Camden People - Herbert Hibbs

HERBERT "BERT" HIBBS was born in Langhorne, Pennsylvania on October 23, 1879. He was the son of Isaac J. Hibbs and his wife, the former Margaret Malseed.

When the census was taken in 1880, Isaac Hibbs was living in Langhorne PA with his wife Margaret and five children, Wesley, Mary, Katie, Harry, and Herbert, ranging in ages from 14 years to 8 months. Although Isaac Hibbs, like his father, often worked as a carpenter, in 1880 he was employed as a cigar maker. Returning to work as a carpenter, Isaac Hibbs moved to Camden during the 1890s, working for most of the rest of the decade in the cigar business, as did his children.

In Howe's City Directories for 1894-1895 Isaac Hibbs is in the cigar business at 806 Walnut Street, along with his son Harry. Brother Wesley had gone into the cigar business at 453 Kaighn Avenue. The 1895-1896 Director shows Wesley and Herbert at 1144 Broadway. Isaac Hibbs and his wife, son Harry and daughter Kate were still at 806 Walnut Street when this Directory was compiled.

The 1896 City Director shows Wesley Hibbs at 441 Kaighn Avenue, where he had established a cigar store, selling the cigars his family manufactured, among them the "Hibbs Special". Wesley Hibbs remained at this address through 1898. The 1896 Directory shows that Isaac Hibbs hat gone into the saloon business at 1057 Kaighn Avenue, a venture that did not last, as he had moved the following year. The 1896 Directory shows children Katie, Harry, and Herbert, also known as Burt, living at 1057 Kaighn Avenue and working as cigarmakers, presumably for their older brother.

The 1897 Camden City Directory lists Isaac, Harry, and Herbert Hibbs at 1162 Mt. Vernon Street, making cigars. 1898 shows Herbert living with his brother Wesley at 441 Kaighn Avenue, while Isaac and Harry Hibbs had moved to 1419 South 10th Street. Sadly, Harry V. Hibbs died on December 12, 1898, aged 22 years and 8 months.

The 1899 edition states that Isaac Hibbs and Herbert Hibbs were once again together, this time at 1419 South 10th Street, while Wesley Hibbs had moved his home and business to 1144 Broadway, where he had been a few years before. Wesley Hibbs remained there for a number of years thereafter. By 1906 he had moved to 1146 Broadway and had gone into the stationary business.

When the census was taken in 1900 Isaac Hibbs was living at 913 South 8th Street with his wife Maggie and youngest son Herbert. He was working as a carpenter, Herbert was still making cigars. This would be Isaac Hibbs' address through at least 1913. The Census indicates that the Margaret Hibbs had bore seven children, only three of whom were living at the time, Katie Hibbs, who had married Benjamin Terry, Wesley Hibbs and Herbert Hibbs.

Herbert Hibbs married sometime after the 1900 Census. He was living at 759 Chestnut Street and working as a bartender in 1905.

On November 27, 1907 Herbert Hibbs was appointed to the Camden Fire Department, along with Newton Ash, John H. Lennox, Ephraim Hires, Gardner Corson, and Charles Schultz. Herbert Hibbs lived at 738 Mt. Vernon Street when the Census was taken in 1910. He was murdered in December of 1910. Most sources record the date as December 24th. One account, however, records his slaying as having occurred after midnight, thus the date would be the December 25th, Christmas Day.

The Camden Post-Telegram gave the account below of the death of Herbert Hibbs six years after the event, when reporting on the murder of Hibbs' father, Isaac Hibbs.

Bert Hibbs, a city fireman and a son of the slain jailor, was murdered early Sunday morning , December 25, 1910 when his throat was cut by Clement Ridgway, a negro, aged 22 years, of Seventh and Sycamore Streets. It was about 12:20 on Christmas morning that Hibbs while crossing the lots at Seventh and Sycamore was accosted by Ridgeway, who wanted to shake hands with Hibbs. The latter refused, a quarrel ensued and Ridgeway whipped out a razor and slashed Hibbs across the throat with such violence that his head was nearly severed. Hibbs died while on the way to the hospital. Ridgway was arrested after a battle by Detectives Schregler, Painter and Brothers and several officers at his home, 1207 Lilly Row.

Indicted for murder Ridgway pleaded non vult. On April 24, 1911, to a charge of murder in the second degree, he was sentenced to 25 years in state Prison at hard labor.

Herbert Hibbs was survived by his parents, brother and sister, his then-pregnant wife Ella and three children, William, Isaac, and Margaret. A fourth child, a son named Herbert Jr. after his father, was born in February of 1911. Mrs. Hibbs eventually remarried.

After the death of Herbert Hibbs, his father, Isaac Hibbs secured a position as a guard at the Camden County Jail. He was killed in the line of duty during a jailbreak, on July 17, 1916. His killer, Wilson Ashbridge, already awaiting execution for a previous murder, was soon recaptured, tried and executed.

Clement Ridgway was still imprisoned in January of 1920. He does not appear in the 1930 Census. He may have been paroled, however it is equally likely that he died in prison.

Philadelphia Inquirer - November 28, 1907

Newton Ash - Ephraim Hires - Gardner Corson - John H. Lennox - Herbert Hibbs Dr. A. Haines Lippincott - Charles H. Ellis - E.G.C. Bleakly - Charles Schultz