Christopher Moll Jr.

Christopher Moll Jr. was born on October 23, 1890 in Camden, New Jersey to Christopher and Anna Moll. He was the youngest of nine children. His father supported his family working as a butcher, and had brought his family to Camden from Philadelphia shortly after the 1880 Census enumeration. The family lived at 1166 Maple Street in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The 1900 Census shows the family at 212 North Twelfth Street, and they still were living there in 1910. Christopher Moll Jr. was still living at home when the Census was taken in 1910.

When the 1914 Camden City Directory was compiled, Christopher Moll Jr. had married. He and his wife Nina then lived at 914 North 4th Street in North Camden. The 1914 Camden City Directory shows him working as a fireman, but not in the firefighting sense of the word, however, as his draft card, filled out in 1917, shows him working for the Pennsylvania Railroad. He then lived at 613 York Street, next door to future City Commissioner Carroll P. Sherwood. He had moved to 610 York Street by the spring of 1918. The 1920 Census shows Christopher and Nina Moll living with their two sons, Thomas and S. Stewart Moll, at 46 South 28th Street in East Camden. Christopher Moll was working as a machinist in a factory. By 1924 Christopher Moll and family had moved to 2833 Yorkship Road in the then relatively new Yorkship Village section. He was then working as an auto mechanic. By 1927 he had joined the Camden Fire Department, and was still serving as late as 1947. His older brother William Moll joined the Camden Police Department, around the same time, where he served for about 30 years. Another older brother, Frank Henry Moll, also served as a police officer in the mid-1920s.

Christopher and Nina Moll were still living on Yorkship Road as late as the spring of 1942. By the time the 1947 Camden City Directory was compiled they had moved to 204 White Horse Pike in West Collingswood. He was then still employed by the Fire Department. He retired on November 1, 1955, having reached the mandatory retirement age. The 1956 New Jersey Bell Telephone Directories lists him at 311 Richey Avenue in West Collingswood. He was still living there when he passed away in September of 1967. Christopher Moll was survived by his wife Nina, who remained on Richey Avenue through at least the fall of 1970, before moving to Beach Haven, New Jersey. She died in February of 1976.

Former City Commissioner Found Unconscious in Old Home

With gas flowing from a pipe detached from a gas range, former City Commissioner Melbourne F. Middleton, Jr., was found unconscious in the kitchen of his former home at 538 Cooper street early Saturday night.

Middleton was reported last night to still be in a critical condition at West Jersey Hospital, where he was taken. The Camden Fire Department First Aid Squad worked over him for an hour at the house in a vain effort to revive him.

Middleton, a former president of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, and one time city councilman, was found by a son, C. Barry Middleton, and a friend, John Williams Rossell, who lives with the Middletons on Laurel road, Moorestown. Middleton was clad in overalls and two large pipe wrenches were lying on the kitchen floor near him.

Young Middleton said his father told his family he intended to take up some linoleum in the kitchen of his former home. Middleton first went to his office Saturday and then to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church to a service. From there he was traced to his former home, which is owned by him.

When Middleton failed to return home for dinner at the usual time Saturday his son and Rossell decided to search for him. When young Middleton discovered his father’s plight he notified police. Patrolmen Frank Cavallo, Henry Lutz, Walter Vecander and George Getley responded in radio cars and gave first aid until the fire department squad arrived.

The firemen worked on the former commissioner one hour with an inhalator before ordering his removal to the hospital, where they continued to work on Middleton for another hour but were unable to revive him. Hospital physicians continued working on him without success. They said his condition was critical.

Gas Man Called

At 4 p. m. Saturday the family living next to Middlemen’s home telephoned Public Service that gas was coming from the house. Public Service sent a man to investigate but he was unable to get into the house.

Young Middleton and Rossell said they reached the house at 6.17 p. m.

While he was a member of the first city commission Middleton was director of finance but never missed responding to all alarms of fire. He was a member of the fire committee while serving in City Council as a member from the Second ward. In that capacity he also answered all alarms.

Members of the Firemen’s First Aid Squad responding to the call were Deputy Chief William R. Harring, Hosemen Christopher Moll, William Spencer, Harry Haines, Russell Anderson, William Harry Deitz and Nelson Andrews.

City Detectives Benjamin Simon, Joseph Mardino and William Marter are investigating the cause.

The hour-long effort of a fire department rescue squad Friday night saved a woman who tried to kill herself by gas.

Police said Mrs. Florence Marshall, 46, of 330 North Tenth Street, locked herself in the bathroom and turned on a gas jet. They added she was despondent because her daughter, Eva, 22, was planning to marry and leave home.

A son, William, 19, broke down the bathroom door and dragged the mother from the room. Patrolmen John Voll and Harrison Wilkinson were called and summoned the rescue squad headed by Captains Godfrey Patterson and George Boone.

It took the squad an hour to revive Mrs. Marshall by artificial respiration. She was taken to Cooper hospital and later to police headquarters, where she was released for a hearing Monday on a charge of attempted suicide.

Other members of Rescue Squad 1 are George Baxter, William Watkin, John Mogck, Edward Brendllnger, Arthur Ballinghoff, Christopher Moll, Edwin Decker, Carl Wirtz, Robert Olesiewicz, John Kolessar and Raymond Banford.