Frank Doris

FRANK DORIS was born in Pennsylvania around 1906 to Joseph Doris Sr. and his wife Mary. His father was born in Pennsylvania, his mother in Ireland. She had come to America in the 1880s. His mother's name was reported as Mary in the 1910 Census and as Emma in later records.

The 1910 Census shows the Doris family at 546 Randolph Street in Philadelphia. Of the six children born to the family, five were living, James, 10, Joseph Jr., 9; Frank, 6; John 4, and George, who was 11 months old at the time of the census. The Census gives Joseph Doris' occupation as "special police" and states that he worked in theatres. Joseph Doris Sr. passed away in February of 1917.

The four of the Doris boys got into trouble as youths, and in the case of Joseph Jr., Frank and John, serious trouble. On December 19, 1918 Joseph Doris Jr. was wounded in a gun battle with Philadelphia police. Frank Doris was involved in a shooting in 1922, and in 1926 took part in a bank robbery where a Philadelphia policeman was shot and killed. For this offense he and three other members of the gang that robbed the bank were executed in March of 1927. The gang went to their deaths refusing to give up the name of the man who escaped. 

Frank Doris had married Ethel Phillips in 1919. It is unknown as of this writing as to whether there were any children from this marriage.

Younger brother John Doris, who also had a long record in Philadelphia, began coming over to Camden when his mother and younger brother moved to 132 York Street in the late 1920s. In April of 1929 he got into a fight with a local gangster, Joe O'Connor. John Doris was shot and seriously wounded O'Connnor. Even though O'Connor's refused to testify against him, John Doris was convicted and given a ten year prison sentence. He was serving his sentence at Trenton State Prison when he was stabbed on April 10, 1930. Mortally wounded, he too refused to name his assailant, and no one was ever charged with his murder.

Younger brother George, who also had a police record in Philadelphia, was arrested on robbery charges in Camden in June of 1930. Both George and his mother were using the surname McGovern when they moved to Camden, this may have been his mother's maiden name.

Philadelphia Inquirer - January 19, 1922

Harrisburg Patriot - January 20, 1922

Harrisburg Patriot
January 20, 1922

Frank Doris
Margaret Hastings
John Villano

Harrisburg Patriot - January 24, 1922

Philadelphia Inquirer - January 24, 1922

Philadelphia Inquirer - February 18, 1922

Philadelphia Inquirer
May 30, 1922

Frank Doris
Margaret Hastings
John Villano

Trenton Evening Times - May 26, 1926

Trenton Evening Times
June 11, 1926

Trenton Evening Times
April 12, 1930

John Doris

Church of the Holy Name
York Street
North 5th Street
Vine Street

Left: George Doris

Trenton Evening Times
November 13, 1930

John Doris
Joe O'Connor
Albert Saunders
Frank Doris

Camden Morning Post - November 26, 1930

Joe O'Connor - John W. Golden - Sylvester McGrath - Russell Young
Broadway - Kaighn Avenue - South 5th Street - Walnut Street
"Little Club" speakeasy - West Jersey Hospital
Albert Saunders - Angelo Solury - John Doris - Frank Doris

Camden
Morning Post
November 27, 1930

Joe O'Connor
Sylvester McGrath
Stephen McKiernan
South 5th Street
Walnut Street
West Jersey Hospital

Camden
Morning Post
November 28, 1930

Camden Courier-Post - December 5, 1930