was a spectator when the wall crashed in. Hearing the cries of the buried men, he immediately dashed into the dirt. Six men, including Harry Seeley, formed a human chain and pulled four of the men from the heap of rubbish.

Someone had the presence of mind to turn off the nozzle of a hose, which was playing directly on the mound. When found, the water was trickling through to the pinned men.

*Camden Post-Telegram August 19, 1925**

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	Charles Younger - Y.M.C.A - Lewis H. Stehr Jr. Joseph Connell - John W. Golden Charles T. Humes - Archie Riess Walter A. Mertz - Engine Company 1 Everett Joslin - Joseph McDonald - Vernon Jones Frank Nelson - William Rogers - Harold Dunnit John Bright - Edwin Callahan - Walter Larson August Pflederer - Clarence Phifer - Thomas Welch Stanley Wirtz - Charles Naylor - George Rothwell Richard Donnelly - Lester Gleason - Joseph Keefe Fred Schucker - Harry Wagner - Chris Moll Harry Layton - Edgar Ellender - August Haverkamp Frank Kuda - Harry Kleinfelder - William Foehle Thomas Shanahan - Harrison Pike Lester Anderson - William Wood George Townsend - Allen Palmer - William Swartz Nelson Till - William Mountney - John A.Strauss Frank Obermann - Edward Menzies John Mulligan - Frank Kates - Clifford Lane Nelson Andrews - Harry Leigh John Lennox - William Merrigan Howard Walker - Harry Greenan - Peter Laird Smith- could be David, George, Roy, or Spencer William Rudd?
	Camden Motorcycle Sporting Club Joseph Bernart Frank DeViney Carl Preisendanz Edward Paul Charles Ellis George Gummel Bennett Arnold Clayton Albertson

Camden Courier-Post * January 26, 1928

150 Owners Wait as Rhone Delays Soft Drink Permits

Proprietors of more than 150 soft drink establishments received another disappointment today when Commissioner David S. Rhone again failed to issue the 1928 permits after promising Saturday that he would grant them Monday.

On January 13, when an amended ordinance boosting the license fee from $50 to $100 was passed by the city commission, Rhone said he would grant the new permits ten days after it became effective or on January 23.

He was not at his office Monday, but Lewis Stehr, police inspector, said the commissioner would announce part of the list of new licenses Tuesday. Yesterday Stehr said Rhone “will positively” announce the list today that he was “still considering them.” part of the list of new licenses Tuesday.

Today Stehr said the licenses would not be granted until tomorrow. Rhone later said “a few of the permits” will be granted” sometime this afternoon”.

As the owners of the soft drink parlors await action by Commissioner Rhone they are operating on their 1927 licenses. Many of the applications for licenses have been filed with police officials since last December.

Camden
Courier-Post

January 27, 1928

Camden Courier-Post - February 15, 1928

POLICE AXES PLAY DIRGE ON SLOT MACHINES

Confiscated slot machines being stacked in front of police headquarters today, preparatory to being carted to Civic Center and destroyed.

Civic Center

Lewis Stehr

James Tatem

Charles Laib

Camden
Courier-Post

February 16, 1928

Camden Courier-Post - February 18, 1928
Bride-to-Be is 'Kidnapped' for Shower at City Hall

George W. Johnson - Joseph J. Roszkowiak - Lewis Stehr - Jack Weinberg Atlantic Avenue - Mechanic Street - St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church

Camden Courier-Post - February 22, 1928
$225,000 FIRE RUINS 5 UPTOWN PLANTS HOW FLAMES GUTTED BIG INDUSTRIAL BUILDING
RESIDENTS FLEE AS FLAMES RAGE IN BIG BUILDING Factory of Evans Leather Co. Saved by Valiant Work of Firemen APPARATUS IS DISABLED; DEBRIS BURIED FIRE PLUG Metal Stamping Firm, Textile Concern Heavy Losers; Pattern Shop Saved

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Click in Images to Enlarge

Camden Courier-Post - April 6, 1928

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David S. Rhone - Lewis Stehr

