Camden People - Henry S. Scovel

HENRY SIDNEY SCOVEL was a prominent lawyer who served as Camden County prosecutor from 1905 to 1912. He was a member of the New Jersey State Assembly in 1897. He was also a good friend of the poet Walt Whitman as early as September of 1885.

Henry S. Scovel was born in 1858, and resided in the North Ward as late as 1870. His father, Colonel James Matlock Scovel, was locally famous as an orator, evangelist, and lawyer. His mother was the niece of John W. Mickle, and his maternal grandfather was Dr. Isaac S. Mulford, both of whom had schools named after them in Camden in the 1870s, which is a fairly good gauge of the two men's local importance and reputation.

On January 28, 1897 Henry S. Scovel was one of several dignitaries who were in attendance at the opening of the Catholic Lyceum on Broadway at
at Federal Street, adjacent to the the church. Other attendees included Governor John W. Griggs, Mayor John L. Westcott, Attorney-General Samuel

H. Grey, Camden city solicitor J. Willard Morgan, Senator H. W. Johnson, Assemblyman Louis Derousse, J.J. Burleigh, Sheriff David Baird Sr., then Postmaster Harry B. Paul, ex-Judge Armstrong, Architect Henry S. Dagit, George A. Frey, and H. L. Bonsall. The Lyceum would evolve into Camden Catholic High School.

In 1898 he had a run-in with Stockton (later East Camden) poltician Jake Schiller. It was during the second trial of Eli Shaw for the murder of his mother and grandmother, Mrs. Anna Shaw and Mrs. Emma Zane. They were found shot to death in September, 1897, in their bedroom of their home on Line Street near Third. Detective John Painter had found a revolver hidden in the chimney, one of several points in the circumstantial evidence that resulted in the indictment of Shaw. He was then a widely known young man about town and his arrest caused a big sensation. As time drew near for the trial feeling was intense, for there were adherents for and against the son and grandson, those arguments often grew bitter.

Henry Sidney Scovel, then one of the prominent criminal lawyers of Camden county, was retained to defend Shaw. Scovel was son of James Matlack Scovel, himself one of the leading barristers of this section. When the trial of Shaw was under way the city was astounded when it was charged Scovel had tampered with the jury. It was Schiller who made the charge.

The trial stopped abruptly. Scovel emphatically denied the story of Schiller and demanded vindication. An indictment for embracery was returned and at a trial, which had Camden on the tip toe of expectancy for days, it developed there was absolutely nothing to verify the charge, and Scovel was acquitted. He acted in two subsequent trials of Shaw, the second being a disagreement and the third acquittal for the son and grandson of the slain women.

Schiller, strangely enough, in later years became friendly with Scovel and when the latter was prosecutor from 1905 to 1912, "Jake," as he was familiarly known, was usually to be found in the office at the courthouse. Scovel was then a white haired man of flowery speech and impressive personality who let bygones be bygones.

Henry Scovel married Gertrude Alma Graham in 1889. There were three children, daughters Ethel and Beatrice, and a son, Henry Graham Scovel, who followed his father into the practice of law.

In the fall of 1902 Henry S. Scovel was reported have been engaged to conduct the defense of Paul Woodward, who was on trial for murder. This was not the case however, and Mr. Scovel took no part in the proceedings. Woodward was found guilty and was executed at the Camden County jail on January 7, 1903.

Henry S. Scovel served for a time around 1905 in the New Jersey State Assembly. While there he who sponsored a bill in the legislature compelling traction companies to construct front and rear enclosed platforms on trolley cars.

A resident of Haddonfield by 1910, Henry S. Scovel passed away there in on October 5, 1918. He had been ill for some time prior to his demise.

Camden Post
February 26, 1883

William "Policy Bill" Smith
Harriet Smith
John Fisher - George Watson
George Johnson - Harry Getty - John Clark
Charles Pursglove - James Wright - J.J. Walsh
Isaiah S. Woolston - Henry S. Scovel
Joel Horner
Theodore B. Gibbs

Thomas Miles - John Ross - "Doc" Quinn - Caffrey's Carriage Works

Philadelphia Inquirer July 30, 1890

Henry S. Scovel
William Harvey
Charles S. Ridgway
John O'Brien
Ezra Conkling
Benjamin Braker

