Tennie G. Hutchison
TENNIE GAGE HUTCHISON was born in Camden, New Jersey in May of 1898 to Tennie and Lillie Hutchison. Tennie G. Hutchison was the grandson of Captain John G. Hutchison, who had “sailed the seven seas” before marrying a girl from Camden and settling in the city. For over 30 years Captain Hutchison served as Superintendent of the West Jersey Ferry, a post he held with distinction prior to his passing at the age of 68 on June 29, 1896.
Captain Hutchison survived by four sons and four daughters. One son was Tennie Hutchison, who had a plumbing business in Camden for many years. The 1900 Census shows Tennie Hutchison, his wife Lillie and sons George, Harold, and young Tennie G. living at 324 Berkley Street in South Camden. By 1906 the family had moved to 414 Stevens Street where they remained through at least 1914.
The 1918 City Directory reveals that Tennie G. Hutchison had married. He was working as a plumber and living with his wife Veronica at 623 Line Street. A son, Tennie G. Hutchison Jr., was born in July of 1918. The Hutchisons were still at 623 Line Street when the 1920 Census was enumerated. Tennie G. Hutchison was then working as a repairman at a garage.
On December 30, 1920 Tennie G. Hutchison had been appointed to the Camden Fire Department. He and his family were then living at 648 Clinton Street. His parents and brother Harold then lived at 617 Clinton Street, while brother George lived at 619 Clinton Street.
The 1927 City Directory states that Tennie G. Hutchison was working as an auto mechanic and living at 925 South 9th Street. However, the 1929 City Directory shows Tennie G. Hutchison was again working as a Camden fire fighter. He was then living at 708 Spruce Street.
Fire Department records from 1931 show that Tennie G. Hutchison Jr. was an active member of the department and was then living at 530 Trenton Avenue. There were a number of disciplinary infractions during the 1930s. For going absent without leave in September of 1937 he was given a month-long suspension on October 1, 1937. He was suspended again on August 18, 1938 with intention to dismiss on August 8. He was tried and found guilty during a departmental trial on November 4, and dismissed on November 18, 1938.
By 1940 Tennie G. Hutchison had gone to work as a machinist at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyards in South Camden. Tennie G. Hutchison was then living with his wife Veronica and sons Tennie Jr. and Kenneth at 935 Pearl Street. By the time the 1943 City Directory was compiled the Hutchisons had separated. Mrs. Hutchison and the children had settled at 49 North 22nd Street in East Camden. By 1944 Tennie Hutchison had gone down to Salem County and had found employment at the du Pont plant in Gibbstown.
In October of 1944 Tennie Hutchison was shot by his wife during an attempt to break into the home on North 22nd Street. He survived his wounds and eventually left New Jersey. He was working as a truck driver when he died of acute cardiac failure brought on by arteriosclerotic heart disease on September 11, 1961 in Houston, Texas.
Tennie Gage Hutchison Jr. was living in Delaware Township (present-day Cherry Hill), New Jersey in 1955 and later moved to Atco, New Jersey.
New Firemen Assigned for Two Platoons
Camden Post-Telegram —
NEW FIREMEN ASSIGNED FOR TWO PLATOONS
Double Shift System Becomes Effective at 8 O’clock on Saturday Morning
One Ten Hours; Other 14 Hours
Saturday morning at 8 o’clock the two-platoon system of the Fire Department becomes effective. At that hour the first shift will go on duty and remain until 6 p. m., when the second squad goes on, remaining until 8 a. m. That will be the procedure in the department henceforth, the schedule being so arranged that every third day there will be a 24-hour shift to let the other off. Every man will have 24 hours off every sixth day.
The arrangements were completed last night at a meeting of Council’s Fire Committee, when assignments were made of the fifty-six recent appointees to the department. With Chief Carter at headquarters will be stationed in reserve shifts Deputy Chiefs Nicholas and Patterson. Battalion Chiefs Wade and Browning will be stationed with their shifts at No. 3 engine house.
At last night’s meeting Congressman F. F. Patterson, Jr., Mayor Charles H. Ellis, President of Council David Jester and Chairman of the Fire Committee Joseph Forsyth made addresses in which they all spoke appreciatively of the fire-fighting force and offered their congratulations to the men in getting what they had sought after many years of effort. Chief Carter was particularly praised for the efficient manner in which he has developed the department. The chief also spoke, thanking the representatives of the city in behalf of the men for the boon given them in the two-platoon system, which means the fire fighters will be able to spend more time with their families.
Everything has been worked out to the least detail and it is anticipated the new system will work without any difficulties.
The assignment of the new men to the various companies follow:
Engine Company No. 1—Alfred E. Green, Charles Errickson, Charles Cook, Leroy Hatchett.
Engine Company No. 2—Howard Lamdon, Edgar Ellander, John K. Voll, Harold E. Lorang, Chester J. Andreas, Harry G. Layton.
Engine Company No. 3—Charles Haines, August Haverkamp, Louis Quinton, Chas. S. Clements, Frank Kuda.
Engine Company No. 4—Frank A. Obermann, Walter P. Gray, Albert Ruber, Fred Schucker, Harry Kleinfelder.
Engine Company No. 5—Richard A. Ferris, Frank Fennrio.
Engine Company No. 6—William H. Reed, Manuel J. Kane, Edward Perairia, Thomas Shanahan, Rocco di Varino.
Engine Company No. 7—August Scholl, Lawrence H. Matthews, Nicholas Romain.
