Today’s Ill-Fated Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
As Bernard Doyle settled in his seat in the grandstand of the Polo Grounds on July 4th, 1950, he expected nothing but a pleasant, All-American day of baseball, fireworks and beer. The 54-year-old former boxing manager was treating a friend’s son to an afternoon of baseball, and what an afternoon it would be: a double-header between the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers.
Just as the Dodgers stepped onto the field to start warming up, his afternoon ended. Doyle turned to say something to his young companion, only to slump forward in his seat, blood pouring from his head. He was taken to Harlem Hospital in a hastily summoned ambulance, but for naught. The autopsy revealed he’d died of a bullet wound to the head.
A few days later, a 14-year-old boy, one of the local juvenile delinquents, broke down and admitted to police he had fired a shot into the stadium. From where he shot, he couldn’t even see into the stands. But it did the trick.
The “Gun-Happy” Culprit
Culled from: Murder Can Be Fun #18
Vintage Crime Scene Du Jour!
ANOTHER TRIANGLE CASE….
May 31, 1935
Photographer: Detrick
Man Murdered in Auto, Paramus, N.J.
Chief of Police, Bernard Martin of Paramus Police, and Carl De Marco of Bergen County Police, examining body of late David Corly… in Dodge Sedan in which he was killed on Howland Ave., off Spring Valley Rd., Paramus… Another triangle case…. — photographer’s caption.
Culled from: New York Noir
Here’s an article from the Saturday, June 8, 1935 issue of The New York Age shedding more light on the murder. I could find no evidence it was ever solved.
Cabaret Man Put On Spot
POLICE SEEK WHITE WOMAN WHO PUT WEALTHY CABARET MAN ON SPOT IN JERSEY
Sportsman Murdered In Car On Lonely Road By Unknown Men
WOMAN AS LURE
Killed 10 Minutes After Mysterious Phone Call Lured Him To Spot
Special To The New York Age.
HACKENSACK, N. J.—Murder in all its grim ugliness reared its head and stalked rampant through the countryside here last Wednesday evening when David Corly, 49, one of this city’s most prominent Negroes, was found shot to death over the wheel of his car on a lonely Paramus road. Police are still attempting to patch together fragmentary clues and wild rumors in an effort to solve the killing. Thus far no arrests have been made.
Several witnesses have been found who profess to have heard the four shots which killed the business man, one of them claiming to have seen a white woman run from the death car to one of two others close by and speed away. The fact that he is said to have left his home shortly before the killing after receiving a telephone call has given rise to the theory that Corly, reported to be the wealthiest Negro in the city and owner of the Golden Harbor Rest, a night club frequented by colored residents, was “put on the spot” in gangster style by unknown enemies.
Working together in an attempt to piece the mystery are four groups of investigators, the County Police, the Hackensack and Paramus Police, and operatives from Prosecutor John J. Breslin’s office, headed by Chief Henry R. Lockwood. A number of local colored residents were questioned by Detective Captain Franklin Zimmerman, Friday, but none were held.
Saw Woman
The slaying was committed at Spring Valley and Howland avenue, near the homes of Herbert Howland and Arthur Mann, both of whom told the police that they had seen two other cars near the one in which Corly’s body was found. Another witness who came forward, declared that right after the four shots, which followed each other in rapid succession, a woman leaped from Corly’s car, ran to one of the others already in motion and jumped in. Both cars then sped north out of sight along Spring Valley Road.
Chief Lockwood and Patrolmen Genter, DeMarco and Courtright of the County Police, arrived immediately after the shooting in response to a radio alarm and found Corly dead. He was later examined by Dr. Arthur Greenfield, assistant County physician, and Dr. Sidney F. Johnston of Rochelle Park. An autopsy disclosed that he had been struck by three bullets, one in the right leg, one in the right arm and the third in the right breast. The last one was the fatal wound.
Was Reputed Wealthy
Corly lived at 291 Second street. Generally recognized as the wealthiest colored citizen in the community he owned five houses, including the night club, and two automobiles. It is estimated that he invested almost $100,000 in the Golden Harbor Rest. He had lived in and around Hackensack for the last 27 years and was generally known to be “soft spoken and very pleasant.”
“I know he helped out a lot of colored boys when they got in trouble or when they were down on their luck,” said a police captain.
Charlie Jones and Roland Williams, two men who worked with him at the Golden Harbor Rest, however declared that he was a very shrewd business man, and around his neighborhood, he was described as being a pleasure loving man who indulged himself freely.
His wife, Bertha, 31, asserted she was at home on the night of the tragedy. Although it was reported that during some sort of argument between them early last year, Corly had fired a shot at his wife, no hint of disagreement of any sort could be found recently.
Although no definite trace of any entanglement between Corly and any other women could be established, police seemed inclined to the theory that he was shot by someone who had made an appointment with him just for that purpose. Three shells were found in the car, two of them on the seat by the body, indicating that he had been shot at very close range.
Called “Spot!” Murder
The mysterious telephone call just shortly before he left home on the murder night, the woman seen jumping from the car, and the apparent collusion of the other two cars seen at the time of the slaying are all pointed to by police as circumstances similarly related to gangster “spot” murders.
In addition to his wife, Corly is survived by a son,13 years old, two sisters Anna E. Johnson and Mrs. Lola Wright, a brother, William H Corly, a niece, Janie Wright and a nephew, Silas Chapman. Funeral services were held Saturday afternoon from Varick Memorial Church on Atlantic Street with Rev. S. H. Williams officiating.
Andersonville Prisoner Diary Entry Du Jour!
This is the continuation of the 1864 diary of Andersonville prisoner Private George A. Hitchcock (see the archived version for all entries up until now).
Here’s today’s entry:
November 15th. Shepard and his crowd left us. It did me good to see him go, though my heart sank to feel that I must always be left behind.
Culled from: Andersonville: Giving Up the Ghost