Introduction
THOMAS TIMOTHY SULLIVAN was 57 years old and lived at 401 State Street. He was employed as a detective by the Pennsylvania Railroad when he was found shot to death in a shack in the railroad yards on August 28, 1933.
At that time, County Physician Edward B. Rogers issued a certificate of death that Sullivan had committed suicide. The decision of the county physician enraged members of Sullivan’s family and they demanded an inquest. It was the first such inquest to be held in Camden County in 25 years.
The inquest was ordered by then Coroner Arthur H. Holl, who presided. All the evidence in the case was presented to the jury of 12 men, and after deliberating for less than an hour, they returned a verdict that Sullivan had been murdered by persons unknown.
Two Players Wounded As 2 Bandits Hold Up Card Game on Penn St.
Camden Courier-Post —
Robber Fires as Victims Attack Him with Chairs; One Player Reports $487 Loss
Dum-Dum Bullet Hits Both Injured
Two men were shot and one of them seriously wounded last night in a holdup of a card game in which two masked and armed bandits escaped with more than $600, taken from five players in the game, police said.
The robbery was at the home of Samuel Ermelious, 46, and his wife, Mabel, at 725 Penn street. The men shot were Angelo Naglas, 38, of 1110 Langham avenue, a restaurant worker and father of 13 children, and Ross Pandeladis, proprietor of a restaurant at 6846 Market street, Philadelphia.
Both were wounded by a single “dum-dum” bullet—soft-nosed and built to spatter in contact with a target—fired from a six-chamber .38 calibre revolver. The gun was recovered at the scene.
Man Badly Injured
Naglas was reported in dangerous condition at Cooper Hospital from loss of blood. A portion of the soft bullet severed large blood vessels in his upper left arm. Pandeladis fled to Philadelphia and was admitted to Jefferson Hospital. The extent of his wounds could not be determined immediately by police.
Several business men were in the game and admitted playing poker, according to Detective Sergeant Joseph Carpani. The shot was fired while the group of men in the Penn street house were swinging chairs at the head of one of the bandits.
Victims Deny Gambling
Naglas, Ermelious and Mrs. Ermelious are restaurant workers. Also victimized in the hold-up were several business men. The hold-up victims said they had dropped in for a sandwich, but later admitted they were playing poker, Carpani said.
County Physician David S. Rhone yesterday ordered Coroner Franklin P. Jackson, 3rd, to conduct an autopsy, and the coroner’s inquest will be held as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, Luigi Tortu, 21, of 426 Line street, one of three persons arrested Monday for questioning concerning the holdup, was released.
Coroner Jackson will confer with the prosecutor’s office today in regard to the inquest, it was learned, and an effort will be made to start the procedure at once. The last coroner’s inquest held in Camden county was in 1933, in the death of Thomas Timothy Sullivan, and previous to that none had been held in 25 years.
Under state law, the county physician may order an inquest, with 12 persons on the jury of the coroner’s choosing. The jurymen may be taken from the present panel or be picked at random. Material and police witnesses will be called to testify. The grand jury does not have to indict on the basis of the inquest.
The funeral of Malagas, father of 13 children, was to be held at 3 p.m. today at his home, 1110 Langham avenue, and at the Schroeder home, 715 Cooper street. However, Coroner Jackson said that if it is found necessary, the body will be held.
Coroner Jackson refused to give a certificate of death until the chemical test of Malagas’ brain is made by Philadelphia experts. Dr. Rhone sent the organ away Monday after performing an autopsy, and said a report may not be ready for 10 days. He refused to disclose result of the post-mortem at this time.
Inquest Set Today in Gambling Death
Camden Courier-Post —
Jury List Prepared for Coroner’s Action in Holdup Fatality
The coroner’s inquest to decide the cause of death to Angelos Magalas, Greek chef, who was shot during a card game holdup at 725 Penn Street on January 11, will be held today at 10 a. m.
Coroner Franklin P. Jackson III, of Collingswood, will conduct the inquest and will select his jury of 12 from a list of 15 persons prepared by the office of County Prosecutor Samuel P. Orlando.
Detectives already have subpoenaed 20 witnesses for questioning at the inquest, including players who were the victims in the holdup and three Camden physicians who attended Magalas prior to his death.
The witnesses will include Samuel and Mabel Ermilios, tenants of the Penn Street house where the holdup occurred; George and Annette Mastros, who room at the house; Samuel Bosco, Broadway barber; George Summers, Ross Pantel, Michael D’ Andrea. and William Caras, who according to police were participants in the card game.
All of the men were held as material witnesses in the shooting when arraigned today before Police Judge Gene R. Mariano.
Doctors to Testify
Other witnesses will include Dr. Paul Mecray, Dr. A. S. Ross and Dr. Edwin R. Ristine and Miss Sophia MacAfee, a Cooper Hospital nurse. Police who will testify in elude Detectives Thomas Murphy, harry kyler and William Boettcher and Patrolmen Richard Powers, Frank Clements, George Nicktern and Sergeant Jack Deith.
The jury will be selected from Guy Clokey, Collingswood; Lawrence Ball, Haddonfield; Howard Friant, Collingswood; Harry Chew, Collingswood; Sig Schoenagle, Camden merchant; Raymond Hanly, real estate broker; Benjamin Brest, Raymond Worrel, John Eby, all of Camden; William H. Lorigan, Merchantville; David B. Robinson, Collingswood; Rev. James Pemberton and John McGowan, of Camden, Earl Jackson, of Collingswood and Morris B. Clark, of Haddonfield.
Coroner Jackson refused to give a certificate of death until the chemical test of Magalas’ brain was made by Philadelphia experts. Dr. Rhone sent the organ away Monday after performing an autopsy, and said a report may not be ready for 10 days. He refused to disclose result of the post-mortem at this time.
Assistant Prosecutor Isaac Eason and County Physician David S. Rhone gave it as their opinion that Malagas died of natural causes rather than, the bullet wound. Coroner Jackson then ordered an inquest to be held.
Police are searching for Frank Luggi, 21, of 322 Penn Street, who they say was one of the holdup bandits and the one who fired the bullet that struck Magalas.
The last coroner’s inquest held in Camden county was in 1933, in the death of Thomas Timothy Sullivan, and previous to that none had been held here in 25 years.
Sullivan was 57 years old and lived at 401 State Street. He was employed as a detective by the Pennsylvania Railroad. He was found shot to death in a shack in the rail road yards on August 28, 1933.
At that time, County Physician Edward B. Rogers issued a certificate of death that Sullivan had committed suicide. The decision of the county physician enraged members of Sullivan’s family and they demanded an inquest.
The inquest was ordered by then Coroner Arthur H. Holl, who presided. All the evidence in the case was presented to the jury of 12 men, and after deliberating for less than an hour, they returned a verdict that Sullivan had been murdered by persons unknown.
Under state law, the county physician may order an inquest; with 12 persons on the jury of the coroner’s choosing. The jurymen may be taken from the present panel of the petit jury or be picked at ran dom. The Grand Jury does not have to indict on the basis of the inquest. At the inquest Coroner Jackson will be assisted by attaches of the prosecutor’s office.
Malagas, the father of three children, lived at 1110 Langham Avenue. He was shot when several armed bandits held up a card game and he died several days later.