Stanley Powell

STANLEY ANTHONY POWELL was born Stanley A. Pawelek on May 2, 1906 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania to John J. Pawelek and his wife the former Katarzyna Zajac. The family moved to Camden shortly after his birth, and settled in the Whitman Park section. Stanley was the oldest of six children, coming before Joseph, Nellie, Teresa, Cecilia, Mary and Angela Pawelek, all of whom were born in New Jersey. His brother Joseph boxed professionally as Joey Powell. By 1927 the Pawelek family had settled at 1256 Whitman Avenue, where they would stay well into the 1990s.

Stanley Powell was in and out of trouble, the newspapers, and jail all too frequently in the late 1920s and 1930s. In April of 1936 he was sentenced to 10 to 15 years imprisonment on charges relating to a January 4, 1936 robbery on Broadway. He applied for parole at the first opportunity in December of 1942. By the end of 1950 he had been released, and was operating a cigar store at 215 South 5th Street. He also was doing some numbers writing on the side, and was caught. He received a one- to two-year suspended sentence, after which he married, settled down, and appears to have stayed out of any further trouble.

Stanley Powell married Mary Wood on December 2, 1953 in Camden at the Church of the Sacred Heart on Broadway. He was employed by the Campbell Soup company and was active in the Holy Name Society of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church in Camden. Stanley Powell passed away on December 17, 1971 and was buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Chews Landing, Gloucester Township, New Jersey. He was survived by his parents, wife, a son and seven daughters, his brother and married sisters Teresa Atkinson and Angela Klinzsport.

Two Camden youths yesterday began serving jail terms of four months each after pleading guilty in police court to looting a player-piano in a pool room at Louis and Mt. Vernon streets.

Stanley Powell, 20, of 1256 Whitman avenue, and Anthony Saratick, 20, of 1159 Whitman avenue, the youths sentenced, were arrested earlier in the day by Detective William Boettcher, assigned to investigate the theft which occurred Wednesday night.

Steve Blake, proprietor of the pool room, testified the place had been burglarized five times in recent months, with the principal loot each time coins from the player-piano.

Stanley Powelek Given Choice of Paying or Prison for 4 Months

Charged with loitering on the streets during the early hours of the morning and unable to satisfactorily explain his actions, Stanley Powelek, alias Powell, 21, of 1256 Whitman avenue, an amateur boxer, was given the alternative in police court today of paying a $100 fine or spending four months in the county jail.

Powelek was arrested by Policeman John Wilkie, who was attempting to run down four young men who had beaten and robbed a Parkside man.

Wilkie told the court he had been driving through the streets of Whitman Park looking for the youths who assaulted Edward G. Kelly, 25, of 1322 Kenwood avenue, when he saw Powelek and two other boys talking. He said he suspected the men of planning a robbery and followed Powelek for 45 minutes.

When he arrested the pugilist, he said, he found a flashlight, a chance board and a bunch of keys in his car, and, returning to the place where he originally saw the boys talking, he found another flashlight, a chisel and a hack-saw blade. He also told the court Powelek had been arrested for robbery before and had been sentenced to four months in the county jail.

Powelek denied Wilkie’s charges, and said he had been riding around merely “to get the air.”

A suspect, released a week ago in connection with the $11,000 Camden Radio Condenser Company holdup, was rearrested Saturday and held in $3000 bail on a charge of robbing an East Camden bar.

The accused is Stanley Powell, 26, of 1256 Whitman Avenue, alleged to have stolen, with the help of two other men of unknown identity, a marble machine and 100 cigars from Marty’s Olde Tappe Room, operated at 1990 Federal Street by Marty Segal.

Powell pleaded not guilty.

City Detective George Zeitz testified that he learned that Powell’s new expensive car had been seen near the taproom early on Thursday, when the robbery occurred. Zeitz said he obtained this information after Powell had been quizzed and released in the radio firm holdup.

