Tag: New Jersey
Strange Lightning Strike Melts Iron Shoes Off Team of Mules
A strange lightning strike in Singac, New Jersey, left residents baffled in June 1910 because it happened while the sun was still shining. There was…
Jersey City Theft Stop Uncovers Shocking Bigamy Case
A petty robbery investigation in Jersey City took an unexpected turn in August 1898 when police stopped a suspicious man carrying a bundle and uncovered…
Father and Daughter Drowned After Tide Trapped Them on Manasquan Beach Sand Bar
A summer outing at Manasquan Beach turned tragic when the tide cut off three bathers on a sand bar.Frank Brown, a clerk at the Chemical…
Mob Tried to Burn Down New Jersey Pesthouse as Firefighters Fought Back
Orange, New Jersey, had barely finished building its new pesthouse when an angry crowd tried to burn it down. The small hospital, meant to isolate…
Camden Policemen Knocked Down by Electric Shock After Wires Crossed
At four o’clock in the morning, Camden’s police telephones turned deadly. Inside City Hall, Policeman Barr lifted the receiver to take the usual calls from…
Teen Girl Arrested After Saying “Damn” to Atlantic City Beach Censor
In 1923, Atlantic City’s beaches were watched by more than lifeguards. Beach censors patrolled the sand, enforcing rules of modesty and proper conduct, right down…
Actress Rescued from Attack in Jersey City
Shortly after 2 o’clock on a March morning in 1894, frantic reports reached police in Jersey City that a woman was being attacked in a…
Newark Judge Fines Couple for Kissing in Park
In 1902, a few kisses in a Newark park were enough to land one couple before Judge Herman Schalk and cost them $10. The story…
The Kingston Schoolgirl Murder Mystery
For more than a month, the disappearance of 15-year-old Elizabeth Johnson had troubled Kingston, New Jersey. She had vanished from her home on August 12,…
The Night Black Tom Island Blew Up
At 2:15 on a July morning in 1916, New York Harbor erupted. A series of explosions tore through munitions cars, barges, and warehouses near the…
