1588 REMEMBERED

Frank Donaghy wore badge 1588 when he served in the Newark Police Department.  

Frank died two years ago. He answered his final call.

It doesn't seem that long ago, but it is. Time goes by fast.  

A salute is offered to Frank, along with wishes for good health for his family.

NEW PATCH SITE

PC News reported there is a new site for Patch Collectors.  It is:


www.patchesrus.net


We have added this site to out  "Sites Of Interest".  Take a minute or two and check this one out.

A SPECIAL PATCH - MASSACHUSETTS CORRECTION

Through this blog I present pictures, and lots of memories, of those wonderful badges in my collection of 45 years (give or take a few months). On occasion I have posted a picture and an account regarding a patch.


The Patch above was presented to me by a neighbor who worked in Corrections in Massachusetts. He served as a Warden, and has almost as many stories as I do.


My friend has had the opportunity to view my collection. He enjoyed the personal visit with my relics and wanted to add something to the collection from "His" State. 

The patch above is part of  his donation and it fits very nicely under glass on top of my desk. I display it with my thanks. It is appreciated.

POLICE OFFICER DOWN

Following the brief post regarding a French Police Officer it was pointed out to us that over 150 Police Officers die in the line of duty here in the United States each year.  There is an excellent website that covers fallen officers. We would like to make note of it here.
  
The  address is:  www.odmp.org

We have also listed this page under our Sites of Interest

MUNICIPALS - "C" IS FOR CHESTER

 

C is for CHESTER. These badges represent the sixth different community in my Municipal Collection.

I have two badges here from Chester Township. The key word is "Township". I believe there is a Chester Borough which borders the other place. 

From what I recall about the Chester's neither one qualifies as a metropolis. Both however are far from urban and, unless the population has doubled recently, there should be some nice green space and a rustic feeling in these "towns."

These badges made it to my collection in the last millennium. I kept them for years before placing them in a proper display. Since retiring I have had the time to gather other "Munis."  Today I have placed an even fifty in a single display of municipal police badges from New Jersey. 

The two badges featured here are of the same design. One is silver tone and is for a Patrolman. The second badge is gold tone and is for a Sergeant.  Both badges have an Eagle at the top.

In the center of these badges are multicolored State Seals. The Seal on the Patrolman Badge is an older one consisting of just a blue ring around the outside edge. The second Seal, on the Sergeant Shield, is a full color Seal that was introduced around 1970+/-.   

The N.J. State Seal's give an impressive touch to these fine old badges which remind me on a daily basis of things like: The Old Chester Flea Market, Larson's Turkey Farm  & and, nearby Schooley's Mountain. These are fine memories and they provide considerable enjoyment.

FRENCH OFFICER, ERIC LALLES, REMEMBERED

We were sent this information regarding the loss of a French Nationale Police Officer.  He was ERIC LALES.

The notice of his death originated in France from Auxil Benevosoc. 

Mr. Benevosoc sent a link that we are unable to share with you. He briefly told us the very sad message. Officer Lales was an undercover officer who was fatally wounded  on November 28, 2011.  He survived for ten days.

Our thoughts go to the Officer's Wife and two children.

MUNICIPALS - "C" IS FOR CHATHAM

C is for Chatham.  This is number five in alphabetical order in my Municipal Collection.

I may have mentioned that I grew up and worked essentially in Newark, NJ.  It was the County Seat for the County of Essex which was my employer for four decades. That was a long time.

Drawing on the experience of living and working in Essex I chose to find an abode that was far enough away from the problems surrounding the greater Broad and Market Street area. For me, That meant about 15 miles West of Newark's South Side.

The Probation Department had an office at 32 Johnson Ave., Newark, NJ.  South Side High School was just one block away. It was a great location if your thinking was to plan an escape route to be close to I-78. That was my thinking when I sought out Chatham NJ. It was 14.7 miles from the office.

Chatham was a bedroom community when I moved here. I quickly learned that this term meant: The people riding the train everyday, into New York, were picking up a much bigger pay check then me. The tax rate in Chatham was good, especially for New Jersey. The Borough also enjoyed a very good school system. All of this made Chatham very attractive.

The  Chatham Police Department was small when I located in Chatham in the early 70's. I believe they covered all shifts with less officers then the number working any shift in any precinct in Newark. That of course is an "Apples and Oranges" comparison.

