Introduction
Andrew McBurney was born September 28, 1921 in New Jersey, the son of Anthony McBurney and his wife, the former Margaret Smith. The McBurney family, headed by grandfather John McBurney, a baker by trade, moved to Cramer Hill from Pennsauken not long after the 1910 Census enumeration. The family resided at 3257 River Road in 1914. By June of 1917 John McBurney had passed away. By that time the family had moved to the block bounded by North 35th Street, Farragut Avenue, and North 36th Street. Anthony McBurney was working as a carpenter at Cramp’s Shipyard and living at 1189 North 36th Street at that time. His older brother Samuel lived next door at 1187. Anthony McBurney served with the United States Army during World War I, after which he came back to Cramer Hill and started his family.
By January of 1920 the McBurney’s lived in three of six homes on the above-mentioned block, 1166 North 35th, 3532 Farragut Avenue, and 1191 North 36th Street. The three remaining houses on Farragut at that time were occupied by the Rettberg family at 3508 Farragut, their son Arthur was well known as a boxer; the Adam Kelhower family at 3516, and the Albert Schofield family at 3518.
Anthony McBurney had married Margaret Smith and settled at 1191 North 36th Street, adjacent to his brother Robert, widowed mother, and maternal aunt Mary Butler. Their first child, a daughter named Evelyn had recently been born, and Margaret’s brother Samuel Smith, then 11, also lived there. Andrew McBurney arrived on September of 1921.
In April of 1930 the McBurney family, which included older sister Evelyn and younger brother Robert, lived at 3415 Harrison Avenue in the Cramer Hill section of Camden. The elder McBurney was then working as a rigger at an oil refinery, most likely the refinery on nearby Petty’s Island. Another child Bernice, came later.
After serving in the armed forces, Andrew McBurney joined the Camden Police Department on September 16, 1948, along with Thomas Ewanichak, Charles Trostel, Edward Troutman, Nicholas Pavlak, Arthur Jones, Joseph Kane, Walter Bobson, and Harris Wilkerson. He advanced through the ranks and had been appointed Acting Lieutenant by February of 1962.
Last a resident of Cherry Hill NJ, Andrew McBurney passed away September 9, 1999.
Penncrest In Tie With Clippers, 6-6
Camden Courier-Post —
Andrew McBurney
Handgun Competition
From Left: William Schultz, Unknown, Unknown, Andrew McBurney
Yegg Trapped on Safe Job
Camden Courier-Post —
Owner Spots Eerie Light
A South Camden roofing firm owner discovered a man attempting to burn a hole in the office safe and led police to his capture Friday night.
The story started when William Alper, 40, of 6407 Roosevelt ave., Pennsauken, part owner of the I. Alper Co., roofers, of 537 S. 2nd st., returned to the plant unexpectedly about 7:30 p.m.
Alper said he suspected something was wrong when he entered the vestibule of the building and saw flames leaping from the frame of a door in the rear of the building. The office was aglow with an errie [sic] white light, he said, and the figure of a man wearing goggles and wielding a blow torch was bent down in front of the six-foot-high office safe.
Retreats to Street
Alper retreated unseen to the street and telephoned police. Sgt. Andrew McBurney, Ptl. Edward Campbell and Dets. Edward Troutman and Raymond Carson responded. District Fire Chief Austin Marks also arrived with a contingent to fight the fire.
The busy intruder dropped his torch and fled to a warehouse in the rear of the building when he spotted police caps bobbing at the front door. McBurney shouted for the man to surrender and fired three shots in the air as he fled back to the warehouse and dived into a stack of tires.
Recognizes Intruder
When the man climbed out and McBurney snapped a pair of handcuffs on his outstretched wrists, Alper recognized him as a laborer who had worked for the firm two weeks.
Held without bail on charges of breaking and entering and attempted robbery was Clifford Frison, 25, of the 2900 block W. Diamond st., Philadelphia. He was surprised by an employer in the offices of the I. Alper, roofers, 537 S. 2nd st.
Customers Flee Shop After Blast
Camden Courier-Post —
A sawed-off shotgun, fired at point-blank range through a plate glass window scattered several customers and employees at the Little Bitts sandwich shop, 940 North 2nd street, at 7:00 PM Thursday.
Patrolman Edward Ingram and William Lewis said the gunman, described as a Puerto Rican, fled on foot.
Proprietor Mrs. Lillie Ott, 45, and helper Edward Schwartz, 48, of 6367 Ditman Avenue, Philadelphia, escaped injury from flying glass and pellets as did a group of teenage customers, police said.
Man to Face Grand Jury In Shooting
Camden Courier-Post —
Municipal Judge Sklar today held a Laurel Springs man for the grand jury on three charges stemming from the accidental shooting of his brother-in-law on Friday night.
Bruce Mallett, 24, of the 300 block Elma st., is charged with possession of a deadly weapon, assault and battery on a policeman, and resisting arrest. Sklar dismissed a threat-to-kill charge because of insufficient evidence.
Det. Raymond Paradise said Mallett accidentally shot Edward Vincent, 26, of 1434 Haddon ave., in the left thigh with a .22-calibre rifle at Haddon and Atlantic aves.
The Courier-Post erroneously reported Saturday that Vincent shot Mallett, resisted arrest and was arrested. The Courier-Post retracts this error and regrets any inconvenience to Vincent.
