Isaac C. Shute
ISAAC CLARK SHUTE JR. was born on May 18, 1867 to Isaac C. Shute and the former Sarah Jane Fox. His father was a locomotive engineer. The family lived in Camden’s North Ward when the 1870 Census was enumerated. The 1880 Census shows the Shute family at 611 Elm Street. The family consisted of Isaac C. Shute’s parents, older siblings William F. and Mary J. Shute, and younger siblings Annie, Martha, John, George, and Frank Shute. Also at home was grandmother Mary Shute, 79.
On October 20, 1888 Isaac C. Shute married Sarah W. “Sallie” Thomas at the Union Methodist Episcopal Church at South 5th and Mt. Vernon Streets in Camden. Her father was Benjamin H. Thomas Sr., a long-time Camden police officer and Republican political figure in Camden’s Eighth Ward. The Benjamin H. Thomas Sr. family’s political activities were very much a family affair. His wife Rebecca was the sister of Jesse W. Pratt, who served as Mayor of Camden from 1896 to 1892. Benjamin H. Thomas Sr.’s son, James Thomas, married Madeline Rouh, daughter of Eighth Ward Justice of the Peace F. Joseph Rouh.
Isaac and Sallie Shute lived with her parents, the Thomases, at 697 Ferry Avenue. Benjamin H. Thomas Sr. passed away from “brain fever” on November 23, 1893. Isaac and Sallie Shute continued to reside at 697 Ferry Avenue until her untimely death in 1898. Isaac C. Shute remained at 697 Ferry Avenue until at least 1905. Following his late father-in-law into law enforcement, Isaac C. Shute was appointed to the Camden Police Department on May 15, 1900, and served with distinction until retiring on pension in January of 1925.
On February 9, 1908 Isaac Shute married a widow, Mrs. M. Josephine Rouh Schmidt, the daughter of Justice of the Peace F. Joseph Rouh, and the sister-in-law of his late wife. They lived at 755 Ferry Avenue until 1912. The 1913 City Directory places them at 1915 South 7th Street, and the 1914, 1915 and 1916 Directories has them at 1909 South 7th Street. Sadly, Mrs. Shute passed away on May 25, 1915.
Isaac C. Shute is not listed in the 1917 Directory. By the fall of 1918, he had moved to 1826 South 6th Street.
After leaving the Camden Police Department, Isaac C. Shute remained active in Eighth Ward politics for a number of years. By August of 1940 he had moved to 534 Rex Place. He was seriously injured in Atlantic City on August 31, 1940 when the water tower on the roof of a bath house collapsed. He passed away on July 8, 1942 and was buried at Arlington Cemetery, next to his first wife.
Says He Didn't Do It.
Camden Post —
Charley Sing Lee, a Chinese laundryman at Broadway and Emerald St., Centreville, was given a hearing before Justice Chester yesterday, charged by Mrs. Sallie Shute with the larceny of a $5 gold piece. It appears that Mrs. Shute went for her laundry on Saturday night and says she had two five dollar gold pieces in her pocketbook, besides some small change. Mrs. Shute says when she got home she only had one of the precious coins left, and says she gave it out with the change. Mrs. Shute, in company with Officer Leitenberger, visited the Chinaman, but he denied the charge, hence the arrest. He will be given a further hearing.
Shute—Schmidt.
Camden Post-Telegram —
Eighth Ward Policeman Weds Widow of Contractor.
Policeman Isaac Shute, of Seventh street and Ferry avenue, and Mrs. Josephine Schmidt, widow of a one-time well-known and prosperous contractor, of 755 Ferry avenue, were quietly wedded Sunday night, no announcement being made until this morning.
The ceremony was performed by Justice of the Peace James E. Tatem at the home of Councilman James E. Hewitt, 529 South Fifth street. Mr. and Mrs. Hewitt were the only witnesses. The groom, a widower, has been on the police force for a number of years. The bride is the daughter of ‘Squire F. Joseph Rouh, sister of Frank J. Rouh, leader of the Naval Reserves Band, and is engaged in business at 755 Ferry avenue.
Assault Case Notice
Camden Post-Telegram —
Another assault case was that of Rudolph Oakwood, of 2411 South Ninth street, who was arrested by Policeman “Ike” Shute. According to the latter, Oakwood threatened to shoot Shute and a saloonkeeper, Jacob Pfeister, and Shute shot Oakwood toward the hall by way of the patrol. For his threats to shoot, the defendant was held in $500 bail for court.
Mrs. Isaac Shute Dead.