The suburbs looked great. The homes and streets gave a wonderful presentation to the passerby. Yet there were problems here, just different. It took a different breed to work communities outside the big city. While the law was the same the people were different and that in many cases made the job far from easy.

Having lived there for close to thirty years I got to know a couple of fine officers from the Borough Police Department. As nice as they were I never got a "donation" for my collection from any of them. None the less they are still Good Guy's.

There are two badges from Chatham in my Municipal Collection. One is an oval that was issued to those who served in the ranks as "Special" Police Officers. This item reads: Special Police. It was phased out in the late 1960's. It probably was initially introduced in the 1930's or 40's.  

The second badge is of a more traditional design. It has black recessed letters that read: Chatham Police.  It was introduced  in the 1930's. On the bottom is an applied number - 48 which is also plated. 

This badge has a State Seal at center that was plated with the main badge. This is a larger then usual Seal. It is about the size of a quarter. 

I have had both of these fine pieces of history for over 25 years. I keep them very close, in a case of Oak and Glass. I enjoy the memories that come to  mind when I turn my head daily for a trip down memory lane.

THANK YOU PC NEWS

In the recent (Sep - Oct, 2011) edition of PC News there is an article regarding the Badge and Gun I believe belonged to US Marshal  Horace "Will"  Loomis.  It appears in the column "Collecting Memories" (pp. 37 - 38).

Loomis was Chief Deputy U.S. Marshall in New Mexico when it was a territory. He served ten years starting in 1886. His handgun and presentation badge, in its' original case, are pictured above.


In the Fall of 1896 Loomis using a shotgun fatally wounded the outlaw Code (y) Young. The Outlaw was a member of the High Five Gang that terrorized New Mexico and Arizona in the late 1890's.

The PC News article was also posted on this blog in July of 2011. It may be viewed under the title:  "TRAIN ROBBERY # 62, AND "MY" BADGE & GUN."


We extend Thanks to PC News for letting us share pictures of the Marshall's Badge and Gun, and for also remembering "Wells Fargo's Chronology of Stage Coach and Train Robberies," and, in particular,  Train Robbery Number 62.

MUNICIPAL'S - "B" IS FOR BUTLER

This is the fourth badge in sequence in my Municipal Collection. It is "B" for Butler.

This small Borough is in Morris County. It has a decent sized population of 7500 (plus or minus,  depending on whether it is a weekend or not). The place is only a short (20+/- miles) distance to N.Y.C.

As a kid I was well acquainted with towns like Lincoln Park, Wayne, Mountainview and of course Butler. The common denominator was the Passaic River as well as the Pequannock River (Yes it is spelled correctly). 

At one point these rivers merge. The location was called Two Bridges for obvious reasons. They water was great for swimming, and using a small boat. I had tons of fun in this area fifty years ago.

After outgrowing the small boat at age 17 and, learning I could go further in a car, I discovered Butler.  It was a small town back then. It hasn't grown much. 

I recall a family friend knew someone who had a waterfront cabin on nearby Glen Wild Lake. This was a private community (but they let me in anyway). One of the better memories was cruising that lake on a small paddle-wheel boat. It too was privately owned, and used only for pleasure. Again that was fifty years ago.

I don't ever remember seeing a police officer on or near that Lake or in the big town of Butler which was incorporated in 1901. That was much more than fifty years ago.

The badge that I have has been in my collection for at least 25 years. It no longer is the design in use, but looks mighty good to my old eyes. I like it more then the current oval style used by the fine officers of modern Butler, NJ. 


This badge is a full size shield with black recessed letters. It simply reads "Butler" on the top panel, and "Police" on the lower panel.  In the center are the numbers "11".


My collection of New Jersey municipal police badges is certainly enhanced with this fine old badge from decades ago. Naturally it is displayed in an oak and glass case where it helps bring back some fine old memories.

MUNICIPAL'S - "B" IS FOR BOUND BROOK

 
 
This is yet another "B" in my municipal collection. This little guy is from the Metropolis of  Bound Brook, NJ.

It is a wallet size badge that is silver in color tone, with black recessed letters.


In the center is a State of N.J. Seal. It was applied first, then plated with the rest of the badge.


The wife had relatives in this community that makes the map (or news), every now and then. This is when the place floods. It seems the "Brook" is not held back by anything during those Jersey Spring Rains.


I have had this item a short time. I believe I picked it up a show. I had some early thoughts of maybe trading it. For now it is in the case with my Nifty-Fifty NJ Municipal's,  and, of course, some nice memories.

