Lansdowne Avenue

Lansdowne Avenue was laid out when Parkside was developed, running from Haddon Avenue in a northerly direction to Ormond Avenue. During the 1910s Lemon Street, which ran from Haddon Avenue opposite Lansdowne to South 3rd Street, was renamed Lansdowne Avenue as well. Lansdowne Avenue is interrupted in two places by railroad tracks and in more recent times by the expansion of West Jersey Hospital.

Phil Cohen

Northwest corner.

Newspaper items for this block: a two-alarm fire gutted a vacant two-story frame house and barn at 327 in February 1933 (Vacant Building Fire); in October 1931 Sarah Turner, 17, of 338 was given a suspended sentence after drinking poison (Court Frees Girl Who Drank Poison); and in November 1954 six children were led to safety from a fire at the Joseph Carr home at 347 (Six Children Saved From Home Blaze).

Pleading guilty to attempting to end her life by drinking poison, Sarah Turner, 17, of 338 Lansdowne Avenue, was given suspended sentence by Police Judge Pancoast yesterday.

The girl was arrested after she was treated at Cooper Hospital. She told Detective Ben Simon she drank the poison because she was jealous of her sister. William Harrity, 24, of 409 Senate Street, Sarah’s sweetheart, was held as a material witness but was released today when he said he knew nothing of the quarrel between the sisters.

Six children were led to safety Wednesday night when a fire raged through their South Camden home, virtually destroying four rooms of a two-story frame dwelling.

The fire in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Carr, 347 Lansdowne Avenue, was discovered while the mother was visiting relatives at 338 Lansdowne Avenue.

Alvin Gibbs, of 338 Lansdowne Avenue, a brother-in-law of Mrs. Carr, saw the side of the Carr house afire, ran in and herded the children into the street.

The children are Doris, 16; Josephine, 13; Joseph Jr., 10; Barbara, 6; Betty, 5 and Antoinette, 4. The three younger girls were in bed and were roused and fled the burning structure. The fire damaged two second floor bedrooms and the dining room and kitchen on the first floor.

District Chief Edgar Ellender said the fire was caused by a defective chimney.

Newspaper items and advertisements for this block: Marcel Casamil of 422 was jailed in June 1932 after federal agents halted his sedan carrying four half-barrels of beer (Camden Man Caught With Beer in Sedan); in May 1930 three Philadelphians were held as material witnesses in the shooting of William “Big Bill” Wierman of 427 (Police Still Hold Trio in Roadhouse Murder); George Hill of 430, a Camden police veteran who retired in 1938, died in July 1941 (George Hill Dies; Veteran Policeman); Adkins Freight Lines at 433 advertised in the 1955 Yellow Pages (Adkins Trucking & Freight Lines); and 451–455 was home to Camden Baths, Inc. (Camden Baths, Inc.) and is now Holy Spirit Cathedral (Holy Spirit Cathedral).

Helen M. Markiewicz of 926 died in June 1972 (Helen M. Markiewicz).

Chester Brudzinski, a retired carpenter born in Poland, died in November 1953 at the home of his daughter at 1017 (Chester Brudzinski).

Newspaper items for this block: in January 1909 Miss Mortor of 1132, then Lemon Street, told of two mill girls awaiting a legacy from Germany (Miss Mortor); Frank Thompson, 15, of 1140 was jailed in October 1916 for setting fire to the mail in a letter box (Burns Mail in Letter Box); Felix Paprzycki Sr., 74, of 1140 died in March 1965 (Felix Paprzycki Sr.); Bernard W. Yeager, 43, of 1147 died in June 1966 (Bernard W. Yeager); a February 1938 round-up of gambling raiders included a betting place over a grocery at 1149 (11 Nabbed by Police in Gambling Raids); Thomas Armitage of 1171, then Lemon Street, was burned in a transformer explosion in January 1912 (Two Men Badly Burned); Mrs. Helen Olszewski of 1172 died in February 1956 (Mrs. Helen Olszewski); John J. La Selva, a Navy apprentice seaman of 1174, died in Japan in 1952 (Services Set Friday For John J. La Selva); Raymond E. Evans of 1181 was fined $10 in February 1938 for weaving through traffic around a police car (Motorist Fined $10, Weaved Around Cops); Mrs. Helen Grabowski of 1183 died in September 1954 (Mrs. Helen Grabowski); the Camden Meat Company at 1194 advertised in 1928 and 1938 (Camden Meat Company); and in February 1938 Stella Derengowski of 1197 took out a marriage license (Marriage Licenses).

