HANG ONTO YOUR DIAMONDS AND CHICKENS —
(Oct. 26, 1916) Ben Getzoff of Bernardsville was arrested by Officer Nagel, charged with speeding 20 miles an hour. He was fined $10.55. He paid his fine.
(Oct. 26, 1916) Fred Mattox from Morris Town was arrested by Officer Nagel for speeding, making 22 miles an hour on Millburn Avenue. He was taking a child to the doctor, so the judge let him go.
(Nov. 3, 1916) Mr. Markwald called in and said there was a woman at his house with a four year old child, and who gave her address as 590 West 172 St., NY City. He thought she was demented and wanted the NY Police informed about the case. Later he called in and said he knew who she was and wanted the NY Police called off.
(Nov. 5, 1916) A telephone call came from Chief Coaney’s house, that a man was begging at their place. Officer Nagel went down in auto and arrested a man who had a card saying he was deaf and dumb and a half-breed Indian and had no friends. Also, his father was killed in the Spanish-American war. Signed George Deal. He was fined $2. He paid.
(Nov. 11, 1916) Mr. Nash reported hunters shooting around his place. He wants it stopped. (Editor’s note: In the 1916 Millburn city directory Stephen Nash lived on Parsonage Hill Rd)
(Nov. 13, 1916) Mattie Pansano of Church St. was arrested by Special Officer Cackner for driving his horse and wagon without a light. After he ran into I.E. Woodruff’s carriage, doing some damage, the Capt. ordered him to appear at 7 pm Nov. 14 for a hearing. He was fined $2.50+$.55 costs. He paid his fine.
(Nov. 15, 1916) Officer Wright found the Douglas Plumbing shop side door open. The gas was burning. Mr. Douglas left it open for one of the men to do some work. Everything OK.
(Nov. 16, 1916) Officer Wright brought in Charles Miller, a boy 18 years old, at 1:35, who said he lives at 197 East Hayes St., Corona, L.I. He told me he had something the matter with his head and lost his way. I called up his employer in N.Y. and he said he was alright, also that his mother was looking for him. He said he would send her to Millburn to bring him home. He worked for Chase & Washburn Brokers in New York.
(Nov. 17. 1916) Dr. Campbell of Short Hills phoned in and said there was an intoxicated man on the tennis court, Short Hills, flourishing a gun. I took Fred Taylor with me and went up in the auto and found William McCauley on Short Hills Ave. He was intoxicated with a revolver in his overcoat pocket. It was not loaded. He also had about 24 gun shells in his pockets. I placed him under arrest. He admitted his guilt at the hearing and was held on $200 bail for Grand Jury action.
(Nov. 18, 1916) Mrs. Hotchkiss of Brantwood called in and complained about hunting going on around her house and hunters shooting near the house. Officer Nagel and Capt. Brodesser went up in town auto. I asked her if I arrested the man that was shooting near her house would she be a witness against him. She refused to do so. We found the hunter, but he claimed he had not done any shooting. I looked at his gun and it was clean. After warning him to keep away from the houses I let him go.
(Nov. 26, 1916) Phillip Grosso of 80 Stone St., Newark was arrested by Park Officer Reinhardt of South Mountain Reservation charged with killing one rabbit with a club in violation of section 13 of the park ordinance. He was fined $15 + $.75 costs. He paid the fine.
(Nov. 30, 1916) J(oseph) P. Day reported hunters on his property. Officer Nagel investigated, but could not find anyone hunting. (Ed. note: Joseph P. Day’s property is where Greenwood Gardens is today.)
(Dec. 1, 1916) Received a report from R. Whittingham that some boys were shooting at the lights by the bridge on Ridgewood Rd. I got there as quick as I could, but could not find them. They went across lots to Wyoming Ave. I was delayed by muffler of car coming apart. Miss Bailey saw the boys shooting at lamps and called up Mr. Whittingham.
(Dec. 4 , 1916) James Finan of Ridgewood Rd. was put on probation after he admitted having a rifle in his possession on Dec. 2, 1916. He is to report once a week for a month at the police station, by order of Judge McGee. He gave the names of the boys who broke a light on Ridgewood Rd Dec. 1 about 1:40 pm: Carl Voltz, 15 Mountain Ave, Maplewood; George Karce(?), 17 Ridgewood Terrace; Archer Campbell; George Freese, Ridgewood Rd, broke lights on Ridgewood Rd.
