The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1902-07-08
Struck by a Train.

Isaac Snyder, an inmate of the Burling-
ton County Almshouse, was killed by the
fast train from the shore, on the night of
July 4. The man was walking on the
track near New Lisbon station. He was
noticed by the engineer, who blew the
whistle, but was unable to stop the train
in time to avoid striking the man. Snyder
was deaf and dumb, hence was unable to
hear the signals. The body was picked
up and taken to Pemberton where
Coroner Seeds gave burial permit
Owing to his affliction Snyder was
called Dummy" by his acquaintance.
He was about go years Of age, and had
been at the county institution for over 40
years. His home was in Medford. He
was well known character at New Lis
bon and he seemed to think the welfare of
the almshouse rested entirely upon
his shoulders He was a great HELM
around the place, being a steady worker.
He cut and carried into the house nearly
all of the wood burned there. Few bur-
ials took place that he did not act as I'M
dertaker at, and every grave dug in
the county burying ground for several
years, was the,work of Snyder. He also
acted as barber to the inmates. Theodore
b Gaskill used to pay him twice a week
for shaving him and if he happened to
get shaved away from home, SNYDER
would get angry and demand his pay Just
the same.
| de was always on hand to help the
| steward in all events. When an inmate
was to be put in a cell tor infraction of
rules Dummy would take hold of the
culprit and, with great amount Of chat
tering, would accompany him to the place
of confinement. One day it was necessary
to lock up the colored Amazon, Lib Ty-
son. Snyder was on hand to assist. but
Lib gave one sweep of her powerful arm
and threw the man at least six feet, land.
ing him on his back. He was very much
surprised and the shock to his pride was
such that he never had much respect for
Lib afterwards
He was an industrious and quiet fellow.
On Friday he stayed at home all day, and
in the evening signified to Steward Har
bert that he would like to go to Pember-
ton and get some ice cream. The Steward
gave him some money, and Snyder
started, going by the railroad in pre-
ference to the stone road. His death
caused much sorrow at the almshouse
whore tho daod mon x,,os ,,,;t, =
with all. His loss as a workman will be
keenly felt.
The Philadelphia North american sent
a reporter to Pemberton to get an account
OF the accident. Whoever gave him his
information was mixed or else the reporter
got tangled after leaving the place as the
article was untrue in most particulars
1t said the dead man committed suicide
(Which is absolutely false), and gives as
reason for ending his life because his
old friend, Theodore Gaskill, former
steward at the Burlington County Aims
house, was dismissed by the officials, and
could not return to that institution to
help the venerable mute while away the
quiet hours in the evening of his life"
The article then says that Snyder went
to spend the Fourth at New Lisbon, where
he went to photograph gallery. Those
acquainted with New Lisbon can readily
see the absurdity of this statement
The next statement is that Snyder be-
came greatly dissatisfied when Steward
Harbert took charge of the Almshouse
and walked to Birmingham and tried to
get Theodore Gaskill ''to take him under
his roof
Mr. Gaskill says Snyder has never been
to his house at Birmingham and Steward
Harbert says deceased has never shown
any dissatisfaction at his surroundings.
Both the Steward and the ex -Steward are
very indignant at the article in the North
american, in fact there has been universal
condemnation of it in Pemberton. The
feeling is that the reporter must have
worked on his Imagination as it is impos-
sible for any resident of the neighborhood
to have given him the ideas expressed in
the paper.