William Earl Toy
William Earl Toy was a veteran Camden firefighter who joined the department on April 17, 1928, and was assigned to Engine Company No. 9. He served for nearly two decades before dying in April 1948 from injuries sustained when the vehicle he was driving collided with a bus while responding to a fire.
Promoted Firemen Take Posts Today
Camden Courier-Post —
A new deputy chief, a battalion chief and eight new senior and junior captains will assume their posts today in the fire department. The men were promoted yesterday afternoon along with the announcement of eleven new appointments of firemen, who will go into service April 15.
The new deputy chief, John H. Lennox, now is second in command when his platoon is on duty. He was acting deputy since the naming of Thomas Nicholas as chief two years ago.
The new battalion chief is Rollo Jones. Jones succeeds George B. Wade, who retired January 1.
Junior captains advanced to senior captains, with salaries increased to $2,400, are William H. Harring, Truck Company No. 1, Clarence Madden, Engine Company No. 6, and George Hunt, Engine Company No. 7. The new junior captains advanced from the ranks, with new salaries of $2,280 a year, are David Ellis, driver for Chief Nicholas for nine years, George Saunders, hoseman of Engine Company No. 9; Eli Hunt, driver of Engine Company No. 3, and William Van Pfefferle, hoseman, Engine Company No. 1.
All the promotions were from the civil service eligible list. The captains will be assigned tomorrow.
The new firemen, also civil service eligibles, will start with salaries of $1,500. Each year of service brings an increase, until five years in the department pays $2,040 annually. The new men are Thomas F. Gibbons, Byron M. Davis, John S. Anderson, William H. Toy, Leo J. Tompkins, Horace T. Molan, Lawrence Bolton, George W. Garner, Felix E. Bendzyn, Harry H. Hess and Charles Jones.
Chief Lennox is one of the most popular firefighters in the organization. “Chappie” is the nickname by which he has been known for years. He was appointed a fireman January 1, 1908. He was promoted to a captainship October 1, 1915, and was assigned to Engine Company No. 8.
His promotion to deputy chief gives the department two men in that standing, one in command of each platoon on duty. His new salary will be $2,880 a year. He will be stationed at headquarters, Fifth and Arch Street. He lives at 633 Clinton Street. William W. Patterson is the other deputy chief.
Battalion Chief Jones will receive $2,520 a year. He has been in command of Engine Company No. 9, Twenty-seventh and Federal streets. He will be sent to command Engine Company No. 3, Broadway and Ferry Avenue.
He was a former senior captain of Engine Company No. 4. For a number of years he was an instructor in fire school methods of life saving. He lives at 536 York Street.
22 Firemen Assigned to New Stations
Camden Courier-Post —
12 Rookies and 10 Promoted Men Go to Posts
Twelve new firemen and ten men promoted several weeks ago were assigned to their new stations yesterday by Chief Thomas J. Nicholas. With these appointments, the department complement of 200 men is completed.
John H. Lennox, newly named deputy chief, will make his headquarters at the Fifth and Arch streets station. Rollo Jones, promoted from senior captain to battalion chief, succeeding George Wade, recently retired on pension, will move to Engine Company No. 3, Broadway and Ferry avenue.
Three men were promoted from junior to senior captaincies. They are: William Heron, who moved to Company No. 2; George Hunt, Company No. 8, and Clarence T. Madden [sic] Company No. 5.
Taken from the ranks, the following will be stationed as junior captains: David R. Ellis, Company No. 7; Clarence Newton, Company No. 5; William Van Pfefferle, Truck Company No. 2; Eli Hunt, Company No. 9, and George Saunders, Company No. 6.
The new firefighters and their stations are: Lawrence Bolton, Company No. 9; John S. Anderson, Company No. 4; Byron M. Davis, Company No. 1; George W. Garner, Company No. 4; Lawrence Milton, Company No. 5; Thomas Gibbons, Company No. 4; Leo J. Tompkins, Company No. 2; Felix Bendzyn, Company No. 7; Horace T. Molan, Company No. 7; William E. Toy, Company No. 9; Harry H. Hess, Company No. 11, and Edward Callahan, Truck Company No. 4.
Cops and Firemen Will Elect Today
Camden Courier-Post —
The Camden Police and Firemen's Association will hold election of officers today at its headquarters, 1175 Whitman Avenue, from 1:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
Herbert Bott is unopposed for re-election as president. William Thorn is unopposed to replace Richard Middleton for financial secretary and Walter Vecander is unopposed for the new post of assistant financial secretary. All these are police officers.
The police trustees will be named from the following nine candidates: William Marter, George Ward, William Britner, Joseph Shreeve, William Schriber, Joseph Mardino, Joseph Dunnett, Leon Feltz and Russell Young. Two police sergeant-at-arms will be chosen from among Stanley Wirtz, Harry Cattell, Joseph Schultz and George Clayton.
Three candidates are seeking the post of vice president, which goes to a fireman. They are William Spencer, Charles Edwards and Albert Dukes. Warren Rich, a fireman, is slated to succeed himself as recording secretary and Winfield Leviseur is unopposed for the new post of assistant recording secretary, which goes to a fireman.
Four fireman trustees will be chosen from ten candidates. They are Charles Cook, Henry Baumgartel, Walter Eastlack, Arthur Batten, William Getner, William Toy, Lawrence Newton, James Young, Russell Anderson and William Taylor. Three firemen are seeking two posts as sergeants-at-arms. They are William Judge, John Mulligan and Furman Price.
