1895: Sheriff Hutchinson; My kind of lawman

Back in the old west, public hangings were a regular occurrence. Apparently they were also common in the "old east" as verified in this article wherein Sheriff Bob Hutchinson meted out a punishment to fit the crime. The Hutchinson family has a splendid historical heritage in the Mercer County area, especially in Hamilton Township.

1902: TRENTON POLICE: "WHAT IS A 'YEGG'?"

This is a soon-to-be 100year old article that gives a number of revealing and interesting insights to the history of the Trenton Police Department of a century ago. These kinds of articles are particularly interesting when 100 years later we witness the sad state of Trenton's financial and social problems.

Anonymous said...

Did you ask this once before? For some reason I remember finding that it was traced to the name of an actual culprit and or, there may be a reference to this in the Pinkerton's history? Skip So, the answer would be that it became for a short while slang for a burglar or thief, extracted from a real name?

Thursday, August 04, 2011

I may have asked about the source of the "Yegg" word some time ago, Skip; I often wondered about that term which I have heard numerous times over the years. As to the Pinkerton connection, I would have to research that and will at some time, or perhaps a visitor can Google and answer.

Tom Glover

1968: THE TRENTON RIOTS

Those 1968 riots changed the city of Trenton forever. In my opinion, the town never recovered from the incredibly senseless looting and destruction of public and personal property, all in the name of avenging the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King by a deranged racist animal. Why the city was blamed for that dastardly act is beyond reason. However, the city we all knew and loved never fully recovered from the senseless looting and burning which the town endured.

1886: OBSCENE LITERATURE PROLIFERATES

I am currently going through the "CRIME-MORALS-SOCIAL VALUES" folder in the Hamilton Library Digital folder which I have been compiling over the last 10 or 15 years. The next few posts will reveal the fact that we will always have crime, immorality, and anti social values in certain segments of our society. What an comparison it would be to compare the "impure press" of 1885 to the printed pages we see today!

1906: TRENTON CRIME STATISTICS, JANUARY, 1906

Very interesting look at the police blotter for the month of January, 1906. The number of incidents in January, 1906 would be interesting when compared to those of January, 2008.

1901: Unbelievable Assault of a Groveville Girl in Yardville

NOTE: FOR THOSE VISITORS WITH THE SMALLER NOTEBOOK PC DISPLAY, THIS ARTICLE WILL BE A BIT EASIER TO READ IF YOU MOVE YOUR LCD DISPLAY RESOLUTION DOWN TO 800 X 600.
(GO TO START, CONTROL PANEL, DISPLAY, SETTINGS,
SLIDE TO THE LEFT FROM 1024 X 768 TO 800 X 600)
When we read stories like this incredible early 20th century crime we realize just how important a police force is. The Constable was a complete coward and many of the local citizenry were intimidated by the mad man who assaulted the young lady who worked in the Groveville textile mill. Read this incredible story of a demented man and the unbelievable agony that young lady must have gone through. First, the inept behavior of the lawman and then the agonizing ride on a horse drawn cart to St. Francis Hospital.

1945: The Horrors of the Holocaust

The unspeakable atrocities committed by the Nazis during World War II has already gone down in history as one of the most evil times in the history of the world. The leader of Iran calls the holocaust a hoax. He is not alone. There are still evil forces in the world who deny the existance of the Holocaust.

1956: ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL ARSON

I was in the U.S. Army over in Italy when the horrible fire at St. Mary's Cathedral occurred. My mother-in-law's best friend was the housekeeper. She perished in the fire.

1935: The Arsenal

There is much fascinating lore relating to the Arsenal, which is on the Second Street property of the N.J. State Prison. The building still stands, and I presume is still the home of the warden of the prison.

1941: Schnur's 5 & 10 Burglarized

1931: LAW AND ORDER CRACKDOWN

"STERN PUNISHMENT VIEWED AS REMEDY:" AS I ADD MATERIAL TO THE "CRIME, MORALS, SOCIAL VALUES" FOLDER IN THE HAMILTON LIBRARY LOCAL HISTORY COLLECTION, IT IS INTERESTING TO READ HOW THE ILLEGAL FIRE ARMS LAW WAS BEING ENFORCED IN 1931.

