William
H.
Lorigan

WILLIAM HENRY LORIGAN was the son of William J. Lorigan, a well-known individual in Camden in the 1890s and 1900s. William J. Lorigan was born in Ireland around 1850, at the time of the 1870 Census he was living in Castleton, Rutland County, VT with his older brother John and sisters Ann, Susannah, and Margaret. The two Lorigan brothers were then working at a sawmill. An older relation, Michael Lorigan, had come to Castleton in the 1850s, as had a William and Catherine Lorigan. The nature of these relationships is unknown to this author at this time.

William J. Lorigan wed in the 1870s. Son William H. Lorigan was born around 1875, followed by John two years later and Joseph in early 1880. July of 1880 found the family living in Newburgh NY, where William J. Lorigan worked as a painter. The family moved to Camden soon afterwards.

The 1887-1888 and 1888-1889 Camden City Directories show William J. Lorigan working as a "slate marbleizer", then as a "superintendent". In both years the family resided at 812 Linden Street in North Camden. The 1890-1891 Directory shows them at 409 Elm Street, near Elm and Main Street in North Camden. His occupation in that directory is listed as "manager", and the Directory indicates he was working in Philadelphia. He was very active in the Church of the Immaculate Conception. His son, William Henry Lorigan, served as organist and choir director at the church in the early 1900s.

By 1902 William J. Lorigan had partnered with department store executive William Leonard Hurley. The 1906 Camden City Directory shows that William H. Lorigan working as secretary at Gately & Hurley, and that the Lorigans were involved in a construction business. By 1906 William J. Lorigan had also established a shoe store at 426 Federal Street. He made his home at 502 North 4th Street.

With headquarters at 502 North 4th Street, the Lorigan family home, Lorigan & Hurley built the Princeton Avenue Houses, a block of homes on the one-block street of that name, between Pine and Division Streets east of South 7th Street.

William J. Lorigan passed away before the census was enumerated in April 25, 1910. His family which then consisted of his widow Margaret, and eight children, William H., John B., Joseph P., Kathryn P., Anna, Agnes, Charles, and Walter, still resided at 502 North 4th Street in North Camden. The family maintained the North 4th Street address and the shoe store as late as 1914. 

William H. Lorigan remained in the home building business for many years. The 1914 City Directory shows the business at 315 State Street. He later moved to Merchantville, where he was living in February 1938. By 1947 William H. Lorigan had passed away. His widow and children resided at 10 North 27th Street when the 1947 Camden City Directory was compiled. William H. Lorigan Jr., last a resident of Cherry Hill, passed away in 2005.

Camden Courier-Post - February 2,, 1938

The coroner's inquest to decide the cause of death to Angelos Magalas, Greek chef, who was shot during a card game holdup at 725 Penn Street on January 11, will be held today at 10 a. m.

Coroner Franklin P. Jackson III, of Collingswood, will conduct the inquest and will select his jury of 12 from a list of 15 persons prepared by the office of County Prosecutor Samuel P. Orlando.

Detectives already have subpoenaed 20 witnesses for questioning at the inquest, including players who were the victims in the holdup and three Camden physicians who attended Magalas prior to his death.

The witnesses will include Samuel and Mabel Ermilios, tenants of the Penn Street house where the holdup occurred; George and Annette Mastros, who room at the house; Samuel Bosco, Broadway barber; George Summers, Ross Pantel, Michael D' Andrea. and William Caras, who according to police were participants in the card game.

All of the men were held as material witnesses in the shooting when arraigned today before Police Judge Gene R. Mariano.

Doctors to Testify

Other witnesses will include Dr. Paul Mecray, Dr. A. S. Ross and Dr. Edwin R. Ristine and Miss Sophia MacAfee, a Cooper Hospital nurse. Police who will testify in elude Detectives Thomas Murphy, Harry Kyler and William Boettcher and Patrolmen Richard Powers, Frank Clements, George Nicktern and Sergeant Jack Deith.

The jury will be selected from Guy Clokey, Collingswood; Lawrence Ball, Haddonfield; Howard Friant, Collingswood; Harry Chew, Collingswood; Sig Schoenagle, Camden merchant; Raymond Hanly, real estate broker; Benjamin Brest, Raymond Worrel, John Eby, all of Camden; William H. Lorigan, Merchantville; David B. Robinson, Collingswood; Rev. James Pemberton and John McGowan, of Camden, Earl Jackson, of Collingswood and Morris B. Clark, of Haddonfield.

Coroner Jackson refused to give a certificate of death until the chemical test of Magalas' brain was made by Philadelphia experts. The re suit will not be revealed until the inquest.

Assistant Prosecutor Isaac Eason and County Physician David S. Rhone gave it as their opinion that Malagas died of natural causes rather than, the bullet wound. Coroner Jackson then ordered an inquest to be held.

Police are searching for Frank Luggi, 21, of 322 Penn Street, who they say was one of the holdup bandits and the one who fired the bullet that struck Magalas.

The last coroner's inquest held in Camden county was in 1933, in the death of Thomas Timothy Sullivan, and previous to that none had been held here in 25 years.

Sullivan was 57 years old and lived at 401 State Street. He was employed as a detective by the Pennsylvania Railroad. He was found shot to death in a shack in the rail road yards on August 28, 1933.

At that time, County Physician Edward B. Rogers issued a certificate of death that Sullivan had committed suicide. The decision of the county physician enraged members of Sullivan's family and they demanded an inquest.

The inquest was ordered by then Coroner Arthur H. Holl, who presided. All the evidence in the case was presented to the jury of 12 men, and after deliberating for less than an hour, they returned a verdict that Sullivan had been murdered by persons unknown.

Under state law, the county physician may order an inquest; with 12 persons on the jury of the coroner's choosing. The jurymen may be taken from the present panel of the petit jury or be picked at ran dom. The Grand Jury does not have to indict on the basis of the inquest. At the inquest Coroner Jackson will be assisted by attaches of the prosecutor's office.

Malagas, the father of three children, lived at 1110 Langham Avenue. He was shot when several armed bandits held up a card game and he died several days later.