New Postcard - RE: Warren Reporter Story

You might see this postcard on a bulletin board in the Hackettstown Area. Look in the Laundromats and the Quick Cheks. If you see anyone try to take it down, ask them their name. If they are not Erik Anderson, ask them if they are authorized to take it down. Thanks.

Read the rest of the NJ.com article.

Thanks,

Erik

More postcards here and here.

Warren Reporter Story - Free James Titus! - UPDATED

An image of James Titus,

who was convicted of the 1866(sic)

murder of Tillie Smith in Hackettstown.

Independence Township man leads charge to have Hackettstown man convicted of Tillie Smith murder pardoned -- nearly 150 years later

By Warren Reporter

December 06, 2009, 4:04PM

Story Written By Todd Petty

Regardless of whether you believe in ghosts, Hackettstown residents have been aware of the presence of Tillie Smith for well over a century. Murdered in 1866 (sic), Tillie’s name still elicits an impassioned reaction from local residents – it is a part of their dialogue, a part of their folklore, and a part of their history.

However, pieces of the story may still remain unwritten — there remains a specter of doubt regarding the involvement of James Titus, the man who was found guilty and sentenced to prison for seventeen years for Tillie’s murder.

One resident in particular from Independence Township, Erik Anderson, is determined to close the case once and for all. Anderson is working to have Titus pardoned for a crime that he does not believe that Titus ever committed.

“If you look at the case and if you read the trial documents, it’s really obvious that there is a ton of reasonable doubt,” Anderson said.

More...


UPDATE!

This article was on NJ.com on December 6, 2009. I just discovered that it was printed on the front page of the Print Edition of the Warren Reporter (under the fold) on January 1, 2010! The title of the piece was shortened, the date of the crime was corrected and one or two other typoes were fixed.

I found this in the Hackettstown Historical Society already:

click on it for a better view

Not a bad way to start the new year!

The Press Is Interested in "Free James Titus"

Greetings Freedom Fighters:

On October 31, 2009, I sent a press release similar to this one to several media outlets, including the Star-Ledger, Express-Times, Daily Record and New Jersey Herald newspapers; History, Smithsonian and American Heritage Magazine: New Jersey Monthly Magazine; and, several radio stations, too.

Almost immediately, I got a call back from Joyce Estey of WRNJ Radio, who said the press release was the most interesting thing she had gotten in the mail in a long time. I did a five minute interview with her on the spot. You can hear that interview on the Free James Titus Myspace Music Player. If you have a myspace page, it would be awesome if you could add it to your player for a while. This issue really needs to get some attention. Governor Corzine is only going to be Governor for a little while longer. It is the right time for him to be considering pardons. Gov. Christie is a "law and order" guy, and a conservative. That's not a bad thing, but I feel that he doesn' t have much incentive to pardon James Titus right away.

Anyway, last Wednesday, I got a call from Todd Petty, a reporter for the weekly county newspaper called The Warren Reporter. He was very enthusiastic about it, too. I could tell by the way he wished me good luck at the end of the interview. If we succeed at this, it will be very exciting, so I don't blame him one bit.

I have sent updated press releases out to many other outlets, and I will continue to do many things to draw attention to the Free James Titus Movement, but I need your help. It seems so simple and obvious that anyone with the power to do so would pardon James Titus if he or she would just look at the evidence, but as you know, these things can get very complicated.

Please write and call the Governor. Please do it multiple times. Especially now. Tell your friends. Bring it up at an Amnesty International meeting. Bring it up in your history class if you're taking one. It's very important.

I will keep posting updates here. I know that people are interested in this. We need more than interest, though. We need more than speeches and outrage. We need action. We need a pardon for James Titus. It's simple. There is more guilt involved in buying a Big Mac at McDonald's than there is in pardoning his 123 year old murder conviction.

Thank you everyone who has helped so far. As long as I live, I will not give up the fight to free James Titus.

Have a blessed holiday season.

Warm Regards,


Erik B. Anderson
Independence Township, New Jersey
Established 1782