Camden Evening Courier - September 18, 1928

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David Hunt - Thomas Cheeseman - Walter Smith - Rox Saponare
John W. Golden - Howard Pike Samuel Johnson - Lewis Stehr
William Boettcher - George Ward - Louis Shaw - Frank Malec
Lawrence T. Doran - Samuel P. Orlando - Louis Shectman
Mrs. Mary Brown - Polack Joe Deven - Frank Smith - Walter Selby
Walter Wartmann - Charles Foulk - Mrs. Edward McGrath
Father John J. Henry - Joseph "Mose" Flannery" - Joseph Moll
James Bonner William Bonner - James L. Hawkins - Walter Novak
Joseph Novak - Garfield Del Duca - Eugene Murphy - Russell Sage
Patrick Driscoll - Joseph "Cuzzy" Scarduzio

Camden Evening Courier - September 19, 1928

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John Kowal
Lewis Stehr
John Skolski
John W. Golden
James Hollis
Clarence Arthur
Frank Moll
Clarence Bunker
Thomas Cheeseman
Sylvester McGrath
Lawrence T. Doran
Dr. David S. Rhone
William D. McDonaldson
Frank Leonard
Father McCorriston

Joseph "Mose" Flannery" Joseph Moll - James Bonner
William Bonner - Rita Leslie James L. Hawkins - Hotel Royal
Walter Novak - Joseph Novak - Garfield Del Duca
Eugene Murphy - Russell Sage - Joseph "Cuzzy" Scarduzio
Patrick Driscoll - Front Street - Kaighn Avenue
Fairview Street - South 3rd Street
Camden High School - West Jersey Hospital - Sacred Heart Church

	Camden Evening Courier September 18, 1928

Camden Evening Courier - September 26, 1928

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Dr. David Rhone - Joseph "Mose" Flannery - Lewis H. Stehr Jr. Bernard Bertman - David Baird Jr. - Winfield Price Thomas Cheeseman - Westwood Perrine Elizabeth Tiedeken - Anna Brennan Walnut Street - Kaighn Avenue - Front Street

	Camden Courier-Post April 29, 1929


John Doris - Joseph O'Connor - American Restaurant - Kaighn Avenue

*Camden Courier-Post April 29, 1929**


John Doris - Frank Doris - Joseph O'Connor aka Joseph Connors - Broadway - Kaighn Avenue

Russell Sage - Mechanic Street - James "Jimmie" Toland - Nonpariel Club Charles Riehm - Haddon Avenue - William Kelly aka Leo Morton - Van Hook Street Harry Selah - South 3rd Street - William J. Merrick - Liberty Street - Lorenzo Cole - Jefferson Avenue Ernest Matsios - Leo McKenna - Mt. Vernon Street - United Shoe Repair - Amber Street

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Joseph Leonhardt - Samuel Johnson - Gustav Koerner - Joseph Carpani - Thomas Cheeseman Sylvester McGrath - Fiore Troncone - Joseph "Mose" Flannery - Lewis Stehr

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Frank T. Lloyd Sr. David S. Rhone Rocco Palese Lawrence T. Doran

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	`
Raymond O'Connor - Hughy McLoon

*Camden Courier-Post May 18, 1929**

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Andrew Kelly - Edward Kelly - Daniel Hutchinson George Ward - Garfield S. Pancoast - Lewis H. Stehr - David S. Rhone - Clifford A. Baldwin Joseph "Mose" Flannery - Joseph O'Connor aka Joseph Connors - John Doris

Camden Evening Courier (Courier-Post)
October 11, 1928

JEALOUSY SEEN AS MOTIVE FOR BOMBING DAIRY
Police Seeking Mysterious Stranger in Terrific Downtown Blast
MILK PLANT DAMAGED; NEARBY HOMES ROCKED
Crudely Made Explosive Placed in Trench Beneath Steps

With the owners and the police attributing jealously of business success as the only plausible motive for the bombing last night of the plant of the Sanitary Milk Dairies Company, at 311 Division Street. Search was started today for a tall, heavyset man, with mixed blue suit, as the bomber.

