Jersey Troopers

Monday, September 23, 2019

Cold Case: A Murder Mystery

Author John E. O'Rourke has released a Novella on a fictitious NJ State Police Trooper who is working a cold case. O'Rourke, a retired trooper has written four books all of which were published by the History Press in South Carolina His first two books were about troopers who died in the line of duty. His third book was about serial killer Richard Biegenwald and his latest book is about the kidnapping and killing of Sidney Reso who was an Exxon Executive.

Cold Case: A Murder Mystery centers around a young trooper named Martin Kent who stumbles upon an old murder case which has been overlooked for years. With assistance from his sergeant, Kent discovers that there may have been more than one murder tied to the suspect.

It is an interesting read, and is available on Amazon for $2.99.

Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Trooper Matthew McManus, New Jersey State Police

Struggle for a Strong

Man

Trooper Matthew McManus #144

Saturday, August 29, 2015

Trooper Werner Foerster, New Jersey State Police

Excerpt from the book "New Jersey State Troopers: Remembering the Fallen."

Chapter

Shootout with the Black Liberation Army

Werner Foerster #2608

It was a quiet start to what would be a historic night for the New Jersey State Police. Troopers Robert Palentchar #1946, James Harper #2108 and Werner Foerster #2608 were given their assignments. Foerster had the northern area, Palentchar the southern portion and Harper the middle. These men worked out of one of the three stations responsible for providing services to the New Jersey Turnpike. Newark and Moorestown are the other two. New Brunswick was the center station for this busy and dangerous superhighway and sat south of Interchange 9. (Today the facility serves as an administrative office for the New Jersey Turnpike.) After assignments, the three men headed out the door. Werner Foerster loaded his blue-and-white troop car 820 and proceeded north. Not long afterward, Foerster detailed to pick up an item from an interchange and relay it back to the station. Trooper Ronald Foster #2240, who was working the station record and serving as dispatcher, remembered this night all to well. He spoke with Werner when he came back to the station and remembered Foerster being anxious to resume patrol before a call came in.[i]

While doing administrative work, Ron Foster was startled when the radio sounded. Trooper Harper was calling in a motor vehicle stop—“an early 1960 [white] Pontiac, 2-door; occupied by two black males and one black female.” The stop took place at milepost 83 south at the foot of the station’s driveway, only a few hundred feet from where Foster sat. “I radioed to Bob Palentchar to back up Harper,” recalled Foster, “but he did not answer and Werner picked up the call.” Foerster hadn’t traveled far and hit the next U-turn to back up Harper. Upon arriving at Harper’s location, Foerster pulled behind Harper’s Oldsmobile troop car 894 and got out without telling the station of his arrival.[ii]

Foerster observed Harper talking with the front passenger and the driver standing in front of Harper’s troop car. Harper had noted “a discrepancy in the registration” and had asked the driver (later identified as Clark E. Squire) to step out of the car and move to the front of his troop car. He spoke briefly with him before leaving to speak with the other occupants of the vehicle. This is when Foerster pulled up. The front-seat passenger told Harper that her name was Maureen Jones; however, her name was actually Joanne Chesimard, the “revolutionary mother hen of the Black Liberation Army” (BLA). As Harper spoke with Chesimard, Werner Foerster performed a protective pat-down on Squire and found a loaded gun clip on him. Apparently, as Foerster was performing the pat-down, Harper was noticing that Chesimard kept her hand in her purse. Then, imprudently, Werner supposedly yelled to Harper that he had found an ammo clip. With that utterance, Chesimard pulled out a loaded semiautomatic handgun and shot Harper in the shoulder.

