T H E W A T C H M A N - NYS Historic...
1
IN THE WATCHMAN EVERY WEEK THE SMOKEHOUSE' THE WATCHMAN THE NORTH FORK IN REVIEW VOL 113 No. 16 MATTITUCK, L I., N.Y., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1939 PRICE FIVE CENTS Two Aged Mattituckians Die Suddenly Mattltuck lost another of its oldest residents Wednesday morn- ing, when Mrs. Agnes Worthington Hovelli, wife of Benjamin F. Ho- vell, passed away at her home on Westphalia road, aged 84 years, three months and fourteen days. She came from Greenport to Mattituck to live about fifteen years ago, and has been an invalid at her home for several years. She was a member of the Mattl- tuck Presbyterian Church, whose pastor, Rev. Dr. P. E. Radford, is to conduct funeral services at her late home Friday afternoon at 3 o’clock. The burial will be in New Bethany Cemetery. Surviving her are her husband, two daughters, Mrs. Albert Zel- lers of Ridgewood, N. J., and Miss Hattie Hovell of Mattituck, and a son, Benjamin Hovell, of Roches- ter, N. Y. Mrs. Fred Kreh, a resident of Mattituck for the past 22 years, died on Tuesday of this week at the Eastern Long Island Hospital, where she had been a patient for about a month- Before marrying Mr. Kreh she was Miss Elizabeth Maier of Brooklyn. She was born in Brook- lyn about 60 years ago, on May 11, 1880. (Continued on Page 12) The good will of the present seoson brings to mind your good will of the post year, which we give you sincere thanks. May happiness be yours during the year to come. G.O.P. Enrollment Decreases In Southold Town A total of 3,651 Southold Town voters, erurolled in both major parties, are eligible to vote in 1940’p two important primary •elections. These voters will cast their ballots in the presidential primaries on April 2 and the an- nual fall primaries in September. According to figures compiled .and made public by the Suffolk Board of Elections at Riverhead, Southold Town has an enrollment of 2,595 Republicans and 1,056 -Democrats. The Republicans showed a de- crease of 30 voters over 1939’s number of eligibles. This year’s Republicans total 2,595 as com- pared to a total of 2,625 last year. The Democrats gained 68 new enrollees over last year. Their total is 1,056 as compared to 988 last year. In Suffolk County as a whole i63,37l voters will be allowed to vote in the primaries. This total is enrolled in the Republican, (Continued on Page 12) Last Mattituck Bank Bandit Pleads Guilty The last of the Mattituck Bank robbers made his appearance be- fore Judge L. Barron Hill in the County Court last Thursday, when Charles Dougherty, 22, of Brook- lyn, entered a plea of guilty to unarmed robbery in the first de- gree. Sentence will be imposed next Tuesday, January 2. This marks the end of the trail for six would-be gangsters of the long lost bank stick-up era. Five of the robbers were apprehended, convicted and sentenced a short •time after the crime was 'com- mitted on March 11, 1938 when the gang held up the Mattituck Bank and Trust Company and escaped with $6,300 in cash. It is expected that Dougherty will receive a light sentence on the basis that he is a first offend- er and was allowed to plead to unarmed robbery although the in- dictment against him charged carrying firearms in the commis- sion of crime. All the other mem- bers of the gang received from 10 to 30 years for their part in the daylight hold-up. Dies In Electric Chair For Shotgun Slaying The electric chair snuffed out the life of Anton Myslivec,* 54- year-old gardener, last Thursday in Sing Sing Prison at Ossining, N. Y., in payment of his debt to society for slaying a man. Myslivec was convicted by a jury in the County Court at Riv- erhead last spring for the shotgun .slaying of William Dobitz of Farm- ingdale. Infatuation for the vic- tim’s wife was alleged to be My- -slivec's motive for the killing as brought out in testimony at the trial. The slayer walked into the death chamber unerringly, and died four minutes after the switch was thrown by the executioner. Polish Relief Committees Organized Following a meeting of the dele- gates from different Polish Clubs, Societies and Organizations in Southold Town held last week at Lake Lodge, Southold, plans were completed to unify all the relief work in Southold Town for Pol- ish War sufferers. A permanent staff of officers was chosen as fol- lows: President, Alex J. Danow- ski, Jr.; Vice Presidents, John Zmitrowicz, L. Sawastynowiz and Felix Doroski, all of Cutchogue; Financial Secretary, John Zmit- rowicz, Cutchogue; Recording Sec- retary, Edward F. Jeromczyk, Mattituck; Treasurer, John Zu- hoski; Trustees, Stanley Czar- necki, Southold, Adam Zaveski, Peconic, and Benny Kruk, Mat- tituck. Among the more prominent Polish organizations in