William Moll
WILLIAM PHILIP MOLL was born on April 1, 1888 in Camden, New Jersey to Christopher and Anna Moll. He was the eighth of nine children. His father supported his family working as a butcher, and had brought his family to Camden from Philadelphia shortly after the 1880 Census enumeration. The family lived at 1166 Maple Street in the late 1880s and early 1890s. The 1900 Census shows the family at 212 North Twelfth Street, and they still were living there in 1906.
William Moll married around 1909, and when the 1910 Census was taken, his wife Lillian had bore a child, Elizabeth. The Moll's lived at 823 Pearl Street. William Moll then supported his family as a railroad brakeman.
By 1914 and for many years thereafter William Moll lived at 914 Kimber Street in North Camden. The 1914 Camden City Directory shows him working as a fireman, but not in the firefighting sense of the word, however. William Moll's brother Christopher Moll Jr. did, however, have a long career with the Camden Fire Department, beginning in the mid-1920s. Another brother, Frank H. Moll, also served briefly with the Camden Police Department in the mid-1920s.
By June of 1917 William Moll had found employment as a Camden police officer. Records indicate that his employ may have been interrupted, but not by military service, and he received a permanent appointment on January 1, 1920. Both the 1920 Census and 1930 Census shows him at the Kimber Street address with his wife Lillian, daughter Elizabeth, and a son, also named William, who was born April 29, 1907. By 1942 William Moll had moved to 3020 Stevens Street in East Camden. He was still living at that address as late as the fall of 1959.
William Moll was still with the Police Department as late as 1947. He retired and was receiving his pension by the beginning of 1949.
World War I Draft Card
William Philip Moll Sr. — World War I draft card (front)
William Philip Moll Sr. — World War I draft card (reverse)
‘Ghost Sniper’ Fires on Auto by Cop’s Home
Camden Courier-Post —
While every policeman in Camden was notified to watch for appearances of the “phantom sniper,” that mysterious individual fired his twelfth shot last night at a motor car parked near the home of a police officer.
The incident became known today after Captain John Golden, of the city detective bureau had stated that all patrolmen as well as detectives had been instructed to keep a sharp lookout for the sniper.
Mr. and Mrs. William Frenzel, of 208 Laurel avenue, Woodlynne, came to Camden last night to visit Policeman William Moll at the latter’s home, 914 Kimber street. With their son, 13-year-old William, Jr., they spent some time at the Moll residence, parking their car at Ninth and Kimber streets.
Shortly after 8 o’clock they returned to the car to find that the automobile windshield had been struck and broken by some missile that left a mark like that of a bullet. No bullet was found and residents of the neighborhood had not heard the report of a gun.
The spot at which the Frezel [sic] auto had been parked is about four blocks from the entrance to the Camden bridge, on which a motorbus was recently fired upon by the “phantom sniper” and where Bridge Policeman John J. Rogers was knocked down by a blue marble, seemingly fired from a powerful air gun.
The spot is also an almost similar distance from the Federal street bridge over Crescent boulevard where former State Senator Albert S. Woodruff narrowly escaped death last December when the sniper made his first appearance. Most of the other incidents have also been at or near the Federal street bridge.
Instructions to Camden police to watch for the sniper came after the “ghost gunner” had been seen for the first time. On Saturday morning, he fired a bullet through the window of a bedroom on South Broadway, awakening Redempta and Jean Napier, 25 and 20 years old respectively.
Locals Bow to Warders by 4 to 1 Before 4,000 Fans at King’s Park; Deciding Game to Be Played There
Trenton Times —
Homer by Weygand and Single with Bases Full by Loeble Are Damaging Blows in Upset of Firemen—Trentonians Given Superb Reception
Playing before a crowd estimated at close to 4,000 people at the spacious King’s Park diamond in Camden last night, Standard Fire bowed to the Twelfth Ward Republican Club, of the Camden Twilight League, by a score of 4 to 1. Followers of the “Warders” jammed every nook and cranny of both seating and standing space available to see the champions of Trenton’s City League go down to defeat before the Skeeter nine managed by Bill Langdon.
As Standard won the first game of the series, played last Tuesday night at Trenton, last night’s triumph for the undefeated pace-setters in the Reesman loop evened the intercity championship play with one win apiece. Ed Sutton, pilot of the Standard Fire ship, announced shortly after the contest last night that the third and deciding tilt of the series will be played on Thursday, August 22, at the same place as last night’s affair, King’s Park, Camden.
