Peter Albano

PRIVATE FIRST CLASS PETER J. ALBANO was the son of Nunzio and Rose Albano. The family lived at 20 Taylor Avenue in Audubon NJ. Peter Albano was a 1937 graduate of Audubon High School. He had attended the South Jersey Law School in Camden NJ before entering the Marines in July of 1942. He was activated in July of 1943.

Once having gone on active duty, Peter Albano was sent to Princeton University in Princeton NJ where he took part in the Naval V-12 program. Also at Princeton during this time was Augustus D.  Whitney of Camden NJ. The South Jersey Law School granted him a diploma in absentia in 1944. Private Albano was sent overseas in October of that year.

Attached to Marine Intelligence, Peter Albano was killed in action on Okinawa on April 18, 1945, at the age of 24. His death was reported in the Camden Courier-Post on May 5, 1945. Peter Albano was brought home to New Jersey after the war, and he rests at Harleigh Mausoleum in Camden NJ.

Five members of Audubon High School's 1937 graduating class were also lost while serving in America's military during World War II. Besides Peter Albano, the dead include Charles Adamson, George Riggin, Edwin Klenk, and Charles Stevenson.

Camden Courier-Post - June 1, 1939

Jury Dismissed in Arsenic Case 
Of Dead Mouse in Prune Juice
Restaurant Customer III After Alleged Discovery of Reputed Rodent;
Sues for Damages to Health and Good Nature

Hopelessly divided, six to six, the jury in Camden's celebrated "arsenic case" was discharged last night in Court No. 4 by former Judge Leroy W. Loder, of the Cumberland County Common Pleas Court, sitting as special justice to hear the case.

After Foreman Richard C. Hutchinson, of Collingswood, stated he did not believe the jurors could agree if sent back for an all night session Judge Loder discharged them.

Allegations she had drunk prune juice, freighted with an arsenic-stuffed mouse, were the basis on. which-the plaintiff, Miss Celeine Seigle of Camden asked damages from the Home Restaurant Company Camden, of which Frank . Testa is manager.

The plaintiff was represented by Charles A. Rizzi, William Tomar and Saul Teitelman while the defendant's counsel included Charles E. Gant, David E. Van Name and Henry D. Lodge.

Beside Hutcheson the jury comprised Peter Albano, Audubon; Alandria Kozak, Florence; R. Beverly Loring, Wilmington, Del.; Davis F. MacGhee, Moorestown; Gabriel Rudolph, Gloucester;  Harold A. Uhl, Glassboro; Veronica Weidman, and Evelvn C. Berg, Martha Essig, Zaven A. Hovsepian and Marjorie S. Smith, all of Camden.

Discovered Dead Mouse

Miss Siegle went to the restaurant about 5.30 p. m. on March 6, last. She ordered prune juice, drank the beverage, and discovered the dead rodent at the bottom.

"I was taken deathly sick," she testified, "and was compelled to return home in a taxicab where I was attended by my family physician. I have been intermittently ill ever since, having lost considerable weight."

Thomas F. Connery followed her on the witness stand. He said he sat at the table directly across from Miss Seigle and saw the entire episode. Connery, on cross examination, said he had not .seen the plaintiff drop anything into the glass. Melvin E. Karns, who said he attended Miss Seigle, described her illness and also the symptoms.

Karns said he discovered by chemical analysis arsenic in the  mouth of the mouse and also in the prune juice. He described the amount as one part in 40,000, which he asserted would have been sufficient to cause Miss Seigle's illness. 

Knew His Arsenic

On cross examination Karns detected the presence of arsenic by chemical analysis, and also that he was qualified to describe arsenic poisoning because of the number of such cases he had known.

Testa described the cleanliness with which he said he safeguarded  customers, and denied the restaurant was crowded at the time of Miss Seigle's alleged sickness.

Samuel L. Shapiro, a law student, stated he was "the sandwich at the restaurant and poured out all the fruit juices ordered. He recited and illustrated how he had poured Miss Seigle's drink, denying anything was in the glass save prune juice.

Miss Myrtle A. Haffer, a waitress, disputed every statement made by the plaintiff's witnesses. She described how she had fastened her eyes on Shapiro when he Poured the juice. On cross-examination by Tomar, she denied "she was very friendly with the sandwich man."

She also stated she took Miss Seigle to a room after her illness and the girl told her to "go away and leave me alone.'

"She wouldn't take a dose of aromatics", testified the waitress, "and she wouldn't let me get her a glass of water. Why she wasn't sick after she almost drank the mouse."

William E. Peel and Dominic Gattuso, court officers, guarded the Jury while they were deliberating and Charles M. Ackley, court clerk, was given the verdict of disagreement.

P. S. All this happened at the practice trial by members of the graduating class of the South Jersey Law School as part of the commencement program.

CAMDEN COURIER-POST SATURDAY MAY 5, 1945

Deaths In War Reveal 11 from South Jersey
13 Others Wounded, One Captured by Enemy Forces

War and navy Department casualty lists yesterday reported eleven South Jersey men killed, 13 wounded, and a Vineland man a prisoner.
   In all cases the next of kin have been notified previously and in case of divergence from the list, the last word sent to the next of kin is always the appropriate final authority:  
   Killed:

PFC Peter Albano, 24, USMC, of 20 Taylor Avenue, Audubon.  

AUDUBON'S TRIBUTE TO THOSE WHO SERVED IN WWII