The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-07-28
Exonerated but Held for Court

Burlington city was greatly stirred
Wednesday morning when 1t was re-
ported there had been murder commit
ted in the early hours of the day. All
sorts of rumors at once began to gain
circulation, but the main fact was that
Thomas Rogan, police officer, had been
shot about three o'clock and died five
hours later. Winfield Templeton, a
Young man living on York street, was
| the man who did the shooting and he
was taken into custody. While, from
the statements of the neighbors and
the straightforward voluntary confession
of Templeton and his wife, it appeared
to be a terrible accident, the young man
was held for coroner's jury to pass
upon the subject.
Coroner Worrell summoned the follow
ing: Joshua Taylor, George w. Anthony,
Griffith w. Lewis, Charles ii. Hitler,
George G.. Gum, Olin Slack. The jury
was called to meet at the Burlington
city hall at half past two Thursday after
noon and when that hour arrived there
was a crowd awaiting entrance. Both
the dead man and the unfortunate young
man in custody were well known and
there was great interest in the case.
Coroner Worrell presided, Prosecutor
Atkinson representing the state and
Robert Peacock appearing for the de-
PENDANT. The first witness was DIR. E. K.
Milford. He told of being summoned
about quarter of three Wednesday morn
ing to 90 to York street. There he found
a man lying in front of the store of Ed
ward S. Phillips, with his head on the
curb and his body in the gutter. The
doctor found the man to be badly in
jured and in serious condition. The
city ambulance had arrived, but the
physician would not allow the man to
be disturbed until hyperdermic had
been administered. Then the man, who
was recognized as policeman Rogan, was
taken to the emergency hospital at the
city hall, and it was found he was suffer
ing from a gun shot wound in the right
side of his neck. Drs. Dingee and Rink
were called and they gave the man every
attention possible but he rapidly sank
and died at S.25. Rogan complained of
the pain from the wound, but did not
tell who had shot him, saying he was
not well enough to talk. He was not
conscious after seven O'Clock.
DIR. Rink cOrrobOrated the above testi-
mony and Joseph Shumard, captain of
police, was called. The captain said he
knew Rogan, who had been on the force
about five years. Captain Shumard had
the duty of detailing officers to beats,
and on Tuesday evening he instructed
Rogan to take the district in which the
shooting occurred. This was not Rogan's
regular beat, but there had been COM
plants about suspicious characters being
in that neighborhood and Shumard
thought it would be good idea to have
a new man on the job, SO that, in case
| there was any ground for the complaint,
l<. fIr,
lookout for any but the regular police
man. Near three o'clock Shumard was
called by telephone and was asked to
send the ambulance and doctor to
York street, where man had been shot.
The request was complied with and
Shumard started for the scene when he
met a special officer coming toward the
city hall with Templeton. The captain,
when he reached Rogan, began to talk to
him and asked him where the affair
happened. The policeman said he had
been in the neighborhOod of Phillips
store, and around back of it in Sheda.
ker's yard. He complained of the pain
in his shoulder aud refused to talk any
more about it. Captain Shumard was
present when Templeton made state
ment of the affair, and said the defend
ant was warned that anything he might
say could be used against him, to which
lTempleton replied that he wanted to tel
all he knew Of the affair.
Herbert Smick, special officer, was a.
1.-THE corner of York and Broad streets
He heard the report of gun and alst
heard screams. He ran to the place thu
sounds proceeded from and found thret
ladies on porch. One of them was Mrs
Templeton. One of them said, "Ther'
| - l. 10 II
Rogan. He asked if any one knew wh'
ibid it and Templeton acknowledged h
had fred the shot, adding: MY God, i
was an accident" Mrs. Templeton hat
an empty revolver. TempIeton wen
with Smick to the city hall. On the wa,
the officer asked Why did you do it 2
to which Templeton replied that he hat
, seen two men prowling around with
hashlight and he thought they wer
2 burglars. He said it was all an acciden
and that was all he would say about tn
affair then.
Edward 8. Phillips, who has stor
near where the shooting occurred, wa
3 the next witness. His home is on tn
!. opposite side of the street from wher
e the Templetons live, but the store
!, within few doors of the home OF tn
latter. LeClerc Shedaker has a bar
!. back of the Templeton house. Abou
/. three o'clock MIR. Phillips was awakene
by woman screaming: They are aftt
|, me; they are going to shoot me-" M
3 Phillips found out later that the woma
. was Mrs. Templeton. She said she ha
seen two men trying to get into Phillip
:, store. Mr.. Phillips went down stairs {
4 soon as he could and saw man stagge
ing as il drunk, finally falling to IL
|, pavement. This man was policema
l. hogan. Mr.. Phillips did not hear IL
e report of the gun. He heard Templeto
say. st was all mistake" PHILLIP
IT went around his store and examine
h windows and doors, but could not fin
ID that anything had been disturbed. MI
j. Templeton was dressed as if she hf
II hurriedly got out OF bed and run in
the street. Mr.. Templeton was partial
dressed.
Martin ]. Fitzpatrick, one Of the poll
" officers of Burlington, told OF passii
Rogan on York street Tuesday night
early Wednesday morning. Rogan SO
he had seen couple Of fiashligh
20 twinkling in the neighborhood and
"a was of the opinion something W
Idoing." Fitzpatrick had not seen t
lie lights. He saw Rogan come out fro
et the neighborhood of Shedaker's barr
and he was carrying a fashlight wi
in him, but Fitzpatrick did not see Rog
p. use the light.
Allen Horn and Thomas Ryan were
It. the neighborhood and heard the sh
v. and the screams, and heard Templet
say he did not mean to do it.
-. LeClerc Shedaker lives near the TIE
- pletons. He was in bed and was ava
y.