Under continuous fire from her weapon, and after being struck, Harper managed to draw his weapon and return fire while tactically retreating toward his troop car. A vicious firefight got underway, with Werner Foerster and Clark Squire fighting in the middle. Chesimard exited her vehicle with gun blazing, as did the back-seat passenger, James F. Coston. He, too, had a weapon. As the two exited their car, Harper shot at both, dropping Chesimard to the ground and striking Coston with what was to be a mortal wound. Despite being shot and on the ground, the BLA leader continued to shoot and turned her attention to Foerster, hitting him in the chest and the right arm. Harper had exhausted his rounds from his inferior six-shot revolver and was forced to retreat toward the state police station.[iii]

Alone, lying on the ground, Foerster was executed with two bullets to the back of his head. Supposedly, Chesimard is the one who pulled the trigger.[iv]

Location of Shootout

As the BLA members drove south, Harper—apparently in shock—walked calmly into the station (leaving Ron Foster to believe that Harper had cleared from his motor vehicle stop). Foster said, “Jimmy comes into the station and says, ‘Ron, you better put more troops out there; those people have guns.’” Foster laughed, thinking that Harper was taking a crack at the lack of a police presence on the road that night. “Jimmy,” Ron replied, “all those people out there now carry guns.” However, Harper’s response was, “Yeah, but they just shot me.” Turning, James Harper showed his bleeding bullet wound to his colleague. At no time did Harper mention Werner Foerster being out with him. Presumably, Harper assumed that Foerster had called out with him. However, he did not, leaving everyone to assume that Foerster was out on patrol. (Regardless, a quick response would have been futile in light of the coldblooded execution.)[v]

Working on information that Harper had initially called in, Trooper Palentchar found the car, with Clark Squire standing near the vehicle at milepost 78 south. Seeing the trooper, Squire fled into the woods, with Palentchar firing a round at him. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Palentchar saw Chesimard walking with her hands in the air. A closer inspection of the woman revealed that she was seriously wounded. Discovered a short distance from her was the body of James Coston.[vi]

In the aftermath, much was written of the shooting and of Joanne Chesimard. Justice was swift for James Coston. For Clark Squire, his punishment was life behind bars. Joanne Chesimard received the same sentence, and she was sent away. However, state officials failed to see the threat that Chesimard and her BLA associates posed, and she was placed in the Clinton Correctional Facility for Women. In November 1979, a group of radical domestic terrorists took two prison guards hostage and broke Chesimard out of the minimum-security facility. Subsequently, Chesimard fled to Cuba and was granted political asylum under the government of Fidel Castro.[vii]

In all the words written about the shooting, little has been recorded about Werner Foerster, a Jersey trooper, husband and father. Unfortunately, this is to remain. The trauma of losing Werner is still fresh in the memory of his wife, Rosa. As such, she did not want to speak about or provide any information about her husband. A look into the state police files isn’t helpful, either. Let’s explore what is known of the man.[viii]

Werner Foerster became a Jersey trooper late in life—a life begun far from the Jersey Shores, in the city of Leipzig in the German state of Saxony. The future trooper was born on August 19, 1938. At the time, Germany was under Hitler’s full control and was the center of the world’s attention. Germany’s military might was being carefully watched by the United States. The effects this had on the Foerster family aren’t known, nor is it known how long they remained in Germany before immigrating to America.[ix]

Foerster was educated through high school. As a man, he stood five feet, eight and a half inches tall and weighed less than 160 pounds. He had blond hair, blue eyes, a fair complexion and spoke with a German accent. In December 1963, Werner entered the United States Army and served in Vietnam.[x]

On November 18, 1964, at the age of twenty-six, Foerster married a German woman named Rosa Charlotte Heider. In December 1965, Foerster concluded his military service. He and Rosa moved to Marboro Road in Old Bridge, New Jersey. Foerster was a welder by trade and worked for Ross Engineering in New Brunswick. While going through the selection process to be accepted into the academy, Rosa became pregnant. On September 22, 1969, the couple’s only child, Eric, was born.[xi]

On April 20, 1970, sixty-two people entered training for the eighty-second state police class; fourteen weeks later, on July 24, forty men stood as troopers. The German-speaking former welder bore badge #2608.[xii]

Monday, July 27, was Werner Foerster’s first day working as a trooper. His first assignment was at the Toms River Station. During the next two years, Foerster worked out of the Colts Neck, Fort Dix and Keyport Stations.[xiii]

A week before Thanksgiving 1972, Foerster began patrolling the New Jersey Turnpike. Only a few months stood between him and his encounter with the Black Liberation Army.