Paradise reported that Mallett got into an argument with an unidentified motorist as he was parking a truck at Haddon and Atlantic aves.
Paradise said the motorist drove away. He said Mallett pulled the rifle from behind a seat in the truck and it went off, with the bullet striking Vincent. Vincent was taken to Cooper Hospital by Mallett and treated. The hospital summoned police.
Det. Sgt. Andrew McBurney, Ptl. Donald Still and Paradise went to the hospital. Paradise said Mallett struggled with Still in the hospital parking lot when Mallett refused to give up the rifle.
‘Trail of Blood’ Leads to Bandit After Store Battle
Camden Courier-Post —
‘Trail of Blood’ Leads to Bandit After Store Battle
By James Riggio, Courier-Post Staff
A South Camden storekeeper was shot in the face last night as he fired four bullets into one of two men who held up Roxy’s Record Shop at 541 Mount Vernon Street. Both underwent emergency surgery at West Jersey Hospital following the gun battle shortly before 6 p.m.
The holdup suspect is listed in serious condition with three wounds of the abdomen; right thigh and two in the right arm. A hospital spokesman said Rocco Pizzutello, 65, of 103 S. Haddon Avenue, Oaklyn, the storekeeper, is in satisfactory condition. The bullet entered Pizzutello’s chin and came out the right side of his face, said the hospital official.
Man at Large
Police are seeking the second holdup man who escaped the store on foot following the gun fight. He is described as a man in his 20s, about 5-7 or two-inches tall, wearing a blue knit shirt and brown trousers, armed with a revolver and possibly from the Philadelphia area.
Det. Lt. Andrew McBurney said the suspect, identified as Arthur Watson, 29, of the block Milton Street, Philadelphia, has been placed under police guard at the hospital and was charged with armed robbery and atrocious assault and battery. Watson was arrested about 10 minutes after the robbery by members of the Delaware Police Det. Golden “Pete” Sunkett and Frank Matreale and James M. Anderson.
Amber Street, nearly four blocks away. They said the trail ended at the rear of a home bordering on the alley-like street. Sunkett said Watson was found in the second-floor bedroom of Miss Teddy Malloy, 29, of the 400 block Kaighn Avenue, as he attempted to tie a towel around his badly wounded arm. Police questioned Miss Malloy, a columnist for a weekly newspaper, for more than an hour. McBurney said the bandits made off with an undetermined amount of money, some of which was recovered.
Police Gave Account
Police gave the following account of the robbery and shootings: Two men entered the record shop and asked Pizzutello to show them some spiritual records. He started to show them several albums, one of the men drew a pistol and announced it was a holdup. Pizzutello opened the cash register when he remembered he had a five-shot .32 calibre revolver in his pocket. He drew his gun and fired all five shots, four of them striking one of the bandits in the face and twice in the abdomen.
During the gunfight, one of the bandits was reported to have shouted, “Give us the money and we’ll go.”
Cries for Help
A neighbor who said he lives directly behind the shop reported he heard Pizzutello cry out for help and when he looked out his rear window, saw a man running out the back door of the shop.
Police said they believed at least one of the gunmen fled from the front door which had what appeared to be a bullet hole in the glass, and they recovered $41 of the stolen money which was found hidden under the bed in the room where Watson was arrested.
Policemen, Firemen Are Promoted
Camden Courier-Post —
Camden Director of Public Safety Harold Melleby yesterday announced the promotions of three city policemen and three firemen.
Promoted to police sergeants were Earl Flanagan, 40, Joseph J. McComb, 39, and Joseph Wylings Jr., 45. Wylings is a 20-year veteran of the police force and Flanagan and McComb each have been with the department 12 years.
Fire Department promotions were Charles A. Bates to battalion chief and Michael C. LaFrance, 26, and George Kurtyan, 25, to captain.
For 8 Years
Bates has been serving as a captain for the past eight years. LaFrance and Kurtyan both have been firemen for four years.
Police Transfers
The following police transfers were announced:
Capt. Joseph McGann from commander of the Uniformed Patrol Division to commander of the Records and Identification Bureau.
Capt. Peter Paull from commander of the Records and Identification Bureau to commander of the Uniformed Patrol Division.
To Detective Group
Lt. Charles Ferry from the Patrol Division to the Detective Division.
Lt. Joseph Hainsworth from the Internal Affairs Unit to commander of Patrol Division’s fourth platoon.
Lt. Andrew McBurney from assistant Patrol Division commander to commander of the division’s third platoon.
Lt. Joseph Caputi from commander of the third platoon to assistant commander of the Patrol Division.
Obituary
Camden Courier-Post —
McBurney
On Sept. 9, 1999 Andrew. Beloved husband of Alice (nee Mereness) of Cherry Hill, NJ. Age 77 years. Survived by daughter Andrea Bateman & grandson Devon both of Voorhees. Sister Bernice McBurney of Mt Laurel & brother the late Robert McBurney. Relatives & friends are invited to attend funeral services on Thursday 10:30am at the Erial Community Church, New Brooklyn & Jarvis Rds, Erial, NJ. Int: New Jersey Veteran’s Cemetery, Arneytown, NJ. Friends may call Thursday morning 9:30-10:30 at the church. Arrangements by the Ora L. Wooster Funeral Home, 51 Park Blvd, Clementon.
Publication date: 9/14/99