South Plainfield -- Police Chief
Cornelius J. McCarthy, 60, of Hamilton
Blvd., head of the local Police
Department since the borough�s
incorporation 21 years ago, died at 5:15
a.m. today (June 13, 1947) in
Muhlenberg Hospital, Plainfield where
he was taken Monday night after
suffering a heart attack.
A native of Plainfield, he served
for 10 years on the Plainfield Police
Department, and from 1924 to 1926
served as chief of the Piscataway
Township Police Department.
Led Gang Capture
Chief McCarthy led the roundup
in July, 1926, of four members of the
Merck gang and the subsequent
discovery of the gang�s arsenal. The
prisoners were connected with the
notorious �Bum Rogers.� Rogers
himself narrowly escaped being captured
with the Merck mob.
The Chief located the gang�s
rendezvous in a Park Ave. house. The
prisoners were identified with the
robbery of drugs valued at thousands of
dollars from the plant of Merck and
Company, Rahway. They were given
long prison terms.
Surviving are his widow, two
sons, Cornelius J. McCarthy Jr., 808
Park Ave., Plainfield; Edward D.
McCarthy, 331 So. Second St.,
Plainfield; two daughters, Mrs. Harry
Bink of Philadelphia; Mrs. Bernard
McCreech, 229 E. Seventh St.,
Plainfield; one brother, Francis J.
McCarthy, 515 W. Sixth St., Plainfield;
five sisters Miss Julia McCarthy, Miss
Catherine McCarthy, Miss Helen M.
McCarthy of 515 W. Sixth St.,
Plainfield; Mrs. James Perry of
Maplewood and Mrs. Margaret Houston
of Mantoloking, and 11 grandchildren.
HNS Member
Chief McCarthy was a member
of the Holy Name Society of the Sacred
Heart Church, Plainfield Lodge, BPO
Elks, 885 International Order of Chief of
Police, treasurer of the State of New
Jersey Chief of Police Association.
Elks services will be held
Monday at 8 p.m. in Higgins �Home for
Funerals,� Plainfield. Funeral services
will take place Tuesday in the funeral
home at 9:00 a.m. after which a Solemn
Requiem Mass will be celebrated at 10
a.m. in Sacred Heart Church here.
Interment will be in Holy Redeemer
Cemetery here.