A home run by Pete Weygand, husky Camden right fielder, that sailed over Al Harrison’s head in centre field and a single by Third Baseman Loeble with the bases full gave the Skeeters all their runs. Trenton’s representatives tallied their lone count when Bennie Wood singled, went to third on the centre fielder’s error and scored on one of Gene Beckner’s three singles of the day.
Hits were plenty in this contest but scoring was rare. Of the eight innings played and the 18 hits made, on only three occasions were more than one hit made in a half inning. On no less than ten times at bat did the team hitting connect for one hit and then fail to advance the runner or have him caught on base with two out. The game was just that hard fought.
One of the most elegant receptions was given the Trenton team. On the way down the Firemen’s bus was met at the city limits by three members of the Camden police, Earl Stopfer, Bill Moll and Robert Ashenfelter, who guided the vehicle to the scene of action. After the game the locals were given free access to the “Y” swimming pool and then were escorted out of the city by Earl Stopfer. The Lyric Band, of Camden, rendered excellent music at the game.
Commissioner Clay Reesman, after whom the Camden Twilight League gets its name, threw out the first ball; and the commissioner seemed a trifle wild, Catcher Albrecht just about snaring the pellet on the official’s high heave.
Jimmy Haines, whom the Camden fans were waiting to see because of his reputation for fly-chasing, made a dramatic entrance. James missed the bus, but rode down with a friend. Arriving rather late he just had time to appear in diamond attire in time to face the Camden pitcher, Werking. In fact, the umpire had already yelled “Play ball” before James appeared on the field.
No score was made until the fourth inning when Weygand, with two out, hit a terrific drive over Al Harrison’s head. The former Pennington Road star raced after the ball and secured it, but it traveled so far that there was no chance of stopping the runner.
Just previous to Weygand’s clout Jimmy Haines—“Lightning” as the Camden scribes call him—made one of his sensational catches off the bat of Al Bearint.
Standard Fire evened the count in the sixth only to have the Warders forge ahead in their half. With two out, Boots Snyder fumbled Dannenhower’s grounder after Bearint had singled. Weygand singled to centre, and the bases were full. Loeble then came through with a hard enough hit single to score all three runners.
Bill Werking, better known as “Inky,” was on the mound for the Camdenites again and did an excellent job of it. In addition to holding the Trenton sluggers to one run he struck out eight. Joey Renyo, who twirled for Standard Fire, deserves lots of credit for his effort. He allowed only one earned run, and it was not his fault that his comrades did not give him some kind of a lead to work on.
From a Trenton standpoint Gene Beckner was easily the hitting star of the game, getting three singles. Weygand’s two blows, a homer and a single, however, had a much more telling effect.
| Standard Fire | ab | r | h | o | a | Twelfth Ward | ab | r | h | o | a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haines, lf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | J. Snyder, ss | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| Harrison, cf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Reeves, 2b | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| Wood, 2b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | W’rshing, cf | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Beckner, 3b | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | Bearint, lf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Lewis, c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | Dan’h’wr, 1b | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| G. Snyder, ss | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Weygand, rf | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Happ, rf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Loeble, 3b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Scully, 1b | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | Albrecht, c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Renyo, p | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Werking, p | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Totals | 30 | 1 | 8 | 21 | 14 | Totals | 29 | 4 | 8 | 24 | 11 |
Standard Fire ........... 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0—1 Twelfth Ward ........... 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 x—4
Errors: G. Snyder, 2; Wearshing. Home run: Weygand. Sacrifice: J. Snyder. Double play: J. Snyder to Reeves to Donnenhower. Base on balls—off: Werking, 1. Struck out by: Werking, 8; Renyo, 2. Passed balls: Albrecht. Winning pitcher: Werking. Losing pitcher: Renyo. Umpires: Westcott and Irvine.
Police Escort Funeral of Former Chief Hyde
Camden Courier-Post —
A police motorcycle squad under the command of Inspector Humes acted as escort today at the funeral service of Edward S. Hyde, former police chief and a member of the board of freeholders, who died Sunday.
Services took place at the home, 832 Haddon Avenue, and burial was in Harleigh Cemetery. Members of the police detail were Sergeant Jefferson Kay, patrolmen Thomas Kauffman, William Moll, John Stanton, Thomas Welch and James Wilson.
