Camden People - Richard Donnelly

RICHARD ROSCOE COMPTON DONNELLY SR. was born September 14, 1890 to Roscoe C. Donnelly and his wife Ella. The Donnelly family was living in Cumberland County as far back as the 1870s.

Roscoe Donnelly was a glassblower by trade. Sometime in the 1890s Roscoe Donnelly moved his family, which consisted of his wife, and sons Richard and Adolph, to the town of Cicero, in Jackson Township, Hamilton County, Indiana where he followed that trade. The family was living there at the time of the 1900 Census.

By 1910 Roscoe Donnelly, now a widower, had returned to New Jersey, settling in Bridgeton NJ. He was still working as a glass blower, and sons Richard and Adolph were also working at a glass factory as helpers.

On June 5, 1917 Richard Donnolly registered for the draft. By this time he had wed, and his wife Rose Ella had bore on son Richard R.C. Donnelly Jr. The Donnelly's were still living in Bridgeton, where Richard Donnelly worked as a laborer at a canning factory. Shortly thereafter Richard Donnelly moved his family to Camden. He found work as a "special officer", another term for security guard, at the New York Shipbuilding Corporation shipyard at Broadway and Morgan Boulevard. When the Census was taken in January of 1920 the Donnellys were boarding at 747 Woodland Avenue with the family of William Marcus, who also was a "special officer" at the shipyard.

Richard Donnelly and his family do not appear in the 1925 Camden City Directory. His brother Adolph does, however, residing at 2205 South 7th Street, in the same neighborhood where his older brother had been living in 1920.

Richard Donnelly joined the Camden Police Department in the early 1920s. By 1928 he had been promoted to detective in the Third Police District, which consisted of Cramer Hill and East Camden. He was often partnered with Detective Louis Schlam. By 1929 the two were neighbors, the Donnelly family living at 1017 Bergen Avenue, the Schlams at 1039 North 34th Street. Father Roscoe was living at the Bergen Avenue address in 1929, employed as a watchman at the Progressive Weaving Company at 3252 River Road.

The 1930 census shows the Donnelly family still renting at the same address on Bergen Avenue. There were three children by April of 1930, Richard Jr., 14; James M, 9; and Rose M., two months old. Father Roscoe still lived with them.

On September 15, 1931 Detectives Donnelly and Schlam escorted James H. Kessler to the Skillman Village for Epelectics in Skillman, New Jersey. Kessler had been committed to Skillman by Judge Samuel M. Shay.

Richard Donnelly was still employed as a Camden Police detective in East Camden as late as 1932. He and his wife are not listed in the 1947 City Directory, and he was not on the force in January of 1949.

Camden Courier-Post - February 4, 1928

POLICE INVITE BANDITS
TO NICE SHOOTING PARTY
But Yeggs Must Leave Gats at Home While Cops Practice
With Camden's new Desperado Eliminators

Wanted: Targets for Camden’s new desperado eliminators. Bandits, burglars, snipers and their ilk are requested by Chief of Police James E. Tatem to apply at police headquarters Monday morning at 10 o’clock, when a practice shooting party will be held.

Chief Tatem said today Camden’s bandit-chasing squad is “just rarin’ to go” with six new automatic rifles guaranteed to shoot full of holes the toughest bandit in less time than it takes to say “Aligoop.”

For the further enlightenment of the bandit fraternity, Chief Tatem announced detailed instructions on how to use the new carbines will be given this afternoon at 3 o’clock to bandit chasing police by Captain Arthur Colsey and Herman Engle, a representative of Stein Brothers, this city.

The rifles arrived at police headquarters yesterday afternoon. They will be distributed in each of the city’s three police districts in the campaign to rid the city of desperadoes.

The weapons can fire a magazine of 20 shots in a few seconds. They will be mounted in the three red bandit chasing coupes used by the district squad members. One of the coupes is now being used by Archie Reiss and Vernon Jones in South Camden, while two others are expected to be delivered within a few days, according to Chief of Police James E. Tatem. They will be assigned to Walter Smith and Joseph Carpani, First district detectives and Louis Schlam and Richard Donnelly in the East Camden district.

Swivel attachments make it possible to fire the guns from a fixed point in an automobile. Detached they may be fired from the shoulder. Besides firing a magazine of 20 shots without stopping, they can be adjusted to single fire, using .45 caliber cartridges.

Instruction in the adjustment and use of the weapons will be given today by a representative of the company that sold them- at $175 each— to the city.

CAMDEN COURIER-POST - March 21, 1932

3 E. CAMDEN YOUTHS NABBED AS SUSPECTS

Three East Camden youths were a nested and held "on suspicion" early yesterday when policemen said they failed to explain satisfactorily why they were at Twenty-fourth and Howell Streets at 1:30 a. m.

Sergeant Edward Hahn and District Detective Richard Donnelly made the arrest. The youths gave their names as Charles Bowers, 17, of 1024 North Twenty-sixth street, Henry Allhiser, 17, of 2415 Howell Street, and James Devenney, 17, of 1161 North Thirty-third street. They will be questioned today.

MAN SAVED FROM GAS

A man who, according to the police, attempted suicide by inhaling illuminating gas, was saved yester day afternoon by his sister who found him unconscious.

Louis Fox, 23, of 2406 Federal Street, was found in his room by his sister, Mrs. Sarah Finkelstein, of the same address. Mrs. Finkelstein and her husband conduct a store at 2501 Federal Street. When Mrs. Finkelstein returned to her home shortly before 3 p.m., she found her brother.

Detectives Richard Donnelly and Louis Schlamm took Fox to Cooper Hospital, where physicians said he would recover.

Camden Courier--Post

June 28, 1933

Camden Courier-Post - June 29, 1933

YOUNG MAN RECOVERS FROM INHALING GAS

Louis Fox, 23, of 2406 Federal Street, whose unsuccessful attempt at suicide landed him in Cooper Hospital suffering from inhaling gas fumes, is out of danger.

The young man was found unconscious at his apartment Tuesday with a gas jet open in the room. Detectives Louis Schlamm and Richard Donnelly took him to the hospital where he was questioned by Detective George Zeitz.

Fox will be arraigned before Police Judge Pancoast upon his release from the hospital, according to Zeitz.

World War I Draft Registration Card

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