When one thinks of the items available from Montgomery Ward, the prominent mail-order retailer based in Chicago, an electric chair is certainly not among them. Yet in 1913, this merchandising giant received an unusual letter from the Colonial Stores Company in Canton, China, seeking to purchase an apparatus for executing criminals. The letter sent by…
Category: New Jersey
The Cape May County “Murder Map”
While exploring the history of capital punishment in pre-World War II, New Jersey, I stumbled upon an elusive artifact during a visit to the Cape May County Archive in August 2024. As I inquired about 19th-century judicial documents and outlined the scope of my research, the Records Room Supervisor casually mentioned the “Murder Map.”1 Naturally,…
The Clerk of the Court’s Office: Unlocking History’s Treasures
Over the years, I have come to appreciate the immense value of the Clerk of the Court’s office as a repository of historical information. This sentiment was greatly reinforced during my recent visit to the Atlantic County Courthouse in May’s Landing, where I had the pleasure of meeting County Clerk Joseph J. Giralo. When I…
The Hangman’s Noose: Unraveling a Piece of Material Culture
While researching the history of capital punishment in New Jersey, a peculiar artifact in the catalog of collections at the Atlantic County Historical Society caught my attention: the hangman’s noose with its twisted fibers and knots.1 This seemingly simple object, a piece of material culture, embodies a complex history that intersects directly with the evolution…