Tyler Avenue

Tyler Avenue runs northeast from 1200 North 27th Street to North 30th Street, one block north of Pierce Avenue in Cramer Hill. It is named after John Tyler, the tenth President of the United States, who served from 1841 to 1845.

By George Mast, Courier-Post Staff

CAMDEN — Authorities are investigating the death of a man killed early Thursday in an apparent hatchet attack in Cramer Hill.

Josue Rivera, 40, was found around 4 a.m. at his home on the 2700 block of Tyler Street, according to the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office.

Authorities said Rivera “suffered fatal blows from a hatchet.” Investigators believe the attacker may have known the victim.

A neighbor Thursday morning recounted hearing screaming coming from the home earlier that morning.

“It was screaming and then ‘Help, help, help, help,’” the man said. “It was like a horror scream.”

The fatal attack happened inside a two-story, tan duplex. The home sits among other large, single-family homes on a quiet stretch of Tyler Street.

A crime scene investigator with the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office remained at the scene late Thursday morning and eventually carried several items from the home. A man who said he owned the home arrived midmorning and went into the house to talk with the investigator. The man, dressed in military fatigues, said he had been renting out the house.

The killing was the second in Camden in just over a day and No. 10 for the year. There were 12 killings, including a police-involved shooting, at this time last year.

A 39-year-old Camden man died Tuesday night in a shooting in the city’s Parkside neighborhood.

Officials with the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office said Carlos “Sadiq” Perry was shot around 8 p.m. while sitting in a parked car in the 1000 block of Langham Avenue.

Anyone with information about Rivera’s death is asked to contact Camden County Prosecutor’s Office Investigator Eric Wren or Camden Police.

Three men who entered pleas of guilty to stealing gas or electricity from the Public Service were sent to the county jail for 30 days each in default of $25 fines yesterday by Police Judge Pancoast.

Harry Hansen, 2733 Tyler avenue, admitted putting a detachment on his gas meter to prevent it registering. L. M. Thompson, chief clerk for Public Service, testified the device was discovered January 5.

Richard Fearon, 833 Newton avenue, put a “run-around” on his electric meter because he had been out of work he told Judge Pancoast after Thompson had testified the alleged theft was discovered January 13.

John Waldner, 814 North Thirty-fourth street, said his wife was ill and he tapped the main feed line to obtain gas. He said they had four children. Thompson said Public Service employees discovered the alteration on January 10. Waldner’s meter was shut off in November for nonpayment of gas bills.

Sir—

Please direct this through the Mail Bag to “Two Strikes,” alias “Unionism,” alias something else:

Your letter to John Green was not lost to the eyes of everyone; of all people it had to be noticed by one who believes in him.

As for the talk of “Unionism,” why not volunteer to do that yourself? You should be glad to enlighten them, poor fellows.

And I’ll bet my shoe buttons I can convince you personally there’s no “Dove of Peace” hovering above the N. Y. S.

John Green and my sweetheart have both come through two strikes, and I’m for them both.

As for you, and your kind I think you represent a primary color. Not red or blue. Prove it? Why not sign your name? Here’s mine.

BERTHA M. PESTRIDGE,
2734 Tyler Avenue, Camden, N. J.

Tyler Avenue is in the Cramer Hill section of Camden between 27th and 29th Streets. Those of us that lived on the 2800 block in the 1950’s lived in close proximity to the newly formed Von Neida Park. In addition, in the same area, the old rug cleaning factory on 29th street between Tyler and Pierce avenues had been turned into the first Cramer Hill Boys Club. Those of us in the neighborhood could stay out of trouble by going to the club and playing pool, ping pong, shuffleboard, or darts upstairs. We could also go down to the basement to lift weights or learn to box through the instructions of Jim Deckkard. The families on the 2800 block of Tyler included the Fretts, Smiths, Heibels, Vitellis, Starks, Billinghams, Szymanskis, Mackhouses, and DiMattias. There was a corner grocery store at 28th and Tyler that competed with the one known as Herman’s at 28th and Polk Avenue.

Tragedy struck twice on the 2800 block of Tyler Avenue. In 1949, the toddler son of the Orris Smith family was shot by Howard Unruh while the child was getting a haircut at the barber shop at 32nd and River Road. Every year when the Courier-Post ran the story about that famous incident, the neighbors on Tyler would always see Mrs. Smith sitting quietly on her front porch by herself for most of that day. Tragedy again struck when a former resident, Officer William Sutman, was gunned down on July 5, 1969, two months before the first Camden riot.

Tyler Avenue was a great place to grow up. In the 1950’s there were plenty of kids on the block and two vacant lots for various activities. We could play stick ball, half ball, hose ball, whiffle ball, wire ball, “stretch,” jail break and mumblety peg. Down at Von Nieda Park during the summer we would play “three flies and six grounders” all day at the baseball field. The river and woods were also close enough for us to take our BB guns to shoot rats or fishing poles to catch catfish. Tyler Avenue and the Cramer Hill section was a great place to grow up.

Ted Frett