Hyde was appointed to the police force in April, 1894, and pensioned July, 1923. He succeeded Chief Gravenor when the latter resigned in 1922. Long interested in politics, he was elected freeholder two years ago. He is survived by his widow, Mina B. Hyde, and three daughters, Mrs. Marion Garlan, Mrs. Mary Van Hart and Emma Hyde.
6 Men Are Nabbed as Number Writers
Camden Morning Post —
Arrests Lead to Belief Shore Racketeers Are Working Here
Arrest of six alleged number writers here yesterday has spread the belief that Atlantic City racketeers have established “branch offices” on downtown street corners. Four of the accused all of whom were caught by members of the traffic squad, will be given hearings this morning. The other two were sentenced to 60 days each in the Camden county jail, when unable to pay fines of $50 imposed by Police Judge Garfield Pancoast yesterday.
All of the men were arrested while soliciting “business.”
‘Pick Up’ Man Nabbed
One of the six men arrested is believed to be the “pickup man” for the syndicate. He was in an automobile bearing Atlantic county tags and his pockets were filled with number slips and cash, according to the police.
Henry Davis, 36, of 208 Walnut street, and Alonzo Singleton, 20, of 256 Chestnut street, were arrested by Sergeant Jeff Kay and Motorcycle Policeman Thomas Kauffman at Second and Kaighn avenue. One man was standing on the northwest corner and the other on the southwest corner, soliciting business, the police testified. Davis and Singleton pleaded guilty and went to jail for 60 days.
LeRoy Keeler, 20, of 1617 Arctic avenue, Atlantic City, and David Watson, 29, of Second and Mt. Vernon streets, Camden, were arrested at Broadway and Mickle street by Motorcycle Policeman Charles Smith and William Moll. They were held for hearings this morning.
Wesley Edgehill, 35, of 1623½ Arctic avenue, Atlantic City, alleged by the police to be the “pickup man” for the Atlantic City barons, was arrested by Smith and Moll at West and Mickle streets. Edgehill was driving an automobile bearing Atlantic county tags. He had “hundreds of numbers slips and plenty of cash” in his pockets when arrested, according to the police. He also will be given a hearing this morning.
Wilbert William, 20, of 1010 Walnut street, was the sixth man arrested. He was caught selling numbers at Mt. Ephraim and Kaighn avenues, according to Kauffman and Kay. He will face Judge Pancoast today.
No Drive Ordered
Questioned regarding whether the traffic squad was making a drive against numbers game operators in Camden, Police Capt. Charles T. Humes, inspector of traffic, said no orders had been issued for a drive on operators. The motorcycle policemen were only acting in line of regular duty, he said.
Major Charles V. H. Dickinson, deputy director of public safety, stated yesterday that the arrests were not part of a concerted drive against the number “barons.” He said:
“There is no particular drive under way. The first I knew of the matter was when I read of the arrests in the Courier-Post. I questioned one of the men and he stated that he saw the writers selling slips and picked them up. There have been no orders issued except that I will not tolerate any form of gambling and want the city kept clean of it.”
Camden Father Dies in Fight With His Son; Both Jobless
Camden Courier-Post —
Quarrel Over Youth Getting Work Is Blamed for Street Battle
ACCUSED WILL MAKE SELF-DEFENSE PLEA
Victim’s Head Hits Curb, Physicians Believe He Died Instantly
A quarrel over his son’s failure to obtain work ended fatally last night for the father of five children who was killed when he struck his head on a curb after the son had hit him on the jaw.
The father is Frederick Alanko Thompson, also known as Elanko, 45, of 805 Linden street. His son, Reino Alanko Thompson, who will be 18 in July, will be arraigned today on a charge of murder.
The fight occurred at the southeast corner of Ninth and Kimber streets.
The story of the alleged murder as told by the boy to Prosecutor Clifford A. Baldwin differed from that told by two young witnesses. The boy claimed self-defense while the witnesses said he had struck his father first.
Both Out of Work
Reino said he had been out of work for five months and his father had been unemployed for eight. The boy had worked for Todd Rooney, trucker, of Fern street near Eighth street.
Shortly before 7 p. m. last night, the boy said, his father criticised him for not obtaining work. To end the constant nagging of the father, his mother, Mrs. Rose Thompson, 45, gave her son a quarter and he left the house.
Reino was on his way to Tenth and Market streets to meet friends, he said, when his father followed him.
“He kept cursing me and when we got to Ninth and Kimber streets, my father struck at me. I sidestepped and hit him in the jaw. He fell to the curb and lay there. I shouted to him to get up if he wanted me to hit him again.”
