John Reader
John Reader
John Reader was born in Glassboro, New Jersey on June 8, 1851. He went out to Nebraska with his family for about ten years. He and his wife, the former Lillia Grindle, and sons Addison, Aaron, and Lawrence, moved back to Camden from Nebraska in 1890. His parents stayed in Nebraska, where they passed away. John Reader and his family were known throughout the Seventh and Thirteenth Wards of Camden.
John Reader received his appointment to the Camden Police Department from Mayor Cooper B. Hatch on August 1, 1898. He was a member of the department for at least 19 years, where his abilities were soon recognized. John Reader was promoted to Sergeant on July 1, 1901, with a salary of $500 per year. He had been working as an acting sergeant for several months prior to that date, but only received patrolman’s pay.
In 1911 he made 63 arrests, and was 1 of 10 sergeants
In 1914 he made 6 arrests, and was 1 of 11 sergeants
In 1915 he made 6 arrests, and was 1 of 11 sergeants
In 1916 he made 4 arrests, and was 1 of 11 sergeants
Lillia Grindle Reader died in 1916, and John remarried to WillAnna Graham June 5, 1917. John Reader’s last address was at 749 Walnut Street. John Reader died on February 26, 1919 in Camden, and was buried at Harleigh Cemetery on Haddon Avenue.
John Reader’s son Addison was a doctor in Camden. Dr. Addison B.G. Reader was born October 16, 1876 in Camden. He died on October 22, 1922 in Camden. Aaron Reader was born on August 29, 1880 in Minden, Nebraska. He was in business and moved to Ocean County, New Jersey where he died on December 25, 1957. Lawrence Reader was also born in Minden, on February 16, 1886. He became a lawyer and served on Camden’s city council. Lawrence Reader died in Camden, a victim of the influenza epidemic, on October 10, 1918. The Reader sons all rest with their parents, at Harleigh Cemetery.
The Reader Family
Named: Lillia Grindle Reader, Lawrence Reader, and Dr. Addison B.G. Reader.
Police Appointments
Camden Daily Courier —
Five New Men Named to Fill Vacancies Made Last Week
Mayor Hatch last night appointed the following new policemen:
George Nowrey and James Roach, Sixth ward, to succeed Thomas Brothers and Alfred Haydon.
John Reader, Seventh ward, to succeed John Anderson.
Harry Hope, Third ward, to succeed Alfred Myers.
Hugh Boyle, Ninth ward, to succeed Edward Cooper.
These men went on duty to day.
Alleged Policy People Arrested
Philadelphia Inquirer —
One of the Most Fruitful Raids in Years Was Made in Camden Yesterday
One of the most successful policy raids in years, in Camden, was made under the supervision of Chief of Police Foster yesterday. Sergeant Hyde and squad arrested Thomas F. Waters, alias “Uncle Frank,” aged 73 years; Isaac G. Johnson, seven persons, male and female, white and colored, and captured a quantity of drawings, “dream books” and plays, at 257 Division street.
Captain Stanley, Sergeant Reeder [sic] and squad arrested four women and secured a lot of paraphernalia in a house on Locust near Line street. The alleged proprietor is still at large.
Policeman Sayrs arrested Gilbert Massey, aged 70 years, at 727 Sycamore street, on the charge of being a policy writer.
At the hearings before Justice Stackhouse, Waters, Johnson and Massey were committed in default of $1000 bail each. The witnesses were released. The complaints were made by an agent of the Fidelity Detective Agency.
Police Disperse Socialist Crowd
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Meeting Was Scheduled in Camden, But It Was Prohibited for Fear of Trouble
Considerable excitement was created in Camden last night by the attempt of members of the Camden branch of the Socialistic party to hold an open air meeting at the junction of Broadway, Newton avenue and Mt. Vernon streets. The meeting was stopped by orders of Mayor Hatch. Chief of Police Foster, Captain Stanley, Sergeants Reeder [sic] and Stackhouse and twenty-five patrolmen were kept busy dispersing the large crowd which gathered. For a time it looked as though there would be serious trouble.
George H. Geabel, of Newark, N. J., who was expected to deliver the principal address, said to Chief Foster that it was an abridgement of the freedom of speech, that neither he nor his party were anarchists or Nihilists. He insisted that Czolgosz is a Nihilist. The Chief replied that their attitude might not be understood by the large crowd gathered, and violence might be done them, and it was his duty, therefore, to stop the meeting.
Father Shoots His Son Then Suicides
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Joseph Caskey, a teamster, aged 60 years, of 820 Mount Vernon street, Camden, shot and instantly killed his son, Joseph, a weaver, aged 30 years, of 923 Chestnut street, Camden, in a stable yard in the rear of William Sultzbach’s saloon, at the southeast corner of Ninth and Walnut street, about half-past seven o’clock last night. The father afterwards put the pistol in his mouth, pulled the trigger and fell a corpse at his son’s feet.