All material and photographs are copyrighted and cannot be used without permission.

Shootout with the Black Liberation Army

[i]. Interview with Ronald Foster #2240.

[ii]. Ibid.

[iii]. Ibid.; Werner Foerster Certificate of Death ; Wikipedia, “Assata Shakur,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assata_Shakur#cite_note-36.

[iv]. Ibid.

[v]. Interview with Ronald Foster #2240; Werner Foerster Certificate of Death.

[vi]. NJSP Investigative Report H207396, May 14, 1973.

[vii]. New Jersey State Police, www.njsp.org; Lincoln Star, March 26, 1977; Post-Standard, March 26, 1977.

[viii]. Contact was made with Rosa Foerster by this author. Unfortunately, she didn’t want to speak about her husband and advised that her son wouldn’t want to speak on the subject either.

[ix]. Survivors of the Triangle website.

[x]. NJSP Museum File for Werner Foerster.

[xi]. Ibid.

[xii]. NJSP Personnel Order No. 62, April 20, 1970; NJSP Personnel Order No. 109, July 6, 1970.

[xiii]. NJSP Museum File for Werner Foerster.

Thursday, July 30, 2015

Trooper Stanley Arlington Conn Jr. #947

"Kick Stand"

Chapter Excerpt:

New Jersey State Trooper Stanley Conn was only 25 years old when he died; struck down in the prime of life. He had it all, a good job, a wife and two small children; one of whom was only a few months old. His story begins in a small hamlet and ends on a lonely roadway...

(c) 2010 John E. O'Rourke

Trooper Conn had breakfast here just before his fatal crash

Pompton Lakes, NJ

Location of accident

Hamburg Tpke

Pompton Lakes, NJ

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In-Service Training

Raymond P. Fiola #1399

Chapter excerpt:

On a cold Christmas Eve in 1924, Phillip Fiola and his wife, Anna, received an early present- a son, they chose to name Raymond Phillip. Phillip Fiola was of Italian decent and, according to relatives worked as a local police officer somewhere in the Bergen County area. Anna was of Czechoslovakian decent who was a housewife. The couple moved to Wallington, NJ, located in Bergen County. Wallington is a small community which was is rich in history. General George Washington rode through this area and retreated across the Passaic River, near what today is Gregory Avenue. A hundred years before, the Lenni Lenape Indians hunted in and around what is now Wallington. The Fiolas had two children, Raymond and Clara and they raised their children with middle class values.

Their children attended grammar school and high school in Wallington. Raymond was average both socially and academically. He and his sister were growing up at a time in American history where everyone felt the constraints of the economy. The “Great Depression” as it came to be known played havoc on American families. Because the children had not the luxury of toys, they used to play games such as “kick the can” and “stick ball.” How hard time the Fiola’s were struck by the economic times can not be determined as they spoke not on the subject.

While in high school, Raymond or Ray as his friend called him was a member of the Drum and Bugler team. In typing class, he met a fellow classmate-a girl named Josephine Taranto. The two fired up a courtship that would endure to adulthood. During their high school tenure world events cast a dark shadow across the globe. In their freshman year of 1940, all eyes were on Germany as they occupied Austria; an event that set into motion a chain of events which led to the Second World War. In the spring of 1941, the United States began strategic discussions for possible hostilities as thoughts of avoidance were no longer entertained. The attack on Pearl Harbor came two weeks before Ray Fiola’s seventeenth birthday. Patriotic fervor filled the nation and men all over the country began enlisting in the United States Military. Fiola was no different; He too, felt the calling, however at seventeen, he needed his parent’s permission. The red blooded American parents gave their blessing and their son enlisted in the United States Marine Corps.