Note: Lemon Street was renamed Lansdowne Avenue around 1909–1910.

On confessing to have set fire to the contents of a letter box at Louis and Everett streets, Frank Thompson, 15 years old, of 1140 Lansdowne Avenue, was yesterday committed to jail by United States Commissioner Joline in Camden. To Detective Brothers Thompson said that on Sunday night he ignited a match and then dropped it into the mail box “just for fun.” It consumed about a dozen letters.

7 Arrested in Bingo Numbers Racket; 4 Seized in Betting Place

Ten men and a woman were arrested in gambling raids over the weekend by Camden city and county authorities.

Seven were arrested for operating a “bingo numbers” racket. A warrant also was issued for Frank Palese, 400 Spruce street, a member of a widely known South Camden family, as the “big shot” of the racket, according to Chief Lawrence T. Doran, of county detectives. Doran said last night Palese is still a fugitive.

In another raid by Camden police, three men and a woman were arrested in an alleged horse racing betting establishment at 1149 Lansdowne avenue. The place was on the second floor over a grocery store, according to Sergeant Gus Koerner, City Detective Thomas Murphy, Jr., and Patrolman James McLaughlin, who made the raid. Koerner and Murphy also figured in the second raid.

Several racing forms and four telephones with two direct wires to tracks now in operation were seized, according to Koerner and Murphy. The police first arrested Roland Flynn, 36, of 589 Carman street; Neil Zeldman, 43, of 1064 Langham avenue, and James O’Donal, 27, of 1119 Empire avenue, and held them in $1000 bail for violating the State crimes act.

Note: Lemon Street was renamed Lansdowne Avenue around 1909–1910.

Raymond E. Evans, 20, of 1181 Lansdowne avenue, Camden, picked the wrong time to try fancy weaving through traffic, Police Recorder George E. Yost was told last night in Pennsauken township.

According to Patrolmen George Kelley and Robert Jones, he did his weaving around the police car on their right instead of the left, and then weaved in front of the police car and passed another motorist on his left. The weaving was done, they testified, just as the traffic light changed at Crescent boulevard and Cove road. Evans was fined $10.

Alvin Groendyke, 24, of 413 Stockton street, Hightstown, was fined $10 for speeding.

Newspaper items for this block: Henry Garbecki, 14, of 1201 was sent to the detention home in October 1931 (Three Youths Sent to Detention Home); Leon Babrowski, whom the clipping places at 1209 (the directory has him at 1212), was arrested in a June 1933 raid on a numbers headquarters (Florist Shop Raid Traps Numbers Men); Mrs. Viola Niedzwiecki of 1221 died in November 1952 (Mrs. Viola Niedzwiecki); Mrs. Luvenia S. Earl of 1228 died in May 1959 (Mrs. Luvenia S. Earl); Mrs. Bertha Gapinski-Kabinski of 1232 died after a fall down her stairs in August 1952 (Camden Woman Dies in Fall Down Stairs) and Edward A. Kabinski of 1232 died in December 1957 (Edward A. Kabinski); Fulgienty Biebinski of 1235 was held in February 1938 for threatening a foreman with a knife (Employee Accused of Threat to Kill); and Mrs. Augusta Winteroth, 88, of 1269 died of gas in April 1949 (Ill Woman, 88, Suicide by Gas).

Three youths were sent to the detention home yesterday by Police Judge Pancoast to await action of juvenile court. Two of the boys were charged with attempted breaking and entering, and the third was held as incorrigible.

Henry Garbecki, 14, of 1201 Lansdowne Avenue, and Edward Bedanski, of 1265 Whitman Avenue, entered pleas of guilty to trying to break into the Camden Storage Battery Company, 1459 Kaighn Avenue, last night. They were arrested by Patrolman George Schuyler, who testified he saw the boys trying to open the front door with passkeys. The complaint was signed by Elmer T. Woods, 901 Eldridge Avenue, West Collingswood, owner.

Samuel Rizzo, 13, of 329 Benson Street, was in police court for the second time in two weeks. His father, John, told Judge Pancoast the youth refused to attend school and was incorrigible. After being taken into court two weeks ago, the boy attended school two days, the father testified.

Police Believe Hunt for Racket Headquarters Ended; 4 Are Arrested

A three-month search for “number’s” headquarters in Camden was believed ended today when detectives raided a florist shop at 1409 Mt. Ephraim avenue, seized seven adding machines, thousands of dollars worth of sales slips and arrested four men.