	Camden Post June 3, 1891 Joseph Logue Sarah Louwin Henry S. Scovel Birch Street Fannie Ellingsworth John Lee James Baird - David Baird Sr. Joseph Robinson - Mary Simpson John Edgert - James Lennox George S. West Alfred Hugg Richard Ridgway

Philadelphia Inquirer - February 9, 1893

Charles G. Garrison - John Gauntt - Patrick M. Gallagher
Wilson Jenkins - Frederick A. Rex - Henry S. Scovel
Dr. Edward Schellenger Sr. - Dr. William Iszard - George Hinson
John Hill - Albert reed - Marwood Derrickson - Joseph Dodson

Philadelphia Inquirer - February 10, 1893

Charles G. Garrison - Wilson Jenkins
Frederick A. Rex - Henry S. Scovel - John Hill
Joseph Dodson - Albert Reed - Marwood Derrickson

Members of the Camden County Bar Association,
pose for a photograph during their annual shad dinner, around 1894.
Click on Image to Enlarge

From left (first row) Judge Charles Joline, Supreme Court Justice Charles Garrison, Judge Richard R. Miller, vice chancellor Henry C. Pitney, Supreme Court Justice Alfred Reed, Benjamin Shreeve, Caleb Shreeve, George H. Pierce; (second row) William Casselman, Edwin Bleakly, J. Willard Morgan, Peter Voorhees, Samuel Beldon, Frank Shreeve, Scuyler Woodhull, Lewis Starr, H. S. Scovel, George Vroom, Charles Wooster, and Howard Carrow; (third row) Samuel Robbins, E. A. Armstrong, Thomas Curley, unknown Philadelphia lawyer, Charles Stevenson, H. F. Nixon, Henry I. Budd, Israel Roberts.

Camden Daily Telegram
May 2, 1895

Harriet Smith
Walter Garwood
John Walters
Fred Parker - William Parker
Isaac Shreeve
Wilson Jenkins
George Roop
Henry S. Scovel
William Jones

*Camden Post May 24, 1895**

Harriet Smith - Walter Garwood - William Parker - Washington Ketline - Henry S. Scovel J.J. Crandall - Joseph Swing - John Cochran - Taylor Avenue - Pine Street - Garret D.W. Vroom

*Camden Post May 24, 1895**

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Harriet Smith - Walter Garwood - William Parker - Washington Ketline - Henry S. Scovel J.J. Crandall - Willie Jacobs - George Whittington - David Fry - Georgianna Fry - Henry Thomas Jeptha Hickman - Smith Costell - William Wright - Mary Scovel - Joseph Gallagher - Frank Nelson John Lane - Federal Street - Garret D.W. Vroom - George Barrett - Robert L. Barber

*Camden Daily Telegram May 24, 1895**

Harriet Smith - Walter Garwood - William Parker - Washington Ketline - Henry S. Scovel Garret D.W. Vroom - J.J. Crandall - David Logue - Jacob Leon - Joseph Swing - John Cochran

*Camden Post May 27, 1895**

Harriet Smith - Frederick Rex - Henry S. Scovel - Garret D.W. Vroom

*Camden Daily Telegram May 27, 1895**

Harriet Smith - Frederick Rex - Henry S. Scovel - Garret D.W. Vroom

*Camden Daily Telegram June 6, 1895**

Harriet Smith - Henry S. Scovel - Dr. William S. Jones - Dr. Alexander McAllister George Barrett - Garret D.W. Vroom

Camden Post
June 7, 1895

Howard Carrow
John W. Wescott
Harriet Smith
Henry S. Scovel
Dr. William S. Jones
Dr. Alexander McAllister
Frederick Rex
Garret D.W. Vroom

Camden Daily Telegram
June 7, 1895

John W. Wescott
Harriet Smith
Dr. William S. Jones
Dr. Alexander McAllister
Garret D.W. Vroom

Camden Daily Courier
July 23, 1895

Harriet Smith
Sue Smith Kinsey
Henry S. Scovel

*Camden Daily Telegram July 23, 1895**

...contiued...