City detectives mingled among the throngs of men, woman and children who today viewed the damage caused by the bomb - a crude, home - made time device - which, in exploding, rocked the neighborhood, shattered window panes, doors, fences and the exteriors of nearby properties. Machinery in the Coccia plant was damaged by the concussion and by parts of bomb shrapnel, which pierced or bent it.

Mrs. Angelina Coccia, mother of the Coccia brothers, her daughter, Theresa Coccia, 14, and Mrs. Mary De Luzzio, 59, of 317 Division Street, were in the kitchen of the Coccia home when the bomb exploded. The dairy is at the rear of the home of Primo Coccia, one of the owners. His brothers -partners in the business are Paul Coccia, 242 Pine Street; Adam Coccia, 346 Cherry Street, and Matthew Coccia, 941 South Third Street.

Saw Mysterious Stranger

Mrs. Coccia cannot speak English, but through her son, Matthew Coccia, it was learned today that, before the explosion, she had seen a man passing the kitchen window.

"The man walked down the alley at the side of the house," Mrs. Coccia told her son in Italian. "He was a heavy - set man and tall; I thought he was a customer who had come for milk. People often come at night to buy milk, and I did not think it strange about the man.

"But then I waited for hi to knock at the back door, as customers usually do," she continued.

"When he did not knock, I wondered what he might be up to, and I was just ready to leave the kitchen to see where he went when I heard the explosion. I did not know what happened after that, I was so nervous, I didn't even see the man leave the way he came. But he was the one who set the bomb. Of that I am sure."

Dog Vainly Warns

The Coccia's have a big Italian Bulldog chained to a gasoline tank at the rear of their home. The dog barked continually last night to warn the Coccias, they were so used to his barks, they said today, that they thought he had been growling at a customer, as he sometimes does late at night.

Mrs. Coccia said she was unable to give a detailed description of the man she saw last night because an electric bulb in the alleyway was not lit. It was the first time the alley was in darkness at night. Matthew Coccia said, and this the bomber apparently took into consideration in seeking to go about his diabolical tasks without possible detection.

Coccia said boys living in the neighborhood saw the man enter an automobile, with lights out, immediately after the explosion shook the neighborhood. The car, they said, had been parked near the Coccia home with its front and rear lights out.

Detective Fiore Troncone, who is investigating the bombing, informed Coccia today that he had received a description of the automobile from Coccia's neighbors. They said they had seen the driver put on the lights of Fourth and Division Street as he turned the corner to go north in his escape.

Rev. John S. Hackett, pastor of the Wiley M.E. Church, Third and Berkley Streets, who was among those viewing the damage done by the bomb, said he saw the man acting nervously at Third and Pine Street last night, immediately after the explosion. His description of the man tallied with that given by Mrs. Coccia.

"I was waiting for the first edition of the Morning Post to arrive at the store at that comer." Mr. Hackett said today, "when my attention was attracted to this man. He seemed to be very nervous about something. He was fairly tall and heavy - set and wore a mixed blue suit, with light coloring.

"When the papers arrived and I bought a copy, he seemed to be very anxious to see what was on the front page. I did not know about the bomb until I read the paper, but it occurred t me later that perhaps this man was acting suspiciously and was eager to see what damage had been caused. I'm sorry now I didn't question him. But I can give police a good description of him.

The Coccias said the only reason they could see for the bombing was jealousy of their business success by a person with a deranged mind.

"We had no enemies," Matthew Coccia said, "and we never fought with anybody. I cannot understand it. It must have been jealousy at the way we were getting along."

Coccia said no threatening letters had been received. He insisted that there was no reason why the "Blackhand" should desire to ruin Primo Coccia's home or their business.

Neighbors called police and fireman.

Detectives found a firemen's shovel near where the stone steps to the dairy had been. They believed it had been used to dig a trench under the steps in which to insert the bomb.

Primo Coccia, who had been to the theatre, came home five minutes after the explosion. He found a throng in front and dazedly pushed through until his mother hysterically screamed the news to him.

The bomb burst in the dairy door and sprayed big pieces of the iron pipe along the side of the house and into the room, where it caused most of the damage to the machinery.