When father failed to get up, Reino became frightened and ran home.
Francis Zoll, 15, of 912 Kimber street, and Herbert Townsend, 16, of 934 Linden street, who saw the fight, told the authorities the father made no effort to hit his son but that the boy hit him “six or seven times.”
Victim Dies Instantly
They notified Detective William Moll, who had the father taken to Cooper Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Coroner Melvin Cain will perform an autopsy today.
Detectives Clifford Carr and Anson Kelly went to the Thompson home where they found the boy hiding in a kitchen alcove. They told the mother that he was wanted for questioning about a fight with his father but did not reveal that the father had been killed until they reached police headquarters. The son himself did not know his blow had proved fatal until later.
Mrs. Thompson and her two older daughters, Rose, 16, and May, 14, accompanied Reino and the detectives to police headquarters. Two other twin daughters, Diamond and Irene, 10, remained at home.
The boy was questioned by Baldwin, Capt. John Golden, of the city detectives, and Maj. Charles V. Dickinson, deputy director of public safety.
The boy broke down when he was charged with murder and was led weeping to a cell. Mrs. Thompson, who had remained calm during the questioning, collapsed after her son was taken away.
Another son, Esel, 22, was arrested eight months ago by Detective Carr and turned over to immigration officials at Gloucester for deportation. He was said to have illegally entered this country from Finland six years ago. The other members of the family came to America some years before. The father was naturalized.
Horses Bolt, Trample Three During School Pupils’ Parade
Camden Courier-Post —
Plunging Horses Injure Three in Parade Crowd
Photo by Emerson Penrose, Courier-Post Staff Photographer
Two horses drawing a float in the school children’s Flag Day parade yesterday are shown charging the crowd at Broadway and Carman street in this unusual action photograph. This plunge was the third wild dash of the frightened horses into spectators. A few minutes earlier the horses dashed into the crowd at Broadway and Federal street and injured two women and a boy. Children and spectators are seen scattering while several men are running to halt the frightened animals.
Team Pulling Float Dashes Into Crowd; Many Knocked Down
6000 Children March in Flag Day Pageant
75,000 Observe Colorful Procession Through Camden Streets
By LOUIS J. GALE
Celebrating the anniversary of the flag and the George Washington Bicentennial, more than 6000 school children yesterday provided Camden the most colorful pageant in its history.
Injuring of three persons by two horses which bolted the parade and plunged into spectators at Broadway and Federal street, caused a wild scramble at that intersection.
An estimated 75,000 persons viewed the procession from sidewalks, buildings and homes.
Two other spectators were treated at hospitals, one suffering a cut when he fell in the crowds and another fainting.
Quick action by police and bystanders prevented further casualties when they quieted the frightened horses.
Horses Pulled Float
The horses were pulling the Camden Catholic High School float depicting George Washington crossing the Delaware river. At Broadway and Market street, the horses shied at some paper and dashed across to the east sidewalk on Broadway.
The horses were partly on the sidewalk, scattering the women and children standing there, when Albert B. Archer, special bank officer; Freeholder Samuel Edwards and Motorcycle Policeman William Moll halted the animals. They were quieted and their driver said it would be all right to proceed.
But at Broadway and Federal street the horses again got out of hand and a rein broke as the driver tried to stop them. The animals plunged into the school band ahead of them and started for the sidewalk when they were stopped.
Two Women Hurt
Two women and a boy were injured when the horses trampled them. They were taken to Cooper Hospital by a police ambulance. William Lee, 15, of 32 North Ninth street, was treated for contusions of the ankle. Mrs. Charlotte Crandell, 77, of 566 Carman street, suffered bruises of the forehead and shock. Mrs. Marie Taylor, 33, of 24 Church street, was treated for bruises of the left arm.
A block farther south, at Carman street, the horses again rushed to the sidewalk. Police and bystanders checked them, but not before several spectators were knocked down.
A half hour after the horses bolted, Eugene Born, 79, of 794 Vine street, fell while standing with spectators at the courthouse. His forehead was cut above the right eye and he was treated at Cooper Hospital. A few minutes late [sic] Miss Ruth
Horses Injure 3, Stampede Crowd at Flag Parade
Near-Panic Follows Team’s Plunge at Broadway and Federal
Woman Watcher Faints
Reed, 17, of 7715 Marion avenue, Pennsauken, fainted while watching the parade. She was revived at the hospital.
