Patrick H. Harding
Patrick H. Harding
Signature of Patrick H. Harding
South Jersey: A History 1624–1924
PATRICK H. HARDING—The profession of the law is represented in South Jersey by a large group of broadly progressive men whose work is of outstanding importance and whose participation in the advance of the day is a force for public betterment. Mr. Harding is a representative figure in this group, and both in his public services and his private endeavors he is contributing to the general welfare. He is a son of Philip and Mary Harding, his father a shoe cutter by occupation.
Patrick H. Harding was born in Cork, Ireland, March 11, 1878. The family coming to America in his boyhood, he received his early education in the parochial schools and later attended Drexel Institute, of Philadelphia, in which he covered a business course. He then attended St. Joseph’s College, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, taking a classical course, and later took up preparations for his profession at Temple Law School, also in Philadelphia, from which he was graduated in due course. Admitted to the bar of Camden County in the year 1909, Mr. Harding entered upon his professional activities in this city and has now for fifteen years been active along general lines of legal practice with ever-increasing success. He is a member of the State and County Bar associations and is acknowledged an influential figure in professional advance in South Jersey today. Mr. Harding is identified with progressive endeavor in this section as a director of the Camden Land Title Company, also a director of the Camden Mortgage and Guarantee Company. A Democrat by political affiliation, he has long been influential in party affairs, and from 1918–21, inclusive, he served as a member of the County Board of Taxation. Mr. Harding is a veteran of the Spanish-American War, having served as private in Company L, 3rd Regiment, New Jersey Volunteer Infantry. Fraternally, he is identified with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of Camden; and he is a well-known member of the Camden Club. His choice of leisure interests is motoring, and he is a member of the Roman Catholic Church.
Patrick H. Harding married Pauline Deaner, daughter of Jacob and Frederico (Bishop) Deaner.
Company ‘L’ Survivors to Hold Reunion Here
Camden Courier-Post —
Third New Jersey Volunteer Infantrymen Marched Away 30 Years Ago; Many Members Now Prominent in Camden Business Circles
Nearly 30 years ago—on May 2, 1898, to be exact—Company “L” of the Third New Jersey Volunteer Infantry marched away from Camden to war.
With Cuba liberated and the sinking of the Maine avenged, they marched back again.
From that day to this the members of the company have never again gathered together. But on the thirtieth anniversary of the date they went to war surviving members will conduct their first reunion in Camden. On Thursday night at the 114th Regiment Armory here veterans of Company “L” will meet to make plans for the reunion. All surviving members are invited to attend this meeting.
Lorenzo D. Dyer, long a resident of Camden and now a business man in New York, was captain of the company formed in Camden. Next in command was an ambitious young first lieutenant, Winfield S. Price by name, now mayor of Camden and holder of the military rank of brigadier-general. The late Henry J. House was second lieutenant. Years later he wrote his name large on the pages of peace-time heroism when he was burned to death in the Hunt-Wilkinson upholstery factory fire in Philadelphia, after rescuing nearly a dozen girls from the flames.
Hard Boiled “Top Kick”
A hard-boiled “top-kick” of Company “L” was first Sergeant William B. Wells, now the foreman of the Evening Courier’s composing room. Lemuel D. Horner, Jr., East Camden undertaker, was a sergeant in the outfit as were William Godfrey, Richard S. Perks, John J. Fearon and the late William Owen Fury. Corporals were John W. Wickland, Henry E. Dyer, Charles H. Friant, Barent S. Travis, William T. Thorp, and the late John Turner. Thorp is still in the army, a sergeant in charge of the 114th Infantry armory.
Patrick H. Harding, attorney and member of the County Park Commission, was a private in Company “L.” So was William C. Horner, acting police captain of the Third District.
One of the two musicians of the company was Robert Cusick, now a Pennsylvania railroad detective.
Those on the roster who are known to have died were Charles D. Black, John H. Hann, Walter S. Hoagland, Martin J. Mullin, Robert V. Stine, Clarence Lee and Frank McSorley.
Others on the company’s roster, many of whom are still in South Jersey as well as many others who have scattered and whose exact whereabouts is unknown to their former “buddies,” are:
Leonard M. Andrus, William G. Britton, Charles W. Coleman, Frank A. Cheshire, Rollin C. Cowperthwaite, Mayhew S. Dilks, Frederick C. Daeters, Stephen I. Drain, George Davenport, William D. Elfreth, Roland E. English, George G. Eckendorf, Henry R. Elliott, Louis Erbe, George H. Friant, George Fitzgerald, John C. Fitzgerald, John W. Farley, Harry O. Goukler, William B. Goukler, Walter A. Gosling, George Habermehl, Andrew C. Hewitt, Maurice Howard, William Hilbmann, Warrington Isard, William C. Johnson, Calvin L. Jansen, Edward A. Johnston, Frank M. Kirkbride, Irving Landenberger, William A. Lynch, Alvah D. Lawyer, William F. Millet, John Muir, Louis Morris, Frank S. Pedrick, Clarence E. Powell, William M. Peak, Harry L. Pelley, Maurice Packer, Frederick Robinson, Robert B. Rich, Jacob Rich, Thomas Rich, Frank A. Reed, Robert E. Reilly, Ernest Rouketty, Thomas H. Staples, Preston Stratton, August Schoeflen, William C. Scudder, Francis A. Turton, Frederick D. Taylor, Howard B. Wilkins, Clifford Walmsley, Benjamin Young, John Ward, Ernest G. Gardener, George Knowles, Michael McConaghey, Jr., John A. Robertson, George Goddall, John Dickinson, Samuel Devine, John Cress, William Hunsinger, Louis Klein, Frederick Fillion, William H. Palmer, Albert Rickert, Benjamin Blackman, William Smith, Roland Lee, John Stevenson, Charles Beimler, Robert Maguire, John Caum, Herbert Stanley and S. Dickinson.