During the war, Fiola had several furloughs in the beautiful and scenic Hawaii. It was a far cry from the topography of the “Garden State.” Raymond Fiola didn’t talk much of his wartime exploits; when he did it was with other men. He was old fashion man and believed some things are best on said.

Picture of location where fatal accident occurred in Millstone

Ditch car landed in

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Saturday, July 25, 2015

Research for Jersey Troopers: Sacrifice at the Atar of Public Service and NJ Troopers: Remembering the Fallen

While researching both books a great deal of newly discovered information has been revealed. Most of which, didn't make either book. For example, exact locations of these incidents have been lost either with the passing of time due to road re-numberings/ naming and/or poor record keeping. Each site location was thoroughly investigated and documented with field work. (Unfortunately, as stated, this information did not make the final cut.)

All files contained on each trooper will be donated to the New Jersey State Police Museum in the future to be placed in each troopers file.

Presently, this research is being organized and indexed by the author prior to turning it over.

Hopefully this material will help future historians interested in the New Jersey State Police. But more importantly, it will be there to ensure these brave troopers live on in posterity.

Here are a few pictures which didn't make the book:

Trooper John Anderson #1190

When Sammy Alvarez was shot in the head the bullet exited and struck the wall. This is a photograph of the bullet hole, which as of the publishing of Jersey Troopers: Sacrifice at the Altar of Public Service, was still there. The author was able to put his finger in the hole.

Picture of Whritnour's wife, pointing to the bullet hole. (Her husband fired the shot.)

Trooper Ronald E. Gray #1534

When Trooper Gray's troop car hit the concrete bridge abutment the impact was so severe it tore the car apart. This photograph is of the abutment which is still there today. One has to wonder if the damage in the picture was caused on that dreadful day.

Trooper Matthew McManus #144

The location of McManus's motorcycle accident had been long lost until researching Jersey Troopers: Sacrifice at the Altar of Public Service discovered it again.

If you read the chapter about McManus you would know he loved the outdoors and fishing. This is the site of the stream he was looking at before getting back on his bike and being hit.

Note the railing which was there at the time of the accident.

All material and photographs are copyrighted and cannot be used without permission.

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http://www.johneorourke.com/Jersey-Troopers.html

Shooting at the Speakeasy

Charles E. Ullrich #232

Fourteen months had passed since Trooper Bob Coyle was murdered and in that time the state police were working hard to suppress the ills of prohibition. The Eighteenth Amendment to the constitution was enacted in response to crime being at an all time high; crimes, that were mistakenly attributed to the use of alcohol. Now, because of Prohibition, criminal groups were prospering and becoming more organized; in turn, making the crime rate rise.

Within the state police Charles (Charley) Ullrich had been making a name for himself. Born on August 21, 1900 in Paterson, New Jersey to Frederick and Susan, Charles was one of four children; Susan, William and Arthur were his siblings. They were raised in a city known for its great water falls and textile manufacturing. The year Ullrich was born; Paterson was the leading manufacturer of silk and was called “Silk City.”

As a child, Ullrich didn’t live far from the Passaic River and presumably went to the great falls to see the mist rise up to cool the hot summer air, and swam in the crystal clear waters of the river. The Ullrich children attended the local Paterson school.

After grammar school, Ullrich attended high school for two years. Why Ullrich didn’t complete high school isn’t certain. Regardless, two years of high school, gave him an edge over most.

In 1919, a year after the world war had ended, Ullrich entered the Navy. As a sailor, Ullrich learned the activities associated with deck handling, deck maintenance, rigging, and small boat operations. He rose to the rank of Boatswain’s Mate where he was considered a master of seamanship. Ullrich concluded his military service in January of 1923, at the age of 22.

The former sailor realized he wanted to be a state trooper and applied. In the state police’s short tenure, they developed a reputation for being top notch. Intimidating and serious in their deportment- but always professional- residents were embracing the state police and the need for such a trained and professional law enforcement entity.

In the academy Ullrich met Joseph A. Smith from Connecticut. The two men were young and had much to look forward to; they were embarking on a challenging and exciting profession.

