Introduction
Axel T. “Bud” Anderson was born in Norway in around 1872. He had come to America, and by 1920 was living at 1238 North 26th Street in the Cramer Hill section of Camden, where he worked as a barge captain. His brother Anders Anderson, a tugboat engineer, lived next door at 1240 North 26th at the time of the 1920 Census. Axel Anderson was married to Margaret, and there were at least four children, Axel Jr., Charles, Camilla, and Catherine. Bud and Margaret Anderson had moved away from North 26th Street by 1924.
By the time of the 1930 census, the Anderson children were grown and gone. Bud and Margaret Anderson had moved to 221 Federal Street, four doors from the Courier-Post newspaper building, where they opened up a restaurant. Bud Anderson was still working as a coal-barge captain at the time of the census.
When Prohibition was repealed in 1933, the Andersons obtained a liquor license. Bud Anderson signed up as a member of the N.R.A. (National Recovery Administration) program on August 7, 1933. Apparently the bar attracted a pretty rough crowd, and there were several fights inside and outside of the bar. In early 1934 Frank Breslin was badly beaten on the corner of 3rd and Federal Street, and died from his injuries. Another serious fight broke out on August 19, 1935.
By 1946 Bud Anderson had passed away, and the bar was long gone. Margaret Anderson lived at 419 State Street in the late 1940s.
Police Start Brawl Drive; Four Arrested
Camden Courier-Post —
Saloon-Keeper, Beating Victim, Two Others Held for Hearing
A police drive to break up street brawls reported to have followed the closing of saloons at 2 a. m. was launched yesterday by Chief of Police Arthur Colsey and Detective Lieutenant George Ward.
Planned as the result of numerous complaints said to have been received by city hall officials, the drive was precipitated by an argument in front of the saloon of Axel “Bud” Anderson, Federal street, near Third, early Saturday.
Anderson was arrested on a charge of disorderly conduct and will be arraigned in police court today.
Philip Cundiff, 25, of 568 Washington street, a clerk employed by the Board of Education, was so seriously beaten when attacked by three men that he had to be treated at Cooper Hospital for his injuries, including a cut over the right eye.
The men then fled and are being sought by police along with a woman who was accompanying one of them.
Girl Trampled
Miss Frances Price, 24, of Audubon, Cundiff’s companion, was knocked to the street and trampled on when she attempted to intercede for her escort.
While Cundiff said he failed to recognize his assailants, Miss Price said she would be able to identify one of the men.
In addition to Anderson, others to be arraigned in police court on similar charges are Cundiff, Emil Olnhausen, 21, of 430 Stevens street and John Keeley, 24, of 613 North Sixth street. All were arrested by Patrolman John Wilkie.
Instructed by Chief Colsey to make a thorough investigation of the affair, Wilkie said he learned that Cundiff was attacked as he was leaving the saloon with Miss Price.
Anderson Warned
“Anderson has been warned several times about permitting arguments and quarrels in his saloon. One such argument led to a fist fight several months ago in which a man was injured fatally.”
Wilkie said he referred to the attack on Frank E. Breslin, unemployed fireman, who was so badly beaten at Third and Federal streets last April 30 that he died.
Jeres Kalagares, a chef, and Patsy Carlucci, former pugilist, later was convicted of manslaughter in connection with Breslin’s death and now is serving a prison term.
3 Taproom Owners Fined, 1 for Brawl, 2 for Sunday Sale
Camden Courier-Post —
Police Drive Brings Warning That Saloon Keepers Must Ban Fighters
Anderson Pays $25
Police drives against street brawls around saloons and against the Sunday sale of liquor yesterday led to the owner of one taproom being fined on a charge of disorderly conduct while two others were fined for selling liquor on Sunday.
Axel “Bud” Anderson, owner of a saloon on Federal street, near Third, was fined $25 when found guilty of disorderly conduct. Fines of $50 each were assessed to Gaetano De Aacentis, 48, of 509 Line street, and Joseph Wardach, of 1448 Rose street, by Police Judge Lewis Liberman.