Southold Town represented on this Em- ergency Relief Fund Committee of Southold Town are the Polish American Independent Club, the Polish Democratic Club of Cut- chogue, St. Joseph Society, Polish Alliance, Group 2887 of Cutchogue and Group 2881 of Greenport. The Southold Town Unit has been organized for the purpose of canvassing for funds and much needed clothing. It is associated with the Polish National Council (Continued on P«ge 12) HOLD HOSPITAL BENEFIT BRIDGETOURNAMENT HERE A contract bridge tournament is to be started on Friday night of next week at the home of Mrs. Cedric H. Wickham, the proceeds to be for the Eastern Long Island Hospital. The entire series of ten games will be held at the Wick- ham home, Mrs. Wickham having generously offered for the dur- ation of the tournament. All contract bridge players ar^ invited to participate, Mrs. George Tyrrell, chairman of the commit- tee, has announced. Play starts at 8:15. Weekly prizes and a final prize will be awarded. Lake Lodge Plans Festive Holiday Party The Polish American Indepen- dent Club of Southold with Miss Stella Czelatka of Peconic as chairlady has completed elaborate preparations for a gala New Year’s Eve Party to be held al Lake Lodge, Peconic, Sunday eve- ning, December 31st. The club rooms including the banquet hall and ball room have been beautifully decorated in a manner befitting the spirit of the season. Matty Wisniewski and his radio orchestra of Jersey City have been engaged for this affair. Both the latest popular Polish and Ameri- can dance hits will be on the musical bill of fare. John Rambo Dies Of Heart Attack Services will be held torommow for John Harrigan Rambo, 56, a retired title expert, who died Tues- day night at his South Jamesport home following a heart attack. Mr. Rambo was born in Brooklyn, the son of John and Mary Lahy Rambo. He had lived in Lynbrook for many years before coming to South Jamesport about two years ago. Surviving him are his wife, El- friede; three sons, John, Harry and David; a daughter, Clara, all of South Jamesport, and two bro- thers, James Rambo of Cutchogue, and William Rambo of San Diego, Cal. Services will be conducted at 2 p. m. from the Tuthill Funeral Parlors in Mattituck by the Rev. Percy E. Radford, pastor of the Mattituck Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in the Rambo plot in New Bethany Cemetery, Mat- tituck. Police Hunt Hit-Run Driver; Inquest Held No new developments have been found which might lead to the-ar - rest of the hit-and-run driver who struck and killed Miss Lolita H. DeGroff, 57-year-old Greenport woman, opposite the Mattituck School late last Wednesday after- noon. State, county and Southold town police are conducting an exten- sive search based only on the slim piece of evidence found near the scene of the accident. The death car smashed one of its headlight lenses in the impact with the •woman’s body, and that is all the investigators have to work their search around. A formal verdict of accidental death was handed down yesterday by Coroner J. Mott Heath, who conducted an inquest into the woman’s death at the Tuthill Fu- neral Parlors in Mattituck. Wit- nesses at the inquiry included Wil- liam Wickham, the Mattituck at- torney who discovered the body, Dr. Stanley P. Jones of Mattituck, who gave medical testimony; Chief Otto Anrig of the town police force, and Harold j^reeman, in- vestigator for the district attor- ney’s office. Court Denies Twitchell Libel Suit Dismissal Despite five motions for dismis- sal, Supreme Court Justice Isaac R. Sweezy ruled that the $100,000 libel suit instituted by Sheriff Jacob S. Dreyer against Pierre- pont E. Twitchell of Setauket, at- torney and president of the Suf- folk County Economic Council, will have to go to trial on the basis of the coniplamt riled by the sheriff. The application was denied early this week after it was brought for decision by Twitcheli's attorney, former Supreme Court Justice John R. Vunk. It was based on five points. It set forth that the complaint did not mention the sheriff by name as the aggrieved person, that the complaint faileu to allege special damages, that the complaint should separately state causes of action, that innu- endoes should be stricken from the complaint, and that a para- graph stating that Mr. Twitchell’s letter to the Governor and the newspapers should be made more definite and certain. Sheriff Dreyer opposed the move for dismissal through his attorney, (Continued on Page 12) Mattituck Abounds In Holiday Spirit Chamber of Commerce Re- sponsible for Novel Christ- mas Music Broadcast; Mer- chants Supply and Light Their Own Trees Mattituck again took the spot- light among the eastern Long Is- land villages in unofficial com- petition of