MUNICIPAL'S - "B" IS FOR BLOOMFIELD

 

  
This old badge is number two in my "Municipal" collection. It is "B" as in Bloomfield, NJ.  It is a fairly old badge, but in very nice condition.


The Town of Bloomfield is in Essex County. One of my ancient relatives was a Cop in this community. He rode a motorcycle, and even gave me a ticket.  Needless to say this badge was not his.


I spent a good deal of time in this community having friends, and relatives, who say this is "Home." I went to college here, and later had the thrill of working here. It was nice back then (mid 80's). I think the place is holding its own today, but one friend claims he is paying taxes for the entire community. That is an exaggeration of course, but ten grand a year. Wow!


Today there are approximately 45 to 50 thousand residents. For the most part they behave. Of course that is because of their very good police force. Thanks to them my friend can safely drive to work and earn enough to pay those taxes.


Back to the badge. It was a donation from a friend. He gave this one to me over twenty years ago. Naturally I have given it good care, and today have it in a nice glass case in my Den.


The item is a traditional shape with an Eagle on the top. There is no State or Municipal Seal at center point, but there is the number 27.

There are recessed letters with black fill over silver tone plating. This badge  gives me some fine memories of a "Township" that   played an important role in my life. I am proud to have it my collection.

A NICE EXPERIENCE

A couple of months ago I was trying hard to stay out of trouble when I noticed an email from someone who's name I did not recognize. I was reluctant to open it, but finally said, "Why not."  The sender identified himself as the Sheriff of McIntosh County, Oklahoma.

My first impulse was to,  "deny, deny, deny".


As I read his email I realized this was really a nice moment. He found my email because of this blog, and thought he might enlist my help to identify a badge belonging to a young lady in his County. He included a picture with his inquiry.


As soon as I saw the Seal I knew this badge was from Trenton, NJ.  It was old - VERY OLD.


The Sheriff explained that this Badge was found  in  "...a Lenna, OK cotton field in approximately 1960.  It had been buried and was turned up by a breaking plow while getting the field ready for planting."  The family of the individual who found this badge has maintained possession of it since that date - fifty plus years !!!  

I believe the item is much older, perhaps late 1800's to early 1900's. 

There is a lot of sentimental value for the family that has is it. I suggested they to place it in a nice case, with a glass front, and hang it in a prominent location for daily viewing and appreciation.  

I too appreciated seeing this bit of history from a City that was once our National Capital. Certainly the nice hand written note that was sent to me, along with the fine patch pictured above, was deeply appreciated and have become part of my treasures.

MUNICIPALS - "B" IS FOR BAYONNE

Finally I have caught up with that ever changing word "All". It looks like , for now, I have addressed my City Collection. Every Badge that I have obtained over the last forty years that fits the category of "City" has been presented along with appropriate pictures. As of now there are 31 on display, representing 25 different N.J. Cities,  and that represents "My All."

Now it is time to address those that I have put in a monster display case for muni's.  This group may even have a "City" that I chose not to include with the others. I'll start with the letter "B" which is for Bayonne.

As luck would have it the first badge is from a City. This particular badge is a Special Police Officer' Badge. In the City Collection I tried to stay away from "specials."

This item is silver tone. It is an old badge with an eagle on top. Lettering is recessed with black fill.

The Seal on this item is very interesting. The center piece is a Ship on the Water. This is the City Seal of Bayonne. On newer badges the State Seal is what is being used.

This old badge is available for trade. For the time being it is number one in my Municipal Display.   If anyone is interested in it send an email.

ANOTHER CHANCEMAN

Several weeks ago I obtained a "Chanceman Badge" from Newark, NJ. I wrote a "post" here and stated my belief that this title was used in Jersey's large Cities around the 1900's.

The Cities that I was thinking of were obviously Newark. The others were Jersey City, Camden, Trenton and Paterson.

A kind reader wrote and told me how his Grandfather was a Chanceman in the "Town" of West Orange, NJ. The above picture was also sent and is being shared here. It is a beauty.

It reads: CHANCEMAN, WEST ORANGE, POLICE # 65 .

This Badge is a treasure and even better it has remained in the family. I hope it finds its' way into a nice display case, along with a prominent location on the wall.

PENN CENTRAL RAIL ROAD

Many, many years ago there was a Rail Road that ran through New Jersey. It was called the "Penn Central RR." Before its' demise this historic train line they employed their own Rail Road Police.