Four other persons, one of them a young woman, received suspended sentences after being found guilty of disorderly conduct as the result of a brawl that occurred early Saturday in front of Anderson’s saloon.
At the same time the court continued for one week the case of Tony Egizi, 43, of 300 Stevens street, charged with violating the Sunday closing ordinance.
Wilkie Complimented
City Prosecutor John H. Reiners, Jr., complimented Patrolman John V. Wilkie who arrested Anderson and the others said to have been involved in the street fight Saturday, for his work and for the manner in which he presented the evidence.
After the hearing was over Mayor Frederick von Nieda sent for Wilkie and conferred with him for more than half an hour. The nature of the conference was not revealed but it was reported Wilkie may be assigned to special duty by the mayor.
Anderson and the other defendants, Philip Cundiff, 25, of 568 Washington street; Miss Frances Price, 24, of Audubon, Cundiff’s companion; Emil Olnhausen, 21, of 430 Stevens street, and John Keeley, 24, of 613 North Sixth street, all pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct. Cundiff was the man beaten. His assailants escaped.
Wilkie testified that he was standing at Third and Federal streets shortly before 2 a. m. Saturday when a commotion broke out down the street. Miss Price, he said, ran up and told him her boy friend was being beaten up and that a man who hit him had run into the doorway.
Searches One Man
The policeman said that when he got to the saloon, there was a crowd on the sidewalk in front of the back room entrance but that the fight was over and everyone was milling around. He searched Olnhausen, he said, and found four glasses in his pocket which he said he took from Anderson’s.
“I asked him if he knew that was larceny,” said Wilkie, “and he said he didn’t. Then I asked Anderson if he wanted to make a complaint and he said no. I brought Anderson to headquarters with the other four, on the advice of Lieut. George Ward, and he got sarcastic. I charged him with disorderly conduct because he didn’t call the police.”
“I think Anderson knows who beat this man. Last April a man lost his life after a fight near this place. I refer to Frank E. Breslin, who died after a beating. I think Cundiff would have been killed if I hadn’t been called in.”
Girl Tells of Fight
Miss Price testified that she and Cundiff were talking to a girl she knew only as Kitty in the entranceway, when somebody began pushing them around. A fight started, she said, but she did not know how or why. She said that Keeley, who was present, was an old boy friend of hers but that he had married a year and a half ago and she hadn’t been going out with him since.
Keeley said the girl, Kitty, 19, was his stepmother, having recently married his father. Keeley said that after the music in the cafe stopped at 12.30 he went over to a table where his father and Kitty were, and talked to them for some time. Miss Price, he said, ran up and asked him to stop a fight, but accounted for his presence in the crowd.
Cundiff told the same story as Miss Price. He said he was standing in the doorway and the next thing he knew he was pushed out on the street and knocked down, by whom he didn’t know.
Olnhausen said he happened to be coming out of the place just behind Cundiff, but didn’t know how the fight started.
Criticizes Proprietor
“I didn’t know anything about it until I saw the crowd outside,” Anderson testified. “I was in the bar part of the building and didn’t see it. By the time I got out, the fight had stopped. I understand it only lasted a moment or so. The reason I didn’t call and notify the police was that I have no telephone in my place.”
Reiners then addressed Anderson. “You are operating a saloon which has an unsavory reputation as a place where fights start,” he said. “A man died as the result of one of them. You are responsible for keeping people who start fights out of your cafe.”
Lieut. George Frost was called to testify that in 1932 he arrested Anderson on a charge of operating a horse race betting establishment.
“I suggest,” said Reiners, “that this matter be called to the attention of the state liquor commissioner.”
“The only thing against Anderson,” said Judge Lewis Liberman, “was that he didn’t call the police. But I think Anderson could be a little more careful about who comes into his place. I am fining him $25 and giving the rest 60 days suspended sentence. Meanwhile, I shall send a full report to the city commission.”
Reiners said Mayor von Nieda had conferred with him before the hearing and said the police should “go the limit” in enforcing a closed Sunday because he had complaints from all sections of the city.