On September 1, 1923 Charles Ullrich badge #232 and Joseph Smith, badge #231, began their state police journey as graduating members of the 7^th class.

Shortly after becoming a trooper, Charles Ullrich was working with Trooper Daniel Dunn #34 who introduced him to a woman named Ruby Bonner. Bonner was Dunn’s sister-in-law and Ullrich fell head over heels for her. Before long, they were planning their wedding. State police rules required permission from the Colonel to wed. Ullrich, having only been a trooper for a short time, didn’t want to run the risk of being denied. So, in a secrete ceremony in Elkton, Maryland, in March of 1925, the two wed.

Prohibition made the onset of Speakeasies very popular. Most were formed or established by organized crime. Speakeasies were problematic for several reasons. Not only for the crime associated with them, but because of the health issues relating to sexually transmitted deceases. The phrase, speakeasy, is derived from a person ordering an alcoholic drink and being reminded by the bartender to “speak easy,” so not to be heard. Police corruption was at an all time high and most local law enforcement officers were given their positions because of cronyism, nepotism, or political favor. As such, many lacked integrity and speakeasies capitalized by paying off the local law. Interestingly, local police corruption was an element that gave rise to the concept of a state police agency.

In Passaic County officials had a serious problem with houses of ill repute which lead the Prosecutor, J. Willard Deyoe to take action. Deyoe had been trying to rid the county of speakeasies for a long time. One such establishment was the French Hill Inn located in the township of Wayne. Deyoe implored Wayne officials to address the problem.

For one reason or the other, Wayne officials failed to meet his Deyoe’s request, leaving him with no other recourse but to turn to the state police. State troopers had helped authorities with similar problems in Bergen County. The state police vigorously subscribed to Schwarzkopf’s command of pursuing and apprehending offenders; this was set forth in his first “General Order.” Known as the “get your man doctrine,” this order contributed to the success and popularity of the organization.

Located on the outskirts of Wayne, the French Hill Inn sat back off of the road with many trees providing ample privacy to those patronizing the establishment.

On the evening of February 17, 1926, Lieutenant D. Rogers #79, of Morristown Headquarters sent two troopers to gather information for a future raid; this was to be an intelligence only operation. Rogers picked two of his best troopers, Charles Ullrich and Matthew McManus #144. The square jawed, McManus had recently returned to work after an on duty injury nearly claimed his life. He was a perfect match for Ullrich; both were tough lawman who enjoyed the excitement, and the danger of police work.

Interestingly, a week prior, Ullrich’s mother told her son she was concerned for his safety because he was “making enemies.” The “Jersey Trooper” told her it was “the life that he liked and that he intended to die with his boots on.” Dreadful words, for a mother to hear.

Ullrich and McManus set off in a taxi cab to the notorious Inn. As they approached the Inn there was a steady snowfall. They arrived at midnight and were met by a guard. The Inn had an elaborate set up with a locked iron fence, guard house, lookout tower, escape routes, secret hiding locations and a screening process to enter. The large man, who stood at the gate, was handed some money and the Ullrich and McManus were allowed in. Driving up the 100 foot driveway, the men stepped out in front of the three story stucco building. With smoke bellowing from the chimney, lights flickering in the windows, and snow draping the area, it was a beautiful wintery scene; a scene that betrayed the actual events taking place inside. The two men with long overcoats walked in.

The place was set up with tables, chairs and a bar. It was a dark, dreary looking place with the smell of booze permeating the air. Through the thick cigarette smoke, alcohol bottles could be seen lining the shelves. Wiping off the snow, the two walked past the men scattered throughout the place. The troopers proceeded upstairs to the second floor where they entered a small corridor and saw a sign that read; “Private Dinning Room.” Continuing on, they entered a larger room with a staircase rising to a third floor. Only eight patrons were in the room, so the two undercover troopers sat at a table.