holiday d r ^ . With the wholehearted cooperation be- tween merchants and the Cham- ber of Commerce the village seemed to abound in good feeling and holiday cheer. This year a novel innovation added decidedly to the Christmas spirit in the village. An amplify- ing system was hooked up, over which Christmas music and holi- day programs W6i*e heard Christ- mas Eve and the day and evening preceeding. This idea was spon- sored by the Chamber of Com- merce, headed by Dr. John L. Wasson, and carried out with the cooperation of Sidney P. Tuthill and Carl L. Larsen. Individual Christmas trees were as usual placed on the sidewalk in front of the various business establishments and . lighted each evening by the individual mer- chant. Besides, these store owners further added to the festive ap- pearance by having gayly decor- ated store windows and colored lights. n The large Santa Claus and hi^ chimney which appears on the. root'tdp &{ C. H< W ickham ’s oflicei about Wedk before Christmas every year la still a perplexing problem to many children. They just cannot figure out why Santa should be going down the same chimney every night. Although very realistic from the highway at night, Santa is only a painted figure on plywood and illuminated by an auto headlight concealed in the shrubs bordering the build- ing . The Chamber of Commerce also distributed many Christmas bas- kets and clothing to the local needy this year. The work does not boast of color and advance publicity like most gestures, and for this reason, alone, deserves much commendation. Polluted Waters Re-opened For Shellfishing Early this week the Conserva- tion Department issued an an- nouncement to the effect that cer- tain waters in Eastern Suffolk County condemned as unfit for shellfishing last June were re- opened. Tlie waters in the area describ- ed as Flanders and Reeves Bays, with certain exceptions, have been opened to shellfishing by the Con- servation Department’s new order. Areas which still remained closed by the department’s orig- inal order include all the area lying westerly of a line running from Broad Meadow Point or the southeasterly extremity of the mouth of the Peconic River to the westerly side of the first creek east of Meeting House Creek. The Peconic River, Saw Mill Creek, Meeting House Creek and all other tributaries to this area west of the line mentioned above stili remain condemned and shellfish- ing is prohibited in these waters until further notice.
Transcript of T H E W A T C H M A N - NYS Historic...
IN THE WATCHMAN EVERY WEEK
THE SMOKEHOUSE'
T H EW A T C H M A N THE
NORTH FORK IN
REVIEW
VOL 113 No. 16 MATTITUCK, L I., N.Y., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28, 1939 PRICE FIVE CENTS
Two Aged Mattituckians Die Suddenly
M attltuck lost another of its oldest residents Wednesday m orning, when Mrs. Agnes Worthington Hovelli, wife of Benjamin F. Ho- vell, passed away at her home on W estphalia road, aged 84 years, three months and fourteen days.
She came from Greenport to M attituck to live about fifteen years ago, and has been an invalid a t her home for several years. She was a member of the M attltuck Presbyterian Church, whose pastor, Rev. Dr. P. E. Radford, is to conduct funeral services a t her la te home Friday afternoon a t 3 o’clock. The burial will be in New Bethany Cemetery.
Surviving her are her husband, tw o daughters, Mrs. A lbert Zelle rs of Ridgewood, N. J., and Miss H attie Hovell of Mattituck, and a son, Benjamin Hovell, of Rochester, N. Y.
Mrs. Fred Kreh, a resident of M attituck for the past 22 years, died on Tuesday of this week a t the Eastern Long Island Hospital, w here she had been a patient for about a month-
Before marrying Mr. Kreh she was Miss Elizabeth Maier of Brooklyn. She was born in Brooklyn about 60 years ago, on May11, 1880.
(Continued on Page 12)
The good will of the present seoson brings to mind your good will of the post year, which we give you sincere thanks. May happiness be yours during the year to come.
G.O.P. Enrollment Decreases In Southold Town
A total of 3,651 Southold Town voters, erurolled in both m ajor parties, are eligible to vote in 1940’p two im portant prim ary
• elections. These voters will cast their ballots in the presidential prim aries on April 2 and the an nual fall primaries in September.
According to figures compiled .and made public by the Suffolk Board of Elections at Riverhead, Southold Town has an enrollment of 2,595 Republicans and 1,056 -Democrats.
The Republicans showed a decrease of 30 voters over 1939’s num ber of eligibles. This year’s Republicans total 2,595 as compared to a total of 2,625 last year. The Democrats gained 68 new enrollees over last year. Their total is 1,056 as compared to 988 last year.