Joseph Klosterman, 34, of 1413 Mt. Ephraim Avenue, whom the police believe operated the “bank,” was included in a quartet arrested by a squad under command of Sergeant of Detectives Louis Shaw.

Responding to an anonymous tip that the numbers men were gathered in a rear room of the store, Shaw, together with Detectives Clarence Arthur, George Zeitz and John Kaighn, surrounded the place.

The others arrested in the raid gave their names as Charles Selanski, 23, of 1286 Sheridan Street; Leon Babrowski, 22, of 1209 Lansdowne Avenue, and Frank Gromacki, 27, of 1411 Mt. Ephraim Avenue. Several “pickup men,” who have been arrested while carrying money and numbers slips, according to Shaw, were linked with the ring. The principals, however, had managed to escape detection.

The flower shop, Shaw said, is operated by Joseph Haleski, and was used as a “blind” for the lottery racket.

Klosterman was released last night in $1000 bail for a hearing today on a charge of operating a numbers lottery. The others were all released in $100 cash security as material witnesses.

Mrs. Viola Niedzwiecki, 58, died today of a heart attack at her home, 1221 Lansdowne avenue. She was the widow of Frank Niedzwiecki, who died Sept. 26, 1942. She was a Camden resident 44 years. Surviving are two sons, John and Joseph, both of Camden; two daughters, Mrs. Mary Apakian, Philadelphia, and Jennie, at home, and six grandchildren. Friends may call at the residence Sunday evening. Relatives and friends will meet at the home Monday at 9.30 a. m. Solemn requiem Mass will be celebrated at 10 a. m. in St. Joseph’s Church, Tenth and Mechanic streets. Burial will be in St. Joseph’s cemetery, Chews Landing.

Foreman Charges Worker Brandished Knife in Attempt to Prevent Layoff

A man who allegedly tried to keep his job at the point of a 14–inch knife was held in $2500 bail for the Grand Jury yesterday on a charge of threatening to kill. He is Fulgienty Biebinski, 46, of 1235 Lansdowne Avenue, for 15 years an employee of the McNeely Leather Company, 72 Erie Street.

Joseph Dworanczyk, 1014 Kaighn Avenue, a foreman in the plant, testified that on Monday he received orders to layoff a number of employees. Among them was Biebinski, whose sight is so poor, he had to be assisted to the prisoner’s box by Police Court attaches.

The next day, Dworanczyk continued, Biebinski accosted him in the locker room with a long knife used to trim leather and demanded that he be rehired.

Two employees, Sigmund Oleswewicz, 1418 South Tenth street, and Joseph Sagan, 2142 Orkney Street, Philadelphia, testified they saw Biebinski threaten Dworanczyk with the weapon. Biebinski said that he really meant no harm to Dworanczyk but wanted to frighten him into giving his job back.

Judge Mariano said he sympathized with Biebinski but could not condone his methods and held him for the Grand Jury.

Newspaper items for this block: Viteld Chludzinski, 12, of 1336, then Lemon Street, was hurt by an automobile in April 1913 (Camden Boy Hurt by Auto); Detective George Ellis of 1347 was taken to Cooper Hospital with a heart attack in March 1960 (Heart Attack Fells Det. George Ellis); Cornelius McDonough, a former resident of 1358, was killed by a falling load of lumber at the Camden Marine Terminal in July 1941 (Crane Kills Foreman); and William Risley of 1380, a watchman, helped bring police to a July 1941 filling-station holdup (3 With Guns Get $80 in Broadway Holdup).

Note: Lemon Street was renamed Lansdowne Avenue around 1909–1910.

Camden City Det. George Ellis, 46, was admitted to Cooper Hospital Monday after suffering a heart attack in his home, 1347 Lansdowne ave.

Ellis, who has been a member of the police force since May 1, 1942, was taken to the hospital by Det. Sgt. Donald Ernest and was immediately placed in an oxygen tent. His condition today was described as “satisfactory.”

Three men, two of them wearing handkerchiefs over their faces, held up a gasoline station attendant at Broadway and Lansdowne Avenue yesterday and escaped with $80, according to detectives.

The police said the men entered the place at 2 a.m. and pointed guns at Robert Horner, 17, of 107 Penn street. The man who did not have his face covered tried to hide his identity by holding his handkerchief to his face.

Horner told Detective Sergeant Gus Koerner two of the men were in their shirt sleeves while the third wore a tan coat. William Risley, of 1380 Lansdowne Avenue, watchman at a nearby bag factory, said he saw the men “acting suspiciously” in the neighborhood and telephoned police headquarters.