The Penn's Grove record., 1915-04-09
DAVID S. CRATER sUccUMss.
Thomas r. Martin Appointed by Gov.
ernor to Succeed Deceased Sec
rotary of State.

rotary of State.
After a day of unusual political ac-
tivity Thomas F.. Martin of Weehaw-
ken, minority leader in the House of
Assembly, was nominated by Gov.
Fielder to succeed David S. Crater as
Secretary of State. The Senate went
into executive session and confirmed
the appointment. Mr.. Martin took the
oath Immediately, thereby automatic
ally ceasing to be a member of the
House.
Secretary Martins first official act
was to name William l.. Dill of Pater-
son, formerly secretary of the Senate,
as assistant secretary and ex-oflcio
commissioner Of motor vehicles. Mr..
Dill succeeds Job H. Lippincott, who
has served three years as commits
sioner.
1t was a great shock when news
was received here that David S. era
ter, Secretary of State of New Jersey,
had dropped dead in front of No. 173
Broadway, New York City. He was
see to stagger, hen throw up his
hands. He fell into the arms of Police
man George J. Deppert, who ran to
aid him.
An ambulance from the Hudson
Street Hospital attending to another
case nearby, was called, and DR.. Slater
pronounced Mr.. Crater dead. The
body was removed to the Greenwich
street police station, and late in the
afternoon United States District Court
Judge Thomas ]. Haight, s~on-in-law
of Mr.. Crater, accompanied by George
R. Beach, arrived and took charge.
The body was shipped to Freeholds
Mr.. Crater's home, where he leaves a
wife and daughter, Miss Gilbert Cra-
ter.
David S. Crater was born on a farm
in Fort Mercer, n. j., July 10, 1849, of
German ~parentage. His parents NOV.
ed to Long Branch in 1856, and for
the remainder of his life his home
was in Monmouth County, with the
exception of four years spent in War
rem County.
At sixteen Mr.. Crater entered the
Office of the Monmouth Democrat in
Freehold. Later he became a stu
dent at law under Allen Ray Throck-
martin, then Surrogate of Monmouth
County. He was admitted to the bar
in 1879, but remained in the Surro-
gates office. When Mr.. Throckmar-
tin died in Februery, 1882, George B.
Ludlow, then Governor of New Jersey,
appointed Crater to fill the unexpired
term. He was reelected to the Office
later in 1882, and for the next thirty
years was Surrogate, resigning on
April 1, 1912, to become Secretary of
State of New Jersey, to which office
he was appointed by President Wilson.
For many years Mr.. Crater was a
member of the New Jersey State Dem.
ocratic Committee. He was a delegate
to the National Democratic Conven-
ton at Kansas City in 1900, and in st.
Louis in 1904. Mr.. Crater for the past
thirty-seven years served as Treasurer
of the Township of Freehold. was a
member of the Freehold Fire Depart
ment and a trustee of the public Ii.
brary of that city.
He married on January 10, 1876,
Anne w. Combs, of Freehold, and is
survived by her and two daughters,
Mr.. Thomas G. Haight and Miss Gil
berta Crater.
Governor Fielder, when informed OF
Mr.. Crater's death, said:
81 am shocked to hear the sad news.
Mr.. Crater was not only one of the
most valuable men in the administra-
ton, but was my personal friend. His
loss to the State and Monmouth Coun-
ty will be great. His political asso-
ciates and hundreds who knew him ad-
mired him. Mr.. Crater did a great
deal for the State of New Jersey"