Camden Daily Courier —
Suffering from an internal complaint for over a month, Mrs. Josephine Shute, wife of Machine Operator Isaac Shute, of Police Headquarters, passed away at her home on Seventh street below Ferry avenue, early this morning. Mrs. Shute was the daughter of the late ‘Squire F. Joseph Rouh, of 753 Ferry avenue, and by inheritance was a very amiable and beloved woman. She formerly kept a notion and dry goods store next door.
In his loss, Sergeant Shute, who is himself prostrated with grief and illness from keeping faithful nightly by the bedside of his wife, has the sincere sympathy of the many warm friends he has.
To Take Last Look.
Camden Daily Courier —
To-night after 7:30 o’clock, friends of Mrs. Josephine Shute, wife of Police Headquarters Isaac Shute, and daughter of the late Squire Joseph Rouh and Mrs. Madeline Rouh, can view the remains of the deceased at the family home, 1919 South Seventh street.
Requiem high mass will be solemnized at the Church of the Sacred Heart to-morrow morning at 9 o’clock.
Dozen Battles Draw 1000 as Victory March Pays Serenade
Camden Courier-Post —
Youth Cut in Chest by Bullet; Bystander Cut on Head
Political Leaders Put to Quiz by Detectives
At least one person was shot and many were hurt in a street battle last night that was the aftermath of a bitter political contest at the primary election between rival Republicans factions in the Eighth ward.
When nearly a score of police arrived in response to a riot call from Sixth and Viola streets a crowd of 1000 excited residents of the ward had gathered there and a dozen or more individual combats were in progress.
Nicholas Sustich, 15, of 1804 Hale street, was treated at Cooper hospital for a flesh wound of the chest, which police said was caused by a ricocheting bullet.
Joseph Samenich, 1005 South Sixth street, was treated at the West Jersey Homeopathic hospital for cuts on the forehead. He claimed to be an innocent bystander.
Detectives investigated a report that Isaac D. Shute, former city detective and former county committeeman from the Eighth Ward, had been shot in the leg. According to Detective George Zeitz, he learned from a member of Shute’s family that he had received treatment by a physician for cuts of the right hand resulting from a fall.
After questioning a score of persons at detective headquarters last night, including leaders of each of the rival Republican factions, John Hess, 24, of 1825 South Sixth street, was arrested on a charge of illegal possession of firearms and held in $1000 bail for a hearing in police court this morning.
According to Zeitz, the melee started when a parade led by Nicholas Scarduzio, of 1963 South Fourth street, a former summer policeman, stopped in front of the saloon of William Tansky, Jr., 1903 South Sixth street, two doors below Viola street.
Tansky was unsuccessful candidate for the post of county committeeman in the Tuesday primaries. He was reputed to be backed by the Woodruff-Verga faction.
The parade was in celebration of the victory of Dr. Orris W. Saunders, who won the Republican nomination for freeholder, defeating Walter Sekula, the incumbent, of Edmund A. Walsh, who defeated Tansky, and of Maime F. Piraine, re-elected county committeewoman over Theresa DiLello. The successful candidates were of the Baird-Baker faction.
Walsh and Miss Piraine were in the parade, according to Zeitz. The celebration of victory had started the night before and centered largely throughout the day in the saloon of Celie Ellis, across the street from that of Tansky.
More than 100 persons were in the procession, which was led by an improvised band of accordians, fifes, drums and bugles.
When it stopped in front of the Tansky place, according to the police, Benjamin Tansky, 30, a brother of the proprietor, came to the door of the saloon and objected to the political jibes that were hurled by the parading factionalists.
When the paraders remained, the police said, hot words were exchanged, a dozen or more others who were in the Tansky place came out, and the battle started.
Eye-witnesses described it later as a bloody free-for-all in which fists and “billies” were used. The riot call was sent to police at 7.30.
Motorcycle policemen converged to the scene and a squad of detectives arrived led by Zietz and including Leon Branch, Fiore Troncone and Richard Donnelly. Many of the combatants fled, but hundreds remained as police and detectives strove to locate the injured, most of whom had been removed.
They learned that Scarduzio had been badly beaten on the head and that two shots had been fired in the melee.
According to Zietz, Hess admitted at detective headquarters that he had fired the shots from a revolver which he had procured from back of the Tansky bar, and that he had aimed the shots at the pavement for the purpose of “scaring” the parade crowd away.
Benjamin Tansky told police that when he remonstrated with the rival political group about 15 of them attacked him. They knocked him down, he said, and poked him in the eye with a pole. He exhibited a black eye to substantiate his story.
