A Wheelman Killed

Charles Henry Hankins Meets a Violent Death

Charles Henry Hankins of Freehold died on Monday of last week as the result of injuries sustained while riding his bicycle from that place to Farmingdale. Mr.Hankins was a carpenter by trade and he was employed at the Central railroad car shops at Lakehurst. His wife died several years ago while he was living at Atlantic Highlands and his three children live with Mr. Hankins's mother at Freehold. It was Mr. Hankins's habit to come home every Saturday and visit them. On Monday morning he started to ride his bicycle to Farmingdale, expecting to take the train from there to Lakehurst. A few hours afterward he was found unconscious along the road at Ardena. Dr. Charles Palmer of Farmingdale was summoned and it was found that Mr. Hankins's skull was fractured. The chain of the bicycle that Mr. Hankins had been riding was broken. It is supposed that the chain broke while Mr. Hankins was riding at a fast pace, as his body was found about thirty feet from his bicycle. He was removed to the home of his mother at Freehold and he died that night without having regained consciousness.

Mr. Hankins was 37 years old. He was the son of Sarah and the late Isaiah Hankins and was born at Allaire. Besides a mother and three children he leaves three brothers and four sisters. The brothers are Oliver K., William S. and George C. Hankins of Freehold. The sisters are Mrs. John H. Miller and Daisy and Ida Hankins of Freehold, and Mrs. G. C. Hulett of Lower Squankum. William S. Hankins was married today to Miss Mary Louise Clark. Invitations had been issued for the wedding but on account of his brother's death the wedding was private. Mr. Hankins was a member of the Junior American Mechanics lodge of Freehold and the Red Men's lodge of Atlantic Highlands.

Source: Red Bank Register, Wednesday, Apr 17, 1901

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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