Trenton Historical Society, New Jersey

TRENTON TIMES

Monday January 1, 1900

TRENTON DURING 1899

A Brief Classified Summary of the

Past Years’ Events

A RETROSPECTIVE GLANCE

Some Prominent Men and Women

Who Have Passed Away---Fires---

Events and Dates Worth Remembering---

Crimes Chronicled.

With the first peal of the bell in the old town hall tower, more commonly designated as the City Hall, at midnight last night, another epoch of Trenton’s history was marked off. As the bell tolled off the dying moments of the year ’99 it also rang in the first glad utterances of the year that is now with us. The ringing of the church bells and the blowing of the factory whistles commemorated the advent of the new year; the town hall bell closed the old, as well as began the new. During the 365 days that have just ended, many have been the events that have occurred, which while they may be of no importance to the great outer world, have been of the utmost moment to the city in which they have taken place. All have been chronicled by the Trenton Times daily as they have taken place and are generally well known to the readers throughout the town, nevertheless a retrospective glance may not be amiss, and may, at the same time, be valuable as a summary.

Death has made its usual sad inroads upon the people of the town. With his ruthless sickle he has mowed down several of the most prominent citizens. Among the 1^st may be mentioned Dr. Thomas S. Stevens, who died aged 62 years, on February 8^th. He was followed on March 8^th by John H. Faussett, aged 71, the well-known war veteran. On March 28^th William Hancock, aged 75, the broker and banker, passed into the great beyond, to be followed on June 16^th by Thomas Maddock, aged 82, the potter, founder of the large Maddock’s plants of this city. On July 2^nd Joseph Stokes, father of the present city treasurer and superintendent of the New Jersey Steel and Iron Workers, died, aged 67 years.

A prominent baker, Samuel Matlack, was next stricken, on June 12th, in the 66^th year of his age. On May 22^nd Gottwald Winkler, the musician and founder of Winkler’s Band, died in his 77^th year, while on February 1^st, Joseph Ashton the leather merchant, died, aged 77 years. Cleveland Hilson also died during July.

On April 13^th, Charles Howard Haven, the venerable father of City Engineer Haven, fell out of a second-story window and died, aged 83. On April 17^th Captain Hemsing, the well-known prison deputy’s death was announced.

September 5^th is the date of Plumber Thomas Ingram’s death. He was aged 62. Fred Walter, the grocer, died in a Philadelphia hospital on October 10^th.

The most startling death of the year was that of Phillip D. Crisp, the carriage manufacturer---April 19^th. A death of a man well known in Trenton, who resided in Lawrenceville, occurred on January 5^th, when Rev. Abram Gosman passed quietly away.

A number of well-known women are among the missing. The three most prominent were Mrs. Mary Howarth, better known as “Clemantine,” the poetess, who died on the 23^rd of last month; Mary Ashton, religious worker, August 24^th; and Ella Paxton Corsan, who died on the 9^th day of the same month.

Other well-known women were Mrs. Maddock, wife of Chaplain George C. Maddock, of the State Prison, who died suddenly on February 16^th; and Mrs. Sarah Redner Justice, who died January 2d, aged 85 years. Grim death took away many other loved ones from earth.

FIRE RECORD

The number of large fires which Trenton has suffered from during the year past is small, as compared with the many buildings, factories, and potteries and homes in the city. Much credit for this most gratifying state of affairs must be given the Fire Department.

The largest and by far the hardest fire of the year was that of the New Jersey Steel and Iron Company, on February 12^th. It came in the midst of a raging snow storm, through which the firemen worked. The estimated loss was $45,000. But two other fires compare with this one in point of loss---McAvoy’s duck farm, on January 7^th, when $25,000 worth of property and bird life went up in smoke, and on January 25^th, at the Cresent Rubber Works, when the loss was $20,000. Other fires of note during the year were as follows: January 4^th, John Mathison’s residence, $750; January 7^th, Empire Rubber Works, $1,000; February 6^th, Hamilton Rubber Works, $7,600; May 3^rd, Match Factory, $2,000; July 1^st, Prospect Pottery, $2,500; September 10^th, Berry Building, $3,000; and October 22d, Charles Buckman’s stable, $2,500. Two fires occurred at Yardley---on January 19^th and 20^th, the joint losses amounting to $17,000. One at Hopewell, in July, $30,000.

MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS

Among important events worth remembering were: January 2d, coldest day of the season; January 17^th, inauguration of Governor Voohees; January 24^th, John Kean elected United States Senator; January 31^st, gas, electric light, and trolley interests merged and $1 gas; February 8^th, Spanish war veterans welcomed home; February 13^th, the blizzard; April 3^rd, pottery trust failed; June 14^th, Chief of Police McChensney resigned; June 19^th, Judson Hiner appointed Chief of Police; June 20^th, $125,000 appropriated for new High School; July 7^th, injunction allowed against Oliphant’s; July 26^th, trouble broke out at Girl’s Industrial School; August 1^st, investigation at Industrial School begun by Governor; August 29^th, Mrs. Eyler arrested; September 20^th, new reservoir dedicated; November 2d, Grand Jury dismissed complaint against Mrs. Eyler; November 7^th, election, Republicans carried everything; November 28^th, first field day for Second Regiment.

CRIMINOLOGY

Trenton had its full share of crime during the year. On June 1^st, Kid Miller killed John Weise, a fellow convict; July 5^th, John Larkin killed Sam Cruse, at Princeton Basin; December 1^st, Minnie Eysley was brutally murdered by Edward Williams, near Hamilton Square.

There was a large number of suicides, among which may be mentioned that of Francis Bruner, who hanged himself in a cell at the Second district police station on January 8^th, also Hartley Higgins, who did the same thing at the same place on February 7^th; Grace Miller 35 years old, on May 5^th; Julia Tracey, who set fire to her clothing after pouring on kerosene oil on May 31^st; Henry Mellor, the kilnman, who took nitric acid on July 13^th; Lewis Smith, who took rough-on-rats at St. Francis Hospital on November 30^th; and Martin McCormick, who took carbolic acid on December 4^th.

There were a number of burglaries, and the homes of the following well-known persons were entered: May 25^th, Henry C. Conrad, Henry Cook, and R. D. Hill on Carteret Avenue; May 11^th, John Maher, on Cumberland Avenue; August 3^rd, G. D. W. Vroom, on West State Street; September 9^th, Mrs. Charles E. Green, of West State Street; October 31^st, B. C. Kuser, West State Street.

The Trenton police made a number of good hauls against their common enemy. On February 26^th they rounded up a gang of young burglaries in the borough; on March 2d the repeated the same and secured a number more; on March 20^th they raided a den on South Warren Street and secured still another gang; and finally on July 10^th James Miller was apprehended in Philadelphia through the Trenton police, and it was afterward proven that he was the perpetrator of many of the robberies about town. Besides these the police have rounded up a number of other desperate characters, for which they deserve the thanks of the city.

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