John J. Hibbs
JOHN HIBBS was born in New Jersey around 1854 to John and Sophia Hibbs. The family was living in Camden’s South Ward when the Census was taken in 1860 and 1870. When the Census was taken in 1870 the family consisted of John and Sophia Hibbs and their children Matilda, John, Mary, Virginia, and George B. Hibbs. Older sister Amanda was not living at home by this point.
John J. Hibbs’ father was a shoemaker, and he taught his son the trade, which he followed on occasion. The City Directories show him at 438 Cherry Street in the late 1870s.
The 1880 Census shows John J. Hibbs and his wife Barbara living with their one year-old son George B. Hibbs at 348 Joint Alley. The 1881–1882 Directory gives an address of 921 South 4th Street. By April of 1882 he had moved to 422 Lawrence Street, where according to Directories he remained into 1884.
On April 5, 1882 John Hibbs was appointed to the Camden Fire Department to serve as an extra man with the Hook & Ladder Company, replacing John Gray. John Hibbs served with the Fire Department for one year, then was replaced by Michael Devinney.
According to news accounts of the time, John Hibbs had a habit of getting in trouble with the law. He was in Camden County Jail in May of 1883 when he took part in an eight man escape. He was again in jail in October of 1886, on a charge of larceny, when another jailbreak he was taking part in was thwarted by law enforcement personnel.
Camden's New Firemen
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Camden’s New Firemen.
The fire commissioners of Camden have made the following appointments, and the men will go on duty next Saturday: Engine No. 1—Foreman, George Tenner; extra men, James McCracken, Daniel Broomley, James S. Kelley, Michael McCaffery, James H. Brown, Thomas McKenna, James Shinn, Smith Moore, William Irelan Engine No 2—Foreman, William Bassett; extra men, John Hill, James Reed, Robert Miller, William Marsh, George Moffett, John J. Logan, Isaac M. Shreve, Samuel Welsh, Lewis Ferrell, Logan Bates, Isaac Collings, Harry Miles, John Elliott, William Turner, Charles Holl, John J. Hibbs, John Seybold, Wm. Suders, Edward Swope, James McCann.
Breaking Jail
New York Herald —
Eight Prisoners Escape from Camden Jail — Five Recaptured.
Philadelphia, May 25, 1883.
Eight prisoners escaped from the Camden (N. J.) County Jail about noon to-day by sawing off the steel bars of their cell windows and then breaking the lock of the iron gate. Upon the alarm being given Sheriff Gibbs, with a posse, started in pursuit and captured five of the fugitives. The other three—Harry Sanderson, Frank Peters and John Hibbs—made good their escape. Another of the escaped prisoners was captured last night near his home in Camden.
Vigilance of a Sheriff
Philadelphia Inquirer —
And General Intelligence from the Other Bank of the Delaware.
The lucky discovery of Sheriff Smith yesterday prevented four prisoners confined in the county jail from regaining their liberty. On the second floor of the old court house is located a room or a large cell where the better class of prisoners are locked up.
This cell was occupied by John Hibbs, charged with larceny; George Wilson, awaiting trial for assault and battery on his wife; Edward Vennell, charged with breaking and entering, and H. H. Barry, held on an action of debt. About two weeks ago the men decided to make an attempt to break jail and adopted the plan of sawing the bars at night with a case knife. They had succeeded in sawing two bars, so it was only necessary to bend them and escape, which was to have occurred last night, but the timely warning sent to the Sheriff prevented this, and the three men now languish in the cells below.
Hibbs is a noted crook and was one of the men who escaped in the large jail delivery which occurred about three years ago, when nine men escaped from the Camden Jail.
Vice Chancellor Bird, of Camden, yesterday heard the case of Mrs. Ida Williams, nee Johnson, against her husband, for alimony. The wife charged her husband with cruel treatment, while the husband made counter charges, accusing her of infidelity. The Chancellor, after reviewing the testimony, ordered the husband to contribute only $3 a week for the support of his two children. It is evident that a divorce suit will follow.