Harry A. Haines Jr.

Harry Albert Haines Jr. was born on May 8, 1892 in New Jersey. He was the son of Harry Albert Haines Sr. and his wife, the former Mary Hickman. The family lived at 276 Sycamore Street until the compilation of the 1898 City Directory, when they moved to 294 Sycamore Street, near the corner of South 3rd Street and Sycamore in South Camden. When the Census was taken in 1900 the Haines family, which included older siblings William and Ethel, lived at 294 Sycamore Street. Also living at the Sycamore Street address was Mrs. Haines’ brother, William Hickman. Camden policeman Charles H. Fitzsimmons lived a few doors away at 1135 South 3rd Street in 1900, City Assessor Lewis Stehr Sr. was at 1131 in 1910. Lewis Stehr Jr. served as Camden’s Chief of Police from 1928 until his death in 1930.

Harry Haines Sr. worked as a glassblower, as his father did before him, from the time of the 1880 Census through the 1900 Census enumeration. He served with the Camden Fire Department as a ladderman with Ladder Company 1 in 1897, 1898 and 1899. The 1900 Census indicates that he returned to glassblowing, but by 1904 he had been returned to the Camden Fire Department, where he served until the 1930s.

Harry A. Haines Jr. was single and was still living at 294 Sycamore Street in South Camden when he registered for the draft on June 5, 1917. He was then working as a stock clerk for the Victor Talking Machine Company. Not long afterward he and his parents moved to 1175 Kenwood Avenue in Parkside, the home of his sister Ethel and her husband Charles King who had married in 1909. Sadly, his mother, Mary Haines died of diabetes in March of 1918.

He was still working for the Victor company in January of 1920. The Census taken that month shows that his mother had passed away. Harry Sr. and Harry Jr. were then still living with daughter Ethel and her husband, Charles King, at 1175 Kenwood Avenue. This arrangement held through at least 1924, according to that year’s City Directory. Harry Haines Sr., still with the Camden Fire Department, was by this time Captain of Engine Company 2.

Harry A. Haines Jr. married around 1926. He also changed careers that year. He was appointed to the Camden Fire Department on July 1, 1926 and reported for duty the same day. He was assigned to Ladder Company 1 and served with that unit until December 24, 1926 when he was temporarily re-assigned to Engine Company 2, both units located at the old Fire Headquarters on North 5th and Arch Streets. On March 16, of 1927 Harry Haines Jr. returned to duty with Ladder Company 1.

The 1927 Camden City Directory shows Harry Haines Jr., city fireman, living at 1455 Kaighn Avenue. The 1929 Directory shows Harry Haines and his wife Frances at 914 Pearl Street, where they remained through at least October of 1959. The 1927 Directory also states that his father had also remarried, moved to 1244 Mechanic Street with his wife Anna. Harry Albert Haines Sr. was captain at Engine Company 7 on Kaighn Avenue by 1929. Harry Albert Haines Sr. remained active with the Fire Department for several years thereafter, before retiring in the 1930s. He was living in Woodlynne, New Jersey when he died on July 4, 1941 at the age of 75.

On April 3rd, 1942 units of the Camden Fire Department’s First Battalion were responding to an alarm at Point and Erie Streets, North Camden. A group of children were on their way to a birthday party for nine-year-old, Betty Mogck. The group of excited birthday celebrants, hearing the fire engines coming, ran into the street to see where they were going. As Engine Company 2 was making the turn at Erie Street, the Chauffeur, Fireman Harry Kleinfelder pulled hard on the wheel to avoid running over the children but not before striking little Betty Mogck. The apparatus swerved to the side of the street, sheared off a utility pole and came to rest on the pavement. Two members were hurled to the ground, slightly injured. Betty’s older brother, John, was down the block talking with friends and came running up the street. Betty Mogck was rushed to Cooper Hospital suffering from a broken leg. Firemen William Hopkins and Harry Haines, who was riding on that call with Engine Company 2, were treated for bruises and released. Years later, Betty’s brother, John J. Mogck, Jr. would himself enter the Department and rise from the ranks of Probationary Fireman to retire as Chief of Department.

Harry A. Haines Jr. remained with Ladder Company 1 until June of 1951, when he was transferred to Engine Company 11 on North 27th Street in Cramer Hill. He was sent to Ladder Company 3 at North 27th Street and Federal Street in East Camden on January 16, 1955. On May 1st of that year he was detailed to the Commissioner’s Office. Harry A. Haines Jr. retired out on pension on August 1, 1955. He left Pearl Street at some point in the 1960s, possibly after the riots of 1967.

Harry Albert Haines was a resident of Pitman, New Jersey when he died in July, 1975.

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 Etley 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 Middleton’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.