Zietz said he found a loaded revolver, with two shells fired, in a radio cabinet in the living room behind Tansky’s barroom.
Retired Policeman of Camden Among 9 Injured in Crash
Camden Courier-Post —
Rescuers Work Four Hours to Free Former Officer from Debris
Atlantic City, Sept. 1 — Six bodies were in morgues here tonight as resort officials opened an investigation into one of the worst disasters of the city in years—the collapse of a bathhouse filled with holiday vacationers.
Firemen continued to dig into the debris at Florida avenue and the Boardwalk, where the Florida Baths stood until 3 p. m. yesterday, in an effort to find the body of a man believed buried.
Nine persons were known to be injured by the crash which occurred without warning when 40,000 gallons of water, in two tanks above the baths, crashed through the rear of the long, narrow two story structure.
The known victims are: Mrs. Fannie Arbor, 42, of 318 West Roosevelt boulevard; Hyman Shutoff, 45, of 420 Morris street; his wife, Esther, 43; Mrs. Sophie Sonstein, 55, of 410 Ritner street; Mrs. Jennje Kaufman, 55, of 2419 North Twenty-ninth street, all of Philadelphia, and Mrs. Rose Wolk, about 50, of 2519 Pacific avenue, Atlantic City.
The known injured in Atlantic City Hospital were: Ida Toper, 62, of 1728 South Fifty-first street, of Philadelphia, head injuries; Ida Chadish, Trenton, head injuries and cut tongue; Samuel Sonstein, 60, husband of one victim, cuts of the body; William Arbor, husband of another victim, head injuries; Martha Banks, 50, of Ventnor, broken leg; Anna Green, 44, of 102 Florida avenue, Atlantic City; Frances Benckert, 22, cashier of the bathhouse, leg injuries, and Isaac C. Shute, 68, retired Camden policeman, internal injuries and numerous cuts.
Shute, who lives at 534 Rex Place, Camden, was pinned beneath the debris, a heavy wooden joist falling across his shoulder holding him inside one of the bathtubs. Rescuers worked for more than four hours before he could be freed. Meanwhile, he maintained consciousness and received stimulants from Dr. Carl Surran, police surgeon, who climbed into the wreckage besides Shute.
All the dead and injured were trapped in the rear of the building, in a section devoted to salt water and Swedish baths. Some were partly dressed, apparently having been about ready to leave.
The cause of the collapse had not been determined tonight but this afternoon Mayor Thomas D. Taggart, after having been on the scene almost all night, ordered an immediate investigation through the office of Prosecutor Harry Coulomb.
Coroner Julius Waldman formed a coroner’s jury, and visited the scene of the disaster today.
The bathhouse is owned by Leslie Reed, son of the city’s finance director, David C. Reed.
Isaac C. Shute Dies, Ex-City Detective
Camden Courier-Post —
Succumbs to Illness 2 Days After Returning Home from Hospital
Isaac C. Shute, 75, a retired city detective, died in Cooper Hospital yesterday. He had been in the hospital for four weeks, had returned to his home, 537 Rex street, Monday, and was stricken seriously ill again at 10.30 o’clock Tuesday night. He was again taken to the hospital, where he died at 1 a. m.
Mr. Shute was long active in Republican politics in the Eighth ward and served several terms as Republican county committeeman for the ward. He enjoyed the warm friendship of many of the oldtime political leaders, chief among whom was the late Senator David Baird.
Mr. Shute was appointed to the Camden police force on May 15, 1900, by the late Mayor Charles H. Ellis and went on a pension Jan. 15, 1925.
His record as a policeman and later a city detective never had a blemish on it. He was a member of the detective team which gathered fame unto itself when he worked with Detective Theodore Guthrie.
After his retirement from the police force, Mr. Shute maintained his interest in politics in the Eighth ward and was always in the forefront to obtain things of benefit to the citizens there.
Mr. Shute enjoyed good health until Aug. 31, 1940, when he was injured seriously in a bath house in Atlantic City. The water tower in the bath house collapsed and a number of persons were killed and seriously injured. From that time on his health began to fail.
He is survived by two daughters, Mrs. Myrtle Teffeau and Mrs. Anna Maderia, both of Camden; two sons, Vincent Shute, of Camden, and Walter Shute, of Gloucester City; six grandchildren and a brother, John Shute, of Atlantic City. One of his granddaughters, Miss Cleroa Teffeau, is a Camden public school teacher.
The funeral will be held at 11 a. m. Saturday at the Holl funeral home, 1401 Princess avenue. Burial will be in Evergreen Cemetery.