Introduction
Albert Bedell was born on April 16, 1893 in Zomerhem, Belgium. According to the 1930 census, he came to America in 1913.
The 1930 Census shows that Albert Bedell had not yet become a United States citizen. He was living in Paterson, New Jersey, where he worked as a silk weaver. He had been married to his wife Eva for approximately five years, and there was a son, Norman, aged 4 at the time of the Census. The Bedells divorced at some point during the 1930s.
By 1940 Albert Bedell was living in Camden, at 629 State Street, boarding with Mrs. Mary Watson. When he registered for the draft in the spring of 1942, he listed his occupation as “Actor, Defense Work,” and stated that he was employed by a Mr. Reinig in Mt. Ephraim, New Jersey. He and his wife developed a tightrope walking act which they took on the road for weeks at a time.
It appears that he remained in North Camden throughout the 1950s. By February of 1954 he and his wife were living at 934 North Third Street. He lived at this address for the rest of his days.
Albert Bedell at some point in his life also became a clown, and developed an act with “clown dogs” as well. By the 1960s he was entertaining children in Camden schools throughout the school year and on the city playgrounds during the summer months.
Albert Bedell had fallen ill by mid-July of 1967, and was admitted to Kennedy Hospital in Stratford NJ. He passed away in August of that year.
Draft Card
Dino the Clown
Camden Courier-Post —
Two tightrope walkers returned from a two-month theatrical tour Sunday to discover their home at 934 N. 3rd st. had been robbed of silver they had received as wedding gifts.
The robbery of the entertainers, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Bedell, was one of two home robberies within a block of each other reported to police.
Detectives Edward Suski, Jacob Maresse and Stewart Patterson said that in each case there was no evidence of broken locks, and they believed that possibly the same thief had entered both houses, using a skeleton key.
Mr. and Mrs. Bedell, who said they had been on tour since Dec. 1, reported their losses as silver service for 12, a silver tray, a silver teapot, a silver sugar bowl and a man’s watch. They said they were unable to estimate the value of the gifts.
The other robbery was reported by John Campbell Jr. He told police that while he was absent from his home 213 Erie Street, between 8:30 p.m. Saturday and 12:30 a.m. Sunday, someone stole a metal box from a china closet. He said the box contained $194 in bills in two envelopes and $19 in bills, plus $16 in change in a bag.
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Camden Courier-Post —
Dino the Clown and his famous clown dogs will perform at the Davis Junior High School tomorrow from 10 to 11 a.m.
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Camden Courier-Post —