Fifteen windows of the Coccia house were shattered and police believe the foundations at the rear may have been weakened.

The worst damage to neighboring buildings was to the rear of the Seven Brothers Bakery, owned by the Canzanese Brothers, 31822 Pine Street, which backs against the dairy. Twenty windows of the bakery were crushed in, the door was riddles with small pieces of the pipe and the rear was peppered with the "shrapnel. "

Mario Manarefi, 912 South Fourth Street, a bookkeeper in the bakery, was at his home nearby. He ran to the street and looked several minutes for the bombers before he joined the crowd.

Joseph Scotthouse, 317 Division Street, ran to the yard at the rear of his home to find the fence had been peppered with tiny pieces of the pipe, some of which had tom into his kitchen through windows and doors.

Six windows of the home of Sabatino Di Paolo, 321 Division Street, were broken. Fragments of the pipe were found on the floor of rooms on the second floor of his house, he told police.

A police cardon was thrown around the neighborhood by Chief of Police Stehr, who took personal charge of the investigation.

Where Bomb Rocked Neighborhood

Chief of Police Stehr is shown pointing to the spot under the back steps of the Camden Sanitary Dairy Company at 311 Division Street, Where a time bomb exploded last night, The bomb was placed under the steps.

Police from every district in the city were rushed to the scene and patrols were dispatched to be prepared for any eventuality.

The neighborhood was searched carefully and every resident was questioned, but no one was able to give any clue which might lead police to the bombers.

Squads of detectives and police patrolled the neighborhood for hours after the explosion, seeking objects, which might have been dropped by the bombers.

Camden Courier-Post * March 29, 1930

HURLEY GETS CONTRACT FOR POLICE UNIFORMS

Contract for new police uniforms was awarded yesterday to the Hurley store by the city commission, which heretofore had contracted with a Philadelphia firm.

Changes in the uniforms of several of the police departments are planned by Chief Lewis H. Stehr and Captain Arthur Colsey. Because many bus companies have adopted uniforms similar to those of the police for their drivers, the new uniforms for the mounted police will include blue coat, blue hat and khaki breeches. Police attached to the ambulance patrol will wear dark gray whipcord uniforms. Traffic. police and others will wear the regular blue uniform now in use.

Uniform Inspection will be held Monday to ascertain the department's needs.

Camden Courier-Post - March 29, 1930

300 POLICE OFFICIALS OF STATE MEET HERE
78 Departments Represented at Benevolent Association Session

More than 300 state officers and delegates representing 78 New Jersey police departments were present yesterday at a meeting of the State Patrolmen's Benevolent Association at Tenth Street and Kaighn Avenue yesterday.

All state officers were present at the afternoon meeting, including State President Dennis Byrne, of New Brunswick; First Vice President Henry Miller, of Rahway; Second Vice president, August Harasdzira, of Garfield; Recording Secretary Michael McKeever, of Trenton; Financial Secretary Thomas Higgins, of West Orange, and State Treasurer William Mallon, of West New York.

Police work used in various cities was discussed. Plans were made for the state convention in Wildwood September 14, 15 and 16. Everett Joslin, Herbert Bott and George Weber were named local delegates to represent the local union, No. 35 at the Wildwood convention.

Chief of Police Lewis H. Stehr welcomed the delegates. A telegram of welcome was read from Director of Public Safety David S. Rhone, who is in Washington.

The committee in charge of yesterday's meeting consisted of Clifford Flenard, president of Local No. 35; Stanley Wirtz, Edward Cahill, Frank Wilmot, John McTaggart, James McTaggart and Howard Henery .

Camden Courier-Post - April 18, 1930

3 YOUTHS HELD AS BLAZE RAZES
GRAIN PLANT OF SITLEY AND SON
Damage in Fire at Sixth and Bulson Streets Estimated at $45,000
FOUR MEN RISK LIVES TO SAVE TWO HORSES
Boys Believed by Police Probers to Have Been Smoking, in Building

Three boys are being held and two others are sought in the investigation of the $45.000 fire which today destroyed the warehouse of Sitley & Son, wholesale hardware, roofing material and grain dealers at Sixth and Bulson streets.