World War II Draft Card
William Philip Moll Sr. — World War II draft card
Lt. Edward C. Hahn Funeral Set Today
Camden Courier-Post —
Lt. Edward C. Hahn Funeral Set Today
Funeral services for Lt. Edward C. Hahn, veteran Camden policeman, will be held today at 1 p.m., in the Sudler-Eichel funeral home, Twenty-seventh and Carman streets.
Six members of Lieutenant Hahn’s crew at the Third district police station will act as pallbearers. They are William Moll, Joseph Fearon, Edward Talla, Carmen Fuscellaro, Ivan Morris and William Schultz.
Lieutenant Hahn, 51, was stricken with a heart attack Saturday night at the entrance to a drug store at Twenty-sixth and Federal streets. He was pronounced dead at Cooper hospital.
Life Hereabouts
Camden Courier-Post —
Reprinted From The Courier-Post, Sept. 7, 1949.
“KIDS…LITTLE KIDS…murdered in their own home.”
Tears were streaming down the face of a lovely little lady as she spoke those words.
In front of her, in the middle of the carpet, was a spot, sort of whitish, where someone had tried to remove the blood of a little boy…a little boy who was “going on three”…a little boy who never harmed no one…
Just down the block a bit, people were perring [sic] through a big plate glass window, looking at a “hobby horse” in a barber shop that is closed.
At the base of the standard which held the wooden horse in place was another blotch of blood…the blood of another little boy “just past six” who was having his hair cut in preparation for his first trip to school the next day….
In the back seat of an automobile parked a little farther away was another great stain…where another boy died.
And the killer says: “I’m glad I did it, but I’m sorry about the children.”
WE ARRIVED at the scene of the Mad Mission of Cramer Hill after all of the shooting was over. Walt Carley and Jake Weiner, Courier-Post scribes, had arrived with the cops. They witnessed the capture and went on to do a great job of reporting the terrible tragedy.
We walked along the street peering in windows where only minutes before, people were happy and gay—and now they were dead.
Two holes showed in the front screen of a home near the center of the block. Detectives Stanley Bobiak and William Deery, identification chief, approached and Bobiak looked into the home.
“Was anyone shot in here?” Bobiak queried through the window.
“My little boy was killed,” replied the tearful voice of a mother whose anguish was pitiful to see and hear.
This was a terrible thing that happened in Our Town.
HUMAN beings are a funny bunch. And cops are human beings. The shooting was over and there was this bluecoat and that bluecoat insisting that he was “first on the scene.” You could have had a couple of dozen “firsts” if you were interested in that. And all those who said they were first and were not given credit for it would have been sore.
But that was after the shooting was over. When the chips were down, when a maniac was shooting innocent men, women and children and was still on the loose with that big Luger, that is when the cops of Our Town proved they rank right up there with the best in the world.
Through the years, there has been many an occasion where we witnessed the bravery of Camden policemen.
This time we missed, but we know what happened from the lips of reliable newspapermen and other witnesses.
We know that Russ Maurer stepped out into the clear, while other cops covered him with their guns, to hurl tear gas into the home of the man who was bent on kill. Russ could have paid with his life, because the killer seldom missed. That was a brave act.
THERE were Charley Hance, Ev Joslin, Cecil Picou, Tommy Carr, Bill Moll, Sid Nelson, Barney Tracy, Bill Kelly, Marshall, Thompson, Vince Conley, Lennie Andruzza and dozens of others closing in on the killer, inch by inch.
Kelley and Tracy on a roof, moving in, Bill with a machinegun, Barney with gun in hand…exposed like the other cops for a quick shot that might mean death.
Picou and Bill Rogers…moving the wounded and the dead…with the killer still free…Johnny Ferry stepping into the clear to keep the slayer from shooting from the upper front windows of his home.
NO WORDS of ours can give comfort to those families which suffered so much with the loss of dear ones. We can only say that everyone we met throughout Our Town mourned with them.
But we can say a word about the police and the manner in which they tackled this job.
And out of all them there we will take Ev Joslin and say that Ev will never be outdone where courage is concerned. We have seen that courage through the years and we have heard many a cop say they will take Ev as their sidekick in a tough situation any day.
So the only way we can give Our Cops their proper due is to say that every one of them who participated in the Mad Mission of Cramer Hill was just as courageous, just as mindful of their sworn duty, just as concerned over the safety of others, forgetting themselves as the man we picked as a symbol of courage.
And whointhehell cares who got here first or who struck the killer?