Upon further investigation, Zeitz asserted, he found a witness, Daniel Danter, 1985 Carman Street, who allegedly saw Powell and two other men carrying “something” from the store and loading it in the car. Zeitz, according to Zeitz, identified Powell. Elwood Cox, of 1981 Carman Street, is alleged by Zeitz to have seen Powell’s car in that neighborhood on the morning of the robbery, but didn’t know any of the men in it.

Acting Police Judge James Smith fixed the amount of bail.

Swedesboro, June 20— Fishing in the private Narraticon Lake, owned by William Cook, cost a Camden man $5 fine today and a similar amount was suspended in the case of a companion.

Justice of the Peace Harold S. Twiss fined Stanley Powell, 24, of 1256 Whitman Avenue, after his arrest by Marshal William Jordan. Constant Grienkwicz, 21, of 1469 Louis Street, Camden, was released with a suspended sentence.

Five men and a woman, reputedly members of Camden’s notorious “band of 40 thieves,” were arrested yesterday and formally charged with the holdup of the Public Service bus garage at Fifteenth and Mickle streets.

Efforts are also being made by local and state police to link the sextet with the $4000 Marlton National Bank holdup last Friday, and more than a score of other recent crimes throughout South Jersey. All six will be given hearings Thursday. The five men are held without bail; the woman is in jail in default of $5000 bail.

Stanley Powell, 28, of 1256 Whitman avenue, and Stephie Ciesla, 22, of 1224 Chase street, were taken into custody in Camden.

John Lenkowski, 28, of Chestnut and Louis streets; Stanley Geda, 22, of the 1200 block Everett street; Stanley Krause, 19, of 1252 Sycamore street, and Mitchell Sadowski, 18, of 1200 Sycamore street, were arrested in Philadelphia. Lieut. George Ward, of the Camden detective bureau, is preparing extradition papers to have them returned to this city.

The six are also suspected of complicity by local and county police in the holdup ten days ago of the Genova Cafe, Third and Arch streets; the $900 payroll robbery last month of the Young and Metzner Company at Sixth street and Atlantic avenue; the attempted robbery of a Westville chain store last Friday when shots were exchanged with police; the holdup of an ice cream stand at Central Airport; the larceny of an automobile from the Cadillac-LaSalle agency in Westville, Friday, and the theft of more than a score of stolen automobiles.

A total of $187.50 was found in the possession of the quartet nabbed in Philadelphia yesterday. This was described as part of the loot from the Public Service garage job by Lieutenant Ward.

The spectacular capture of the four was hailed by local authorities the first step in the breaking up of the notorious gang that has been operating in South Jersey for so long. The arrest of Powell and the Ciesla girl came a few hours later.

Lieutenant Ward and Detective Sergeant Gus Koerner, aided in (Continued on Page Two)

Convicts Also Wanted for Burlington County Bank Raid

CAMDEN, N. J., July 2 (P).—Four boys, 16 to 19 years old, were sentenced in Camden Criminal Court today to terms of seven to ten years each after they pleaded guilty to a series of holdups.

A detainer was lodged against them by Burlington County authorities who charge the group robbed the Mariton National Bank on June 14, when $4,119 was taken.

The prisoners are Stanley Geda and Stanley Krause, 19; John Lenkowski, 18, and Mitchell Sadowski, 16. Two others allegedly involved in the same crimes pleaded not guilty and will be tried. They are Stanley Powell, 20, and Edward Guegryc, 19.

Comrades Eager to Avenge Feitz, Shot 4 Times in Back at Holdup

Colsey Leads City-Wide Hunt for Bandit Killers of Cop

Police Character Jailed Without Bail; Another Questioned

Johnson Sees Solution Near — Asserts Witnesses Link Suspect To Crime

Stanley Powell, 28, Camden police character, was jailed without bail last night in connection with the $10,380.50 robbery of Mrs. Mary Shane, wife of a Camden State motor vehicle agent.

Powell is charged with “suspicion of holdup and robbery.”