They had jurisdiction along the rails, the Train Yards, and in the Stations. They were real police and had guns and badges. Unfortunately their history is not known by this writer.

A friend who has collection interests in the Penn Central, sent a picture of the above badge. It was made by H Buchlien & Son of Newark, NJ. The company is no longer in business.

Gary Farmer would appreciated any info one has regarding the Badge and the New Jersey History of the Badge and police. If you know something contact Gary directly at:

follee@embarqmail.com

CITY ADDITIONS: C IS FOR CLIFTON

C IS FOR CLIFTON.

This is a nice addition to my New Jersey "City Collection." It now stands at thirty-one (31) members.

At one point Clifton was in N.J.'s top ten cities. I am not sure if that is still true.

This City is located next to my home county - Essex County. It is in, what I always considered, a nice location. Clifton is well situated, in Passaic County, near major highways going into New York City.

I will always have a fond memory of trips I made working nights in Essex County to the famous Ruts Hut. This place is located on the Passaic River and sells the best hot dogs in the world. I can still smell them all the way down to my Florida home.

The hot dogs were easy to get, but a badge from Clifton was one of those that I just could not nail down. Even after retirement it took another ten years to obtain this one. It is for a Special Officer and has that tittle in a panel that starts at the Eagle' mouth.

On the main body of the badge are the words: CITY OF CLIFTON. The bottom panel reads: POLICE. Words can't describe how happy I am to see something in my collection from "Clifton." It has been a long long wait.

In the center of this silver tone shield is the Seal of the State of New Jersey. This version is a little bigger than a quarter. It was affixed to the badge then plated.

As noted this piece is most welcome in my NJ Cities Collection. Now that it is there I let it bring back some warm memories of cold nights and those great Ruts Hut Hot Dogs.

TRAIN ROBBERY # 62, AND "MY" BADGE & GUN

I usually write about a badge or two that I have in my collection, and the memory that each of these items reveals to me. Those memories routinely relate to a person I knew or the particular community where the badge originates. Mostly the badges, and my memories, are from New Jersey.

The badge featured in this article is from an area just a few miles outside of the Garden State. More to the point this nice silver badge comes from the Albuquerque, New Mexico area.

Like most of my badges there is a story attached to this one too. I know the story because the badge and gun tell it to me almost on a daily basis. When I look at this Six Pointed Star and old Colt Revolver my memory takes me back to the Old West in the 1890’s. New Mexico, and its’ neighbor Arizona were only U.S. Territories.

As I recall in the 1890’s Outlaws raised havoc in the both “States.” A group of five men came together to form a well known gang that ran wild in the South West. These Guys robbed Banks, Post Offices, Stores, Stagecoaches, Ranches, and even Trains. The five guys, and occasionally an associate, became known as “The High Fives,” and sometimes “Black Jack’s Gang.”

The core group of this gang was: George Musgrave, Robert & Will Christian, Cole Estes, and Bob Hayes. We never here of these guys today, but they caused enough harm to warrant admission to the criminals’ Hall of Fame if there is such a place.

These thugs were the first to rob a Bank in Arizona. It was a major robbery. They got away with at least ten thousand dollars, and did not get caught. Not satisfied with that claim to fame, they recorded several other robberies in the area surrounding Albuquerque.

“The High Fives” were very successful in their daring robberies and eventually Trains became a target. One of their exploits was recorded as the largest robbery in the history of the Santa Fe Railroad.

As quick as these guys stole the money, they changed their names to avoid being captured. One might argue that this group invented the word alias or a.k.a. George Musgrave was known to have nineteen aliases. He used them well. The man survived to the age of 70. The notorious Mr. Musgrave has been chronicled as the “Last of the Old –Time Outlaws,” a book that has helped my memory immensely.

William Christian used the name “Black Jack” after being confused with another outlaw of the day – Black Jack Ketchum. This confusion led to the gang also being referred to as “Black Jack’s Gang.” This was an error, but Christian didn’t care to correct it.

Cole Estes also had a couple of aliases. He was known as Bob Young or Cole or Code Young. He probably forgot to add a “y” making one of his names “Codey.” Of course I assume he knew how to spell. Even if he knew his ABC’s it would not help him enjoy a life span like Musgrave.

“Old” George was the guy who most likely led the “High Fives” although that role was rather loose. He, for sure, was one bad man. It has been written that he was "guilty of more crimes than Billy the Kid was ever accused of."