Prison Terms for Reneging Witnesses in Number Case
Camden Courier-Post —
Five of the eight state witnesses who recanted at the trial of the Klosterman brothers, alleged “numbers barons,” were sentenced today to serve from two to three years in state’s prison.
The sentences were imposed by Judge Frank F. Neutze in Camden Criminal Court in the presence of only Prosecutor Samuel P. Orlando and his assistants, Patrick H. Harding and Isaac W. Eason.
The five men, who were serving sentences in Camden County jail for “numbers” writing are Walter Hart, 28, of 1245 Thurman street, Andrew Pointkowski, 30, of 1475 South Ninth street, Thomas Kirk, 40, of 935 Carpenter street and Crawford Smith, 53, of 702 Carman street, Camden, and Arthur Woodridge, 40, colored, of 7910 Park avenue, Pennsauken township.
Earlier Sentences Voided
It required but five minutes to resentence the defendants, the court first voiding his earlier sentences of county jail terms and fines.
In court last Thursday when Joseph and Frederick Klosterman were acquitted on 30 indictments on the “numbers” lottery here, the five men were evasive in their testimony as to whether the Klostermans were the “numbers” bankers.
Today when lined up before Judge Neutze in Criminal Court they gaped in astonishment at the swiftness with which they were sent to prison for longer terms.
One of the five, Crawford Smith, nearly collapsed in a chair in which he was permitted to sit during sentencing. Smith has been suffering from a heart ailment.
Turning to Hart, Judge Neutze said:
“I sentenced you to six months in the county jail and ordered you to pay a fine of $250. That fine has been paid. Who paid it?”
“I don’t know,” Hart replied.
“Well, I am going to void my previous sentence,” the court declared. “There are five indictments against you on ‘numbers’ charges. I am going to sentence you to state prison to serve from two to three years on each indictment. The sentences will run concurrently.”
Continues Re-Sentencing
Pointkowski was next. The jurist turning to the defendant who had been given six months in the county jail and a $250 fine on Jan. 3, said:
“There are six indictments on ‘numbers’ charges against you. Your new sentence will be from two to three years in state prison, the terms to run concurrently.”
Woodridge was next. He had been found guilty Jan. 3 on one indictment charging “numbers” writing and sentenced to two months in jail and fined $100.
“I am going to void your sentence and send you to state prison for two to three years.”
Lloyd Again Prods Orlando and Cops In Numbers Cases
Camden Courier-Post —
Five state witnesses, who thought they got off “easy” in numbers cases, yesterday underwent reversal of county jail terms and found themselves sentenced to the penitentiary.
Judge Frank F. Neutze sentenced them in Criminal Court.
Terms ranged from two to three years, and they followed the witnesses’ sudden “about-face” in the Klosterman brothers’ case. The five all convicted numbers writers, recanted testimony last week at the brothers’ trial.
Censure of the prosecutor’s office by Supreme Court Justice Frank T. Lloyd followed. Justice Lloyd called Prosecutor Samuel P. Orlando and his staff to his chambers on the fourth floor of the new courthouse. Attending the conference in addition to Orlando were:
Assistant Prosecutors Harding and Eason, Chief County Detective Lawrence T. Doran, County Detectives James J. Mulligan, James Wren, Joseph Bennie, Casimir Wojtkowiak and Elmer Mathis, and Mrs. Daisy Rourke and Mrs. Ethel Michener, stenographers.
“Go out and do some work, or else be replaced,” is the ultimatum said to have been hurled at the detectives by Justice Lloyd. He is said to be aroused over apparent inactivity of county detectives and inaction in the numbers cases.
“That there is ‘nothing to stop it’ is the contention of the Supreme Court Justice; that detectives should be ‘working on it.’”
A statement in the Courier-Post said he would not move for re-sentencing of the five remaining state witnesses. These five were not sentenced yesterday.
After asking Justice Lloyd about the sentences, and on his advice, Prosecutor Orlando, on Jan. 4, said the application would be made to Judge Neutze. As a result of that application, Judge Neutze on that date re-sentenced five of the reneging witnesses.