Meantime police were questioning Frank Gromacki, 28, of 412 Broadway, in connection with the same case.

Arrest of two others was predicted as Harry Gassel, 27, of 1282 Liberty street, owner of the car allegedly stolen and used in the holdup, still was being detained at headquarters.

Lieut. Samuel E. Johnson, in charge of the detective bureau, predicted police would solve the holdup before morning, or less than 48 hours after it occurred.

“Powell has been linked definitely to this job by witnesses,” he said.

Mrs. Shane was robbed early Thursday morning while en route to the American National Bank on Broadway, near Kaighn avenue, to deposit funds taken in by her husband, Samuel, at 1289 Kaighn avenue, she told police.

A man snatched the money, representing December 31 license fees from Mrs. Shane as she carried it across Broadway in an ordinary shopping bag near the bank. The thief escaped in an automobile with three accomplices. First break in the case came when the car believed abandoned by the (Continued on Page 4—Column 6)

Four Other Suspects Deny Guilt When Arraigned Before Neutze

One of five suspects held in the $10,380 robbery of Mrs. Mary Shane, wife of a Camden motor vehicle agent, entered guilty pleas to two of four indictments yesterday before Judge Frank F. Neutze. The others pleaded not guilty to all four counts.

Frank Gromacki, 28, of 412 Broadway, pleaded guilty to larceny from person and highway robbery without instilling fear in the victim. He entered not guilty pleas to conspiracy and highway robbery and instilling fear.

The other suspects are Stanley A. Powell, 28, of 1256 Whitman Avenue; Harry Gassel, 27, of 1282 Liberty Street; Leon Grenkwicz, 23, of 1469 Louis Street, and Edward Giedrye, 21, of Mt. Ephraim Avenue and Liberty Street.

Mrs. Shane, wife of Samuel Shane, who served as motor vehicle agent at 1289 Kaighn Avenue, was robbed on January 2, near the American National Bank, Broadway south of Kaighn Avenue. She was about to enter the bank to deposit $8930 in cash and $1450 in checks, representing receipts from motor vehicle licenses issued at the agency on December 31. A bag containing money was snatched from her hand.

Approximately $6000 has not been recovered.

Gassel was continued in $5000 bail while the others were returned to cells to await trial. Gassel’s car was alleged to have been used by the others in fleeing from the robbery.

Judge Neutze said Gromacki “will be given consideration” when sentence is imposed as a result of his two guilty pleas.

Stanley Powell, 42, of 509 Mickle street, was fined $1000 and given a suspended one to two year prison sentence Friday by County Judge Palese after pleading guilty to possession of numbers slips.

Powell, arrested Jan. 23 by Detectives Louis Schmidt and Joseph Carpani in the rear of a cigar store at 213 South Fifth street, also was placed on probation for one year. The detectives said they found Powell accepting bets on numbers and confiscated a quantity of slips.

Ira Sands, 31, of 10 North Second street, was sentenced to serve six months in the county jail by Judge Palese on a charge of atrocious assault and battery on his wife, Lillian, 30.

On Dec. 17, 1971, Stanley, beloved husband of Mary (nee Wood) of 1202 Liberty St., Camden, N.J. Age 63 years. Also survived by his parents, John and Kathryn Pawelek of Camden, seven daughters, Elizabeth Ann, Jean Marie, Catherine Grace, Cecilia Mary, Stella Rose, Angela Mary and Bernadette Ann, one son, John Anthony, brother, Joseph Powell of Camden and two sisters, Teresa Atkinson of Camden and Angela Klinsport of Camden. Relatives and Friends of the family, also employes of Campbell Soup and Holy Name Society of St. Joseph’s Church are invited to attend the funeral on Monday, at 8 a.m., at the Zembruski Funeral Home, 1643 Mt. Ephraim Ave., Camden. Mass of Resurrection 9 a.m., at St. Joseph’s Church, 10th and Mechanic Sts. Interment St. Joseph’s Cemetery. Viewing Sunday evening.