(Dec. 4, 1916) Received a report from Mrs. Kellogg that there was some men hunting near her house (Ed. Note: The Kelloggs lived at 417 Wyoming Avenue). Officer Nagel and myself went up in auto, but they got away.
(Dec. 6, 1916) Joseph Kluck of Spring and Church St was arrested by Special Officer McFail (Ed. note: Probably “McPhail”) for discharging a revolver on a public street. After appearing before the judge, he was fined $15.90. He paid.
(Dec. 7, 1916) Mrs. McPherson reports hunters shooting near her house. (Ed. note: In the 1916 city directory the Norman McPhersons lived on Baltusrol Way). Officer Nagel went up in town car and arrested Harvey Reuter & George Gerdener (Gardener?). They were fined $5.90. The man paid his fine, but the boy Reuter was placed on probation to pay $2 a week until fine is paid.
(Dec.9, 1916) Mrs. Diboll (Ed. note: Probably meant Mrs. DiBello, the only remotely similar name in the 1916 directory then) reported at 7:10 am that someone had stolen her chickens. Five in all.
(Dec. 13, 1916) Ben S——– was summoned to appear before Judge McGee, charged with beating his wife on complaint of Blanche M——– of the same house. The judge found him guilty and suspended sentence.
(Dec. 15, 1916) Chief Coaney reported that someone had stolen a diamond stone out of Mrs. Nat Tyler’s ring, valued at $200. The stone was taken out of the ring sometime between Dec. 10 and Dec. 13. James Banagan of Short Hills Ave was at the house at about 5:00 pm on Dec. 10 and asked how he could get in later in the night, as the maid had gone out and locked the door. It was arranged so he could get in to tend to the fire. I made a trip to Rahner’s Jewelry store (Ed. note: The 1916 city directory records a George A. Rahner, jeweler, with a business on Main St, near Taylor), but could not get a chance to talk to him, so I called later and learned James Banagan came in with a stone (diamond) that the jeweler said looked like the one missing from the Nat Tyler house. Banagan ordered it put into a ladies’ ring, paying $5 for the job. He called on Dec. 18 at George Rahner’s store at 3:00 pm and took the ring with him. On Dec. 19, I sent for J. Banagan at the Banagan home. His sister said she would tell him. At about 4:30 pm Dec. 19, he called at the police station. I took him in the back room and talked to him about the missing diamond. The first words he said was, “I don’t know how…why…I done it. I will bring it back tomorrow morning,” but I said he must bring it back tonight. He said he would return the diamond about 6:00 pm to Mr. Tyler and Mrs. Tyler and ask their forgiveness and promise to never repeat the offense. Mr. and Mrs. Tyler said they would give him another chance and would not make a complaint against him.
(Dec. 22, 1916) Mr. Marckwald reported to Capt. Brodesser that someone was stealing in Mr. Van Vleck’s house (Ed. note: The 1916 city directory records a Mrs. Edmund Van Vlach on Highland Avenue), as two diamonds were missing, as well as other things. I arrested Agnes Fleming of Summit, who is a servant in the house. After talking to her for a while, she admitted taking one of the diamonds, but she said she put it back where she found it. I went up to Mrs. Huggins room and Agnes showed me where the diamond was in the jewelry box. Mrs. Huggins made a complaint against the girl. Judge McGee held her in $300 bail for the Grand Jury. Mrs. Huggins going on her bail (Ed. note: ???) the diamond was stolen about Nov. 30. Agnes said she put it back after Mrs. Huggins told her she missed it. She said she did not know why she took it. She did not know what to do with it.
(Dec. 27, 1916) Capt. Brodesser & Officer Wratchford arrested James Banagan on complaint of the capt., charged with Grand Larceny. He stole a diamond valued at $200. John Lonergan went on his bail bond of $500, to appear in upper courts.
(Dec. 27, 1916) Took a dog away from Mr. Gibson’s house on White Oak Ridge Rd, at the request of Mrs. Gibson, who did not want it any longer.
(Dec. 29, 1916) Officer Wright picked up Louis Shorts. He fell down in the middle of the car tracks. He carried him to the police station. Dr. Campbell looked him over and said he had cramps. I let him go at 10:00 am.