The three boys were ordered held by Police Judge Pancoast after authorities expressed belief that the three alarm fire was caused either by thieves or boys smoking cigarettes on the premises.

Two of the youths admitted they stole coal from the plant's siding last night, while the third confessed that he, and two other boys were in the plant last evening. He said his two companions, who are expected to be arrested this afternoon, were smoking

One fireman was slightly hurt when he ran a nail into his foot, while other firefighters narrowly escaped injury when the roof of the-blazing building collapsed.

A dense fog, rain, great clouds of thick smoke and intense heat' all hampered the firemen, and rendered them practically helpless for more than three hours. When the blaze was finally under control at 8:00 a.m., only the blackened and buckled walls remained standing,

Practically the entire stock was lost. but through the courage of four men including two policemen: a team of terrified horses and three trucks were saved from the blazing stable.

Twenty employees were temporarily deprived of work.

Discovery of three rolls of wire fencing on nearby railroad tracks and the presence at two men near the premises when the blaze was discovered led Fire Chief Thomas Nicholas to believe thieves had thrown a cigarette near some flammable material.

The arrested boy is John Brodzik, 1927 Fillmore Street.

Two other youths, John Hadyniak, 16, of 685 Ferry Avenue, and Anthony Parraine [Piraino- PMC], 11, of 2026 South Seventh Street, arrested on a charge of stealing coal from the Sitley siding last night are also being held. They declare they were not in the plant.

In addition to the smoke and heat firemen were further hampered by the fact that two railroads pass the building. Many of the hose lines had to be stretched over the tracks, so that in order to prevent passing trains, from which thousands of commuters saw the fire, from cutting the lines, holes were dug under the tracks and the lines run through the excavations.

Captain David Ellis, of No. 7 fire company at Mt. Ephraim and Kaighn Avenues, ran a nail in his foot, and after being given first aid treatment at the scene was taken to the West Jersey Homeopathic Hospital.

The first alarm was sounded at 4:18 a.m. from a box at Fillmore Street and Chelton Avenue. The fire was discovered by Paul N. Naurath, 1727 Master Street, an engineer at the Camden brewery, which is in the immediate vicinity of the Sitley plant.

Naurath ran to a gasoline filling station at Broadway and Chelton Street from where he telephoned to fire headquarters. He later told Police Lieutenant George Frost that when he noticed the smoke and flames he saw two men running around the Sitley stable, which is attached to the main plant. However, he paid no attention to them, being intent upon turning in an alarm.

While fire apparatus sped to the scene, Naurath, Frederick Baum, 431 Winslow Street; Patrolman Frank Del Rossi and Police Sergeant Edward Carroll, heard the shrill screams of horses in the stable, which had quickly become an inferno,

Horses Rescued

The four rushed into the stable, broke down the door, and led out the two horses, which several times attempted to run back into the flames. The men also drove three trucks out of the place before they were driven away by the dense smoke.

The building occupies a plot about 300 feet square and comprises several one and two-story sections. There wax formerly a grain elevator on the site belonging to the Sitleys, but it was destroyed by fire more than a decade ago and never rebuilt. On the south side of the plant are the Atlantic City Railroad tracks, and on the east side the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad lines.

Flames Spread Rapidly

Believed to have started either in the stable or at the extreme northern end of the plant, the fire quickly swept through the entire building. Rolls of tarred paper and bins of grain were quickly consumed, throwing out huge clouds of smoke.

Two more alarms were sounded for additional apparatus, but it was not until 7:30 a.m. that firemen could enter the building. Meanwhile, about 50 hose lines were stretched to the building and water continually played on the fire. Commissioner Frank B. Hanna arrived and increased the water pressure five points at the pumping stations to keep a water supply to feed the hose lines. Chief of Police Lewis H. Stehr also sped to the fire.

A touch of tragedy was added when Thomas Mills, 70, of 431 Viola Street, employed by the Sitleys for 40 years as a packer, arrived. The elderly workman burst into tears when he saw the flames, and sobbed that he was now out of work and had a family to support.