Harriet Smith - Sue Smith Kinsey - Isaac Shreeve - James M. Cassady - Henry S. Scovel Archie Clark - Kate Miskelly - William Sampson - Benjamin Shaw - Richard Quinn - Samuel Davis Jacob Derry - Baxter's Court - Edward Bassett - Herbert Drake - Fred Parker - John Scanlon John Brady - John Walters - W. Harry Getty - Charles Gilbert - Philip Schmitz - Mary Ellis

Camden Post
September 11, 1895

Harriet Smith
Washington Ketline
Philip Schmitz
Mrs. M.J. Pullen
Sue Smith Kinsey
Henry S. Scovel

New York Times - September 15, 1895

Henry S. Scovel - Walt Whitman - Tom Donaldson
John G. Whittier - Mark Twain - Oliver Wendell Holmes
Edwin Booth

Philadelphia Inquirer
October 6, 1895

John Cherry - Henry S. Scovel
Frank T. Lloyd - Isaac Coles

Philadelphia Inquirer - October 20, 1895

Click on Images for COMPLETE Article of goings-on in Camden

Philadelphia Inquirer
October 6, 1895

John Cherry
Henry S. Scovel
Frank T. Lloyd
Isaac Coles
Louis DeRousse

Camden Post
September 29, 1896

Hugh Boyle
Camden Horse Railroad Company
E. Ambler Armstrong
Henry S. Scovel

Camden Post
September 30, 1896

Hugh Boyle
Camden Horse Railroad Company
Richard T. Miller
Henry S. Scovel
Dr. Alexander McAllister
Harris Graffen
Morris W. Hall

Camden Daily Courier
October 1, 1896

Hugh Boyle
Camden Horse Railroad Company
Henry S. Scovel

Philadelphia Inquirer
August 22, 1897

Henry S. Scovel
Charles M. Baldwin

Philadelphia Inquirer - October 30, 1897 Click on Image for PDF File of Complete Article

Emma Zane - Eli Shaw - Wilson H. Jenkins

Henry S. Scovel

Dr. William S. Jones - Dr. A. Haines Lippincott - William A. Husted - Thomas Benkert Martin J. O'Brien - William Anderson - Charles Folwell - John Irwin

Elwin Steen

...continued...

Harry Delameter - O. Glen Stackhouse - John Foster - H. Frank Pettit

James E. Tatem - Frank B. Haines - Albert Fogg - John Painter - John H. Beard - Albert Hollingshead

...continued...

William Stein - Charles M. Lane - Elwin Steen

...continued...

John Sinclair - Mrs. Anna Knight Click on Image for PDF File of Complete Article

New York Times - April 7, 1898

LAWYER SCOVEL ON TRIAL
He Is Charged With Embracery in the Shaw Murder Case

CAMDEN, N. J., April 6- H. S. Scovel, the lawyer who started to defend Eli Shaw, the young man accused of murdering his mother and grandmother, was put on trial here today charged with embracery arising out of the Shaw case. Information coming to Judge Dixon during the second day of the Shaw trial caused the case to be suspended at that point, and an investigation by the Grand Jury resulted in the indictment of Scovel.

The indictment charged the defendant with offering Jacob Schiller, a panel juror in the Shaw case, the sum of $100 in consideration of the latter giving a verdict favorable to the defendant. But one similar case is cited in the law books, and the penalty fixed by law is $600 fine and two years' imprisonment.

Edward Enterken, the County Jailer, the State's first witness, swore that after the Shaw panel was drawn, Scovel came to him in the county jail, and, calling his attention to the list, asked if if Schiller was all right". Enterken said he thought he was. Scovel then told the witness to tell Schiller there was $100 in it for him if he were “all right." When the first call of the case resulted in a mistrial, the witness testified that Scovel came to him and asked him never to say anything about the $100.

Juror Schiller was the next witness, but his evidence was indeterminate. Scovel denied the charge in every particular. Eli Shaw, who was brought from his cell to testify, said he knew nothing of attempts to bribe anyone.

The case will close tomorrow. An acquittal is looked for.

Philadelphia Inquirer - September 11, 1898

Charles G. Garrison - H.S. Scovel - Eli Shaw - William H. Carson

Philadelphia Inquirer - December 1, 1898

John W. Wescott - H.S. Scovel - J.C. De La Cour
George Bergen - William H. Chew - Charles F. Currie

Philadelphia Inquirer
October 5, 1899

Henry S. Scovel
John Lighthouse
Abram Jackson
Josiah Sage
John SInclair
William Selby
Thomas Buchanan
Albert F. Meyers
Calch Brown

Thomas Moore, Fred Triplett, Allen Hubbs, Albert Geaser, Robert Miller, WIlliam Harris,
Harry Hope, Isaac Brown

