A Murderer Commits Suicide

Joseph King Cuts His Throat With a Razor

Joseph King, who murdered William White at Long Branch on Monday night of last week by stabbing him in the neck, has saved the county the expense of a trial, and possibly a hanging, by committing suicide. After killing white, King escaped to the woods in the southern part of the county.

On Thursday Constable Edward Remson and Hart Haight of Allaire saw a colored man answering to the description of King cross the road in a piece of woods between Allaire and Manasquan. Haight was armed with a shot gun. The two men started in pursuit of the colored man and when within hearing distance they commanded him to halt under a threat of shooting. The man stopped and as his pursuers came nearer he shouted.

"I know you are after me, but you will never land me in Freehold jail to be hung."

As he said this he drew a razor and cut his throat from ear to ear. He died almost immediately.

The dead body was taken to the undertaking establishment of Deputy coroner Thomas E. Hardy of Manasquan. Coroner Flock of Long Branch went to Manasquan as soon as he was notified and took charge of King’s body. The day following the murder a coroner’s jury found King guilty of the murder of White. The coroner’s jury recommended that the license of the St. Rosalia hotel, in which the quarrel started that ended in the murder, be revoked.

Source: Red Bank Register, Wednesday, Mar 14, 1900

Some additional excellent resources for your research are:

• New Jersey Census, 1772-1890 - Ancestry.com

• Calendar of New Jersey Wills, 1670-1760 - Ancestry.com

• Interment.net - NJ ~ New Jersey Cemetery Transcriptions on the net.

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