Engine Company No. 8—Adam Mead, Frank Sapp, William J. Taylor, William Wood, Samuel Oshushek, Edward C. Crane.
Engine Company No. 9—Keenard Naylor, Daniel McSurdy, John Mohofeld.
Engine Company No. 10—William Swarts, Hugh Rementer, Harry Greenan, Rocco Abbott.
Hose and Chemical Company No. 2—Lawrence Newton, Edward Hauser, William Getner.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 1—Tom Cunningham, Leonard Magee.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 2—John Gaylor, Walter G. White.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 3—David Ellis, George A. Addison, John Mulligan, David Humphreys, Albert Dukes.
Hook and Ladder Company No. 4—George A. Quimby.
Chief’s driver—Tenny G. Hutchinson.
Trial Board Dismisses Suspended Fireman
Camden Courier-Post —
Dismissal was the sentence handed down yesterday in the case of Tennie Hutchinson, attached to Fire Truck Co. No. 1, Fifth and Arch streets.
Hutchinson was suspended by Fire Chief John H. Lennox August 8, on several complaints involving absence without leave, running up unpaid bills and other charges. He was found guilty of the charges two weeks ago by the bureau’s trial board, comprising Chief Lennox, Deputy Chief William R. Harring and Public Safety Commissioner Mary W. Kobus.
News Brief
Camden Courier-Post —
Mrs. Kobus also announced the appointment of two new members to the Department of Public Safety to fill vacancies, both to take effect Monday. Charles S. Lawyer, of 1175 North Thirty-fifth street, is made a patrolman to replace Patrolman Nicholas DiNicuolo, who was pensioned, while Edward Y. Scott, of Apartment 65, Westfield Acres, becomes a fireman in place of Tenny Hutchinson, who was discharged after being convicted of unbecoming conduct by the fire trial board.
Appeal on Ouster Filed by Camden Fireman
Camden Courier-Post —
Trenton, Nov. 30.—A hearing on the appeal for reinstatement of Tenny Hutchinson, discharged Camden fireman, was authorized today by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. No date was set for the hearing.
Hutchinson was a hoseman in Hook and Ladder Company No. One, and was removed from his position last August by Director of Public Safety Mary Kobus for absence without leave, failure to pay debts, and actions unbecoming an officer, after repeated warnings. Mrs. Kobus’ action was upheld early this month by the trial board of the Camden Fire Department and Hutchinson was discharged.
Father Shot, Son Tries to Shield Mother
Camden Courier-Post —
Ex-Fireman Wounded in Arm; Woman Takes Blame
The son of a former city fireman made a fruitless attempt last night to save his mother from arrest by asserting he fired a shot that hit his estranged father in the arm while the latter was threatening the mother and trying to break into their East Camden home.
While Tennie Hutchinson, Jr., 25, was insisting to city detectives it was he who fired the shot and wounded his father, Tennie Hutchinson, Sr., 47, in the left arm, the mother, Veronica, 48, walked into the detective bureau and admitted her guilt.
Detective Capt. Gus Koerner, with Detectives Pfleiderer, Trout and Ellis, were questioning the son, when Pfleiderer received an anonymous telephone call the mother was enroute to the bureau and she had fired the shot.
Mother Admits Shooting
A few minutes later, the mother entered the room. “Did you shoot your husband?” Pfleiderer asked Mrs. Hutchinson. He received an affirmative reply.
Mrs. Hutchinson, who lives at 49 South Twenty-second street, told the detectives she was home alone about 6 p. m. yesterday when her husband rapped on the front door demanding entrance. She refused to let him in, she said. As he was trying to break in the door, the son approached the house, coming home from bowling with his sister, Mrs. Eleanor Knighton, 22, of the same address. When the father saw the son, Mrs. Hutchinson, the parent ran around to the back door and tried to get into the house, meanwhile threatening to kill her.
While the former fireman was standing on the back step, the wife said, she grabbed a .32 calibre revolver and fired one shot through the window of the door.
Son Takes Blame
A few seconds later the son entered the front door, took the gun from his mother, and told her: “No matter what happens, mother, I fired the shot. Even if dad dies, I did it.”
The shot attracted neighbors, including Rev. Newton C. Conant, of 52 North Twenty-second street, who took the gun away from the son when he emerged from the Hutchinson home. When police arrived, the son said he did the shooting. The father was taken to Cooper hospital for treatment, and the son to the detective bureau for questioning.
The son told Koerner his mother and father had been separated for several months and his father had threatened his mother for the past several weeks.
Hutchinson, Koerner said, tried to end his life Wednesday night by slashing his throat with a razor, when he was unable to gain entrance to the Twenty-second street home. He was taken to Cooper hospital for treatment and later placed in the rest room for observation. When nurses and physicians began tending other patients, Hutchinson fled the hospital, Koerner said.
Driver for Fire Chief
Hutchinson was a driver for former Fire Chief Carter before he left the department in 1938. Police said he has been living in Salem county lately and working for duPont’s at Gibbstown. The couple have two other children, Kenneth, six, and Douglas, 13, who were out playing when the shooting occurred.
After detectives took statements from the mother and son, the former was released in $1000 bail on a charge of atrocious assault and battery to await a hearing in Police Court tomorrow morning. The son was released in his own recognizance as a material witness. The bail bond was offered by the elder Hutchinson’s brother, George H. Hutchinson, of 619 Clinton street.
State of Texas Certificate of Death
State of Texas Certificate of Death — Tennie Gage Hutchinson, September 10, 1961. Cause: Acute Cardiac Failure due to Arteriosclerotic Heart Disease.