In Suffolk County as a whole i63,37l voters will be allowed to vote in the primaries. This total is enrolled in the Republican,
(Continued on Page 12)
Last Mattituck Bank Bandit Pleads Guilty
The last of the M attituck Bank robbers made his appearance before Judge L. Barron Hill in the County Court last Thursday, when Charles Dougherty, 22, of Brooklyn, entered a plea of guilty to unarmed robbery in the first degree. Sentence w ill be imposed next Tuesday, January 2.
This m arks the end of the trail for six would-be gangsters of the long lost bank stick-up era. Five of the robbers were apprehended, convicted and sentenced a short •time after the crime was 'com mitted on M arch 11, 1938 when the gang held up the M attituck Bank and T rust Company and escaped w ith $6,300 in cash.
I t is expected th a t Dougherty will receive a light sentence on the basis that he is a first offender and was allowed to plead to unarmed robbery although the in dictment against him charged carrying firearms in the commission of crime. All the other members of the gang received from 10 to 30 years for their p art in the daylight hold-up.
Dies In Electric Chair For Shotgun Slaying
The electric chair snuffed out the life of Anton Myslivec,* 54- year-old gardener, last Thursday in Sing Sing Prison a t Ossining, N. Y., in payment of his debt to society for slaying a man.
Myslivec was convicted by a ju ry in the County Court at Riverhead last spring for the shotgun .slaying of William Dobitz of Farm- ingdale. Infatuation for the victim ’s wife was alleged to be My- -slivec's motive for the killing as brought out in testimony at the tria l. The slayer walked into the death chamber unerringly, and died four minutes after the switch was throw n by the executioner.
Polish Relief Committees Organized
Following a meeting of the delegates from different Polish Clubs, Societies and Organizations in Southold Town held last week at Lake Lodge, Southold, plans were completed to unify all the relief work in Southold Town for Polish W ar sufferers. A perm anent staff of officers was chosen as follows: President, Alex J. Danow- ski, Jr.; Vice Presidents, John Zmitrowicz, L. Sawastynowiz and Felix Doroski, all of Cutchogue; Financial Secretary, John Zm itrowicz, Cutchogue; Recording Secretary, Edward F. Jeromczyk, Mattituck; Treasurer, John Zu- hoski; Trustees, Stanley Czar- necki, Southold, Adam Zaveski, Peconic, and Benny Kruk, M attituck.
Among the more prominent Polish organizations in Southold Town represented on this Emergency Relief Fund Committee of Southold Town are the Polish American Independent Club, the Polish Democratic Club of Cutchogue, St. Joseph Society, Polish Alliance, Group 2887 of Cutchogue and Group 2881 of Greenport.
The Southold Town Unit has been organized for the purpose of canvassing for funds and much needed clothing. It is associated with the Polish National Council
(Continued on P«ge 12)
HOLD HOSPITAL BENEFIT BRIDGE TOURNAMENT HERE
A contract bridge tournam ent is to be started on Friday night of next week a t the home of Mrs. Cedric H. Wickham, the proceeds to be for the Eastern Long Island Hospital. The entire series of ten games will be held a t the Wickham home, Mrs. Wickham having generously offered for the duration of the tournam ent.
All contract bridge players ar^ invited to participate, Mrs. George Tyrrell, chairman of the committee, has announced. Play starts at 8:15. Weekly prizes and a final prize w ill be awarded.
Lake Lodge Plans Festive Holiday Party
The Polish American Independent Club of Southold w ith Miss Stella Czelatka of Peconic as chairlady has completed elaborate preparations for a gala New Year’s Eve Party to be held al Lake Lodge, Peconic, Sunday evening, December 31st.
The club rooms including the banquet hall and ball room have been beautifully decorated in a m anner befitting the spirit of the season.
M atty Wisniewski and his radio orchestra of Jersey City have been engaged for this affair. Both the latest popular Polish and American dance hits will be on the musical bill of fare.
John Rambo Dies Of Heart Attack
Services will be held torommow for John Harrigan Rambo, 56, a retired title expert, who died Tuesday night at his South Jam esport home following a heart attack. Mr. Rambo was born in Brooklyn, the son of John and Mary Lahy Rambo. He had lived in Lynbrook for many years before coming to South Jam esport about two years ago.