Click on Image to Enlarge

Philadelphia Inquirer - August 6, 1901

J. Fred Voight - Henry S. Scovel - John Cherry

Philadelphia Inquirer - April 26, 1912

Charles H. Ellis - Henry S. Scovel - Frank T. Lloyd - First Presbyterian Church
Joseph H. Gaskill - Joseph M. Engard - Rev. Dr. William H. Fishburn

*Philadelphia Inquirer August 21, 1907**



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Charles Gibson - Stephen Dorsey - Mulford Street - Edward Horner - Frances Horner Victoria Natoli - John S. Smith - John Cherry - Elisha Gravenor - Dr. William S. Jones J.W. Fithian - Henry S. Scovel - Mrs. Anna Marter - Mrs. Edward Megargee - Mrs. Isaac Beideman

*Philadelphia Inquirer August 22, 1907**

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Charles Gibson - Stephen Dorsey - Mulford Street - Edward Horner - Frances Horner Victoria Natoli - John S. Smith - John Cherry - Charles G. Garrison - Dr. William S. Jones J.W. Fithian - Henry S. Scovel

Bridgeton Evening News
October 8, 1907

Charles Gibson
Mrs. Frances Horner
Henry S. Scovel
Charles G. Garrison
Charles H. Peters

Philadelphia Inquirer - October 30, 1907

William Schwab - John Cherry - Henry S. Scovel - Judge Allen B. Endicott Samuel Paul - John W. Barr

Philadelphia Inquirer - October 31, 1907

William Schwab - John Cherry - Henry S. Scovel
Judge Allen B. Endicott

Philadelphia Inquirer -September 18, 1908

First Italian Republican League - South 4th Street
William Knight - Charles H. Ellis - Antonio Mecca
Henry S. Scovel - Lawrence LaMaina - Rev. Michael DiIelsi
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church

Bridgeton Evening News

February 16, 1909

J. Frank Shull - John S. Smith
Henry S. Scovel - Frank C. Sayres
E. Ambler Armstrong - Edmond O. Wilson
J. Willard Morgan - Charles B. Coles
Dr. F.R. Brace - Harry Douglass
A.C. Havens - T.W. Synott
P. Kennedy Reeves - Joseph Gaskill
H.O. Newcomb - S. Stanger Iszard
Israel G. Adams

Trenton Evening Times - November 8, 1909 Click on Images for Complete Article

Clark Hill - Thomas Guthridge- Henry S. Scovel

Philadelphia Inquirer

April 27, 1910

John S. Smith

Henry Scovel

Philadelphia Inquirer - August 23, 1910

John S. Smith - Henry Scovel - Lawrence Doran

Philadelphia Inquirer - January 24, 1911

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Charles G. Garrison - Frank Ford Patterson Jr. - Charles VanDyke Joline Lawrence Doran - Samuel Flick - Isaac Shreve - Francis J. McAdams James Smith - Thomas Noland - A. Lincoln James - John Broome Albert Shaw - James Lewis - John Golden - William C. Parker Daniel Woods - John H. Carroll - Harris D. Stow - Henry S.Scovel Martin Carrigan - Aerie No. 5, Fraternal Order of Eagles

Philadelphia Inquirer - February 27, 1911

Martin Carrigan - Henry S.Scovel - Charles D. Crane Robert McCarter - Edward VanDyke Joline

Philadelphia Inquirer - September 19, 1911

Henry S. Scovel - Rev. Thilo Gorr - John Cherry
Trinity German Lutheran Evangelical Church
Lewis Rickart - Regina Neef Rickart

Trenton
Evening Times
April 16, 1912

Philip Knauff
Thomas Guthridge
Clark Hill
H.S. Scovel
J. Lefferts Conard

Philadelphia
Inquirer
October 6, 1918

Col. James Matlack Scovel
Frank T. Lloyd
William T. Boyle
Patrick Harding
Eli Shaw

Click on Images to Enlarge

Philadelphia Inquirer - February 21, 1918

John W. Wescott - William J. Kraft - Bayard Kraft - R. Wayne Kraft
Charles A. Wolverton - Henry S. Scovel

Philadelphia Inquirer - March 11, 1918 Click on Image for PDF File of Complete Article

Charles A. Wolverton - Henry S. Scovel - Lawrence B. Reader - J. Stuart Straw T. Harry Rowland - Frank Voigt - John Penn - Walter Keown - William J. Kraft