In the autumn of 1896 the Gang was at its’ peak. Their decline came quickly with the decision to rob “Atlantic & Pacific Train # 802” at a water station on the Rio Puerco river bed. This was located about 30 miles SW of Albuquerque. The date was Friday, October 2, 1896. The time was 7:30 PM. This night would change any retirement plans the young bandits may have had.

The event is recorded in the “Wells Fargo Ledger” which is “a recording of 95 robberies or attempted robberies of trains from 1870 -1902, mostly 1890’s.” Specifically the event of Oct. 2 was: Train robbery # 62.

It begins with “Train # 802” coming to a stop near the water tank with all looking peaceful. On a passenger seat one man was just tired and wanted to get his sleep. He had just completed a job of serving “process papers” in Gallup, New Mexico.

The sleeping passenger was Horace W. Loomis. His friends just called him “Will.” He was Chief Deputy United States Marshal, serving in Socorro County. Marshal Loomis wanted to get home and continue a hunt for the “High Fives” that began in August. Loomis had chased the gang from Santa Fe to the Mexico border without any success. Loomis’ luck was about to change. He would soon come face to face with the gang he had been pursuing for weeks.

As the gang focused on their work they shot out a lantern carried by the brakeman. The shots awoke Loomis who grabbed his shotgun and stepped out of the coach. He stared down the track. About three cars forward the Marshal saw Code Estes a.k.a. Young. The Outlaw had a gun on Train Engineer, Charles Ross. When Young made the mistake of moving away from Ross an opportunity, for Loomis, presented itself. Loomis blasted his gun wounding his target. Young returned fire and Loomis shot him a second time ending the Outlaws’ life.

Marshal Loomis waited with the dead outlaw hoping his friends would come to help him. They did not. Train 802 was sent on to get help. Marshal Loomis waited, with the body, until a special train from Albuquerque arrived.

The special train transported Cole Young’s body to Albuquerque. It arrived around noon and was taken to the local funeral parlor managed by O. W Strong. The body was buried at the Fairview Cemetery on October 5, 1896. This burial effectively brought a conclusion to Train Robbery #62.

When the news of this robbery hit the East Coast a little paper, in New York City, published the story. According to the N.Y. Times, Marshal Loomis: “…drew his revolver and fired several shots at the robbers.” The fire was returned, and for several minutes there was a fusillade of bullets. One of the Outlaws “dropped dead with a bullet through his brain.”

This piece of history took place 115 years ago. A lot has happened since that day in October 1896. Cole Estes a.k.a. Young remains dead. Horace Loomis has certainly joined him; New Mexico and Arizona are now States; and the New York Times is said to be more accurate.

It is this writer’s wish that the Times was correct with the reference to Loomis’ revolver. The gun that was last in the Marshal’s holster has traveled through time to my fine collection of Law Enforcement Memorabilia. Unfortunately it did not kill Cole Estes. If it did its’ ownership would be enhanced.

The old Colt Revolver was acquired a few years ago along with a Six Pointed Star, and a presentation case as a set. These items served as the imputes for my research into Train Robbery #62, and the true name worth remembering in this incident – Horace W Loomis.

Loomis had quite a career, although I know nothing about him since that October night long ago. In checking him out it was learned that he was the first US Marshal authorized, by the Bureaucrats in Washington D.C. to submit expenses without receipts while “Still Hunting (undercover),” with the stipulation that he does not make any arrests. His work led to the capture of another infamous outlaw, Bill Walters.

During his tenure (1886-1897) Loomis probably had a cheap piece of cut metal to make him official. It certainly wasn’t a fine piece of work with nice lettering. His original wouldn’t look anything like the fine badge in my collection. The gun too is no prize. Maybe that is why Loomis had a shotgun.

Looking at the Revolver the back strap is the only area worth noting. On it is the engraving that appears consistent with the day (1890’s). It reads: “H. W Loomis, Deputy US Marshal.” It would be great if this gun could talk.

The Badge is a beauty. It is made of sterling silver, with six points. The panels read: United States Deputy Marshal, New Mexico Terr. It was not issued by the Marshal’s Service as they did not issue an official badge for their officers until the 1940’s. On the backside of the badge, inside the lower panel is the fading engraving of the name: H. W. Loomis.

Since I can’t talk to Mr. Loomis, and all other trails are dead, I can only believe that these items really belonged to him. I assume the badge was given to him in later life, maybe in a Statehood ceremony honoring some names that were well known back then. Regardless these items have been a fine addition to my collection of memories.