Surviving him are his wife, El- friede; three sons, John, H arry and David; a daughter, Clara, all of South Jamesport, and two brothers, James Rambo of Cutchogue, and William Rambo of San Diego, Cal.
Services will be conducted at 2 p. m. from the Tuthill Funeral Parlors in M attituck by the Rev. Percy E. Radford, pastor of the M attituck Presbyterian Church. Burial will be in the Rambo plot in New Bethany Cemetery, M attituck.
Police Hunt Hit-Run Driver; Inquest Held
No new developments have been found which might lead to the-arrest of the h it-and -run driver who struck and killed Miss Lolita H. DeGroff, 57-year-old Greenport woman, opposite the M attituck School late last Wednesday afte rnoon.
State, county and Southold town police are conducting an exten sive search based only on the slim piece of evidence found near the scene of the accident. The death car smashed one of its headlight lenses in the im pact w ith the •woman’s body, and tha t is all the investigators have to work their search around.
A formal verdict of accidental death was handed down yesterday by Coroner J . Mott Heath, who conducted an inquest into the woman’s death a t the Tuthill F u neral Parlors in Mattituck. W itnesses a t the inquiry included William Wickham, the M attituck a t torney who discovered the body, Dr. Stanley P. Jones of M attituck, who gave medical testimony; Chief Otto Anrig of the town police force, and Harold j^reeman, in vestigator for the district a tto rney’s office.
Court Denies Twitchell Libel Suit Dismissal
Despite five motions for dismissal, Supreme Court Justice Isaac R. Sweezy ruled that the $100,000 libel suit instituted by Sheriff Jacob S. D reyer against P ierre- pont E. Twitchell of Setauket, a t torney and president of the Suffolk County Economic Council, will have to go to trial on the basis of the coniplamt riled by the sheriff.
The application was denied early this week after it was brought for decision by Twitcheli's attorney, former Supreme Court Justice John R. Vunk. It was based on five points. It set forth that the complaint did not mention the sheriff by name as the aggrieved person, that the complaint faileu to allege special damages, that the complaint should separately state causes of action, tha t innu endoes should be stricken from the complaint, and that a p ara graph stating that Mr. Twitchell’s letter to the Governor and the newspapers should be made more definite and certain.
Sheriff Dreyer opposed the move for dismissal through his attorney,
(Continued on Page 12)
Mattituck Abounds In Holiday Spirit
Chamber of Commerce Responsible for Novel Christmas Music Broadcast; Merchants Supply and Light Their Own Trees
M attituck again took the spotlight among the eastern Long Island villages in unofficial competition of holiday d r ^ . With the wholehearted cooperation between merchants and the Chamber of Commerce the village seemed to abound in good feeling and holiday cheer.
This year a novel innovation added decidedly to the Christmas spirit in the village. An amplifying system was hooked up, over which Christmas music and holiday programs W6i*e heard Christmas Eve and the day and evening preceeding. This idea was sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, headed by Dr. John L. Wasson, and carried out w ith the cooperation of Sidney P. Tuthill and Carl L. Larsen.
Individual Christmas trees were as usual placed on the sidewalk in front of the various business establishments and . lighted each evening by the individual m erchant. Besides, these store owners further added to the festive ap pearance by having gayly decorated store windows and colored lights. n
The large Santa Claus and hi^ chimney which appears on the. root'tdp &{ C. H< W ickham’s oflicei about Wedk before Christmas every year la still a perplexing problem to many children. They just cannot figure out why Santa should be going down the same chimney every night. Although very realistic from the highway at night, Santa is only a painted figure on plywood and illuminated by an auto headlight concealed in the shrubs bordering the buildin g .
The Chamber of Commerce also distributed many Christmas baskets and clothing to the local needy this year. The work does not boast of color and advance publicity like most gestures, and for this reason, alone, deserves much commendation.
Polluted Waters Re-opened For Shellfishing
Early this week the Conservation Department issued an an nouncement to the effect that certain waters in Eastern Suffolk County condemned as unfit for shellfishing last June were re opened.
Tlie waters in the area described as Flanders and Reeves Bays, with certain exceptions, have been opened to shellfishing by the Conservation Departm ent’s new order.
Areas which still remained closed by the departm ent’s original order include all the area lying westerly of a line running from Broad Meadow Point or the southeasterly extrem ity of the mouth of the Peconic River to the westerly side of the first creek east of Meeting House Creek. The Peconic River, Saw Mill Creek, Meeting House Creek and all other tributaries to this area west of the line mentioned above stili remain condemned and shellfish- ing is prohibited in these waters until further notice.