Joseph Caskey, Sr., was one of the settlement, and his son was equally well known. Sunday they both attended a Polish christening and were apparently on good terms.
Last night the father was observed to drive into the stable yard shortly after seven o’clock with a team partially loaded. He was seen and heard by several neighbors in and about the barn.
About half-past seven the housekeeper at Sultzbach’s, on whose premises the stable is located, came to him in a state of fright and declared there was a man on the roof. To satisfy her he lighted a lantern and went out on the roof, but found no one. As he flashed the lantern he discovered the street gate and barn door open.
He came down and fastened the gate and started for the barn door and found the bodies of both men.
The son was lying in the stable door with a bullet wound in his temple. The father, a few feet away, was found with a wound in the roof of his mouth. The revolver, a 32-calibre, was clutched tightly in his right hand.
Mr. Sultzbach immediately notified the authorities, and Captain Stanley and Sergeant Reeder [sic] took charge of the bodies until the arrival of Coroner Litchfield.
Both men were married. The father leaves a wife and three grown children and the son a wife and two little girls.
Camden Police Form Organization
Philadelphia Inquirer —
A branch of the State Police Beneficial Association was formed in Camden yesterday by the election of Sergeant Edward Hyde president; Sergeant C. O. Pedrick, vice president; Sergeant Albert Gravenor, financial secretary; Sergeant David Bentley, recording secretary; Sergeant John Reader, treasurer, and Chief John Foster, Sergeant William Schregler and Sergeant George Nowrey, trustees.
Camden Police Made Two Raids
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Police Captain Stanley, Sergeants Hyde and Reader and a squad of police raided two alleged disorderly houses in Camden early yesterday morning. On Pine street above Second they arrested Florence Quinn, the alleged proprietress, and eight men and women. At the place of Rose Cox, on South Fourth street, she and several others were taken into custody. Cases of beer and other drinks were confiscated.
Many Caught in Raid
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Pandemonium Reigned in Camden City Hall Following Arrests
Camden’s “Little Italy” was thrown into a ferment yesterday when Police Captain Stanley and Sergeant Reader, with squads of policemen, descended on two alleged disorderly houses and placed under arrest thirty-eight of the inmates. The proprietors included Antonio Froricano, Fourth street and Joint alley, and Andermo Clercenda, 706 South Second street. The prisoners taxed the capacity of the city jail.
It required several trips of the patrol wagons to convey the prisoners to the city prison, and in each instance crowds of gesticulating women and children followed. They crowded the police headquarters until the doors had to be locked to keep them out. What with the crying women, the bawling children and the excited talking of the men there was a perfect pandemonium.
Camden News Notes
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Chief of Police Gravenor yesterday made Police Sergeant John Reader acting captain of the Second district, during the absence of Captain Arthur Stanley, who has gone abroad.
Worthless Check Writer Jailed
Philadelphia Inquirer —
After giving a romantic account of his career, Frank Hargraves, 28 years old, of Los Angeles, was given six months in jail by Recorder Stackhouse in Camden yesterday on a charge of attempting to pass a worthless check on Harry Galbraith, a liquor merchant, of 817 Broadway. The check was for $13.50 and was drawn to the order of Harry O. Collins on a Camden bank. It was signed “George M. Lucas.”
Of good appearance, Hargraves said he is a paroled prisoner from Canyon City, Col., where he was sentenced in 1907 to five years for a like offense. In 1911 he was pardoned, went to Los Angeles and secured a job in a grocery store. A former “pal” blackmailed him to the extent of $250, all his savings. He forged some checks and left for South America. Later he tried to get employment in New York and Washington and later drifted to Camden. Unable to get work, he concluded to try his old game and was tripped up almost at the beginning. Detective Brothers and Policeman Reader arrested him shortly after his attempt on Galbraith.
Funeral of Sergeant Reader
Philadelphia Inquirer —
Six members of the force who served under him for years were pallbearers yesterday afternoon at the funeral of former Sergeant of Police John Reader. They were Thomas Cunningham, Harry Mines, Thomas Cheeseman, William Harvey, George Kleaver and Clarence Boyer. Services were held at the home of his son, Dr. Addison B. Reader, 1135 Haddon avenue, and were conducted by Rev. Charles I. Fitzgeorge, pastor of Union M. E. Church, and interment was made at Harleigh Cemetery. Among the floral offerings was a six-foot shield from the Police Department.
Gravestones
John Reader — Harleigh Cemetery