George Hemphill
Patrolman George T. Hemphill, Camden Police Department
Officer George T. Hemphill, of the Camden Police Department, was serving on the vandalism squad when, on January 27, 1940, he was sent to the Cooper River, just south of the State Street Bridge, where he found that ten-year old Johnny Bernard had fallen through the thin layer of ice that had been coating the stream.
Officer Hemphill proceeded to hop from ice floe to ice floe himself to get to the boy, who was losing his grip on the chunk of ice that was keeping him afloat. A rescue was made before the boy went under.
George Hemphill had already joined the Camden police department by 1929. By that year he was living with his wife Edna at 707 York Street in North Camden. George and Edna Hemphill had left Camden by the time the 1947 City Directory was compiled.
Father of 6 Jailed for Theft of Milk
Camden Courier-Post —
Father of 6 Jailed for Theft of Milk
Declaring that he “cannot condone” stealing of milk from doorsteps, Police Judge Mariano sentenced William Buss, 49, of 633 Cedar street, to 10 days in jail.
Arrested Saturday by Patrolman George Hemphill on complaint of Francis O. Engstrom, 316 Bailey street, driver of a milk wagon, for stealing a bottle of milk from a house at 611 Cedar street, Buss said he stole the milk because he has six children, three of whom are young.
“With all the relief facilities in Camden, there is no necessity for stealing milk,” Judge Mariano told him. “Somebody has to pay for the milk you stole and perhaps the house from which you stole it needs that milk for a baby.”
Judge Mariano said he would arrange with the relief bureau to provide for Buss’ children while he is in jail.
Boy Nearly Drowns to Prove Courage
Camden Courier-Post —
Tries to Walk Across Thin Ice of Cooper Creek When ‘Dared’ to Do So
Johnny Bernard, 10, has lived at 532 Byron street for only two weeks.
During that time he has been trying to prove to other boys in the neighborhood that he doesn’t lack courage and that he should be accepted into their good graces as a playmate. So when one of the boys “dared” him to walk across the thin ice of Cooper creek, he considered that this was the final test of his fearlessness.
But he almost lost his life carrying out the “dare” and probably would have drowned had it not been for the heroism of a Camden policeman.
Johnny was the smallest of the group of boys who were playing in a garage near Tenth and Elm streets. They soon tired of the garage and made their way toward the banks of the creek.
One boy, identified only as “Chunky,” asked Johnny to take the “dare.”
“You walk across the ice and we’ll follow,” he told the boy, who moved to Camden from Horsham, Pa.
“Sure,” said Johnny, who looked at the thin and perilous surface and shivered. He gritted his teeth and started, just the same. He wasn’t 10 feet away from the bank when the ice began to crackle. He kept going.
Twenty feet out, the ice splintered beneath his 90 pounds. The lad toppled into the freezing water and grabbed for the nearest cake of ice which began moving toward the State street bridge with the channel.
That was just after Radio Operator Edward Garrity dispatched Patrolman George Hemphill, of the vandal squad, to the nearby garage on a call that boys were playing there. When Hemphill reached the scene, he got a second alarm: “Go to the creek at Elm street. A boy is in the water there.”
Hemphill hurried to the stream and hopped from one cake of ice to another. He signalled for the biggest of the other boys to follow, and hold onto his coattails. He reached the Bernard boy just as the latter was losing his grip and going under. Then he pulled the child ashore.
The officer took the boy home, half frozen, to Mrs. Mary Bernard.
Johnny Bernard
Camden Courier-Post —
Johnny Bernard in front of a coal stove, 532 Byron Street, Camden — Camden Courier-Post, January 26, 1940