1873: LAWRENCEVILLE'S POST OFFICE AND STORE BURGLARIZED

1947: THINGS WERE BETTER IN "THE GOOD OLD DAYS?"

FROM MY "CRIME, MORALS, SOCIAL VALUES" FOLDER COMES THIS ARTICLE PROVING THAT THIEVES AND OTHER N'ER DO WELLS HAVE BEEN, AND ALWAYS WILL BE WITH US.

1947: WE CALLED IT "JUVENILE DELINQUENCY"

FROM THE "CRIME, MORALS, SOCIAL VALUES" FILE IN MY COLLECTION,
THIS INTERESTING INSIGHT INTO THE MID 20TH CENTURY TELLS OF THE BEGINNING OF WHAT WOULD EXPAND EXPONENTIALLY OVER
THE NEXT 50 YEARS, EVOLVING INTO THE SOCIETAL PROBLEMS
WE HAVE TODAY WITH ORGNIZED GANGS.

1869: Vandals on Centre Street

EVEN BACK THEN THEY HAD VANDALISM PERPETRATED BY LOCAL SOCIETY'S MORE IGNORANT CITIZENS. UNLIKE OUR LIBERAL JUDICIAL SYSTEM WE HAVE TODAY, THE PERPS OF OLD RECEIVED HARSH PUNISHMENT WHICH MADE THEM THINK TWICE ABOUT REPEATING THEIR ANTI SOCIAL AND CRIMINAL VANDALISM. "NAMES ARE BEING WITHHELD BECAUSE OF THEIR AGE" WAS UNHEARD OF.

1925: NO LIBERAL JUDGE HERE

"LET THE PUNISHMENT FIT THE CRIME!"

1903: "JACK THE HUGGER"

Well, I guess it could have been Jack the Mugger. Even 108 years ago we had wierdos roaming around the community. This clip comes from my collection and is in the "CRIME, MORALS, SOCIAL VALUES" folder in the Hamilton Local History Collection.

1931: BRING JUDGE SCHROTH BACK

I HAVE BEEN ADDING INTERESTING NEWS ARTICLES ON THE SOCIAL MISFITS FROM OUR LOCAL PAST INTO THE "CRIME, MORALS AND SOCIAL VALUES" FOLDER IN THE LOCAL HISTORY COLLECTION. WE COULD SURE USE A JUDGE SCHROTH IN TODAY'S SOCIETY. BACK THEN IT WAS JUSTICE; PLAIN, SIMPLE AND AS THE WORD IMPLIES, "JUST!"

1869: EVEN THEN, VANDALS WERE A PROBLEM

FROM THE "MORALS AND SOCIAL VALUES" FOLDER IN THE LOCAL HISTORY COLLECTION:

WHAT IS IT ABOUT A CERTAIN SEGMENT OF OUR POPULATION THAT MAKES THESE ANTI-SOCIAL CITIZENS DEFACE OTHER PEOPLE'S PROPERTY? AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS ARTICLE FROM 1869, THESE CITIZEN SLUGS, THEN AS NOW, DELIGHTED IN DESTROYING ANYTHING DECENT. THE DIFFERENCE? WHEN THE PERPETRATORS WERE CAUGHT, YOU CAN BET THAT THEIR NAMES WEREN'T WITHELD BECAUSE OF THEIR AGES. I WOULD BET THAT THE JUDGE DIDN'T GIVE THEM A 2007 "SLAP ON THE WRIST" AND REMAND THEM TO THEIR PARENTS.

1912: WHITE CITY DEBAUCHERY

IN THE FALL I WILL BE DOING A KUSER MANSION PROGRAM ON WHITE CITY, "THE CONEY ISLAND OF NEW JERSEY." EVEN THOUGH WHITE CITY WAS A GLAMOROUS AMUSEMENT PARK, THROUGHOUT ITS EXISTANCE IT WAS CONSTANTLY INVOLVED VIOLATIONS OF THE "BLUE LAWS," WHICH MANDATED CLOSING ON SUNDAYS. THERE WERE ALSO MANY INCIDENTS SUCH AS THE GRAPHIC ABOVE, WHERE LADIES WITH QUESTIONABLE MORALS HELD FORTH.