The two watched the shady activities and the pretty women walking around. Women such as, Anna (Dolly) LaPorte, Florence Anderson and Jean (Babe) Lee. Ullrich and McManus sat and watched one of them making lewd gestures while she danced while the other women sat on the laps of men. Laughter and piano music filled the air, and, when the time was right, willing patrons were escorted to private rooms on the third floor. The proprietor of the Inn, Samuel Alesi, was serving a combination platter of booze, women and rooms.

At some point, McManus went upstairs with Flo Anderson, an attractive 22 or 23 year old with a nice figure, reddish brown eyes and short black hair. Flo’s occupation was evident in her sartorial splendor; she sported a sleazy sheer garment, black pump heels, artificial eye lashes, bright painted lipstick and a face covered in makeup. Apparently McManus’s questions to her caused Flo to believe he was a cop and she stormed out of the room, leaving McManus to return to Ullrich.

Around 2:30 am, Ullrich and McManus observed Flo walk over to a group of shady characters. The two lawmen noticed the conversation centered on them. Anderson’s conversation began with a whisper and ended with a shout, “they are cops.” Patrons didn’t pay much attention to this outburst as piano music, laughter and dancing muffled the outcry.

A thug head waiter named James (Slam Bang) DeLuccia came over and audaciously said “Get out, get out.” The enraged man didn’t like McManus questions and launched a roundhouse punch striking McManus. However, quickly the man was brought under control and Ullrich and McMannus rose to their feet with pistols drawn. Standing on a chair, McManus shouted, “You’ll all under arrest.” Eight prisoners were lined against the wall and Ullrich took down their names and addresses. When everything settled down, Ullrich went into an adjoining room and phoned headquarters.

While watching the prisoners, McManus turned his head momentarily and Samual Alessi, the proprietor of the inn, bolted for the downstairs barroom. McManus took off after him catching him at the foot of the stairs. “Sam had a gun in his right hand and pointed it at me” said McManus. “I grabbed the barrel with my left hand.” A shot rang out burning McManus’s finger. While this was happening the other prisoners fled, except for Alessi’s brother, Anthony (Tony) D’Alessi and James “Slam Bang” DeLuccia. They rushed down to the aid of Samual Alessi.

Tony D’Alessi came from behind McManus and struck the trooper on the head. “As I was trying to get the gun,” said McManus. “I was struck on the head with something hard.” Another gunshot rang out. By now, Ullrich had rushed to the sound of the gunfire. Either D’Alessi or “Slam Bang” struck McManus over the head, releasing the hold McManus had. Then, Alessi turned his attention towards Ullrich firing a round into the trooper’s face. The bullet struck Ullrich in the mouth, knocking him to the floor. Dazed and bleeding profusely, Ullrich rose up on his elbow and shot three rounds through his coat pocket hitting Alessi in the chest. Alessi returned fire striking Ullrich mortally in the head. Within minutes, state police personnel arrived at the Inn and found Ullrich dead and McManus near death.

Samual Alessi was brought by his crew to Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson. It didn’t take long for troopers to check the area hospitals and discovered a man was being treated in Paterson for gunshot wounds.

McManus was brought to the All Souls’ Hospital in Morristown where he told investigators what had happened. With tears swelling up in his eyes he told of Charley Ullrich rising up miraculously on an elbow and taking down the man who had tried to kill them. Ullrich’s heroics saved McManus’s life.

With the names and addresses Ullrich had written down, coupled with McManus’s statements, Alessi’s brother, Anthony D’Alessi and DeLuccia were brought to justice. Five years later, Alessi’s brother, Anthony was found hiding out in Pennsylvania as an auto mechanic. However, after a haphazard trial, the prosecution couldn’t prove their case and Anthony Alessi walked away a free man.

At Trooper Charles E. Ullrich’s funeral thousands lined the streets in Paterson to pay their respects. Charles E. Ullrich was laid to rest in the Laurel Grove Cemetery in Totowa. He had no children.

Booth where McManus was assaulted.

French Hill Inn

Note: Jersey Troopers standing in front

Present Day Site Holy Resurrection Church

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All material and photographs are copyrighted and cannot be used without permission.