Finally, about 8 a. m., firemen had the blaze under control, after the roof had caved in. Only the walls stood, but several times they threatened to collapse.

The owners, Frank B. Sitley, Sr., of Woodbury, and his son, Frank B. Sitley, Jr., arrived, but declined to estimate their loss. However, police and firemen fixed an approximate damage of $25,000 to the building and $20,000 to the stock.

Lieutenant Frost found three rolls of wire fencing which had been taken from the building, They were lying on the Reading Railroad tracks, apparently dropped by thieves when police arrived.

Young Brodzik was arrested at 8:00 p.m. yesterday by Special Officer John Stevenson, who turned him over to Patrolmen Smith and Rieh. The youth was charged with suspicion of having broken into the place, and is alleged to have first denied being in the building, but later admitted that he and two other boys crawled through a basement window.

The boy declared that he neither smoked nor stole anything, but said that other boys had smoked. He refused to divulge their names.

Hadyniak and Perraine were arrested last night and charged with theft of coal from the siding. Brodzik declared those two were not the boys who were with him last night,

All three were arrraigned before Judge Pancoast in police court this morning and held without bail pending investigation.

Camden Morning Post - December 1, 1930

Lewis H. Stehr - Dr. H. S. Riddle - Newton Avenue - Chestnut Street - Cooper Hospital

Camden Evening Courier - December 1, 1930

Lewis H. Stehr - Dr. H. S. Riddle - Newton Avenue - Chestnut Street - Cooper Hospital

Camden Evening Courier - December 6, 1930

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Dr. David S. Rhone - Charles V. Dickinson - Theodore Guthrie James Paradise - Clarence Bunker - Howard Smith - Clarence Arthur Henry Lutz - Clarence Thorn - John Kowal - Lewis H. Stehr

Camden Evening Courier - December 10, 1930


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Lewis H. Stehr - Dr. David S. Rhone - Charles V. Dickinson - Frank B. Hanna Dr. H. S. Riddle - Lewis H. Stehr Sr. - Chestnut Street - Cooper Hospital

Camden Evening Courier - December 11, 1930

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Lewis H. Stehr - Dr. David S. Rhone - Charles V. Dickinson - Arthur Colsey George A. Ward - John Kowal - Donald Swissler - Clarence Phifer - Archie Reiss John Skolski - Herbert Anderson - Thomas Cheeseman - Harry Kyler George Nowrey - Frank Truax - Ralph Bakley Clay W. Reesman - Clifford A. Baldwin - Winfield S. Price - Clifford A. Flennard - Camden Local No. 35, P.B.A. - Cooper Hospital B.C. Schroeder - Broadway - Royden Street

The Stehr Family Plot at Harleigh Cemetery

Camden Evening Courier - December 3, 1930

Ralph Bakley - Charles V. Dickinson - George Frost Charles T. Humes - Charles Laib - Clarence Thorn Lewis H. Stehr - George Ward - Walter Welch

Camden Morning Post - December 11, 1930


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Lewis H. Stehr - Dr. David S. Rhone - Charles V. Dickinson Frank B. Hanna - Clifford A. Baldwin Dr. H. S. Riddle - Clay W. Reesman - Winfield S. Price Arthur Colsey - Chestnut Street Cooper Hospital - Sixth Ward Republican Club

Camden Evening Courier - Morning Post 12, 1930

Lewis H. Stehr - Dr. David S. Rhone - Charles V. Dickinson - Arthur Colsey George A. Ward - John Kowal - Donald Swissler - Clarence Phifer - Archie Reiss John Skolski - Herbert Anderson - Thomas Cheeseman - Harry Kyler George Nowrey - Frank Truax - Ralph Bakley - John J. Breslin Cooper Hospital - Rev. Edward T. Weeks - Union Methodist Episcopal Church B.C. Schroeder - Broadway - Royden Street - Sixth Ward Republican Club

Camden Evening Courier December 13, 1930

Lewis H. Stehr - Charles V. Dickinson - Dr. David S. Rhone Broadway - Rev. Edward T. Weeks B.C. Schroeder - Kaighn Avenue - Haddon Avenue Union Methodist Episcopal Church