Bott Chosen Head of Policemen, Firemen
Camden Courier-Post —
Spencer Wins 3-Corner Fight for Vice-President of Association
Lauded by the members for his splendid work in behalf of the club, Herbert Bott, a patrolman attached to the Third Police District, last night was re-elected president of the Camden Police and Firemen's Association.
The praise was heaped upon the patrolman following announcement that he had received 107 of 110 votes cast in yesterday's balloting. He was unopposed for reelection.
In a three-cornered fight, William I. Spencer, a fireman, was elected vice president of the association. He received 73 votes. His opponents were Charles Edwards, given 12 votes, and Albert Dukes, 18 votes. Both are firemen.
Others unopposed for office were: William Thorn, financial secretary; Walter Vecander, assistant financial secretary; Warren Rich, recording secretary, and Winfield Leviseur, assistant recording secretary. The last two are firemen while the first two are policemen.
Lieutenant George Ward, Patrolman William Marter, and firemen William Taylor, William Getner, James Young and Lawrence Newton were elected to the board of trustees.
Sergeants-at-arms named were Stanley Wirtz and George Clayton, police, and William Judge and John Mulligan, firemen. All had opposition.
After the ballots had been counted William H. Iszard, former assemblyman, appeared on behalf of the Elks Crippled Kiddies Committee, and asked police to support the wrestling show to be staged by that group February 13.
Fireman Toy Dead From Auto Crash
Camden Courier-Post —
Pfefferle’s Condition Reported Good; Bus Driver to Face New Charges
William Earl Toy, veteran Camden fireman, succumbed yesterday to injuries received in the line of duty Saturday while driving to a fire at Berwick and Boyd streets.
Toy, 45 and a member of the department 17 years, was at the wheel of Acting Chief William Van Pfefferle’s car when it collided with a west-bound Public Service bus at Sixteenth and Federal streets.
Pfefferle escaped with severe cuts and bruises but Toy suffered fractures of the thigh, arm and wrist and internal injuries, the latter proving fatal. Both men were taken to Cooper Hospital, where Pfefferle’s condition today was described as good.
Driver to Be Arraigned Again. The driver of the bus, Norman Davidson, of 3738 Frosthofer avenue, Pennsauken, previously released on $500 bail to await outcome of Toy’s injuries, will be arraigned before Police Judge Cohen Wednesday on a charge of death by auto.
Davidson escaped injury but three passengers in the bus bound from Merchantville to the Camden ferries were hurt slightly. Two of them were children. The three were treated for cuts and released. They are Miss Katherine Durborrow, 28, of 2928 High street; Greta Gaskill, 12, of 3311 Highland avenue, and Elaine Miller, 8, of 6211 Magnolia avenue, Pennsauken.
Toy and his wife, Margaret C., lived at 607 West Street. He recently returned to duty after being out with a broken ankle, caused when he was struck by a car; she just recovered from a broken collar bone received in a fall. Their only son, William, Jr., is stationed in Colorado, with the Army Air Corps. He is on his way home for the funeral.
Meanwhile, yesterday, unaware of his son’s death, Toy’s father, Lemuel Toy, 86, of the same address, was admitted to the hospital suffering from a heart ailment. His condition was termed as fair.
Toy was employed by the J. B. VanSciver Company before entering the fire department. He was a member of the Firemen’s Mutual Benefit Association. As a young man played baseball in South Camden. He was third baseman with the old Towers club.
Wife’s Brother in Bureau. Mrs. Toy is the sister of John K. Voll, veteran member of the city fire department now attached to Engine Company No. 1.
Nineteen persons, several of them children, were forced to flee from nine row houses in the 2100 block on Berwick street when they became smokefilled and were threatened by flames which started in the store-dwelling at 2150. Two infants were carried to the street. Toy was driving Pfefferle, acting deputy chief at headquarters, Fifth and Arch streets, to this fire when the fatal crash occurred.
Fire Chief Lennox blamed the fire on a careless smoker who, he said, dropped a lighted cigarette on an overstuffed chair on the second floor of the store-dwelling. The store proprietor said only a maid who had gone off duty at 1 p. m. had been in the room.
Funeral on Friday for Fireman Toy
Camden Courier-Post —
Fellow Members of City Department Will Act as Pallbearers
Funeral services for William Earl Toy, veteran Camden fireman who died Sunday of injuries received when the vehicle he was driving and a bus collided Saturday, will be held at 2 p. m. Friday at the residence, 607 West Street.
Members of the Camden Fire Department will act as pallbearers and attend the viewing and funeral in a body. The pallbearers will be Deputy Chief William Herring, Captains Harry Wagner and Frank Oberman and Hosemen Morris Odell, Ervin Brennan and Christopher Moll.
Toy is survived by his widow, Margaret C., neé Voll, and a son William, Jr., a member of the Army Air Forces stationed in Colorado, who is on his way home for the funeral.
He is survived also by his father, Lemuel, 86, who lived with his son and who was admitted to the hospital yesterday, suffering a heart ailment. His condition today was described as fair. He is unaware of his son’s death.
Toy, 45 and a member of the department 17 years, was at the wheel of Acting Chief William Van Pfefferle’s car when it collided with a west-bound Public Service bus at Sixteenth and Federal streets. Pfefferle escaped with severe cuts and bruises but Toy suffered fractures of the thigh, arm and wrist and internal injuries, the latter proving fatal. Both men were taken to Cooper Hospital, where Pfefferle’s condition today was described as good.